Medieval Master Swordsmen(450)

She turned to the gowns, lying in a heap upon the bed. She could see at least five different colors of garments. There was a lavender, a pale blue, a deep green, a rich yellow, and a soft red. While Sian crawled on the ground alternately playing with his cart and his wonderful sword, Derica and Aneirin inspected the clothes. They were well made. Since she had come to Pembroke in nothing but peasant rags, Keller had been more than thoughtful to her needs. More than that, he had gone out his way to be kind to her and the children.

Derica fingered the gowns, feeling guilty for the way she was behaving towards him, but she didn’t want to give the man any encouragement. Her heart forever belonged to Garren. But that should not prevent her from being nice to Keller, who was doing all he could to make her life comfortable.

It was late when Derica finally put the children to sleep. Sian liked to fall asleep in her arms, so disengaging herself from him when he was finally asleep was something of a tricky effort. She managed to do so without rousing him. The fire in the chamber burned low, giving off a good deal of heat as she silently changed into one of the new gowns Keller had given her.

The soft red surcoat made from finely polished cotton fit her very well over a delicate linen long-sleeved sheath. To it, Derica attached one of the brooches Keller had given her, a silver piece worked into the shape of a flower with a large garnet set deep into it. She then brushed her hair and plaited a long braid, which fell luxuriously down her back.

Looking at herself in the polished bronze mirror, she didn’t see the same woman she had known once, the young girl who had run away from Framlingham into the arms of the man she loved. Gazing back at her was someone with the sad maturity to have loved and lost at a young age. If she looked long enough, she could see her broken heart bleeding out all over herself. It was a sobering moment in a week that had been full of them. Depressed, she quit the room.

It occurred to her half way down the hall that she hadn’t left her room since her arrival and was somewhat lost in the vast labyrinth of Pembroke. It was a massive place that smelt of dampness. She found the stairs and ended up on the living level, which held the great hall. There was some light and voices coming from the great room, drawing her into it.

Keller was standing by a hearth that was taller than he was. A fire blazed brightly in it. There was a cup in his hand as he spoke softly to a shorter man next to him, his strong features silhouetted by the light. When Keller looked over and saw her standing in the doorway, he nearly dropped his cup.

“My lady,” there was concern in his voice as he walked towards her. “Is something the matter?”

“Nay,” Derica shook her head. “The children are asleep and I wish to speak with you.”

He couldn’t set the cup down fast enough or walk quickly enough to her side. “Of course,” he gestured to the small room across from the great hall. “We may speak in the solar.”

The solar was dark, no fire in the hearth. Keller quickly set to lighting a blaze, but Derica stopped him. “There is no need for that,” she said. “I will only take a moment.”

“Very well,” he stood up, too fast, and dropped the kindling on his boot. Rather than look the fool and reach down to pick it up, he simply kicked it away and pretended not to care. “What did you wish to speak to me about?”

“About your gifts.”

“The gowns? Are they not to your liking?”

“They’re fine.”

“Then the jewelry. You’d rather pick out your own? The silversmith said that garnet and citrine were of the latest fashion. I bought what he suggested.”

He was turning into that nervous boy again. Derica put her hands up to stop his chatter.

“The jewelry is lovely, Sir Keller. Absolutely lovely.”

He looked confused and relieved at the same time. “I see.” He started popping his knuckles again. “Then what did you wish…?”

“If you’d let me get a word in, I simply wanted to thank you for your generosity. You left the chamber so quickly that we did not get the chance.”

A twinkle came to his brown eyes. “Oh,” he said. “I left because I did not want to intrude. I feel as if I intrude far too much on your time as it is.”

It was rather humorous watching the seasoned knight pop his knuckles and shift around nervously. “May I ask you a question, Sir Keller?” she finally said.

“Of course.”

“Do I frighten you?”

The twinkle in his eyes grew. “Aye.”

“I thought so. But why?”

The man shrugged his big shoulders and stopped cracking his knuckles. “Because… because you’re so beautiful, I suppose.”