Chapter 12

The next morning, Thérèse, Bernard, and Henri were gathered by the stable. The sun hadn't risen yet, so it was still dark and they could all feel the winter's extreme cold. Thérèse rubbed her gloved hands together. The white fur was barely keeping her fingers from turning blue. The frigid wind rustled her thick black shirt and pants. She pulled her baby blue cloak tighter around her shoulders. The trim on the cloak matched her white gloves. Next to her, Bernard adjusted the sword at his hip. His thick boots crunched in the snow as he shifted his weight from side to side. The individual hairs on his chestnut-brown fur coat fluttered in a million different directions. He'd had the coat made from the skin of a bear he killed on his first hunt. He pulled the hood up over his ears and started to button the coat up over his gray sweater and charcoal pants. 

"That's a beautiful coat." Henri said. Bernard nodded in thanks. Henri was helping the stable hands load up the horses' saddlebags. He pulled off a single brown leather glove with his teeth so he could close the clasp of a bag. His knee-length navy jacket fluttered in the wind, revealing a warm pair of brown pants and a white tunic. 

"That should be everything we need." He said. 

"Where are your friends?" Thérèse demanded. She was feeling uneasy about this trip. 

"They'll be here soon, don't worry." Henri reassured her. He saw the troubled expression

on her face and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her head into his chest. She breathed deeply. He smelled of pine needles. She revelled silently in his warmth. 

"It's going to be okay." he whispered gently. He planted a kiss on the top of her head.

Thérèse met his chocolate-brown eyes with a gaze on the brink of tears. She had to tilt her head back to look up at him.

"I'm scared." she said.

"I know." He stroked her hair. "But it's going to be alright. We're going to help my parents, and correct the terrible things that have happened. We're going to hold the people who did this responsible. They're going to regret the day they decided to plot against us." 

Thérèse swallowed the lump in her throat and nodded. Behind her, Henri could see a group of shadows approaching in the distance. He released Thérèse and began to walk to meet them. 

Bernard nudged Thérèse playfully. 

"Us, huh? You two seem to be getting quite serious." he teased. 

"Oh, please. That's at the back of my mind right now. I just want this ordeal to be over with." Thérèse said. She wiped her wet cheeks with the back of her hand. The fur was warm against her rosy cheeks. 

As Henri got closer to the shadows, he could make out his three friends more clearly. They had been hiding in the town since his family had arrived in Bayonne. He wanted to ensure they were away from the castle in case Thérèse decided to report what she had seen the four of them do that night in the woods. 

The first face Henri could make out was Caram's. He was average height with a medium build. Even in the dark Henri could see his full head of red hair. It was almost luminescent. Caram and Henri had met as young boys in school. They quickly grew close and had been best friends since their childhood. Caram decided to go into Bayonne's military once their education was over, and had become a good soldier. Even though he was a bit of a loose cannon, Henri had always trusted him to get a job done, even if it wasn't in the most conventional way. 

"Good to see you again." Caram said. Him and Henri shared a short hug and slapped each other on the back. 

"Glad to see that messenger was able to pull you out of the gutter. I hear you've been causing quite a stir at a few of Argence's taverns. What did you not understand about keeping your head down?" Henri snorted. 

Caram laughed in response. "Ha! You know how I am Henri, can't resist a little fun. When that messenger burst into The Dragon's Tavern and started raising Hell looking for us, Zin just about ended him right then and there." 

Henri chuckled. "Speak of the Devil." He could see Zin and Mehala clearly now, only a few steps behind Caram. 

Zin was an older man. He was the same size as Caram, but blond and terribly sarcastic. 

Zin had a very rough upbringing. His parents abandoned him at an early age, leaving him to fend for himself. As a result, Zin had turned to a life of crime to survive. He had been arrested for a violent murder and was sentenced to death. Henri contemplated the circumstances of the crime and convinced his father to pardon Zin and save his life. As a result, he swore his loyalty to Henri and pledged to follow him wherever he went. Next to Zin was Mehala. She was a large, middle-aged woman. At over six feet tall and almost two hundred and fifty pounds (most of which was muscle), she was an intimidating sight. When Mehala was young, she had been taken on as a servant for Henri's mother before she died. Before Henri's mother passed, Mehala took an oath to do whatever she could to protect and serve Henri. She had a short brown bob that curled towards her square jaw at the ends. It was evident she had won her fair share of fights. The various scars and ever-present bruises on her body proved she wasn't afraid of getting physical. Once they exchanged greetings, Henri led them over to the stable where Thérèse and Bernard were still waiting. 

As the pair watched Henri greet the three strangers, Bernard was again nervous. 

"I still don't know about trusting these people." He shook his head and turned toward Thérèse. "How do we know they won't double-cross us?" 

Thérèse rolled her eyes as Bernard glanced over his shoulder. 

"First off, you were the one who thought going to Bayonne with him would be a good idea. He's a good man, Bernard. I trust him." Thérèse said. 

"You only trust him because you're in bed with him." Bernard huffed. Thérèse gasped at his comment. She wanted to shout back at him, but Henri and the others were close. 

"Thérèse, Bernard, these are my friends who will be travelling with us. This is Caram, Zin, and Mehala." Zin gave a short hello, and Mehala smiled slightly while saying, "Pleased to meet you."  Caram stepped forward immediately and kissed Thérèse's hand. She blushed. 

"Pleasure to meet you both. I'm Caram, and I'm very excited to be going on this journey with the both of you. Although, I do wish it were under better circumstances. The messenger explained everything to us. I'm terribly sorry about your mother and sister." Caram said. 

"Thank you, it's good to meet all of you as well." Thérèse said. Bernard remained silent and still, except for a brief handshake with Caram. 

The sun was beginning to peek through the fading nighttime clouds. Its rays were slowly spreading out across the wintry landscape. The group mounted their horses. Thérèse was on Bisou, Henri took Larkspur, and Bernard, Zin, Mehala, and Caram took workhorses that were trained to make long trips like this one. Thérèse took one last look at her home as they entered the woods. 

I'll be back. She thought. I'm not letting this go. She fingered the gold rose necklace from her father. She hadn't taken it off since the night of the ball. She rode side by side with Henri as they set off  on the path. Bernard was next to Caram, leaving Zin and Mehala at the back of the group. 

"The forest really is a beautiful scene in the winter." Henri said. Thérèse nodded silently in agreement. 

"It's a very pretty journey, honestly. The mountains along the way are simply breathtaking. I just wish we were making the trip under better circumstances." Henri continued. "But it's going to be alright. We're going to help my parents, secure Bayonne and Argence, and then we-" 

Thérèse broke off his sentence.

"Henri, if you say one more word I'm going to carve your tongue out of your mouth. There is no "we". I'm doing this because I care about you and want to help your parents, who are innocent victims in this whole mess. After that, I expect you and your friends to return to Bayonne, and we will all continue on with our lives." 

Henri was taken aback.

"Thérèse, I'm sorry. I thought since we cared for each other we would remain together, in some capacity, once this is over. Was I wrong?" 

Thérèse felt tears of frustration welling up in her eyes. She turned her upper body quickly towards Henri, almost losing her balance in Bisou's saddle. 

"Henri, I care for you deeply. Against all of my better judgements. You're a murderer, a liar, and you kidnapped me and held me against my will in my own castle. Despite all that, I've fallen in love with you, Henri. But we can't be. After everything that's happened we…we can never be. It's too painful. You would only be a constant reminder of what my life once was. With my mother, with Brigitte.." her throat swelled up at the name of her dead best friend. Thérèse bit her bottom lip to steady her voice. She shook her head. Thérèse had been planning to have this conversation once their work in Bayonne was done. This isn't at all how she had wanted it to go. 

"It's just too much, Henri. I'm sorry. I truly do care for you but you can't be anything more than a friend and ally once this is over. I'm sorry." Two hot tears fell from Thérèse's cheeks onto Bisou's neck. They melted the small smattering of snowflakes that had gathered on the horse's coat. Henri drew in a deep, slow breath. 

"I understand." he said calmly. "I love you too, Thérèse. You have struck my heart like no one else I've ever met, and I hope I've been able to show you that. You're intelligent, beautiful, and courageous. But if a friend and ally is all you want from me, then so be it. I will do everything in my power to be the greatest friend and most valuable ally you have. So long as it means I remain in your life, and in your heart." 

Thérèse nodded silently. She wanted to say more, but had to bite her lip again. Her teeth drew blood from the dry, cracked skin. She knew if she tried to speak any more her emotions would overtake her. Henri had shown her a love she had never fostered any hope of experiencing, and here she was, telling him she wanted only a platonic and strategic relationship with him. What would her mother think of her, turning down a suitor of Henri's status? It was a lie, of course. There was nothing more in the world she wanted than to start a new life with him. But it was too painful. Everything he reminded her of was too hurtful and too hard to think about. The possibility of love wasn't worth the promise of pain. 

During their exchange, the rest of the group had fallen silent. Bernard had been listening closely. He felt terrible that Thérèse was having such a difficult situation at a time like this, but thankful that Henri would no longer be a distraction. Bernard still blamed him for Brigitte's death and the destruction brought upon Argence. 

Bernard had been the one to break the news to Brigitte's fiance that she was dead. Bernard had never once seen this man show any emotion. He was as stoic as they came, and he had always wondered how Brigitte could find romance and happiness with him. But his successful merchant career ensured he would be able to provide a future for Brigitte and their children. When the man heard the news, his entire body froze. He fell to his knees and bawled. Bernard did his best to comfort the man as he screamed and pounded the ground. Suddenly, Bernard grasped just how much Brigitte's fiance had loved her. He swore out loud that he would never love another woman, in this lifetime or the next. Bernard brought him back to his ship where the crew promised to look after him while he mourned. Bernard hadn't heard from the man since. 

After a few moments of painfully awkward silence Caram spoke up. 

"So Bernard, I've heard many rumors about you in Bayonne." Caram said hopefully. Bernard gave a wry chuckle in response. 

"Like what?" he asked. 

"I've heard you're one of the greatest soldiers the city has ever produced. You know, I also dedicated my life to the military once I was of age." 

The prescence of someone similar to himself put Bernard's mind at ease. They spent the next couple of hours regailing each other with stories of training and their proudest moments in combat. 

A few hours later, the party decided to stop for a few hours and let their horses rest. They all dismounted and tied the animals to various trees. Thérèse dug through her saddlebags for a moment, eventually producing a handful of oats and an apple. She fed these to Bisou while gently stroking the horse's long nose. 

Zin started a small fire a few steps off the path. Mehala and Caram sat on either side of him. Caram rubbed his hands together and stretched them out towards the warm flames. Bernard dropped down heavily next to Caram. He pulled his knife out of his pocket and began to slice a hunk of cheese he'd packed for the journey. He offered a few slices to Caram, who hungrily accepted. Henri sat on the opposite side of Bernard, and Thérèse quietly took a seat next to Mehala. The five of them formed a circle around the campfire. They sat in silence for a bit as the fire gradually ate away at the damp wood Zin had gathered. Smoke rose into the trees. The only sound was the horses snorting and pawing softly at the snow. 

After ten minutes of deafening silence, Zin spoke up. 

"So what should we expect when we reach Bayonne?" he asked. 

Everyone turned to look at Henri.

"Honestly, I don't know." Henri said. "I've heard nothing about the state of the kingdom. None of us have. The only thing I could reasonably predict is this; it's going to be bloody." 

"I think it's safe to assume they'll be guarding the borders." Caram said. "Or at least the gates to the palace. Obviously if they've made it this far they have to have the numbers to at least do that." 

"The mystery lies in who's leading them." Bernard said. "I'm guessing they've heard  that Claude is dead. So who's in charge now that he's gone?" 

"Well, he said there were others helping him." Thérèse piped up. "In the forest, he made it clear that he wasn't working alone. There are traitors from both sides assisting in pulling this whole thing off. I'm sure someone was ready and willing to fill the void." Everyone nodded silently in agreement. 

"We'll need a plan." Mehala started. "We'll need some way to get into the palace and free Henri's parents. That's the first step. We can take care of the rest of Claude's posse once that's done." 

"There are a million ways into the palace, there's no way they can block all of them." Henri said, a glimmer of hope in his voice. "My ancestors were paranoid about something like this happening. There's secret entrances, backdoors, scalable walls that lead to hidden windows. We'll be able to get in." 

"It's getting in unnoticed that will be the issue." Bernard commented. "It'll be going great until we're spotted and all Hell breaks loose." 

"I think I've got it!" Caram cried, jumping to his feet. Everyone flinched a bit from the sudden outburst. Caram continued, "They'll have to be ordering supplies, right? It's not like they can do something like this without getting food, medical supplies, everything else you need to, you know, live. We pose as a group of merchants and get them to let us in through the front door!" 

Zin snorted. "Yeah, we'll be a group of merchants bringing supplies. Showing up with nothing but us on our horses. Don't you think they'll notice we have nothing to deliver? We need something else." 

"I think I have something that will work." Henri mumbled. He shifted to look at Thérèse. "But you're not going to like it."