Chapter 8

When Prince John dismounted, a clatter of hoofs was heard on the way. The regent and his attendants turned their looks. A dust cloud was approaching to the castle. The silence was so deep, that everyone seemed to be waiting for an important event.

"What is happening?" asked Isolde, getting out of the carriage.

"Don't be afraid, milady", said Maurice, sprinkling from his horse.

Prince John was paralyzed with fear.

"If... If only it isn't from him..." he thought.

De Bracy touched him on the shoulder.

"Who can it be?" asked the regent.

"A massager, without doubt."

"Yes, but who? And whose?"

"That I can not tell you, Your Highness. As you can see, the man is wearing black and has no symbol on his clothes. Anyway, I think I know who sent him although I'm afraid to speak out his name."

Prince John swallowed hard. When the rider entered the palace of Canterbury's yard, he looked instinctively at Lady Isolde. On her face was no expression. Eunice clung to her, frightened.

"Milady, I wonder: can we have at least a moment of peace?"

Isolde didn't answer. Maurice was staring at the man who was approaching with a loose rein. He stopped before the regent and got off the horse. Seeing the pale young woman near the black coffin , he remained speechless for a moment. Then he turned round his head to the prince and inclined with coldness. Seeing his face, Maurice gave a jump and quickly whispered at Prince John's ear:

"Charles Delorges- from Richard".

The regent was deeply startled. He threw an angry look to the young knight, but soon Charles' eyes made him look somewhere else.

"Why don't you speak, sir?" asked the regent.

"Why don't you ask me, sir?"

Prince John turned red with anger. De Bracy seized his arm.

"You are my brother's massager, are you not?"

"Yes, indeed, I was send by the King of England."

The prince glanced at De Bracy, but he was casting sheep's eyes at Eunice.

"What a stooge!" he thought. ""He's always leaving me when I need him."

He asked Charles:

"So? Do you have a letter, anything to give us?"

"I do have a letter."

Charles pull out of his tunic an unstamped letter and gave it to Prince John. The regent made a sign to Maurice, who stretched his hand to it. The knight took back his hand and said firmly:

"My king's letter is only for his royal highness, the regent".

The prince forced a smile and repeated the sign. De Bracy got near the massager and taking the , he said:

"Don't play with fire, sir Delorges. It's just a friendly suggest."

Charles looked full in his face and answered:

"I'm awfully sorry that I can't remember when exactly we became friends, sir."

Maurice smiled pale and returned near the regent. Prince John threw about a peep before taking the letter in his hands.

"Is this massage from the king? I see no stamp on it!"

"It was written by King Richard himself. You can see the signature."

"Yes, but there is no stamp..."

Charles felt himself being black in the face.

"If you can not recognize your brother's writing, the lord of Canterbury can. Where is he? Why don't I see him here?"

Maurice looked at the prince, who turned round to Lady Isolde. She was biting her lips to the quick.

"Your Highness", insisted the knight, "tell me where I can find the lord of Canterbury, so that I give him what the king has commissioned me with..."

Suddenly, the fair Isolde closed her eyes and whispered:

"Oh, that is too much!"

She drew a sigh and wobbled. Eunice set up a cry. Charles stepped forward mechanically and caught the beautiful maiden in his arms. Seeing that, the prince dropped the king's letter. Maurice took it and scoured it. Meanwhile, Lady Isolde had come to herself. She saw the young man who was holding her and blushed.

"Thank you, sir", whispered Isolde, standing up, "but you shouldn't have done such a thing", she added, looking at Prince John with fear.

Charles smiled.

"And you, sir", she said to him sadly. "You speak of my father in such moments!"

"Your father?" asked he surprised. "The lord of Canterbury is your father? Then you can tell me... where he is?"

Isolde showed him the dark coffin and said:

"He isn't with me anymore."

The knight uncovered himself and saluted the dead body.

"Milady", he said, looking at Isolde, whose eyes were clouded over with tears, "don't judge me so severe. Believe me that I know how a lonely life is. My parents died when I was a child. I've spent my whole life fighting England's enemies. One day I had the privilege to save King Richard's life. His protection has covered the absence of a family. He means all for me now."

There was something in Charles' voice that made Isolde listen to him with a kind of fraternal compassion. When he looked at her, she casted down her eyes and blushed. Meanwhile, the courtiers were talking about the unexpected event in small groups. The backers of Prince John were throwing angry looks to the young intruder. Maurice was reading the royal letter with sensation while Prince John was beating his nails, fallowing with his looks the two teenagers who were whispering near the black coffin.

Lady Isolde was keeping her eyes nailed to the ground.

"You are alone", she said, "but you are safe. You can defeat your enemies and protect yourself. But what can I do, after I've just lost my only protector?"

Touched, Charles took her little hands and put them on his chest. Prince John saw red.

"Milady", said Charles in a low voice, "if you ever need someone to spend every whit of blood for you, I would be very happy to be that man."

Isolde retained her hands and, making a step behind, she replied sadly:

"You should be honest with me, sir, and with yourself. I can't understand the men's pleasure in decoying with empty words naive girls like me."

The knight's face became pale. With slow movements, he unsheathed his dagger and taking it by the blade, he gave it to lady Isolde, answering severe:

"Grant me a favour, milady. Spare me from hearing such unfair words. I'd rather die than hear how scoundrel you think I am..."

Lady Isolde blushed, turned ghostly pale, took the dagger and looking terrified at it, she put it back in the sheath. Her large blue eyes filled up with tears.

"Sir, although I do not know your name and this is the first time I see you, I feel like we've been friends for a lifetime... I'm sorry if my words wounded you, for that was not my intention. Forgive me, please..."

Isolde held out her hand to him. Quivering, Charles laid a bashful kiss on the tip of her thin fingers. Then he offered her his arm and they started walking along the old mysterious alleys. Prince John was about to fallow them, when he felt a resolute hand on his shoulder. He turned on his heels as snake bitten and set eyes on Maurice. The Lord Chancellor showed him the king's letter.

"You will find out many interesting things, Your Highness. Believe me, it is more important than some childish looks."

Even if he was hardly abstaining from spying the two lovers, as he thought they already were, the regent grabbed the letter and started reading it.