1032. Chapter 1032

After Much Ado About Murder

Part Three

By

UCSBdad

Disclaimer: The game's afoot. Follow your spirit and upon this fanfic, cry," God for Istria, England and Lady Katherine." Rating: K Time: Immediately following After Much Ado About Murder, Part Two.

Several of Rick's archers pushed their way through the crowd, leading horses for the Castles and Lady Alexis.

"We thought you'd appreciate a ride rather than having to fight your way through the crowd." Yelled Huw of Llandovery.

"Many thanks, Huw." Castle yelled back. The noise the happy crowd was making any further conversation impossible.

Once back at home, the Castles shared a bath and then went to bed. At first to sleep, but later to make love.

Upon arising the next morning, the Castles went downstairs to find Lady Alexis in the middle of a crowd of seamstresses and three tailor's dummies.

"What is this?" Sir Richard demanded.

Alexis looked at him and smiled, then curtsied. "Good morning Sir Richard, Lady Katherine. I'm preparing us for the grand ball tonight. It'll be the most festive occasion in Duke Rodrigo's reign. Simply everyone will be there. Do you like your gown, Lady Katherine? It's the white one."

Kate examined the gown closely. "I don't think I've ever seen a more beautiful gown."

"Its white as that's the color of purity, Lady Katherine."

"Really, Alexis. Now that you're a Lady, you should call me Kate. And my husband is Richard to you."

"Any particular reason you won't be wearing white, Alexis?" Rick asked.

"With my pale skin? I'd look entirely washed out. Blue is a far better color for me. "Alexis called to a seamstress. "No. The pearls go on Lady Katherine's gown. Around the neck."

"What's that on the third tailor's dummy?" Castle asked.

"That's for you, Richard."

"But it's torn!" He protested.

"Not at all. That's the latest style. Inside of your jacket we'll sew a baggy silk shirt. Then we'll pull the silk out in little puffs through the holes in the outer jacket."

"That's…"Castle began.

"Quite stylish." Kate finished for him. "He'll look quite gallant."

Castle said no more.

That night, Sir Richard and Lady Katherine rode to the ball in a carriage. As usual, they were escorted by two score of mounted archers and a dozen knights.

As they alit from the carriage, Huw of Llandovery leaned down from his saddle and spoke softly to Rick. "I wish we could go in with you, Sir Richard. These things can be as dangerous as a French army."

Castle smiled. "But look what we did to the French."

They were greeted at the entrance to Ducal palazzo by Duke Rodrigo.

"Ah, the heroes of the hour have arrived. Sir Richard and Lady Katherine. Please, enjoy the food and the wine. And the dancing." Rodrigo lowered his voice. "And please do pay your compliments to Bishop Vaughn. He was almost unable to control his fury when he learned of our victory."

The two bowed and entered the palazzo. Almost at once they were stopped by Vaughn.

"It seems I must congratulate you for your….victory." He said sourly.

Castle smiled. "Do you find fault with our victory, Your Excellency?"

Vaughn made a dismissive gesture. "Defeating a weak band of scruffy pirates hardly constitutes a victory that would justify such a gaudy celebration."

"Perhaps, Your Excellency, being a man of peace, you don't comprehend the difficulties of a naval battle. As I was there, and you were not, I can say with confidence that this gala celebration is fully justified."

Vaughn walked away without saying another word.

"I think he understands that you just told him that he had no idea what he was doing when he sent those Guelph ships after us." Kate said softly.

"I hope he did."

"I fear from the scowl he was wearing, you may have upset Bishop Vaughn." Said a male voice from behind them. Rick and Kate turned to face a tall, but rather thin priest. He wore a simple wool robe tied with a piece of rope. On his feet were worn leather sandals and a plain wooden cross hung around his neck.

"We may well have, Father….?" Castle said, not recognizing the priest.

"Oh, dear me. I'm Bishop Francois d'Alencon. I'm the new bishop of Pola. We met briefly when you returned from the south. I don't blame you for not recognizing me, my son. I hardly cut the figure of Bishop Vaughn with his silk robes, leather boots and that lovely gold cross of his. They say those are real diamonds in it."

Rick and Kate both bowed. "Forgive us, Your Eminence." Rick said hastily.

The man laughed. "Think nothing of it, my son. As I said, I don't have the panache of Bishop Vaughn, although I'm quite lucky to be here in Pola at all."

"Why is that, Your Excellency?" Kate asked.

"I'm afraid I wasn't too politic in my last assignment. I was in Avignon, France, where the Holy Father has resided for some years. I felt, although I am French, that the Holy See should return to Rome. I also might have said something or another about bishops and others who seem to have a bit too much in the way of worldly goods for people who have taken vows of poverty. I was to be sent to the northern shores of the Baltic Sea. Have any of you ever been to the Baltic?"

Rick shook his head, but Kate spoke. "I've never been, but I have read about it."

Bishop d'Alencon looked at Kate closely. "Of course, you have, Lady Katherine. You're quite well educated, or so I hear."

Kate blushed. "My father made sure I could read and write and …."

"And it is good that he did. We should educate everyone." The bishop put his hand over his mouth. "Oh, dear. There is one of my impolitic statements. I really must go now. Bless you my children."

Rick and Kate stood there, trying to figure out the bishop.

They were interrupted by a distraught looking Lady Alexis.

"Sir Richard, Lady Katherine. I tried to stop him. I did. I really did. But he wouldn't listen. And before I could do anything he left."

"Who?" Kate asked.

"Your father." Alexis said, pointing to the doorway. There stood Sir James Beckett, freshly bathed and shaved, well dressed and apparently sober. Beside him were two young men, also well dressed, if gaudily so.

"I know those two." Alexis spat. "Hellraisers who'll do anything for money or for a jest. I know of no contact with Bishop Vaughn, but I can smell him behind this."

Kate hurried to her father, closely followed by Richard and Alexis.

"Father, will you please go home? This is no place for you?"

"Are you going to let your daughter talk to you like that, Jim?" Said one of the young man. "My father would never let me talk to him in that manner."

"That assumes you know who your father is." Alexis said coldly.

"Enough of this. Katherine, I'm your father and I won't be talked to like that. I have been invited to this gala ball and I am here. And here I shall remain."

"Good for you!" Cried one of the men, then the two took his arms and led him towards the wine.

"Father!" Kate cried and began to go after him. Rick grabbed her arm.

"Let him go. It may be Vaughn's plan to provoke a scene between us and your father. We'll keep an eye on him and intervene should he need our help."

Kate walked unhappily away and kept her father under close observation. For some time, it appeared that things were going well with Sir James. He seemed to drink in moderation and did nothing unseemly. Kate began to relax. However, this didn't last. Prodded by his two companions, he began to drink more and more. His gestures became wild and she could hear his voice, slurring his words, over the noise of the ball.

"Rick, I think we should…" Kate began.

She was interrupted by a page. "A thousand pardons Sir Richard, but Duke Rodrigo, Sir James, and Lord Pietro need to see you on a matter of some urgency." He gestured to the far side of the room where the three men were standing, gesturing him to join them.

"Kate, I need to go. If you need to do anything about your father, get someone you can trust to help. Peter is here as are some of my captains. I must go, but I'll be right back."

She watched Rick cross the floor, but then the three men went into a small anteroom off the main ballroom. Kate turned back to her father and again relaxed. He seemed to be getting ready to pass out, his head beginning to fall to his chest. Then she saw a woman approach him. She was tall, slender and brown haired. And, she wore a dress identical to one her mother wore. One that her father particularly loved on her. With the help of his new companions, Jim stood and went off down a hallway with the woman. Kate looked around, but could find no one in the crowded ballroom that she trusted. She headed after her father.

There was no one in the hall when she got there, but Kate kept going.

"Father?" She called, but got no reply. She did hear the rustling of cloth. She went down the hall and found a stairway. Up the stairs she went.

"Father?" She called again. She heard a groan at the other end of the dark room she found herself in. She walked slowly forward. There was her father, lying on the floor.

Her arm was grabbed.

"So, it's the whore and not the man. No worry. He'll come soon enough. Now be quiet or…." He held a long poniard in front of Kate's face.

"Please don't hurt me." Kate said in as quavering a voice as she could manage. As the man smiled at her, she drew a dagger from the folds of her skirt, and stabbed at the man's stomach. He managed to block her thrust with his arm.

"You bitch! You cut me. "He growled. As he examined his bleeding arm, a shapely, but well-muscled leg flashed out and kicked him in the balls.

"You'll pay for that, bitch."

As he advanced towards her, Kate began to scream as loudly as she could.

"That'll do you no good, whore. We're too far away and there's too much noise." But even as he spoke, they could hear heavy footsteps coming up the stair and Rick's voice calling for Kate.

The assassin started to back off. "We'll meet again, bitch, and when we do, I leave your face a ruin before I…" He didn't finish his threat before Jim Beckett jumped him from behind.

"Threaten my Katie, will you?" Jim screamed.

The assassin turned and drove his blade deep into Jim's chest. Jim fell back. As he did, Kate stabbed at the man, whose back was now to her. Her blade skidded off a rib and slashed the killer. The man turned back to Kate only to find himself facing Sir Richard and an unsheathed sword. Sir Richard's blade soon found the man's heart.

"Are you all right?" He gasped.

"My father. He's hurt." Kate knelt by her father, but it was too late.