From Protector To Lady

From Protector To Lady Chapter 6

    I couldn't find any words to say as I looked at the wooden sword that lay upon my chest, her having just heaved it against me. A woman had never acted towards me so forwardly. Most women would nod and do as I said, as it was customary; but not this woman, no, certainly not her. I could tell already she would be a difficult one to deal with. I could still see the way her eyes were ablaze with passion as she scorned me with her heated words.

     How dare she be so bold as to act in such a way? I, the highest esteemed knight and a future Duke. She dare act against me with physical force? I was told she was not used to the ways of a lady, of how to treat those who ranked above her, but how completely ignorant could she be?

     And then my stubborn, foolish pride began to kick in. I should just let her walk away, as an act of respect towards her. But I could not. I could not be bested by this woman.

     I quickly hopped to my feet, holding the wooden sword in my hand tightly. Looking all around, I could see her quickly scampering off, holding her skirts up to her knees, stomping awkwardly in her heeled boots.

     Taking off at a light jog; it would not take much to catch her, my mind full of the words I was going to lay upon her.

     She would have to be put in her place eventually and what better man than I? I was just the man for the challenge. Another conquest would surely be enjoyable.

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"Rebecca!" a voice boomed from behind me, stopping me in my tracks.

"You cannot be serious?!" I said as I whipped around, being greeted with his looming figure. He was a very tall man, broad in the shoulders, my eyes could not help but wander slightly.

"Lady Rebecca," he scoffed. "You would do wise to know your place in this palace. Actually, in the entirety of this kingdom."

"Please do enlighten me as to what one would mean by saying such a thing," I said quickly, looking to the increasingly darkening sky, a bolt of lightning shooting across it, followed by a long, low stretch of thunder.

"It has been told that you do not know the proper etiquette in this lifestyle. You are a woman. You cannot speak freely to whomever you please and you certainly cannot run around hitting men with wooden swords. To do so would be disastrous. You are lucky I am a generous man,"

I snorted.

"You would be wise not to interrupt when a man is speaking to you also," he said sternly, obviously becoming annoyed.

"And you, Sir, you would be wise not to act upon crude impulses. Your words are meaningless to me. I am here to fulfill a duty and fulfill it I will. I do not need to be insulted so by some brute knight who looks upon himself with too high of an esteem," I said, getting annoyed as well.

     There was something about this man that pushed on all corners of my patience. I did not know if it was the way he spoke so highly of himself or so lowly of others but I found it extremely difficult to hold my tongue against him.

"You vile crone!" he said, in an outburst, throwing the wooden sword down in frustration.

"You are a wicked man, Sir Stanton. Knights are good for nothing, all they do is parade about on their war horses, slaying people who have done naught. I have heard many stories about midnight raids where you take men from their families, from their homes, to bring them to the executioner," My mouth rattled off before I could stop it. It was true, I had heard these stories, but I had never invested any faith into them. To be honest, I knew nothing of the ways of the king or his knights and how they dealt justice.