Deception

Chapter 74

"You may fool many people Sir Guy, but I am one who is not easily fooled on anything. The manner of your dress, attitude even your voice is different. I notice many things and only one person can even influence in a person's life. So I ask again, who was she?" I inform him as I knew Guy too well for him to lie to me, not that he knew that, but still.

"Esme. Lady Esme." He told me with a smile on his face and his eyes distant as I knew he must have been remembering something about me as he chuckled and his cheeks reddened before he turned his face away and coughed turning his slightly scarlet face back to neutral.

"What happened to her?" I asked him casually.

"She died....I killed her" He spoke empty and guiltily. I looked at him and was surprised as I had never seen Guy so heartbroken and saddened which made me feel guilty and empty by what I was about to do.

"Did she betray you?" I casually question him. Testing him really to see his side of how the mission and our relationship and my death went in the Holy Land through his eyes.

"What!" Guy spat back at me as those I had just told him the most insulting thing on the planet.

"Did she betray you? That's the only reason why I would think you'd kill her" I question him again as I remembered that he once told me in Nottingham, that betrayal would lead to my own death.

"NO! No I could never hurt her!" Guy angrily shouted in my defensive that it was beginning to get Xavier agitated so I held him steady before glaring at Guy.

"Yet you did." I bitterly pointed out as he ran his fingers through his hair and paced. His torn look appeared as well as his heartbroken sadness that made me regret bringing up painful memories of myself. But I had to know how he truly felt.

"I never meant to kill her. I wanted to marry her, I loved her. She tried to prevent me from killing King Richard and as I tried to prevent myself from harming her....I..." He tried to explain yet failed as I heard his voice crack. He turned away from me hanging his head as I saw his shoulders shaking slightly which made me even guiltier.

"You ended up hurting her instead." I whisper understanding.

"She haunts me every night. I see her calling out at me, asking why I betrayed her. I promised her I would never hurt her. It's MY fault!" He angrily and sadly cried out and kicking a bucket closest to his feet. His statement angered me as it made me wonder if he knew me at all!

"Did she blame you?" I demanded as I saw that my question had taken him by surprise as he stared at me in shock. His mouth went to open but no words came out as it closed once again causing me to growl in anger.

"Her last words! Did she blame you and curse you!" I shouted at him angrily trying to get him to see reason. I know full well that my last words to him were out of love!

"Don't pretend that you knew her! You know nothing!" Guy shouted angrily at me as he gripped my cloak and shook me slightly before throwing me to the side and storming out of the stables towards the castle. I thought about calling out his name and chasing after him to apologize for insulting my own memory but then I thought I better leave him be. He always was difficult to turn around when he was in one of his moods.

Once I had finished brushing out Xavier I made my way back up to the castle and notices that the Prince's festivities were still continuing in the great hall. Men were drunk now and slurring their words, slipping their wine and struggling to stay on their feet whilst women laughed at their manner. Prince John was clapping and cheering at the jesters and musicians as his lords who were struggling to stay on their feet instead of dancing.

Glancing around the hall briefly I noticed that Guy wasn't around, which meant he must have returned back to his chambers to retire for the evening. Sighing I decided to do the same as I sat on my stool in front of the vanity and removed my hood and mask. I let my fingers trail over my skin and smiled slightly seeing my face in the mirror before I slowly unbraided my hair and brushed it out with my fingers.