Redemption Penalties

Chapter Nine

Chapter Nine: Ten Months Later

 Isabella was shackled and roughly led from her cell. She repeatedly asked where she was going but the guards wouldn't answer her. Instead they had bundled her into a prison cart and rode out of London. She knew she was going to her death for she had been convicted of treason not two weeks ago but as the city gave way to countryside, she wondered why she was being moved for her execution.

She remembered Guy's face as he told the court about her crimes against the king. The simpering coward hadn't even had the guts to look her in the eye as he testified. She had not thought that it was possible to hate him more than she already did but she had been proven wrong.

Towards lunch time on the second day of travel they stopped at a castle. The guards opened the hatch in the rear of the wagon and dragged her out into the courtyard.

"Guy!" she sneered as she noticed him approach from the castle. Typical. Convicting her wasn't enough, now he had come to watch her final shame as she was executed.

"Isabella." He stopped a few paces in front of her.

"What's going on? Where am I?"

"Porchester Castle on the south coast," he answered. He didn't look nearly as self satisfied as she had expected him to.

"Why?" she demanded.

Guy walked up to her and put his hands on her shoulders. Had she not been shacked she would have taken a swing at him. He looked into her eyes and for a moment Isabella thought she glimpsed the brother who used to look out for her when they were young.

"I bought you freedom," he said.

Isabella stared at him, too stunned to speak for a moment.

"What?"

"I bought your freedom," he repeated.

"You mean I won't spend the rest of my life in jail?" she asked.

"No, you are a free woman, Isabella."

She began to smile.

"But there is one condition."

Isabella's smile faded before it had completely formed.

"You are to be exiled," Guy explained. "You will never be allowed to return to this country as long as King Richard is alive."

"But... What am I going to do? Where am I supposed to go? It's all right for you, you got in with the king, but what about me! Why is it always me that suffers from your plans."

"Robin offered to protect you when the king returned but you refused his help. You brought this on yourself, Isabella."

Isabella had tears shining in her eyes and Guy turned away, unwilling to witness her sorrow.

"I contacted our uncle in France, he's willing to take you in until you find somewhere more permanent to live."

"And what am I to do for money?"

"I have purchased Squire Thornton's land from you."

"You? How could you afford it!" Isabella spat.

"Our sister, Lou, loaned me the money from her inheritance."

"That bastard! I won't take her money."

Guy turned around, anger finally getting the better of him.

"You will or you will starve, Isabella!"

Isabella quietened down.

"Lou is... She may have been born out of wedlock but she is every inch our mothers child. She has more of her goodness in her than either of us. I'm only thankful that Gislaine will never know how we turned out."