Henry was sitting at the head of the table in an empty council room. His right hand was fiddling with a quill while the other was massaging his left temple. He wrote a few more lines before putting the papers away, arranging them.
The heavy oak door creaked open and footsteps were heard. Henry didn’t lift his head up.
The footsteps stopped and a figure appeared at the corner of his eye.
“When were you going to tell me that you leave for France in 2 weeks?!”
“Sit down, Aria.”
Aria folded her arms and frowned. “No.”
“Fine by me.”
Henry set the papers down and looked up.
“I wanted to tell you tonight.”
“Hal, you should have told me straightaway!”
“Even if I have, what can you do?” Henry implored. His voice was exasperated. Aria didn’t know how to respond. What can she do? This is not an ordinary mission, its war. If he leaves, dies in France what would happen to her?
Aria huffed and unfolded her arms, “Take me with you.”
“What?!” Henry was flabbergasted. She can’t be serious.
“If you are jesting Aria, I suggest you stop.”
“I’m not!” Aria cried, frustrated.
“Then why do you want me to take you along?! This is not another journey, or a vacation. This is a war!”
“Do you really think I can’t differentiate between those two?!” Aria argued.
“Aria Baudouin! You can’t go to war! I forbid you!” Henry pleaded.
“I don’t care!”
“How dare you defy the King’s orders?! You’re a woman, you can’t go to war!”
“How dare you undermine me because of my gender?! Have you forgotten who saved you 6 months ago?!”
Henry was taken aback. This woman is crazy. No woman has ever gone to war. But she was right. She single-handedly defeated a group of men without any help and trained his archers. But she’s still a woman.
“I…I’m not…” Henry relented.
He turned away from her, stood up and paced towards a high ceilinged window, his back facing her.
“Hal?” Aria appeared beside him, concerned.
“I know you’re capable. I know you’re strong but it’s too dangerous. This is a war Aria. I can’t afford to lose you.” His voice softened as he remembered the time when he went back to her village and found her hut burnt down.
“And you think I’ll be better be in this castle, waiting for you to come back? Sitting around in this castle every day, pretending all is well, not knowing what has happened to you?”
“At least you’re safe.”
“To hell with being safe! I want to be with you. I want to fight alongside you.”
“ARIA!” Henry bellowed, infuriated.
“Do you understand the circumstances?! IT’S A BLOODY WAR. He leaned forward and growled, “You. Might. Die.”
“And you?” Aria whispered. “You might die too.”
Henry was stumped for a moment.
He took a step back, folded his hands behind his back and looked away. Neither of them said anything to each other for some time.
Henry felt Aria wrap her arms around him from the back. He covered her hands with his.
“I don’t want to lose you either,” she whispered in his ear.
She could feel him heave a sigh. “Please. I’m competent enough. I want to be by your side. If I come along, I’d be informed of you.”
He was silent, contemplating on her words. He has to find another way to prevent this, “But the lords…” he started.
“I’ll speak to Lord Exeter myself.”
There was no way to dissuade her. Typical Aria, once her mind is set, nothing can change it.
“Alright.” Henry said reluctantly.
She could feel him going slack in her arms as he gave her his unenthusiastic approval. Henry closed his eyes as she kissed him on the cheek and felt her hands release him.
Oh what have I gotten myself into?
“My lord, I heard that the men are to leave for France in 2 weeks,” Aria said; later that day during her usual appointment with the men and Lord Exeter.
Exeter nodded and had a sad smile on his withered face.
“Aye… The King ordered it. We need to gather more men really. The ones we have probably not enough.”
Aha! Time to make use of this information and twist the truth just a little.
“Well that too I’ve heard. Which is why I have asked the King to allow me to follow the entourage in France.”
Exeter whirled to face her. His face was stunned.
“M- m- my lady…The king agreed?”
Aria smiled at him coolly and nodded. “You can ask him yourself.”
Exeter seemed flustered “No, no. There’s no need to.”
“It’s settled then!” Aria grinned as she left her post to approach some of the men.
“Where are we going?” Aria asked as she followed John from behind.
John had greeted her during her class with Lady Kensington and told the elder lady that Aria is excused from classes from now on. She was told to return to her room where Beth and Margret were waiting for her. Apparently Henry had armour made for her, complete with leather trousers, boots, a breastplate and chainmail. They took almost an hour to get Aria in that uncomfortable armour.
“The council told me you were joining us for our campaign to France.”
Aria nodded, walking rigidly, uncomfortable in her new clothes. John laughed at her facial expressions.
“I see the clothes are making you feel uncomfortable?”
“How does one walk in these leather trousers?”
John chuckled some more. “You’ll just have to get used to it.”
Aria huffed.
“Maybe you need to squat and stretch your legs so your trousers can be a little loose,” John suggested.
Aria cocked up an eyebrow and shrugged. They stopped in the middle of the plain field and John beckoned for her to come forward.
“What is this for?” Aria implored when John gave her a slim long wooden plank that resembles a sword.
“For your sword fighting lessons!”
Aria stared at him. He grinned, “And I’m your teacher!” John exclaimed, withdrawing his own wooden sword.
“I don’t need a sword; I have my bow and arrows!”
John smiled, “One can never deny your prowess in archery my lady but when there’s a fleet of soldiers charging towards you, you can’t simply aim and shoot at close proximity; especially when you’re on the ground if you ever lose your horse.”
Aria thought about his words.
“You’re right.”
John winked at her, “I know.”
Aria trained with John for the following week. Occasionally Henry will visit them, standing at the side, observing her. There were times when he swore at John when he struck her too hard and interrupted the lesson when Aria and John had come close into contact with each other during the sparring. Sometimes he will shoo John away and take over.
As the days went by, Aria got stronger and quicker. Due to her smaller frame than John, she was able to move swiftly and strike him at the weak spots he had been pointing out to her during their lessons. She was much more comfortable in the sparring outfit although she wished the chainmail wasn’t heavy.
“Considering you were only at this for a week and a half, I say lady, you’re ready for war.”
John was breathing shallowly, gently massaging his aching jaw after their sparring session. Aria had put up a good fight. When he made her lose her sword she used the opportunity to punch him in the jaw.
“My utmost apologies your highness,” Aria whispered as she pressed the cold, wet cloth against his jaw.
It was turning purple. John let out a short chuckle as he watched her nurse him. She had hurriedly called for Beth to bring a basin of cold water and clean cloths when John had landed on the ground, clutching his jaw, groaning in pain.
“It’s still intact. You have a mean swing,” John lamented, winking at her. Aria giggled.
“The King said the same thing when I punched him.”
That instantly changed John’s mood. Whenever Aria brought up Henry or when he comes to visit them, it was as if he had swallowed something bitter with a horrid aftertaste. John pulled her hands away and pushed himself off the ground. He dusted himself and straightened.
“We should go now. It’s near sundown.”
Strange. Whenever I mention Hal, he retracts back. Did they have a fight?
“John! Wait!”
Aria gathered their swords and shields before catching up with him.
“Are you sure you’re alright?” Aria asked, concerned.
John nodded, avoiding eye contact.
“Did the King give you a hard time because you gave me that bruise below my ribs the other day?”
John halted.
“Well, I got a lecture… But he understands that I did not do it on purpose.”
“Oh… Good… But why do you always evade from me whenever we talk about your brother… the King?”
“You mean, when you talk about him…” John muttered under his breath.
“What?” Aria probed.
John continued walking, ignoring her.
Aria quickened her steps and rounded him up. “John, what did he do to you?”
John halted once more.
How can I possibly tell you? That I confronted him? About you? How do I tell you that loving him will just guarantee you heartache in the end? How do I tell you that I love you? How do I tell you all of that? How?
He shrugged, “My brother is a complex man. He is THE King. Talking about him as if he is a casual acquaintance makes me uncomfortable.”
Wow John. Give yourself a clap won’t you? A really good lie you have conjured there!
“Oh… I didn’t realise that.” Aria looked at him through her eyelashes apologetically.
“It’s not your fault. You didn’t know.”
John gulped. He hated lying.
Especially to the woman he loves.
The councilmen emptied the room, retiring for the day. They murmured their goodbyes to one another, nodded towards the King and headed out. All left except for John and Henry. Henry had sat upon the head of the table, scrutinising the paperwork laid in front of him. John, who was exchanging his last words with his uncle, thought it was time. He bowed to Lord Exeter, saying his goodbyes, ordered for the guards to leave the room.
Henry looked up as John ordered the guards away and bolted the door after them.
“What bothers you Brother John?”
The only times John had done so is when he was troubled and wanted a private conversation with Henry. Most of the time it was because of politics or family matters. But this time around, Henry could feel that something was amiss.
John didn’t answer right away. He didn’t know where to start. He hated confrontation but this had to be done.
“Hal, what is your relationship with Lady Baudouin?”
Henry clicked his tongue, “I see that we abandoning the formalities.”
“Answer me, brother,” John said, his voice slightly wavering.
“What business of yours to know about my relationships?”
John sighed, “I saw you sneaking into her room in the middle of the night, Hal.”
“If you have already seen that, must I really say something to you?” Henry said, emotionless.
“If you are having a relationship with her Hal, if you truly are in love with her, you shouldn’t have been sneaking into her room. You shouldn’t be sneaking around to have your love affair!”
Henry was dumbfounded. He wasn’t trying to hide her!
Or was he?
“Whatever do you mean?” Henry stood up suddenly, dragging the heavy oak chair backwards noisily.
He strode towards John and stood directly in front of his younger brother.
“You know what I meant,” John growled.
Henry didn’t respond. He stared murderously at John, unable to form words to explain himself.
“You’re afraid Mother would disapprove aren’t you?” John whispered harshly.
Henry backed away slowly, still taken aback.
“Answer me brother! Are you so worried that Mother would disapprove that you’ve resorted to sneaking around?” John raised his voice.
“If you have known all of the answers, Brother John, why do you even bother speaking to me?!” Henry stressed.
“Because I wanted to hear from the horse’s mouth itself.”
They both stared at each other and didn’t say anything.
Finally Henry broke the silence.
“Yes, I worry that Mother would disapprove. Yes, I’ve been sneaking around. And yes…” Henry paused for a moment.
John held his breath, waiting for Henry’s next confession.
“I’m in love with Lady Baudouin and we’re having an affair.”
He looked up to John. Expecting his brother to lash out, but he didn’t.
“If you really love her brother,” John started with his voice slightly cracking, “I suggest you tell her that we’re leaving for France in 2 weeks.”
He turned away from Henry and walked towards the door, unbolted it and opened. He paused before walking out and turned slightly, as if to say something.
But he didn’t.