“Thomas, thy protection of me is admirable but not needed,” the
Black Knight rebutted under his arnet to his childhood friend and then turned
to the queen. Her furor over Thomas’s refusal was evident and so would be her
vengeance. He couldn’t allow Thomas to face her wrath. “I refuse Sir Thomas’s
protection and challenge him to Joust a’ Plaisance.”
Queen Isabel thought for a moment before coolly signaling for the Chief
Marshall to approach her. A wicked smile crossed her lips as she whispered into
his ear. A look of dismay soon turned to pleasure as the Chief Marshall faced
the Black Knight and Sir Thomas.
“These are the queen’s terms of the challenge set forth. If the Black
Knight loses, he will remove the coat of arms signifying his alliance with
Heartsease and be banished from these lands for all time. If he should be the
victor, then Sir Thomas will be stripped of knighthood and work the land as his
father before him. In addition, the Black Knight shall do the queen’s bidding
day and night as Queen Isabel so chooses.”
A hush fell over the list as all in attendance waited for the Black
Knight’s answer to the cruel request. If he accepted this challenge and lost,
he’d be forced to leave his homeland forever. This was the place of his birth
and the birth of his beloved Catherine. His victory would bring shame upon
Thomas and his family and devastate them, and he’d be at Isabel’s mercy for the
rest of his days. Either way, he was doomed. The queen left him without a true
choice.
The Black Knight backed his black steed, turned, and then trotted around
the list toward William, his young squire. Passing along the rail, he paused
long enough to take up the lace-and-purple-ribboned offering from Catherine,
the beautiful daughter of Heartsease’s dressmaker. He leaned in toward the
raven-haired, blue-eyed young woman, his heart already hers. She smiled and
tied the token around his lance, making him her champion.
“How can I help but not fail, Catherine,” he whispered to the lovely but
plainly dressed maiden.
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