《A Knight of Love》


 The Wind in the Sails

    The gusts of wind picked up clumps of dirt that whipped violently through the air, smashing to bits upon contact with anything solid. Unluckily for Hermandine, she was solid, and being pelted by dirt was the least of her problems. She had tied her long wheat colored hair back more times than she could count, and her eyes were strained from the permanent squint she had acquired in an attempt to shield her eyes from the dirt. She couldn¡¯t see much before her, and she hadn¡¯t since the storm started. Her father was long gone, the horses that drew their carriage had disappeared too. She knew that hard times had fallen upon them, but she had never expected her father to abandon her amidst a barren war land. She barely had a thing on, her fanciest dresses had long been sold to put what little food on the table they could procure. She had lost her jewels, her hats and her maids. Everything that made her a duke¡¯s daughter had been stripped from her the second her family fell from nobility. She cursed her mother for spending so lavishly and she cursed her father for resorting to this, to save money? To conserve food? What did he gain by abandoning her here? She wondered but the thoughts left her spiraling.


    She tried to focus on her feet, bare and nicked, crusted with fresh and dried blood and layers of dirt. The hem of her once pristine white gown was stained a dark red and her hair clumped together as it fell into her face. Her lips cracked painfully as she tried to moisten her mouth to no avail. She hadn¡¯t kept track of how long she¡¯d been out there and she began to regret her decision to leave the carriage in the first place. At least she had shelter there, though she wouldn¡¯t have fared better there than out here in the long run. Her father hadn¡¯t left her with much more than a thin scrap of cotton that she had used as a blanket to sleep with while they had traveled here.


    She stumbled over her own feet again, this time taking a nasty fall. She sputtered, spitting out dirt and rubbing her dried eyes. They burned with vigor and as much as she wanted to cry, she wasn¡¯t sure she had enough moisture in her body to even produce tears. Hermandine coughed violently, finding she had no energy to pull herself up from the sandy pits. She could feel the dirt rattling around in her chest and a layer of it stuck her tongue to her teeth. In frustration, she brushed her hair from her face with force. Cursing herself this time, for wanting to grow it out solely to impress the other noble ladies. She didn¡¯t know how far she had made it, but she couldn¡¯t see the carriage anymore and for that she cursed herself again. She had started out thinking that she might run across something, or someone if she kept walking, but maybe she should have stayed put, not that she wouldn¡¯t ever know now. The dirt shifted, falling over her in mounds but she didn¡¯t open her eyes. By now she had just about accepted the fact that she would be buried here, long forgotten by anyone who mattered. Her eyes flung open however, when she felt hands grip her. One stationed itself below her rib cage, leaning her upper body to limply lay across a broad shoulder, the other hooked itself under her knees. She didn¡¯t falter, it was a sturdy grip and she found herself almost melting into it, no one had dared to carry her before, not even the knights of her manor when she once fell and twisted her ankle. Instead she was left to limp sorely back to her chambers, wanting to disappear underneath their judgmental stares.


    She looked up, seeing nothing but darkness behind a steel mask. The stranger wore chainmail, lots of it and plated armor that was as dirty as she felt.


    ¡°You¡¯re awake?¡± The stranger¡¯s voice was loud enough to hear over the howling wind but still quiet and melodic in a sense. It was higher pitched than Hermandine expected but still deep, reverberating behind the mask of metal. She knew she had no voice to speak and so she just numbly nodded, casting her gaze downward, forgetting for a moment her etiquette. She was no longer a duke¡¯s daughter and so even a nameless knight had more position than she did. The knight said nothing more, moving confidently forward as if he knew where he was going and as Hermandine soon learned, he did in fact know where he was going. He easily found a war horse as black as night and shifting Hermandine in his arms, placed her upon the steed. She had never ridden a horse before and she swayed uncertainty atop the tall animal. Her nervousness all but subsided as the knight took a seat behind her, holding her steady as if it were second nature. Again the stranger said nothing as Hermandine watched the windy storm slowly disappear behind them. She hadn¡¯t meant to close her eyes for more than a moment, to find relief from the dirt stinging her eyes. But she came to realize that she had fallen asleep in the stranger¡¯s arms, awaking to a bright white room, gold trim tracing the walls and every piece of furniture. A sheer canopy surrounded the four posts of the bed and draped to the sides where it was tied back. Hermandine hadn¡¯t seen familiar extravagances in nearly two years, while they were comforting, she found herself again spiraling in thought, worried she had hit her head somewhere in her trek through the endless dirt.Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.


    She found that her formerly dirt caked hair was clean and tied into a lengthy braid that trailed down her back as she sat up. Her dingy dress had been replaced with a thin silk nightgown, its sleeves billowing around her every movement. She carefully admired the lace trim of the sleeves and the cleanliness of her nails. Someone had not only cleaned them but trimmed them. She did not have long to find more things to admire as the dark wood door clicked open. A maid in a simple black uniform scurried in, pressing the door closed behind her. She had orange and red leaves intertwined in her chin length coils, and small smudges trailing her apron. She smiled widely when she met Hermandine¡¯s eyes, and she quickly rushed over to prepare a glass of water.


    ¡°I¡¯m so happy you are awake, my lady!¡± She said brightly, pushing the water into Hermandine¡¯s hands. ¡°My name is Marie and I will be assisting you for your stay here.¡±


    Hermandine gratefully sipped the water before learning her throat, ¡°I think there¡¯s been a mistake.¡± Marie tilted her head, so Hermandine clarified, ¡°I¡¯m not a noble.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not my place to speculate why Her Grace brought you in, My Lady. But she would like you to join her for lunch. I''m sure you''re hungry, you slept through the night and the day!" Hermandine bit her tongue and said nothing more. She didn''t know why she was invited and she wasn¡¯t sure who this maid served but she would surely be asked to leave when they found that her family no longer held status or wealth. Whatever knight had brought her here must have mistaken her for someone else or simply not heard news of her family¡¯s downfall yet.


    She mutely followed Marie, and held herself still as she was clothed in a bejeweled emerald green gown. The sleeves were too short and the bodice squeezed her tightly despite the corset that Marie had laced snugly. Not as tight as the maids from her manor used to lace it and Hermandine wondered if that was the reason the dress wouldn¡¯t fit. Maybe Marie had never had to lace a corset quite so tight, the lady in the manor who wore these dresses wouldn''t have needed such a fit.


    Marie didn¡¯t seem to notice however, continuing to fit the dress around Hermandine. The hem of the dress rose too high, tickling her shins and Hermandine found herself flushing in embarrassment and memories of the teasing of the other noble ladies. She had always been ¡®too tall¡¯ and ¡®too wide¡¯ as they put it, despite growing her hair out and dieting until she was faint, she had never looked good enough to fit in. She glanced at herself in the mirror, something she rarely did even before all her belongings had been confiscated by the empire. She still saw a frumpy girl, desperate to fit into clothes that never fit, trying too hard to impress those around her.


    Marie was frowning by the time she was done with Hermandine¡¯s hair and she quickly excused herself. However, before Hermandine could ask about it, another maid filled her place and led her to the dining hall.She was sitting near the end of the table, a place reserved for guests of high honor, which she was most definitely not. She found herself fumbling with the hem of one of her sleeves as chatter filled the air, she picked up on Marie¡¯s voice, she seemed mad as she was rambling on about someone deceitful.


    Hermandine kept her gaze locked onto her sleeve as the footsteps approached and a chair was dragged across the marble floor with a loud screech. Marie¡¯s voice had halted at the door and she could no longer hear any talking at all.


    ¡°I apologize that the dresses we prepared for you are lacking, I will have that remedied at once.¡±

 Doubts

    ¡°I apologize that the dresses we prepared for you are lacking, I will have that remedied at once.¡±


    Hermandine shivered at the voice, it was the same soothing tone that had comforted her after her restless trek through the barren field. She glanced up, instead of the soldier she expected, a woman with a pair of soft green eyes sat at the head of the table. Her hair was long, a deep auburn color and fixed at the back of her nape in a low ponytail that draped over her shoulder.


    Hermandine found herself with a hardened stare fixed on the woman''s muscles flexing underneath the thin silk button down she wore. It was a black piece of cloth that left little to the imagination, left with a few buttons undone at the top. Her gaze made it to the top of the table before she realized where she was staring.


    "Ah, um, yes." She said, quickly remembering herself and looking away with a hard gulp. She pinched herself in the crook of her elbow. Hard.


    Before she could say another word though the food was placed, tray after tray in the center of the table. Lids were removed, steaming creeping up from every dish. The smells were otherworldly and Hermandine found herself drooling. She swallowed hard, casting another glance at her host. The woman was smiling, and looking at her lips, Hermandine noticed something she hadn''t before. A large pale scar ran across her broad smile diagonally. Hermandine forced herself to look away.


    "I hope you enjoy, My Lady." If Hermandine weren''t so busy forcing herself to take micro portions, she would''ve corrected the other woman. But she needed to keep her appearances. It was bad enough the dress didn''t fit, she couldn''t let herself look greedy by gobbling down food like she''d never eaten a thing in her life.


    She ate slowly and agonizingly, everything was so delicious and comforting. Food had always been a solace she was not allowed to indulge in, though she had done it in secret many a times. She blinked back tears as the desserts were served, chocolate cookies with shiny white icing, fudge brownies with sprinklings of sugar. The cake almost fell apart as the maid cut it and served her a piece. The glazing dripped down the side of the white cake, pooling on the porcelain ware beneath it. She didn''t want to be rude and she looked between the maid and her host who continued to smile gently at her.


    She hesitantly cut a small bit of cake, hand trembling as she brought it to her mouth. She sunk back into the deep cushioned chair as the cake melted on her tongue. She hadn''t had the delicacy that was sugar in years, long before her family''s wealth was seized. Her mother thought cutting it out would help her to dress slimmer. When she finally opened her eyes, there were several stares that watched her every move and shoulders sagged around her in relief. She flushed with embarrassment, both in part from the stares and the fact that she knew the flush clashed with her skin tone, making her a dreadful sight, as the other ladies had said. She had inherited her mothers skin, though her mother had done all sorts of treatments and lotions to achieve a pale, powdery skin tone, so she wouldn''t admit that Hermandine''s skin favored her in any way.


    None of the wait staff said a word, and the woman still sat with a smile, but this time the smile seemed mischievous, hidden behind a scarred hand. Hermandine fixated on the hand, though twisted with scars and raised muscles, the nails were short and painted a light blue. She found herself laughing behind an open hand.


    How cute.


    She thought to herself. She busied herself finishing the piece of cake and she had barely forked the last mouthful to her lips when her host sprung up from her chair. Her strides were long, her legs muscles rippling under the tight pants that her lovely shirt was loosely tucked into. As she approached, Hermandine scurried from her seat as well, falling into a curtsy, head tucked low.


    A hand gripped hers from where it was delicately pinching the edge of her skirts, Hermandine followed the arm with her gaze up to the woman¡¯s face and it was frowned with worry.


    ¡°We are within the same status, my apologizes, you don¡¯t need to do that.¡± She seemed upset, but Hermandine just nodded. ¡°I¡¯m Duke Picard. But you can call me Louisa.¡± At the name Hermandine bristled, she remembered that duke being a man, a man who her family had owed a large sum of money to.


    ¡°Hermandine AuClair. Thank you, Your Grace but we do not hold the same status anymore.¡± Louisa looked puzzled but said nothing more on the matter, offering her arm as escort.Stolen story; please report.


    ¡°I¡¯d like to know more about you.¡± She said gently after Hermandine had placed a hand on her elbow. ¡°My garden has a wide selection of roses, I heard that you are fond of them.¡± Hermandine thought back to her rose garden at home, she had adored them and it was where she had spent most of her time. She wasn¡¯t sure how Louisa had known that but she eagerly followed the woman, excited to revisit a comfort of her lost home.


    It was a shorter walk than Hermandine expected, just down two halls and out of a set of wide glass doors. She audibly gasped at the rows and rows of roses, while at home she had three colors she adored, Louisa had at the very least a dozen colors that littered the garden in a beautiful rainbow.


    ¡°One of the first things I did when I took over was hire a talented gardener. He¡¯s done an excellent job at bringing new life to this place.¡± Louisa was confident in Hermandine¡¯s eyes, pulling her to several beds that hadn¡¯t been planted with new flowers just yet and stopping to read each embellished sign that marked who the flower was planted for and little facts about each bud as though she wasn¡¯t the one who had marked where each should be planted. She had even named a few of the flowers herself, giving them names that meant a lot to her, like the name of her mother and her grandmother. She had told Hermandine that she was raised as a peasant, in a small home with her mother and her grandmother. The had a small garden and her mother sold flowers in the local square. Her grandmother was wise and spoke with an air of confidence. She had much experience to share, Louisa beamed, she seemed to be someone the woman cherished. Hermandine watched the taller woman perk up as she spoke of her grandmother. She wore a dopish grin that Hermandine found endearing, the words that Louisa spoke began to drown into the background as if she was lost in a trance.


    She found herself fixated on the way Louisa''s lips curled with a smile, stretching the pale scar with every word. She watched as the Duke waved her hands about when she talked.


    "My lady?" Hermandine blinked out of her stupor, finding Louisa''s gaze on her with a worried expression knitting her brows.


    "Yes, sorry." She gripped her hands together, intertwining them tightly. "I just got a bit lost in thought."


    A smile returned to the Duke¡¯s face quickly, "That''s quite alright, my lady." She fell back into step with Hermandine, "You must be wondering why you''re here." She said finally and Hermandine clenched her jaw.


    "Yes," She said slowly, "Not that I am not grateful!" She added quickly, "I am just not sure why you''d take in a fallen noble''s daughter."


    "That''s fair," Louisa mused, offering her hand to Hermandine once again. The other woman took it gratefully, realizing that the Duke had a habit of running her thumb over the back of her hand, and it was quite comforting. "Your father told me he had his payment ready and sent me to the middle of the desert, little did I know what he meant by payment. I am sorry he did that to you," she stopped to brush a stray wavy strand of hair from Hermandine''s face. "You are welcome to stay here, you will not be forced to do anything you don''t wish to do."


    She felt tears welling up in her eyes and quickly turned her face away, her father had offered her up as collateral, that''s what he gained from abandoning her in the desert. Of all the excuses and theories she had come up with, this was one she hadn''t thought of or even considered that her father would resort to.


    "It''s quite alright, I''m sure it wasn''t his plan." Louisa opened her mouth to speak but shut it quickly, instead bringing Hermandine¡¯s hand to her mouth to plant a gentle kiss on the back of it.


    "What colors do you like?" She asked finally and Hermandine blinked away her forming tears, taken a bit aback by the sudden question.


    "Pink?" She offered quietly, " I like blue too. Why do you ask?"


    Louisa gave her a grin, "I am going to have a few dresses made for you."


    Hermandine shook her head, "The one you gave me is already enough, I couldn''t ask for more, I don''t look good in pinks or blues anyways." She readied herself for Louisa to agree and offer black, like her mother had before. Black was slimming, and even though it was usually reserved for mourning, her mother had all of her dresses made in black.


    Instead the Duke fell to her knees, gripping Hermandine¡¯s hand a little tighter.


    "I don''t mean any insult but that''s nonsense." Hermandine looked at her face, full of sincerity and compassion. "I am only afraid that nothing will be lovely enough to adorn you, as everything would pale in comparison to your beauty." Hermandine flushed for the second time that day, she covered her face with her free hand, shrinking back from the attention being showered onto her. "Can I call you by your name?"


    "Your Grace, I understand that you must be polite to guests but there is no reason to treat me special." Louisa shook her head, rising back to her feet and leaning in closer to Hermandine¡¯s face, causing her face to burn more.


    "But you are," she tittered, a gentle smile on her face, it reached her eyes and Hermandine found herself dizzy again, swimming in her gaze. "Was that a yes to my question, my lady?"


    "Um, yes. That''s okay." She said softly, avoiding the duke''s gaze.


    "Thank you, Hermandine." The sound of her name rolling off of Louisa''s tongue sent shivers down her back, prickling the hair on the back of her neck and she could feel her face burn now. "Allow me to escort you back in, you must still be tired. I''d like to get your measurements before you tuck in for the night though." Hermandine nodded and trailed behind her as she guided them through the garden and the intricate halls of the manor. They arrived back at her door and Louisa left with the promise to be back shortly to measure Hermandine herself. Marie knocked and let herself in shortly after the Duke took her leave.