"The only law I recognize is the law of the sword"
"A nonentity? Hardly. As for Offo wanting you dead, does he not want almost everyone dead it seems? All of Sask would be better off if he were the one to die," Safiya scoffed then added, "Besides, you are important to me. You must know that."
"Hear! Hear!" Guindel cheered joyfully.
Just then there was a loud rap on the door, followed by it being opened without a pause for an answer. It was, of course, the mighty warlord of Sartell who swept on in. Even without armor, Tancred was an impressive man, tall, muscled, a look of utter confidence in his demeanor, and eyes that burned into one if he focused on that individual.
Safiya lit up in excitement, "Oh father! I missed you so!" She then ran up to the man and gave him a full hug, her face only going up to his chest.
Tancred returned the embrace though with a bare hint of smile unlike the huge grin of his daughter, "And I you, child. You look well."
"I am, especially now that you are back." They separated then.
Tancred now took in the other within the room, he spoke to the servant girl first, "You - leave us."
Guindel knew her place with this man, not a word back but she put her eyes down to the stone floor and scampered out like she was being chased, shutting the door behind her.
He next focused on Rigunth, "Ahh, Offo's castellan. I must say you look much better out of that suit of chainmail. I heard from Tagus that you now have the run of the place."
There was no anger in his voice, more a hint of bemusement. Safiya could tell he was in a good mood.
"A nonentity? Hardly. As for Offo wanting you dead, does he not want almost everyone dead it seems? All of Sask would be better off if he were the one to die," Safiya scoffed then added, "Besides, you are important to me. You must know that."
Rigunth, saying nothing, turned, caught Safiya's eye and gave her a soft little smile that said everything.
The Lord Tancred entered and the prisoner committed a deep curtsey and styed down until the triumphant warrior addressed her.
He next focused on Rigunth, "Ahh, Offo's castellan. I must say you look much better out of that suit of chainmail. I heard from Tagus that you now have the run of the place."
Rigunth rose and, her chin tilted high, looked Tancred directly in the eye, though her legs shook a little, her hands trembled and her cheeks were suffused with crimson, for some reason.
"My Lord, your daughter, a sage and excellent judge of character, has accepted my parole, which you refused, and has not, I hope, lived to regret it." she said, a little pertly perhaps, but she felt it behoved her quality to show some spirit in her captor's presence, at least.
As she stood there in his dead daughter's favourite dress, she could not but wonder if, now he was returned, Tancred might countermand the freedom that his daughter had allowed the spawn of Offo's family and whether she might not soon be lodged in some deep oubliette.
"The only law I recognize is the law of the sword"
Rigunth rose and, her chin tilted high, looked Tancred directly in the eye, though her legs shook a little, her hands trembled and her cheeks were suffused with crimson, for some reason.
"My Lord, your daughter, a sage and excellent judge of character, has accepted my parole, which you refused, and has not, I hope, lived to regret it." she said, a little pertly perhaps, but she felt it behoved her quality to show some spirit in her captor's presence, at least.
Safiya nodded, "It was my decision, father."
"Tagus informed me that you did not listen to his advice," he did not seem upset.
And do you always listen to him, father?" the daughter retorted.
"NO, I do not. But I am lord here not him," Tancred pointed out.
"You made me castellan so I was in charge. I took command then as I felt was fitting," Safiya was not backing down, she truly was the daughter of her willful father.
Tancred smiled for just an instant then address Rigunth, "I will respect her decision. And you have proved yourself honorable thus far. Enough of this chatter."
"Oh I should tell you there is a priest here now, sent by Offo to negotiate - thus far it has not gone well. If you would like to speak with the man and give a message to send back with him to your family, I will allow it."
Rigunth enjoyed Tancred and his daughter's back-and-forth: though observing their relationship was bitter-sweet for her, of course, in view of her own dear father's death, through Offo's treachery.
"You made me castellan so I was in charge. I took command then as I felt was fitting," Safiya was not backing down, she truly was the daughter of her willful father.
Tancred smiled for just an instant then address Rigunth, "I will respect her decision. And you have proved yourself honorable thus far. Enough of this chatter."
Well, the 'thus far' part was a bit of a slap in the face, but at least it meant that she could stay out of a filthy cell and spend time in the company of Safiya and dear little Guindel. And then there was more good news.
"Oh I should tell you there is a priest here now, sent by Offo to negotiate - thus far it has not gone well..."
Yes, Rigunth could imagine that Tancred might not be the most tractable of fellows. She decided that negotiating with the warlord would be like trying to negotiate with one of the large, immovable roche moutonnée that littered the Saskian plain.
"If you would like to speak with the man and give a message to send back with him to your family, I will allow it."
"Thank you, My Lord." intoned the prisoner princess, as she curtsied once again. But then rising, she added "I would like a witness present: My Lady Safiya, if she would be so kind, that it not be said that I passed on any intelligence useful to my Uncle's schemes, or made any request for rescue, to this envoy of whom you speak." she requested firmly but politely.
"The only law I recognize is the law of the sword"
"Thank you, My Lord." intoned the prisoner, as she curtsied once again. But then rising, she added "I would like a witness present: My Lady Safiya, if she would be so kind, that it not be said that I passed on any intelligence useful to my Uncle's schemes, or made any request for rescue, to this envoy of whom you speak." she requested firmly but politely.
Tancred gave her a look, "I had not even thought of that. Mayhaps I should simply not allow you to talk to him at all then - to be safe."
"Oh Father! You cannot be serious!" protested Safiya.
"I am not...........I said she can see the priest, let her see him. If you wish to accompany her as per her request, that is your decision," Tancred declared.
"As for me, I am hungry. I await the feast," he then spun about and left the chamber.
"You still want me to go?" Safiya inquired.
The Abbey Church of Ceros at Sartell was a modest affair, but nonetheless had a pleasant area behind it, which the order of monks there used as a small herb garden, and the lovely and varied flowers and greenery, along with a cool square well in the middle of it, made it an ideal place for the priest Ancelin to sit and collect his thoughts and meditate on the situation. It was thus seated that the two girls found him.
Although, as a priest of Ceros, he was in no way beholden to them, he stood at the approach of the two young ladies, a friendly smile upon his visage, and made the sign of Ceros in greeting.
"Greetings, my children, greetings!" he chuckled "My Lady Safiya I recognise, though much grown since last we met, and this second beauty, I suppose, must be the Princess Rigunth, whom I recognise from the similarity to her sister, who is here in Sartell with me, even as we speak." he smiled gently, managing, in one fell swoop, to compliment the both of them, and to communicate some important news to one of them.
"Audovera? Here?!!" Gasped Rigunth and grasped Safiya's hand, turning to her and explaining. "Oh, this is signal news indeed, for I did not know whether my sister lived or no after her escape from my uncle's dungeons!" As always when she mentioned her own sister, Rigunth reflected sadly upon the death of Safiya's own sibling and her tomb in far off Orm.
She turned again to the priest.
"May I see her?" she asked eagerly.
Ancelin looked at Safiya "If your Mistress gives you leave" he answered "For you are a prisoner on your parole: as you required Lord Tancred's leave to speak with me, so you require leave to speak with a Sister of the Order of the Hospital of Saint Bozhena."
"My sister? A Hospitaller?!" Despite herself, Rigunth laughed out loud.
Ancelin looked quite shocked at the girl's immodest mirth.
"Greetings, my children, greetings!" the priest chuckled "My Lady Safiya I recognise, though much grown since last we met, and this second beauty, I suppose, must be the Princess Rigunth, whom I recognise from the similarity to her sister, who is here in Sartell with me, even as we speak."
"Greetings, father, I recognize you too, welcome," Safiya nodded, though she did not recall the man's name and he did not share it either.
Wait? Did he say Rigunth's sister was here? They saw no woman or girl with the returning army. Apparently Rigunth was just as confused.
"Audovera? Here?!!" Gasped Rigunth and grasped Safiya's hand, turning to her and explaining. "Oh, this is signal news indeed, for I did not know whether my sister lived or no after her escape from my uncle's dungeons!"
She now asked to see her.
The priest intoned,
"If your Mistress gives you leave" he answered "For you are a prisoner on your parole: as you required Lord Tancred's leave to speak with me, so you require leave to speak with a Sister of the Order of the Hospital of Saint Bozhena."
More stunning news thought Safiya.
"My sister? A Hospitaller?!"Despite herself, Rigunth laughed out loud.
Safiya put aside her own confusion to let Rigunth know, "Of course you may see her. I would never keep sisters apart for I myself can never seen my own beloved sister again. I know the pain of separation."
"Of course you may see her. I would never keep sisters apart for I myself can never seen my own beloved sister again. I know the pain of separation."
Rigunth's face fell and she held out her hand to squeeze that of her new friend. The priest smiled and nodded and picked up a small bell that had been upon the low, straight stone wall along the pond in the middle of the herb garden. It tinkled pleasantly and a door into the verdant area creaked open from another direction from that which the two girls had entered.
The young woman who came toward them, along a pebbled path, through the sweet-smelling shrubs and bushes, was a few years older than the two girls, and even without her hauberk and coif of mail had a martial bearing about her. Her outfit was plain, as was befitting what was essentially a nun, although her order were excused the wimple on account of their military duties.
When she approached, she first showed reverence to Ancelin, as a man of the cloth, then Safiya.
"My thanks, Lady Safiya, for granting me permission see your prisoner. Father Ancelin spoke so highly of you I had little doubt that you would agree."
"Oh 'Vera! I know you're a nun now, but must you be so formal?" gasped Rigunth, although she herself was not immune to that trait.
Of course Safiya could not help but be curious about this sister of Rigunth though now that she had heard the girl arrived dressed like a Hospitallier in armor, one mystery was cleared up. That's why she saw no female down below when they watched the army approach the main gate. The priest rang a small bell and the sister appeared. Only this time in a simple gown of a nun. Safiya had heard of this order but honestly had never seen any of it's members.........well, til now. She could only imagine how her own father would have reacted had she ever brought up joining, not that she had any desire to. But then these sisters had lost their father so could explain some of it too.
When she approached, she first showed reverence to Ancelin, as a man of the cloth, then Safiya.
"My thanks, Lady Safiya, for granting me permission see your prisoner. Father Ancelin spoke so highly of you I had little doubt that you would agree."
"Of course! Your sister and I are now dear friends I daresay," Safiya glanced toward Rigunth for confirmation on that.
"And it was kind of Father Ancelin to speak of me so highly, whether deserved is another story," she smiled.
"Oh 'Vera! I know you're a nun now, but must you be so formal?" gasped Rigunth.
"I think she sounds just like you when you first arrived...also very formal," Safiya grinned at Rigunth.
"Would you two care to talk privately? I will fade away out of earshot then."
There were mutual compliments all around, only Rignth objecting to her sister's formal tone.
"I think she sounds just like you when you first arrived...also very formal," Safiya grinned at Rigunth.
"Well, that was before we became sisters: in our hearts, if not by blood." the blue-eyed girl beamed back at the sloe-eyed daughter of Tancred.
"Would you two care to talk privately? I will fade away out of earshot then."
"By no means, My Lady, what I have to say is fit for your ears, too: though Father Ancelin may wish to withdraw, as what I have to say may not be palatable to his ears." said the warrior-nun quite bluntly, but the man merely shrugged and smiled his usual gentle, knowing smile. "...And that is, that you must at all cost avoid returning to Great Orm and the into the power of our uncle the Tyrant, dear sister, for I believe your life might well be forfeit should you do so!"
Rather than disagree, Ancelin just gave a philosophical little nod.