Devonmere, p.21
Devonmere, page 21
This completed, the squires picked up their new arms and went to the cathedral to begin their night of vigil. They each placed their arms on the altar steps, along with all the other squires who were to be initiated, before beginning to meditate on the ceremony that was to take place the following day. They could either kneel or stand to relieve aching limbs.
Although it was the shortest night of the year, time seemed to pass slowly, so the priests stayed close to give encouragement in case any of them became tempted to sleep.
Bodine accompanied Colwyn to the cathedral so she could offer encouragement to Dernley and also stayed with him, head bowed as he spoke the prayer of initiation:
“Harken, we beseech Thee, O Lord to hear our prayers this night,
And deign to bless us, with the right hand of Thy Majesty,
This sword with which Thy servant desires to be girded,
That it may be a defence of the faith, widows, orphans, the weak, the righteous,
And all thy servants against the scourge of pagans, enemies of Thy church and the Kingdom,
That it may be the terror and dread of all vile-doers,
And that it may be just in both attack and defence, and carry out Thy work,
Amen”
Dernley then spent time contemplating the forthcoming duties and responsibilities of knighthood, before repeating the prayer of initiation once again.
Colwyn stayed with him for two hours, and, satisfied that he was in fact too excited to be tempted to fall asleep, smiled encouragingly at him before returning to her rooms, escorted as always by Bodine. Her place was then taken by Dernley’s father, the Duke of Strathmere, who also spent a couple of hours supporting his son.
The initiation ceremony took place the following morning. The cathedral was packed with family members and visitors as the squires’ swords and arms were blessed. Once the blessing had been completed, the squires moved to form a row, and their sponsors began to fit their armour. Morgan had checked that Colwyn still remembered what to do. She armed Dernley with his hauberk, cuirass and gauntlets. Then she knelt down to attach his golden spurs, with the right one being attached first. That completed, she stood, refitted the white belt, and girded his sword so that it hung on his right side. Finally, the rich red cloak was placed around his shoulders.
Now formally armed, Dernley moved and knelt before his King, who asked, “Who is thy supporter this day?”
Colwyn stepped forward. “I am the supporter; the Duchess Colwyn Coltrane of Invermere.”
“Is thy candidate worthy and free to take the oath and the responsibility of knighthood and all it entails?”
“He is, my Liege.”
Stuart nodded and said, “I dub thee Sir Giles Dernley,” as he lay the sword first on one shoulder, then the other and then back to the first. “Your sponsor deems you ready for knighthood. Know that to wear the belt and arms of a knight is granting that you will hold the sacred trust of God, the church and your King, and that you are bound to it for life. Arise, Sir Giles Dernley.”
Dernley obeyed his King and rose to his feet; bowing deeply, he said, “I will serve thee with honour my Liege,” and returned to his place in the line of knights.
The King performed the ceremony on a further twenty-nine knights and then they recited the ten rules of chivalry:
“Thou shalt follow the dictates of moral conscience;
Thou shalt be willing to defend your values;
Thou shalt have respect and pity for all weakness and steadfastness in defending them;
Thou shalt love thy country;
Thou shalt refuse to retreat before the enemy;
Thou shalt wage unceasing and merciless war against all that is evil;
Thou shalt obey the orders of those appointed above you, as long as those orders do not conflict with what you know to be just;
Thou shalt show loyalty to truth and your pledged word;
Thou shalt be generous and giving of ones’ self;
Thou shalt be champion of the right and good at all times, and at all times oppose the forces of evil.”
King Stuart then walked along the line of new knights and delivered the colee, which involved him striking each knight’s chest with the flat of his sword. When he had completed this, he returned to his original position on the dais and spoke a final time.
“Let the colee remind you all that knighthood can bring you pain as well as honour. Welcome, knights.”
This concluded the ceremony; a prayer was said by Bishop Douglas, followed by a herald, and it was all over until the banquet in the evening.
Colwyn went and gave Dernley a hug, whilst Bodine praised his two new knights. Everyone was now free of other duties and returned to their rooms, but Bodine called Dernley aside.
“Duke?” Dernley asked of him once they were alone.
“How is your father?” Bodine asked.
“He is well, thank you, Duke; you will probably see him this evening at the banquet.”
“Call me Morgan.”
“Thank you.”
“You are fond of Colwyn, aren’t you?”
Dernley smiled. “I have been very fond of her ever since we had our first swordfight, as children. I was rather rude about girls and swords, and she challenged me. Since that happened, she has had my heart.”
“I am sorry if I have stolen her away from you.”
Dernley shook his head. “No, Morgan, you have not stolen her. She only ever thought of me as a brother; nothing more. I am glad she has found love; especially after the happenings of this year.”
“Yes. Giles, I know you are a duke-in-waiting, but I would be honoured if you would continue to support Colwyn and myself until you assume your title. If it is acceptable to you, I would pass on my knowledge about ruling a Duchy—unless you would sooner return to your father?”
“Morgan, I would be honoured to stay and accept any advice and guidance you have to offer. I love my father very much, but he is very much a knight of the old order; you are of the new order; things are changing and I need to be able to move with the times.”
“Wise words, my young knight. Very well. You will be my companion, and accompany me the majority of the time; attend meetings with me.”
“As you wish, Morgan. Thank you.”
The two men shook hands to seal their pact.
“Now, off to your rooms to get ready for the banquet!”
The Duchess surveyed her small wardrobe, debating what to wear that evening. The King was going to announce her betrothal, and she wanted to look her very best. She decided on her cream dress with the gold decoration. It would give her the look of purity and innocence that would be appropriate for the announcement. She had the jewellery she had brought with her on the journey from Invermere and pulled out the gold chain and pendant. There was also the gold belt she would wear around the dress and the gold ribbons for her hair. It would be topped by the plain gold band for her head.
Summoning Sarah, she asked her to arrange for a bath. The bruises would be seen by her, but that could not be helped.
The tub and hot water were delivered and Sarah assisted her mistress to disrobe.
“My Lady! These bruises!” Sarah exclaimed.
“Don’t worry about them,” Colwyn ordered as she stepped into the tub and sat down, enjoying the feeling of the hot water soaking her skin. Before washing, she allowed herself to soak for fifteen minutes, which totally relaxed her, , and then she got out, allowing Sarah to wrap her in a towel and rub her down.
“I need to tell you something, Sarah,” she told her maid as she sat down at her dressing table, allowing Sarah to comb her hair.
“My Lady?”
“You must promise me you will tell no one.” Her voice was firm; even slightly threatening.
“You have my word, my Lady.”
“Very well. The King will be announcing my betrothal at the banquet this evening. Sarah, I am to marry Morgan Bodine.”
“Oh, Colwyn!” Sarah breathed. “What do you feel about that?”
“I can’t imagine being any happier, Sarah! I love Morgan so much, and he loves me.”
“If you are happy, then I am happy too, my Lady. In which case, you must look your very best tonight.”
Sarah worked long and hard on Colwyn’s appearance and was very pleased with the results. “If the duke didn’t love you before, he will not be able to resist you tonight,” she said proudly. “There will be no one more beautiful than you tonight, my Lady.”
Colwyn blushed, which only added to her beauty. “Sarah, you mustn’t exaggerate!” she said to cover her embarrassment.
“I’m not exaggerating. Now come, my Lady, let’s finish you off. The dress fits to perfection, the belts are in place, as is your jewellery. Your hair shines and the ribbons are in place. You just need your slippers and you are ready. Will you need your cloak?”
“No, I don’t think so; it’s quite a mild evening.”
“Well, it’s almost time. Are you going down alone?”
Colwyn didn’t get a chance to answer, as there was a knock at the door. Sarah went to investigate and opened it to find Bodine there. She curtsied and invited him in.
“My Lady is almost ready, your Grace.”
“Sarah, would you be so kind as to allow me to come through? I have a present for your mistress.”
“Of course, your Grace. Please follow me.” She led the way through and introduced the visitor.
“Morgan!”
“Colwyn, I have a gift for you, as a token of our forthcoming union, and I wondered if you would do me the honour of wearing it tonight?”
From his pocket, he produced a gold hair comb decorated with precious stones and filigree work.
“Morgan, it’s beautiful! Sarah, please can you fit this?”
“Of course, my Lady.” She removed the gold ribbons and gold band, brushed Colwyn’s hair again, and swept it back, skilfully twisting it, and inserting the comb before replacing the gold band.
“Thank you.” Colwyn reached into a drawer and pulled out the gold engraved cloak clasp, complete with precious stones and the length of her hair entwined within. “Morgan, this is for you, as my token.”
He took it from her and examined it carefully. “Is this your hair woven in?” he asked incredulously.
“Yes.”
“I have never seen work like this before! Thank you, my love. For tonight, I will attach it to my jacket.”
“Then let me make it secure.” Colwyn got up and went to her needle basket, taking out a needle and thread, and secured it to his jacket at the waist, allowing it to act almost like a buckle. “When you have decided which cloak to put it on, I will sew it for you.”
Bodine leant forward and kissed her. As the announcement was going to be made in the next couple of hours, he saw no problem in his open display of affection in front of her maid.
“My Lady, after you,” he said, bowing respectfully, and followed Colwyn out of the door.
The great hall, already decorated with the banners of all the Duchies in Devonmere, was now also adorned with flowers and greenery on the tables and around the walls. Tapestries had also been cleaned and re-hung.
The head table consisted of King Stuart, with Queen Alexandra to his left, Prince Michael and his wife, Princess Anne. Sitting next to the King was Colwyn, and to her right was Bodine.
The duke glanced at his intended and noticed she seemed relatively at ease, even though McDowell was at the table below, eyeing her constantly. He had been giving their forthcoming wedding serious thought, and was glad they had decided to move the ceremony forward, for two reasons; McDowell was a serious threat to Colwyn until they married and had consummated it and the other was more selfish - he did not trust himself alone in her company any more. He wanted her desperately and felt he would not be able to wait until September before claiming her body; especially as he had become more aware of her as a woman. To his horror, he was now so in tune with her that he could tell when she was ready to conceive. Thus, he had decided to bring it forward to the beginning of July. It was very short notice, but it would be safer; for both of them.
King Stuart leant towards them both and whispered, “I see McDowell is staring quite intently. You are both all right with me making the announcement shortly?”
“Yes, Sire,” they both answered.
“Excellent.”
He waited a few more minutes, then stood up. A hush descended upon the great hall as everyone waited for their King to speak.
“My Lords, Ladies and Gentlemen. Welcome to Ellesmere Castle. This Midsummer day, we have witnessed the creation of many new knights from the Duchies of Devonmere. This evening, we celebrate their new status, and tonight is the night where any man may ask a favour of me.” He paused as he saw McDowell about to rise. “However, before favours are asked, I have an announcement to make. A very happy announcement. The Duke of Rossmere, Morgan Bodine, King’s Champion and General of my Armies is to marry in the very near future. His bride-to-be is the Duchess of Invermere, Colwyn Coltrane. Let us drink a toast to their forthcoming union. To Morgan and Colwyn, we wish you every happiness.”
Goblets were raised, the toast repeated and everyone drank, except McDowell, who was openly scowling at the couple, and his expression grew harder still as Bodine kissed Colwyn’s hand.
Stuart had noticed McDowell’s lack of respect and gave thanks that the announcement had been made. He, too, knew that nothing was set in stone until after the wedding night. He decided he would have a word with his General after the banquet and suggest the wedding take place as soon as possible, not knowing that Bodine had already made that decision. The matter was far from over as far as McDowell was concerned.
The actual banquet passed without incident, with all the guests eating their fill, and drinking plenty of wine, which did result in a relaxation of some inhibitions once the after-dinner festivities, like the dancing, started.
Bodine had decided he was not going to stay too late, as he needed to make sure he was rested properly for the sword-fighting and the jousting over the next couple of days. He was realistic and did expect to receive some injuries during the competitions. He did not, however, want to leave Colwyn alone in the hall with McDowell around. He did not trust the duke and had seen the scowl on his face at the wedding announcement.
With Bodine’s permission, the King escorted Colwyn onto the main floor of the hall and danced with her. Remembering his manners, the duke leant towards the Queen and asked if she too would like to dance, expecting her to refuse, but instead, to his astonishment, she accepted.
As they moved around the hall, the Queen spoke forthrightly to him. “I shall be watching you Duke Morgan, and if I hear of any mistreatment of Duchess Colwyn, I will intervene. Do I make myself clear?”
“Perfectly, Your Majesty,” Bodine replied. “I love Colwyn very much, and I just wish you could see and understand that.”
“The King has explained the situation to me. I am not happy about it, but I understand the duty to the Kingdom. For the sake of Colwyn, I will do my utmost to treat you with the respect you deserve, Duke, but it will be difficult for me.”
“I am grateful that you will try. I know it upsets the Duchess that you do not approve of her wedding to me. She thinks so very much of you.”
“And I think very much of her, which is why I am trying to make the effort to be more courteous; but you still have a lot to prove to me.”
He nodded respectfully, but a glimmer of hope of his eventual acceptance by the Queen was kindled within his heart.
He danced next with Princess Anne, who offered her congratulations to him, and wished him every happiness, and then, finally, he danced with Colwyn. As it came to an end, he saw McDowell approaching and, as a precaution, he increased the depth of the link he had with his intended, in case McDowell decided to try something to make her turn away from him, and the marriage.
The Cottesmere Duke stopped before them. “Bodine, you will, of course, permit me to dance with your Lady, so I may offer my congratulations on your forthcoming union?” he asked, but the voice was ominous in its tone.
“If my Lady wishes to dance with you, I have no objections. Colwyn, will you dance with Duke Nigel?” He could tell by the link they shared that she did not want to, but her manners made her agree. Also, she could just feel a tendril of warmth and security at the edge of her mind, assuring her that McDowell would not try anything in such a crowded room, and that Bodine was close.
“I will permit one dance,” she finally replied, and McDowell took her hand and led her away.
Bodine stood guard the entire time and observed from a distance, maintaining his fragile link to ensure that McDowell did not try any mind control tricks on her.
The dance ended and Colwyn tried to leave her partner, but McDowell had other ideas.
“My dear, why don’t we get some fresh air on the balcony and talk awhile.”
“No, Duke. I must return to my intended,” Colwyn replied firmly.
“But I insist.” He attempted to lead her towards the balcony, but she was having none of it and stopped walking. You will come with me, willingly, McDowell said into her mind, and was surprised when she did not move. He tried again. Walk with me!
She pulled her arm from his grip and backed away. “I am not going anywhere with you, Duke Nigel. You have had your dance, now please, kindly leave me alone.” She turned and started to walk away from him.
You will stop!
The force of the command in her mind had the desired effect and did make her stop and wince, as a pain shot through her head. She raised a hand to her temple as if to push it away.
Face me!
She faltered as the pain increased, doing her utmost to build a wall whilst she looked desperately for Bodine, whose calming thoughts suddenly flooded her mind, reducing the pain in her head, and then he was there, by her side; his eyes flashing menacingly at McDowell, who glared back at him. For a moment, they squared up opposite each other, neither of them moving, and it looked as though they were going to call one another out, but the Cottesmere Duke wisely held his tongue, backed down and turned away. Bodine slowly relaxed and looked towards the head table to find the King looking at him. He immediately turned his attention to his intended.
