A
Time Travel Romance by Maxine Douglas
In 15th Century
England, The Black Knight a/k/a Sir Reynold, has fallen from grace with his
childhood friend, Queen Isabel, and is in a no-win situation. He must compete
against his friend, and blood brother Thomas. If he wins, Sir Reynold will be
banished from Heartsease; if he loses, Thomas will be stripped of his
knighthood…
Courtney Parker
is a 21st Century seamstress at the Bristol Renaissance Faire. Unlike other reenactors,
she performs her profession year-round, making costumes for others. She's
always loved the story of the mysterious Black Knight of Heartsease and has
looked forward to it every year. But this year’s different…
Issie Cummings,
the Ren Faire’s potion shopkeeper, will stop at nothing to gain what escaped
her centuries ago...Sir Reynold Loddington’s love and body.
Will Reynold be
able to turn back the hands of time and right what went wrong—or will he find
himself banned from another country and the woman he loves?
Chapter
One
England, 15th
Century
“Black Knight,
pledge thy loyalty and love to me and no other!” Queen Isabel Trenowyth demanded.
“I cannot, Your
Grace,” the Black Knight replied, ignoring her haughty tone while holding back
his jet-black Andalusian from prancing too close to the queen and her court.
“My heart belongs to another.”
“Another? Thou
wearest the colors of this kingdom. My kingdom.” Isabel snorted, her
proud face suffused with rage. “Thy heart canst belong to no other in this time
or in any other time.”
“Thou speakest
the truth. I wear the black and gold colors of Heartsease as a knight by my own
pledge, sworn to protect the castle walls and its people, nothing more, Your
Grace. I cannot give my heart to one who on a whim hast so many knights on
bended knee.” The Black Knight backed his snorting stallion a little farther
from the anger of Queen Isabel. He’d vowed to protect Heartsease and its lands
for longer than the queen’s reign; he’d never promised to be her lover.
“Of course,
there are other willing knights of Heartsease who would give me the pleasure I request.
It is what thou hast refused me all these years which I seek. I have offered
thee everything, and now thee shall have nothing.” Isabel waved him off like a
finished piece of meat. “The tournament shall continue.”
A sneer marred
her otherwise beautiful face. “Ruin him, Sir Thomas!” Queen Isabel commanded of
the Black Knight’s opponent.
Sir Thomas
backed his gray mount away from Queen Isabel until he reined in solidly beside the
Black Knight. The line had been drawn, and the Black Knight knew Isabel would
not take lightly a refusal from two of her knights.
“My Queen, I
cannot. I have given my life to protect the people of thy kingdom. Heartsease is
the place of my birth and that of my family before me. Our alliance to thy
father before his death is long and unquestionable. It will continue as such.
On this day, I refuse to take the Black Knight’s life to ease thy pride and
bruised heart,” Sir Thomas replied, loudly enough for half of Heartsease to
hear him.
“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.
“I know not, but
thou wilt find a way to right this wrong,” she said, a trusting smile brightening
her worried face. Touched by her faith in him, he rode off to the east end of
the list, doom flittering down his spine. The only honorable way out would be
to lose, even though it went against his nature, and he could possibly lose
Catherine as well.
“Sir Reynold?”
William queried.
He gave his
squire a confidant smile, seeing the fear in the boy’s eyes. “I will not allow
the queen to dictate my life any longer, my young friend. If I must leave my
home and country to save Thomas’s family name, I will.” Reynold dismounted and
handed the reins to William.
“The queen would
rather see thee dead, sir,” William commented, leading the stallion alongside
Reynold toward their tent.
“Beware what
thou sayest, young William. In this court, even the ground hast ears,” Reynold
cautioned his bold squire, placing a hand on the young man’s shoulder. “Lest
thou take care in those words, or it could be thee riding Abraxas and carrying
a lance against thy father instead of me.”
“What of my
cousin?” William tethered Abraxas to a post outside their tent. “What will become
of Catherine if thou art no longer here to protect her?”
“Catherine knows
I’d not bring shame on thy family name. I will find a home and send for her
when the time is right.” Reynold walked into his tent to prepare for his joust
against Thomas, his blood brother and childhood friend. “Wherefore Isabel hast
chosen this course now is beyond my knowledge, Will. Her jealousy runs deeper
since her father’s death.”
“Some say that
Isabel hast consulted the stones. They say the stones have foreseen thy failure
and disappearance from Heartsease, Reynold,” Will said in a hushed tone, as if
afraid to be heard by anyone but himself. “Father is fearful that Isabel plays
with the darkness of life to rid thee of thine. Her witch is powerful in the
black arts.”
Reynold handed
his arnet to Will, shook his head, and took a deep breath. It confirmed his own
thoughts. “I have heard the same words whispered behind tankards of ale. It is
more than my life she yearns to rid me of, it is my will to refuse her advances
and physical pleasures.”
Reynold pulled
himself into the saddle and waited for Will to hand him his shield and cronel-tipped
lance. Much was at stake in this event. At the other end of the list, his
oldest and closest friend waited for their time at the joust.
They all had
grown up together—Thomas Astley, Catherine, Isabel, and he. Thomas was the son
of a farmer, and his cousin, Catherine, was the dressmaker’s middle daughter
who was more of a tomboy than a girl. As a child, Isabel hadn’t known the
difference in their positions in life. Her father, King David, had allowed her
to play with the children of Heartsease. She’d been a big-hearted girl, filled
with passion and love. Reynold had been the king’s eyes and ears even as a boy,
up until the king’s death when Isabel was but an enthusiastic girl of sixteen.
Something inside her changed that day—something dark and evil.
At one time in
Reynold’s life, he had thought he loved Isabel. These past years with her ruling
cruelly as queen made him realize that Catherine, and not the selfish woman
Isabel had become, had his heart.
After years of
fulfilling the promise he’d made to Isabel’s father as he lay dying, Reynold continuously
refused the provocative suggestions Isabel presented him on a regular basis.
He’d promised the king he’d defend Heartsease and look after Isabel, not become
a bed toy for her to play with like so many others. Isabel proved to need no
looking after; she had plenty of willing knights to defend her honor and visit
her private quarters.
The sound of
trumpets brought him back to the present and the task awaiting him. His plan was
a simple one that he’d have to conceal from Will. If he didn’t, the young
squire would find a way to inform his father of Reynold’s planned deception.
Reynold spurred
Abraxas ahead and entered the list at the east end at the same time Thomas did
from the west end. They’d been through this many times before on the practice
field. Abraxas stomped in eagerness to charge, and Reynold spurred the stallion
forward.
Galloping toward
Thomas on the opposite side of the tilt, Reynold felt the jolt of the lance against
his chest. He’d hit Thomas but not enough to knock him off his mount.
Gathering
himself, he repositioned the lance and charged toward Thomas again. As they met
in the middle of the tilt, Reynold lowered his weapon at the last moment and
felt the jolt of Thomas’s lance hit him squarely in the chest, causing him to
teeter in the saddle. The cheers of the crowd echoed inside his arnet,
vibrating in his ears.
One more pass,
and it would be over.
Ignoring Will’s
questioning look, Reynold spurred Abraxas around and charged his lifelong friend
for what he prayed would be the last time. When the two passed, Thomas lifted
his lance, missing Reynold by inches. Knowing in that instant Thomas was no
fool, Reynold fell sideways, allowing Abraxas to drag him to the west end of
the list.
The pain
shooting through his body was nothing compared to the satisfaction of knowing Thomas
would continue his life as a knight. His plan may not have worked to
perfection, but his honor to Thomas was held intact. Reynold would find a new
life—a lonely one but a life nonetheless.
“Whoa! Whoa!”
The words came
through the blackness trying to take claim to his mind. Abraxas suddenly halted,
and Reynold felt himself lifted off the ground. Someone took his foot from the
stirrup and pulled the arnet from his head.
Focusing, he
gazed into the eyes of his raven-haired love. He had indeed found his place, at
last, in Catherine’s arms. . . .
Find your knight
to remember.
