Valten almost groaned out loud. He’d never been very good with a crossbow, but if he couldn’t have a sword, the bow was better than no weapon at all. He picked it up, then gently lifted the quiver of arrows lying on the ground beside it. Holding them carefully against his chest, he moved quietly away from the sleeping men.
The horses were sleeping as well. He’d like to steal one of their horses so Gisela would have her own to ride, as well as to put Ruexner and his men at a disadvantage, but as he drew near, the horses began to snuffle warily, obviously awake and not liking his presence. Valten moved extra carefully around the suspicious animals and made his way to Sieger. He untied his horse, who thankfully stayed quiet, and led him away from Ruexner’s camp.
“Were those men holding you against your will?”
Gisela liked the friar’s kindly, clean-shaven face. He looked to be about twice her age, maybe thirty-eight or forty, and he wore a rough brown mantle.
She nodded.
He shook his head, compassion in his eyes. “That is very wicked of them. And the man with you?”
“He is a knight from Hagenheim and Duke Gerstenberg’s son—Valten, the Earl of Hamlin. He was trying to rescue me and was captured.”
He shook his head again, making a clicking sound with his tongue.
“I am very grateful to you for coming back for us. We were planning to try to escape tonight, and Valten — Lord Hamlin, I should say — had freed himself from the rope tied around his wrists. While we were waiting for our guard to fall asleep, I’m afraid Lord Hamlin and I fell asleep.”
“It is indeed a good thing I came along,” the friar said. “For another reason as well. If I had not come, and if you had both escaped, your virtue would have been compromised. You and the knight would have been alone together. You would need to marry, or your reputation would be ruined.”
“Oh.” She’d started to hope that Valten might marry her because he wanted to, because she was the tournament queen. She knew it wasn’t customary for a future duke to marry a woman simply because he liked being with her, or because he cared about her. Unfortunately, Gisela had begun to hope that very thing. Future dukes married women from wealthy noble families. But if Valten felt forced to marry her, he would come to resent it, especially when he discovered she was only a peasant girl, no more than a servant.
It was indeed good that the friar came when he did. She didn’t want Valten to feel forced to marry her.
“To whom do I owe my gratitude, sir?”
“You may call me Friar Daniel, my dear maiden.”
“And I am Gisela Mueller, from Hagenheim.”
He bowed to her. “God’s flower,” he murmured.
“Thank you again, Friar Daniel, for so kindly coming back for us. How did you know we needed help?”
“I saw a glimpse of your face through the trees. From the man’s brusque manner, he didn’t want me to see you, and from your expression … well, you didn’t look like you belonged with that bunch of rough, bearded men. I came back around through the woods and observed your camp, saw that you and this noble knight were captives, and I decided to wait until an opportune moment to help.”
“You are very brave, Friar Daniel. I shall never forget your kindness, and I’m sure Val — Lord Hamlin — is very grateful as well.” Valten. Where was he now? He could so easily get caught. He could step on a twig and wake up the guard. Perhaps Malbert, or Ruexner or Lew, had already awakened and seen that she and Valten had escaped. Perhaps they were watching the horses, waiting for Valten to come for Sieger. If they caught him … Gisela couldn’t bear to think what they might do to him without her there to defend him. She should go back and help him. He would never leave her, and she wouldn’t leave him either. She would give herself up to Ruexner if it would save Valten.
“You are worried about him, aren’t you?”
Tears pricked Gisela’s eyes. She nodded.
“Shall we pray for him?”
New gratitude welled inside her. “Yes, please.”
He lifted the crucifix around his neck and clasped it between his hands and bowed his head. Gisela clasped her hands and bowed her head as well, and she concentrated on the friar’s quiet words.
“O God our Father, we extol you. Your name alone is holy, and all your ways are holy and just. I thank you that you sent me to aid this woman and this man, and I ask that you look down in your infinite mercy and save the young man, the Earl of Hamlin, who is a noble knight, no doubt in your service and with a heart to save young damsels in distress. Give him the furtiveness to accomplish his goal and come back to us. Keep him safe, O God. We put our lives in your hands. No one can take us out of your hand, Almighty God. Strike your enemies with blindness so that they cannot see, and give us your servants supernatural speed and stamina to —”
“Amen.”
Gisela turned to see Valten just behind her with Sieger beside him. Gisela threw her arms around him. “Thank you, God.”