“But that is exactly the reason you don’t have peace. You are trusting your own strength to get the lady to safety. You must entrust her to God, who is the One who will ultimately make us safe, if we are to be safe.”
What kind of reasoning was that? But in his heart, Valten knew the friar was right. He had felt, almost since he met Gisela, that God was trying to humble him, to make him realize he should be asking for God’s help and trusting in His strength instead of his own. Perhaps that was what the Bible meant when it said, “When I am weak, then I am strong.” His tutor had made him memorize that passage of Scripture when he was younger, about delighting in weaknesses and difficulties. It had never made sense to him before.
Friar Daniel was quiet.
If God wanted him to humble himself, he supposed he must start with admitting to the friar that he was right. “I have been trusting too much in my own strength. But if I live to see Gisela safe and justice done to Ruexner, it will be because of you, friar.”
“Not because of me. It is because of God.” He smiled his nonjudgmental, cheerful smile.
“You are right. The Bible says it is God who rescues us from the hand of wicked.”
“This is true. And where did you hear this Scripture?”
“I’ve read the Bible for myself.”
“Ah! You are indeed knowledgeable, then! God says, ‘My people perish for lack of knowledge,’ but you, brother knight, shall not perish, but have eternal life.”
After a short pause, the friar went on. “I have been roaming the Holy Roman Empire telling as many people as I can that God is good and faithful and will forgive us if we repent. You are one of the few people I don’t have to convince.”
“Our priests in Hagenheim teach this.”
The friar grinned. “Glory to God!”
Valten couldn’t deny that the man seemed truly joyful and at peace with the life he had chosen, wandering about, telling strangers to repent and believe in God’s goodness. When was the last time Valten felt joyful, at peace, and as if his life had purpose? Two tournaments ago? Five? Ten? He couldn’t remember.
I will discover a new purpose for my life. Valten spoke the words in his spirit, determined to start anew. As soon as he made it back to Hagenheim, he would start learning more about governing and leading and negotiating. He’d fight a new battle, but a more peaceful one. Perhaps he would build a new castle, atop a hill, where he and Gisela would live and raise their children. Perhaps then he would feel at peace, would find new purpose and joy.
Only … Gisela hadn’t agreed to marry him yet.
Gisela heard voices as she drifted in and out of sleep. Friar Daniel was talking. Every time Valten answered him, his chest rumbled beneath her ear, quite pleasantly. She felt him sigh. Did he not like what Friar Daniel was saying? She tried to pay closer attention, pretending to still be asleep so she could continue relaxing against Valten’s heavenly warm chest.
“You, brother knight, shall not perish, but have eternal life.”
Valten must have said something that pleased Friar Daniel. Gisela was glad. She enjoyed talking with the friar, but she sensed Valten didn’t like his questions.
Valten was a man of action, but few words.
Not so Friar Daniel. He began regaling Valten again with stories of people he had given his message to, of people who rejected him, some who mistreated him, and some who gratefully accepted his words, invited him to stay and teach them more, and eventually sent him on his way with extra food and supplies.
Gisela felt bad for eavesdropping and pretending to be asleep, but she was enjoying the softness of Valten’s tunic against her face and his familiar scent—she breathed in deeply — filling her senses.
She sat forward and rubbed her eyes. A sound in the distance, like thunder, grew louder. No, not thunder. Horses’ hooves.
The noise was in front of them, behind them, everywhere. They were soon surrounded by men on horseback. Valten’s arms went taut as he gripped the reins.
Ruexner rode right up in front of them, grinning his gap-toothed sneer.
“Thought you could escape from me, did you?” Ruexner laughed.
Gisela’s heart sank. Not again.
Chapter
25
At least twenty men surrounded them.
Valten couldn’t fight them all, especially when Gisela was in front of him and any aggressive action on his part could get her killed.
He braced himself. Ruexner could beat him senseless if he wanted to, or simply kill him.
Even though Valten couldn’t see Ruexner’s face, as it was completely shaded from the first gray light of dawn, he could tell Ruexner was looking straight at him. “Help the girl down from the horse. I’m taking her with me.”
Valten tightened his arms around Gisela. She buried her face against his chest, holding on to him as if her life depended on her grip.
“That’s my crossbow!” Malbert shouted, urging his horse toward Valten.