A Heart Full of Stars {A Medieval Story} Chapter 70 *Finale* now! 5/28/21

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Sir Rhayde returned to the room late, clinking in his armor and making it utterly impossible to sleep.

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Liam rolled over in his bed, hoping to get comfortable enough to fall asleep again. It didn’t help as Rhayde started to take off his armor and let it clink to the floor. Liam was about to say something, until Sir Romeo piped up.

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“God, man. Why are you louder than a mountain lion in heat? What’s wrong with you?” he complained.

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“I-” *hic* “I think I’m in love. She-” *hic* “has the most lovely brown hair, but she’s leaving tomorrow. I want her to bear my children-” he plopped another piece of armor on the floor. Liam quietly prayed that the king’s quarters weren’t underneath this room.

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“You haven’t even spoken to a woman since we got here. I’ve been near you the whole time, as terrible as that may be.” Romeo said.

“That’s what you think. I saw her walking past the curtain downstairs. She’s so beautiful… If I could just go to her now, she’s across the courtyard! I could go there now and confess my love!” he said, suddenly shouting.

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“You fool, You don’t feel love for her, it’s purely lust. Why don’t we go down to the tavern tomorrow night and we can get you a woman down there? Will that shut you up?” Romeo said, rubbing his eyes.

“No, I want her. I’ve found the one, I must have her. And I want her tonight!” he started to walk towards the door, but he seemed to have forgotten his pants. Unless that was part of his plan…

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“No, you’ve found one, not the one. Get back in here, you drunk buffoon! You’ll get sent home if you attack a maid, and I for one will not go with you. This posting is a rest away from the city, and I won’t have anyone messing it up!” Romeo shouted, angry that he wasn’t sleeping on his mattress after two weeks of sleeping on the hard ground.

“But, but I love her…” Rhayde started crying, and Sir Romeo went to set him in his bed.

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“There’s a better way to woo a woman. This isn’t the way, dear man. Get some sleep, and we’ll try and fix your problem tomorrow.”

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Liam, in the middle bed, had to deal with listening to the quiet crying coming from Rhayde and then the terrible snoring. He tried to shut his eyes and get back to sleep, but it just wouldn’t work.

Opening his eyes and knowing that he’d probably be regretting it tomorrow, he quietly put on his boots and walked to the door and down the hall. As far as he could tell, no one else was up a this time of night and a large majority of the candles had been put out. Knowing that the manor was a large ring, he hoped that he wouldn’t get lost on his way out onto the grounds.

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It was a quiet, cool night, perfect for finding a quiet place to rest his head and sleep on some sort of bench. Anywhere would be better than sleeping between Sir Romeo and the snoring Templar. Liam sometimes wondered how Rhayde even got on the Templar list, but that wasn’t really his concern or his place to wonder about.

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Somehow he didn’t feel alone as he wondered the extensive grounds, and as he was wandering around the maze hoping to tire out his legs, he heard a rustling. Cursing himself that he didn’t have his sword with him, he listened for the rustling again.

It could be a rabbit, or a squirrel. I would see the head of anyone out here, unless they were a child or extremely short. He took a breath to calm himself. I’m not even sure that I heard anything anyway. I could have been mistaken.

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At that moment, he felt arms on his shoulders, and while he was a strong man, he didn’t think that he could have been overpowered so easily. Turning to see who is assailant was, ready to defend himself, Liam saw that young woman from before with the scar on her face.

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“You shouldn’t be out here at night. Mrs. Frogwater hunts for small animals to feed on, but she would jump at the opportunity to feed on you. We need to get back inside.” the woman whispered.

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Liam looked at her with wide eyes for a moment. “If something is out here to feed, why are you out here? What business does a maid have being out here at this time of night?”

The young woman looked at the ground. “I had something on my mind and I had to clear my head. I was taking a quick walk and saw you out here. Mrs. Frogwater has fed on me before, I barely remember it, but I know that it’s no good. If I saw you, there’s a good chance she did too. We need to move.” she got up into a crouching position, checking over the bushes of the maze to see if she could spot something. She started to move along the hedge in quiet steps, expecting him to follow.

Walking back to the manor in a crouched position was tiring for his already exhausted muscles, but he managed. He didn’t see the rumored Mrs. Frogwater on their way back, but he didn’t doubt the young woman either. She had a flavor of truth that he didn’t see in many of the people he associated with and lived among. He also had no reason not to trust her, so trust her he did.

They didn’t talk for the quick and exhilarating walk back to the manor, but Liam was a man of few words most of the time so that didn’t bother him.

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“If you really need to be outside at night, I could recommend the roof. Not only that, but it’s closer to our quarters. Mrs. Frogwater doesn’t go up there, maybe she’s afraid of heights.” the girl smiled. “In any case, I’ll show you the way up.”

The pair quietly opened the back door and shut the door again. They walked up the stairs and after four flights of stairs Liam felt that he could just about fall asleep on the ground before him.

Under the stars, in the chilly air, he felt quite at home, though he would have traded the hard gravel roof for the bed that lay one floor down. He felt comfortable, uninhibited, if a bit startled by their height. He walked towards the edge of the roof and looked out. Sure enough, there was a figure wandering the grounds, just barely visible. If it stopped it became invisible in the dark, but Liam was able so see it’s movements.

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“In a way, I’ve almost started to find her nightly hunts comforting.” the young woman said, breaking the silence. “If there are any intruders, she’ll find them, incapacitate them, then bring them to the attention of the lord. As long as you stay away from her and inside the manor at night, there’s little chance she’ll hurt you. Not that you’ll remember much the next morning.” she finished and looked out at the grounds.

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They stood there for a minute, just admiring the soft glow of the fairy lights among the plants and stars.

“It’s really… quiet here.” Liam pointed out. He didn’t know what to say, he was hoping that she would walk away soon and he could lay down and get some sleep.

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She half heartedly laughed. “You’re from the city, aren’t you? That many people, all jostling to get places.” she paused. “I- if you don’t stick around to a place long enough, you don’t know how the land of a place feels like home. You feel like the turn of the road, the creek of the stairs, the sound of the company you keep, it all feels like family. And it’s quiet at night. Lets us sleep better. That is, when I don’t have four other women in my room, all snoring or getting ready to leave tomorrow.”

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“You’re the one leaving tomorrow?” Liam asked.

“Most of us are.” she looked at him with a funny look on her face. “That’s how long the lord said we were to be away from our families, and my family needs me back at home. The king may have other ideas about where I’m going to be spending my time, but that isn’t changing the fact that I’m leaving. He can’t make me stay.” Anwyn said defiantly, as if it were an invitation to a fight.

“But who will look after the manor without it’s maids?”

“That is not my concern, though I wish I didn’t have to leave behind Melinda…” she trailed off, a great sadness filling her face.

“Is she special to you? A good friend?” Liam asked, following the conversation.

“No, I don’t know her that well, but… she has terrible treatment here. Unspeakable…” The young woman looked as if she were a dam that was about to break.

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“Miss, are you alright? You seem distressed.” Liam looked at her, a bit alarmed. What if he had to deal with a crying woman all on his own. It would be improper to touch her…

“I’d say I’m distressed!” huffed the girl. “My sister’s friend is being assaulted whenever the lord feels like it, Sir Rhayde finds my sister attractive, and the king wants to spend more time with me. I’ve heard what he does with his spare time, and I am not pleased. Not to mention that everyone seems to know something about the past that I don’t know because I was too young. It has something to do with my family and no one will tell me!”

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She didn’t start crying. She looked disgusted and frustrated.

Liam knew what the king did on his free time and that if the king took a liking to a young woman like this one that there was usually only one outcome. What the king wanted, he would have. There was little use fighting the king. His rule was strong and he had few limitations.

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“You shouldn’t anger the king. What he chooses is…” Liam looked for the words he needed. “The king fancies young women like you. The less you fight him, the less he’ll pursue you.”

The young woman turned in horror to him. “The king is married! It is against the Church to have romantic relations with women other than your wife, is it not? How could the king pursue me while a knight of the Templar is here, a constant reminder that we should follow the teachings?”

Liam felt like he was already getting deeper into a problem that he would have rather stayed out of. He cared too much. It was one of the reasons he became a guard. He wanted to help people, but when he joined he learned that most of the people in the service were out for their own gain, not to help people. Sir Romeo helped people, but Liam suspected that he had his own benefits in mind more than he should.

“The Templar are much looser than they appear. Sir Rhayde is more symbolic that serious. He is more girl crazy than the king, but they hold each other's leash. The king won’t let Sir Rhayde indulge if he can’t also have his fun. So an agreement is made that Sir Rhayde will allow the king to have affairs if Rhayde’s appetite is satiated once in a while.”

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“So I must entertain the king, or the consequences will be more than they already are. Good heavens, what am I to do?” pondered the young woman.

Liam didn’t know how to respond. He thought that she should just bite the bullet and as terrible as it was, she should entertain the king. It always made things easier in the end, and Liam had seen many beginnings and ends. The king was a fickle man, blowing this way and the other, changing his mind like the wind changes direction.

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“But I am being impolite. You are tired from your long travels, I will let you sleep. Goodnight, Sir.” The young woman bowed her head and turned to leave.

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“May I ask your name, miss?” Liam asked, knowing that this woman would be in his life longer for at least a short time, he may as well call her something other than ‘young woman’.

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“My name is Anwyn Cupshire, Sir. Have a pleasant rest.” and with that she walked away, back into the belly of the beast.