“If I were more of a man, I would marry you in the morning. Alas, I am not, and I was hoping to make my escape to avoid bringing you any unnecessary suffering. I see you had a similar idea.” Angelus gave a dramatic bow, sweepy aside his cloak to reveal a midnight blue kirtle.
“Chatty woman I see, clearly our marriage was doomed before it began. Well, I’m off to fetch my horse, care to join me?” With that, Angelus strode forward and took Elena’s arm, sweeping off toward the stable. Elena tensed at first, but as they drew closer to the stable and Angelus’ friendly banter continued, she found herself slowly drawing in, leaning into Angelus’ arm.
Arriving at the stable, Angelus moved towards a tall black stallion in one of the stalls. He looked proud and spirited with a dark, uncompromising attitude. Elena was struck by how discordant this horse was Angelus, and yet as Angelus approached, the massive animal walked towards him and nuzzled his shoulder.
“This is Tancred. We are going to set off for somewhere exotic, Spain, perhaps. Where are you off to?”
“A nunnery,” Elena found herself saying. The longer she spent with Angelus, the more at ease and confident she felt. “But if you were less of a man, I think I’d marry you on the spot.”
Angelus smiled. “Do you have a plan to get there?”
“I was going to take my horse, Rohesia. She isn’t as glamorous as Tancred, but a nunnery isn’t exactly a glamorous destination.”
The two readied their horses, and then rode toward the back gate. As they neared, it became clear that Angelus had no plan for escaping the castle compound. Elena reined in her horse and motioned for Angelus to do the same. She quickly dismounted and slipped softly toward the guard house. Inside, everyone was asleep soundly. Elena carefully slid the keys off of the hook and slid the small back gate open. Elena had requested that the hinges on all gates and doors be well-oiled before the wedding, making any escape she might attempt easier. She motioned for Angelus to walk his horse through the gate, and Elena handed Rohesia’s reins up to him as he passed. Once both horses were through the gate, she swung the door shut and locked it. After returning the key to its hook, she climbed the ladder to the top of the small guard tower, motioning to Angelus to bring Rohesia closer. Once the horse was in position, Elena climbed down to a bracket on the outside of the wall and jumped down onto her horse. With a nod, the two riders set off down the road.
Once they were well away from the castle, Angelus kept up a stream of frothy chatter. Elena remained largely silent, but enjoyed the warmth of his companionship. Just before dawn, they reached a babbling brook lined with a soft meadow just off the road. They allowed the horses to rest before continuing on down the road, at a gentler pace this time.
“Think they’ve noticed we’re gone, yet?” Elena finally broke in.
“Yes, perhaps someone has noticed by now. Not everyone yet, surely. I feel quite confident that our parents are oblivious. Of course, clearly they already were for your part.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean in thinking you would marry.”
“Of course I would marry! That’s my job!”
“I see. So that’s why you’ve escaped the castle on the eve of your wedding and now you are riding down the road with me.” Elena urged her horse on a little faster and sulked. Angelus wasn’t wrong, and it irked her. She had tried hard to keep up appearances, but when push came to shove, here she was, running away.
A few miles down the road, Angelus urged Tancred to turn down an almost hidden side trail into the woods.
“Where are you going?”
“We are off to save a princess,” Angelus said with a wink.
“We?”
“You actually, I am just here for moral support,” Angelus urged his horse to trot.
The forest clung to the narrow trail, pressing down upon the two riders. After several more miles, the path broadened out slightly into a small clearing with a tall, crooked tower at the back. Elena balked. Were they really about to rescue a princess from a tower of all things?
“Halt! Who goes there?” An armored figure stepped out of the shadow of the tower, pole-ax at the ready.
“Angelus, Lord of Sagborough, at your service. I am here with the lady Elena, heiress to the Earldom of Pearlshire, to rescue your fair mistress from her tower imprisonment.”
The guard chuckled and then called up to the tower, “Care to see more of these folks, or shall I encourage them away?” A curtain swung aside from a window high in the tower, and the most beautiful woman Elena had ever seen looked out. She had warm olive skin and flowing copper hair.
“Which of you is doing the rescuing?” The princess called down, containing a laugh on the final word. Angelus gave Rohesia a kick and the horse delivered Elena right beneath the princess’ window.
“You are, I hope,” Angelus called up. “This lady is trying to put herself in a nunnery if no one stops her,” And he gave such a dramatic wink that even the princess could see clearly.
“Finally someone even worth considering! Let’s discuss this over some cake and see if we can come to some kind of agreement. Sebastian will take your horses, if you would join me upstairs.”
Angelus promptly dismounted and brought Tancred up to Rohesia. Elena slid down with some trepidation. What was Angelus getting at? How was this princess in a tower supposed to rescue her? While she was still trying to wrap her head around the strange turn of events, she found herself whisked up the stairs by Angelus and set down at a table beside the princess. The table was covered with all sorts of delectable cakes, nuts, and fruits.
“I am Lavinia, somewhat estranged princess of Thelindia, Duchess of Beldrand, where you find yourself now,” Lavinia selected the choicest treats and placed them before Elena. Before long, they were engaged in rapt conversation, finding that they shared many of the same hobbies and interests, including horseback riding and cultivating roses. At Lavinia’s urging, Angelus and Elena decided to remain at Beldrand for the remainder of the week. At the end of the week, Lavinia pulled Sebastian aside after breakfast.
“She is the one. I feel sure.”
“I agree. She is undoubtedly perfect. I thought we might wait in this tower till we died before she came along,” Sebastian’s eyes trailed off to where Angelus stood by the window.
“I feel sure of this also,” Lavinia said, lowering her voice. “You have found your one as well.”
Sebastian’s face lit up, “Angelus asked me to be his husband last night. I hope you don’t mind my going first!”
“Of course not! This is wonderful news! After I ask Elena, let us make the arrangements. I suppose it won’t be a traditional wedding, but we can still get the feast,” Lavinia chuckled and then swept towards Elena. Their heads bent towards each other in close whispers before Elena’s face burst out in a beaming smile.
“Yes. Forever yes. I had no idea that I could have this dream come true.”
Within the month, both couples were united in a beautiful festival with the friends Lavinia and Sebastian had gathered about them at Beldrand. And they all lived happily ever after.
Julia Explores 