Chronicles of Kings and Knights/8

Chapter 32
Hobenrûd stood there looking at Marin a few more seconds, questioning whether or not he really wanted to kill her. After all, she really did seem to be sorry, and she had been such a help on their travels...

Then, Hobenrud dropped the claymore, which fell to the floor with a clang. He was immersed in deliberation. "I--I can't do this. Gilbert's going to kill me," and sat on the ground, legs crossed.

A moment of silence.

"Gilbert convinced you to do this?" asked Anita, unbelievingly.

"No...well, I'm not sure. He wanted to get a ransom for you. But he...he said that it was probably you that told the Sardinians and...I think he convinced me to do it while pretending not to," Hobenrûd said, with his face in his hands. Anita and Marin both remained speechless, trying to figure out what the distraught Hobenrud was saying.

"But why would he..."

"Gilbert has a grudge with your father, and Gilbert takes grudges very seriously. You remember what I told you about that commander in Daor? After everything was over... Gilbert sliced off the commander's head, struck the arrow from his leg into the dead man's eye, and burned the corpse in the fires from one of the villager's houses...Gilbert is not the kind of guy that forgives easily..."

"So you're saying that he'll not accept having Marin with us?"

"I'm saying he's capable of doing anything to her, as long as it'll hurt the king."

"But... doing anything to me won't hurt the king," Marin responded.

"Gilbert doesn't believe that, and he probably won't," Hobenrud insisted.

"What...what we'll do with him?" asked Anita, now that she calmed down.

"We can't leave him in Jyptia, so we'll bring him to Ruivoca...then...I don't know, but we should keep an eye on him," he said, then he took his sword again and stood up. He breathed heavily, and knelt, his head bowed and his sword above it, held horizontally. Marin was puzzled.

"Princess Marion of Ruivoca... I, Dur Hobenrûd, leader of the Cherry knights, offer my sword to you in submission and loyalty," he said. Marin stood up in the proud posture she had so carefully practiced during her years in the court, not sure what to do, then she took the sword, touched his shoulder with it and declared, "Dur Hobenrûd, in thankful recognition of services given to me, I declare you Sir Hobenrûd, knight of Ruivoca."

Anita looked out a nearby window. A flock of glumbelies flew across the firmament in a circular formation. Recalling the first days on the adventure, Marin remembered the omen of the strange birds...

Hobenrûd nodded, looked up, and smiled. "Don't worry, Princess Marin, I have seen into your soul, and have determined that you deserve the throne, and I will help you get it."