Juvenilia.
I hope this glimpse at the beginning amuses.
It was a warm day for November but crisp and healthy. The party returned trotting hired horses through Belston Woods to the castle straggling in groups, their laughter carrying across the air. One pair had dropped a long way behind and were riding so slowly that they were obviously making no attempt to catch up.
The young man was Anthony, Prince of Quodonna, the kingdom in which they were at present riding. The girl was Joanne of Barramore whose father, the Duke of nearby Barramore, was anxious that she marry Tony who was heir to the throne. This was on account of Barramore being a small state and set a little to the side between Peseria and Quodonna, both large and warlike.
(The book even came with a map.)
By marrying his beautiful daughter to Tony he hoped to rid himself of one danger and strengthen himself against the other. Plans were going well, it seemed, for Joanna was obedient and had put all the talents of her fifteen years into catching Tony, and Tony, the veteran at nineteen of many loves, had appreciated her and been easy to catch.
Both were in silent agreement that they would not mind marriage and in similar agreement that they did not love each other.
Tony saw, as few others did, that she preferred his amiable brother Michael, a red-head a year younger than him and she knew that though she was beautiful Tony had liked many girls more than her and moreover she did not like his careless behaviour.
She was taking him to task now. "You don't behave like a man at all. The whole country talks of your pranks with scorn."
"I have not heard them," he answered a little angrily.
"No, to be sure," she remarked archly, "for they are scared of your childish vengeance."
"Then you had best learn to follow their example," he snapped and urged his horse to a canter, hers following.
She controlled her nervous horse with difficulty.
"You ought to choose a horse you can ride," he remarked scornfully.
"I can ride as well as you," she flashed back and regretted it immediately, for few men, let alone women, could ride like Tony and he knew it.
"Do you think so?" he asked dangerously.
She hesitated. "Comparatively speaking," she said.
"Let's see," he replied, a cruel smile in his brown eyes. "I'll go back to that tree there," he pointed a long way back, "When I wave you start and I will start. I will reach the castle before you do."
The lead he had given her was enormous and her horse was fast. She became a little confident.
"Very well," she said and he rode back. She was a small, slender girl with long black hair and very beautiful eyes, deep blue in colour.
They had both the reputation of being 'plus belle'. She had been sung of for years as the most beautiful girl in Europe, he as the most handsome prince.
The sign was given and they started off. She rode fast and recklessly. Tony's chivalry did not rise to allowing her to win and by taking dangerous risks he closed the gap. She realized that he would win as a fallen tree lay across her path. Her heart stopped but there was a devil in her and she lifted her horse to jump it. She must win! But she was too late, the horse would not jump and she was thrown. When she came to, some members of the group had ridden over and were fussing over her. Tony was nowhere to be seen,
She was helped to her feet and arms supported her from all sides. As soon as she could she remounted and the party moved on, all blaming Tony for encouraging her.
At first no one had spoken of Tony's behavior but now a group of young courtiers were talking of it and were very disturbed for these were his special friends.
A young brunette sighed. "Tony shouldn't have raced her. It was obvious that he would win."
"She probably wouldn't accept that," replied a young red-head, "and if a weak girl like that said she could ride as well as me I would challenge her, regardless."
"Family resemblance, your highness," a young man said. "I can't say I really like Joanna. Tony most probably did the whole thing out of spite."
"Your highness," the princess cried. "Adrian, you're angry with Tony perhaps, but you needn't freeze me."
"I beg your pardon, Marion," the dark-haired man said, smiling. "Michael," he asked, turning to another red-head, Tony's brother. "What would you have done? The same, I suppose."
"No," the young man said. "For she would most likely beat me!"
They all laughed gaily. "Tony's a rogue," another noble said. "In fact, he is the grief of all the saints."
"He loves his father," Adrian said, "and his family. He shows great promise as a statesman. He just has a temper. He is kind to everyone most of the time."
"Except women between 14 and 30. They're there just for his amusement," the brunette snapped.
Her escort, he who had criticized Tony, chuckled. "Just because he ignored you, Anne." he remarked.
"I prefer you, Julian," she said, smiling sweetly.
"Oh no," her betrothed said. "You still prefer Tony. All women do. He has something no mortal should have. I don't know what."
Do you think he loves Joanna of Barramore, Adrian?" Anne asked.
"No," he replied with certainly. "She's not Tony's type. She's too young and acts too old. She's too good, too."
"You should know," another young man remarked. "Why are you and Tony so close, Adrian?"
The favorite shrugged. "We balance well," he said casually. "Where is Tony?"
"He went over there," said the handsome, indolent prince, pointing away from the castle.
"For heaven's sake! He can't go back to the wood!" Adrian exclaimed. "It's nearly dark now. We shouldn't have stayed so long anyway."
He turned to the prince. "Why on earth didn't you go after him, Michael? He's your brother."
The prince frowned. "I didn't wish to, Adrian," he said coldly. "I couldn't be bothered. He can look after himself. He's often gone for days on end."
"Not at night, in winter, in a wild mood," Adrian said. "He'll get himself killed. I'm going to go after him. Julian, will you come?"
"Always at your command," the duke said lazily, "but I'd prefer to rescue a damsel in distress than a raving prince."
"Rescue me then," Anne broke in sharply. "Adrian, it’s cruel to take him away. Tony's broken up his betrothal but that's no reason to break up mine. I won’t even be able to call myself a widow!"
Her amused fiancé moved his horse alongside hers and drew her to him, not heeding her cries that he was pulling her off her horse and finding a dramatic tone he said, "Farewell my love!" and landed her a smacking kiss. "If there was a priest here I would have us married but as it is, I go to my death, knowing that you love me."
She responded by clinging to him madly and cried out in a heartbroken voice, broken by giggles, "Ah my love! How shall I live without you? I shall weep over whatever the lions leave."
Thereupon he let her go, nearly landing her on the ground and asked, "What lions? Adrian, you never said anything about lions?" He turned plaintively to the other man.
Adrian was impatient. It was already becoming dark. "Are you coming, Julian, or are you going to act the fool all day? Of course there aren't lions. Just wolves. That's why we're going. You seemed to accept your fate cheerfully before. Come on." He turned his horse and started off.
"I was accepting my fate at Tony's hands when we catch up with him!" Julian called after him but as it had no effect he turned to the amused group of courtiers and declared, "Anne, my darling. If I don't return, Carlos will take care of you."
The young man bowed with Spanish grace and said meaningfully, "A pleasure, Senor."
"Don’t you dare have pleasure, Senor," Julian snarled, and casting a covetous look at the pretty brunette who was already sidling up to Carlos he turned his horse and galloped off after his friend.
I've cut a strange interlude of Adrian and Julian in the woods with wolves and a hermit. I have no idea what the purpose of it was.
After supper that night Tony went up to his apartments but he did not try to g to bed. He sat by the window looking out at the dark. His great deerhound, Thunder, came over and sat at his feet and they were still in this position when a few minutes later a floorboard creaked outside his door. He turned and sat quietly, one hand holding back the dog. Then as the door began to open he got up silently and moved over to the shadows near the door. The dog, at a whispered command, stayed poised where it was. Then the soft glow of a candle shone in the room and Joanna was standing there. She glanced around and seeing the great dog glaring at her she fell back in terror, straight into Tony's arms.
She started and turned round to breathe a sigh of relief when she saw that it was he but he was too startled to speak for a minute. Then, "What on earth are you doing here, Joanna?"
"I wanted to see you. I know I shouldn't have come at this time of night but I had to see you and your friend Julian said that you never get up before tem in the morning and we'll be gone by then."
"I'll be up to see you go but I don't know why." He was about to add that it would increase his loss but he left it to be misinterpreted by her.
"Please don't come if you don't wish. Could you close the door and light some candles, please? I'm cold."
He realized that she was only wearing a wrap and hurried to close the door. As he lit three candles from hers he said, "I hope you don't intend to stay long. You'll be missed and whatever happens they mustn't find you here. Did anyone see you?"
"I don't think so but I was scared and I didn't look much. Could you move that... that animal please, for I wish to sit down and he's guarding the only chair."
At that, Tony had to laugh and he called Thunder to heel and saw her comfortably settled.
"Now," he said. "Why did you come? Why do you wish to see me?" He spoke briskly for he knew that he should apologize but he couldn't break his pride to do it. What came next he didn't expect, however.
"I really wanted to..." She hesitated a second and looked up at him nervously. “I wanted to tell you that I'm sorry. Sorry that I made you lose your temper the other day. It was just childish spite and I knew it would make you angry." Once she had said the first words, which he had not been able to say, she rushed through the rest and once more looked at him to see if she would be forgiven,
He stared at her incredulously. "Your fault?" he queried. "I don't understand."
"I can't see why you don't understand! It was my fault for making you angry because I knew what I was doing. I set out to make you angry. Do you understand now?"
He took her hand and gently raised her to her feet. "I understand, Joanna," he said at length, "that you're either the most clever woman or the sweetest child in the world."
Her eyes opened wide and she looked up at him uncomprehendingly.
"It was not your fault, Joanna," he continued gently. "It was my fault completely for doing the things you taxed me with and for resenting your reproof. And it was unforgivable of me to be so vicious and spiteful. So, Joanna, promise me that you will never again think it was your fault."
She stared at him in silence until it became oppressive. He, in order to break the spell that was entrapping him, moved over to snuff a candle that didn't need snuffing, then he said quietly, "What do you think of the marriage, Joanna?"
A faint smile flickered on her face as she said, "That it is, alas, over, my lord."
"Alas? Then you would have wished it to be carried through?" He looked at her keenly.
She, blushing a little at the direct question, answered nevertheless, "I still wish it, my lord."
Breathing a little harder he took her hand and drew her, unresisting, to him. He looked at the jet black glory of her hair an instant and then kissed her as he had never kissed a woman before, with love.
Then he broke away and leaving her, went to the table and brought her candle. "It's too late for this, Joanna. You had better leave. If anyone finds you here..." He left the rest unsaid as he took her hand and led her to the door. "Leave my rooms now, and the castle tomorrow. That way is best."
"Tony, I don't understand. If you love me and I love you, why can we not be married? Surely it is our lives. Should we not be able to choose?"
He looked kindly into her bewildered eyes. "You don't know much about the ways of the world, do you? My parents and yours have come to a mutual agreement that I am unfit for you and vice-versa and there it is. It is my fault for exhibiting such rudeness but if you are to forever tease me about my misdeeds it seems that we would not be happy anyway."
He laughed but she said, "I know that our parents' permission must be had but is there no way to obtain it?"
He shook his head and kissed her lightly. "Goodbye. Perhaps if you will wait I will find a way to marry you, Joanna, for faith," he declared, "any girl who'll travel this house at night alone is the girl for me."
He was just about to open the door when there was a noise down the corridor outside the room and a hard rap sounded on the door. Tony quickly shoved Joanna behind a tapestry on the wall. The person knocked again and so he hurried to open the door. As it opened he saw a confused scene. Up the corridor some pages were searching the alcoves and Joanna's nurse was standing, her face buried in her apron, crying and moaning noisily. By the door his father stood, scrutinizing him carefully.
He understood immediately what had happened and set his mind to work. He put on a startled look and said, "What has happened? What has been lost?"
"Don’t you know?" his father asked him carefully.
Tony answered with a bewildered look.
"Joanna is not in her room, Tony."
Still his keen eyes were fixed on his son. "Do you know where she is?"
"What you mean," replied Tony quietly, "is is she here? I wonder what you think she would be doing here." There was bitter anger in his voice.
His father came in and closed the door. "This is not the time for trickery, Tony. I know you, and I know that a woman in love has little sense. I only hope that you have."
"Good God! Do you think I want to hurt her?"
"No, because you love her. But a man in love can do some silly things too. Where is she now?"
Joanna pulled back the tapestry. "Here, your majesty." Then she cried, falling to her knees, "You have the power. Let Tony marry me! It's only a word I ask but it means so much." She hands clasped the king's hand but he took hers and drew her to her feet.
"My child," he said gently, "I said just now that women in love do silly things. They should be guided by their elders. He started to lead her to the door but Tony intervened.
"Sire. You cannot take her out like that for everyone to see."
"Why? What has been happening that you wish no one to find out?"
"It is not what happened but what people will think has happened. Leave her, and I will see that she is back in her room in a few minutes."
His father looked at him a second and then said, "very well, but you have only a few minutes." Then he left them.
Tony went over to the window and quickly took away a large stone from the floor beneath. Then, after having helped Joanne through, he let himself though and dropped to the damp floor below.
She shivered as she looked around and so he put an arm around her to keep her warm. "I often use these passages," he said softly as his voice sounded hollow as it echoed along into the darkness. "There’s a network of them trough the castle."
"But why on earth do you come down here? It’s cold and damp and one could easily get lost."
His only reply was a laugh.
They began to make their way along the corridor right, left, left, right. He seemed to know exactly where he was going. They talked as they went and soon were on the subject of his father. They laughed over some of Tony's misdeed and his father's weary resignation to most of them.
"You love your father, don’t you?" she asked.
"Yes. Perhaps that's what has kept me from the jaws of hell and evil." He laughed gaily and the vaults rang. "But being virtuous has its disadvantages. I mean, if I had been truly evil I could have forced you to stay up there in my room and convinced my father you were not there."
"They would have found out sooner or later," she said a little doubtfully.
"Yes. Later." He let his voice sink low and gruff. "But down here, who would know?" He tossed her from one arm to the other. "And you could not escape. If you ran from me you would be lost and starve to death."
She feigned terror and dodged him. "Brute! Oh how could you be so hard on a poor defenseless girl?"
They dodged and darted around till she took to her heels and flew along the corridor. His voice took on a note of alarm. "Joanne! Stop!" He rushed after her and heard a terrified scream as he flung around the corner.
He dashed to clutch her away from a large rift in the floor. She had only saved herself by grasping an out jutting rock. She fell against him as he dragged her away, and clung to him in terror. She looked up at at him and burst into tears from sheer relief at being safe. He led her away from the rift and waited till she had calmed down. Then he left her in order to search for the candle which he had dropped and left them in darkness. He found it and lit it again.
He took her hand and said, "I thought I’d lost you..." He looked at her tenderly and then kissed her. After as second or two, he laughed. "The people upstairs have lost you, however, and I must return you to the loving clutches of your nurse."
They started once more along the dark corridors, retracing their steps to the original route.
"Is this pace very dangerous? It seems enormous. It's strange, really, that one does not notice how much space it takes up from the outside. How is that?"
The passages are mainly between walls and the whole thing is very cleverly planned. It is dangerous, though. That chasm you nearly fell into goes right down into the rock and an underground river that ends up in the moat. It would be easy to get lost and never get out and there's no food down here, unless you want to eat rats."
Joanna shivered. "Surely one would find a doorway. There must be hundreds."
There are. Nearly every room has one but they are all cleverly disguised from both sides. I haven’t found them all myself. Your room used to be my mother's once and I found her doorway when I was playing there as a boy. Here, see."
He stopped and handed her the candle. He pushed against a piece of the wall and it swung slowly inwards. When it was open far enough he took the candle from her and waited for her to go through.
"Goodbye Joanna," he said softly. He would have left but she called him back. He looked at her enquiringly.
"I cannot shut the door by myself," she said after a slight pause.
"Hurry though and I will shut it for you."
Another pause ensued.
"Your nurse will return soon, no doubt."
You... you will see me off tomorrow?"
"I will. I promise." He took her hand and propelled her through the door.
"We might never see each other again."
"You don’t know my perseverance, child. I will see you again if I have to storm your father's stronghold single-handed. Meanwhile, you will catch cold out here."
"It is strange and hard to part like this, perhaps for many years."
"It is harder if we delay."
"How shall I remember you?" she asked softly. "As the man who said goodbye?"
He looked at her for a second and ten, putting down the candle he still held, he said, "you make this hard for us both but the present is the present." He tenderly caught her in his arms and kissed her long and sweet.
She rested in his arms a moment. "Is there no hope your father will relent?"
"None I fear at the moment but a few months can bring about complete changes. Wait for me, Joanna and you will not have to wait too long."
"Do you mean that, Tony?" she asked wistfully, "or is it just another word?"
"It's a promise, love. An oath which I will never break."
He released her, gave her the candle, and pushed her through the gap in the wall then leant against it to push it to. Then he made his way in darkness along the passage.
If you have a forgiving nature, you might think this promises a half-decent story, but alas it wanders off back to the woods and a hermit and another woman. Tony's friends play far too large a part, and to be honest I grew tired of trying to read it to see if Tony and Joanna ever find happiness. To receive news of my (better) books, please sign up for my newsletter.
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