Plots, Ploys and Schemes III

"Lord, what is on your mind?"

Seated on the red leather seat, Teressa asked Jacob who sat across from her.

Both of them rode in a carriage, pulled by two fine white horses. It was not very large, but it was comfortable.

Jacob was staring out the window, gazing up at the stars in the sky.

"I am thinking about what kind of man I want to be."

Looking over, Jacob's blue eyes observed Teressa's body.

The dress fit her well, Diana had good taste.

"What kind of man was your father?"

He asked her.

"A great one. I still remember the times he used to read me stories at night or comb his hand through my hair. He was always hard on me, but I know it was only because of his love for me."

"You speak as if he is gone. Is he not around?"

"He is…"

"You do not have to talk about it if you do not want to. I'm not going to force you."

"I do not particularly mind, I just do not like discussing my past…"

Both of them sat in silence for a little bit. It was not until the carriage went over a small bump did Teressa open her mouth again.

"I used to live in a village not too far from here, called Ballater. Have you heard of it?"

"I have not."

She showed a soft smile, but it seemed fake as if she were forcing it.

"Probably not. It is a village after all, and there are a vast amount all over, remembering them all would be difficult."

It was not his fault he did not know, she knew this. It was impossible for one person to know of every single village and town. Cities they may know, but the others were harder to remember.

As she spoke, her feet moved back and forth in a motion similar to a swimmer staying afloat. Teressa was tall enough that her feet could touch the ground, but as she swung them they hovered above it.

She was barefoot, with her black heels laying next to her on the wooden floor.

"My great-grandfather worked hard and became a noble. My grandfather paved the way for my father, by receiving the title of baron gaining land in exchange for his utmost loyalty to the emperor. My father took the land and had a dream, growing it from a small village with two hundred people into a town bustling with people and visitors…"

Teressa stopped moving her feet, instead, she sighed.

"That was all he wanted, but three years ago everything was taken. Our home, our land, our rank, and our wealth. Just like that, we were no longer nobles…"

"At that time, I was already attending the knight's academy. Starting my first year, but news spread fast and it made its way to me. I still do not know what happened, nor where my father is. I've searched, but it seems he does not wish to be found."

In reality, she knew exactly where her dad was. It was months after she heard about what happened and began her search. One day she stumbled upon him in a tavern, drinking in his sorrows.

Telling his story to all the other men who were just as drunk as he was.

'I have an amazing, beautiful daughter! The best in the world! One day, she'll be a knight, no, a general with thousands under her command. Everyone will want to gaze upon her up close, but me? Me, I want to watch her from afar. And when she does, I'll be here, telling you fucks all about it!'

'Psh, why does your stories always have your daughter in it?'

'Because she is all I have left.'

She remembered how drunk her was that day, having a large mug in his hand and a face flushed red. Sometimes he stuttered over words, but he still sounded proud.

The only reason she did not call out to him, was because of his next words. He would not see her until he fixed what he messed up.

At times she found herself going back to that tavern, standing outside the thin walls listening to him talk. It was ok for her, as long as he was alright, that was all that mattered.

"What about your mother? I have not heard you speak of her."

Jacob asked as he listened to Teressa's story.

"No idea. My father said she died giving birth to me."

"But, what do you mean my lord? When you said you were thinking of what kind of man you wanted to be?"

"I don't know… I really don't know."

Jacob answered as he shook his head.

It was a strange question to even think about, and Jacob was still trying to understand the thought himself. The moment lasted a short while, but it was one of the only times he reminisced in his past. Thinking back to certain events, seeing how he grew up.

Soon, their carriage came to a halt and within seconds Matthew opened the door.

"We've arrived lord."

From what he could see, there was a wide walkway leading up to a large fountain. Behind it he could see the lights shining brightly from within. Even the faint sounds of music could be heard.

Glancing over, Teressa was putting on her heels.

A strand of her brown hair covered her eye, as she gently used her right hand to move it, Teressa reminded Jacob of his fiancee. The way her facial expression looked was the same, calm yet anxious.

The moon's light reflected Teressa's beauty, giving her cream-colored skin a shine.

Jacob stood, exiting the carriage. Terresa finished putting on her black heels and saw a hand outstretched. She faintly smiled as she grabbed it, allowing it to guide her down from the carriage.

Teressa wondered what her lord thought of her. Did he see her as a potential partner? Was he using her as a tool to harm his fiancee?

She's never been one to think about romance, she never bothered with it. However, she did believe that Jacob was interested in her. Although she was looking down putting on her heels, she could feel his gaze.

As her feet touched the paved ground, she gently smiled.

"Are you ready?"

Jacob asked her, giving her his arm so they could lock them together.

Nodding, the two of them set off.

They did not seem like a couple, more like an older sister taking care of her younger brother. That may have to do with their height difference.

Matthew closed the door to the carriage and made his way around front where Amber held the reins to the horses.

"Demoted from an honorable knight to a lowly escort. What type of shit is this?"

His complaint caused Amber to chuckle.

An escort pays more than being a coachman. That is what she was.

Her head turned, as he focused her vision on a sack next to her. Reaching over, she grabbed it and opened the sack up revealing what was inside. Bread, cheese, and some cooked meat.

"You are eating? On the job?"

"Yeah, we'll be here a while."

"Who was your instructor? They did one hell of a job training you."

"What's that supposed to mean?"