998. Chapter 998

After Much Ado About Murder

Episode 8.20

By

UCSBdad

Disclaimer: Once more unto the breach for I do not own Castle. Rating: K Time: See above.

"A village on fire, Captain." Said the sentry, pointing.

"Kate, do you know what the village is?"

Kate tried to make out landmarks in the dark. "It might be Gabiano. I can't be sure."

Each night, more towns burned and each day, impoverished peasants fled into Pola.

"They're doing this deliberately. The bastards have learned from our chevauchees in France." Will Fox said over breakfast the next day. "More mouths to feed means we'll sooner start to starve if they put us under siege."

"And putting us under siege means they're afraid to try to take the town by storm." Sam Aylward said. "Sir James will be here long before we starve."

"Enemy cavalry riding in from the south." Cried a young boy, who had run all the way from the south gate.

Rick, Kate, Fox, Sam Aylward and Tom Graham all headed for the gate.

Once on the parapet on the south gate, they spotted a force of some fifty horsemen at least five hundred paces away.

"They're smart enough to stay well out of range of our bows." Aylward said, disgustedly.

"I could mount some of our men and go after them." Graham said, smiling.

"No." Castle said. "They're local light cavalry and they know this area like the back of their hand. They'll outrun you easily, and they may be trying to set an ambush. They'll lead you to a larger force." Knowing how aggressive Graham was, Castle changed the subject. "What are they yelling, Kate?"

"They're telling everyone what they'll do to the wives and daughters in this town when they take it." Kate said, blushing.

"I should send my Molly out there. She'll show them what the women of the bloody town will do to them."

Kate noticed the archers were gesturing oddly towards the enemy cavalry. "Rick, the archers are holding up their index and middle fingers. Why?"

"When the French capture an archer, they chop off his first two fingers so he can't use a bow anymore. In return, we hold up those fingers to let the French or anyone else know we can and will kill them with our arrows."

Kate smiled and held up those two fingers and waved them at the enemy.

Rick put his arm around her and pulled her close. "You are an archer's woman, Kate."

"That I am. But only one archer's woman."

That night, for the first time, they saw villages burning to the north of them.

"Sir James and Duke Rodrigo had better get here soon." Castle muttered as he and Kate looked to the north from their bedroom.

"They will." Kate said hoping she was right.

She was.

"Captain Castle!" A young man burst into the palazzo as Rick, Kate and the rest were eating breakfast the next morning. "Courier from Sir James. He, Duke Rodrigo and their forces are outside of town. Duke Rodrigo wants time to prepare his army to look as impressive as possible when they march in to impress the townsfolk." He smiled. "He doesn't want them to see a bunch of tired, dirty archers, crossbowmen and men at arms riding worn out horses."

"When will they be here?" Castle asked at once.

"At noon. Sir James would like you to meet them at the north gate with your officers."

Castle went off to shave and bathe. Fox and Aylward contented themselves with putting on clean clothing and combing their hair. However, once Rick and Kate were done in the bathtub, Molly dragged Graham in and made sure he washed himself properly. He, of course, returned the favor.

Well before noon, Rick, Kate, Graham, Molly, Aylward and Fox, all well mounted, were at the gate with an honor guard of archers.

"Can you see anything, boy" Castle called up to a boy with the sharpest vision in the company whom he'd posted as a lookout.

"Aye, sir. I see dust to the north. There be too many trees in the way to see more."

Castle fidgeted for another ten minutes. Kate put her hand on his arm. "Calm down, lover. They'll get here."

"Captain!" Came a shout from above. "We can hear drums. It's them."

Castle smiled as he heard the faint beating of drums.

Hardly a minute passed before they heard. "There they are. It's Sir James and Duke Rodrigo, with an army."

Castle was happy as Sir James Walden and Duke Rodrigo rode through the gate and stopped by Castle. Sir James was a fine looking man with deep set grey eyes, an aquiline nose and with a deep scar under his left eye, the result of an arrow wound as a young man. He was clean shaven and wore his hair clipped short. Once a light brown, it was now almost all white.

On the left of Sir James rode his wife, Lady Jane Walden. A tall woman who had once been one of the great beauties of England, she now had more silver in her hair than gold and looked upon the world with twinkling light blue eyes.

Duke Rodrigo was a young man, not yet out of his twenties, but an experienced soldier. His hair and beard were black and curly, his eyes almost black and he had beautiful white teeth. He was of medium height, but very muscular. He was dressed in the height of fashion in brocaded silk of red and gold.

"I'm happy to see you here, Sir James. And you, Duke Rodrigo."

Sir James stared at Rick. "I'm surprised you need us at all. All we've been hearing on the road as how the famous English soldier, Lord Castle, holds Pola with an army of ten thousand men. I'm surprised, you haven't defeated de Braquenne already…..Lord Castle."

Castle turned red, but Sam Aylward moved his horse a pace forward. "That's my fault, sir." Aylward proceeded to tell the two men about the Venetian galleys and how he'd bluffed them into leaving by magnifying Castle's title and strength.

Sir James glared at the two men, but then was unable to contain his laughter. "Oh, Richard, you should have seen your face."

"Fascinating." Added Duke Rodrigo. "A great jest on our friends the Venetians." The Duke's eye's strayed to Kate. "We have been told that this Lord Castle's woman is the most beautiful woman in all of Italy. I'm happy to see that there has been no exaggeration there."

Kate bowed as best she could on horseback. "I am Lady Katherine Beckett, Your Grace. And I am an archer's woman."

"If you'll come to my headquarters, Your Grace, we've discovered that the members of the Senate of Pola have been stealing money they've collected for taxes."

Rodrigo shrugged. "When have tax collectors not stolen?"

As Rodrigo rode away slowly, a familiar man approached Castle on foot.

"Captain Castle. Is my little brother here?"

Castle smiled. "Yes, Lewis. Luke is at the nearest blacksmith's. Just follow this road to the main plaza and you'll find him on the far side."

"Thank you, sir." The enormous blacksmith said, and strode off.

Kate watched the man leave. "He's Luke's brother? He's even bigger than Luke. My God, he was carrying an anvil on his back."

"They say the oldest brother is unhappy to have two such runts for brothers."

"Tell me you jest."

Castle shook his head. "That's what Luke and Lewis say. I've never seen the brother."

As they rode off, Castle moved next to Sir James. "How is the Great Company, Sir James? "

"Quite well, actually. We've added some people. Sir John Dunn of Tunstead on the Welsh Marches is with us. He brought only eighty mounted knights, but near a hundred Welsh archers and the same number of spearmen, and he brought better than two hundred Irish hobelars. The Irish horsemen will work well in broken country. We've also gotten a company of Pisan crossbowmen, one hundred strong. We've added another hundred men of one sort or another in dribs and drabs."

"What about the Duke's army?"

"Eight hundred knights and a thousand crossbowmen follow the Duke, professionals mostly. He also has some hundred local stratioti, light cavalry. And he has near two thousand men from the city militias from the cities that have given him homage."

Castle frowned. "The city militias aren't known for their abilities. If they're anything like the militia in Pola…"

"They're not. His Grace told the towns to select one man in ten from their militias, and make sure they were well armed, well trained and well paid. The men he's gotten are good." Sir James frowned. "We know little of this de Braquenne, though. What can you tell me?"

Castle told him what they did know, which was little enough.

Soon they arrived at the Beckett's palazzo. Castle led Duke Rodrigo to a well guarded room where he'd stored the treasure. The Duke's eyes opened in shock when he saw what was there.

"By the Great God! I knew tax collectors cheated, but never like this? You're sure this is all from taxes and from dealing with pirates?"

Castle handed the Duke two ledgers. "These explain where the money and other objects are from. I've had a dozen merchants of the town examine them. They all say this is in Senator Amalfi's own hand."

"I cannot thank you enough, Captain. Used frugally, there is enough here to run my dukedom for a half a dozen years." Duke Rodrigo smiled. "Kneel, Captain Castle. "

"Sir?" Castle was confused.

"Kneel, Richard." Sir James growled.

The Duke tapped Rick lightly with this word. "As you kneel Richard Castle, arise Sir Richard Castle, Knight of the Dukedom of Istria." The Duke looked around the room, then picked up a leather bag and opened it. "Dona Jane, will you examine these? They appear to be diamonds. What would you say their value to be?"

Lady Jane Walden examined the diamonds carefully. "At least ten thousand ducats, Duke Rodrigo."

He tossed the bag to Castle. "A knight and the governor of a town must have a certain estate, a certain gravity, a certain dignity." He looked at Kate, then took an emerald necklace and gave it to Rick. "As must the woman of a knight." He nodded to Kate. "Put it on her, Sir Richard."

Kate smiled shyly as Richard put the necklace around her slender neck.

"Your Grace?" Castle said. "I should mention that a maid in the service of Amalfi told us where to look."

"Then she shall have a reward as well. Bring her to me."

Kalotina was produced in record time. She had been washed and given new clothing and was quite attractive. She smiled at the Duke and he smiled back. He spoke to her in Italian and she replied in Greek.

"This lovely thing is Greek? When I was a young lad I travelled to Constantinople and lived there for a bit. I picked up a bit of the language. "The two continued in Greek and Duke Rodrigo picked out some jewelry for her and a bolt of green silk.

"I must be off to the cathedral. They are celebrating a Mass for my return to Pola." The Duke laughed. "Of course, they'll do the same if de Braquenne is victorious." The smile turned to a frown. "De Braquenne destroyed the ducal palace, did he not?"

Castle nodded. "Completely, Your Grace."

"I imagine Amalfi has a palazzo fit for a duke. That'll be my new palace. Oh, and have Kalotina installed there. Now, we must be off."

As they left, Kate whispered to Rick. "Is the Duke married?"

"No. When he was younger, no noble family wished to ally with the illegitimate offspring of Duke Cosmo and he's been too busy since then wed."

"So, Kalotina will be a concubine?"

"She'll be much as she as she was as Amalfi's maid, but will have a better life. I hope."