999. Chapter 999

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.

After the Mass was said, Sir James and Lady Jane returned to Kate's palazzo, intending to make it their home and headquarters while in Pola. Kate had a suite of rooms cleaned out and led Lady Jane to their new home.

"I hope this suits you, Lady Jane." She said nervously.

"I think, Kate, that you should just call me Jane. And can I call you Kate?"

Kate blushed. "Of course. Of course."

"I am sorry that we are intruding in your home. I'll talk to James, and see how much rent he can pay you."

"There's no need. Rick has already paid me quite handsomely for the use of the palazzo. In fact, Duke Rodrigo gave this place to Rick, but he gave it back to me as well as paying rent."

"He must have fallen in love with you quite early, then."

"I don't believe he did that for love. Not at that time." Kate tried not to blush.

"But he does love you. That is easily seen. Do you love him?"

She nodded. "I do." She said softly. Then, "Do you think he does love me?"

Jane laughed. "As sure as I am of anything. Don't worry, Kate. He'll come around. Sooner than you think."

After dinner, Castle was in the library reading of the travels of the Venetian Marco Polo. He quickly put down the book and stood as Lady Jane entered the library.

"Good evening, Lady Jane. Do you seek a good book?"

She laughed. "No, Sir Richard, I seek you."

"You'll forgive me, for I'm not at all used to my new title."

"That's what I wished to speak to you about, Richard. You are now a knight and the military governor of a large town, in addition to commanding a very competent company of archers. My husband decided to have Duke Rodrigo send you here because he knew you could keep Pola for the Duke if anyone could. Which is exactly what you did. But now you must look to the future."

"How so?" Castle asked, a bit confused at the conversation.

"You can no longer associate with tavern wenches and have sordid affairs. You are no longer a simple free lance, to use the Italian term."

Castle felt the anger rise in him. "Kate is no tavern wench and our relationship is not sordid."

"Exactly my point, Richard."

Castle opened his mouth and then closed it. He was even less sure now of what this conversation was about. "I don't understand."

Lady Jane smiled, then put her hand on his arm. "It is clear that you love Kate, and she loves you. She told me so a while ago, Oh, don't look so shocked at that, Richard. You men get together and speak of horses, hunting dogs and weapons. We women speak of our love lives. Now it is time for you to speak to Kate"

"I'm afraid of what will happen should I die. To marry her and leave her…."

"Then worry about what she would feel if you did not marry her and you died. Better, think of what would happen if you marry her and don't die."

Castle smiled. "You're right. I'll go now."

As he walked past Lady Jane, she put her hand in a pocket. "I asked Duke Rodrigo for a small token from the jewelry stolen by Demming. I chose this." She held out a plain golden wedding band. Castle took it.

He strode quickly to the room he now shared with Kate. He found her sitting before a mirror, combing her hair.

"Why are you smiling, Rick?" She asked, seeing his reflection.

"Lady Jane Walden is a very, very smart woman."

Kate thought about the conversation she'd just had with the woman and smiled to herself. "I believe she is."

"I love you, Kate."

"And I love you."

Castle walked over and knelt by her side, holding the ring out. "Will you marry me then, Kate?"

"I will. I will." She replied as he slipped the ring on her finger.

"We'll have to tell everyone tomorrow."

"Why tomorrow?" She asked.

"I have plans for tonight."

No one was at all surprised at Rick and Kate's news, but they were all happy. However, there was work to be done as the army had finally reached Pola. Sir James divided the city up into four quarters. Each was garrisoned under an experienced captain. Sir Richard was given command of the reserves, to be sent to wherever the danger was greatest, should de Braquenne attack.

Meanwhile, Duke Rodrigo sent all of the light cavalry out, with multiple missions. They were to drive off the raiders who were destroying the villages around Pola. If possible, they were to take prisoners for interrogation and bring them in. Lastly, a force was sent to the south to find where de Braquenne's army was and keep it under observation. They would send couriers back to Pola to keep Rodrigo appraised of de Braquenne's actions.

Rick's force consisted of a thousand dismounted men at arms, archers, including his own company, crossbowmen and spearmen. He got to know his new subordinates and men. He was also charged with training the town militia, which had increased greatly in size with the arrival of the Duke and his troops. Castle sent the few men from Pola who had fought against Demming as a cadre and put Will Fox in charge.

"I have to teach a bunch of apprentice weavers, dyers and potters how to fight?" Will complained.

"Who better? You did teach me, after all."

"I should have taught you to keep me near you in battle." Will grumped, but went off to train the militia.

On the third day, the first of the light cavalry patrols came back, bringing several prisoners. Three looked like nothing more than bandits, wearing shabby clothing and carrying rusted weapons. The other one appeared to be a soldier, well armed and accoutered, and looking scornfully at his fellow prisoners. He was taken to Duke Rodrigo. The Duke summoned Sir James and Castle. Kate came with her fiancé.

"The fellow is Hungarian, or Magyars as they call themselves. He calls himself Captain Stoll. I found we have a Hungarian speaker in Pola. This is Magda."

Magda was a heavy muscular woman, well into middle age who wore what seemed to be a perpetual scowl. Magda began talking to the Hungarian soldier.

"I've had Magda tell him that if he tells me the truth, I'll give him a few gold pieces and send him on his way to Hungary. But if he lies, it'll go hard on him. He knows I have other prisoners who'll surely talk, although they may not know much." Rodrigo said.

Magda talked to the man and then spoke in Italian to the Duke. The Duke wrote down what was said. Finally, the interrogation was over.

"Captain Stoll says that de Braquenne had over three thousand mounted knights when he left four days ago, mostly French, but with many Italians. There might be more by now as more troops were coming in via Venetian galleys. Stoll says that our neighbors the Venetians are providing money for de Braquenne. He has three newly minted Venetian ducats with him, so I'll believe him. The Venetians have provided a thousand crossbowmen with more on the way. It's a lot easier to move crossbowmen by sea than cavalry. The horses are easily injured. De Braquenne's light cavalry are mainly local bandits who are good at raiding defenseless villages, but not for much else. De Braquenne has made an ally of Demming, however. Demming has brought between ten thousand and twelve thousand pirates, with more coming each day. De Braquenne apparently has told his army they can loot Istria to their heart's content, as he intends to sell it to the Venetians." Rodrigo pulled out a map. "And, he places de Braquenne's army here."

"The port of Spolato." Kate said.

"And I have an idea." Rodrigo said with a smile. "De Braquenne will have to come north by the main road. When he gets here," He jabbed his finger onto the map, "we can fight him. The mountains come very close to the sea here, the mountains are a horrible tangle and no matter how you try to move through the mountains, you'll find yourself coming up against a place where a hundred men can hold off an army. But, here there is a ridge we can occupy right on the road. In front of that is a small river. Not much, but enough to slow a charging army down a bit. To our left is a dense forest that can easily be held by a handful of spearmen. To the south, the river widens as it flows into the sea and creates marshes. Place some light cavalry there and they can cut down our enemies as they struggle out of the marshes."

Duke Rodrigo looked at his commanders. "Gentlemen, I do not wish to be besieged in Pola. If de Braquenne can trap us here, he can destroy the rest of my Duchy, even if we do fend off his siege. His pirate allies he'll use to soak up your arrows and bolts. You have more arrows than Demming has pirates, I'll wager. His French and Italian knights will refuse to fight on foot in the English fashion and will charge on horseback." He smiled. "And be defeated as you defeated the French at Poitiers and Crecy before that."

Sir James looked at the map. "A sound plan, if the country is like you say it is. Sir Richard?"

Castle looked at Kate who knew the area well. She nodded. "A good plan. I oppose staying here and letting de Braquenne besiege us as well. "

The three bandit prisoners were of little help. All they could say was that de Braquenne had many knights, many crossbowmen and many, many pirates. After dozens of refugees identified the bandits as having murdered, raped and looted through their towns, the Duke had them hung.

More patrols brought in more prisoners who confirmed, more or less, what the Hungarian captain had said.

Finally a courier brought in news that electrified the army. De Braquenne was moving north, very slowly, encumbered by a huge baggage train.

Once the scouts had confirmed that de Braquenne was staying on the north-south road, Duke Rodrigo moved his army out of Pola, leaving the city militia and a few professional soldiers to hold the city.

After a two day march, the army reached the place they had chosen to fight.

"Well, my English friends, what do you think of our battleground?" Rodrigo asked, smiling.

Sir James nodded. "It's as you said. The only problem I see is that small ridge across from us. De Braquenne can hide his troops behind that and we won't know what he's planning."

"But the ridge is a good five hundred paces from us. We'd not be able to shoot until de Braquenne's troops were over the ridge." Castle said.

"I agree with Sir Richard." Sir John Dunn, the Welsh Marcher lord, said.

"It's better than any ground we've seen and de Braquenne is hardly a dozen miles away." Sam Aylward added.

"At the speed he's moving on my duchy, he'll be two days getting here."

"Unless he leaves his baggage train behind." Sir James cautioned.

"We'll fight here as planned." Duke Rodrigo ordered. The soldiers began to make their preparations.