Realizingthere was no point in arguing with this man, Isabel replied, “Very well,Harold. I will need to get a few things together. Oh, and I will need my maid,as well. Give me a few minutes.”

Isabelrose, and went to the stairs. At the top, she called for her maid, Rosamund.When she reached her bedchamber, she quickly scribbled a note, and sent themaid down the back stairs with it. Isabel then placed several changes ofclothing, and some grooming items, into a large duffle. When Rosamund returnedfrom her errand, Isabel informed her that “He”, was sending her to one of hisCastles. As the maid was going with her, she would have to pack a few things,to take with. With a quick nod of acknowledgement, the serf hurried out of thechamber. The serf returned minutes later, just as Isabel picked up a smallwooden box, off the side table, and placed it, along with the contents of acanister, in the hidden pocket of her gown.

“Arewe ready to go?” Isabel asked.

Atthe maid’s affirmative nod, the two women walked toward the stairs down to thehall, where their escort waited.

Outsidethe Castle walls, Brant stood with several of his men, listening to how Esmehad gone to visit her mother, Peggy. The morning after their arrival, the girland her maid, were missing. From about three hundred feet away, he watched asHarold, and his men, rode out of the Castle gate with two women. One of thefemales wore a bright yellow gunna, with a similar colored mantle, wrapped overher head, and around her shoulders. The other woman, wore the gray woolen gownof a serf, but had a gray mantle covering her head, as well. As they startedoff down the road, a large group of men from the meadow rode out to join them.Brant’s focus returned to his missing sister. Peggy was claiming both, lack ofknowledge of her daughter’s disappearance, and grave concern for the missinggirl.

Whenthe procession on the road, moved out of sight over a hill, Brant mounted hisdestry, and rode back to the Castle. He entered the hall to retrieve his sword,dagger, and battle ax, that he found laying on thetrestle table. He paused briefly, looking to the hearth, in front of which hehad “wed” the Lady Isabel, a woman he would not recognize, if he passed her onthe road.

Amatronly serf entered, distracting him from his thoughts.

“Wouldye like a tankard, Me Lord?” The serf asked.

“No,thank-you,” Brant answered. Then he asked, “Where would I find the serf,Alisa?”

“Thereis not anyone here by that name, Me Lord,” the woman replied. “Mayhap, she wasfrom the village. A lot of the serfs, come up from thevillage, when it is needed.”

WhenBrant nodded and said nothing further, the woman continued on her way. On aside table, between a couple of chairs, he noticed ahalf-full jeweled chalice. As he ran a finger around the rim, his mind wasassailed with the memory of the small figure, in a pale green gown, that hadstood beside him right here, in front of the friar. Wearing green to yourwedding, was supposed to be a prayer for fertility, was it not? Brant let out ahearty laugh, and the sound seemed to echo eerily, through the empty hall.

Hearinga shuffling noise, Brant turned, to see that Robert had followed him in.

“So,now that you are armed, again, do I need to defend myself?” Robert asked.

“Ihave not decided, yet, how to get vengeance on you,” Brant answered. “When Ido, you will know.”

Hebrushed past his old friend, intent upon going to the village, and Robertturned to follow him.

Inthe village, Brant sought out the Burgher, to ask about a maid named Alisa, whomight live there. He was told there was no one by that name, in the village. Infact, there were only three or four maids of that age, and none of them, lookedlike the girl he described. Brant got no indication that either, the woman atthe castle, or this man, were being dishonest, aboutnot knowing the girl. He realized that though he was free, he might never seethe girl, again. Richard, and Isabel, had large land holdings, and Alisa couldhave been brought here, from any one of them. Brant returned to the meadowwhere his men waited, feeling an unexpected sense of despair. There was nodenying the girl had gotten to him. Was this what a broken heart felt like?

Branthad thought frequently, about gaining his release from the dungeon. He hadplanned to take the entertaining girl home with him, but now, he could not evenfind her. He recalled Robert saying, he thought Isabel, might be gaming themall. She was likely, the only person who knew where the girl was. It was notlikely, that his wife was going to help him, find the woman he wanted to keepas his mistress.

Asthe belief that he would not find any trace of Alisa settled in, Brant issuedthe order to his men, “Mount up, men. I want to go home.”

Chapter 8

Itwas the beginning of December, and Brant was getting really frustrated. Hestill had not found any trace of his sister's whereabouts. He had questionedPeggy, who denied any knowledge, of what could have happened to the girl. Hedid not believe her denials of involvement, and was having her Castle watchedfor anything suspicious, but so far, there had been nothing. Inquiries to thevillages near Peggy's, had not turned up any sightingsof Esme, either. Furthermore, he frequently found himself thinking about Alisa,and wondering what had happened to the girl. There was no doubt, the young serfhad gotten to him, he missed her terribly. He hadtaught her well, and now she was who knew where, likely entertaining some oneelse. The thought of her with another, bothered him, badly. He had wanted tokeep her all to himself, which, part of his mind told him made no sense. Alisahad changed him somehow, in the few months he had been held prisoner. Now Cora,the serf who had been his favorite tart here for years, seemed brash, and lewd,even a little repulsive. He was finding himself very short tempered, and hadyelled at several serfs. Everyone seemed to be scurrying out of his way, andthat was irritating him, too. Always before, he had been very comfortable here,now his home, seemed empty and lonely. Brant found a good amount of his time,was spent wondering where Esme, and Alisa, were. The later, seemed to cross hismind most often.

Theonly slightly bright spot, was musing about what Isabel thought, of where hehad sent her. It was quite out of the way, and with his people closelymonitoring her, hopefully, not much better than his prison. They had said shewould reach her majority, in June. In six months, he would see if someone came,to relieve him of her care.

"Ridersapproaching," Brant heard the sentry announce.

Ashort while later, Robert and Kate entered the hall, with several otherknights. Brant greeted the guests, but largely shied away from, participatingin the ensuing conversation. Robert tried several times, to get him talkingabout one of many battles they had been in, or his youthful misdeeds,unsuccessfully. Finally, he pulled Brant aside, and confronted him.

"Whatis wrong with you, Brant?" Robert asked. "Everyone says you aregrouching, and yelling at everybody. I hear you even yelled at Cora. You alwaysuse to find that tart amusing. Although, I never could see why you likedher."

Brantconsidered his friend's question carefully, before answering truthfully. Thathe was finding his home to be lonely, and empty. He was frustrated, that therewas no word about Esme, despite the large number of people who were looking forleads.

"Asfor Cora, well she just seems so obscene, after Alisa," Brant replied.

"Whois this Alisa?" Robert asked, recalling Brant had looked for her, atIsabel's Castle.

"WhileI was being held prisoner, I was frequently visited by a young serf. She keptme from going totally mad. I grew quite fond of her, but when I was released,someone, probably Isabel, had made the girl disappear," Brant said.