Back In The Castle (Thea and Open)

[Isabella]

Isabella realised the moment the words left her mouth that she was doing something she was going to regret. Making an enemy of Bronte was a very bad idea – he was prying into her life and finding out so much about her. Who knew what he could do with that knowledge. She’d just given him reason to use it against her.
Her heart sped up as he stepped towards her, seeing the anger flickering in his intense eyes. It scared her to be so close to him, and she half-expected him to attack her at any minute, but she would not back down. She stubbornly held her ground, jaw clenched, when he seized her by the wrist and whispered into her ear. His words made her innards writhe with dread. His whole demeanour said that he was going to pay her back for this insult, and whatever it was he was planning, it wasn’t going to be at all pleasant. He let go of her and, shooting her one last warning look, strode out of the room.
Isabella felt sick. She was furious with herself for being so stupid, with Bronte for what he was doing to her life, with Thea for acting so immaturely. She couldn’t bear what was happening for much longer. She’d hoped for a better life in Nottingham, and she’d started to have it that way. But now, all that she had was in danger of being taken away from her. She knew what it was like to have nothing – it had been that way during those years with Thornton. Then, she’d had nothing to lose. If she said or did something insolent, all Thornton could do to her was punish her body, beat her, starve her. It wasn’t like that anymore. In Nottingham she had friends – she had a future other than suffering at her husband’s hands. But if she had something, it could be taken away. And now she did have something. She wasn’t going to lose it without a fight. If Sir Liam Bronte made a move – if he wanted a war, he was going to get it.
She stood in silence, looking after the knight as he made his way down the corridor. She ran a hand through her hair in exasperation with the world in general. Hell, she’d messed up this time.

[Roe]

Roe thought this was all quite strange, even though he was enjoying himself immensely. Thea was acting true to form, that is of course, acting like a spoiled child who just got her hand caught in the cookie jar. She reacted, quite predictably, by making threats towards him in return. She, of course, had make references to Isabella, who had just happened to enter the Great Hall moments before.

Obviously, she had been drawn to the Great Hall by the great commotion that Lady Linnet was making. Roe thought, if head wanted to, that he could have arrested Thea on the spot for disturbing the peace and the public order, as well as endangering herself and others. Throwing the goblet at him could have even been stretched into an arrest for assault. Hpowever, had enjoyed the outburst so immensely that he had no designes on putting an immediate end to it.

The most interesting character was unquestionably Sir Liam Bronte, not the most trustworth or dependable he thought, just the most interesting. He struck Sir Rober' as a man more filled with questions than answers. From the short greeting that Sir Liam had enjoyed with Thea, it was obvious that they had been familiar with each other for some years, probably since their youth.

Sir Rober made the assumption that Sir Liam had spent at least some time in the Crusades, probably fighting under King Richard. However, he struck Roe as a calculating nobleman rather than a fighting one. He sounded as if we was willing to assist Roe when he confronted Thea, just not at his side. Isabella appeared full of questions when she made her appearance, and Sir Liam was more than happy to fulfill her request for information.

While Sir Liam explained the recent events, and whatever else he decided to raise with Isabella, Roe could hear the load commotion and disturbance from the area of Lady Linnet's chambers. It was obvious that the goblet that had been filled with fluid that she had thrown at Sir Rober was not the only object that she was interested in making a projectile. Apparently until her anger was appeased she was not going to be the safest person to be around.

Quickly Sir Rober' gathered himself up and headed in the direction of the loud crashing noises that were being generated, without being concerned whether Sir Liam was following. Given Sir Liam's past, apparently friendly relationship, with Lady Linnet he was ensure how much support, real or moral, he would be be given. In any case he quickly arrived at the door to her chamber, which was open, and through which, he could see things being thrown about.

"I would advise you, Lady Linnet, if you don't want me to assign you to a personal cell in the dungeon, where you will not be a danger to yourself or others, you will bring this childish reaction to an end. However, I do suppose that I could expand the number of rooms that you have been assigned, so that that you don't feel restricted in the area that you can damage," he said, rubbing the stubble of his chin, obviously enjoying the entertainment she was providing.

[Thea Linnet]

Thea ran to her room and threw the door open, letting it crash against the inside wall with a bang. Letting out a frustrated scream, she grabbed the ceramic bowl used to wash her hands and threw it at the wall of the corridor, relishing in the sound as it shattered. She took a deep breath, but it did little to calm her. He was laughing at the whole thing like it was some sort of joke! It amazed her to find out how unfeeling he really was, and how her comments just slid off his back as if they were nothing.

She grabbed a large bag from under her bed and began rifling through her things, throwing the necessities into it. A dress, a large purse with enough money to keep her going for a while and another pair of boots. She was looking through a trunk of her dad's things when she heard Roe approach.

"I would advise you, Lady Linnet, if you don't want me to assign you to a personal cell in the dungeon, where you will not be a danger to yourself or others, you will bring this childish reaction to an end. However, I do suppose that I could expand the number of rooms that you have been assigned, so that that you don't feel restricted in the area that you can damage,"

Thea's face flushed again and she whipped around to face him, one of her dad's old daggers ready in her hand. He had the nerve to advise her now? Voice shaking, she slowly turned to face him.

"The only person I am a danger to is you. I would advise you, Sir Robert, to not get in my way anymore, unless you would like to find yourself greeting death's clammy hand." She paused, laughing harshly. "Maybe I'd be doing you a favour then. You could finally find out if you've been forgiven!" The way he was looking down to her was starting to bother her, and mixed with the fact he hadn't moved from her doorway, the dagger in her hand was beginning to look like a good option.

"Oh, just move, you heartless freak!" She dropped her bag and stabbed her father's dagger into the thick wood door. "You know, I can't believe I ever loved someone like you. I sure hope Isabella has fun. Maybe sometime with you will do her some good. Obviously seventeen years with her last husband weren't enough to teach her anything." She hissed at him, trying to get a reaction from him. Whether it was rage or sorrow, she didn't care, anything was better than seeing him laugh at her expense. She wanted to make him feel as horrible as he'd made her feel. He didn't get it at all. She was new to Nottingham, she had no relations save for her uncle, who'd decided to be invisible during her stay thus far. Roe had been the first one of offer her friendship or even acknowledgment. She was young, and of course she would have fallen as hard as she had for him. It was like having everything ripped away from her again. First her family, now her only friend in Nottingham?

"Go away!" she yelled, giving him a push. She grabbed her bag and plucked the weapon from the wood. "Just move."

[Roe]

As Sir Rober had approached her room from a distance he could the crash of objects and the scream that was uttered from her mouth. He could not be sure if the scream was one of frustration, whether she had hurt herself when she'd thrown the said objects, or if she'd cut her wrists in an impulsive act of suicide. As a result Sir Rober sped, leaving both Sir Liam and Lady Isabella farther behind. In the brief time that Roe had known her, he had quickly understood the volcanic nature of her temper. However, since the narrow space of her doorway was not good for defense wit a longsword, Sir Rober's left hand went back to the dagger in his belt, well-hidden under the folds of his outer cloak.

As peered into her chamber, carefully, around the corner, he attempted to ascertain what the situation was. He could see that she was rifling through various bags and containers, obviously looking for something in a hurried sort of way. Since he thought she knew it would be he who be approaching he doubted that she was looking for some sort of gift to give him, at least one that he would not be very appreciative of. For that reason he took an even firmer grip of the dagger. It was a good thing that he could fight equally well with both hands. Some might underestimate Thea, beacause she was a woman .... Sir Rober did not.

Even though he said his warning almost as a jest, he doubted whether she would take it that way. In fact, he fully expected it to enrage her even more .... that was the whole point .... when people got into that state they made mistakes .... and if she did she would pay a penalty of some kind for, even though he didn't know what it would be. He simply waited ..... patiently .... for her response, whatever it would be.

Roe was not surprised, either by the move in general or with the agility and speed that she offered it. Sir Rober's eyes narrowed, full of focus. "The only person you truly endanger is yourself. Your performance in the Great Hall will force all blame for whatever happens at your feet. It is true that you are a wealthy noblewoman and I am not a wealthy nobleman, and that money might buy you out of consequences from my death will be a wasteful and expensive bill, and needless. No matter how horrible may face may be, it is still the face of law,order, and authority. Therefore, be mindful of the warnings you send my way, or the blame you send me."

"Is not what was in the note the truth? Why did you react so to the truth written by your own hand. As well .... I am not the one who backed away from the other out of fear, and I never presented myself as a saint or a man of high and glorious standard. You are the one who tried to make me into something more than i really was. So .... what exactly are you so enraged at? Is it the truth .... or is it simply being forced to face the truth. I never asked you to fall in love .... if that's what it was .... that's your own trap, girl, that you fell into,which I was afraid you would when you came up with your grand scheme of the make believe marriage.
There you go again trying to divert it to someone else again .... Isabella this time .... just as long as you don't have to take a long, cold look at yourself."

It was easy to see that this was fast becoming an exercise in self-pity and that Thea was feeling alone and abandoned. She didn't really want him as lover, but it was clear to him that she wanted him close by as a a convenient friend, or something else, eventually. She had already gone theatrical, jamming the dagger into the door. She now tried to do the same thing in removing it. The time to strike had come. He viciously knocked the dagger out with his right hand, pulled his dagger out with his left, hooked her feet with his left foot, and grabbed her neck by his right hand, taking her down to the stone floor, pinning her easily.

"Now, should I strangle you with my right, or slit your throat with my left, or simply turn you over my knee for that childish performance that you gave in the Great Hall. If your uncle hears of it, only Lord knows what he'll do to you, and my how proud your father would be, wouldn't he? Remember, girl, life is about choices, and making more right ones than wrong ones, and if you don't watch out you'll turn your life into a mess that will rival mine. So, will your start using the brains the Lord provided you, so, at least, I won't have to lock you in the dungeon in chains so you don't hurt anyone, especially yourself,eh? Will you at least act your age, and your station now?"

[Thea Linnet]

Thea’s whole body shook with rage. She knew he would follow her but now, listening to what he was saying, she smirked.

“Law?! Order?! May I remind you Roe that no one has died at my hands. No one had died as a result of my weapons, as you mentioned before. I do not have the death of hundreds, if not thousands on my conscience!”

“My reaction is not a reaction of that stupid note! It is to your childish behaviour! Yes, your behaviour. You knew how I would react, but you had to make sure I saw it in public. At least I had the grace to do it in private! Read that note, Roe. There are no names mentioned for a reason. If anyone else had found it, it couldn’t be associated with me or you. No one knows my writing, not even my uncle.” She rolled her eyes at him, and almost choked when he spoke next.

“No, I was the one to back away, but you’ve been resistant from the beginning. No, that’s a lie. You’ve switched from being resistant to all for it since that day in the Market. You go from talking about how you love me as a friend to pulling me into an alley and kissing me! You told me to be patient, then gave me every opportunity to kiss you. I never meant to fall in love with you, or anyone for that matter. But you always kept it there, just on the horizon, always a possibility. I may have fallen for you, but you brought that upon yourself, so stop blaming me for acting a any lady would!”

“Just as long as you don’t have to take a long, cold look at yourself.” Thea froze, her mouth opening and closing in an attempt to defend herself against the accusation. But she couldn’t because it was the truth. She didn’t want to face the mistakes she’d made since coming here. A stunned silence hung over them for a moment, Thea hoping in vain that Roe wouldn’t realize why she’d stopped. But she knew he knew why. It was stupid to think otherwise.

Air rushed out of her lungs when Roe pushed her to the ground, and for one inane second, she thought back to the meadow when they’d been in a similar position. Her cheeks reddened as she looked up at him, more ashamed of herself for thinking about it. When her back it the ground, a shot of sharp pain ran down her spine, though she couldn’t feel any real damage. His hand pressed down on her throat with enough pressure to let her know he was being quite serious.

“Do either, it’s not like you haven’t done it before. What’s one more death on your shoulders?” Her cold glare intensified tenfold when he spoke of her father. She lifted her leg and gave him a strong kick in the gut, wriggling out of his grasp.

“Don’t you dare speak about my father. He was twice the man you’ll ever hope to be. He actually loved me. He sacrificed everything for his family and was killed off by someone like you!” Her eyes stung, but she held the tears in. She sunk to the floor and sat against her bed, clutching the back of her neck where most of the pain was coming from.

“Just leave,” she said slowly, almost painfully. “If you’ve said all you need to say, leave.” Her voice was quieter and just under the surface, there was the hint of pleading in her voice. As short-tempered as she was, she was tired of yelling and knew if she kept going she would regret her next decision. Though, she thought with a little smirk, she didn’t regret kicking Roe. That was justifiable.

She didn’t wait to see if Roe had left before she cried softly. As embarrassing as it was, it was how she dealt with pent up emotions. Being overwhelmed, like embarrassment, anger and stress, was hard-wired to her tear ducts. Unfortunately, the crying only made her headache worse, another stabbing pain at her temples adding to the one at the nape of her neck.

[Roe]

Everything with this girl had to be turned into a verbal assault against the rest of the world, he thought to himself. This was not the best way to win friends and influence people. He wondered who was the idiot that had taught her this trick.

"One would never know it by the way that you are currently handling that dagger. And how exactly do you think that law and order are enforced, by being a pacifist and lightly slapping people on their wrists. I am proud of very few of the deaths I have taken, but I know why I did them, so that others might live. Exactly what sacrifices, other than your father, have you been forced to take in your young life?"

Roe marveled at how easily that she could recreate reality in her head and come up with a completely opposite thing. Of course this was about the note and the fact that he had embarrassed her in public. Of course the way she had reacted had embarrassed her more than anything he could have done to her. "O so blowing up like a five-year-old isn't childish behaviour, eh. That's rich. No matter what you do or how you act .... that's acceptable, but when you receive it back its not. You sure can dish it out, but you can't take it."

Will shook his head in disbelief once again. He liked this girl, maybe even loved her, but nothing was ever really her fault or her responsibility. It was all because he set her up, that he changed constantly from encouraging to discouraging. In a way that was true, but simply because she was such a difficult girl to figure out, and to determine what she really wanted. “In the end, though, you decided I was not really what you wanted. You are the one to make the decision to break it off .... you and no one else. As you have an indicated or implied time and again .... you are no ordinary lady."

He knew now,though, finally she was facing the truth of the what she had written in the note and what he had just re-emphasized to her. She had fallen into her own trap, the one she had set up for her fake marriage. The thing was that they had fallen for each other at different times and different ways. And in the end she had not been able to take herself the additional distance to make it happen, and then her ability to just be his friend she'd blown up, or at least tried. The surprising thing, afetr all that had happened, was that he still had feelings for her, and he realized that was not going away, but he also knew he wasn't any good for her either, so the farther separated they were, probably the better.

He had seen his opportunity and he had grabbed it, knocking her to the floor. However, he saw by the look in her eyes that look he had seen when they were kissing those several days ago, and it diverted his attention just long enough for her to kick her way out. "Oh,I expect he was, most men are. If that is your wish and desire milady, I will leave you to your thoughts. I expect you have much to consider now, just not me. Adieu!"

[Liam Bronte]

Liam opened his mouth to wish Rober luck, because he would need it, when a scream echoed through the hall. And before Liam could blink, Roe was running to the sound. He chuckled softly, obviously Roe still cared for her. Though, knowing Thea, the feelings would never be reciprocated in the same way. He knew from experience that she could hold a grudge for quite some time and, fortunately he'd found the secret to winning her trust back. If Roe wanted it though, it would come at a price.
Liam took careful steps down the hall until he could clearly hear the argument, but he wasn't seen by either parties. Leaning against the wall, he digested what they were saying. He'd already figured out that Thea and Roe had been 'married,' but he didn't know why. It was obvious that they had, at some point, loved each other, but obviously something had changed.
And then Thea mentioned Isabella again, and Liam's curiosity piqued. What did she have to do with all of this? And not only did Thea know about Isabella's last husband, but she used it to incite Roe. Why?
Liam had to laugh when Roe spoke, shaking his head. This man had blessed little practice arguing with Thea. Putting any blame on Thea was a bad idea, and in the past, she always flipped it so it fell on him instead. And, as Liam predicted, she did just that, blaming Roe for her behavior.
The silence that followed Roe's comment about facing the truth spoke volumes and amazingly Thea didn't respond. Instead he heard the rush of sudden movement and a thud. Liam tensed; true, he wasn't here to protect Thea, but he wouldn't let something that extreme happen to her. He hadn't gotten his chance with her yet.
David was dead? How? When? He sighed and rubbed his forehead. David's death would explain Thea's presence at the castle, but only if something had happened to her mother as well. Something must have, judging by her tone of voice.
Liam waited for Roe to emerge from the room and rose his eyebrows at him as he passed. He had expected another outburst from Thea, given what Roe had just said to her, but none came.
"Congratulations. I've never rendered her speechless." The corner of Liam's mouth hitched up into a crooked grin. "You're a brave man to face her in such a temper. Forgive my absence, but I value my life." he chuckled softly then looked seriously at the knight. "She'll be gone soon enough, I'm sure. Besides yelling, Thea very good a running, and it's what she does when she doesn't know what to do. In the past it's only been for a few days and she always stayed in the town, but this time..." Liam whistled rolling his eyes. "I'd be surprised if she ever came back to Nottingham." He put a hand on the man's shoulder, grinning. "That's good for you, isn't it? You can get back to everything with her gone." Liam watched for his response, wondering if his assumption that they both felt for each other was true.

[Roe]

Roe could see she was throwing in the towel, at least temporarily, and that as a result, she was going emotional ..... crying emotional. He had made all of the specific points that he had wanted to, and to show her how stupid she had acted and looked .... actually more lish than stupid. He still liked her .... in fact he liked her a lot .... and he wanted her as a friend, at least, if not something more eventually, so he had decided that enough was enough.

As he turned to eave her in peace, he remembered that Liam, Sir Liam, was supposed to be at his back, supporting him.. It was not until he left the corridor to Thea's room that he ran into Liam again. "So that is what stands for close support these days, eh? No wonder Richard sent you home. Its not my experience that he sends any of his chosen Guards on vacation, so I assume that you have been sent here ... to Nottingham .... for a special reason?," he said, with the slightest of smiles on his face. "Congratulations. I've never rendered her speechless .... you're a brave man to face her in such a temper. Forgive my absence, but I value my life.", Liam said. On second thought, that is what Liam reminded Roe of, a survivor.

Roe knew that Sir Liam must have an ulterior motive for being here. Otherwise he would be where the action was, either in the Holy Land or London, not in this backwater. Roe knew that with some who talked as much as Sir Liam, that with enough patience he would spill some piece of information, and all he would have to do is show a little patience.

"She'll be gone soon enough, I'm sure. Besides yelling, Thea very good a running, and it's what she does when she doesn't know what to do. In the past it's only been for a few days and she always stayed in the town, but this time ... I'd be surprised if she ever came back to Nottingham." Roe thought that the young man was fishing to a certain extent. He had obviously not seen Thea in some time and was looking for some useful information before he sat down to talk to her again. "Well, she isn't cluing me in on any of her travel plans, but I really expert her to stay in the area for awhile. I think she likes it here."

[Liam Bronte]

Liam chuckled. "No, I'm not on vacation. I've been sent by the King to rid him of some unwanted enemies, since he plans to reclaim the throne upon his return. I've been sent to see to it that no ones does that before he returns." Liam's voice held pride for his job, as it always did. Of all the seven deadly sins, pride was the only he indulged in the most, for obvious reasons. He had every right to be proud of himself; he'd built his life upon the utter rubble of his father's failing business. He'd advanced in the career using his strength and his wit.
"Well, she isn't cluing me in on any of her travel plans," Roe said. Liam shrugged and looked over his shoulder at her room. "True, though I doubt that she'll tell you anything in the next few days, save for a few insults here and there," he laughed but stopped at Roe's next comment.
"But why wouldn't she return to Birmingham? She loved it there, her lodge is wonderful, if I remember correctly. Surely she'd find some solace in the place?" he asked, fishing for more information. "And what about this place do you think she enjoys so much? It couldn't possibly be the company of her uncle. David spoke of him often enough that I can draw a pretty clear portrait of the man. Somehow, he seems like the sort of man Thea would not get along with." Though, Thea had surprised him on many occasions with the friends she'd made, Sir Rober being one of them.

[Roe]

There was something about Sir Liam that Roe didn't like. However, his statement about why he was in England really made perfect sense. At least knowing the actions of Price John, King Richard had every reason to be nervous. "No, I wouldn't expect this to be a primary vacation spot. So, you are kind of an advance scouting team then. You must be a highly trusted and valued member of his inner circle to be entrusted with that type of mission." Roe had already determined that Sir Liam had a pretty high value and view of himself, he thought that te king might have as well, or some of Liam's rivals saws this as an opportunity to get rid of him for while.

Roe thought he would be lucky if it were only a few insults here or there. "Knowing Thea and her somewhat impulsive nature, tough, I would expect her to mostly avoid me until she stabs me in the back with her dagger, after developing a complicated, but otherwise unworkable plan. She has a somewhat vindictive streak, that, if she allows some time to pass, though, can diminish its effects. I just hope,in the meantime, no innocent bystanders get effected. I must admit, however, that embarrassing her in public was quite enjoyable," he laughed.

Roe had no idea what type of relationship Sir Liam and the lady Linnet had had in the past. While it was true that she had never mentioned him, that did not necessarily mean anything, given he r protective nature about events from her past. It appeared, though, that they had known each other well in her past, past Roe saw saw no reason to give him any direct information about he and Thea's relationship or the fake marriage. "I think that the reasons are multiple, actually. I think it reminded her too much of things, especially people she had lost, so it felt empty to her Related to that, she had no friends left there and she saw that she had the possibility for new friends here, as well as a potential re-acquaintance with her uncle, no matter how unlikely in reality that might be. But, Sir Liam, that begs the question of where the two of you are acquainted from?"

[Liam Bronte]

Liam considered Roe for a moment before nodding. "Yes, though you'd have to go to the King to see if I'm highly valued. I am a member of his Inner Circle, and with that comes a level of trust. But what about you, Sir Rober? What was your position with the French?" Liam walked away from Thea's room, wishing not to be overheard. Though she might be in a state, that wouldn't stop her from eavesdropping.
Liam laughed loudly with Roe, throwing the head back. "It seems I didn't give you enough credit. You know exactly how she fights. I don't think she'll hurt anyone, though. She'll scare the life out of the maids and perhaps a few guards, giving the state she's in, but I'd say we're the only ones in danger." He half-listened to Roe talk about the reasons why Thea wouldn't want to go back to Birmingham, his thoughts focused instead on the lands in Birmingham. They belonged to her now, and they could be so easily acquired. A month, maybe, to charm her then one little ceremony and they could be his. And David's business had always done well, so there must be a small fortune tucked away somewhere. He couldn't stop the small grin that came to his face. A month was too long, he decided. She was shattered because of this fight, and like most women, would latch onto someone for support. It could easily be done in a few weeks.
"Hm?" he asked, snapping back to the present. "Oh, my father and Thea's father were both merchants. David helped my father in the first few years. Speaking only French in England doesn't lead to good trade. As a child I saw her at least once a week, we became quick friends." He looked inquiringly at the knight before him. "And what about you? Where did you meet Thea?"

[Roe]

Roe thought to himself that Liam was giving him quite reasonable answers, although they might simply be well-practiced ones. The problem that he had was that they were just ambiguous enough that the young knight would not be pinned down on a particular question and answer. "I doubt that I would have to go that far to find out. It would be obvious from how you were treated and reacted to by others of the Inner Circle that willtell me a much about how you valued, trusted, respected, and feared," he said with a slight nod of respect.

He wondered how much he should reveal to the young knight about himself, since he knew that Sir Liam would reveal nothing that did not serve his ambition, for its was abundantly clear that he was a man of ambition, that much was clear. "My position with the French? Well that could be quite an interesting story or the most boring of tales, depending on how you view ambition. And what is your view of the subject, both personally and generally," he said with his dark eyes boring in with considerable intensity. He decided to give him some of the truth, but not too much.

"I was young once, and ambitious, perhaps like you, Sir Liam. I started out here in fact, in this very 'shire, though there would be few with any memory of me. I left at the age of 17 for France and a new life, one which I would not be held back from what I wanted to achieve and accomplish, by my past. After a period of time, and activity, I commanded larger troops of fighters, eventually seconding Balian of Obelin, in the great defense and siege of Jerusalem. I had become quite skilled in most forms of combat, and they came in quite useful at preserving my life. I received my knighthood for my actions in the field for the Franks. However, despite being English by birth I had no great desire to assist Richard or any of the Plantagenets. They had done nothing for me, and I had had enough of the Holy Land, so I came home to employ my skills."

Roe saw that it was likely that Liam had had or seen similar examples of Thea's temper in operation. He felt that she really did not want to be destructive .... it was just her nature. "She just has a need to spread the fear of God into all who pass her be," Roe chuckled. He saw that Liam was not really listening to him .... that his mind was off working on something else. This one is always scheming about something, Roe thought to himself. Again he reasoned, this one would have to be watched, and he had a suspicion that Thea would be involved in some way and perhaps others. "Well that explains the association at least. .... oh .... where did we meet? Let's just say I delivered her from a somewhat ticklish situation," he chuckled lightly once more.

[Liam Bronte]

"Ambition is what brought me to where I am today. It's the drive that unfortunately most people lack. I hold the trait in high regard, and the people who posses it." Liam had great ambition, striving to be the best at everything he could get his hands on. It wasn't the idea of bettering himself that was the force behind his drive, but rather the idea to impress others or to have more than others around him did.
He nodded to Roe respectfully. The man had ambition and had worked for his position with the Franks. But Liam held back, like always, from complete trust. He still had questions about Roe and Thea. When Roe spoke of his opposition to the Plantagenets, Liam chuckled. One of those Franks, he thought with a bit of a laugh. It was the soldiers with that mindset that had made it so hard for Richard and Philip II to reach an agreement after the Roman Emperor's death. And it had been Liam's job to advise Richard on how to respond, though it was no easy task.
His eyebrows rose as he sent Rober a look. "Delivered her from a somewhat ticklish situation? That hardly a satisfiable answer, wouldn't you say?" Although he knew that after a few moments of thinking, Liam could figure out how the two met, given what he already knew, but just hearing would be easier, and worth more. See, if Roe said something about Thea, whether it be about helping her or something about their strange relationship, Liam could keep it in the back of his mind and use it for later. If only the knight would say something, though he seemed to be catching on to Liam.

[Roe]

The veil lifts somewhat, Roe thought to himself. "Ambition can be a good thing. It can provide one with an ultra-clear purpose and mission. One which allows you to focus on the task at hand without being pulled off-track by distractions that are not as important. Of course ambition has its bad sides as well. If you have chosen the wrong ambition, or more likely if it has chosen you, it may blind you to things and potential damage that you have not considered, both to others and yourself. So, Sir Liam, what is your real task at hand, and what role is Nottinghamshire to play in it."

"You see, Sir Liam, I have seen it first hand, what it can do. Now, my ambitions did not affect those close to me, like family, since I had none left to damage. However, in the Holy Land, I saw some men who were so ambitious, so sure that they would never make the wrong decision, as king, that they rejected the advice of others,no matter how proper. This new king believed himself and his new ambition to be invincible. His army was destroyed and it was left to those of us with more reasonable minds, although outnumbered 10 to 1 by Saladin and his Saracens to defend Jerusalem. We were fortunate, with our skills and our luck, to escape alive. Is that where your ambition will take us?"

It was this that had bothered Roe from the moment that he had met him. There was something about Sir Liam thatr had tapped him on the back of his brain, something that he had seen before, ambition in its pure and rawest form. Such a thing could rip kingdoms aparts, as he had seen on the other side of the Channel, both small and large, close and distant. He watched him very carefully. Roe also knew trhat such men could be manipulated easily, especially if they thought you were unwittingly leading them to their prize. Seeing Liam's eyebrows raise suddenly at the mention of Thea's name, he knew that she was important in some way to his ultimate plans and goals.

"Delivered her from a somewhat ticklish situation? That hardly a satisfiable answer, wouldn't you say?"

"Perhaps not, Sir Liam, but would it not be better to hear the tale from the horse's mouth first. Knowing Thea, its likely to be more colorful and entertaining in the re-telling that I could ever relate. Besides, is it not improper for a gentleman to tell such tales of a lady. After all, I was an English noble once." Roe knew quite well that that tidbit would be interesting to Sir Liam, wondering what bait he would take.

[Liam Bronte]

"I have told you what my task here is, and I can assure you what I told you was the truth. Prince John was last heard of in Nottingham, and I was sent over to keep him in line, so to speak. Although, judging by the state of the castle and whom I was greeted by, I'd say he's no longer a guest." Liam shook his head, thinking about telling Richard that piece of information. But he would stay in the area until he got something to bring back to the king. "There have been whispers, rumors about the going ons of this shire, and while I'm here, I might as well investigate on behalf of the king." Liam shook his head at the end of Roe's speech.
"Don't you think it's a bit flamboyant for someone like me to wish to be king? I count him as one of my friends, Sir Rober, and would never wish something to happen to him. If seven years of loyal service and the blood on my hands from the war is not enough to convince you, I'm not sure what is." Internally, Bronte was rolling his eyes. Of course he wanted to be king, and of course something was eventually going to happen to Richard. Whether or not it was by his own hand, Liam didn't know, but he would be ready and waiting to take over when it did.
Liam conceded that Thea's retelling would probably be much more interesting than Roe's, but that didn't mean was going to let the man go.
"Noble? Where from, and why not the riches now?" he asked, interested.