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“You are nothing but a dog.”
“Then you should make sure I can’t get close enough to bite, my lord,” Henry said and took a step so they stood face to face, only mere inches apart.
Hans was still trying to catch his breath and Henry could hear him panting.
“What? You think you have the right to touch me? Many a noble would not even tolerate your way of speaking to me,” Hans replied. “All that you have, I have given you.”
“And you have your life,” Henry said and grasped the front of Hans’ tunic, “because of me. Because I, as always, was there to save your sorry behind before the cumans could get to you. And where’s my thanks? You just keep throwing your weight around, as if saving you is a prize in itself.”
“And what about it? I am a noble man, blessed by God in ways you can scarcely imagine.”
Henry looked at him, from head to toe. Covered in mud and blood, Hans could have been a young man from any village nearby.
“Lord works in mysterious ways to be sure.”
Hans had no reply to that as he had to lower himself to spitting at Henry’s feet. Henry moved his hand to grasp at Hans’ neck, but not before Hans turned his face to Henry. And for a moment his hair caught the sun in a way that made it look like a halo. It distracted Henry for a moment, but that was enough and Hans spit at his face. Henry could feel the snot running down his cheek, touching the corner of his mouth.
Henry pushed his head down. “Don’t you ever dare to do that again.”
“Or what? Who do you presume to be, telling me what to do?”
“Well, someone has to! I don’t know how Hanush has dealt with you for all these years without thrashing your hide.”
Hans let out a laugh. “I would like to see him try.”
He might have been wearing a mocking smirk, but he was still shaking. His teeth were chattering and he smelt of sweat. And fear.
Henry still had not let go of him. “Why do you keep throwing yourself at danger every chance that you get? Fortune might favour the bold, but once you are dead, you are dead.”
Hans tried to wrestle himself free. “What is it to you if I end up dead? You might as well run back to Theresa then.”
“What is to me? How dare you ask me that? Do you really think I’m doing this for the money? As if anyone could be paid enough to deal with you.”
“Then leave! Let me go!”
And then, before Henry could do anything, Hans spit in his eye.
“Alright, that’s enough! If Hanush can’t be arsed to do it, I will do it myself then!”
Henry hauled Hans’ torso under his arm and smacked his arse so the woods around them rang with it.
“Are you insane, Henry? Unhand me this instant!” Hans picked up his struggle to get free once more, but Henry was not letting him go. Part of him wanted to. Wanted to let Hans off with one smack, hoping that it would be enough. But a larger part of him knew better.
If he stopped now, Hans would do as wounded animals did and lash out. Henry had started this lesson and he would have to see it through. And it would take a while, that he was sure of. Henry kept a strong grip on Hans and sat down on a fallen tree.
“We are not going anywhere before you apologize to me.”
Hans tried his best to turn his head to look at Henry, but it was a futile attempt.
“For what? You should be on your knees begging me for mercy!”
“That’s it, then. We could have done it the easy way,” Henry said, even if he knew it to be a lie. As if Hans Capon ever learnt the easy way. He pulled Hans’ leggings down.
His arse was white as snow and for a moment Henry almost pitied him. He could see that Hans was blushing from the way his ears turned red.
Henry decided to be merciful and started before Hans could talk himself into deeper shit. Henry himself had been over his father’s knee every now and then, but his father had never hit him with the force he was now using with Hans. The white arse before him was soon turning pink and then a deeper red. Hans was still silent then, but a moment later, Henry could hear his breath starting to tremble.
“You really think I don’t care what happens to you?” Henry said. “I have told you that I care for you. It would be easier for me to just let you do whatever you wanted, to just say ‘Yes, milord” and let you be. But I won’t watch while you keep putting yourself in danger just because you are too stupid to know when to quit!”
Hans let out a curse and then a howl. “It’s not that I’m stupid! But I have to prove myself! Hanush still believes me to be a foolish boy!”
“And he is right to! Or what, is getting killed the way to prove you are a man? And even if it was, what would it matter? Once you are dead, then you are dead!”
A thought of his parents tried to surface, but Henry pushed it back down.
Hans stayed quiet for a moment. He was sniffling a little. “Let me up, please, Henry. I’m sorry.”
Henry shook his head. “No. I will decide when this is over.”
He expected Hans to throw a fit, but to his surprise, his lord seemed to accept his fate. Henry picked up the speed and once he heard a wet gasp and felt tears on his thigh, he stopped. Hans tried to push himself up, but Henry pulled him into an embrace.
“Never do that to me again. I won’t bury you too.”
He could feel Hans nod, before he pushed his face into Henry’s chest.