Following Orders: Chapter Seven

Chapter Seven

A long time passed before I was summoned upstairs to speak to our host. The hunger was by then tearing at my stomach. Princess Elaine told me that she had eaten upstairs. I didn’t question the fact that she didn’t bring any down for me.

The guard relocked my cell door. “In case you don’t come back,” he told me. I gulped, but tried to hide my fear. Princess Elaine was gripping the bars, knuckles white, as she stared at me being led away.

I nodded in a poor attempt to appear brave just before we disappeared from her sight.

The passages were different this time. We headed deeper into the castle rather than out. I took mental note of as many turns and landmarks as I could. There would still be a chance to escape. I hoped.

The soldier rapped on a solid oak door. “Enter!” A voice that I recognized answered. The door was shoved open, revealing a dimly lit library. A large lively fire crackled in a fireplace to the left, casting shadows of light across the floor. Chairs and sofas gathered about it, as if warming their upholstery. In the darker reaches of the room stood shelves full of books, causing my mind to label it a library. I breathed deeply through my nose, taking in the full smell of old paper and letting myself forget where I was, if only for a moment. It had been years since I had seen such a place.

A dark figure slowly walked out from between a row of such shelves. He was holding a book, flipping its pages. They were a little stiff and aged. The green cover was worn in multiple places. I strained to read the title, but it was too far and too dark.

“Ah, you are here!” The knight of the castle snapped the book shut and lay it on a small table. My gaze followed it, longing to read only a few words, a few sentences of story. I looked up to see the man eyeing me shrewdly. “Close the door Raphael.” The guard bowed and left. The knight folded his hands behind him and paced toward me. “You are a lover of the classics? Or the philosophers perhaps?”

I licked my lips. His manner made me nervous. “I, um, haven’t read a good book in a long time.”

“So you can read.” He stopped his advance and gestured to the semi-circle of chairs. “Please, sit down. We have much to discuss.”

I eyed him as I stepped onto the thick red carpet beneath the chairs and then sat in one as far away from the knight as possible. He folded his hands on his lap and leaned back in the chair that he had chosen. “I suppose I should introduce myself. I am Sir Whyh of Aronway Court, knight of this castle.”

“Um, I’m Will. Squire to…um…” I technically wasn’t a squire anymore.

He waved away the lack of finish. “I spoke with your princess a while ago.” I waited for him to go on. “Would you like something to eat?”

The question caught me off guard a little bit and I was reluctant to accept. But hunger is hunger and a stomach must be filled. “Yes.” A servant was summoned and an order placed for tea.

“I think you shall find me to be a most reasonable man, young Will. That is, if you are willing to cooperate.”

“Princess Elaine told me you had an offer.”

He smiled amusedly. “That I do. Eager, are we? The tea hasn’t even come.”

I licked my lips. “What’s the offer?”

He nodded, appraising me. “Straight to business. I can respect that. Before I tell you my offer though, you must understand the position that I am in.”

“I know. You need Morestia to help you defeat Camelot or your country will be crushed.”

“Crushed is a bit of a strong word. More like, set back. Yes, Morestia’s help in this war is necessary to a quick and efficient end. But loyalty to one’s country is not the only reason that I am left in this plight. You said you wanted to read, correct? Would you like to hear a story?”

“I . . . guess.”

“Very good. This story begins many years ago.” Sir Whyh tugged on his beard. “My brother was a knight too. I say was because he is no longer walking on this earth. Please, keep your sentiments – I didn’t like him. One day, stupid as he was, he decided to go take on one of the mythical dragons of the east. I’m going to assume that you are no longer such a child that you believe the tales of dragons in the east?”

“Of course not!” Even children as young as six years old knew that they didn’t exist.

“Well, he did not, of course, find these dragons, due in part to their lack of existence and in part to his lack of geographical skills. Sad, really. Why, he could hardly find his way to his own horse while he was sitting on it. Anyway, he went in search of these mythical beasts, passing through much of the desert lands on his journey. You know of the desert lands and the tribes that live there?”

“Yes.”

“Very good. As it turns out, my brother is as horrible at making friends as he is at finding dragons. He managed to anger every village he stayed in and while he was there, tell them where he was from. A few months after his unsuccessful return, the first arrows were fired at a patrol on the eastern border. All of them were killed. No one knew who had done it to them. More and more small attacks like these began taking out small pockets of soldiers over the course of a year, eventually noticeably thinning our forces. Everyone – including the king – was at a loss as to what was happening.”

A knock at the door interrupted the story. “Enter!”

A servant in blood red uniform entered carrying a tea tray in one hand and a tray of cookies in the other. He set them on the table in between the chairs and fire and then bowed out.

“Would you like some tea?” I nodded and watched as the firelight danced across the silver surface while he poured.  I took the offered tea cup and nodded my grudging thanks. I hurriedly grabbed a cookie before settling back a little bit. A sudden thought occurred to me. I eyed my drink warily, swirling it around in the cup.

The knight saw what I was doing and laughed. “It’s not poisoned, I promise. Look.” He took my cup and drank from it himself. “I have no need to quietly kill a squire. If I really wanted to, I have a sword that would do just as nicely.” He patted the sheath at his waist.

“Maybe you don’t want to get blood on the carpet.”

The deep laugh filled the room once again. “You certainly have an odd way of looking at things don’t you?”

“Just being careful. The story?”

“Alright, alright. Let’s see. The patrols were getting killed off. Well, eventually, all of the small teams that had been killing the men grouped into one large army and attacked the castle in Georgolace – the capital of Aronway.”

“I know.”

He raised his eyebrows and lifted his drink to me. “I’m impressed. Not many commoners outside of Aronway know our capital. You have been there?”

“No. The story?”

“Right, right. That was when it was finally figured out that it was the desert tribes, all come together, who had been killing off our men and were now attacking full force in an effort to wipe us out. Unfortunately for them, they underestimated how many troops we had left and were crushed in a matter of hours.”

“So what’s the problem? I don’t get it. They were defeated and this is a different war. Or did you capture their princess too?”

“No, I did not capture their princess. I don’t even know that they have one. Hm.” He looked thoughtfully toward the ceiling. “That would be an interesting thing to find out wouldn’t it?” My tapping foot made him smile quietly once again and he took up the narrative. “The problem is that even though my stupid brother was killed in the battle, the rest of our family – meaning me – was exiled from the capital, never to return again. We have fallen out of grace with the king. Now this is the good part where you and your princess come in.”

I must have looked confused because he looked pleased with himself.

“You’re going to help me get back in the king’s good graces. You see, this is a very important war to him. Personally, I couldn’t care less about conquering Camelot – such a small and meaningless country. But it is important to his Majesty and I intend to fully use that to my advantage. Once King Baldwin of Morestia has given up on the arrival of his bride, he will destroy Camelot in a fit of rage on behalf of Aronway. Our king shall be very pleased and once I tell him that I prevented the marriage and provided the fuel for Morestia’s fire, he will restore my position in the court and I shall be very pleased. Perhaps the only person not happy with this arrangement will be King Baldwin, but he won’t ever have to know about this end of it.”

“And the princess? What do you intend to do with her?” My hands shook and I set down my tea cup.

“That is not really the most important detail here, but it does pertain to my offer – which I have come to.”

I leaned forward in my seat.

“You seem to me to be a very intelligent young man. So I would like to help you succeed in life. Considering the knight who was training you is dead, there’s not really much chance of your leaving the title of squire behind any time soon. Here is my proposition: I will set you up with a house and a yearly allowance in Aronway and you can live in peace for the rest of your life.”

I narrowed my eyes. “What’s in it for you?”

“You see, I was right – you’re very sharp. What’s in it for me is your silence. You never go back to Camelot, you never tell anyone anything about this. When the story is widely known, you don’t let others know that you took part in it. Ever. And you can lead a quiet out of the way life with everything you desire.”

I considered his offer. It did sound appealing – a house and a life of my own, not always running about to do someone else’s bidding. Did I really need to return to Camelot? What was waiting for me there that couldn’t easily be replaced here? Would it really be any better even with Sir Manchmal dead? I would have to face all of the questions about his death and accept unwanted condolences. Camelot was sounding more and more hostile by the second as Aronway’s hospitality grew in my mind. “But what about the princess? You never said what you would do with her.”

“Again, it doesn’t really matter. You could marry her in a couple years if you like – just as long as you don’t let her leave or tell anyone who she really is. Otherwise, I suppose she could stay here, in the dungeon. Or maybe upstairs. I don’t care.”

“No! You can’t keep her here. She has to go to Morestia.”

“My perception of your intelligence is dropping Will. I thought you knew that that is exactly where I keeping her from. Why would I let her go?” He set an empty tea cup on the table. “Besides, just think about it. You would be married to a princess. How could you refuse?”

“It’s not right. You can’t do that.”

“But it’s not my decision Will. It’s yours.” He rose and stood gazing into the fire, back turned to me. “She is quite beautiful.”

“But not very thoughtful,” I muttered.

“No?” Apparently Sir Whyh had caught my words. “When I spoke with her she wouldn’t stop going on about her father and her country and her duty to them. Is she really that awful?”

I couldn’t say yes because she was the princess. And was she really that terrible anyway? What was so bad about her? Sure she talked a lot. And didn’t know when to stop asking questions. But she had gone on this trip to a completely new life for a reason she didn’t even know. What would be so horrible about living with her for the rest of my life?

I looked up to see Sir Whyh smiling. He could tell that I was actually considering it. The grin made me shiver a little. “But she wouldn’t be happy.”

“She will become more content with time. She shall see that Aronway is really not such a bad place at all. Quite beautiful in the spring time. More so than Camelot, I assure you. Now, what do you think? Shall I find you a house?”

I wanted to say yes. My lips were forming the word and my mouth opened to speak it. Then I remembered the courtyard. All of those men who had fought for Camelot, many more left dead. And my hand brushed against my belt where I usually attached the dagger from my father. He had fought for Camelot. Could I destroy his legacy for a single offer of an easy life? “We don’t always like what we have to do, Will. But that doesn’t mean we can just not do it.”

“No.”

The knight’s smile faded a little, like it was melting off of his face. “Excuse me?”

“I said no. I’m not going to do that.” I took a deep breath, bracing myself for his reaction.

“Are you daft? Why not?” He advanced a step.

“Princess Elaine needs to get to Morestia. It’s for the good of Camelot.”

“Are you telling me that you’re giving up the opportunity of a lifetime to save a country that has never done anything for you?”

I thought of that day eight years ago, of searching face after face, and gulped. “Yes. That’s exactly what I’m telling you.”

A chill shot up my spine under his icy glare. “This is your last chance. Don’t be a fool. If you say no then you and the princess will stay here forever. Or until I decide to kill one of you. You’re making a decision for both of you. Think of the princess.”

His words were quiet and entered my ears like the hiss of a snake.

“You’re destroying her future.”

I set my jaw. “No. I’m not. She’s going to get to Morestia and I’m going to go back to Camelot. I’m finishing the mission.”

He sneered. “How sweet. The brave little squire following orders even when it won’t work. This is your last chance Will. I’m giving you one last chance to say yes. Don’t come crying to me later when you decide to accept.”

“No. I won’t accept.”

He narrowed his eyes. “Guard!” I set my cup on the table and shoved the uneaten cookies that I held into my pocket as I stood. A soldier entered the room and I returned the glare of Sir Whyh as he said, “Take this piece of trash back to the dungeon. I don’t ever want him to see the light of day again.” I turned to follow the guard. “Have fun telling your little princess how you ruined her future for her.”

Following Orders: Chapter Six

Chapter Six

My shoulder rammed against the rough wood that comprised the side of the coach. A second later, it was shoved in harder by the princess being thrown against my other side. Once the coach was straightened out and we were upright again, I made another plea to our captor.

“Couldn’t you at least tell us where we’re going? Or take these sacks off so that we can see?” I rubbed my shoulder ruefully.

A short laugh followed my request. “No. That is final. I don’t care how many times you ask.” The accents still fascinated my curious ear despite my dislike of the people who used it.

Suddenly, a hand touched my knee. I reached out to push it away before realizing that it was not the hand of a soldier. Instead, I groped about and enfolded it in my own, squeezing it tight. We hit a huge rock in the road which threw those of us who were blind from our seats. My teeth made contact with a leather boot and the taste of mud filled my mouth. I spat on the floor of the cart, attempting to expel the vile taste from my mouth.

I waved my hand around in the air, reaching for the princess’ arm to help her back onto the seat.

“She’s already up,” the foreign man growled. “You’re the only one still looking like a fool.”

I scrambled into my seat, jumping when my hand was grabbed once again. “At least let the princess take off her blindfold. It’s only decent!” I didn’t add that maybe she could help me keep my seat as well.

“I’ve had my orders. Now keep quiet.” His tone forbade negotiation.

An hour or so later (it was difficult to keep track of time), the road apparently flattened out a bit. There was a small bump and then the coach was driving much more smoothly. The muted light that had been tinting my obscured vision eventually began to fade and give way to a creamy darkness. A head that my mind remembered was blonde rested on my shoulder, moving gently as it breathed heavily. An unbidden smile tugged at the corner of my mouth, unseen by the rest of this dark and unfair world.

Outside of the still moving vehicle, a wolf howled. I imagined the glowing orb that would take center stage in the theater of the night sky receiving the dog’s praise regally. The other actors would be twinkling gently as they danced to an unheard melody.

“You can be free if you only let your head live in the stars, Will.” My father and I had been gazing up at the heavens late one night a few months before the fateful battle. He pointed out constellations, and even though I couldn’t see them, I pretended I could to extend the moment. Right after those words, my mother had called from the doorway that it was time for me to go to bed. My father lifted himself up on his elbows and gazed at her silhouette in the candle smoldering behind her.  He smiled blissfully before turning to tousle my hair which was messy as usual.

“Now I want you to remember this. When you grow up and get a beautiful wife for yourself, you always treat her like a princess. Always.”

I made a face. “I don’t want to get married. Girls are gross.” My eight year old mind was quite made up.

My father laughed and pulled me to my feet. “Well we’ll just have to wait and see if you feel the same way when you’re old enough to call one your wife. Now come on – my princess said it’s time for the prince to go to bed.”

A kick in the leg woke from the dream that I had not noticed pulling me into sleep. The blindfold was torn off and I squinted in the suddenly bright morning. A shove started me stumbling from the coach, fighting to see where I was placing my feet in the long awaited glory of daylight. As my feeble eyes adjusted, I scanned the scene quickly. Castle, granite. Stable, pristine. Soldiers, numerous.

A large horse trotted directly into my gaze. “Welcome to my humble home!” The large knight swept his arm out in a gesture of pride. He stopped when he noticed the lack of appreciation from his “guests.” “What? You have seen better?”

“I live at Castle Camelot. You expect me to be impressed by this measly display?” The princess scoffed and I winced, worried that her offensive words would begin to cause harm.

But the man only laughed. “But of course. I must show you your quarters, then surely you will be impressed. Guards!”

A few men trotted up beside us, ready and eager to hear the words of their leader.

“Show them to their rooms.” He looked at the two of us from atop his huge mount. “I do hope you enjoy your stay.”

The soldiers led us away toward the castle. We entered by the front doors and then made a series of turns deeper into the structure, finally stopping before a sturdy looking wooden door. One of the guards pulled out a key ring and began flipping through, searching for the right one. When he had at last found it, the door was pushed open to reveal a thick darkness which was accompanied by a foul smell.

The princess turned to one of the men. “I don’t think this will be sufficient. Please tell me that these are his rooms and not mine?” She gestured to me and I sighed, wondering how she could not have caught on yet.

One of the guards snorted. Another elbowed him into silence while a third spoke. “Is there anything in that pretty little head of yours? You’re not guests – you’re prisoners. Understand? Pris –on-ers.”

She was shocked into silence but only for a moment. “But that man said that we were guests…”

“You really don’t know anything, do you? Come on.” We picked our way down the dark staircase to a filthy dungeon.

I was thrown into one cell which was promptly locked and Princess Elaine was thrown into the one adjacent to my own.

“You can’t do this! I am a princess! The daughter of a king! You can’t treat me like this! I demand to speak to your master!”

Silence greeted her cries as the men retreated up the stairs and I sank to the ground. She turned on me. “How can you just accept this? Do something! I shouldn’t be here!”

“In all fairness, my lady, I shouldn’t either. But unless you see another way out, I’m afraid this is the best I can do at the moment. I hope you’re comfortable.”

“I’m not. And your sarcasm is not appreciated.” She turned her back on me and began pulling at the bars. I let her attempt this for only a moment before interfering.

“Please, my lady. You won’t be able to break those bars and you only look ridiculous trying. Just rest. If we have a chance to escape later, you’ll need your energy.”

She huffed and backed away, still glaring at the metal. “What am I supposed to do then? Wait till I rot?” She shot me a furious glare. “And why didn’t you tell me we were going to a dungeon rather than guest rooms?”

I gazed at her in wonder. “I had assumed that you knew where we were going. And as for what to do, I wouldn’t imagine you’ll have to wait too long. You’re still royalty. He’ll want to speak to you soon. Before something happens.”

“Like what?” Her anger was losing ground to curiosity.

“Like either Camelot or Morestia catching wind of your capture. They won’t be especially pleased with that I shouldn’t think.”

She pursed her lips. “I see.” The princess glanced around at the floor of her cell. “Do they really expect me to sit in this filth? It would ruin my dress!” Disgust filled her countenance.

I sighed. “I’m sorry my lady. There is nothing that I can do about it.” As I thought about it, that pretty much summed up the whole situation. There was nothing that I could do about it.

It didn’t take long for hunger to make itself known, shooting in like an arrow and reminding me of my last meal. It took even less time for the princess to notice it and in turn give voice to her complaints.

“I’m absolutely starving. Don’t you have anything to eat?”

I scowled at this question for the twentieth time. “Oh, yes. Right here in my pocket. You know I completely forgot about it, but I suppose we should eat these tarts before they go bad.”

“Really?” She perked up.

“No! Not really! I’m just as hungry as you are.”

“You know it’s not polite to tease like that. Especially the princess.”

“Would you drop the whole ‘princess’ thing already?! We are in the exact same situation right now and there is nothing I can do about whether you’re the princess or not so just leave me alone!”

Her jaw dropped and my words echoed in my ears. Oh. I hadn’t really thought about them.

“I’m sorry, my lady. I did not think about what I was saying. I am so sorry!”

She only turned silently and leaned up against the bars separating us. Some of her loose hair was spilling through them and I had an urge the run my fingers through it, but this one I resisted.

“Why did you hate your master so much?” Her quiet reminder of Sir Manchmal’s death stabbed me. Though the question sounded like those asked while we were traveling, it was somehow different.

I swallowed and licked my lips before answering. “When my father died, he said that he would train me and so I was his squire. But he had just come back from that same battle and it had changed him. He started drinking more and teaching less. The alcohol soured his mood and because I was there all the time, I received the majority of the displeasure. Eventually I think he blamed me for his inability to fight. I don’t know why. But it’s hard not to hate someone who hates you.” I had shared more than I intended.

“Oh.”

We were sitting in quiet contemplation when the door at the top of the stairs opened, admitting a guard. He thumped down the steps and carelessly unlocked the princess’ cell.

I clambered to my feet. “Where are you taking her?”

A stony glare answered me as Elaine was pulled from her cell. I was helpless to do anything as she was led away, not looking as eager as before to escape the surrounding bars.

She was gone for more than an hour. When the door opened once again, I was attempting to drift off to sleep despite my empty stomach. She was silent and obedient as she stepped into her cell and the same guard as before locked the rusty door.

In the slight glimmer of light ricocheting around the room, I could see a few wet streaks lining her face. Tears.

“Elaine?” I asked. “Are you alright?”

She nodded tightly and then shook her head. “No. I’m never going to go home again. He said that I would live here forever. Unless…” She looked up at me. “Unless you accept his offer.”

I looked hard at her. “What’s the offer?”

She made a small gesture of despair with her hands. “I don’t know! He wouldn’t say.”

It was one short stride to reach the bars separating the cells and when I got there, I gripped them hard. “Are you sure he didn’t say anything? Nothing at all?”

“Well he said lots of things about my never seeing Camelot or Morestia again and how now he would win the war.” She looked up at me and cocked her head. “What war was he talking about? Camelot hasn’t been at war for eight years.”

I took a step back and stared at her. Every move she made or question she asked screamed, “Sheltered!”

“You don’t know about the war?” She shook her blonde head. “Aronway is set to take over Camelot. Morestia was going to help Aronway but then they remembered that they had been allied with Camelot. Or rather, King Baldwin remembered. So they – he – wrote to your father saying that he would crush Aronway’s attack if he could have a bride.”

“Me.”

“Yeah.”

“But why couldn’t he have had someone else? There are plenty of other ladies at court who would be glad to leave. They say my father is too strict or frugal or something. But why not one of them?”

She hadn’t even been told why she was going to Morestia. Now all of her complaining and chattering didn’t seem so annoying. It was her kind of bravery. She had to go, and she was scared. So she distracted herself.

Seeing as we were locked in a dungeon for reasons until now unknown to the princess, I decided to forego the king’s caution and tell her about the letter.

“He asked for you specifically. Something about having met you on a previous visit? Besides, you’re royalty.”

“A previous visit? I was fourteen the last time he came to Camelot!”

The fact startled me for a moment. “Doesn’t Morestia have ambassadors in Camelot? They could have been reporting…”

It was a feeble attempt but she seemed to accept it. After a moment of silent standing, we both sank back into our former seats to think and to wait.