Following Orders: Chapter Nine

Chapter Nine

I turned toward Elaine to meet with a furious glare that immediately began digging into me. “’Serves her right’ does it?” She cocked her head and opened her grey eyes wide. Her jaw pushed forward a little bit, making a rather comic picture of anger. How could her father have taken this seriously?

            “I’m sorry Elaine –“

            “Do not address me by my first name!”

            “I’m sorry Your Highness. But I had to be convincing. If he didn’t believe me, we would never be left standing here. But you have got to remember that story in case we’re asked again. Brother and sister, Alex and Elle. Ran away from Camelot where you were a lady in waiting because I was drafted into the army. Got it?”

            She nodded tersely.

            “Good.”

I let myself breathe for a minute before turning to resume the journey, my hand brushing my belt as I did so. I glanced downward. “There’s something I have to get. It will only take a minute and then we can head to the stables.”

            “And this basket?” She held it away from herself, looking at it as if it had come to life and begun eating porridge.

            “You’re doing great. Keep up the good work.” I heard a huff of exasperation as I turned and walked rapidly down one hallway, then the next, then the next.

            The door to the library was open a crack. Bright afternoon light shone through the windows, shoving past the parted red curtains. I peered cautiously inside. No one was there.

            The item I sought lay just where I hoped it would – on the low table by the now empty fireplace. “Come with me.” I motioned for Elaine to follow. It wouldn’t do any good to get separated on the way out.

            I made certain that Elaine closed the door tight then lifted the knife carefully in my hands. I inspected it quickly, making sure that the noble Sir Whyh had not hurt it in any way. It seemed fine.

            The blade had been lying on an open book when I picked it up and I bent to examine the old pages. An intricate illustration filled all of the left hand page. It was my dagger. The weapon was coming out of the sheath a few inches, showing the light engravings on the blade near the hilt.

            I began reading.

            The legendary blade of Roulin is not certain to exist. It is said to have originated in the hottest of forges deep in the land of Aronway, thousands of years ago. It was made for King Josephus, ruler of that country.

            The noble king was off to battle the kingdom now known as Camelot. At the time of the war however, it went by the name Roulin.

            King Josephus ordered the blade forged as a special weapon meant to kill his rival, King Maximillian of Roulin.

            The day of the battle loomed dark over the armies of King Josephus. All of them spent the night in restless sleep except for their leader, comforted by his new dagger’s intended destiny. The fight was long and hard. Many fell on either side. It was not until the heat of the day that the two strong rulers faced one another, blood staining their armor and hands.

            Despite their exhaustion, they dueled for hours on end. As the sun sank behind the Hill of Avonlee, King Josephus had Maximillian pinned on the ground. He pulled the ivory handled dagger from its special sheath and raised it above the throat of his enemy. As he taunted his helpless prey however, King Maximillian’s last soldier found the strength to stand.

            The man had been gravely wounded, but the sight of his liege’s imminent death gave him the resolve to raise his own weapon and stagger to his feet.

            King Josephus was dead before he knew he had been struck and the new dagger slipped from his lifeless fingers, missing its target.

            Both King Maximillian and his faithful soldier survived the battle and made it back to Roulin in safety. The man who had saved his king’s life was given the dagger of King Josephus as a prize for his courage and knighted with great honor. He wore the blade with pride and it became known as the blade of Roulin to serve as a reminder of the near defeat of all of Roulin and the prevention of its demise by a single faithful citizen.

            But Aronway was not to give up so easily. King Josephus’ son rose to power and vowed revenge on the small country of Roulin. The two were soon at war again and the blade of Roulin served its master until his noble death in battle.

            The dagger was passed to the Aronwain who killed him and, in the next war, passed back to a man of Roulin. One more war left it at home in Aronway, where it was lost to history – if it ever existed in the first place.

            Many have reported finding the blade, but upon verification, all were found to be false. The blade remains lost to this day, no doubt on the belt of some worthy man of Aronway.

            “What’s that book about?” Elaine leaned over my shoulder, her laundry basket discarded on the floor next to a sofa.

            “This.” I showed her my father’s dagger, seeing it myself as if for the first time.

            “What do you want that for?” She looked unimpressed, having seen only the crude leather sheath and simple ivory handle.

            But rather than show her the delicate blade, I became defensive. “It was my father’s! He gave it to me.”

            “Oh.” She was trying to understand, but both of her parents were alive and well – and rulers of a kingdom. “Did you need anything else or was that it?”

            “This was it. Let’s go.”

            Before she could even pick up her laundry basket again, the door opened and a very surprised Sir Whyh stepped in. All of time froze. It began melting slowly, first with the sunbeams on the floor, followed by the laughter of a small child.

            “Very clever Will. I wonder how you got out.” He began advancing. “Guards!”

            Without thinking, I unsheathed the blade of Roulin and grabbed the princess, holding it to her throat. “Will!” She pulled her neck as far from my shaking hand as she could, pressing the back of her head into my shoulder. “What – what are you doing?”

            Sir Whyh stopped for a moment, surprised. Then he smiled. “Foolish boy. I’d like the same answer as the princess. What are you doing?” He cocked his head and waited patronizingly.

            I licked my lips. “I’ll kill her if you come a step closer.”

            “What?!” Elaine shrieked.

            Sir Whyh raised his eyebrows. “And why would you do that? I thought you were trying to save your princess, not kill her.” He took another step.

            “I’ll do it!” I swallowed and attempted to stop the trembling in my armed hand.

            “Will!” Now Elaine was whispering. “What are you doing?”

            “Shh,” I whispered back. I looked back to Sir Whyh. “You know she’s no good to you dead.”

            “What are you talking about boy? It doesn’t matter to me whether she’s dead or alive! I was only thinking of you. But if you don’t care, then by all means, kill her.” He stepped forward again.

            I gripped her shoulder tighter, and pulled the knife in closer. “Don’t come any further. You know she’s no good to you dead,” I repeated. “If she dies, Camelot and Morestia come down on Aronway in full force because of her death. You lose any chance of being restored to your place in court for bringing them to your country’s doorstep.” His confident smile faltered. “On the other hand,” I proceeded, my voice stronger, “if she’s alive, you have that chance to be restored like you told me about. At the very least, I’m sure you could find a way to get both Camelot and Morestia to pay you a pretty penny for her release.”

            I noticed that no guards had come to their master’s call. They must have been too far to hear.

            Sir Whyh mulled over my words in his head. His smile returned. “You have no proof. All of the evidence is in my favor. Your master died on the journey – who’s to say you didn’t kill them both and come to Aronway looking for a reward? Even if you make it out of here, it’s the word of a lying squire against that of a respectable knight. And your knife that killed her.” He added the last with a triumphant grin.

            I narrowed my eyes. “No. It’s your knife.” I jerked my head back toward the book still lying open on the table. “I bring it back with her blood on it and show it to the king. He knows the story. He will know it was you.” I didn’t actually know if King Arthur knew the story of the blade of Roulin, or even of its existence. But neither did Sir Whyh.

            The knight looked nervous again. “You read the book.”

            I nodded. “I read the book.”

            He took another step forward and raised his hands in a placating manner. “I don’t think you understand what you’re saying.”

            I pressed the knife closer and took a step back. “I will kill her!”

            He stopped. “It can be easily proved that you killed your own princess. She need not be alive for my purposes. Baldwin will believe me. He will move out against Camelot this very week. Kill her. Use the knife.”

            “You really want me to? I will.” I lifted my elbow as if to pull the blade across her throat. I whispered to Elaine, “Fall if I slice. Look dead.” She nodded imperceptibly and gulped.

            “Let’s maybe talk about this. I will bring my offer back. You can live here in Aronway – with the princess if you like.” His eyes were darting about, as if looking for a solution on the spine of one of the many books in the room.

            “And why would I want to do that?”

            “I will allow to leave without getting killed yourself. I will not let any of my men touch you.”

            “Who’s to say I’m not going to do that any way?” I tried to appear confident in my threats. If he figured out how idle they were, it would be over.

            “You can’t. You kill her and my men return the favor. You never make it out alive.”

            “And if I don’t? Kill her I mean.”

            “You still die.”

            “You see, I could walk right out of here, a knife at her throat. One of your men makes a move and I slice her neck. Then she is of no use to either of us. That involves no death on my part. It des you no good to kill me after that and I run. Easiest thing in the world. I know the forest better than any of your men, I’ll wager.” I probably didn’t though, having spent most of my life behind the protective walls of a castle.

            “Could I have a say in whether I die today?” Elaine’s voice was less timid than before.

            Sir Whyh smiled wryly. “Your princess does not appear to like your methods young Will. You think your king would enjoy them any better? The truth is always found out and as soon as your deeds are uncovered, you think that you shall be allowed to go free?”

            “But they will not be my deeds. The knife is still sufficient proof of your guilt.” I began walking slowly toward the door, taking Elaine with me. Sir Whyh made a quick movement and I moved the dagger closer.

            “Don’t kill me Will,” Elaine whispered hoarsely. “Please.”

            I didn’t respond to her. “Careful. It would be a shame for you to both lose your prize and your place at court simply because you took a step too close. Go over there.” I jutted my chin toward the circle of chairs. “Sit down. Count to three thousand. Twice. Then you can get up and call the guards and do whatever you like because we’ll be long gone. Move before that and I’ll know. Breathe a word of this before that and I’ll know.”

            He obeyed slowly, a look of sheer disgust and contempt fixed upon me. I backed slowly out of the room, still holding my father’s blade to Elaine’s throat. When we were in the empty hall, I reached out and closed the door before releasing my temporary prisoner. She jumped away and eyed me warily.

            “What were you thinking?!” She lifted a hand to her neck and rubbed it gently.

            “I was thinking that we should get out of here. Come on. I don’t trust him to keep quiet.” It was yet another maze to get out of the castle and we couldn’t run for fear of suspicion. Every sidelong glance from a soldier or child made me hesitate and turn the other direction.

            The courtyard was the same blazing colors and bustle that it had been the day before. We rushed toward the gate, as if on important business.

            “Halt.” I froze and Elaine’s eyes widened.

            I licked my lips and turned around. “Yes?” My smile was forced and straining.

            “Oh, hello there Alex! What are you doing?”

            It was the guard who had told us about the princess. He lounged easily against the guardhouse, spinning a spear in his left hand.

            “Sir Whyh has sent us on an errand to the nearest town.” I leaned forward conspiratorially. “We are to deliver a letter.” I patted my pocket as if it concealed a secret correspondence. “He didn’t say anything about it, but I believe it has to do with the captive princess.”

            He nodded, smiling. “Well best of luck to the two of you. Be back before sundown. That’s when the gates close for the night. It’d be a shame to be locked out there with the wild animals and all.”

            “We are to spend the night in the town so no need to wait for us. We’d best be off!” I waved jovially and the gesture was returned.

            It was excruciatingly painful to walk down the long road to the far off curve without looking back or dodging off the road. Five long minutes of silence and faking an easy walk. The turn in the road was a welcome change, taking our forms from the eyes of any at the castle gate.

            “This way.” I bounded off into the woods.

            “Wait!” Elaine picked her way behind me, dodging a rock here, a stick there.

            I put my hands on my hips. “Really? Are you going to walk like that all the way to Morestia?”

            “Someone should have remembered to get horses before we left.” She glared at me after lifting her foot delicately to step over a fallen branch.

            “Me? Maybe you should have remembered! Don’t be so quick to forget who got us out of there in the first place.”

            “After almost slicing my throat!”

            “I wasn’t actually going to kill you. I just needed Sir Whyh to think that I would. Can you walk any faster?” Only a few feet separated us, but at the pace of the princess, they would never be covered.

            “You try walking in these shoes and then tell me to hurry up.” I took another few steps and then turned around to wait again. She studied the ground intently before each step.

            “Just take them off if they’re that bad. Go barefoot.”

            A shocked expression met my irritated one. “Go barefoot? Are you actually insane? Do you even know what that would do to my feet? They would get all rough and horrid! I’m supposed to be getting married right now, not be tromping through the woods.” She returned to her careful trudging with a pout and I sat down by a tree.

            “You know this ground isn’t that bad. What will you do when we get to brambles and real rocks and holes?”

            “Shush! You made me step in mud and now my shoes are ruined! Keep quiet so I can concentrate.”

            I picked up a stick and began whittling. “I can still see the road from here.”

            “I said to be quiet!”

            That was enough. “Look,” I said, standing up. “I know you’re a princess and all, but out here, you don’t know anything. Just let me do my job and get you to Morestia without having to put up with a snob the entire time. Got it?”

            She glared at me fiercely but straightened. “I suppose since you have caused both of my shoes to be ruined already I don’t need to be quite as careful with my walking.”

            “Finally.” I set off at an easy clip. Slower than I would have by myself, faster than Miss High and Mighty had been going before.

            We were finally free and headed for Morestia. All I had to do now was deliver the princess and I could be on my way back to Camelot to find a new master who would actually train me. Maybe the king would even reward me for my great acts of courage in the face of such adversity. A smile touched my lips. Simple.

            “How much farther do we have to go before we reach Morestia?”

            All traces of a smile were immediately erased. Maybe not so simple.