The Princess and the Knight
“Don’t worry the Queen’s Guard wouldn’t dare touch me,” as I said it I watched the lines of soldiers advance through the trees towards the clearing where we currently stood.
“You sure about that princess?” the gruff knight replied, swords drawn.
I didn’t reply, clearly the Queen’s Guard would attack us regardless of or perhaps because of my lineage.
How had we gotten here? I knew exactly, it all started with the death of my father, King Leonard. Well, actually it all started with the death of my mother, Queen Eleanor sixteen years ago. Dying in childbirth, my childbirth, her death allowed for my father to spiral into a deep depression, one that lasted through most of my childhood. I always remembered how my father would be quiet and reserved. Sometimes he was angry, but most times he was absent, both physically and emotionally.
It was like all those old fairy tales and legends of a reclusive and sad king, hiding away in his castle which had since fallen into disrepair. If only his true love would come to break the spell.
Then Cora came. Breezing into the castle one day four years ago she appeared to bring my father out of his despair and misery, the spell was broken. I was happy of course, she had fixed my father. Everything that had been missing throughout my life was suddenly there. My father was kind, loving and when he was present he was really present. Things were peaceful and the castle was once again thriving and happy.
Until my father died. I had been suspicious of Cora for a while at that stage. They had married within the year, it all went by so fast, but who was I to question him and his happiness? A mere twelve year old no less?!
It was like she was two different people. With my father she was jovial and good natured, but when we were alone together she was cold, sometimes cruel. When he died I knew Cora was behind it. Of course I had no proof and couldn’t tell anyone, for who would believe a girl still reeling from the death of her father, the king?
So I kept my distance. I didn’t know how, but I knew she was dangerous. Then it happened, I can’t quite explain it. As my rage built during one of her tirades the windows behind her suddenly flew opening, blowing papers around the room with the gusting wind. Without missing a beat she accused me of witchcraft, which had been outlawed since before I’d been born. The punishment for anyone caught using magic was death by hanging. It was natural she’d accuse me of witchcraft, now that my father had passed I was all that stood in her way for total and complete control. But how could I have done it? Like actually done it, I didn’t know any spells. If anything I suspected Cora of being a witch, she was evil enough to be one at least.
But it was me. That night I tried again. It took a long time and a lot of practise but eventually I felt the tingle of electricity crawl down my arm and suddenly the door slammed. I was able to close my bedroom door with just my mind!
Over the next few months I confided and sought counsel from one of my trusted confidants, Helene, who was my mother’s lady-in-waiting until her passing. Now she was responsible for my education, remaining loyal to my father even after his death. She agreed Cora was bad news and believed me when I told her Cora had something to do with his death.
“The old battle-axe!” she grumbled. “Don’t worry princess, we’ll keep you safe, but more importantly we’ll strengthen that power of yours,” knowing my mother so well Helene told me Queen Eleanor was descended from a long bloodline of revered sorcerers long before magic was outlawed. Their arcane abilities still passed down through the generations even if such abilities were supressed and never used. Helene told me my father knew about my mother’s abilities, but chose instead to keep her powers a secret, protecting her from the strict laws surrounding sorcery in Evedor.
And so day and night, in secret Helene helped me to harness my abilities. Things didn’t always go to plan though, no matter how hard I concentrated this magic had a mind of its own. Rarely did it do what I wanted. I couldn’t help but feel it was resisting me, as if it punished me for being the cause of my mother’s death.
“Patience, Adriana,” Helene would say. “Frustration will get you nowhere. If you’re to expose the queen regent you’ll need a calm head on those shoulders,”
And so practise, practise, practise. Eventually I got a grasp of my powers, granted they were still unpredictable from time to time, but I was learning. Helene tried her best, but she was no sorceress. Her knowledge only extended so far.
Then, two days ago, it all went sideways. Going to Helene’s chambers for one of our clandestine lessons I instead found Cora. Immediately I froze in the doorway.
“Your majesty,” I said as politely as I could, being sure to keep the rising anger and panic in check. “Where’s Helene? I have a lesson,”
“At this time of night?” Cora barked. Taking a step closer she lowered her voice, “You think I don’t know what you are?”
“And what’s that?”
“A witch,” she whispered, the venom spitting from her mouth. “Preparing to assume the throne along with your band of co-conspirators,”
“What have you done with Helene?” I asked more forcefully.
Cora ignored me, her paranoia deafening my words, “Your game is at an end,”
“Not if I can help it.” And with all my might I drew from Helene’s teachings. With that familiar tingle of energy I forced the queen across the room, sending her tumbling over the desk. Before she could get back up I darted out of the room, panic flowing freely through me now.
“Guards!” Cora shouted. “After the girl!”
I had no plan, no idea where I was running to. I didn’t know who I could trust. I could run right into the hands of the queen’s men and I’d be done for. I didn’t know where Helene was, perhaps in the dungeons, or dead, but I had to get to her and escape.
As I ran down the hallway I saw the Queen’s Guard enter. Inherited from my father they now served the queen regent, until my ascension at least. If I survived another two years that was.
In their golden armour and midnight blue capes a group of five advanced towards me. Would they really harm me? The king’s daughter, heir apparent? I wasn’t prepared to find out. As they spotted me they instantly began to charge. Shouting to the rest of their unit I knew I’d have to think of something quick. Trying to harness the same power I used on the queen I concentrated as urgently as I could, but as hard as I tried nothing happened. Perhaps the pressure and urgency of the situation weighed me down.
So I turned and ran as swiftly as I could until I saw the archway to a side corridor. I knew this castle like the back of my hand. Taking this corridor would lead down to the servant’s quarters. A perfect warren to lose the Queen’s Guard in.
It would have been the perfect escape had I not ran head first into another armour-clad soldier.
* * * *
Another meal of stale bread and a tasteless slop meant to be lamb stew. You would think the Queen’s Guard would be fed better. We were the most prestigious company of soldiers in the kingdom. If this was what passed for food in the palace I dreaded to think what the land and naval forces had to stomach.
Giving up I pocketed the rest of the bread and fired the remnants of the stew in the waiting trays beside the serving counter and left for my post along the south side of the castle walls. The past three years since the king’s death had been hard. Not just in losing our sovereign but the uncertainty that came with gaining one in quick succession. I had no love for the queen regent, a sentiment shared by a lot of the King’s Guard, but an oath was an oath.
Cora seemed cruel and ambitious, anyone would think she revelled in her new found power, as if this had been her plan all along. I didn’t trust her and regardless of my vow of servitude she was not my queen.
Before the king’s death I was a member of the King’s Circle. Along with a small team we were tasked with protecting the king at all costs, we were of higher ranking than the standard guard in place around the castle. We were like the king’s personal watch. And look how well that turned out.
Our one task, and we failed. We were lucky we weren’t hanged for our failure. The Circle disbanded. We lost touch. I was the only one who remained in the palace. Because of the secretive nature of the King’s Circle no one ever knew we existed in the first place. I went back to normal duties. I had to admit it was hard, being so highly regarded one day and then not even thought of the next. When the queen regent assumed power I had thought of leaving the Guard. My father was a blacksmith, I had been trained as one until the age of fifteen. That was twenty eight years ago now, being a knight was all I’d known, I couldn’t just turn my back on this life to start anew. Old dogs and even older tricks or however the saying went.
There was one hope that kept me here, the princess. Though my oath was to the king it was also to his heir. We all knew Cora wouldn’t be queen forever. That role would fall to Adriana the moment she came of age. Until then I’d taken it upon myself, as the last member of the King’s Circle, to ensure the princess’ survival.
Only from afar, mind you. It wasn’t my place to involve myself with the princess’ affairs especially if my suspicions against the queen proved correct.
That was until right now. Making my way back to the south wall the princess came barrelling round the corner, straight into me. Our worlds collided like a crack of lightning.
Immediately she took a step back, I could see the concentration on her face. I knew the princess had magic, it was no secret amongst the King’s Circle Queen Eleanor was descended from sorcerers it was only fair to assume the princess had inherited those powers too. Whatever she was trying to do we didn’t have time I could hear the heavy footsteps in the corridor beyond and they would be on us in seconds.
Something had clearly gone terribly wrong. Perhaps she’d used her powers on Cora and she was now facing the queen regent’s wrath. Once again another member of the royal family is in danger, I chastised myself, good work Brant. At least she was still alive, and I intended to keep her that way. I wasn’t going to fail her like I failed her father.
In my massive arms I scooped her up, kicking and punching though she was, I easily held her in my grasp. I knew every nook and cranny in this fortress and luckily we stood right beside a small closet. Silent and composed we seemed to melt through the door and into the darkened space beyond.
I stood still, holding a gauntleted hand over the princess’ mouth, though who I thought she would call out to I didn’t know.
“Shhh princess, I have a feeling you don’t want the Queen’s Guard to find you.” I growled.
I could see the confusion dance across her eyes, she probably wondered why I wasn’t handing her over to the Guard, my Guard. As I felt her relax in my arms I set her down hoping she wouldn’t scream and run away, the guards could be here any second.
“Coulda got yerself killed, running around like that,” I grumbled as I walked to the back of the room. Noticing she hadn’t moved an inch I turned around, “You gonna just stand there all night?”
Opening a small door in the back of the wall I squeezed my bulk, armour and all, through the opening and disappeared into the faint flickering light beyond.
“Can’t be any worse than out there,” I heard her say. Silently she followed me through the dark passages. Even in the darkness I could see her eyes grow wide in surprise. A whole city existed within the walls of the castle, she was none the wiser like most in the castle, I didn’t need light to see that. With torch in hand we set off.
Up, down, right, left we walked and only because I could walk this maze with my eyes closed was I able to keep any sense of direction.
“The queen means to kill you,” I said once we’d stopped to rest in another closet sized room close to the west walls.
“And you saved me,” with no expression or acknowledgment from me she pressed further. “Why? You could have left me to die but you didn’t,”
I dismissed her with a grunt, “Blame yer father for that,” make no mistake I may have sworn an oath to protect the king and his heirs but time had passed. These last three years had been hard on everyone. Knowing I’d failed King Leonard didn’t instil confidence that I could even help the princess. I was out of practise and silently cursed myself for being in the wrong place at the wrong time.
I could see her shock at the mention of the king, “My father?”
“Oh aye, before that devil offed him, I along with a small group of trusted allies formed the King’s Circle, a team sworn to protect him and you should anything happen to him.”
I knew she’d have many questions; why hadn’t I protected her father? If her father knew the queen was dangerous why did he keep her around? Why didn’t he confide in the princess? All questions I wasn’t prepared to answer, not yet anyway.
“What about Helene?” she asked. The lady-in-waiting and a close ally of the Kings Circle. I knew she was currently held in the dungeons, but to risk saving her now would put the princess in even more danger. She knew the risks of helping the princess, as I did. Had the roles been reversed I’d expect her to keep the princess safe at all costs, regardless of what happened to me. I had to get her to safety.
“She’s safe for now,” was all I said. “She needs you to get to safety, that’s what I’m going to do,”
Appeased she asked one more question “How do we get out of here?” I knew she’d ask the others later, if we survived.
I had a plan. Through the night we’d weave our way within the walls of the castle leading us out of the grounds and onwards to safety. That was the hope at least, like everything, that was easier said than done.
We made slow progress through the cramped passages within the castle walls. After what seemed like hours of silence the princess decided to strike up a conversation, “I never asked your name,”
I hesitated, I knew I had to give her my name, but giving her my name felt like I was opening myself up, for accusations later when she found out what happened the night her father was murdered, “Sir Brant Geraint,” I said reluctantly.
“Well Sir Brant, thank you for the rescue,” I grunted an acknowledgement, the less I talked the less she’d talk. We walked along in silence for a time, the sound of scraping armour the only noise.
“Where’s the rest of the King’s Circle now?” the princess ventured, filling the growing silence.
Without turning around I said, “They’re either dead or scattered to the wind,”
“Are you the last one in the castle?”
“Yes,” I mumbled in a tone I hoped said ‘don’t ask me anymore questions.’
She took the hint. Throughout the night we walked, crawled, and squeezed our way through the castle. As our energy fell we took a break. Stopping abruptly I felt the princess walk into my back, I had to contain a small smile, probably should have told her we were stopping.
I looked around, waving the torch from side to side, “We can rest here for a bit,” the passage had widened slightly allowing room for us to sit facing each other on the dusty uneven ground. I passed some bread and a canteen of water which she gratefully accepted.
“What’s the plan once we get out of the castle?” the princess said between mouthfuls.
“My duty is to keep you safe,” I replied. She must have guessed from my tone I wasn’t thrilled with the task for she looked down and continued eating in silence.
“Until when?” she said after a time. “Until she dies? Or someone kills her?”
“Until it’s safe,” I repeated.
Taking one last swig of water she said, “I want to find out more about my powers, if I’m going to face the queen-“
“Face the queen?” I cut in. “That’s not an option,”
“I need to get stronger obviously,” the princess continued with determination, “but at some point I am coming back to reclaim the throne, and you can’t stop me,” she said, handing back my canteen.
I wanted to argue, but I realised it was pointless. It was her birth right after all. Whether or not she could defeat the queen, if it was her wish then so be it. Retrieving the flask I thought a moment. It wouldn’t be enough to just get her to safety.
Simply I nodded, “I might know someone who can help,”
The princess looked ready to argue, not having expected me to relent so quickly, so was speechless for a moment, gathering her thoughts perhaps. “Great, who is it?” she asked. “Another member of the King’s Circle?”
I didn’t reply, that was enough talking for now. Instead I stood up “Let’s keep moving, it’ll be daylight soon,”
I couldn’t help but regret this. I had hoped I could send the princess somewhere safe then return, whether to the Guard or to my family’s ancestral home to take up the blacksmith trade, I’d be free to choose my path. Now it appeared my path was being chosen for me, perhaps it was always to be this way. The old tales talked of fate and destiny, maybe this was mine regardless of my wish for a different life.
* * * *
Onwards we crept through the dank passageways once again in silence. I could tell Sir Brant didn’t want to talk so I was left alone with my thoughts. Did my father know about my powers? Surely he did, knowing my mother was a sorceress. Did he try to suppress them, hoping if I never knew I had the ability I’d never use it? I had to find out more. If I could do that, and learn to fully utilise the magic coursing through my veins, I knew I could defeat the queen. She was a danger to the kingdom, hell-bent on power she would destroy the realm just to prevent me from ruling.
The last leg of our journey was the most dangerous. We had come to the end of the corridors within the walls. In order to escape the castle we had to go through the lavish and extensive grounds. There were no more hidden pathways, no secret passages, we would be completely exposed.
“Keep your head down and stay behind me, don’t try to use your magic we won’t have time, just try and keep up.”
We ran, through the entrance of the castle, down the wide steps and through the walled gardens. It didn’t take long before we were spotted, and within minutes our escape turned into a chase. Thankfully Sir Brant knew all the shortcuts and before the Queen’s Guard caught up we were free.
All that has led me to this moment, standing in this clearing back to back with my giant protector, watching as Cora’s soldiers breached the forest surrounding the castle, making their way furiously towards us.
I tried to ignore them, already I felt the tendrils of lightning creep down my forearm, I just hoped the spell would work. The magic either had a mind of its own, or was just obstinate on purpose as if to spite me.
But today it had to work, our lives depended on it. Trying to focus the energy I directed my hand towards the oncoming soldiers, now dangerously close. The force of the blast rumbled the ground below as the magic tore chunks out of the ground so that great trenches stretched haphazardly between us and the Queen’s Guard.
“Was that supposed to happen?” Sir Brant asked, I could hear the disappointment in his voice.
“Not quite,” let’s try this again, I thought to myself, and try to behave this time?
The trenches had slowed the soldiers down somewhat, but resolute they continued towards us. Again I felt for the power in my mind and focused my concentration and energy to the tips of my fingers. With as much mental strength as I could muster I released my mind and watched with delight as the lightning struck from my hand hitting each of the ten guards at the front. As they fell into the trenches I used my other hand to the same effect. Lighting struck twice, this time slamming into the final ten guards. With pleasure and just a little unease I watched as the lightning crawled along each of the soldiers’ armour, strengthening the blast. And down they went.
I had stunned Sir Brant and even myself, for we stood dumbfounded as we watched the guards lying motionless in the trenches.
“Are they…”
“Dead?” the knight finished. I could only nod. “Perhaps, I’m no expert but that magic looked powerful,”
“And I can barely control it. Perhaps I should continue alone, it might not be safe for you,”
The knight only laughed, “You can’t get rid of me that easy, princess. Come on,” he said as he turned around and walked on.
Tearing myself away from the Queen’s Guard I turned to follow. I didn’t know where this adventure would take us, but I knew it would be dangerous. We’d need help, a lot of it. While my magic was strong, I had no way of harnessing it or controlling it. Seeing what it did, what I did, to the Queen’s Guard frightened me. What if I was just as evil as the queen? Could I really trust myself that what happened today wouldn’t happen again. What if someone innocent got hurt because I couldn’t control my powers?
I just hoped Sir Brant’s friend really could help, not just in keeping me safe, but helping me understand my magic. If I was to defeat the queen and keep my subjects safe I’d need all the help I could get.
To be continued…