The Queen of Rosefield

    Two riders galloped their mounts down the road that led to the Castle of Lockshire.  One man was about forty and he rode at the left side of the other rider who was at least twenty years his senior but still bore the look of a younger man.  Though both men had been riding for days on end, they still sat their mounts with ease.  As they rode into sight of Lockshire, they pulled their mounts to a stop and looked at the sight before them.     The gray stone walls of the old castle didn't look inviting.  Instead it looked a bit depressing after being at Rosewood.  Though Lockshire was at least two hundred years old, it was a small castle that could hold no more than two hundred men at arms at one time.  The land around the castle was bare of all trees and only a few small houses formed the village at the gates of the castle.  But the village wasn't what caught the eye of the older man, it was the rider upon a small bay mare that came charging at them with a drawn sword.  When the bay mare came to a sliding halt, her nose was touching the nose of the black stallion the older man rode.     "Who are you?"  The rider of the bay mare demanded as she held her sword toward the older rider.  "Why have you come to Lockshire?"  She demanded as she looked at the two riders even harder.     "I am King Charles of Rosewood and I have come to Lockshire to speak with King Ferdinand of important matters."  The older man said and bowed his head to the rider.  "And who might you be Fair Maiden?"  He asked as he looked into a pair of shocked black eyes.     "How did you know?"  She asked and dropped the sword.    "Your voice gave you away."  King Charles said and smiled, "But I would have to be blind to not be able to tell you're a woman."     "Very well then, your anwer is enough for me to see that you are not here to cause any harm to my father."  She said and moved her mare to the side.     "You are the daughter of the king?"  King Charles asked in shock.     "Yes, I am Princess Sarah of Lockshire."  She said and smiled as she pulled the helmet from her head.  Long bule black hair fell down her back and made King Charles catch his breath.  "Is there something wrong my king?"  She asked and looked at him with her head tilted slightly to the side.     "No, I'm alright."  He said and turned to look at his friend and companion.  "Jonathon here is my master swordsman and best friend in the world."     "Master Swordsman."  Princess Sarah said and nodded at the younger man.     "My name is Jonathon, my lady."  He said and they urged their mounts into a walk toward Lockshire.     "No, to me you are Master Swordsman."  She said and stopped her mare.  "You do make swords, do you not?"     Both men laughed and Jonathon shook his head before he answered.  "That is what my wife says."  He said and they continued to ride toward Lockshire.     "And what does your wife say about you  my king?"  She asked and looked at the king who rode beside her.     "I have no wife yet."  He said and their eyes locked together.  Her black eyes and his blue.     "Do you have anyone you wish to marry?"  She asked softly.     "Not until today."  He replied in a soft voice and saw a light blush begin to cover her face.     "Don't flatter yourself with me, I'm no great prize catch.  I'm to flighty according according to my father."  She said and looked down at her hands.  "I don't act like a lady and he thinks I should leave my sword hanging in the weapons room so one of the pages can use it."     King Charles laughed again and shook his head.  He couldn't keep his eyes off the young woman who rode on his right side.  He had never met a woman like this in all of his travels.     "We'll leave the horses here and the stable boys will put them in the stable and tend to them."  Princess Sarah said and slid from the back of the mare.  She turned to face King Charles before she spoke again.  I'll have Daniel take you to my father so you may speak with him."     "Thank you dear Sarah."  He said and took her hand and placed it to his lips.     Sarah stood there and watched as King Charles and the Master Swordsman walked toward the entrance of Lockshire.  Never before in her nineteen years had she felt this way toward any man, and now that she was betrothed to another, she had fallen in love with someone at first sight.     "Princess Sarah, should I take your mare to the stables with the other horses?"  A stable boy asked.     "What?"  She said an looked around at the boy.  "Oh yes, take her to the stable for me please."  She said and followed the two men.  A smile was on her face and her black eyes were lighted up as they walked into the castle of Lockshire.  "Daniel, will you take King Charles of Rosewood into the hall to see my father.  He and his friend have ridden a long way just to see him."     "Yes my lady, but the king is speaking with the priest at the moment."  Daniel said.     "I don't care.  You must let them speak with my father at once."   She said and looked up as a man stepped into the entrance hall with one of the maids.     "Ahhhh, there you are Sarah.  I was wondering where you had gotten off to."  The man said and saw the two strangers with the princess.  "I see two more wedding guest have arrived."  He said and nodded his head to King Charles and the Master Swordsman.  "I'm King Folton of Muscle Shelle at your service."  He said and bowed his head slightly.     "King Charles of Rosewood."  Came the answer with a barely seen nod of the head.     "I didn't know that King Ferdinand was such a powerful friend as Rosewood."     "And I didn't know King Ferdinand was such a fool ass to have his daughter betrothed to such a small island as you rule."     "But surely it will grown once I'm married to Sarah in two days time."  He said and turned to walk off with the maid in front of have.     "Do you love him?"  King Charles asked Princess Sarah in a strained voice.     "No."  She said and walked down the hall as fast as she could.  She didn't want to see the man that had caused her heart to feel as if it were filled with a thousand butterflies yet again.     "Maybe there is a way you can have her my king."  Jonathon whispered close to King Charles' ear.     "How?"  He asked.     "Let her figure it out herself.  If she loves you, she will find a way."     "Come this way my lords."  Daniel said and led them to the throne room where King Ferdinand was speaking with a priest.  "King Ferdinand, King Charles of Rosewood wishes to speak to you."  He glanced at the angry look at the priest.     "We can't be interrupted you fool."  The priest said in anger and king Ferdinand stood up.     "Quiet, these men have traveled a long way just to see me.  My daughters wedding is not as important as these guest."  The king said to the priest.  "Come King Charles of Rosewood, and bring your man with you as well."  He said and motioned for them to come to him.  "What brings you here to my humble lands?"     "I came to gain an alliance with your kingdom by marrying your daughter Princess Sarah."  King Charles said and watched the face of King Ferdinand.     "But that is impossible.  Sarah is to marry King Folton."  He said an shook his head.  "I would very much like an alliance with you because you would be a hard foe to beat in battle."  He said with a laugh.  "If I had another daughter I would gladly give her to you for that alliance, but I only have sons left.  You wouldn't happen to have a daughter would you?     "I have no children."  He said and shook his head.     "That's to bad."  King Ferdinand said and looked up as the head cook walked into the chamber with the lesser servants carrying trays and platters of food.  "Come, sit and eat while we talk."  He said and they made their way to a table where the food was being placed.     "King Ferdinand, I must be excused at this time."  The priest said and left the chamber as King Folton entered with Princess Sarah behind him.     "Here is my daughter Sarah now."  King Ferdinand said and motioned toward his daughter.  "Here you are an old maid and betrothed to King Folton and now King Charles wishes to create an alliance of our lands by asking for your hand in marriage."  He said and King Folton looked at King Charles with hate in his eyes.     "She is mine and when we are married I will become allies with Lockshire, not you."  He said and sat at the table facing King Charles.     "I belong to no man!"  Princess Sarah yelled and looked at the men sitting at the table.  "Father, I don't love Folton, I've fallen in love with another man and I wish to marry him."     "I'm sorry Daughter, but you can't break your betrothal to Folton."     "Why Father?  Why will you not let me marry the man that I love?"  She asked.  "Will that not be better for Lockshire?"     "I'm sorry Sarah, but I'll not let you break your betrothal to Folton."  Her father said and watched as his only daughter turned and walked out of the chamber.  "Eat.  There is enough here for a grand feast, so eat heartily."  He said and piled into the food that was before him on the table.     King Charles excused himself as soon as he could and went in search of Sarah.  He found her sitting in a small chapel with a single candle lit before her on the alter.     "Do you mind if I sit with you for a while?"  He asked when she looked up at him.     "No, I don't mind."  She said with a smile.     They sat for a while in silence before he began to speak.  "I'm fifty years old this year and I never thought that I would find a woman to love until I looked upon your lovely face."     "I know how you feel."  She said and looked at her hands.  "I'm nineteen this year and my father considers me an old maid.  I've never had any man look at me more than once because I would rather be out riding my mare or else practicing with my sword or bow."     "There's nothing wrong with that.  It's good that a woman knows how to handle a weapon in case she has to protect her family."     "You believe that?"  she asked and looked into the sincere face of the man that was sitting beside her.     "Yes."  He told her.  "I would like for my wife to be able to protect herself and our children if she has to."     "Have you ever married?"     "No, but there is something that I will tell you."  He said and took a deep breath.  "You may hate me, but I am only a man and a man has needs as does women."     "Have you a child by another woman?"     "Not yet, but in a few days one of my servants will deliver my first child and hers."  He said and looked at Sarah.  "I don't love her, and she doesn't love me, but we both needed each other that one night and it has resulted in a child."     "This woman, did she want the child?"  Sarah asked.     "Yes."  He said and shook his head.  "She was married for twenty years and never had a child with her husband, and I said, this will be her first."     "Why are you telling me this?"  she wanted to know.     "Because I don't want anything to be between us."  He said and took a deep breath.  "You are the love of my life Sarah, and I only hope there is some way for us to be together for the rest of our lives."     "I know of a way if you trust me."  she said and stood.     "Always."  he said and stood with her.     "Tomorrow when everyone is gathered to break their fast of the night, I will go before my father with an ultimatum."  She said and walked from the chapel.  "It's the only way."  They parted ways for the night.     Morning found Princess Sarah slowly slipping into a set of black armor that was almost to small for her.  She had sent her maids out of the chamber when they came in to dress her so they wouldn't know what she was planning.  Slowly she strapped on the armor and made sure everything was just right before she strapped on her sword.  She could hear the people in the hall as they broke their fast before she even left her chamber.  She wished she could see what she looked like in the armor, but she knew there was no way for her to.     "Lord, you have to help me."  She prayed and took a deep breath before she pulled her helmet on her head.  "I only wish to do as you want me to.  Marry a man who I love and who loves me."  She said and headed out of her chamber.  She walked past three knights as they were leaving the hall with the kings counsel in it.  The men were yelling and shouting across the table at each other and they didn't pay any attention to the small armor clad figure that was walking toward the king.  "Father."  She said and stopped close to him.  When he didn't look at her, she raised her voice.  "Father!"  she yelled and the chamber slowly became quiet as all eyes turned toward her.     "Sarah, why are you dressed like that?"  He asked as he looked at her.  "Why are you not dressed in the gown that Folton brought for you to wear today?"     "Because I came to beseech you once more to let me marry for love."  She said and her gaze locked with that of her father.     "I have told you before that I will not release you from the betrothal to Folton."  He said and sat back in his chair.     "Alright then, I give you an ultimatum."  She said and looked at the members of her fathers counsel.  "Here me members of the Lockshire counsel."  She spoke loudly.     "I'll not hear of any ultimatum Sarah!"  her father yelled and stood.     "Let us here her ultimatum King Ferdinand."  King Folton said and smiled.  "I'm sure that whatever it is, it will not be to hard to foil her."     "If you're sure."  King Ferdinand said with a frown and sat down.     "I am."  Folton said and laughed.  "Go on Sarah, tell us all of the ultimatum you propose to get out of marrying me."     "I will fight King Folton with the sword.  Flat side of the sword will be a killing blow.  If I break his sword, I will be able to marry for love.  If I don't, then I will do as you wish, Father, and marry Folton."  She said and looked right at her father as she spoke.     "Are you sure Daughter?"  He asked and looked at Folton as he stood again.     "Yes Father, I'm sure."  She said and breathed in deeply.     "Then so be it."  He said and watched as the fight began.     King Folton was good, but for some reason King Ferdinand didn't think he was as good with a sword as his daughter.  He watched them as they moved around the chamber and Sarah's moves were smooth and quick while Folton were jerky and slow.  Oh how he truly wished his daughter could marry King Charles instead of Folton.  He knew it would be a much better match and at Rosewood his only daughter would feel more at home than she would at Muscle Shelle.     Jonathon sat beside his king and watched as the princess handled her sword as if it were a part of her.  He had seen very few people that were natural with a sword, and this young woman was one.  He watched her every move and could almost anticipate the next move she would make, but she sometimes fooled him.  Some of the moves she did he had never seen before in his life, and they interested him.     "Look at her Jonathon."  King Charles said as his eyes were glued to the woman he loved.  "I've never seen the like of her before except for you."  He said and turned to look at his friend.     "She's a natural swordswoman."  He admitted and continued to watch.     "We must pray that she beats him."     "We have to pray that she breaks his sword."     "Yes, that's right."     On the fight went and it looked like Princess Sarah was tiring out.  The men in the hall didn't know who to cheer for, so they yelled for both.  Then suddenly they became quiet when it looked like Folton was about to win the battle for the princesses hand.     "No Lord.  No.  Don't let him beat her."  King Charles prayed as he watched in amazement as the two swords connected one last time.     "How did that happen?"  One member of the counsel asked when Foltons sword broke near the grip and the blade clattered to the stone floor.     "Did you see that?"  Another asked and everyone slowly looked toward their king as he stood up.     "The betrothal is broken."  He said and looked at his daughter.  "You may marry for love."  He tole her and bowed his head.     "No!  She's mine!"  Folton yelled and started to reach for Sarah.     "You agreed to the ultimatum and you lost."  One of the older counsel men said and stood up.  "You no longer are the betrothed of Princess Sarah of Lockshire."     "I will have her!  She is mine!"  Folton yelled and looked at th men seated around the table.  "There will be no alliance with Muscle Shelle.  From this day forward you are my enemy."  He said and hurried from the hall.     "Princess Sarah, who do you choose to marry?"  Her father asked as he walked up to his daughter.     "I choose to marry King Charles of Rosewood."  She said and smiled as she looked at the man she had fallen in love with.     "And when will this marriage take place?"     "On the morrow if he is willing."  She said and looked at her father.  "Why should we waste our guest time here when a wedding was already going to take place."     "Is the morrow alright with you King Charles?"     "That is fine with me."  He said and stood to walk to the woman he loved.  "I have waited all these years to find love and one more day will not hurt me."     "Good, then we must discuss the alliance of our lands."     "Yes, the alliance."  He said and continued to look into the black eyes of his soon to be wife and the mother of his heirs.