The Queen of Rosefield

Chapter 10

    Two hours later the chapel doors were flung open and Lady Rothschild stood in them.  "My queen, a runner has reached the castle."  She said in a breathless voice.

    "Where is he?"

    "He's waiting in the great hall for you."  She said.

    "Thank you Lady Rothschild."  She said and hurried from the chapel.  She found a wounded man sitting at the table eating soup a cook had brought to him.  "You bring news of a battle?"  She asked the man who started to rise.  "No, sit and eat, but tell me what has happened."

    "The king has attacked the army of Casteel.  There have been many men killed and wounded on both sides my queen.  The king, he is vastly outnumbered by our enemy and will see no reason."  the man said and looked at the lords and knights around him.  "I see no way that we can win this war with Casteel."

    The young queen looked at one of the knights.  "Send for my father."  She said and several men looked at her.  "The Master Swordsman, my father."  She said and the knight hurried from the great hall in search of the old swordsman.

    "Lady Rothschild, have the villagers summoned.  Lord Rothschild, will you send riders to our allies for reinforcements quickly."

    "My queen, I cannot find the Master Swordsman."  the knight said as he quickly returned.  "He's not in the castle forge."

    "Is someone looking for me?"  The Master Swordsman asked as he walked into the great hall.

    "Father, word is that Casteel has a much larger army than our king.  Can you find out for sure and send word to all of the villages to start looking for trouble and to send word to us."

    "Yes my queen."  The Master Swordsman said and handed a wrapped bundle to her.  "A queen who is a warrior needs a sword."  He said as Malana took the sword she had made for the king.  "And a warrior who has no sword, well, that is like a king or queen that is without a kingdom."

    "Thank you Father."  She said and pulled the sword from the wrapping.  She held it to the light and her eyes became blank.

    "My queen, are you alright?"  She was asked by Lord Rothschild.

    "Leave the queen alone.  She is listening."  The Master Swordsman said and waited for the young queen to do what she had to.

    "Father, do you still have the sapphire the king gave you when he gave you the ruby?"  She asked as she studied the sword in her hand.

    "Yes, I have it."

    "Give it to me."  She said and held out her left hand.  When the sapphire was in it, she closed her eyes and saw the new sword she would yield.  "Go, carry out my orders now."  She said and opened her eyes to see the great hall was empty.  "Agnes!"  She yelled as she ran for her chambers.  "Agnes, I need to change!"  She yelled and her maid quickly helped her out of the gown she wore.  "Get my armor."  She said as she hurried to put on the boys clothes she wore under the armor.  Agnes helped her get the armor on before she sheathed the sword in her hand.  She headed for the overlook to the village where she saw all the villagers had gathered and were waiting for her.

    "People of Rosewood hear me.  We have gone to war and soon the wounded will be brought to us.  All families with more than one woman in the household step to the East."  She said and motioned in the direction they needed to move.  Several young women stayed with their husbands or fathers as the people moved around, and others stayed alone.

    "My queen, where should we go?"  One woman with two small children and no husband asked.

    "Where is your husband?"

    "He's been dead these last six months."

    "What is it you do to make a living for your children?"

    "I'm a weaver my queen.  With a small flock of my own sheep and goats that give me wool."  She said.

    "We have need of a weaver my queen."  Another lady said.  "She could help weave blankets for the wounded men and we can help her set up her loom."

    "Go and get her and her belongings."  The queen said and turned to a knight that stood nearby.  "Help her."  She watched as the knight followed the lady before she turned back to a man that held a toddler in his arms.  "You Sir, what is your craft."

    "I'm a woodworker my queen."

    "When the woman next to you is brought into the castle, come with her and bring your tools.  We have need of you in the castle and you shall work with another master woodworker."

    "My son, what of him?  He has no mother to tend him as I work."

    "He comes also.  We'll place him with a nurse in the nursery while you work."

    "Thank you my queen."  He said and hurried to get his tools.

    "What is your trade?"  The queen asked of the one remaining woman.  She saw the people cover their mouths to keep from laughing at the girl.  "Madam, what is your trade?"  She still received no answer from the woman who was twisting from side to side.

    Several of the villagers were now openly laughing at the girl and the queen didn't like it.  She turned and headed from the overlook so she could go into the village square where the people were openly laughing at the girl.  They were still laughing when their queen passed the widow and the widower at the entrance of the castle.  The doors had been closed and the two doormen didn't have time to open them before she pushed them open and stepped from the castle.

    Rage covered her face as she stepped into the square and looked at the villagers.  They began to quiet down and when silence hung in the air, the young queen walked to the young woman.  The woman never looked up at the queen and when the knight next to her drew his sword, a flash of light touched her eye.  She then looked at the queen and smiled shyly.  "Hold your sword Knight."  The young queen said as she looked at the woman, and a little boy who clung to the woman's torn dress sucking his thumb.

    Another boy sitting on the ground near the woman stood up and looked at the queen before he spoke.  "She cannot hear you my queen."  He said and went to stand in front of the knight and look up.  "Her name is Sally and she's never heard a single word her whole life, at least that's what I heard."

    "She's a crazy woman!"  One man yelled and others repeated the cry.

    "Take her to the castle and see if someone can get her cleaned up and into some better clothing than the rags she has on."  The queen said to the knight.

    "Yes my queen."  The knight said and went to the woman.  He picked up her son and smiled as he took the woman by the arm and led her toward the castle.

    "Go with them Boy."  She told the boy and watched as he hurried to catch up to the knight.  When they had entered the castle, the queen turned to look at the villagers were were now shuffling their feet.  "All children ranging from the ages of five to thirteen step forward."  She ordered and boys and girls of those ages looked at their silent parents before they went to stand before the queen.

    "Single men and older boys fourteen and u meet with the head woodcutter at daylight tomorrow for your orders.  All girls fourteen and up and those that stand before me, be in the great hall tomorrow by one hour after daylight for your own work details.  Bring buckets, brooms and brushes and no one better be late."

    "My queen, five years is to young to work."  One woman protested.

    "It's not to young to sweep dirt and pick it up."  She said and looked at the woman.  "You left me no choice when you laughed at a simple deaf woman.  I thank God that I'm not the one who has to pay for that."  She said and spun on her heel to walk back to the castle.  She went to the head woodcutter and told him what she wanted him to do, then she walked to the forge and went to work.

    The smith pumped the bellows as his queen began heating metal for a new sword.  Hour after hour she worked on her new creation and the smith was worn out before the sword was finished.  He sat down on a barrel and fell asleep and the young queen smiled as she carved the blade of the sword.  When she was finished with the carving, she held the sword up and looked at it.  She knew there was something no quite right about it and noticed the sun was coming up.  She went back to work again and when she stopped, the smith was looking at her.

    "My queen."  He said and pointed at the sword in her hand.  "You have done that while I slept."  He said in open astonishment.

    "Yes, and now I need melted silver and gold."  She said.  "When it's ready, you must pour it where I say."  She said.

    "Yes my queen."  He said and went about doing as his queen said.

    For half the day they worked on the sword until it was finished.  When the sapphire was set in the swords handle, the queen tested it out.  She swung the sword and sparred some with on of the knights that had come to watch her work.  When she slapped the knight with the side of the sword, he laughed and shook his head.

    "My queen, I feel for the man you marry."  He said and bowed his head to her.

    "Why?"  She asked as she looked at him.

    "Because if you get mad at him, you can always beat him with the sword."  He said.

    "But I don't plan on getting mad at my husband when I marry.  I plan on marrying him for love."  She said and thought for a moment.  "But that's a good way to keep in practice with the sword."

    "Yes my queen."  the knight said and turned when loud yelling reached their ears.

    "What's going on in the castle?"

    "It must be the deaf girl again.  She keeps taking the cooks herbs and she's been doctoring the wounds on Sir Darren and those of the messenger the king sent."

    "Is the girl a healer?"

    "I believe she is my queen.  She may be filthy, but she has a healers touch."

    The young queen walked into the castle and caught Sally picking some flowers from one of the herb beds.  She watched her crush the petals and pour hot water over them so they could steep.  After several minutes she removed all of the leaves and a fragrant tea remained in the cup.  Sally drank the tea before she looked up to see the queen.  She smiled and walked up to her queen and took one of her hands and kissed it quickly before she dropped it as a knight made a move toward her.

    "Don't do that."  The young queen said as she realized the woman was trying to tell her something.  "What is it Sally?"  She asked softly and the girl motioned for her to follow.

    Malana followed her to Sir Darren,s bed chamber and watched as she opened the door.  Sir Darren stood beside his bed with his shirt in his hand and a look of pure shock on his face as he looked upon the queen.  "Oh!"  She said and quickly turned around to face two knights that stood behind her.  "I beg your pardon Sir Darren.  I didn't know you were out of your bed."  She said and knew her face was red.

    "The girl there, she put something on me yesterday and it helped to heal the wound.  She's a healer my queen.  A God given healer for your throne."  Sir Darren said and stepped from his bed chamber with his shirt on.  "She's a bit dirty and smelly, but I thank God for Sir Talbert bringing her to me when he did."

    "We'll make sure she's good and clean before the king returns."  The young queen said with a smile as she looked up at Sir Darren.

    "How?  I heard she pitched such a fit last night that they gave up on giving her a bath."

    "Maybe I can get her in a tub.  She seems to want to please me for some reason."

    "My queen, the girl sees love in your eyes when you look at her.  She doesn't feel threatened so she opens up to you and shows you her love and devotion, and I believe she would do anything for you."

    "My queen, a hot bath has been drawn for you."  Lady Rothschild said and quickly covered her mouth when she realized she had spoken aloud in front of three of the kings knights.  "I beg your pardon my queen, I didn't realize you...."

    "Lady Rothschild, I can go nowhere without at least two knights following on my heels, so if there is anything you can do to help, please do."  the young queen said.

    "There's no need my queen.  I'll take care of it for you."  Sir Darren said and bowed his head.  "I bid you a good day my queen.  Lady Rothschild."  He said and motioned for the two knights to follow him.

    "Sir Darren wait."  the young queen said and touched the sword at her hip.  "I have something for you."

    "Yes my queen."  He said as he looked down at her.

    "Hold this."  She said and handed him the new sword she had just finished before she pulled out the ruby sword he had already seen.

    He was looking at the new sword and checking out it's balance.  "This sword is wonderful.  When did you get it?"  He asked as he looked the sword up and down.

    "I made it last night and finished it this morning."  She said and pulled the first sword she had made with the ruby in the handle.  "This sword Sir Darren."  She said of the Ruby Sword.  "The day it was finished you tried it out and it fit your hand like your own armor that was made for you."

    "I remember my queen."  He said and looked down at her.

    "This new sword I made was made the same way.  I made the sword in your hand for a queen."  She said and held the ruby sword up and looked at it.  "And this sword.  I made it for a king and put all of my love into it as I worked the iron.  I give it to you Sir Darren, the future King of Rosewood, with all the love I posses in my entire mind, body and soul."  She said and passed the Ruby Sword to the man she had chosen to love and rule at her side.

    He handed her the sapphire sword and their hands touched as they switched swords.

    "I'm honored my queen."  He said and bowed his head slightly before he sheathed his new sword.