The Queen of Rosefield

Chapter 12

    It was two days before the king left his bed.  He looked much better, but he was still stiff from his wounds.  He was sitting in the great hall on his throne when the Master Swordsman entered.  "Jonathon."  He said and eased himself to his feet.  "What news do you bring?"

    "Bad my king."  He said and went to sit at the great table nearest to the throne.  "Casteel has taken Anna to his castle and left her there with his mother.  It's said that they are married and he says that she's the queen and he's the king.  Sir Darrel is still looking for a way to get to her, but he has found nothing yet."

    "Is Casteel near his castle?"

    "No my king.  He has rejoined his army and they're about seven miles from here now."

    "How many men does he have?"

    "Thirty thousand my king."  The Master Swordsman said.  "My king, the villagers along the border are on their way here with everything they own.   Is there any room for them in the village?"

    "Daughter, is there room in the village to put more of our people?"

    "Yes my king, I know where to put them."

    "Good.  Go on and make arrangements for them now."

    "Yes my king, but I'll need to ride out to see how many villagers there are to put up."  She said and hurried away before the king could stop her.  "Agnes."  She called to her maid and was soon speaking to the woman before she saw Ruth.  "Ruth."  She called out and told the woman the whereabouts of her daughter.  The three women walked the halls of the castle together and the young queen stopped at Sir John's bed chamber.  She knocked on the door and Sir Talbert opened it.

    "My queen, come in."  He said and moved aside so the young queen could enter.  "John was just asking about you and the king."

    "You must be feeling better."  She said and stepped around the younger knight so she could see his older brother.

    "Yes my queen."  He said and eased himself onto his pillows.

    "How are you feeling today?"  She wanted to know.

    "Sore."  He said with a grin.  "And weak as a new lamb."

    "You'll be weak for a while my friend."  She said and patted him on the arm.  "That was a nasty wound to your back."  She told him and thought for a while.  "I'll have the cooks send you some more nourishing food from now own."

    "And the king?  How is he?"

    "He's much improved.  He's sitting on the throne talking to the Master Swordsman as we speak."

    "That sounds like the king alright."  He said and gave a little laugh.

    "Yes, now you rest.  I need to see to other business right now."

    "I hear the wounded are being put in the East Wing."

    "For now they are, then when that wing is full, we'll put them in the North Wing."

    "What of the West Wing?  Have you been there yet?"

    "No, but we'll get around to it soon."  She said and stood up.  She looked at Sally as she slept peacefully at the foot of Sir John's bed.  She smiled softly before she left the chamber and headed for the East Wing.  People hurried in all directions and soon Hester came running toward her.

    "Oh my queen, is there anyway we can get some more help.  There're so many wounded men coming in that we cannot get the chambers ready fast enough for them."  Hester said in a near panic.

    "Help is on the way so do what you can with the people you have now."

    "Yes my queen."  Hester said and hurried back to her work.

    The queen looked in on some of the wounded soldiers before she headed for the stables.  She looked in on Black and the stallion nickered at her in welcome.

    "Shall I saddle your hose my queen?"  A groom asked as he stopped beside the stall.

    "Yes, saddle Black for me."  She said and turned to see two knights leave the castle.  She walked to them and saw one was Sir Roland.

    "My queen."  He said with a slight bow.

    "Saddle your horse and ride with me knights."  She said and the two knights called for their horses.  She then turned to the groom as he led up Black.  "Tell the king that I have ridden out of the castle and that I shall be back before nightfall."  She said.

    "Yes my queen."  He said and watched as the young queen made the tall black stallion kneel so she could mount his back.  He waited until she had ridden out of the stable before he went to see the king.

    The young queen felt as if she were free as she rode Black at a fast run.  She breathed deeply of the fresh air as they covered the miles from the castle to the people traveling there.  Sir Roland and his fellow knight rode had to keep up with their queen, and after they had ridden for five miles, the queen headed toward the arm of their king at a trot.  She kept her eyes open, and then she saw them.  The kings soldiers were slaughtering sheep and cattle they had taken from a group of villagers that were on their way to the castle.  As she put Black into a lope, she saw a soldier push one of the villagers down and draw his sword.

    "Stop right now!"  She yelled as she rammed Black into the soldier.  "Stop!"

    "Out of my way knight.  This man has dared to try to take back a cow we need for food."  The soldier said and tried to go around Black.  "Move knight, or I'll teach you to interrupt a fighting man."

    "Hold your tongue Soldier!"  Sir Roland said sharply and placed his sword to the neck of the soldier.  "Lay a hand on the Black Knight and you'll die."

    "Sir Roland, I'll not let my men starve while the new queen has her fill of food everyday and stays inside the castle protected by you knights."  The soldier said and Sir Roland looked at the queen.

    He saw the queen was about to pull off her helmet and he yelled.  "No my queen!"  His face paled when he realized what he had said.

    "So you think your queen does nothing but stay in the castle and eat and be guarded by the knights."  She said and pulled off the helmet.  "I don't.  All I have done, I have done for my people.  And you.  You take a mans milking cow when he has a young bull calf you can take and eat."  She said and turned to the man.  "Get your cow, but leave the calf for the soldiers."

    "Gladly my queen."  the man said and bowed quickly as he hurried to do as he was bidden by his queen.  "Thank you my queen."  He said and hurried away from the soldiers with his milk cow.  "I tried to give the calf to them anyway but they wouldn't take him."

    "Now feed your men but take nothing from your fellow landsmen again."  Sir Roland said and moved his horse away from the soldiers.  He looked around at the other soldiers who had been slaughtering the other animals of the people and noticed they had returned what they hadn't already slaughtered.  "I beg your forgiveness for letting them know who you were my queen."

    "It's alright Sir Roland."  She said and watched as the soldiers began cooking the fresh meat.  "Let's ride some more before we head back to the castle."  She said and inspected the soldiers as she rode.  She found several that were injured and sent them to the castle to be tended.

    "Seeing you has lifted the spirits of the men."  Sir Roland said as they rode back to the castle.

    "Seeing the reinforcements will help them even more."

    "Yes it will."  Was the answer before the horses were opened up into a run.  They were nearly to the castle when the king and his knights rode into view.  "My queen, is that the king?"

    "Yes, and he's riding Ruby."  She said as she hurried toward the king.  She pulled on Black and he turned in beside the red mare.  "Where are you going my king."  She asked.

    "I'm going back to war before the men think I'm dead."  He said.

    "Wait for the reinforcements my king."

    "There's no time.  We must defend our land and get Anna back."  The king said as Ruby danced around with the king on her back.  "I want both my daughters at Rosewood."  He said.  "Now go back to the castle and tend to the people.  They need their queen there."

    "Yes my king."  She said and swung Black around.  She saw Sir Darren was riding with the king's men.  "My king, what will I do if Sir Darren is killed?"  She asked.

    "Sir Darren, return to the castle and help the queen.  She has need of you there."

    "Yes my king."  Sir Darren said and left the line of knights.  He looked at the young queen before he slowly headed toward the castle without a word to her.

    At the stables the young queen left Black with the groom and walked up to Sir Darren.  She reached out and took his hand in hers as he started to unsaddle his mount.  "I'm sorry Darren.  I shouldn't have asked that in front of the other knights."  She said as she looked into his brown eyes.  "I just wanted to know what I was to do if you died, so please forgive me."  She said and started to turn and leave him.

    "A time to love, and a time to hate, a time of war, and a time of peace."  He said and watched as the young queen stopped and turned around.

    "That's Ecclesiasties 3, verse 8."  She said and walked back to him.  She removed her helmet asshe stood in front of him.

    "My queen, I love you with all my heart, but we're at war and I'm needed beside our king."  He said and took her by the shoulders with his large hands.  "I only wish you would let me kiss you just once before I go."  He said as he gazed into her eyes.

    "I will gladly grant you that request."  She said and found herself in Sir Darren's strong arms as he kissed her.  "I love you."  She whispered when he ended the kiss.  "That's all that I wanted to say to you before you left."  She said and ran from the stable with tears in her eyes.  She ran past other knights and lords, ladies and servants in her haste to reach the wall of the castle.  She didn't hear the person that walked up behind her as she stood watching the retreating form of Sir Darren as he rode off to battle.

    "Are you alright Daughter?"

    She turned to the Master Swordsman and buried her face in his strong embrace as she began to cry harder.  "Oh Father, I let him go.  The king sent him back thinking I wanted him to stay by my side and out of harms way when all I wanted was to know what I had to do if he were killed."  She said and pulled away from the Master Swordsman.

    "Child, now you know how to love like God wishes for us to love."  He said and turned his head to watch as Sir Darren raced his mount toward impending battle.