The Queen of Rosefield

Chapter 7

      "King Charles, I propose to unite our lands upon a marriage to your eldest daughter Anna."  A man who had just ridden into Rosewood an hour before said.  He still bore the dirt and grim from his hard ride from one of the border villages nearly two hundred miles from the castle.

    "Anna?"  The king asked and looked at the man who stood before him.  "Why do you want to join your lands with mine Casteel?"

    "Who would be a better ally than you King Charles.  I have a kingdom that is nearly the size of Rosewood and our borders are but twenty miles from here.  Surely you can see why I wish to unite our lands."  He said.

    "Tell me Casteel, why do you wish to marry my daughter Anna?"

    "So we can unite our lands and rule together."

    "I must think about this and pray.  Anna is not here at the moment.  She has gone to retrieve my younger daughter."

    "I'll await your answer King Charles.  Two days hence and I shall come before you again for your answer."  Casteel said with a nod.  "If you refuse to unite our lands with a marriage, I'm prepared to attack you and take what I want."

    "Are you declaring war on Rosewood?"  Lord Delmar asked and stood to his feet.

    "Not yet.  I gave the king two days."  Casteel said and bowed before the lords of King Charles before he turned and strode from the Great Hall.

    When Casteel was gone, the king looked at his lords.  Each one was looking at him in return.

    "What do you wish for us to do my king?"  Lord Delmar asked.

    "Start gathering the armies closer to the castle.  We must protect the throne at all cost."

    "But your daughter isn't here."

    "I have two daughters Lord Delmar, or did you forget they are to marry your two younger sons at your asking for them."

    "No my king, I haven't forgotten."  He said and left the Great Hall to do as the king asked.

    "Lord Darcy, is there something troubling you?"  The king asked another of his lords that was watching Lord Delmar as he walked from the Great Hall.

    The lord looked at the king and stood to his feet.  "My king, I trust Lord Delmar as much as I trust Casteel."  He said.

    "I know what you mean.  There is a change in Lord Delmar ever since his sons became betrothed to my daughters and I don't like it."

    "My king, should we send someone to spy on Lord Delmar?"  Another lord asked.

    "No, not yet.  We will if Lord Delmar shows any treason to the crown."

    "Yes my king."  The lord said and nodded his head.

    "Page!"  The king yelled and a fourteen year old boy came running up.

    "Yes my king."  He said and bowed before the king.

    "Send me the head groomsman, the head herdsman, and the village mayor."

    "Yes my king."  The boy said and hurried away.

    "Ruth, come forward."  the king said and looked toward the woman who was the mother of his eldest  daughter Anna.

    "Yes my king."  the former cook said as she stepped forward.

    "I need you to check the food stores and bring me a list of the foods we need."

    "Yes my king."  She said and headed toward the kitchen.

    "My lords, we have two days to prepare for Casteel, so tell me what you think."

    "My king, I'm an old man like yourself and I have two sons, the elder is Sir Markus and he is at my own small castle tending our lands, and the younger is Sir Homer who is with the escort retrieving the princess.  We stand with you to the death and I'll send a message to Markus to gather our army of one thousand men and come to your side."

    "Thank you Lord Percy."  the king said and watched as Lord Percy spoke to his page and sent him from the great hall at a run.

    "My Lord, King Charles."  A second lord said.  "I'm a newcomer to your lands but I'll pledge my loyalty to you as my king.  I'm no landed man, but I command two thousand strong fighters that can be here in two days if you need them."

    "Why have you no land my lord?"  Lord Percy asked.

    "I gave up my lands when the woman I was betrothed to died in a fire."  The lord said and all eyes touched the lord.

    "Are you Prince Fredrick?"  The old king asked.

    "Yes my king, or at least I was.  Maybe one day I shall return to my fathers lands as king."

    "It is good of you to help your uncle."  Lord Percy said and nodded his head.

    "My uncle?"  Prince Fredrick asked and looked at the king.

    "Yes.  I was married to your Aunt Sarah."  Was the simple answer.

    "Come, let us finish with our planning.  There's not much time left."  Lord Percy said and the lords about planning what they needed to do.

    As the king and his lords were making plans for war, seven riders halted their tired mounts in a small patch of woods beside the road.  Sir Darrel helped Anna from Ruby's back as another knight spread out a blanket for her to lay on.

    "I'm so sorry Darrel, I just couldn't go on any longer."  Anna cried in exhaustion.

    "It's alright."  Sir Darrel said as he helped her lay on the blanket.  "We would have had to stop soon anyway to rest the horses.  You rest now and soon you'll feel much better."

    "Are you sure?  Princess Malana seems determined to reach the castle of our father tonight."  She protested.

    "Lady Anna, our father wouldn't want you to become ill from exhaustion so don't worry.  I didn't take your strength into mind when we started riding."  Malana said as she knelt beside her sister.  "Now you rest easy and I'll be right here by your side soon."

    "But you need to rest also."

    "I shall rest soon.  It's just that there is something that I must do first."

    "What are you doing?"  Anna asked and grabbed for Malana's hand.

    "There is an old church right through those trees.  I go there to pray, then I shall be back here to rest."  She said and eased away from the others.  She led the stallion as she walked to the crumbled church and knelt down at the alter with her sword pointed into the ground and the handle above her head like a cross.  "My Lord God in Heaven."  She prayed in a low voice.  "Give me the strength to go on.  Give me the wisdom to follow your Holy Word and to serve you.  My Lord in Heaven, show me what I must learn, and tell me what I must know to rule this land in Thy sight.  Lord open the eyes of Thy servant so I may do all things for you.  Amen."  She said and slowly stood to her feet.  She turned around and saw Sir John as he knelt before her.

    "Sir John rise.  Don't kneel before me."  She said and the knight stood slowly.

    "My Princess, now I know my true queen is here."  He whispered and touched his right fist to his heart in salute to her.  "I am your humble servant for life and shall obey your every command."

    "Alright, the first command is that you must always speak truthfully in all matters.  Never tell a lie to me."  She said and looked into his blue eyes as she spoke.

    "Yes my Princess."  Sir John said and followed her back to the camp.  He stood guard over her as Sir Darrel stood guard over Anna.  The two veteran knights vigilant in their task of protecting the kings two daughters.

    In the early hours of the morning a horse stamping his hoof and snorting in the line of mounts brought Malana's eyes open.  She sat up slowly and pulled her helmet on as she reached her feet.  she began looking around and noticed that Sir John and Sir Darrel were also looking around as well.  The horse snorted again and Malana knew it was her black.

    "Princess, something is amiss."  Sir John whispered and continued looking around.

    "I feel it too."  She said and eased toward the three sleeping knights.  "Wake knights, trouble is upon us!"  She yelled as men ran toward the resting group of knights.

    "Get the woman!"  One man yelled and pointed at Anna who had sat up on the blanket.

    Malana met the rush of the attackers with swiftness.  Her sword flashed quickly and the attackers were becoming leery of her.  She was breathing hard when she was faced with the last of the attackers in their camp.  "Why do you attack us?"  She asked and circled the man.  "We are only resting before we continue on our way."

    "It doesn't matter, we were after the woman for our master."  the man said and smiled.  "But don't worry Black Knight, we shall meet again.  You have only shown us you are determined to protect the future queen of this land."

    "But she isn't..."  One young knight started to say but stopped speaking when Malana raised a hand for silence.

    "We shall meet again in battle Black Knight."  The man said again and quickly hid himself in the dark forest so he could slip away.

    "We must go now."  Sir Darrel said and threw Anna upon Ruby's back.  "There's no time to waste."  He mounted his own horse and led the way to the road.  The seven riders were strung out as they raced along the road at a hard run.  They knew there was no time to waste in their ride to the castle of Rosewood.

    "My king, Sir Darrel has just arrived with Lady Anna."  The kings page said as he hurried into the great hall where the king was meeting with his lords and knights.

    "Is it just the two?"  The king asked.

    "No my king, Sir John and three more knights have arrived with them."  The page said and frowned.

    "There is something else isn't there."

    "Yes my king."

    "Tell me then."

    "There is another knight with them my king.  One I have never seen before and all dressed in black armor."

    "A black knight, how interesting."  The king said and rubbed his whiskered face.  "Send them in to me."

    "Yes my king."

    "Who is this Black Knight?"  Lord Delmar asked and looked at his fellow lords.

    "I have never heard of a Black Knight before."  Another lord said and others agreed.  Not one of them had ever heard of a black knight.

    Lady Anna hurried to the kings side when she was told he wished to see her.  She kissed his cheek as he patted her on the arm.  "There, there Daughter.  You are home and safe now."  He said and motioned for a maid to take her to her room.  "Go rest and refresh yourself, then we shall talk later."

    "Yes Father."  Anna said and allowed herself to be led away by the maid.

    "Sir Darrel there is something you wish to say."  The king said as he looked at the knight.

    "Yes my king."  Sir Darrel said and went to kneel before the king.  "My king, I petition you to release me from my betrothal to your daughter Princess Malana."

    The lords at the table gasped and Lord Delmar slammed his fist upon the table.  Never before had any of them heard of a man wishing to break a betrothal to a princess, especially when she was the heir and was going to be the queen.  "I wont allow it Darrel.  You are betrothed to Princess Malana and you will marry her!"

    "I cannot marry her Father."  Sir Darrel said and looked upon the king.  "I made a foolish boast my king, and I allowed my pride to rule my words."

    "What boast did you make?"  Lord Delmar asked.  "You who are the level headed son that has never let me down."

    "My lord king, I made a boast before my fellow knights that if I were beat at a swords fight I would be the servant of that person for life.  My king, I have never seen such a swordsman in my life, for not only was I beaten by this swordsman, but my sword was broken."  When he said the last, he pulled forth his broken sword and held it up.

    "Who broke your sword?"  The king asked in a strained voice as he stood up.

    "The one in the middle of your knights my king."  Sir Darrel said and motioned toward the knights.

    "You are the one who broke Sir Darrel's sword."

    Malana nodded her head, but didn't speak.

    "Tell us Black Knight, have you been knighted?"  Again Malana shook her head and the king looked at the small person dressed in the black armor and wondered why he didn't speak.  "Come here then and I shall knight you and you shall be the Black Knight in truth."  He said.

    Malana looked up at Sir John and he nodded his head.  She stepped from the midst of the four knights and heard several of the lords at the table laugh at her size.  She stopped and looked toward the lords to see if she could determine who it was who laughed.  Her flashing blue eyes caused them to stop and think twice about the small knight dressed in an old set of black armor that was very old.

    "You expect us to believe that this, this....anyway that you were beaten by someone who is half your size."  Lord Delmar said and motioned toward Malana with his his as he continued to look at his son.

    "Yes Father.  This is the swordsman who beat me with the sword."  Sir Darrel said.

    "My king, don't believe these lies until you see for yourself how this person fights."  Lord Delmar said.

    "What were the rules of the fight?"  The king asked.

    "Flat side of the blade at certain points were killing blows."  Sir Darrel said.

    "And where did the killing blow land on you?"  The king asked.

    "I would rather not say my king."  Sir Darrel said and his face turned red.

    "It was the seat of his armor my king."  The Master Swordsman said as he entered the great hall.

    "You were there Jonathon?"  Lord Delmar asked.

    "It was in my village."  Came the answer.

    "So this Black Knight did best Sir Darrel in a fair fight."  The king said in a light voice.

    "Yes my king.  This person is the one who beat Sir Darrel in a fight and broke his sword."  The Master Swordsman said with a nod.

    "Come so that you can be knighted."  The king said and Malana slowly walked forward.  "Kneel before me."  the king said and raised his sword.  As he touched each of Malana's shoulders, he spoke.  "I, King Charles of Rosewood, knight you, the Black Knight, in the name of God our Heavenly Father, to serve this crown and kingdom by its laws and the God of Heaven Jesus Christ.  Rise Black Knight and show us your face."

    "My king, you must release me from my betrothal to your daughter Princess Malana first."  Sir Darrel said quickly and stepped forward.  He looked at the Black Knight, then at the king.  "My king, forgive me for speaking so bluntly, but I could never love your younger daughter and heir."

    "And why not?  Is she not beautiful enough for you?"

    "Yes my king, she is very beautiful, but my heart belongs to your eldest daughter Anna."

    "But she is betrothed to your younger brother."

    "I know, but in light of making my boast, how can I marry the princess?"  He asked and looked at the king.  "Please my king, should I marry the princess I would bring her down, and Rosewood with her."

    "Your betrothal to Princess Malana is broken.  You serve the Black Knight as you have pledged."  The king said and looked at the Black Knight.  He saw the small knight trembling as the words were spoken and he frowned.  "Now Black Knight, let us see your face and know your name."