Knights and Ladies

Girl Power

Girl Power!

Oh Great!

I'm stuck in place with jerks who believe women are nothing more than tools!

I sigh, furiously looking at the fleeting visage of the A-hole of a Chaplain, Saint Musgan.

Oh wait… Screw this!

He walked out on me, right? Well, great, Musgan, you just wait and see what I'll do to you.

I swear, I'll strip him of his manhood.

I mean, people who believe women are nothing are all but vermin and…

My God…. I'm charged up and then I feel resistance on my shoulder.

"My Lady…"

Looking to my shoulder, I see David's hand on it as he lightly restrains me.

And from the looks of it, it appears like I have actually been moving towards Musgan.

"What?" I sigh, one hand to my temple.

And suddenly, all of the rage just dies down as David stares calmly into my eyes.

Oh God! David…

My legs feel like jelly as I stare back, outlining every detail of his face.

His black brown undercut hair, his neatly chiseled jaws…

Even his eyes contain overload of sexiness that just want me to drag me on to me and…

Daaaaarrrggg….

C'mon... Samantha, shut it.

Gee… Don't think of me as such p*****t. Damn!

Honestly, it's gonna take like forever for me to ever blend into Samantha.

Why? Because, all that lip l*****g was not me, pinky swear.

It just felt like I suddenly took a backseat and Samantha came up front.

Wait a minute, I've always being feeling somewhat warm towards David.

Does…

Does that mean, David is…

"Lady Samantha." David's concerned voice shakes me out of reverie as his face is inches in front of me, looking worried.

And just to be precise on how mhmmm David is, he is taller than I am and…

No, quiet down, Samantha.

That was totally not me, seriously!

Never Mind; I'm still very pissed on why the society here believes women as tools.

And David, he didn't hint that he thought otherwise, did he?

Oh My God! David is anti-feminism too.

Yes, he has to be, if not he'd have hinted something.

Rather he gave vibes that he knew about it and didn't want me to know.

So, if he didn't want me to know then, what was his A-game?

Wait.. There has to be something going on between Samantha and David.

"It does not make sense, David. It shouldn't. And you believe in it" I erupt, shoving him away so much that he staggers back.

"My Lady, that's the place women occupy in…" Claire says but I cut her off.

"No, shut it! It shouldn't make sense and no one should endorse it, ever. Women are just as important as men, not less important.

You all are so backward. From the place where I come from…"

"The place you come from?" George emphasizes, with narrowing eyes making me realize that I almost gave myself away.

Oopsie… I don't think these guys would take it lovingly to know that their actual Samantha is not the one here.

Play it, Cool, Saman… Sam, you've got it!

"Is that the point, George? So this is why you told me you'd serve me only for the meantime?" I ask, throwing my hands in exasperation, turning right, to face him.

"Because you had it in mind that somehow I'd be removed and someone masculine would be in place, right?"

George says nothing, simply throwing a glance to Claire.

Wait, the fucker f*****g laughed to Claire.

Forgive my words but Aaaaargghhh…

I've had enough.

I feel my eyebrows clench upon themselves as my face contorts into a deep frown, filling me up with intense furious flames of hatred.

Quickly, I spin around to David, reach my hand and in one smooth motion, slipping clean his knife out of the sheath.

And before my eyes can register it, my hand flashes past in a in arc, coming down with blood splatters dripping on the knife and my hand as well.

"Glurgh… glurgh… gluk…" Before me, George the steward looks with widened eyes in shock, gurgling blood down his lips over to the already slit throat.

Gee…

I wish to say I don't feel any regret for slitting his throat but I can't lie.

I feel bad.

I just ended his life, and his blood is on my hand.

George drops to his knees, his lifeless eyes still pinned at me as the shower of blood at his throat begins to recede.

Looking at my hands and gown, there is blood all over. Even David and Claire has blood on their clothing although, it is but a few splatters unlike me who stood in front of George.

I let the knife drop, clanging onto the concrete floor just as George falls down flat.

However I am fast enough to step out of the range.

That's when it dawns on me.

The whole place is quiet… almost as if the World stopped revolving as I feel shocked stares fixated on me from every angle.

My body is trembling slightly but I can't afford to give myself away.

I feel a great urge to run off.

But then, if I run, what does that leave for me? People will simply cross me later on and just mark me off as a toothless dog because me running off now would mean I have not the heart for this.

Simply put, my killing of George will be taken as just a mistake.

No, I must stand firm.

But first, looking at my blood stained self, even my hair has begun to matte with the blood, I need to get changed.

That's when I remember.

'I know. You don't think I know that?

But the urgent matters of Titledom require a leader already. Sir Ade is dead, and so is his Wife.'

Wait a minute, why is this crossing my mind now?

'The knights have been greatly devastated by the recent defeat, various insecurities are rising and many other things are setting the citizens in disarray. Now, the only one to show us the direction to go, is you, My Lady.'

It is George's voice and the words he spoke to me in my room that drifts across my memory.

And why is it now of all times that I'm remembering?

But, why am I bothered? This ought to be what the system wants, right?

The Quest for Query mission is actually built in a way such that I can be knowledgeable enough to pay attention to what happens next after the battle.

'The knights have been greatly devastated by the recent defeat…'

Knights, knights…

Knights…

What would a leader want to do?

Hmm… remember Samantha, remember…

Ah, I meant Sam.

"My Lady,..." Claire's voice breaks as she stares with a hidden fright in her eyes but not so hidden because I can see it.

"Right. Take me to the chamber!" I say and carefully, lift my legs and the hem of my gown across the fallen body of George.

Seeing my action, Claire is in agreement as she nods her head continuously, making out towards me.

I don't see David coming. He is rooted, watching me with emotionless gaze.

Wait… David is the knight boss. Ahem, I mean, he is the Marshal of the Order of Titledom.

Who better to ask questions about the current insecurities than him?

And there's no way I can do that if he stays there like a statue.

"Come along, David."

David inhales deeply, shaking his head furiously but briefly as if stepping out of a trance.

He looks to the gates and snaps a finger before striding around the body of George.

Oh, Cool! He didn't walk across the i***t.

With Claire by my right hand side, and David coming a little behind me, we all begin to move.

I hear a shuffling around but I am not bothered, assuming it to be the guys who are coming to take care of the body.

"Lady Samantha," David calls, and I eyeball him swallowing air as he inhales again.

"How do you feel?" He asks.

Well, classic move, David. Diffuse the tension by claiming to actually care about me.

Erh… about Samantha, I mean.

Still I answer him.

"I do not feel great. My people deserve better, not this mediocre existence they are in. People should enjoy being alive, but from what I've heard so far, it seems death is a preferred state to most people." I sigh, inhaling deeply. "And, I can't have it like that."

"What do you have in mind?" David asks, keeping his hands behind him.

"George mentioned what the aftermath of the battle has caused." I hear David sigh. "I want to start from there. But first, I need to know how the Knight system works."

"This is such a strange question."

"Why?" I raise an eyebrow as we turn a corner, entering into the inner of the curtain walls

Right, it's curtain walls these are called?

Whatever!

"The reason being that, there is not no one except for new born babes who know not how the Knight system works."

"Will you answer or?"

"I would. It just feels…"

"David!" I yell as Claire pushes a huge crimson styled double doors that emit us into a wide passage accentuated by brick walls and lamp posts partially embedded into the wall.

"Yes. How do you want it?"

"The basics, basically. Ranks and duties, things like that." I snap because he's taking so long.

"Well. There are two types of Knights generally recognized in Hearth.

The Knights Hospitaller and Templar Knights. While the Knights Hospitaller are defence focused, camp builders, basically static knights as they function best in running first aids and hospital checks while Templar Knights are more on the offense.

Templar Knights move quick, are fierce and trained to be as merciless as possible, often undergoing the tedious trainings ever.

Basically, they are the heavy hitters, tanks of the Order they serve in. No matter how they get down, they struggle to always get back up, and fighting."

I oohed, hearing David's explanation.

So, this was why David was still relentless about saving me from Galahead… because he is a Templar Knight?

"To become a Knight, one must first become a Page, then Squire and then be tested for bravery before being Knighted.

A knight when trained properly, is equivalent of a hundred foot soldiers. A Templar Knight is the equivalent of two hundred foot soldiers and even more. We never cut our beards…"

Oh really?

"Where's your beard then, David?" I ask with a smile because his chin is mostly bare.

David smiles in return before becoming all serious again.

"That is because I was a Squire and not a Knight initially. But because of the severity of the battle, The Marshal, Sir Dungas, knighted all of us Squires on emergency protocols."

"Oh… so what are the ranks? Are you the highest ranked now?" I ask.

"No." David swallows. "I got emergency knighthood to a rank I do not even in terms of experience.

By normal standards, I ought to be a plain Sergeant, or Calvary man then, many other insignificant ranks before that of the Standard Bearer.

I give him a quizzical look, pausing our movement.

"The standard bearer or Confanonier as called by others is the Knight officer in charge of Squires, Paymaster and disciplinarian of the Order or the battalion.

Then there is the Under Marshal who's job is to over see the equipments and weapons basically and holds the piebald banner.

Above that, there's the Marshal who is the strategist. Hmm… I suppose I got ranked this because of my strategics.

In summary, the Marshal takes commands of the horses and tactics.

Following is the Turcopolier…"

"Turco what?" I question and we all share a laugh.

"Turcopolier." David emphasizes. "The commander of the light calvary. You know, horses with plain knights. That's the division command.

Above that is the Seneschal, the right hand man to the Commander, the second highest ranked Knight.

Sometimes called Grand Commander or in condescending terms, Steward.

Then finally, there's Master or Commander or in bigger terms, the Templar GrandMaster."

"Lady Samantha…" Claire's voice cuts in.

I turn around to look David in the face just as she opens wide the door to my chambers.

"Thank You! You should get changed. Seeing as I have no steward now, you and me would have a lot to do!"

I say and turn around, walking into the chamber with a smile on my face.

Oh Boy! Such a day!

And, on the plus side of it, I feel so much better. Does this mean the mission is as good as completed?

Well, I don't know.

But what I do know is, it is time for Girl Power!