Servant of the Crown

by Paul J Bennett

  “Yes,” Gerald replied, “though I wish I had talked her out of it. I lost my position because of that riot.”

  “Listen,” Arnim explained, “I don’t hold it against you. From the accounts I heard, you saved her life. I can’t fault you for that, but I am curious how you came to be with the princess in the first place.”

  “I was a soldier,” Gerald said, pulling up distant memories, “and, I think, a damned good one, at least I thought I was. I served up in Bodden, on the frontier.”

  “Did you see much action?”

  “Oh yes, more than my fair share. I was good, but not so good as to avoid getting wounded. The baron sent me to Wincaster with a note for the Royal Mage to heal my leg. But the mage wouldn’t see me, so I was reassigned to the barracks in Wincaster. Have you heard of Walpole Street?”

  “The Massacre? Everyone’s heard about that, a nasty business.”

  “I know, I was there. The captain made a wrong decision but managed to get himself killed. As the next ranking soldier, I was the scapegoat. They cashiered me; I only ended up at Uxley Hall because of a personal recommendation by Baron Fitzwilliam. I was a farmer before I joined the army, so they made me a groundskeeper.”

  Arnim’s ears picked up, “That’s interesting. I was born a farmer; my parents have a farm in a small village near Wincaster. It appears we have something in common.”

  Gerald nodded in agreement, “Well, two things, actually. We both want the princess to be safe.”

  “Look,” Arnim knitted his brows in confusion, “it’s obvious you two get along. I don’t know why Valmar didn’t just appoint you as the bodyguard. It would have been simpler.”

  “Marshal-General Valmar,” Gerald paused, choosing his words carefully, “likes people he knows in these positions. My mentor, Baron Fitzwilliam, he and Valmar have a long-standing, what’s the word, feud.”

  Arnim nodded his head, “Well, that doesn’t bother me. I don’t care if Valmar likes you or not. The townsfolk are very protective of you, so you’re all right in my book. If I might suggest something, however?”

  Gerald, watching his face, nodded slightly.

  “I might suggest,” he continued, “that occasionally you visit her at the Hall, rather than having her brought to the village all the time. It makes scheduling the guards a little less challenging.”

  Gerald smiled. “I can agree to that, and perhaps in exchange, your guards can be a little less conspicuous?”

  Now it was Arnim’s turn to smile honestly. “I can agree to that.”

  The wine gone, Arnim stood up. “It’s time for me to get back to the Hall. Sorry to have taken up your time.”

  “Not at all,” Gerald offered his hand. “It was good to finally meet the man who’s been asking so many questions.”

  They shook hands, and the captain left, leaving Gerald watching him as he disappeared. Apparently, he preferred to walk, though perhaps he had a horse at the stables. The man had seemed honest and forthright, maybe the new captain of the guard would not be so bad after all. He turned in for the night and fell asleep quickly, the knot in his stomach finally gone.

  Chapter 30

  Osferth Returns

  Autumn 959 MC

  THE cooler weather had finally arrived. It was fast approaching Anna’s thirteenth birthday, and she wanted to visit the grotto before winter came. Gerald met up with her at Uxley Hall, then they made their way across the estate. Tempus ran in front, occasionally jumping over the tall grass, but otherwise, just pushing it aside with his bulk. Behind them, two guards followed at a discreet distance.

  The ground started to slope downward as they approached the grotto, and they told the guards to remain behind while they descended into the shallow bowl that was the grotto.

  Lily was there, waiting for them, and chattered excitedly when she saw them. She presented them with three fish, and in exchange, Anna gave her some leather she had purchased from the village. They had seen evidence of Lily’s skill with a needle and thread before, for she had always worn a type of loincloth. They still could not communicate beyond names, but Lily, now quite comfortable with her visitors, sat down on the ground, pulling her satchel around to the front. She looked through it for a few moments then withdrew what Gerald assumed was a needle most likely made of bone. She also produced a thin thread and attached it to the needle by pushing it through the eye. In no time at all, she was cutting the leather with the sharp dagger that Anna had given her, and shortly after that, she began sewing.

  They sat and chatted, though neither side could understand what the other was saying. Lily seemed happy to chatter away sitting next to Anna. Things were peaceful until one of the guards approached. Suddenly the air was filled with fog, and they could barely see the nose in front of their face. The guard panicked, but Gerald and Anna were used to Lily's behaviour. They told him to stay where he was and keep talking. A short time later they found him and led him out of the fog, ignoring his questions about the origin of it.

  They decided they had visited long enough and begun their way back to the Hall. It was just past noon, and Gerald's thoughts were turning to food when Anna spoke.

  “I’m a little worried about Andronicus,” she said without preamble.

  “How so?” he prompted.

  “I haven’t heard from him in some time, not since last year, and I’ve sent him plenty of letters.”

  “Strange,” Gerald mused, “perhaps he’s travelling?”

  All thoughts of further discussion on the subject were interrupted when they saw a man running toward them, waving his hands excitedly. While they closed the range, they could see that it was another guard by the name of William. He was nearly out of breath as he approached them.

  “You have to go to the village immediately,” he gasped out.

  “Why? What’s happened?” a concerned Anna asked quickly, her eyes shifting to look in the direction of the village.

  “They’re looking for a fugitive in town, turning out all the houses,” he blurted out.

  “Who is?” asked Gerald.

  “A King’s Ranger. He came to the Hall to get some help. The captain called out all the guard to assist him and then sent me to fetch you. We’re to meet them in the village.”

  Hearing that a King’s Ranger was there could only mean one thing in Gerald's mind. Osferth had returned, and that meant bad news.

  They hurried to the village as fast as they could, reaching the tavern breathless and panting. The townsfolk were on the street, and there was a lot of murmuring and complaining. The soldiers of the guard were searching through people’s houses hunting, the ranger had said, for a fugitive. Gerald was sure they would find nothing; no fugitive in his right mind would still be indoors during a search like this. He was mulling this over, trying to figure out what was going on when two soldiers came out of his house. One of them held something up in one hand, brandishing it like a trophy.

  “What is it?” yelled Osferth, perhaps a little too melodramatically.

  The guard walked over, and Gerald could see the man was clutching a hood. It suddenly crystallized in his mind, and he saw the whole setup in front of him, unfolding itself like a bad nightmare.

  “We found this in the house, sir,” the guard held up the hood. It was a bag that somebody had cut to make eye holes. The damning evidence was that there was a skeleton face painted onto the erstwhile hood; the tell-tale mark of the Black Hand.

  Osferth looked at it, leaving it in the guard's hands. He called over Captain Caster, who came to examine the hood. “Do you recognize that?” the ranger asked.

  “It looks like the Black Hand,” the captain responded.

  The ranger continued his pompous demonstration. “There is only one punishment for possessing this,” he dramatically paused, waiting to announce the sentence, “and that is death!”

  The crowd, shocked at such an announcement, began to complain, but Osferth would have his way. “Have your men seize the prisoner,” he commanded, pointi
ng to Gerald.

  It was useless to run; there was nowhere to go. Two of the soldiers seized him by the arms and walked him toward Osferth, a look of satisfaction on the ranger’s face.

  It was Anna who stepped out from the crowd. “Stop this at once!” she yelled.

  The ranger looked over to her. “Your royal status has no bearing here, Your Highness. The mere possession of this hood calls for the death sentence.”

  She looked desperate, and Gerald had to admit it looked grim. He was going to die because he had made Osferth look bad. He had known this day would come, but he had not foreseen its manner. Now he was hopelessly condemned, and would likely be hanged from the nearest tree.

  “Wait,” demanded Anna, “where’s the proof?”

  Osferth turned to the man holding the hood. “Did you find the mask yourself?” he asked.

  “Yes sir,” the man answered, “and Tomkins here witnessed it.”

  “And where did you find it?” the ranger asked, loud enough for everyone to hear.

  “We found it hidden under the bed, sir,” the man replied.

  “I don’t believe it,” the princess yelled. “You planted it.”

  “I didn’t search the house, Your Highness, your guards did!” Osferth provided this bit of information with satisfaction.

  It was a little too convenient for Gerald's liking. He knew the evidence was planted, but couldn’t see a way out. No one could call a King’s Rangers a liar and get away with it.

  Anna stepped forward, emboldened. “Let me see the hood,” she commanded.

  The crowd was hushed as the girl stepped forward. He could see her shaking, and she put her hand on Tempus' neck to steady her nerves. The big dog, sensing her anxiety, stayed close. She walked over to the two guards, and put her hand out, waiting for the evidence to be given up. The guard looked over at Osferth, who nodded his assent, and the man dropped the evidence into Anna’s hand.

  She stared at it as if it was some vile creature that might bite her. She looked over at Gerald, and he could see the inner turmoil. He knew she believed in his innocence, but he was at a loss as to how to prove it. She turned back to the guard, “William’s isn’t it?” she enquired.

  “Yes, Your Highness,” the man replied meekly.

  “Show me where you found this.” She turned toward Captain Caster who was standing nearby. “Captain, I order that no action is to be taken against this man until the investigation is complete.”

  Captain Caster bowed slightly to acknowledge the order, then turned, giving a suspicious eye toward the ranger.

  Williams led Anna back to Gerald's house, and they disappeared inside, with Tempus following behind.

  Osferth looked over at Gerald. “You’re a dead man,” he said, the slightest hint of a smirk on his face. The ranger turned to one of the other soldiers, “You there,” he commanded, “get a rope ready, we’ll be needing it shortly for the hanging.”

  “Belay that order,” Captain Caster instructed. “No man shall take action until I say so. Let the princess have her say.” The crowd uttered their support, and the ranger carried it no further.

  A moment later Tempus appeared with Anna following closely behind. The great dog was sniffing the ground, following a scent and Gerald realized that she had told him to track the scent from the hood. The dog was going back and forth in front of the house, then, with a loud bark, ran up the street, stopping erratically to sniff the ground again. Anna followed, clutching the hood in her hands.

  Tempus got closer and closer to Gerald, and he wondered if the dog was simply following his scent, but then he realized, as did the assembled crowd, that he wasn’t heading for Gerald, but for Osferth, who was standing near him. Sure enough, the great dog ran straight up to the man and then starting barking.

  “Get this beast away from me!” the ranger yelled. “This proves nothing.”

  Anna simply smiled. She told Tempus to sit. The great beast followed her orders but growled menacingly. She looked over toward Captain Caster. “Captain?”

  “Yes, Your Highness?” he replied.

  “I believe you were once in the town watch in Wincaster. Is that correct?”

  “Yes, Your Highness.”

  “Would you come here and examine this?” She was holding the hood carefully as if she might break something. Captain Caster moved across to where she was standing.

  “Would you tell me what you see here?” she pointed.

  The captain examined the hood before replying, “It appears to be a hair, Princess.”

  “And what colour hair is it?” she prompted.

  He extracted the hair and held it up to get a better view. “It appears to be a red hair princess.”

  “Would you please tell me what colour Gerald’s hair is?” Anna asked with a smile.

  The captain looked across to Gerald, “Why I do believe it used to be brown, Your Highness, but there’s a lot of grey these days.”

  Anna looked triumphant. “Would you tell me who, here today, has red hair?”

  Captain Arnim Caster looked about the crowd, taking his time. “I would say there is only one person here with red hair, Your Highness, the ranger Osferth. Shall I take him into custody?”

  “Yes please, Captain, and have your men release Gerald Matheson.”

  Osferth looked like he was going to explode, but he knew he had been defeated. His eyes grew wild; he would surely die, for he had carried the forbidden hood. He suddenly turned and sprinted, in a desperate attempt to get away. It looked like he might accomplish this task for he startled everyone with his actions, but he needed to push through the crowd first. It all happened in a blur from Gerald’s perspective. As Osferth starting to run toward the villagers, Anna yelled for Tempus to attack. The ranger was desperate and shoved his way past a few of the onlookers. The crowd was of course against him, and as he tried to move past the townsfolk, someone put out a foot, and the ranger tripped, falling in the dirt. Moments later Tempus was upon him, tearing him apart. Osferth screamed in agony and Anna was about to stop him when Captain Caster spoke quietly to her. “It’s better this way, Your Highness,” he said simply. “No ranger would be found guilty of such a crime. This way, justice is done.”

  The man’s screams didn’t last long; the strong jaws of Tempus broke his neck. The deed done, the great dog released the body. No one was sad to see the ranger dead. As soon as it was over, some of the townsfolk began getting shovels; best to bury the body quickly and say no more.

  Captain Caster interceded and set some of his men to see to the ranger’s burial, while Anna went over to hug Gerald. He could see the look on her face. She had not shed a single tear over Osferth’s death. She had almost revelled in it, and it gave him a slight shudder. She had a dark side to her soul, he thought, and he realized the king had a similar personality. How alike the two were in some respects. Tempus sat down beside them, back to the lovable hound, so unlike the vicious beast that had been unleashed mere moments before. Gerald was glad he was here and patted the dog’s head.

  Anna looked up at Gerald, “I’m so glad you’re unhurt Gerald. I don’t know what I would have done if he’d hanged you.”

  Gerald looked over as two guards dragged the body away. “Remind me never to annoy your dog, Anna,” he said with wry amusement.

  The captain came over to them with a sombre look on his face. “I feel I should apologize to you both. I must obey the law, and a ranger outranks me by a substantial degree. I had to allow him to take command of the men, but I had no idea what he was up to.”

  Anna did not look impressed. “You are the captain of my bodyguard now, Caster. As such, you will only take orders from the king or me.”

  The captain knew the look of determination. “Yes, Your Highness.”

  “Your men, do you know them well?” she asked.

  “I’m afraid I didn’t have much choice in the soldiers I was assigned to lead. I was told to report here, but Marshal-General Valmar choose the men.”

&nbs
p; “I would suggest that perhaps you should hire one or two guards at the least, men that you can trust. I happen to know of an ex-sergeant who is entirely trustworthy.” She turned and smiled at Gerald.

  Captain Caster looked at Gerald. “The marshal-general did give me leeway to hire on extra help. An excellent idea! He is obviously skilled and has the best interests of the crown in mind. May I offer you the position of sergeant in the Royal Guard?”

  Gerald looked surprised but was pleased with the thought. “I would be honoured, though I fear we’ve some work to do to get these men into shape.”

  “Don’t I know it!” Arnim agreed.

  Anna beamed, “And I should like to insist that Gerald be one of my personal guards, not some drudge to man the gates.”

  Captain Caster had a look of resignation on his face. “Of course, Your Highness. Anything else?”

  “Time will tell, Captain. Time will tell.”

  Gerald smiled. This day had ended much better than he had thought it would.

  “Now,” continued Anna, “I think it only proper that we should go to the tavern to celebrate your new position.” She looked over at Tempus, “And perhaps wash off Tempus, he’s got blood all over his face. Come along Captain, you’re invited too.”

  Chapter 31

  The Duke

  Autumn 959 MC

  ANNA had just turned thirteen and to celebrate, she and the servants organized a party in her honour. They held a fair in the gardens with invitations sent out to all the townsfolk. Uxley Hall had not seen this many visitors in a score of years, which created a festive mood throughout. Game stalls were set-up and staffed by the servants, while impromptu races happened on the front lawn. The weather remained clear throughout the day, despite that the cooler weather had started moving in. Cook insisted on feeding everyone, so the great hall was set up for a feast. They had searched throughout the attics to find enough dishes and cutlery for such a huge crowd. The townsfolk also brought along food of their own to add to the feast, overburdening the tables with a heavy addition of pastries and pies, the princess’s favourite. The whole village enjoyed themselves immensely, and there was genuine affection for the princess in everyone’s face.