Gerald could see Anna bristle at the suggestion, but saw that Caster was concerned about something. He pushed his horse forward, “I’ll give him a hand,” he explained as he passed her.
They rode forward, the gully being only some fifty feet or so away from them. Arnim stopped his horse just short, standing in his stirrups to look over his horse’s head. Gerald moved his mount slightly, turning his head to view what had caught Caster’s attention. Lying in the ditch, covered in mud, was a body. They both dismounted and slowly walked toward it, careful not to trip. The ground had been ripped up by horses, making it slippery and difficult to navigate. Mud clung to his boots in great clumps making it hard to move. They stepped closer, observing that the body was a young woman. She was wearing or had been wearing, a simple dress, but it was now ripped, and blood stained the water pooling around her.
“Bad business, this,” said Arnim.
Gerald made his way closer to the girl. The stench was overpowering. Urine soaked the clothes and pooled on the ground. He feared what he would find upon further inspection. He searched the body carefully seeing blood pooled beneath her.
“She’s been stabbed through the heart,” he grimly observed as he turned over her body. “Whoever did it knew what they were doing, they thrust up from the stomach into the heart to avoid the ribs.”
“And she’s been… abused,” Armin said through gritted teeth. “Can you identify who it is?”
He carefully used his hand to wipe the mud from her face. “It’s Molly Sandlewood,” he said fighting back the tears, cursing. “She was only fifteen. The farm we were on our way to is owned by her father. She served me drinks at the Old Oak on occasion.”
Arnim started walking around the site, searching about for clues. He crouched down and looked at the ground thoroughly. “What do you make of this?” he asked.
Gerald lay the girl’s head back down gently, making his way toward the captain. There were numerous horse prints on the ground, as well as some boot prints. He had spent years tracking down raiders, and he knew what to look for. “These marks,” he explained after some examination, “belong to a military horse. I would suggest a knight or a Royal Guard. They’re far too heavy to be a standard riding horse.”
Arnim nodded his agreement, “That narrows down the potential candidates by a large degree.”
Gerald looked around some more, crawling on his hands and knees, examining the ground. It didn’t take long to find what he was after. “I have some boot prints here, come and have a look.”
Captain Caster made his way over, careful not to destroy any evidence.
“See here,” Gerald pointed with a small stick he had taken from the ground. “These prints are from military boots. Notice how they use nails, common for soldiers, but there’s one set that has a stitched sole, from someone more affluent. The footprint is deep indicating someone who is, perhaps a little heavier than average.”
“During my time on the watch,” Arnim shared, “I had to deal with this sort of thing on a number of occasions. We need to examine the body.” He stood up and beckoned for Revi to come over. Gerald walked back to talk to Anna, to tell her what they had found.
He broke it to her as gently as he could, but she was heartbroken. She had met Molly on more than one occasion, and she was a regular at the fairs. Now she would never again bless the world with her presence.
Arnim and Revi finished examining the body and walked back to them.
“I’m afraid it’s worse than we thought,” said Arnim, “it looks as though there were a number of them that participated.”
They all stood in silence as the information sank in.
“Who’s responsible?” Anna demanded, barely controlling her wrath.
Gerald piped up, “There can only be one logical answer, one well-off person who has access to a Mercerian Charger, and who has guards that follow him anywhere.”
“Marshal-General Valmar,” Anna spat out the name. “What can we do about it?”
“I’m afraid, that for the moment, Your Highness, we can do nothing.” Armin seemed as frustrated at the circumstances as did Anna
“Nothing?” she fumed. “Don’t tell me we can do nothing!”
“Marshal-General Valmar has the confidence of the king,” Arnim continued, despite her outburst. “We can no sooner accuse Valmar, as we can accuse the king.”
“This woman,” Anna was making a visible effort to control her voice, “this young girl was terrorized, brutalized, murdered and pissed on, in an act of barbarism perpetrated by the vilest and most disgusting creature ever to take a breath. I vow that he shall one day pay for this… this assault.”
She was sitting on her horse, her hands clenched on the pommel. Gerald stepped over and placed his hand on hers, stating, “I pledge not to rest until we bring the people responsible for this heinous crime to justice.”
Another hand appeared on top of his, “And I”, said Arnim, “pledge likewise.”
“Me, as well,” added Revi, stretching to place his hand over the others.
Tempus barked, a deep throated bark which seemed to echo the sentiment.
“Thank you, everyone. I think we should see to the body. The family will want to hear the news, unpleasant as it may be.” The sadness in her eyes remained, but she knew she had a responsibility to the Sandlewoods.
“What will we tell them?” asked Revi.
“We say that there’s been an accident,” said Gerald. “There’s no sense in causing more grief. We all know what’s at stake here. We’ll do what we can to see to it that justice is served.”
They all nodded their agreement and got to work and moved the body, trying to make it more presentable. It wouldn’t bring her back to life, but at least it didn’t look like she had been murdered. Arnim rode back to the Hall and returned sometime later with some old servant’s clothes that they could use to dress the body. While he was gone, they moved Molly to a nearby stream where they washed her.
The hardest part of all was bringing the body back to her family. As soon as they were spotted, Molly’s mother ran from the house, inconsolable over her daughter’s death. The official story was that a hunter had accidentally ridden over her and killed her. Telling a lie made Gerald felt terrible, but he knew that the true story would shatter them. They promised to try to find out who was responsible, and it was Anna who spent the most time with Mrs Sandlewood.
It was nearly dark by the time they finished at the farmhouse. They rode back to the Hall, not over the grounds, but by taking the road that led around the perimeter of the estate. The mood was black and little was said, but as they got closer to the Hall, their tempo picked up a little.
“I am going to join the festivities,” said Arnim, much to everyone’s shock.
“How can you think of such things at a time like this?” demanded Revi.
Arnim turned to look at the young mage as if it were obvious. “One thing I learned in the town watch is that people that perpetrate crimes like to brag about it. With all the wine that’s flowing in there tonight, I’m bound to hear something.”
Gerald was impressed with Caster. This was something that was way out of his comfort level. “Good idea, we should all keep our ears open. Arnim, you’ve conducted investigations before, you take the lead.”
“Remember,” said Anna, “Valmar might be untouchable now, but one day he’ll be vulnerable. We’ll document everything so that when that day comes, we'll put him in his place.”
Later that night, as Gerald was finally ready to turn in, he was summoned by a servant who told him the maidservant Sophie needed him. He went to Anna’s room where Sophie was trying to comfort Anna. “She’s having nightmares,” the distress was evident in the young maid’s voice.
Gerald sat down on the edge of the bed and Anna hugged him. Even Tempus snuggled closer as if aware of the stress she was experiencing.
“I want to be away from this horrible place,” cried Anna. “Please let us leave this nightmare, I c
an’t bear it any longer.”
She cried in great racking sobs, and Gerald held her tightly. This house, this Hall, had become her prison, and now he felt the weight of the world on her shoulders. He thought such a young girl should never have to witness such depravity. He must get her away from here, or she would break. Perhaps it was already too late, maybe she was already past saving, but he must try, he must try to save young Anna from the future that awaited her here in Merceria.
The next day the king left. There was little fanfare; the guests dribbled out in small groups after the king’s departure. King Andred had praised Anna for the effort and invited her to return to Wincaster at some point in the future. The king was off to Shrewesdale, he said, and would probably not return to the Capital until next summer. Anna played the dutiful daughter, but Gerald could tell that the king was dead to her now. She lost whatever small measure of respect she might have had for the man when Arnim had reported his findings from the last evening's festivities.
It had been hard for Captain Caster to make his report, and he had spoken to Gerald before the princess, for he knew the information he gathered would hurt her deeply. He had overheard Valmar bragging to the king about his ‘tryst’ with Molly Sandlewood, even going so far as to go into a detailed description of what he and his knights had done. Hearing his tale, the king roared with laughter, and when told she did not survive, he merely muttered that it didn’t matter; she was only a peasant.
Captain Caster had stayed at the gathering throughout the night trying to pry information out of drunken knights. He was successful in his investigations, revealing six names.
After sharing his report with the princess, her only comment was, “Please add their names to the list, Arnim. One day they will all pay dearly for what they have done.”
Epilogue
The Sword of the Crown
Spring 960 MC
THE inevitability of winter is that it often comes unbidden and it seemed like no sooner had the king left than the cold weather came with a fury that seemed to punish the land for its imagined transgressions. The winter of that year was severe, and Gerald found himself once again abandoning his home, and taking up permanent residence at the Hall.
It was during a particularly bad blizzard that Anna and Gerald made their decision. Anna could no longer bear the life that she was destined for, under a king she despised. They began planning their escape.
Anna had collected maps, had received information from her ‘couriers’ whose numbers had swelled, and learned everything she could from the books at her disposal.
To the east lay the impenetrable mountains which formed the natural boundary of the realm. To the south, the land was blocked by the great swamp, thousands of miles of waterlogged terrain inhabited by all manner of beasts and cutting off access to the sea. To the north lay Norland, a land of the uncivilized; a land of warring earls who fought bitter wars against each other and raided into Merceria. A lone pair of Mercerians in Norland would not be safe, so they turned their eyes westward, to Westland.
From her research, Anna learned that Westland was a land of enlightenment. They spoke almost the same language as Merceria, though with slight variations in dialect. It was a Monarchy and was said to have laws similar to Merceria, but with a significant difference; in Westland, the power of the king was limited by the earls, whereas in Merceria the king ruled supreme. They would travel to Westland in the spring, for the roads needed to be clear of snow for them to get away unhindered. They looked over several maps to decide on a route choosing to avoid the king’s road and travel overland. It would take longer, they reasoned, but the chance of being discovered was much less. Once they had picked out their route, they moved on to planning how much food to take. Even plotting out where the hunting might be decent, for they could live in the wilderness for a while if they needed to. Gerald made sure they both had bows, and they practiced all winter long, shooting shafts into snowmen.
Anna’s mood was very different this winter. Gone was the young girl who had grown up around him. Now she was a young woman, driven by her desire to get away from the life she so despised. The only regret that Anna had was that she would never get to see Valmar and his minions get their due, for it appeared the marshal-general was indeed untouchable. He had risen in the king’s estimation, and now it was rumoured that a title would finally be his.
It was important to begin the journey as soon as weather allowed, for Anna was worried that she would be forced to marry the marshal. There was almost a sense of panic to her planning now, as she weighed every possibility. She would practice every day with her Dwarf sword. Gerald pitied the wooden training dummy, for, by the time she was done, it was little more than a post with large chunks of wood carved out of it.
Spring finally arrived, and with it, the snow began to melt and the roads cleared. It was agonizing, waiting for the ground to dry; if they left too early, they would be mired in the mud and too easy to track.
Finally, the sun came out, and the land began to dry. They decided that on the third day without rain they would make their move. They had their bags packed and hidden away in the groundskeeper’s cottage for no one used it anymore. Anna had even written a note, leaving some coins for Sophie, and letters for the other servants that had been so good to her. Hardest of all was saying goodbye to Lily. Here, at least, they had had some luck, for the mage, Revi Bloom, had stayed on at Uxley Hall, hoping to perfect his magical abilities. It was he that came up with the spell for speaking in tongues.
It was with a heavy heart that they made their way to the grotto, for what would be the last time. Anna, Gerald, Revi, and Tempus of course, left their two guards nearby and descended to the little pool. Lily was cutting weeds, harvesting what they now knew as mistgrass, one of her favourite foods. Gerald could hear Lily in the background chattering away as was her custom when they came to visit. Revi turned Anna to face him and began the incantation. He moved his hands around her and Gerald could feel the air buzzing, as if there were something present.
Anna’s face suddenly lit up. “She’s singing,” she exclaimed. “I understand what she’s saying. She’s singing!”
She turned to face Lily, and strange chattering noises came from Anna’s throat. Gerald could see that Lily understood for the Saurian came running over toward her, chattering back. Anna turned back to Revi. “How long will this last?” she asked.
“I’m not exactly sure, Your Highness, so make the most of it,” he replied.
The excitement was evident on Lily’s face as well as Anna’s. She joined her lizard friend in cutting the grasses that she so enjoyed. Soon they were both singing, a strange sing-song sort of warbling that felt almost angelic.
Anna stood facing her Saurian friend at the end of the visit. Revi told her the spell was about to end, so she bid Lily goodbye. Lily reached into her satchel and withdrew something, handing it to Anna. They hugged each other, and then Anna walked back to the others. She held up the exquisitely crafted dagger to discover the weapon was fashioned out of bone. They made their way back to the Hall. Gerald could see the sadness on her face, but Revi seemed oblivious. Only the two of them knew that this would be their last full day here at Uxley.
They crossed the estate, taking their time. Both Anna and Gerald took in the magnificent view; they would never return here, best to remember it as it was.
It was late in the morning as they came into view of the Hall. Gerald remembered that first day he had arrived, how bad the grounds were and how he had found this little girl that had so changed his life. Those memories would always be there, he knew, but now a new life awaited them.
They walked past the cottage, with its thatched roof and then past the stables. They would enter the Hall through the front door this one last time, he thought. Stopping at the entrance, Gerald turned to look around, to take in the view of the front yard. To his shock, he saw a mounted figure at the gates. He watched as the figure trotted its horse through the gate. There was a second
horse behind the rider, tethered by a rope, and he couldn’t understand what was happening. Anna came to stand beside him, watching the approaching visitor as well. Soon Revi, too, was looking at the strange rider. Even Tempus seemed mesmerized by the spectacle.
It took only for the rider to draw closer for Gerald to understand. Here was a knight, riding his lighter horse while his warhorse was trailing behind, keeping the heavier mount from using unnecessary energy. Who could this rider be, he thought, and why had he come here, to Uxley?
The rider raised a hand and waved, trying to get their attention. They watched as he started moving the horse into a faster trot. Looking at the armour he was wearing, Gerald felt that something seemed oddly familiar. At last, the rider drew within hailing distance and removed the hood to reveal a mass of red hair and he instantly knew who it was.
“Lady Beverly Fitzwilliam,” he announced incredulously.
“Who?” asked Revi.
Anna piped up knowingly, “Lady Beverly Fitzwilliam, daughter to Lord Richard Fitzwilliam, Baron of Bodden. Often called Fitz the younger.”
“Dame Beverly,” Gerald corrected.
“That’s right,” agreed Anna, “she was knighted by the king.”
Lady Beverly rode forward, dismounting as she did so. The action was smooth and practiced. Gerald was impressed by her skill. The young knight came straight up to Anna and, drawing her sword, knelt in front of her, holding the sword point down.
“Your Highness,” she said in a solemn oath, “I pledge my life, my sword to your service.”
Anna looked at her in some surprise while Gerald smiled. It was inconvenient for her to show up as they were about to make their getaway, but he couldn’t help but be pleased.
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