Celia came forward once more, striking with her sword. The shield finally split, falling from Beverly's grip. The redheaded knight struck out with her dagger, marking Celia's face with a cut.
"It's time to die, Beverly, and put an end to the Mercerian Fitzwilliams. You've been a thorn in the side of Norland for far too long."
Beverly tried to stay upright while the wound throbbed painfully; she felt blood dripping down her leg.
"Why, Celia? Why did you betray us?"
"Why?" the blond knight responded. "Norlanders had to flee Merceria generations ago. It's time we took it back. When this battle is over, you'll all be dead, and bodies of Mercerians will be scattered about. It'll mean war, and when the dust settles, we'll move in to clean up. Bodden has been promised to me!"
The treasonous knight looked like she was about to rush forward, but a howl behind her warned of another attack. She turned, just in time to see Tempus bearing down on her. When she raised her shield to defend herself, Beverly struck, launching forward in a desperate lunge, driving the dagger into Celia's back, forcing them both to the ground, the body of the blond knight beneath her. Tempus kept moving, launching himself instead at the enemy leader, who went down in a flurry of teeth and fur.
Beverly felt a hand on her shoulder and looked up to see Alric and Anna. They were lifting her to her feet. The young prince put her arm around his shoulder and started half carrying her back to the safety of the tavern. An enemy soldier stepped forward to intervene but Anna struck with her Dwarven blade, slicing through her target like a hot knife through butter. The man fell to the ground, gripping his arm in a futile attempt to stem the flow of blood.
Anna turned and ran, catching up with them, calling to the great mastiff to follow. They rushed into the tavern, to hear a clatter of arrows striking against the doorway. Revi was there, casting as they entered and soon Beverly felt the tingle of magic knitting the flesh of her leg back into place. She grabbed a nearby sword and stood ready to guard the doorway.
Gerald was surrounded. All he could do was parry with his sword and block with the shield. He tried to back up, but there was no clear path to safety. He dropped to one knee to add force as he struck with the edge of his shield, to be rewarded with the sound of a kneecap breaking. He swung his sword upward in a wide arc, more to clear space than strike a target. The temporary respite allowed him to stand back up and he took another step backwards.
He parried a blow with his sword, only to see an arrow burrow into his opponent's eye. A second arrow impaled a man's foot and suddenly all eyes, but his, were looking up. He turned and sprinted, his feet carrying him to the tavern as quickly as they could. No sooner had he entered than Beverly closed the door, throwing her weight against it.
Gerald instantly took in his surroundings. "Where's Celia," he asked.
"She was the traitor," declared Anna. "She turned on Beverly during the battle. She's dead now."
"How did she know we'd come here?" asked Jack.
"I doubt she did," said Beverly. "It was an opportunity she couldn't pass up. If she'd managed to kill the princess, their plans would be complete. It would be war."
Alric looked confused, but Gerald saw no further time for explanations. "Jack, cover the back door, they'll try to surround us. Are there any other exits?"
"No," said Alric. "We've shuttered all the windows in here."
No sooner had he spoken than the sound of axes clattered at the door.
"They're going to hack their way in," declared Anna. "What do we do?"
"Remember when your brother visited Uxley?" Gerald asked.
"Yes," Anna responded. "Everyone up the stairs, Gerald and Beverly will hold them."
"No!" yelled Jack. "Gerald needs to protect you, Princess. I'll hold the stairs."
The rest rushed up the stairs as Beverly stood, side by side with Jack, at the bottom.
"I'm out of arrows," Hayley called from above.
The front door opened in an explosion of splinters and the enemy poured in. They swarmed across the main floor of the Tavern, rushing the stairs while someone ran to unbar the back door.
Beverly struck out as a target neared, an efficient stab to the neck. Jack parried a blow then swung with his sword. His foe tried to twist out of the way, only to lose an ear. "I hear Norlanders can't fight!" he yelled.
A spear stabbed forward but Jack twisted to the side, leaving the tip to strike at the empty space between the defenders. As the assailant pulled his weapon back, Jack ran his blade up the shaft, slicing into the man's hand.
"Let me lend you a hand!" he yelled.
Beverly worked in silence, cutting and stabbing with precision. She ignored a yell behind her, instead parrying a thrust then kicking with her leg, sending her opponent sprawling.
Anna screamed, and Gerald turned to see a man climbing in through the window. He struck with his blade, driving it into the intruder's chest. The man fell back, but it was just the beginning, for the enemy was climbing the outside walls in large numbers. Alric stepped forward, striking with his sword as two more piled through the window, but had to back up, lest he be overwhelmed.
"They're on both sides!" yelled Anna, as now even more attackers started coming through the other windows. She struck with her sword, slicing into someone's shins. Her opponent struck back with a mace, the blow glancing off her weapon, the force sending her to the ground. The enemy stood over her, preparing to smash her head in when Tempus struck, tearing into the man's neck.
"Beverly, retreat," yelled Gerald, "before the attackers swarm you from the second floor!" The thumping of their feet preceded Jack and Beverly rushing up into the room, slicing as they went.
Now the enemy charged up the stairs, and Gerald cursed at their predicament. Revi cast a spell, his target yawning before dropping from the window to smash his head below. Hayley sliced with her sword, but her armour showed multiple wounds and her blows were growing weaker, and even Revi was running low on energy, his spells becoming less effective as he did so.
The enemy pressed closer while the defenders stood, back to back, forming a defensive circle. Surely this could go on no longer.
It started as a low rumble which grew in intensity. Horns sounded in the distance and one of the attackers, who was by the window, suddenly yelled, "It's the Orcs, flee!"
The Norlanders rushed out of the room and down the stairs, while others turned to climb out the windows. Gerald, who had more than enough of these people, rushed forward, slicing a man mid-step. The rest followed his lead and exploded in a whirlwind of action, cutting down anyone they could. Soon, only the heavy breathing of the defenders filled the room. Anna made her way to the window, looking down at the scene below.
"The Orcs have saved us," she proclaimed. "It's over!"
Alric made his way to stand beside the princess. "They're broken," he exclaimed. "Their plan to blame Merceria has failed."
Beverly gazed upon the scene below. Orcs were gathering up prisoners, using their spears to herd them into groups. There would be no denying the ruse now.
They made their way down the stairs and through the carnage of the ground floor. They recognized the Shaman, Andurak, talking to another Orc, richly decorated with chainmail and bearing a great axe. As they exited the building the Shaman nodded to the axe-laiden Orc, who stepped forward, bowing his head ever so slightly.
"It is a great honour to fight with Redblade," he said. "If we had known of this, we would have been here sooner."
Beverly stood still, too shocked to speak.
"Redblade?" asked Anna.
"It's what the Orcs called Beverly," explained Hayley.
"I don't understand," said the young princess. "That was clear across the other side of Merceria. How would they know that?"
"The spirits are wise," uttered Andurak.
"Do you think," said Jack, "that we might return to Faltingham, Highness? I think we've seen enough excitement for the day."
Alric laughed, and then looked a
t his companion, "I think we can all agree on that, Jack."
Nineteen
Loranguard
Autumn 960 MC
"You'll like Loranguard," said Alric, peering out the carriage window. "It's a port city, astride the Loran River."
"Loran was the founder of Weldwyn, wasn't he?" asked Anna.
"Yes, that's right. I'm surprised you know that. Most people don't have an interest in history."
"Her Highness is not most people," explained Gerald.
The carriage hit a rut in the road, sending it sliding. Anna was pushed up against Lady Nicole who was sitting on the other side of her.
"I wish the roads here were more like Merceria," commented Lady Nicole.
"Are the roads well-built back home?" asked Alric.
"The king's road between Kingsford and Wincaster is; it's paved, but the truth is the rest of them are just as bad as this."
"It's not so bad," mused Gerald. "At least we have a comfortable carriage to ride in." He looked out the window to see the horsemen riding in the rain.
"Wouldn't it be better to halt for the day?" asked Anna.
"When we're so close?" challenged Alric. "No, we'll be arriving soon. Up ahead is a turn in the road and then you'll see Loranguard, or at least you would if it wasn't raining. We'll be there before dinner time."
"I take it you've been there before, Highness," asked Lady Nicole.
"Yes," Alric replied, "my brother, Cuthbert, is up here. He married Lady Madeline, the earl's daughter, so he spends most of his time here."
"What's the city like, Alric?" asked Anna. "Give us some more information."
"Well," he continued, "it lies on the forks of the river Loran. There's a big castle there, we call it the Citadel. It's on the northernmost bank, with the tributary coming in from the west to join up with the river right below the castle walls."
"I would imagine," offered Gerald, "that there's quite a bit of shipping flowing through."
"Yes," agreed the young prince. "It's the northernmost port in Weldwyn, though smaller boats travel up-river to a number of settlements. You'll likely see ships from dozens of foreign lands. Do you see many in Merceria?"
"No," Gerald replied. "The sea is cut off from our ports by the Great Swamp. I'm afraid the only ships we've seen are the small river boats like the one we arrived in."
“Oh, yes, I remember Anna talking about that. We'll have to arrange a tour of the docks; I think you'd like it."
"Aren't the Twelve Clans right across the river?" asked Lady Nicole.
"Yes, on the western bank, though they don't come that close to the border. The city is quite large, some say even larger than the capital, but it's spread up and down the river so you don't notice it so much."
The carriage slewed sideways as the wheels struck a large stone in the road.
"Are there theatres in Loranguard, Highness?" enquired Lady Nicole.
"Yes, several, in fact. I'm quite a fan of them. I especially like the works of Trellian Marston. Do you have his plays in Merceria?"
"I don't think so," Nicole admitted. "Our great playwright was a man known as Califax."
"Hmm, I'm afraid I don't know the name."
"What are the plays like in Weldwyn?" asked the princess.
"They vary a lot," Alric admitted. "There are the romances, the tragedies, even comedies. My favourite, I think is 'The Dawn of Fate'. It concerns a young warrior who is raised by commoners but is secretly the bastard child of the king. It has some tremendous fight scenes. Do you like plays, Anna?"
"I think so," she answered, "though, truth be told, I've only seen one, and it was raided by the king's guard. We had to make our getaway across the rooftops of Wincaster."
"That sounds exciting," remarked Alric. "You're so full of surprises."
"How so?" asked Anna.
"Well, you seem to be a prim and proper young princess, and then you turn around and run across rooftops and fight invaders. I'm not sure I know how to take you. You remind me of my sister Althea, but she's just a pain in the arse."
"You shouldn't think that way," said Anna. "You're lucky to have a family. Imagine if you were to lose her, how would you feel about her then?"
"True," Alric admitted. "I hadn't thought about that." He flashed Anna a smile.
"Perhaps," offered Lady Nicole, "you might condescend to take the princess to a play while you're in Loranguard?"
"That's a marvellous idea!" Alric beamed. "I'll find out what's playing. You're going to love your stay here, Anna. I've so much to show you."
The constant drumming of the rain on the roof of the carriage finally ceased, so they all looked out the windows to see they were passing through the gates of the city.
"Well, that was unexpected," admitted Alric. "I suppose I've kept us talking too much."
"Don't be silly, Alric," said Anna. "It was a nice conversation. We should chat more often, you're so much more relaxed when we're alone."
"Well, hardly alone," noted Lady Nicole, "that would be most unseemly."
Gerald tried to stifle a smile. Lady Nicole wasn't much older than Beverly, but she seemed to go out of her way to act like an old matron.
"We'll be crossing the river soon," offered Alric, "and then we'll make our way to the Citadel where you'll be lodged."
"Aren't you staying there as well?" asked Anna.
"No, I'll be with the earl and his family at their mansion, but I'll check in on you during your stay."
Gerald noticed the look of disappointment written on Anna's face. The conversation died and they rode on in silence, with the young princess gazing out the window as they drove through the city.
* * *
The carriage entered the courtyard and halted. A richly dressed servant opened the door for them where they were met by Lady Madeline, who greeted the party on behalf of her husband.
"We have arranged a meal for you, Highness," she said. "If you'd like to come this way."
Alric was glancing around, "When can we expect to see Cuthbert?" he asked.
"He'll be with us shortly, Alric. He's attending to an important matter."
"We need to make arrangements for our people first," began Anna.
"I'll see to it, Highness," offered Dame Beverly. "We'll look to the horses and billeting, and then I'll find you later."
"Very well," said Anna, turning to Gerald. "Shall we?"
Gerald held out his arm for her, "Of course, Highness."
She took his arm following their host into the great hall. A few tables had been set end to end to give the appearance of a single long one. There must have been more than two dozen chairs at the table, and as Anna entered, the people rose to their feet.
Lady Madeline showed Anna to the head of the table while a servant withdrew the chair and she sat, nodding her thanks while waiting for it to be pushed in. Gerald took the seat to her right while Tempus squeezed between them to take up his customary place beneath, much to the consternation of the servants. Alric sat at Anna's left, with his sister-in-law beside him. His older brother's chair beside his wife sat empty, awaiting his arrival.
"Cuthbert insists," stated Lady Madeline, "that you don't stand on ceremony. Feel free to begin eating."
Gerald surveyed the table, his eyes coming to rest on an enormous platter of sausages. He looked to Anna, and she laughed.
"Go ahead," she said. "Dig in and toss some over to me."
Soon, the great hall echoed with the sounds of eating.
The soldiers were escorted inside for billeting while the horses were walked to the stables. Arnim had organized the watch so that Beverly could take care of Lightning. She had removed the great warhorse's tack and was just beginning to brush him down when she heard a sound at the far end of the stable; two men had just entered with their mounts.
"Damn Clansmen, I still don't trust 'em," the first man said, in a rich baritone. "After all the trouble they've caused, it's a bit strange they suddenly want to talk."
"Well, we're
not at war," his companion said in a high, nasally voice.
"That's never stopped them from raiding before," the baritone reminded.
"Maybe they mean it this time," said the high voice. "After all, they sent one of their own nobles to talk to us, perhaps they're as tired of the fighting as we are."
"Hah, I'll believe it when I see it."
They walked past the stall where Beverly was grooming her horse and fell silent.
"Nice horse, miss," said the baritone. "Where'd you get it?"
"In Merceria," she offered.
"Oh yeah? Where's that?" he asked.
She was about to rebuke the man's stupidity and instead, silently rebuked herself. Merceria was over five hundred miles away, while these were simple soldiers. She thought back to Bodden Keep; half the soldiers there had no idea where Wincaster was, let alone Westland.
"It lies far to the east," she replied.
"She's a beauty," said the high pitched man.
Beverly was about to curse the man until she realized he was talking about Lightning. "Yes, he is," she said. "He's a Mercerian Charger, the largest breed in the land and a warhorse. I suggest you don't get too close."
They both nodded their heads in appreciation. "Good day to you, then," the baritone said, and they made their way down to the stalls at the end of the stables.
Later that evening, the Mercerian's found themselves in Anna's suite of rooms; the princess sitting at the head of a table with Gerald to her right, the remaining seats available for the rest to join them. Once they were seated, Gerald looked around at the faces of those present. Beverly was sitting to Gerald's right and beyond her was her cousin, Aubrey Brandon. Revi, Arnim and Hayley sat across from them with little Lily sitting at the far end.
Heart of the Crown Page 18