by Al K. Line
"That's great! But nobody said anything about stopping me actually going outside did they?"
"Um..." The guard thought for a moment then brightened. "No, the twins never said nuffin' about that and neither did The General."
"Well, all right then. I'm taking Leel here out—"
Woof!
"Quiet Leel." Arcene glared at Leel then continued. "I'm taking trouble here for a walk, we don't want her weeing all over the castle now do we?"
"Oh, no ma'am."
"Good." Arcene closed the door behind her and marched off down the corridor. Wait for it, wait for it.
"Miss, miss. Er, ma'am, wait up, I have to come with you. I have to guard you."
"I thought you had to guard the door, stop anything happening to me?"
The guard turned and stared at the door. "Er, um." He scratched his head. "Well, I was told to guard the door and make sure that you stayed safe and nobody tried no funny business."
"Okay then," Arcene began walking again.
"But, but, if you ain't in the room then it don't matter if somebody comes to the door. Er..."
"Okay, let's clear this up, it sounds like your orders were very confusing." Arcene was amazed the man couldn't see the smile on her face. "You were told to guard the door and make sure nobody tried to get in and hurt me, right?" The guard nodded. "And I bet they told you that nobody was to go in or out apart from the twins or Margaret, right?" Another nod, followed by a look of confusion. "I know what you're thinking, you're thinking that now I'm out of the door then none of that matters, aren't you?"
"Yes, ma'am."
"But what if when I come back there is a nasty man in my room with a big ax and he chops off my head?"
"Well, that would be terrible."
"Exactly. So...?"
The guard brightened. "So I need to follow orders and guard the room in case somebody tries to get in while you are away."
"Right. You're a clever one aren't you? I can see why you were chosen for such an important mission. As you were, carry on guarding."
The guard stepped back to the door and stared at it suspiciously, chest puffed out with pride, focusing on his orders.
Arcene whistled and wandered down the corridor with Leel.
There were similar encounters along the way to the castle entrance, but her guard was the most intelligent of the lot so it didn't slow her down much. Finally, she was at the main doors. She heard the noise outside already building as people set up stalls and shouted at each other, calling out what delights they had to offer those with the necessary goods to trade.
"Morning," said Arcene brightly to the guard she had seen the previous afternoon.
"Morning," he said sleepily, only half saluting. He didn't even donk his helmet.
"You haven't been here since yesterday have you? Just got an early shift I suppose." Arcene stared at the man, he looked dead on his feet. Gray stubble poked through his square jaw, his eyes were bloodshot and he kept wobbling.
"No ma'am, I'm still here. Nobody came to relieve me, I've been standing here all night and right tired I am now. I'm not even sure if anyone is supposed to replace me, I was ordered to be on guard and watch out for anything suspicious so you would be all safe and protected."
"Right. Seen anything then?"
The tired guard managed a brief smile. "Well, there was this dodgy looking bloke that wanted to go inside and was telling this story about how the twins was going to eat his baby and that you wanted to eat his little legs and he was quite upset. But I set him straight and I sent him on his way. Very suspicious."
"Good job. Told him you wouldn't let it happen, did you?" asked Arcene hopefully.
"Nope. I told him that if the twins and our new queen wanted to offer his son to Him then he should be honored and it ain't every day we gets us a new queen. I dunno what all the fuss was about, it's not like he ain't got another five little brats anyway. Breed like flies some of them do, it's no wonder they put 'em..."
"Hey, hey!" Arcene shook the man, he'd nodded off and was about to topple over.
"Eh? Ugh, wassat?"
"Never mind. See ya." Arcene waved and walked across the plaza before he had the chance to think about following her.
She ignored the stares of the people, refused to stop when they tried to talk, just kept going — she had a plan and she intended to leave, soon.
Looks Complicated
Arcene stared at the huge castle gates, wood as black as iron and just as hard. The double door hung on huge hinges set deep into the walls and a massive beam sat in clamps across them both — huge, heavy, impossible for one person to move. Behind those doors was freedom, or the drawbridge at any rate, then freedom.
All she had to do was figure out how to get the doors open and the drawbridge lowered then she would be on her way and Castle Kenyon could carry on without her. Good riddance too.
Throughout the night Arcene had struggled with her decision, going around and around in circles, weighing up the right and wrong of it, following the timelines that led to her freedom and figuring out Whip was manipulating her and the twins for his own plans. She would be a plaything to nobody, but she felt like she should do something too: steer the people away from the sick path they had trodden for so long, turn them from human sacrifice and the cannibalism they felt brought them closer to Him.
What a mess. As the first rays of light bit into the castle walls Arcene had come to her decision: there was nothing she could do for them, they would either change their ways or not. A young girl couldn't convince so many people that their way of life for centuries was abhorrent, such things took time, more than she was willing to offer even if she could, and she couldn't — if she stayed she would be a wife to one of the twins, or worse, caught in the middle of a power struggle that wouldn't end well for anyone, least of all her and Leel.
So she would leave and never look back.
"Oi, what you gawpin' at?"
Arcene turned and squinted at a recess in the wall a few paces to the left of the gate. In the dark interior she saw a man taller than most at the castle, wiry and strong with a long beard, straggly hair as red as fire flecked with gray and eyebrows so bushy it was a wonder he could see anything.
"Hi, I'm Arcene."
"I know who you are, you're that girl wot wore the fancy dress." The old man spat onto the ground and hopped off a ledge with the agility of a young man.
Arcene smiled. "I like you. This is Leel." Arcene pointed at Leel, then realized it was rather a silly thing to do. It wasn't like you could miss her, especially when she was already sniffing your hands and snuffling in your pockets for a tasty treat.
"Yeah, well, don't know me do you? 'Ere you, get outta there." The man pushed at Leel's wet nose and then bent so she could lick his face. "Who's a good dog then? Leel is it? Well, that's a right fine name for a very large dog. I like dogs," he said, as he slapped Leel on the rump and stared at Arcene.
At least she thought he was, it was hard to tell under the eyebrows. "Nice gate, looks strong."
The man wandered over to Arcene, not taking his eyes of her. "Humpf, of course it is, I'm in charge of it. Not like everything else around here that's falling apart. I take care of my gate, I don't let it outta my site. Much." He stared at the ancient wood with real pride, then put a hand to it and stroked it like it could feel his gentle touch.
"You in charge of it then? And it looks lovely, really nice and... Oiled, that's it. Nice and dark and shiny like you know what you are doing and you care for it properly. You know," continued Arcene, trying to think of as many nice things to say as possible, "I bet you do a better job than anyone else at the castle. I mean, look at this wood, it's rock solid and all shiny, bet you wax it and oil it and I bet everyone thinks you do a wonderful job. Yours is probably the most important position in the whole castle."
"Huh, you'd think so wouldn't you? After all, I'm in charge of making sure nobody gets in without them supposed to being inside, and I've looked after th
is door for fifty years, the drawbridge too. But things are different now, used to be that people would come and talk to me and look at the wood, but now... Nobody comes, nobody appreciates wot I do. Even them damn shepherds, the only ones that ever go in or out, they don't even bother to say hello no more, they just stand here all impatient like, waiting for me to do all the work, they never help."
"What!? No way. They let you do all the work?" Arcene put a hand to the massive wooden bar. "You can't move this on your own though, surely? I mean, you look strong and fit, really powerful, but I bet it's too heavy even for you. Right?"
"Aha," said the gatekeeper, eyes sparkling, "since none of them help me now I made summit wot makes my life easier as I get older. They'd see me break my back and not care otherwise."
"Oh, wow! I'd love to see how it works, I can't believe nobody takes an interest. This is the most important part of the castle after all."
"Exactly. That's what I keep telling 'em. Without me we'd have all sorts of problems. We'd have weirdos coming in here and stealing women and eating our food and we'd have sheep wandering all over the place. They don't care, they don't take no interest. They just moan and shout and don't lift a finger to help."
"That's awful. And you doing such a great job too, and for all this time."
"Glad to see someone appreciates all the work I do." The man stroked his beard then leaned in close to Arcene and whispered, "Come on, I'll show you how it works. It's nice to find someone who cares, and a bit of company would be nice too. I don't get to talk to many people nowadays. Everyone's too busy for The Gatekeeper, they just look at me and think I'm an old man but I could teach them a thing or two." The Gatekeeper walked as he talked, and led Arcene and Leel into the gloom.
It was like stepping behind the scenes of the castle. This is it! This is what I wanted. Arcene remained calm, she knew she had to be as nice as possible if she was to get him to show her how to escape her blue prison.
What Arcene had assumed was a hidey-hole of sorts in the battlement wall was a whole other world. Hidden behind the opening was a small wood burning stove, the flue disappearing off at an angle. To the side of it was a pile of blankets along with a battered kettle, a few metal plates and cups, and scraps of vegetable waste. The Gatekeeper saw her staring and said, "I sleep here, I live here, it's what I do. And I'm not much for getting involved in The Feast. I eat vegetables and real meat, animal meat, when I can get it."
It was as if he was waiting for Arcene to argue, she certainly wouldn't. "Sounds perfect. Cozy too."
"Come on, let me show you the rest." He led them to the right, stepping behind the stove into a dark corridor lit only by the tiniest of openings in the wall. Arcene stood on tiptoe and peered through. It was outside! The real world full of grass, trees and pretty flowers. Freedom.
"Do you ever, you know, go outside?"
"Tried it once, didn't like it," came the gruff reply. "Too much sky, too much air, felt sick and got a headache. It ain't natural. We aren't to go out there, not like you. You don't belong here, you belong out there. I've been watching you."
"You seem to know a lot," said Arcene, her respect for him growing by the minute.
"I ain't stupid. Come on." He moved deeper into the narrow space and Arcene realized they could look out both sides of the wall. One side showed the drawbridge, the moat and freedom, the other viewpoint gave them a clear view of the gate and the way people would exit. Next to both openings was a loaded crossbow. These were the murder holes so many castles had, perfect for killing intruders without risking your own life.
"I open and close the drawbridge from here, and if there's any funny business..." The Gatekeeper nodded at the crossbows.
"Very clever. I bet it's tough to open the drawbridge though, isn't it? Bet it takes more than one man to raise and lower such a heavy weight."
"Haha. Nah, it's all done with weights and gears. I made improvements years ago, back when I was young and my brain worked better, been working perfectly ever since. All I do is oil this lot and pull the levers." He pointed to the rear of the cramped space where huge cogs with well-oiled chains disappeared up into the darkness. There were two levers at shoulder height, each angled up to the ceiling. "You just pull the left one to open it and the right one to shut it again. Simple." Arcene wasn't sure, but she thought he winked at her. "Not that I'm always here to do it mind you. Sometimes I have to go and get food, or other chores that take me away from the gate. Nobody cares, they just wait or come find me. The idiots have never even asked how it works as then they could do it themselves and save the moaning and me having to listen to them grumble about hanging about."
"Wow! It's very interesting and thank you for showing me. You're a kind man."
The Gatekeeper fidgeted a little then turned and began to walk to the entrance. "I don't know 'bout that young miss, I just know that not everyone should live the same way as everyone else. Some people just ain't suited to the lives we lead here."
They were outside again by the time he finished speaking, the intent behind their words to each other was clear. "Thank you, I appreciate it very much," said Arcene.
"Ain't nuffin, it was nice to have someone to talk to, even if they are a little bit of a cheeky one."
He definitely winked that time. "Well, thanks again. See you."
"Wait, don't you want to see how I manage to lift the latch?" The Gatekeeper shouted after her.
Damn. Forgot. Arcene turned and smiled. "Why yes, that would be wonderful."
Plans Unravel
"What do you mean she told you to choose?" Whip was exasperated, he'd listened to the twins wittering on in their usual manner for half an hour now and he was only just getting any sense out of them. He held his anger in check, knowing he had to be careful with the twins. What made it all the more infuriating was that they'd finally turned up the morning after he'd eavesdropped on them in the corridor, but clearly he had missed the most important parts of their conversation then — how he hated them.
How could she have turned the tables so fast? This wasn't how it was supposed to go. She was meant to be so angry she dealt with them both before they actually forced her into marriage, now it seemed like she had gained herself some time. Whip knew as well as Arcene that the twins would squabble over who could marry her and the result wouldn't be her doing Whip's dirty work for him, in fact it could lead to all manner of complications for him: having to interact with them for longer, not to mention the worry that Arcene could turn her betrothed easier than she could if the twins remained together.
Divide and conquer. Brilliant.
Whip wanted an end to it, to it all. He was considering just killing the pair of them right there and then, but then what? No, it had to be an outsider, it had to be her. And then...
"I've already told you Whip, were you not listening? She told us to choose which of us could marry her, so who should it be? We thought of you old man, knew you would have some sensible words for us, help us decide what to do with her."
"She's so feisty isn't she?" said Fionn. "Nobody has ever spoken to us like she does, it makes me angry and cross but excited too. She's so different."
"Very. She makes me feel alive."
"That's what I said, stop copying me Flynn, have your own thoughts."
"You have your own, you're just copying me."
"That's enough!" Whip had overstepped the boundaries and he knew it. Flynn and Fionn stared at him aghast — how dare he? "Sorry young masters, I am just so angry and I allowed it to come out. I apologize."
"Don't let it happen again," warned Flynn.
"Sorry. But you say she told you to choose? Told you? Since when does anyone tell the rulers of Castle Kenyon what to do? You tell them, not the other way around."
"Yes, yes, we know that Whip," said Fionn dismissively. "But she's, well, she's rather a law unto herself. And anyway, now we have thought about it maybe it is a good idea. After all, one of us is what she wants so it only seems right."
&n
bsp; "Not to mention the fact she will need careful watching when she is queen, so it is best that one of us has the responsibility."
"Masters, surely two of you could watch her better than one?"
"Oh, you know us Whip, we do like time on our own. At least this way we can have a break, we thought maybe we could swap now and then, she wouldn't even notice."
Apart from the fact that half the time you don't even know which twin you are yourselves, thought Whip. What was he to do? Could this work to his advantage? No, they needed to push her, push her too far, tell her to do things she would never agree to, that was the way to get Arcene to deal with these imbeciles.
"Hmm, I think she is trying to make you into women. Men do not take orders from the likes of her. She is playing with you young masters, she is trying to run your lives and she has just arrived. What will she be like if she marries just one of you? You will be hen-pecked and taking orders from her before you know it."
"Now hang on a minute Whip, there's no need to get—"
"He's right," interrupted Fionn. "What were we thinking? We can't go letting a girl tell us what to do. And besides, Whip, did you know she can't even bear children?"
"I knew, you can see it if you look through The Noise."
"There you go then."
"What? What do you mean?" asked Flynn.
Fionn paused and thought for a moment. "Um, I'm not sure. But anyway, she is trying to force us apart brother, we can't have that. No, she shall marry us both, today, and that will be the end of it. Now, where is she? I think we should arrange this immediately, no time to waste."
"Really? A wedding today? How wonderful. We should let her know, she is sure to see the sense of it, and after all, if we think it is for the best then it most surely is."
Got them, thought Whip, smiling inwardly while maintaining a serious expression.
They left without another word. Hopefully this would be the last day Whip had to see their smug faces.