by Walleye
He began a series of feints and probes which were followed up by a blow with all his strength behind it. He drove her blade down but as he brought his blade up to count a point on her chest her blade shot up and stopped against his chest.
They stood there frozen like two statues as they stared in surprise at each other.
“Marvelous.” Cousin Elliot who had been watching exclaimed as she clapped her hands together. “You two are equally matched.”
He stepped back and bowed to Maryellen. “An honor, Milady.”
She stepped back and smiled at him. Behind her unseen a small fairy breathed a sigh of relief.
He turned to Elliot. “What happened at the main gate?” He asked as he examined his blunt practice sword.
Elliot took up her stance in the ring with her practice sword at the ready. “Prince Johnathan’s love life is what happened. He blackmailed a father to give him one of his daughters for a year and instead he got all three daughters and their parent to boot.”
Sir Rathbone chuckled. “Sounds like justice to me as now he has to feed and protect all four of them.” His sword touched hers and then he lunged.
Elliot’s own sword countered his and beat it down. “What’s even worse is that where he apparently expected to have a timid young woman he could woo, he now has three of them and they didn’t look intimidated at all to me.”
She brought her own sword up following the twist as he tried to lure her in. As he struck she shoved his sword aside and shoved him back at the same time.
“In fact.” She continued as she went on guard again. “I got the distinct impression that Belle and her two sisters Gwen and Ella were quite capable of pulling out his fangs anytime that they wanted to.”
He sighed as he too went back on guard again. “All you women are changing. Nothing is like when I was younger.”
“And you find that disconcerting?” She asked him with a raised eyebrow. She had encountered enough conceited males to last her a lifetime.
“No. I find it challenging because it means I have to work harder to keep up with you.” He went on the attack again.
Elliot found herself adjusting her opinion of Sir Rathbone upward. She had first pegged him as being conceited and over sure of himself. It was amazing how your perceptions of a person changed when you realized they were more than just their outer appearances suggested.
When they took a break she asked him. “When I first met you on the way here, you never said what your purpose for being here was. I am pretty sure that my cousin would never have invited you here for your company’s sake.”
Sir Rathbone frowned as he considered this for a minute. Finally he said. “I can’t tell you everything, but I can tell you that I am here as an honest observer. There are many in higher places who are deeply concerned about the Prince’s capability of ruling if he stays in the form that he is in and I am here to evaluate things and report back to them.”
“So you are not an enemy like I thought when you and my cousin clashed the first day we came here.”
“It was a test and it went just like I wanted it to.” Sir Rathbone told her. “This way I could draw out those dissatisfied with the Prince’s rule. I actually admired his response to my provocation, but I could not tell him so.”
Maryellen approached them and indicated she was ready to practice again, but this time with Elliot. Sir Rathbone chuckled. “Looks like break is over and it’s your turn.”
The three of them practiced hard all afternoon and the best they could do were several draws and a lot of bruises.
In the meantime Johnathan was trying once more to work with his beloved roses when he was interrupted by Marjorie the women’s Wardrobe Mistress. “Sire, we have a problem.”
With a weary sigh he got to his feet. “What is it? Rrrrr.” He growled, knowing that if it wasn’t important she never would’ve bothered him while he was working on his rose bushes.
Marjorie who was a plump, grey-haired woman and Phillip‘s wife wrung her hands. “Forgive me but we don’t have enough maids to take care of all the young women you’ve added as guests here at the castle. Right now all I have is my daughter Tillie and between the two of us we can’t see to the needs of all five women. We were stretched very tight with just Elliot and Maryellen to care for and now it is impossible.”
He knelt and put his right hand to his head in frustration. He growled as he got a grip on his temper. It wouldn’t do to scream at her as she was only trying to do her duty. Finally he looked up at her. “I will give you permission to hire four more maids. Please tell me you know where to get them from.”
She smiled in relief. “Yes, Sire. Several of the men who work here have wives and daughters. If we offer them enough pay, I’m sure we can find enough and Tillie and I can bring them into a rough shape very, very quickly.”
He had never thought of the men who worked for him in the castle as being fathers with wives and children. He was tempted to ask why they hadn’t offered their daughters to lift the curse, but he didn’t as he was sure he didn’t want to know the answer to that question. It probably had to do with the fact he’d been a horrible ruler the first two years he’d been cursed, screaming, shouting, and smashing things. What true father would want to expose his young daughter to that?
Then there was his Mother who insisted he marry only a princess and they were the worst with their refined tastes and protected upbringing. They had screamed the loudest of them all when they had first seen him.
The Boar Hunt
After Marjorie left, the Beast had to endure the cook’s complaints. The cook was a chubby Frenchman with a Vandyke beard. He put his hands on his hips to the sides of his white apron and asked. “Master, how will I feed all these people on such short notice? Food does not grow on trees you know?”
He paused. “Well maybe it does if you count apples, pears, cherries, peaches and oranges. And…” He trailed off as a shadow fell across him.
Johnathan was standing at his full height and glaring fiercely down at the man who stared right back. Finally Johnathan growled. “I don’t care where you get the food from. Just get it or face my displeasure.”
“Fine. I’ll serve escargot as I can find them in the garden along with the garnishes.” The man snapped back. “But you’re going to have to find more food and very quickly, Milord. Our pantries are low on stock and the cellar?”
He sighed. “You don’t want to know what is down there. Some of the rats down there, I swear, are as big as horses.”
“Oh, all right.” The Beast growled, knowing when he was defeated. “I’ll take Sir Rathbone and Sir Elliot. We’ll get some wild pigs.”
“That’ll do for later.” The cook replied. “But it’ll still be escargot tonight.” He turned away and waddled off with his chub swaying. He would get the castle boys and go hunting the gardens and the meadows for the necessary ingredients for tonight’s dinner.
Johnathan sent word to Sir Elliot and Sir Rathbone that they were going to go pig hunting. He ordered Marshal Falk to get three horses and provide beaters and pike men and to assemble them in the main courtyard. Unknown to him someone was about to intrude on his hunt in a big way as one of the Sidhe was still not satisfied.
The Sidhe Morgin had unknown to the other Sidhe in their land Under The Hill slipped out of the mushroom ring and had begun spying on the Beast. In the spirit of her princess’ orders she was determined to cause more grief for the Beast and that interfering mermaid. How dare the mermaid think she could escape retribution after her cowardly attack with her thrown rocks? She would learn what retribution was when wielded by one of the Sidhe.
She squatted in a grey circle of jagged stones which marked a ley line of power and gathered the power to her breast by sweeping her hands through the green glowing fog and pulling it in to her chest. She moaned as she felt the power grow within her before bursting forth and conforming itself to the images and shapes of her most fervent thoughts and desires.
In the ima
ge shimmering before her she beheld the Beast preparing for the hunt and a wicked thought took hold of her. The prince would get his hunt but he would find more than a simple pig at the end of his boar spear.
In her mind the image changed and she beheld a solitary boar with his puny four inch tusks feeding in a clearing. She fed her magic into his body which swelled and grew from an animal of nearly three hundred pounds to one now topping nine hundred pounds with razor-sharp tusks nine inches long.
Its once simple mind was seized and taken over by Morgin’s magic and was transformed into that of a silver-haired demon with only one intent and that was to kill and maim the Beast. It snarled and fire shot from its nostrils as its eyes glowed like red coals. It began to stride forward and the ground shook under the impact of its cloven hooves.
Morgin admired her savage creation for a moment but then she looked away towards the castle. It was time to add the final element of her revenge, the transformed mermaid. The victim had to be drawn into the trap like a spider draws the fly.
She drew her hands through the pool of power of the ley line and gathered her magic again. It was time to bring the players together again so that the earth could be sated in its thirst for their fresh blood.
Thistledown had been very surprised when Maryellen had told her she wanted to practice with the sword and then to see her grow more and more proficient as she practiced with the two knights had been an even bigger surprise.
Obviously the wizard Toby had known what he was doing when he had given her that sword. This was one Princess who could fight.
One of the grooms approached the two knights, bowed and declared. “His royal highness, Gentle Sirs, requests your presence at a royal pig hunt. Please follow me to the courtyard to get your gear and weapons.”
Thistledown breathed a sigh of relief when the servant didn’t include Maryellen. Boar hunts were dangerous even with the metal guards on the spears to keep the boar from running up the spear to kill its tormentor.
Thistledown gasped as she felt the passage of Morgin’s magic through her body as it headed for Maryellen.
At the same time Maryellen’s sword began to glow and as the spell descended on her the sword whipped up before her eyes and the magic spell meant to control her exploded.
Maryellen staggered and she got a strange look on her face as an image of Morgin’s sending was transformed by the magic of the sword. To her horror she saw the Beast lying on the ground beside a gorge. He was torn and bloody and then his body was flung away, nearly ripped in two by the charge of a gigantic boar. She gasped. “Hiiiisth” in horror.
She knew instantly that she had to protect him. She ran forward and grabbed the knights’ two arms and started dragging them after the retreating servant.
“What are you doing?” Elliot protested.
Sir Rathbone looked and took in the blond-haired woman’s firm look of determination. “I think three of us are going on this hunt instead of just the two of us.”
The woman between the two of them nodded her head up and down vigorously as she tugged them forward.
“What are you doing?” Thistledown shouted in her ear. “You can’t fight a boar. It’ll tear you to pieces.
Maryellen ignored the protests and the pain in her legs as she strode towards the courtyard where the hunt was being assembled. If she didn’t go, she knew the one that she loved would die.
‘Oh no.’ Thistledown thought as she saw the bustling servants and grooms with the horses. The Beast was standing there directing things and holding a boar spear in his paw.
‘I guess we’re going boar hunting.’ She said to herself in resignation.
The Beast turned to face them and when he saw the two knights and Maryellen all wearing their swords were joining them it went without saying that the Beast was not pleased with this development. He strode over to them and confronted Maryellen as the two knights stepped back. This was not their fight.
“This is not a party!” The Beast roared at her. “We don’t have time to coddle hangers on who can’t contribute.” He waved his boar spear with its boar guard four feet from the butt end with the sharp end right in her face. “Get out!”
There was a swishing sound as her sword came out and with a ringing clang she used it to chop the spear in two.
He stared for a moment with an open mouth as the front of his cloven spear plunged to the ground and then he looked into her determined eyes. “You aren’t going to listen to me, are you?” He asked in resignation.
Maryellen vigorously shook her head from side to side and gripped the handle of her sword even tighter in her hands.
The spirit inside Johnathan admired this woman’s courage and will. The animal in him recognized another with strength of purpose equal to his own. The person inside him recognized when he was beaten and it was time to give up.
He sighed and turned to Marshal Falk who was directing the soldiers whom he selected for the hunt how to proceed. “Marshal, please make that four horses for my party and get me another damned spear. No. Make that four spears.”
The Marshal nodded and sent one of the groomsmen running back to get another horse and the required spears with their boar guards.
When the horse was procured, Thistledown looked worried. “Can you even ride a horse?” The fairy whispered in Maryellen’s ear as the woman took the reins from the groom.
Maryellen shook her head. She then looked pleadingly at the fairy.
Thistledown sighed. “I’ll go along and control the horse and keep you in the saddle. But please don’t attack the boar unless you’re defending yourself. They are very dangerous when wounded.”
Maryellen noted that Elliot was mounting her horse with the assistance of a mounting block and that she sat astride the horse. Elliot leaned forward in her saddle and asked her. “Do you want a side saddle?”
When Maryellen indicated she didn’t understand, Elliot told her. “A side saddle is a saddle where you can sit sideways on the horse. Its purpose is to preserve your modesty at the expense of control of the horse.”
Maryellen pointed at the saddle Elliot was seated in and nodded her head to indicate that she wanted the regular saddle. “Smart choice.” Elliot told her with a smile. “Side saddles were never intended for boar hunting.”
When the regular saddle was procured and fixed on the horse’s back with the girth, Maryellen mounted trying to copy what she had seen Elliot do. Even with the fairy’s help she was still not as graceful as the knight, but she did get on the horse and take the reins in her hands.
“Are we finally done fooling around?” Growled the Beast. He was seated on a huge draft horse with an extra-large saddle and even as a beast he looked the part of a prince. He was wearing a heavy leather coat and pants which would turn a boar’s tusks much better than cloth ever would.
At their nods he swung his horse around with a kick in the opposite side and led the procession down the drawbridge. Stanley the gate keeper heard him mutter. “Damn, slow-moving, procrastinating fools.” As he rode by him. Stanley smiled. His master was in right proper form.
Belle and her two sisters came out to watch them ride off. Belle sighed. “Isn’t he handsome?”
Gwen smiled. “I’ll admit that Sir Rathbone is good looking.”
Ella put in. “I think he’s dreamy.”
“No, sillies.” Belle replied. “I meant the Beast.”
Ella chuckled. “Well, compared to Rumpelstiltskin he certainly is prettier.”
Gwen looked askance at her. “I like Rumpelstiltskin. There is a very kind and lonely person underneath that cursed form he’s forced to wear.”
Belle grinned at her. “Gwenny has a crush. Gwenny has a boyfriend.” She chanted, knowing that she sounded like she was ten and not caring a bit.
“I do not.” Gwen protested weakly but she was smiling as she said it.
“Do too. Do too.” Belle chanted and Ella joined her so that they were chanting together. “Do too. Do too.”
Gwen turned her back on them and stalked back into the castle with her head held high. But there was a smile on her lips and her neck reddening.
Belle confided to Ella. “She’s blushing, isn’t she?”
“She certainly is.” Replied Ella with a knowing smile. The two of them followed their sister so that they could get ready to welcome the hunters on their return.
As the hunters rode along the Beast kept glancing over at Maryellen. She was staying in the saddle but something didn’t seem right. She wasn’t directing the horse with her legs or the reins, but the horse still went where she needed it to go.
This would require looking into. Was she using magic? He turned back to the head of his hunters. “Have you got the beaters in place?”
The head of the hunters was a thin grey-haired man with a jagged scar across his chin. “They should be in place now, Sire. Position your hunters along the gorge we’ll be channeling them into and I’ll give the signal.”
The Beast stood up in his saddle and called out. “Sir Rathbone and Lady Maryellen with Johnston and Merriweather on the north side of the gorge. The rest are with me.”
As Maryellen got into position and looked questioningly at her spear, Johnston called out. “Keep the butt back under your shoulder and drive the horse at the pig to stick him.” He quickly added. “Milady.”
Maryellen nodded her thanks as the head of the hunters sounded a trumpet. There was a moment’s silence before an answering call came back.
“It should be at least twenty minutes before the first pigs get here.” Sir Rathbone told her as he adjusted his spear. “Let the piglets and the sows go. The first are too small to bother with and the sows are needed for the next generation.”
Maryellen nodded and looked over at Johnathan who was talking to his cousin. She wished he was on the same side of the gorge as she was. The feeling that something bad was going to happen was growing stronger.
After a few minutes they could hear the distant calls of the line of beaters as they drove the herd out of the forests where they liked to graze on nuts and roots. Pheasants whirred up with excited cries from the tall grass as they were driven from cover by the approaching pigs.