But wait, she wasn’t alone. There was someone with her, someone next to her, though for some reason she couldn’t turn and get a good look at the man.
Yet, as often happens in dreams, she somehow knew things about the person beside her, even without seeing him.
He was a man. He instilled Una with fear. And she knew that his clothes were stained with blood. Beside him was another figure as well, a lion much like the one that Una had first met in her travels. That lion had been killed by one of Duessa’s knights.
She strained to try and turn, to get even a glimpse of the two figures, but nothing worked. It was as though her entire body was buried in sand, and she was unable to do anything. Yet she knew they were there, and she knew that their presence was unwanted.
Though it was hard to tell if the two figures were enemies. The lion that had accompanied Una for a time had certainly not been an enemy, at least not once Una commanded it. That had been one of the first times she had used her magic to influence those around her. But this wasn’t the same lion, was it? She couldn’t tell without looking. And the man felt similar. Dangerous, but also not. What was going on?
The world dematerialized around her so that she was no longer sitting in a small boat in the middle of nowhere, but she was back where she slept, though she must have still been dreaming, for the two figures were still there. This time, they were staring at her from across the fire pit, behind where Brit lay.
They were as Una had imagined them. A lion similar in shape but greater in size to her previous travel companion, and a man covered in blood-stained clothing. The man sneered at her from a weathered face, with many scars covering every inch of it. His hair was a deep red and hung down to his shoulders. His eyes were black.
“Who are you?” Una said. Her tongue was heavy.
The man only grinned further, and gently petted the lion next to him. The beast gave a low purr that Una could almost feel vibrating through her.
“I said, who are you?” Una pushed herself upright, her mind clouded.
Suddenly, Brit stirred across from her. She opened her eyes and muttered, “Una, what are you saying?”
Una blinked, her vision began to clear, and she glanced at Brit. This wasn’t a dream, she was really here.
Una’s eyes snapped back to where the man and the lion had stood, but both had disappeared entirely.
She swallowed. Had there really been a man there, or had she imagined it, a remnant of her dream somehow?
“Nothing, Brit,” she said after taking enough time to ensure there was no one nearby. “I just had a weird dream, that’s all.”
Brit glanced into the east where the sky was beginning to grow brighter. “It is almost time to rise anyway.” She got to her feet with a groan. “If we make good time, we can sleep in a bed tonight.”
Una followed suit and pushed herself upright. But rather than retrieving her belongings, like Brit was doing, she scanned the hills around them. There were trees nearby, but those were at least a quarter mile away. If there had been someone watching them, they would see him right now. It had to have been her dream.
Still, she remained uneasy for the rest of the day as they continued traveling, so much so that she even forgot the unpleasantness of riding upon a horse. She had never seen a man like the one in her dream before. And though the lion was familiar, she was reasonably sure it wasn’t the same lion that had accompanied her all those months ago. Gods, had it only been a few months? It felt far longer.
She remained so lost in thought that she didn’t notice they were approaching a castle until Brit brought her horse to a stop.
When she glanced up, she blinked at the strange structure that stood ahead of them, almost as though it had been picked up from its home and relocated right in the middle of the road. Una glanced around. The trees had closed in here, though it was nowhere near as dense as what she was used to in the Forest of Arden. But this entire area was one she knew reasonably well, and she had never seen a castle here before.
Granted, with the Saxon threat prevalent even as a child, she and her family hadn’t ventured this far east very often, and this particular castle did look newer. The stone was bright and lacked the stain of many rainfalls. Perhaps this was a Saxon fort of some kind.
“Ah, I thought we would reach this place today,” said Brit. “Though I did not remember it being so close. I was expecting to arrive by night.”
“You know this place?”
“I passed it many weeks ago during my travels.”
“So you don’t know who lives here? Isn’t it a Saxon fortress?”
“Maybe,” said Brit, cocking her head at the battlements. There was not a living soul that either of them could see, though surely someone had spotted them by now. The castle was obviously well cared for. It had to be occupied recently, even though the gate was closed, and Una had no way of seeing within. Yet as she strained her ears, she thought she heard something coming from inside. Some men, maybe? Laughing, or maybe fighting. She couldn’t tell which.
“I was in a hurry the last time,” continued Brit. “Perhaps we should knock and ask for shelter, yes?”
Una nodded, though as they drew closer to the castle, she began to feel uneasy. It wasn’t a large structure, likely belonging to a local lord, and not one with much influence when compared to, say, her parents. But it jaded her that it appeared so new, and in an area controlled by the Saxons. It had to be one of theirs.
They drew closer to the gate, framed on both sides by two large lookout towers. From what Una could tell, there were at least five other such towers on all sides. It reminded her too much of a miniature City of Pride.
Almost without thinking about it, she prepared her magic. Something was not right here, and she had a feeling they were about to find out what.
7
Brit brought her horse forward till it was standing across from a tiny bridge that led over a moat. It wasn’t a large moat, and probably not that deep. In fact, Una was sure that such a thing would not be a hindrance to any army. It was more of an imitation of what a moat should be in a larger castle. Strange.
The walls were high though, Una had to admit that. No siege army would be able to reach the top without some serious preparation. Perhaps that was why they had spent less time on the moat.
Una hopped off the back of the horse and proceeded across the little bridge and up to the castle walls. There was someone living here, right? Yes, she could still hear people inside, some of them shouting and laughing. And even if there weren’t any people in this castle, it would not have been abandoned for long. The grass had not grown high around the base, and the entire castle was clearly a newer construction. Funny, Una would have expected to see more evidence of the construction nearby. Tools, scaffolding, or even signs of mortar stains on the ground where it had been mixed. But for all the clues their surroundings gave, this castle might as well have been centuries old. Which of course it was not.
Brit dismounted behind Una and followed her up to the gate, bringing the horse along with her by the bridle. The knight seemed far less concerned about the castle’s oddities than Una. She walked right past her and knocked hard against the door. Despite the relatively small size of the gate, the knock boomed outward, filling the space around them.
Brit secured the helmet over her head. “I don’t want them to know I’m a woman,” she said. “Not at first. Would you do the talking?”
Una nodded. She knew all too well why Brit would want to keep her identity a secret.
They waited, and Una stood poised with her magic at the ready. A minute passed, then another, but the sounds of laughter coming from inside had stopped. Una was about to knock again when a small window in the door opened to reveal a pair of eyes staring at them from inside.
“Yes?” said a man’s voice.
“We’re travelers through this land,” said Una. “May we rest here for the night?”
“Oh yes,” said the man without question. “Our lady is alw
ays willing to help passing strangers. For...a small price, of course.”
“We don’t have much,” said Una with narrowed eyes.
“Not to worry,” continued the man. “I’m sure we will find an arrangement that will benefit us both.”
Una was liking this less and less by the second. There was something slimy about the way this man spoke. And the feeling of unease that she’d sensed since arriving at the castle was only growing. Interestingly enough, it felt a lot like the sickly air around the Forest of Arden, that sense of rot spreading through its trees. There was something rotten here too, she knew it.
She glanced back at Brit and said in a hushed tone, “I don’t think this is a good idea. I don’t trust these people.”
Brit said nothing, but Una met her eyes through the faceplate. They were earnest and unafraid. Una spied Brit’s grasp on her sword grow stronger. She was resolved.
Una turned back to the gate, where the man still peeked through the small opening in the gate. Yes, there was something wrong here, but perhaps Brit was right to want in anyway. If there wasn’t any threat, they would enjoy shelter and a proper meal tonight. But even if there was a threat, wasn’t it their duty to eliminate such problems? Was that not what the Faerie Queen wanted them to do? Perhaps her feeling of unease was related to another of the Sins whose influence, or in fact their very presence, could be found here. If that were the case, it was their job to enter and attack the Sin.
Steeling herself, Una nodded at the man. “Very well. We will lodge here for the night.”
“Very good,” said the man before he retreated and the little opening slammed shut. A moment later, the gate creaked as both doors swung aside to reveal the man who had spoken. His face looked like that of a weasel, with an abnormally large nose, sunken eyes, and scrawny physique. He wore no armor, but there were several others behind him who did.
Una and Brit passed under the door without a word, Brit having stayed completely silent thus far. But though she said nothing, her eyes took in everything. Una followed suit.
The inside was typical for a small castle like this one. The keep stood in the back, and it was surrounded by thatched buildings half its height that wrapped around the inside wall of the structure. Looking up, Una still couldn’t make out any guards along the lookout towers. Perhaps those inside really hadn’t known they were coming. That was highly against protocol. Her own father would never have allowed the towers and walls to remain unmanned.
“Welcome to Castle Joyous,” said the man who had greeted them at the door. He waved a hand at the interior as he spoke. “The lord and lady, I’m sure, will be happy that you’ve come.”
“When will we get to meet this lord and lady?” said Una in an assertive voice. She wanted to give these men a sense of dominance. Already some of the guards who had stood around the courtyard were closing in. They were probably curious, but their stance put Una’s mind on the defensive.
“They have already been informed of your coming,” said the man. “We will arrange for you to dine with them tonight.”
“That’s kind of you.”
“Not at all,” said the little man. “All who come here want to stay for the beauty of our lady and the hospitality of our lord.”
“Do you get many visitors here?”
“Not many, but those who come never want to leave.” His smile faltered for the briefest of moments before returning. “Most, that is.”
Suddenly Brit tensed beside Una. Una glanced at the knight, and Brit pointed ahead. Una followed her gaze to the back of the courtyard where someone lay on the ground. Someone who had obviously suffered a beating, and was now barely moving, though still alive as he tried to rise to his hands and knees. Someone in armor.
Una’s eyes widened, and every part of her body began to tingle. She knew that armor, and the shield with the red cross lying on the ground beside the knight.
In an instant, her magic rushed out of her, and she threw it against every knight standing. Every one of them stiffened, their arms clamped to their sides by her will. “That knight over there,” said Una. “Did he want to leave? What have you done with him?”
The weasel-faced man stammered as Una’s magic held him immobile. “What...what are you doing?”
“Never mind that,” she said. “If you’ve done anything to harm that man…”
“He is alive,” said the weasel in a rush. “We were just having a little fun.”
Una snarled, and she pressed her magic against all the knights further. A few gasped for air as she wrapped them tighter in her invisible grip. “Why?” she said in a much more demanding tone, her voice rising.
“N-nothing.”
“Not an answer.”
“He would not admit that our lady was the most fair he had ever seen. We do not allow those who come here to leave until they have admitted such or bested us all in combat.”
“That hardly seems fair,” this time it was Brit who spoke, though she kept her tone low and her voice raspy so as to sound less like a woman.
The man’s blood-shot eyes looked even more frantic. “It is the way of the castle. Most who come agree that our lady is the fairest, and none wish to leave her side. Those who do must prove that their lady is better than the lady of the castle by fighting.”
“And you think a dozen men against one is proof that yours is better?” Una spat. She was done with this place. Anger boiled beneath her blood. She had half a mind to end every man in this courtyard except for the knight with the red cross on his shield.
But before she could do or say anything more, Brit broke in, sliding her sword out of its sheath as she spoke. “You are not worthy to call yourselves men. You will fight me, and we will see who is favored more by the gods. Una, release them.”
Una glanced at Brit, but when she saw the determination in her companion’s eyes, she did as asked. Immediately every man in the courtyard was loose. Some collapsed to the ground, but many remained on their feet, pulling swords from scabbards and rushing forward.
Una backed away, preparing to use her magic on them again, but Brit quickly stepped in front of her, leaving her horse behind and swinging at the first man to come within range. Their swords clanged, and the battle began.
Brit fought every bit as skillfully as she had when fighting Guyon. But it was almost hypnotic to watch her fight against multiple opponents. She was so attuned to their position, that it seemed that one could swing a sword at her from behind, and she would instinctively know it was there. She ducked and weaved, narrowly avoiding most of their blows, catching the rest with her own sword.
Once she was sure that Brit could hold her own for the time being, Una turned her attention to the knight collapsed in the back of the courtyard. She circled around the battle and made her way towards him. Even though he was clearly hurt, he had begun to push himself to his feet, his arms shaking as he tried to get his feet under him.
His helmet was removed, and his face was a mess of swollen bruises. But there was no mistaking him. It was the man she had suspected.
“George!” she said, throwing her arms around him even as he finally managed to get to his feet. He would have fallen backward had she not clutched him as tightly as she did.
He groaned, but gingerly returned the embrace. “Una. I wasn’t sure I would see you again. What are you doing here?”
“I...I think the Faerie Queen might have sent us,” said Una, remembering what Gloriana had said about her quest being ‘more to her liking.’
“Well I welcome your company,” he said, wincing as Una loosened her grip on him. “These men are insane. They insisted that I join them, that I acknowledge their lady as the most wonderful woman in the world. I suspect the Sin of Lust might be behind them.”
Una shook her head. “It can’t be. We defeated Acrasia and now she’s in the hands of the Faerie Queen.”
“Indeed? You will have to tell me everything,” he said with some surprise. “But if not her, than who is causing these m
en to behave so strangely?”
Una followed his gaze to see the dozen or so men still engaged in combat with Brit. Well, less than a dozen now. Three lay on the ground, not dead, but clutching at wounds in their extremities.
“Should we help?” George asked.
“I’m not sure she needs help,” said Una, staring in wonder.
Brit weaved in and out of the attackers. Whatever training she had in Armorica must have been impressive. Not a single man could touch her. While she was not as strong as the others, she was far faster than any of them, faster than most men ever could be, though these men likely still did not know that they were fighting a woman. That did not stop the encounter from looking like more of a dance than a battle.
Brit caught one man’s sword with her own. It slid until it hit the cross guard, after which she swung it downward, then elbowed the man in the face. He staggered backward, which gave Brit the opportunity she needed to bring the sword back up, slice it through the man’s knee, and swing it around to face the next attacker.
Una watched, unable to look away as Brit continued to take down one after another. She became so entranced that she didn’t even notice when George had left her side.
Having closed the distance between himself and the battle, George launched himself on the nearest, unsuspecting attacker. The man fell to the ground under George’s weight, and it wasn’t long before Brit noticed and sent a swift kick to the man’s faceplate. His head snapped backward, and he lay still.
There were only a few left now. Una folded her arms to watch. Even though she could have eliminated every knight in this castle with a thought, she felt it best to let Brit continue. And George too. In fact, there was something nice knowing that George had fought against these men because he would not agree to abandon her in favor of another lady. Sure, he had failed in fighting the men here, but mostly because of the odds. He might have defeated a dragon, but even that was only one opponent.
George pushed himself to his feet again, still shaky, but less so now that the battle was tilted in their favor. There were three others left now, the rest were rolling on the ground or completely unconscious.
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