The remaining three were looking from Brit to George in a panic. They knew that the odds were against them, even though technically they still outnumbered Brit and George. In a frenzy, one of them rushed the pair. He did not last long before he fell to the ground, clutching a wound in his side.
“Wait,” said one of the last two on their feet. He dropped his sword and raised his hands. “We surrender.” The other man followed suit, placing his sword carefully to the ground and kneeling.
8
Brit stood over both of them with an air of victory. She spoke in her low, still disguised voice, “You will learn that it is not providence that determines whose love is more worthy of devotion. But if it did, you would all worship me now.”
The two men remained silent, and only the groans of the defeated could be heard. Una moved closer until she was standing next to George, putting an arm around him for support. He needed it.
But Brit continued. “You will make us dinner tonight, and it will be the best feast you have ever prepared. You will take us to your lord and lady, and then, maybe, you will be allowed to live.”
George glanced at her, no doubt wondering why they would stay in the care of those who had just tried to kill the three of them. But with George’s suspicions added to her own, Una was nearly sure there was a Sin involved, and they needed to eliminate him or her.
Brit took a sudden step forward, and the two remaining soldiers scrambled to their feet and ran to the back of the courtyard towards the keep, likely about to inform their masters what had just happened. Brit let them go, turning instead to face George and Una. She still had her helmet on, and had kept her voice in that low tone, so the guards probably still did not realize that she was a woman.
They did not have to wait long before the guards returned, accompanied by a few servants, and a woman who was undoubtedly the lady of the castle. She was tall, but not too thin, and her face resembled Una’s own, though perhaps a little less symmetrical. The nose was just a little too big. But clearly she was from these parts, and if Una didn’t know better she’d say they might be related. Una had dealt with a lot of strife from men across the country because of her own beauty. She couldn’t count on two hands the number of times a man had legitimately tried to rape her. None of them had succeeded, of course, and meeting both George and Guyon had taught her a lot about what men should be. It now made sense why these men would fight over their lady. Like so many others, they were blinded by beauty.
The servants hurried forward to see to the wounds of those who still lay on the ground, while the two unscathed guards took up space on either side of their lady.
“What is the meaning of this?” she all but shrieked as she came close enough to see them.
Una folded her arms beneath her breasts. “Your men have used your name to commit criminal acts. We put an end to that.”
“Criminal? Are you referring to that Red Cross knight?” she glanced over at George. “He said he loved another, and that was something we simply could not stand for. None who venture here ever leave.”
Una’s eyes moved around the courtyard. “You must not get many guests, then. And I can’t see why anyone would want to stay here.”
The woman’s chest heaved as she huffed at Una. But after a moment, she appeared to gain some composure. In a calmer but colder voice, she replied, “Perhaps it would be best if you leave.”
“We will do no such thing,” said Brit stepping forward. “I have bested your men, and you owe a debt for the beating you gave that man.” Brit pointed at George.
The woman cocked her head at Brit, and it was only then that Una realized Brit hadn’t disguised her voice as she had before. To the unsuspecting ear, she would have sounded like a boy. But she was too tall and vastly more experienced than that, and the lady knew it.
“Who are you?” she asked, squinting, trying to get a glimpse of the face beneath the plate.
Brit hesitated, standing motionless, likely realizing that she had given herself away. After an internal decision, Brit reached up and pulled the helmet off her head. Her long, dark hair fell around her shoulders, and piercing blue eyes glared at the lady, who took one step back.
“Dear me,” she said, putting a hand to her chest. Though she did not seem as shocked as Una would have expected her to be. Surprised, yes, but pleasantly so. “I certainly wasn’t expecting to see someone like you. We must absolutely prepare you a meal, and you may stay here for the night.”
“How do we know you will not gut us in our sleep?” Brit asked, raising her blade and pointing it at the woman.
“Oh, trust me, I’m true to my word when I give it, and I promise you will be safe tonight, very safe,” she added with a sly smile. Una brought a hand to her chin. She didn’t like the way the woman was staring at Brit. There was still something very off about this entire place.
“Come,” said the lady, turning and waving them along with two fingers. “I will have our best guest rooms prepared for you.”
The two guards followed their lady, saying nothing, and not even looking as though they objected to hosting the very people who had defeated them and laid waste to their companions. Indeed, they looked to their lady with an air of complete devotion, and it made Una queasy. It reminded her too much of the way Acrasia had held influence over others. Yes, there had to be another Sin here, though she had no idea why one would take root in such a small castle. There were plenty of other lords and ladies to influence, other kingdoms to dominate, why choose one barely within the Saxon border that sported no more than a few guards? None of it made sense.
They entered the castle’s keep into a rectangular room that housed the main dining chamber. The moment they entered, Una lost her thoughts. The room itself was exquisite, far more lavish than anything Una had ever seen before, at least in a castle of this size. The table itself was covered in pure gold along the top, with silver borders around its edges. The chairs were cushioned with red velvet, stuffed to bursting so they must have made for highly comfortable resting places.
The walls were covered in minutely detailed tapestries that would have taken one person years to fabricate. Perhaps even decades. How had this woman come by something so costly? The tapestries displayed some tale across them, something about a beautiful woman and a man, who seemed to shun her whenever they were near each other.
“The tale of Venus and Adonis,” said the lady of the castle. “The classic tale of unrequited love. Even the goddess of beauty had someone who was uninterested in her adoration. We display it here as a warning.”
“A warning for what?” said Brit as she and George entered the room behind Una.
“To never let a good thing pass,” replied the lady with a slight twitch of one eyelid that might have been a wink at Brit.
Una frowned at the lady, but Brit seemed unchanged as her gaze drifted across the tapestries.
“You never told us your name,” said Una, never taking her eyes off the woman.
The lady spun around near the head of the large, gilded table. “But of course, how silly of me. I am Malecasta. And my lord is called Malbecco, though...eh, he will not be joining us tonight.”
“Why?” Una asked, leveling her gaze at Malecasta.
“He is away. But even if he was here, he has a habit of spending most of his days locked in our storage rooms, taking count of the treasure. He fears to lose it, you see.”
“How long have you been here?” said George. Without asking, he pulled out one of the cushioned chairs and sat in it with a mild groan. “This castle doesn’t look older than a decade at the most.”
“Less than that,” said Malecasta. “My lord has recently come into possession of some wealth.”
“And you thought the best place to establish yourself was among the Saxons?”
Malecasta flashed a sultry smile at George. “Before you came along, no one wished to leave this place. Not even the Saxons who visit.”
“So where are they?” Brit asked, her voice rising
ever so slightly.
“Oh, not to worry,” said Malecasta with another, almost hungry look at the Saxon knight. “They’re not dead or anything, we aren’t barbarians. Most of our subjects are away at the moment, on an assignment.”
She gave a soft wave towards one of the servants, who nodded and hurried off into an adjacent room, likely to prepare some food. Though Una did not fancy eating anything served to them in this place.
“You all seem so tense,” said Malecasta, sitting at the head of the table and leaning back in her chair. “Please, sit, like your friend the young knight. You have bested my champions which means you’ve passed the test of the castle. I owe you food and rest. I will do nothing to harm you.”
Una took a step towards the nearest seat, but Brit remained where she was. “What guarantee do we have of that?”
“None I suppose.” The servant Malecasta had sent returned with a platter topped with a glass of wine. There was only one, and Malecasta took it without even looking. Her eyes remained fixed on Brit. “I’m happy to sample each of your plates before you dine.” She sipped at the wine and smiled coolly.
Whether or not they had a chance to face one of the Sins, all of this felt too much like a trap. Una took a step back and whispered to Brit. “I think we should leave. We can make it well enough on our own.”
Brit put out a hand to calm her. But rather than look at Una, she kept her gaze on Malecasta. “You will tend to our needs tonight, and you will see to the care of this knight’s wounds.” She pointed at George. “Then in the morning, we leave.”
“I’m more than happy to oblige,” Malecasta said without missing a beat. “I hope each of you will be very comfortable tonight. I’ll see to your needs personally.”
Brit nodded, seemingly satisfied with the woman’s response. She sat down at the table, which left only Una on her feet. She grumbled inwardly but eventually sat on George’s other side. That feeling of uneasiness had not ceased, and Una was beginning to wonder if it was more than just her distrust of these people for hurting George. The entire place radiated some dark business, very similar to the feeling around the City of Pride.
They remained in the hall for some time while they waited for food to be prepared and served. In that time, Malecasta did not stop peppering them with questions. Although it was Brit who held most of her attention. George and Una seemed nothing but a passing interest to the lady of the castle.
Una kept a careful watch on the lady. Could she be the Sin? And if so, who? Other than Wrath and the others she had met, she wasn’t sure of the genders of each Sin, or if they even stayed as one or the other. Given how much the woman liked to indulge herself, maybe Gluttony? Sloth didn’t seem to fit, and neither did Wrath, the one Gloriana had warned her about. Envy, maybe. That would make more sense, given the odd nature of how defensive everyone was about her beauty, and how she liked to surround herself with costly things.
Malecasta inquired about their journeys, their origins, the life of a citizen of Armorica, and much more. Brit answered civilly but with some irritation. And none of them said a word about the Faerie Queen or their missions against the Seven Deadly Sins. Even Brit, who was less experienced in these things compared to Una and George, knew better than to elaborate on that account.
Finally, the food was prepared, and Malecasta, true to her word, sampled each and every plate before it was placed in front of the visitors. Nevertheless, Una took her time sniffing the food and making sure it had nothing dangerous in it. As the daughter of a noble family, she’d been trained in the fragrances of various poisons and sedatives. Thankfully, if there was anything in the meat pie and chopped vegetables placed before her, she couldn’t tell. Just in case, she took a single bite and waited to feel any ill effects before daring to take another.
George, on the other hand, must have been hungrier than he looked, for he dove into his meal the moment he’d had time to inspect it. Brit looked as suspicious as Una felt, but even she began eating before Una felt like doing so.
The meal proceeded as well as most noble dining experiences Una had in her youth. Though Malecasta never let up her gaze from Brit, who proceeded to down each course as it came to her with little or no notice of the attention she was receiving. It was almost as though Una and George were not even there.
“Pray, fair Britomart, you must tell me more of your adventures and how you came to be here,” remarked Malecasta after some time had passed.
Brit wiped her lips clean of gravy and responded only with, “It is a long tale. You would not like it.”
“Oh please, do indulge me,” said Malecasta leaning forward.
“Who is this woman you picked up?” George whispered to Una as Malecasta continued to prompt Brit to reveal more.
“She’s a knight from Armorica,” said Una. “Guyon and I ran into her on our way back to the Faerie Queen.”
“After you and Guyon defeated the Sin of Lust?”
Una nodded, though her face showed no mirth. It had been a hard road. “I hope I’ll get a chance to tell you about it sometime.”
“Perhaps tonight?” he said, lifting an eyebrow at her, the question lingering in his eyes.
Despite herself and the uncomfortable situation they were in, Una couldn’t help but smile. “Yes, I think I might like that. To talk.”
“Right,” said George. “I can catch you up on everything I’ve been through as well. Working for the Faerie Queen is not work for the weary.”
“I can’t wait to hear all about it,” replied Una.
For some reason, as the meal continued on, Una didn’t seem to mind the situation as much. Yes, she was still wary of Malecasta, but the lady of the place was all too preoccupied with Brit now. Una could only hope that the Armorican woman was aware of Malecasta’s interest. Una knew the look in the lady’s eyes all too well, it was the same look many men had before trying to take advantage of her.
Almost all men looked at her that way, entranced by her beauty. Well, all but Guyon, of course. And George. But George had a different look in his eyes, more of adoration. His was not the love of a carnal man, but the true respect and devotion given to someone he actually cared for. And that, above all, was why she also cared for him.
Now that she’d had some time to relax, and the situation between George and the castle’s soldiers had calmed down, she began to realize just how excited she was to have the man back. Yes, he was beaten and bruised, and she was still certain she would eventually find a way to make the culprits pay, but at the same time, she was just glad to see him again.
Slowly, without making too much of a scene, she leaned into him and placed her hand on his armored knee. He paused for a moment, taking a deep breath before placing his hand atop hers.
Yes, they were in an enemy castle. Yes, the air was almost permeated with some foul stench of wrongness. But in that one moment, all was right with the world.
9
Later, the pair of them retreated to one of two guest rooms. Brit had taken the other without question, allowing George and Una to have some time alone.
She helped George remove his armor, revealing his sweat-soaked gambeson beneath. She let him remove that portion by himself. A few servants stopped by with a wash basin, some herbs to help with the bruising, as well as a few perfumes. After dropping these off, they proceeded to Brit’s room to give her the same. Neither Brit nor Una had need of any healing herbs, but she was grateful for George’s sake. And the perfumes smelled nice besides.
George stripped down to his waist, and Una nearly froze in place at seeing his bare torso. Was it just her or had his muscles grown more defined over the last few months?
She’d seen him in such a state before, of course, on at least two occasions. But his life had been in danger in those situations. Looking at him now…
He caught her staring, and she immediately turned to fill a rag with warm water that smelled of herbs.
“I missed you.” He said it gently, his voice a sweet hum.
“I missed you too,” she replied, and meant it. Even though the pair of them had only a few weeks to get to know each other, and they’d been apart for as long as they’d been together, something about George felt like returning home after an arduous journey.
She returned to his side, bringing the basin of water with her and sitting down in a chair. He was lying on the bed now, and Una couldn’t help but notice it wasn’t very large. She swallowed as she took the warm cloth and began to wash George’s right shoulder where a shallow but nasty-looking scrape covered half of it.
George winced. “Don’t tell me you slipped a little whiskey in there.”
“Not me personally, but if the servants did, then they did something right,” she said without blinking. “It’s good for you.”
“Nothing good ever hurts this mu…” he groaned loudly as Una pressed the cloth harder into his skin, letting the water and apparent alcohol solution squeeze out. She suppressed the smile forming on her lips as he writhed beneath her touch.
“You said you’d tell me everything that happened since we last saw each other,” she reminded him, dipping the cloth back into the liquid and continuing her ministrations, though a little gentler this time.
“It…” he groaned, softly. “It’s been amazing, the things I’ve seen in just these few months. The power the Faerie Queen wields is nothing short of godly. I’ve seen it work around me and through me.”
“Great,” said Una, her tone souring, though she hadn’t intended it to come out that way.
“I don’t understand why you don’t like her.”
“You should understand one reason, the fact that we can’t see each other in any way but by chance. Add to that the fact that she’s manipulative, she holds back information for no other reason than that it suits her, and she’s been using me ever since she first…”
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