by Brad Clark
“Well, no…”
“There is more to being a knight than being able to swing a sword. That is what makes a Knight of Karmon so great, so powerful. We are not just soldiers, we are trained in many ways. If the kingdom just needs soldiers, we can do that. We can teach anyone to swing a blade or to use a pike or halberd in a couple of weeks. Knights are smart and disciplined. And that’s what makes us great. We just also happen to be pretty good with a blade, and that makes us dangerous.”
Marik squeezed Conner’s shoulder. “And that’s what makes you most dangerous of all. Because I have never seen anyone else better with the blade. Now, it is time to stop sulking and come back to the castle. We’re going to have to figure out something for you to do.”
***
“This will be your post,” the guardsman told Conner. He pointed to the wall next to a flight of stairs that went up.
“Here?” Conner asked. He looked around at the empty corridor and then up the flight of stairs that took a turn to the right after five steps. “Where are we?”
“The back entrance to the royal apartments is up those stairs. Or at least they will be their apartments for a while,” the guardsman said. “King Thorndale’s chambers are being redone to meet the needs of King Neffenmark. Until the construction is done, they will be sharing the apartments up there.”
“This isn’t really what I expected when I offered my services,” Conner said. He put a foot on the first step, but the guardsman placed a hand on his shoulder.
“No,” the man said. “We are only to enter the apartments if the king and queen are in dire need of our help. Until then, we are to stand watch.”
“I just wanted to see if they are okay,” Conner explained.
The guardsman shook his head. “Only if they need us.”
“So, we just stand here?”
“Yes.”
“All night?”
“Yes.”
“And we do nothing else?”
“No.”
Conner let out a long sigh. “Definitely not what I meant when I said I would help in any way.”
“This is the most important job in all the kingdom,” the guardsman said proudly. “It is our duty to put life and limb on the line for the preservation of the king and queen. We are the last line of defense.”
Conner turned away and glanced up the stairs. He had hoped that at least he would be able to see Queen Elissa. She was just up those stairs. Close, but so far away. And he would never know if she came or went. His only duty was to keep anyone from sneaking into the apartments through the back entrance. It was going to be a long and boring night.
“What’s your name?” Conner asked.
The guardsman was standing at stiff attention and only moved his eyes to look at Conner. He kept his head still. “Shh,” the guardsman said softly. “We are on duty.”
Conner wasn’t going to stand for an entire night. He put his back against the far wall and slid down until he was sitting on the cold stone floor. He looked up at the guardsman, who glanced back down at him. The idea of helping out Queen Elissa by serving as a guard to her chambers had initially been an appealing one. He had thought that he would have an opportunity to interact with her, or at the very least, to see her. It was not his intentions to be stuck down a back hall, waiting for something to happen. The castle grounds were secure. No one was going to sneak in and assault the king or the queen in their own chambers. Their only job would be to direct a lost servant away from the doors.
Several silent minutes had passed when the guardsman said, “Narimar.”
Conner’s mind had drifted and the man’s voice caught him by surprise. He looked up at the guardsman, who was looking down at him. “Huh?” Conner asked.
“Narimar,” the guardsman repeated. “My name is Narimar.”
Conner stood up. “I’m Conner.”
“I know who you are,” Narimar said. “Everyone knows who you are. Or who you were. You were the Princess’ Champion.”
“I was,” Conner said softly.
“What was it like?” Narimar asked. “To train with the knights. To be with them?”
Conner looked up at the guardsman. He wasn’t sure how old Narimar was. Maybe five or at most ten years older than him. He had a worn and tired look about him, as if he had lived a harsh life. There were dark circles under his eyes and his skin sagged on his thin face. But his eyes were wide and bright, full of anticipation.
“It was nothing special,” Conner said. “They were just like you and me.”
“No really,” Narimar asked. “What were they like? To be next to such great men day after day?”
“They weren’t any greater than you or me,” Conner said. “They might have had noble blood in their bodies, but it did not make them special. It did not make them stronger, or faster, or braver. I fought next to them and they died just like everyone else dies. They were just men.”
“Just men!” Narimar burst out. “They were the Knights of Karmon! The greatest warriors that have ever walked the earth! Couldn’t you just feel their great presence? Weren’t you awed by them?”
Conner shook his head. “No. They were just men.” He could not get the thought of Sir Brace Hawkden out of his mind. To hold him while he died had really touched him. There was a sadness to how he died. It was an honorable death, but only after so many bad decisions. He had been a good man, but his own ego and pride had done him in. Conner was glad that Brace had figured out in the end and made some amends for what he had done. It was a shame that his legacy will be that of a fallen knight. He just hoped that history would be kind to him.
The sound of something falling from the king and queen’s chamber caused Conner to stand up. Instinctively, he placed a hand on the pommel of his sword.
“What was that?” Conner asked.
“You never know and it’s none of our business,” Narimar said. Then his eyes twinkled and he added, “It could be just a little foreplay.”
“What?” Conner snapped angrily.
“You know, what comes right before they consummate their marriage.”
Conner opened his mouth to spit back an angry retort, but the innocent look on Narimar’s face held his tongue. There was no way that he could know about his feelings for Elissa. And they weren’t really his feelings to have, anyway. He was a nothing peasant, and she was now queen. She had every right to consummate her marriage. Even though just the thought of it made his stomach turn.
Another crash from upstairs caused both of them to take a step towards the stairwell. It sounded like wood splintering.
Conner glanced at the Narimar, who said, “No. We cannot. Only if they call for us.”
“Something is going on,” Conner said. “We need to check it out.”
The guardsman shook his head. “It is not our duty. Only if they call for us.”
A muffled cry that was clearly from Elissa caused Conner to move into action. He turned and took the steps two at a time, with Narimar racing up the stairs right behind him. At the top of the stairs was a small landing. He ran to the door that led into the king and queen’s chamber and gave it a firm push, but it was locked from the inside. There was another crash, followed by what sounded like the thump of a body hitting the ground, and then a scream.
“Elissa!” Conner yelled.
“Conner!” Elissa shouted back.
Narimar grabbed Conner from behind and ran them into the door. Conner bounced off the door and turned into the guardsman and drove his fist as hard as he could into Narimar’s unprotected face. His nose exploded in blood and mucus and Narimar fell back onto the stairs.
Conner took two steps back and ran hard into the door, driving his shoulder into the thick wood. He bounced off in pain, but he had felt the door give. Ignoring the throbbing in his shoulder, he ran at the door again, this time, the lock on the door gave and he tumbled into the room. Using his momentum to his advantage, he did a forward summersault onto his back and then to his feet. Neffenmark was
in front of him, a long tunic draped to his knees. His face was flush and his chest was heaving from exertion. His eyes were wide and full of anger.
“How dare you!” Neffenmark shouted. “I am the king of this land! I will have your head for this intrusion!”
“Stand down, Conner!” Narimar called out. The guardsman had recovered his senses and stood in the doorway, his sword drawn.
Elissa was on the floor at the side of the bed, blood flowing down the side of her head. Her eyes were red and a large bruise was visible on her cheek.
Conner felt an anger that he had never felt before. His heart pounded in his chest and his muscles tingled with adrenaline. He drew his sword and stepped towards Neffenmark. He did not have his normal set of light swords, but it was the double-edged longsword that were given to Royal Guards. He had never fought with one before. It was much lighter than the broadswords that the knights used and a bit heavier than his own swords. But it was still a sharp blade and without even having to think about how to use it, he knew how to use it.
Narimar rushed around him and put himself between Conner and the king. “No! Do not do this! Think about what you are doing! He is the king!”
“Move away,” Conner said. He could not tear his eyes away from Elissa and the wounds on her face. The sight of her kept feeding his anger until it boiled over. With cool precisions, Conner moved towards Narimar, swinging his sword across his body. The slash was easily parried. But Conner was not looking to kill Narimar or even fight with him. As soon as their swords touched, Conner sidestepped up to the guardsman and sent an elbow across his chin. The man dropped, out cold.
“Stay back!” Neffenmark shouted. He held a long dagger in both hands. His eyes blazed in anger, his teeth pulled back into an evil snarl.
“Conner!” Elissa shouted.
But Conner did not hear either one of them. He heard nothing. He felt only anger. In two steps he was at Neffenmark and knocked aside the fat king’s feeble attempt at attacking him with the dagger. Conner took advantage of the longsword’s thrusting capabilities and thrust the sword directly into Neffenmark’s chest, killing him instantly. Neffenmark fell to his knees and then onto his back, eyes still open, mouth agape in a silent death scream.
Conner did not see him fall. As soon as he dealt the fatal blow, he let go of the sword and rushed to Elissa’s side. She was on her knees, head buried in her hands, crying. Conner dropped to her side and put his hands on her, but she pushed him away.
“What did you do!” she screamed.
“He hurt you,” Conner said softly.
His words touched her and her own anger dissipated. She reached to him and pulled him into a tight hug. She buried her head into his shoulder, letting her tears stain his tunic. He held her close. After only a moment, she pushed him away, holding him at arms-length.
“They will kill you if they catch you,” Elissa said.
“I was protecting you,” Conner said. “He was hurting you. He beat you bad.”
She shook her head. “It does not matter! You do not understand!”
Conner pushed a few strands of hair away from the bruise on her cheek and held the side of her head in her hand. “He hurt you,” Conner repeated.
“I know,” Elissa said. Tears began to well up in her eyes. “It didn’t hurt badly enough, though. It will only get worse, though.”
“No,” Conner said. “It will be better. Now that you are Queen, you can finally rule the way you should have.”
“I do not want the throne! Not this way!” The tears stopped and the anger came out. “You do not understand. Neffenmark was keeping the Tarans at bay. Now with him gone, who knows what will happen?” Elissa pulled herself away from Conner and stood up. She stumbled slightly while she tried to regain her balance. Conner tried to help her, but she pushed him away. “You must go. Now. Before they come.”
“Elissa…”
“Listen to me, Conner. They will not care who you are, who you were. They will only see you as the one who killed the king. You must go. Run. Hide.”
“Where…?”
Elissa pulled him to the far side of the room where a long fireplace filled the entire wall. She gave a push on a brick and a hidden door popped open.
“There,” Elissa said. “This will take you through the walls and into the city. You must go, now. I can hear them coming! If they catch you, they will kill you!”
“Where will I go?” Conner asked.
There was a pounding on the main doors and shouts for the king to answer. Elissa pulled and pushed Conner into the hidden door. “The forest. Back home. Anywhere but here. If they ever find you, they will kill you. No go!” She gave him one final push and the pounding on the doors became more incessant.
Conner crouched through the short doorway and found himself in a dark and damp corridor. He turned as Elissa gave him one last long look before she pushed the doorway shut. The darkness was complete. He could not even see his hand in front of his face. Even though he heard the shouting from inside the room, Conner tried to push on the door to open it again. He did not want to run. She was beaten and Neffenmark deserved to die. But the door would not open. He pushed hard, even kicked at it, but it would not open.
Conner sat back, resting against the far wall, listening to the guardsmen as they rushed into the room. He heard them shouting and cursing his name. He heard the orders to find him and bring him back dead or alive. To a man, the guardsmen vowed to bring in the king’s killer. He sat with his hands up and ready to swing at the first man who came through the door, but the door never opened. It seems that maybe only Elissa knew about the door.
After quite some time, after the shouting had settled down, Conner began crawling through the dark tunnel, wondering what he would find at the end.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
The tunnel ran for what seemed an eternity. Conner just kept putting one hand in front of the other, pulling his body along. His one regret was that he had left his sword buried in the chest of Neffenmark. If he did come across anyone, he would have no way to defend himself. Even if he came across a first year squire, he wouldn’t last very long. And he had no idea how his captors would handle him. Would they capture him alive, torture him, or just slay him on the spot. The people of Karmon had lost two kings in such a short amount of time. There was no telling how they would react.
Everyone had loved King Thorndale. They had loved his father and his father’s father. The line of Thorndale had gone back to the first days of the kingdom. And while there might have been some who did not like a particular king, they were always respected and revered. There had never been an active revolt or resistance to the king’s rule. Peace, at least inside the borders of the kingdom, had always existed. Partly because of the steady rule of the Thorndale family. Partly because of the strong military might that this tiny kingdom could muster. But now, both of those reasons no longer existed. The reign of the Thorndale’s was over. The might of the Karmon Knights was at its lowest. The kingdom was reeling from too many deaths. No one cared that they had won the battle with their northern neighbor. They only cared that too many fathers, sons, and brothers failed to make it home from battle.
And now, they had to deal with the death of another king. He knew that Neffenmark was evil. He knew that Brace Hawkden was dead because of Neffenmark, and it was Neffenmark that started everything in the first place. If it wasn’t for Neffenmark, Elissa would still be a princess, he would still be hunting and living in the forest, and many men and boys would still be alive. But the rest of the kingdom didn’t know that. Many had seen Neffenmark as a savior – a man who stepped up to fill the void of the fallen king. But he knew better. Many others knew better. Marik knew. Elissa knew.
At the thought of the princess, Conner came to a stop and bowed his head in the darkness. He would have to get back to the castle to see her. Even if it was just for a minute, he needed to see her one last time. He looked back, thinking that maybe he could return and figure out how to open th
e door. And then he turned forward, looking into the darkness ahead of him. It was just as dark in front of him as it was behind him. He knew that Elissa was back there. But so was every armed man in the castle. He was sure that they were turning over every loose brick looking for him. Going back would be certain capture and likely death. Going forward might not be that much better, either. But he knew he would at least have a chance to escape if he kept moving. He picked up his head and began shuffling forward.
He continued crawling for a long time. He had no real concept of how much time had passed, or how long he had been crawling. For a while he counted each time he put his right hand forward. When he reached five hundred, his mind was too numb to keep counting. He took a long break to stretch his legs and back. He knees were tender from the constant crawling on the hard tunnel floor and he realized that at some point, he would be unable to keep moving. Conner’s worst fear was that he was in a circular maze with no exit. He would be lost forever and no one would ever find his bones. With his mind wandering too much, Conner decided he just needed to keep putting one hand in front of the other.
Conner tried to imagine where the tunnel was leading him. At first it had made several left turns that made him think that he was indeed in a circular maze. But eventually the tunnel made a right turn followed by a very long straightaway. There were more turns. Lefts and rights in no pattern that he could discern. At each one, he had the thought that maybe he was at the end, so he would take some time to search for a door or a latch. All he found was the same smooth wall.
After another long straightaway, his hands touched a wall in front of him, so he searched for a door. When none was found, he turned to the left and found a wall. Then he turned to the right and started to shuffle forward, but he ran into another wall. He let out a loud grunt and rubbed his head where he had hit the smooth stone. He was at an end. Finally.