by Chuck Black
“Come on, Brack. You’ve got to come with us to the festival tonight,” one lad said to another.
“That’s right,” said another. “You’re really missin’ out.”
Kendrick waited as the boys passed by. They didn’t seem to notice him.
“I … I can’t,” came Brack’s reply. “My father says it’s not right, and—”
“Not right?” The first lad cut him off, and the other three laughed. “What’s so wrong about having a little fun?” He slapped the now red-faced boy on the back.
“We’ll be by after supper and wait for you outside your window, but we won’t wait too.” The conversation faded in the distance.
As Kendrick and Duncan pushed open the tavern doors, the hum of conversation among the patrons dropped to near silence. Since the workday was not yet over, the place was not crowded. A group of elderly men clustered around a window table. Two women leaned over bowls of soup, shopping baskets at their feet. A lone man sat at a corner table, clutching a cup of ale in his right hand but not drinking. His eyes looked hollow and empty.
Kendrick and Duncan found a table, and the tavern owner came to serve them. They ordered something to eat and drink, and the interrupted conversations slowly resumed.
The tavern owner returned, his large serving platter laden with two bowls of dragon-tail soup, a loaf of brown bread, and two cups of ale. Kendrick paid the man.
“What brings ye knights to Bel Lione?” he asked. The man was well kept, as was his establishment. He was middle-aged and husky, nearly bald on top, with the rest of his graying hair tied at the back of his head. He rubbed his hands on his apron, waiting for an answer.
“We’re just passing through, but we’re quite taken with your town. We thought we might delay our travels a few days. Is there an inn?”
“Several of them, but they’re sure to be full for the next few days. The best one is on Lure Road, on the east side of the city.”
“I’m sure we’ll find it,” Kendrick said.
“Can’t miss it.” He picked up the serving platter and turned to leave. “Just set your course toward the castle.”
“Castle?” Duncan said.
The man turned around again. “You haven’t seen the lord’s castle yet? You must have come in on Tyning Road from the west.” He smiled proudly. “Ah, but our castle is a grand one indeed. I thought perhaps it was why you were here.” He glanced up. “Uh, excuse me. Customers.”
A group of four men had entered. They chose a table not far from Kendrick and Duncan. The tavern owner hurried to take their order while Kendrick and Duncan dipped their spoons into the excellent soup.
“It’s festival tonight,” said one of the men behind Kendrick.
“I’d give my right arm to be young again,” said another.
“Are you lettin’ your olders attend?”
“Of course! Why not? They’re nearly grown, and this is the time for them to enjoy life a little. Besides, I’m thinkin’ one of them might be good enough to become a knight. You?”
“I suppose. I’ve let her go once already, and I figure she’d just go on the sly, with or without my permission.”
“Ain’t that the truth,” said another, and they all laughed.
“Fools!” came a shout from the corner of the tavern. The voice belonged to the lone man with the cup of ale. “You’re feeding your children to the wolves!”
The four men scoffed at him. “Mind your own business, Frayne.”
The man stood up and walked over to their table. His eyes were no longer empty but full of anger and pain. “Laugh now, but soon your own won’t come back, like my son. Then you’ll know!”
“Only the weak ones don’t come back,” one of the men jeered. The others laughed even harder.
The man named Frayne clenched his jaw, turned, and left the tavern.
Kendrick nodded toward the door. He and Duncan followed the man out of the tavern.
“Frayne,” Kendrick called after the man, who was but a few paces away. He turned around, looking puzzled.
“I am Kendrick. This is Duncan. May we talk with you for a moment?”
“Will you mock me as well?”
“No,” Kendrick said, “we want to learn from you.” They closed the distance to him with just a few steps.
Frayne waited. He was a middle-aged man with a solid frame. Though his physique looked strong and healthy, grief etched his face and made him look old before his time.
“Please tell us what happened to your son,” Duncan said.
“Why do you want to know?”
Kendrick looked at Duncan and then back at the man. “We have reason to suspect that Bel Lione may be the source of some disturbing … activity.”
Frayne stared at them for a moment. “Come to my shop when you’ve finished your meal.” He pointed to a tailor shop up the way. “We’ll talk there.”
When Kendrick and Duncan stepped inside the tailor shop a short time later, they were greeted by a voice that matched the feminine beauty of its owner.
“Can I help you gentlemen?” The young woman stood up from a worktable full of fabric. A dress form beside her displayed a partially completed gown, and a variety of shirts, gowns, doublets, and trousers of many different colors and styles hung about the shop. The whole establishment looked prosperous and successful.
The girl looked from Duncan to Kendrick, then back to Duncan. Kendrick smiled to himself. He felt the awkward exchange that happened between Duncan and the lass. He didn’t need to look at his young companion to know Duncan was entranced. He couldn’t blame his young friend, for the lass was comely indeed.
Her hair was sandy blond and parted to one side. A few tousles partly covered one of her eyes, which sparkled bright blue in the afternoon sun. A warm and gentle smile graced her perfect complexion. The line of her cheekbone was strong. Kendrick was mesmerized for a brief moment, for she bore an uncanny resemblance to his wife. He smiled at her through the ache of his heart.
“Frayne invited us to speak with him. Is he—?”
“I am here.” Frayne spoke from a doorway that led to the back room. “Please join me.”
Kendrick and Duncan nodded toward the young woman and followed Frayne into a small room stuffed with more fabric, thread, and a plethora of stitching tools. He walked to the center of the crowded workroom, leaned back against a table, and began to stroke his chin in mild agitation.
“Who are you?” he asked.
“We are Knights of the Prince,” Kendrick replied, “and we journey here from Chessington.”
The man’s face registered suspicion and hope. “Why are you interested in what happened to my son?”
“Sir, you can rest assured that we mean you no harm,” Duncan said. “We are on a mission to discover the origins of a secret order of knights created to fight against the King and His Son. Our investigation has led us to Bel Lione.”
“In the short time that we have been here,” Kendrick added, “we’ve heard of something called the festival.”
“I know nothing about a secret order of knights, but I can certainly tell you about the festival.” Frayne shook his head. “It’s held once a month at the castle, and it’s only for the youth of the region. Once lads and lasses turn twenty-one, they are no longer allowed to attend.”
“That is quite odd.” Kendrick stroked his beard. “What is the purpose of the festival?”
Frayne snorted in disgust. “Lord Ra says it’s for them to enjoy life, to—”
“Lord Ra?” Kendrick interrupted. He looked at Duncan and knew that he too had connected the engraving on Casimir’s medallion to Frayne’s story.
Frayne stopped and looked quizzically at him. “Yes, Lord Ra of the grand castle. He is the one who hosts the festivals as well as a weekly fete. You’ve not heard of Lord Ra?”
Kendrick ignored the question. “Please go on.”
“The festival is a carnival of music, dancing, games, feasts, and frolicking that lasts two full days. An
d it costs nothing—Lord Ra provides everything.”
“Do all of the youth attend?” Duncan asked.
“No, but most do,” Frayne said soberly. “My son, Hamlin, started asking to attend when he was fifteen. In my heart I knew it wouldn’t be good for him, and my wife was vehemently against it. But all of his friends had attended numerous times. People ridiculed me for denying my son the joy of his youth, and Hamlin kept asking. So I finally relented. I convinced myself that his attending one festival couldn’t possibly hurt anything.”
Frayne stopped and stared at nothing for a time. Kendrick glanced at Duncan. He wondered if Frayne’s story was relevant at all to their mission but decided that anything they could learn about Lord Ra might be helpful in some way. He waited patiently for Frayne to continue.
Frayne finally looked at Kendrick. “Hamlin loved the festival, and at first it didn’t seem there would be any problems. But when I said no to the next festival, he left in the middle of the night to join his friends. He also began asking to attend the fetes that Lord Ra hosts every Friday evening. Eventually I wearied of the fight and let Hamlin choose his own path. I was such a fool.”
“What happened?”
“I lost my son, that’s what happened. Hamlin’s whole focus became the pleasures and indulgences Lord Ra offered at the castle. I watched my son begin to wither away from the man I’d hoped he would become. My wife and I began to fight, and our home became a bed of hostility. I didn’t know what was happening. I still don’t really.”
Frayne’s eyes filled with tears. “Six months ago, Hamlin didn’t come back from the festival. His friends said they looked for him, but he was gone. They thought he’d left early. I tried to speak with Lord Ra, but …” Frayne’s voice trailed off to silence, and he began to gaze into nothingness again.
“Are other boys missing?” Kendrick asked.
Frayne nodded. “Not just boys. Girls too.” A fire sparked in his eyes, drying the tears. “It’s maddening! Most of them come back week after week, month after month. They’re different, but they come back. But some don’t come back, and it’s as if the city denies that they ever existed. No one will talk about it, and they continue to let their own children march off to Lord Ra’s revelry.”
“I don’t understand,” Duncan said. “What does Lord Ra have to gain by hosting a festival every month and fetes every week?”
“He recruits some of the young men and a few young women to become knights that serve in his castle,” Frayne said, “and those who are selected fare well indeed. That’s what many of the parents are hoping for when they allow their youth to attend the festivities.”
“How are they selected?” Kendrick asked.
Frayne shrugged. “I think it has something to do with the games and sports during the festivals, but I don’t know for sure. Hamlin wouldn’t tell me much about what happened inside the castle walls.”
“Tell us more about Lord Ra,” Duncan said.
“I don’t know much about him really. Just that he is extremely wealthy and, considering the size of his castle, he must be very powerful.”
“Can you direct us to his castle?” Kendrick asked.
Frayne laughed. “Certainly … come with me.” He exited the back room and walked to the front of his shop. Kendrick and Duncan followed him outside and down the street just a few paces. The main thoroughfare curved to the right and, as they walked, the shops across the street and the trees behind them slowly retreated from view to reveal a magnificent castle set against the beautiful green of the forest and the rocky backdrop of Mount Quarnell. For all the castle’s beauty and splendor, however, Kendrick felt the hairs on his neck stand straight, for he felt the powerful shadow of great evil lurking behind the massive walls.
Kendrick laid a hand on his companion’s shoulder. “Well, Duncan, something tells me we’ve found what we’ve been looking for.”
Duncan nodded. “I believe you’re right. But how do we find out for sure?”
“We’ll have to stay for a while and do some investigating.” Kendrick broke his gaze from the castle of Bel Lione and looked at Frayne. “I’m told there is an inn over on Lure Road. Is it a good place to stay?”
“It is, but I doubt you’ll find any rooms available,” Frayne said. “Not with the festival this week. Although it is just for the youth, the activity brings many travelers from all across the region. Parents bring their children to attend and their wares to sell. In fact, I’m afraid all the inns will be full by now. You could try—”
“Excuse me,” a soft voice said from behind. “My mother sometimes boards visitors, and we have a couple of empty rooms available.”
The three men turned to see that Frayne’s tailor maid had followed them the few paces from his shop.
Kendrick was puzzled. “I thought she was your daughter,” he said to Frayne.
“No, Elise is not my daughter. But she brightens my shop—and my heart—as though she were.” Frayne smiled and put his hand out to the young woman, who took his hand and moved to stand next to him. “Forgive me for not introducing you earlier. Sir Kendrick, Sir Duncan … please meet Maid Elise of Lionsgate, daughter of Lady Odette.”
Both knights bowed and Maid Elise curtsied with grace. Frayne lightly placed a hand upon her shoulder. “Elise and I have something in common. We have both lost someone very dear to us—I my son, and she her father—perhaps to the same villain.”
Elise’s eyes momentarily lost their sparkle as she looked to the ground and then back to the men. “I work for Frayne when Mother doesn’t need me at the manor. With Father gone, we must look for other means to provide for ourselves.”
“Are you sure you would have room for us?” Duncan asked.
“Oh yes.” Her smile returned. “Our home is quite large, and it is just my brother and me at home with Mother now.”
“Why don’t you take them to Lady Odette, Elise,” Frayne said. “I can manage the shop for the rest of the day.”
Elise placed a hand on top of his and looked up at him.
“I’m all right now … really,” he said.
She nodded. “I’ll be just a moment, gentlemen.” With that she turned and went back into the shop. Duncan watched her all the while.
Kendrick turned to Frayne. “Thank you for your help. For what it’s worth, we believe you. There is much more happening here than a monthly celebration for the city’s youth.”
“May we come and visit with you again?” Duncan asked. “I’m sure there are some elements of your story that will make more sense to us as we learn more about Lord Ra.”
“Yes … of course.” The man looked as though some of his burden had been lifted. “Please come anytime.”
A COUNTRY MANOR
Duncan and Kendrick arrived back at the shop just as Elise emerged carrying a small satchel. Duncan stammered out an offer for Elise to ride his horse, and she graciously accepted. She guided them down various streets toward the southwestern edge of the city, then pointed out a road that led into the country.
“It’s not far now,” she said. “We live a short distance out of Bel Lione.”
Before they had gone far, Elise directed them down a less-traveled road that branched off to the right. Large trees stretched their limbs overhead to form a shady tunnel, now vibrant with colorful autumn leaves. Duncan, who had been tongue-tied since he met Elise, gradually relaxed as they went down this enchanted byway, and soon the two young people were engaged in small talk. Kendrick lingered slightly behind them, wondering if Duncan had any inkling as to how to win a maiden’s heart.
The end of the road brought them to the beautiful front courtyard of a rambling, unpretentious manor house. The place looked comfortable and inviting, although ragged hedges and worn paint gave evidence the estate had fallen on difficult times. Kendrick assumed the death of Elise’s father had something to do with that.
A boy of about sixteen came to greet them as they neared the manor.
“Hello, Ancel,” Elise s
aid as she dismounted.
“Hi, El,” he said with a look of curiosity on his face. He was a handsome youth whose blond hair was darker and curlier than Elise’s.
“Sir Kendrick, Sir Duncan, I would like you to meet my brother, Ancel. Ancel, these gentlemen are looking for room and board for a few weeks.”
“You’re knights, aren’t you?” Ancel blurted out, his eyes shining. “My father was a knight. I’m going to be one someday!”
“Then we should talk,” Kendrick answered with a smile.
“What order do you belong to?” Ancel asked.
“We are Knights of the Prince,” Duncan replied, “and we’re on a mission of discovery.”
“Really?” the boy asked with a quizzical gaze. “What’s there to discover in Bel Lione?”
“Ancel!” Elise said with a tone of mild rebuke. “These gentlemen are tired from their journey. Please take their horses to the stable and see that they are well cared for.”
Ancel’s smile returned. “Sure, El.”
“Is Mother about?” she asked.
“I think she’s in the kitchen.” Ancel reached for Thunder’s reins. “If you catch her, she may have time to put on some extra food for dinner.”
Elise led Duncan and Kendrick into the manor, seated them in a comfortable parlor, and excused herself. She returned with a stately looking woman that Kendrick presumed was Lady Odette. The resemblance between Elise and her mother was obvious.
“Good afternoon, gentlemen. I am Lady Odette of Lionsgate.”
Kendrick and Duncan rose and bowed. “It is a pleasure to meet you. I am Kendrick of Penwell, and this is Duncan of Trinalda.”
“Elise tells me you are in need of room and board.”
“Yes, my lady, if it isn’t too much of an inconvenience.”
“Not at all. We often host gentry from other cities when the inns are full.” Lady Odette smiled apologetically. “I hope you will forgive the rudimentary service. My two children and I have had to take on the duties of our former servants. Our situation has become a bit difficult since my husband passed away.”