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17. Maureen & David [from In Defense of Eve]    

A dowdy nurse of the earl's daughter escorted Bryan to a locked room in the keep tower of the earldom. "You'll be able to talk to the dears through the serving peep, sir."

"What!" Bryan blurted angrily, "This is an outrage! No one here has seen fit to free them?"

She shook her head and looked up with confusion in her eyes. "Oh, no, sir, no one dares defy the orders of the fierce Baron Bennet!"

"Bennet!" he cried as though it still had not sunk in. When Gregory had told him that he suspected Bennet's treachery, Bryan was skeptical until he crossed the border and saw the Baron's coat of arms on many of the dead. " 'Swounds, what sort of sorceress is this that can turn the finest into monsters!" he wailed.

"Ah, then, you too can taste the foul witch's deadly brew!" The nurse said, then called through the peep of the heavy oak door, "My dearies, are you there?"

"Obviously!" answered an angry youthful voice. The young Earl came to the aperture. "You will pay dearly for this betrayal, nurse!"

 "Oh, my kind young master, find it in your heart to forgive a fearful old woman," she sputtered remorsefully. "Still, I'd rather your gentler justice than the ferocious stroke of the baron's blade."

The young earl frowned at Bryan. "And who are you?—one of Bennet's treacherous dogs?"

"Nay, from the honorable legion of Lord Lance."

The young man gripped the serving sill, smiled and yelped, "Glory be to God!"

"Yea!" high pitched another voice. A young girl about the same age as Rhonda ran to her brother's side. "Why, of course, I know you. You are Bryan! Rhonda so often speaks of you!"

"Aye, and she of you....Your fears, Maureen, are at an end. I shall have you out of here at once." He turned to the nurse. "Fetch me the chatelain immediately."

"But, Sir Bryan, the key-keeper keeps no more. They are in possession of one of the Baron's knights left behind to oversee our every move."

Bryan looked at her skeptically. "Then why was I admitted without resistance?"

She shrugged but ventured, "I suppose the bridge-tender thought you were sent from the Baron."

"And where can I find this unknightly knight?"

"Oh, as is his custom, with one of the kitchen wenches. I think he's slept with every one of them thrice over already. I'll take you to the old earl's apartments. I'll wager that's where he is between the sheets and soft flesh—oft he has pairs with him." She turned to the peep. "We'll be back, dearies, for now my hope swells with the strong hand of one of the Lord- Protector’s loyalists!"

Bryan followed the nurse back down the winding steps and through an arch leading to the passage way to the deceased earl's rooms. She pressed her ear to the door, then nodded to Bryan. She stepped away, then light-footed back to the arch, leaning her back to it. Bryan unlatched the door and flung it open, his hand upon the hilt as he entered. A blubbery bare, hairy chest man abruptly sat up in the huge bed, his mouth agape. A young girl, barely of pubic age howled and jumped from the bed nude. She reached for her calico dress and held it up to her delicate, undeveloped body. When Bryan drew his massive sword, she fell to her knees. The startled man jumped up, wrapped the coverlet round his stocky body and knitted his heavy brows, inquiring, "What is this intrusion?—how dare you!"

"Nay, how dare you dishonor knighthood by your treachery and, as I see now, bedding with a mere child!" Bryan riled. "On with your pants, dog, so I can kill you honorably." He leveled his sword at the shaking man who dropped his wrapping and wiggled into his britches. Bryan spotted the keys on a table and motioned to the girl. "Take the keys to the nurse outside; then, young lass, get you to the chapel to cleanse your soul." The girl repeatedly and submissively nodded as she crossed in front of him to retrieve the keys. "And for God's sake put on your dress," he ordered. The girl complied hurriedly and ran out of the room, sniffling. Bryan stepped over to a chair where a sword and girth hung. He drew out the sword.

His pants up, still several inches under his bulging belly, the knight observed nervously, "I see from the crest that you are one of Lord Lance's men."

"And so were you, I gather, as was Bennet till this betrayal of the king, and to me, worse that he defiled the flag of the Mari!" Bryan excoriated him, holding up the renegade's sword.

Tensely the key-keeper, abruptly without a position, corrected the menacing sight in front of him, "Not true, swordsman, I was one of the old earl's castle knights."

"Then you are doubly treacherous! Especially in smearing the memory of the good earl by abandoning his children!" answered the righteous knight.

"Now, let's be reasonable, my good man. What say you espouse the cause and join Bennet's ranks? And I shall overlook this violation,” he said dumbly.

Brian laughed. "You, dog, are the violator! Bennet's ranks, you say? Surely you mean the witch Erinysia's who now seems to be in command....And are we forgetting the old warlord Kalab altogether? You are indeed a dishonest man. Had I more time I'd have you hanged in the ward, so unworthy of my knighted blade." He tossed the frightened man the sword.

 "But sir, unworthy verily, for I am no match for you. That's why I've been left behind."

"Your foreboding is true. I shall make short work of you. But treacherously skilled you are enough to scare the wits out of the staff, molest children and lock up the earl's dear children." Bryan aimed his blade inches from the protruding belly. "My sense of honor to redress your infractions diminishes all your lowly fears."

"Kind, sir, yea, you're honor is too high for the likes of me. I am guilty, true, but I possess none of your skillful morality. I, like the underlings, shrink before the menacing baron." He fell to his knees. "And now I shrink before you and beg mercy."

"Stand like a man; up with your blade, coward."

"Aye, coward I am!" The fat man dropped his sword and fell supinely, moaning into the floor.

"Then die a coward!" Bryan raised his sword to thrust, but hesitated. His honor prohibited him. He sheathed his sword and pulled the groveling man to his feet. "Then you shall exchange the children's cell for the rest of your miserable life."

The fat man, gratified that he was unworthy to be called a knight, blessed himself and said, "Oh, gladly! Aye, under lock and key forever—ah, to go on breathing..."

At the cavernous dining hall, the siblings were feasting on a heaping platter of assortments they had not seen since their week long incarceration. Bryan watched them with satisfaction as he drank from his tankard. Young Lady Maureen heaved a sigh, dipped her dainty fingers in a bowl of water, dried them with a towel and sat back in the chair that seemed to swallow her. "My dear Bryan, I thank you again for my freedom, but I shall hold you accountable if I turn into a pig." She twittered. "So much have I stuffed myself, I must seem to you to have an apple stuffed in my mouth"

"He grinned. "Trust me, little Lady Maureen, no such grotesque vision has caught my eyes." His expression turned grim as he leaned forward. "I fear, however, the speculation concerning Rhonda's fate. Having been captive, you, of course, know nothing, I gather?"

She gripped the arms of the huge chair and arched thin brows. "What's this—my darling Rhonda is missing?"

"Aye, and thankfully—having stumbled on your grim situation—why I came here, thinking that she had sought refuge here."

Pushing his plate away, the young earl joined in. "Thankful, indeed, good Bryan, but how now this sad news of Rhonda? What would bring about her wanting refuge?"

"The wicked Erinysia," Bryan said curtly.

The young earl frowned. "Ah, yea, how familiar we are of her evil ways!"

"Yea, verily the dear would have come here if in trouble," Maureen cried out.

"Yea, and from cauldron to raging fire," the brother said, snarling.

"Still, she could've come here and seen Bennet's siege and decided against it." Maureen suggested.

Bryan looked surprised. "But she trusted Bennet." Then he wondered if Bennet could possibly be so deeply under a spell to do harm to the sister of the Lord-Protector.

"And so did I." Maureen said.

"Aye, I see," Bryan said, while his thumb absently flapped the tankard lid repeatedly.

Maureen broke the silence. "Pray, she is safely with the king."

Her brother snickered. "Little consolation what with old Kalab probably storming the castle this very moment."

"Surely her own father would see that no harm comes to her," she said.

"Aye," Bryan agreed, "provided the old man is in his own mind."

"Slim chance with Erinysia in control," the young earl said grimly while stroking the new phenomenon of stubble on his chin from his captivity.

She wailed, "Oh, that woman! Once my stepmother! Ugh!"

Bryan drank down the ale and added, "Furthermore, I don't trust the king. If Rhonda's there he might decide to hide behind her skirt by holding her for a ransom or a deal to save his own neck."

Maureen squealed, then laughed. "Oh, good Bryan,...why, that's treason, yet it strikes me funny!"

His brother chided her, "It doesn't strike me that way." He turned to Bryan. "And you too...I shall forget you said that, Sir Bryan—after all, you're upset over Rhonda.

Maureen shot back, "Oh, my brother, you are too serious." Then she giggled. "Maybe I would be too if Young Henry were king—he's so handsome!" She had a good laugh, then burned a serious stare onto her brother, adding, "You know very well that our father always felt Henry didn't have the qualities to be king and simply tolerated him. You heard him say that above all the first king of a new nation must be extraordinary."

"Aye, I concede; he did in truth. But as implied he accepted him in spite of it for the sake of peace."

The cup-bearer poured more wine for Bryan, as the knight looked over at the brother, "Tell me, your grace, what is it you plan to do now?"

The young earl looked back with searching eyes. "With the earldom in disarray, I simply don't know."

"Surely, you must retrieve your army," Bryan offered matter of factly, "before they perpetrate treason—if they haven't already."

"But will they listen?"

"Good grief, David, they must respect the memory of our father!" Maureen shrieked.

"Aye, verily, it is our birthright."

"And our pressing duty either way to press onto Henry's castle," Bryan said urgently. He glanced over at Maureen. "You Lady Maureen, should remain here and reassert castle authority. I have already had the skeletal force here to swear before me their renewed loyalty to the earldom."

"Nay, sweet Bryan, I go where my brother goes—nor could I rest here thinking of dear Rhonda's fate." 18. The Prince

Some ten days before, outside the port city, the ruffians camped at dusk for the night. To the relief of her olfactory nerve, Rhonda, because the evening was warm, immediately removed his smelly robe when Sandy positioned her close to where they were starting a fire for cooking. She drew up her knees and buried her face in her hands, unable to take in the phantasmagoric situation she was in. She choked back the cries deep within and prayed. As Sandy was leaning over to strike the fire. Grimacing painfully, she peeked between her fingers at the sword tucked in Sandy's frayed sash. Suddenly she lunged and in one sweeping motion she grabbed the hilt with her two hands and jumped to her feet to hold them at bay. Brandishing the blade threateningly before them, she back-pedaled toward the mare. The fat miller laughed and reached for his dagger hanging from his rope belt until she deftly parried and slashed the back of his hand from which he yelped in sharp pain. Rhonda dexterously maneuvered the sword before their surprised eyes and warned, "Indeed, you subcommoners, I know how to use this — how could you think otherwise, knowing I am the sister of the greatest swordsman in the kingdom?" The young one, nevertheless, stalked toward her. She backed up faster, turned her head to reach for the reins of the mare.

Instantly Sandy leaped toward her but she quickly reeled and sunk the swift blade in his arm. He shrilled, "My arm! You bitch!...Why, you've been baptized in witches' brew!" He started toward her but felt the tip of the blade in his chest as she extended her arms. He backed off, dropping to his knees to nurse his arm.

She, still gripping the sword, released one hand and mounted her mare. The fat one, having tried to suck the pain from his wounded hand, again reached for the dagger. Balancing the point he took aim. Comically it fell like a wounded duck far short of its target. Rhonda heeled her horse and headed in the opposite direction, favoring the dark highway to the fearsome city of cutthroats she had heard about. Sandy rose up in disgust, scowling at him. He ran after the mare; as it gained ground he poised, and with his good arm he was about to fling it till he heard pounding hoofs behind him. The horseman had been riding out of the city and immediately had spurred his horse to fast gait when he noticed the distressing scene ahead. He easily overtook Sandy who reeled and had to jump out of the way lest he be run down; he ran back to camp.

Rhonda turned in her saddle; then sighed and slowed to a trot when she saw the dark horse turn abruptly toward the grove encampment to but a few paces from their fire. A young handsome nobleman, very finely dressed, drew his sword and arced it down slowly toward the men. Rhonda quickly returned and pulled up her mare. She chose to remain mounted and slid the sword out from under her belt. The stranger addressed her, "I trust, good lady, that you do not wish to remain in the company of these rogues."

"I certainly do not, kind sir, " she responded and bridled round her horse.

"I suggest you ride with me." Rhonda, nodded, sliding the sword back under her belt, and gladly complied while clinging to her horse's bridle. He bridled to face her captors and warned, "If I see you thieving kidnappers along this trail again, be assured I shall run the three of you through with my blade."

The old man bowed. "But, my lord, you are taking this the wrong way. We never intended, your very highness, to do harm to this poor girl in distress."

The fat man wobbled closer and then bowed again, saying, "True, true, our prince, we meant only to feed her for her journey."

"Enough of this," the young nobleman interjected, "I know the ways of you highwaymen and your lame excuses. You are to break up this camp and leave the kingdom at once or spend the rest of your days in my father's dungeon unless I decide to kill you personally."

The fat one untied the donkey as the old man scurried about in preparation for breaking camp while the young one bemoaned his lost treasure and mounted the dray horse.

When the prince sidled alongside her. He arched his brows and sputtered, "Good grief! If it isn't little Rhonda!—how is this possible?"

For the first time in quite a spell, she laughed. "I'll tell you, good prince, while we ride. The quicker I'm away from those louts the safer I shall feel. I thought I recognized you."

"Then, with your being without a saddle, would you care to ride with me?" he asked.

"No, thank you, your highness, I've ridden this way many times—though granted, not for any distance. But, I'm fine—just happy to be free of their grimy clutches."

Rhonda and her rescuer rode hard for an hour. She slowed to a trot and said, "Good sir, my mare is not used to the hard riding I've put her through these past two days." They dismounted and walked the horses for a while. He observed that her mare was very tired.

"Well, my lady, we shan't make the castle tonight, nor an inn for that matter. Around the bend in the road there are sheltering trees under which we can spend the night," Prince Henry suggested.

"Oh, my," she murmured in jest, "that doesn't sound very proper coming from a prince, especially." She had remembered the prince from when he paid his respects to her mother's passing and knew him as a perfect gentlemen.

"No fear, I shall find a tree a good distance away." He laughed. "We have no other choice. There is not a farm house for miles yet. And it is too dangerous for us to continue along the road at night—especially with a tired horse."

She agreed, "Yes, dangerous in the daytime as well—besides, my horse needs the rest more than we."

The prince nodded in agreement. "Yes, I gathered that your steed is most important. I wouldn't dare suggest a while back that we abandon your filly."

"In the Mari tradition, we Kalabs are as loyal to our steeds as they to us," she prompted the prince with a dazzling smile. Rhonda was famished and devoured an apple the prince had in his saddle bag. In seeing this he gave her his apple too, which she politely rejected. He unsaddled his horse and placed the saddle under the tree, spread out his cloak for Rhonda to lie on and cover herself while he picked out a distant tree to prop up against.

She cried out after him, "Oh, my lord, there is no need for you to be that far away. I would feel safer if you were somewhat closer—not too close, you understand. Besides, I am not sleepy, even though I have had horribly eventful days."

He stepped toward her and sat down next to her and propped himself on his elbow, "There, I can see your eyes now. I don't like talking to a shadow. I don't think I should make a fire; it would draw attention."

"Tell me, prince, what have you been doing so far from the castle?—and coming from the notorious Dawnport, no less! I trust you didn't lose your way in a hunt."

"No, I'm no huntsman. I don't like killing. I know that sounds cowardly since I enjoy a good meal of pheasant or venison. I suspect, if we didn't have plenty of huntsmen to fill the castle storerooms, I should have to settle for barley and roots."

 She laughed. "Sounds sensible to me, rather than cowardly—and, of course, hypocritical. I am guilty of the same. I dare not look in the eyes of our livestock ....And, I hear that the poor at Dawnport wait at the pier—oh, I shiver from the its grotesqueness—for foreign rats to disembark so they can sup on them." He laughed. She squinted at his shadow. "You know, I don't like talking to blank faces either. Please turn round so the moon falls on you. He raised up and adjusted himself. There I can see your eyes now....You still haven't told me you've been doing in that horrible city."

"Oh, nothing really,...the king sent me along with the castle guards to insure against the theft of an arrow shipment from Lodeston. It's fortunate that I got bored, leaving the men to tend to the carters. I hate to think what might have happened to you had I not decided to chance the highway when I did, rather than wait till morning. Not that I'm anxious to return to the tedious court scene. My mouth and ears are not prone to the verbal nonsense that goes on at the castle."

"Strange coming from a prince, I should think you would relish that—after all, what else is there to politics but tongue wagging," she said with a chuckle. "I certainly got enough of it from listening to my father and brother."

"Oh, really? I thought your famous brother was too busy fighting battles to be bothered with the political side of power."

"Well, yes, that part is true. But this last time he came home he was in constant argument with my father."

"Yes, of course, your father, I heard he's in disagreement with mine."

Her lovely teeth shone in the moonlight as she shook her head and laughed. "Yes, I hear too. But nothing serious, you understand,...I mean, he is, of course, loyal to the crown."

"Yea, I'm sure he is, " he said unconvincingly.

She yawned. "I think I'm ready to close my eyes now....Oh, by the way, how coincidental—Lance is in Lodeston. I hope he's home by now."

"Really, and what is he doing there?"

"Oh, he's looking for a Pegasus, I suppose, to replace his faithful mount that was wounded severely."

"Yea, they do have fine steeds, but inappropriate for knights."

"I'm surprised to hear that the king would have dealings with those barbarians."

He laughed. "Well, actually they refuse to engage in diplomatic relations with us—a very ancient grudge."

"Then why the shipment?" she asked.

"Oh, it was arranged by an exporter from Spain. Lodeston doesn't know it was for us; otherwise, it would've been carted overland."

"Oh, my, do you think my brother could be in danger up there?"

He laughed again. "The world renowned Protector in danger? Hardly!" He raised himself up and covered her as she rested her head on the saddle. He stepped away to the nearest tree and leaned up against it. She felt secure with him—in spite of one noble's betrayal already—and had little trouble falling asleep, though she kept the highwayman's sword by her side.

An hour glass or so after the rescue, the daring highwaymen, who, having lost their treasure, decided to return to the outskirts of the castle city. Along the way, they discovered the escapee's camp. The churls kept watch some hundred yards from Rhonda and her rescuer.