The Princess and Her Rogue

by Sheritta Bitikofer

  “I hate to say this, but I agree with Justin, my lord. Is this your will that Kiara marry Sir Claude?” Eshean asked as he stumbled along, leaning on his twisted walking stick for support as his old knees needed to stretch from his morning’s rest.

  “I will let Kiara decide tomorrow. Sir Claude is an excellent knight and a very wealthy man. Even if he cannot please her with his personality, he can surely please her with his money. He could provide for her almost as easily as I can.”

  The three walked out of the great hall and onto the covered walkway that was adjacent to the courtyard. Beyond it on the other side, lay the small game field, bordered by the blacksmith shop and stables, as well as the library and armory. No other children of the king could be found that morning except for Kiara who was saddling her horse in the stables and loading up a huge, bulging sack in the process. All the others were either busy out playing in the field behind the castle or in town, doing unknown things - probably causing chaos that the king would hear about later.

  The other two reluctantly dropped the subject of Kiara’s new suitor and turned to go towards the throne room to discuss important matters. Malcolm stayed behind to watch Kiara with loving eyes as she mounted her pure white horse and rode around swiftly towards the castle gates to make her way towards town. Yes, Malcolm would miss his little princess very much.

  Kiara, filled with refreshed excitement, raced to town on her horse, riding sidesaddle with her long light blue cloak flowing behind her in the wind. She loved to ride around the border of the city before making her visits in the village. Aleph was the capital city of her father’s kingdom, so naturally it was the largest. It had to be, to house all of the peasants and workers who kept the kingdom going.

  Tradesmen and craftsmen from all over the kingdom came to Aleph in hopes to make a good profit - and they did. Blacksmiths, horsemen, hounds men, cooks, bakers, carpenters, masons, weavers, entrepreneurs, seamstresses and anyone willing to serve the kingdom were welcome into the city. Those who were less fortunate without a place to go were also invited to come.

  Aleph was known for its artisans, as well as its orphanages and soup kitchens for the needy. It was for the sake of these establishments that Kiara would take a trip to town almost four times a week.

  Once she was done exhausting her horse with two trips around the inside of the city’s rim, she made her way into the village. Kiara looked like an angel compared to the villagers. Most were grimy, covered in dirt and wearing poorly patched clothing. Kiara had sympathy for them, but she also wished she wouldn’t stand out so much. Everyone looked so poor, while it was obvious that she was a princess. It wasn’t that she didn’t appreciate her nobility, but it was a burden when socializing with the villagers. Most respected her and enjoyed her company, but other cynics who had witnessed too much of her siblings’ antics refused to have anything to do with her. If only she could show them that she was different than the others.

  As she passed by the little houses, the shops and taverns, people came out and gave their greetings to the princess. Children who were running in the streets came up alongside Kiara’s horse to ask her for treats and she willfully obliged them with a little bit of sugarcane.

  Homeless beggars on the sides of the dirt roads even shared in Kiara’s kindness as she would throw between two and sometimes fifteen gold pieces into their hats, pots or handing them the little pouch of gold personally.

  She also made a few visits to households that she knew were struggling financially. It didn’t matter how small or how large the family was, Kiara kept to her commitment of five gold pieces per member. They all were much appreciative and would invite her to stay for breakfast, but she regretfully declined each time.

  When Kiara reached a large orphanage, she leapt down from her horse while a hoard of children came out to greet her and wrap their skinny arms around her legs and waist. Kiara laughed and hugged them all in return until the head mistress of the orphanage emerged, looking tired and old despite her young age.

  “Hello, Princess Kiara. What brings you here?” Heather asked with a hoarse voice from calling after the kids all morning and trying to manage the crying babies that Kiara could hear coming from inside the orphanage.

  “I bring some provisions. It’s not much, but it should be able to hold you through for one extra day,” Kiara replied as she made her way to her horse through the crowd of orphans to get the sack of food that she brought into town with her.

  Heather looked gravely at the large bag as Kiara brought it into the leaky two-story home and set it upon the only dining table available.

  “You know we can’t repay you, my lady. I don’t want us to become a burden for you. No one else provides for us and you’re not obligated to,” Heather said with tears forming in her eyes as she watched Kiara pull out a dozen loafs of bread, packages of bacon and a full barrel’s worth of fruits and vegetables that only royalty were privileged to eat. The children all flooded into the hut and took what they pleased with many thanks and compliments.

  “I don’t expect you to pay me back, Miss Heather. I do this because I want to. Besides, most of the royal family hardly eats at the castle, so all the food goes to waste. I still need to talk to my brother about the excess food going straight to you all instead of me being the middle-woman,” she said gleefully as she picked up one of the crying baby girls in an effort to help poor Heather.

  Within minutes, all the children were fed and full, ready to face the day. Kiara watched them run about and play in the streets happily from the comfort of the doorway as she held the small baby in her arms, bouncing the child gently to put it to sleep.

  “My lady, you have been such a help to us. I must repay you somehow. This is the ninth time this month that you’ve provided for us when we had nothing.” Miss Heather had streams of tears running down her cheeks as she gracefully took the baby from her arms.

  Kiara only smiled and hugged Heather warmly. “It isn’t I that needs the repaying. It’s your mother and I’m doing all I can to help you and this cause. If it weren’t for this orphanage, many children wouldn’t have a home at all. You are doing a wonderful thing here, Miss Heather, and I want to participate as much as I can.”

  The two grinned warmly, and then came into the hut to talk for a while. The two of them knew each other from childhood so their friendship was close, despite the social class differences.

  Kiara much enjoyed helping out the less fortunate. She felt like she needed a purpose in life besides just being one of the king’s daughters. There was more to life than getting her way all the time and blowing her allowance on material things that don’t matter in the slightest. Unfortunately, her siblings had yet to learn such a lesson.

  Unbeknown to Kiara, she was being watched from a distance. A scattered group of men in dark cloaks crowded around the shadows of the buildings, avoiding eye contact with anyone and everyone that passed. The leader of the group, a tall burly man, stuck his head out from underneath his cloak and eyed Kiara intensely. He looked across the way to another alley and nodded to his companion. That person sent out a whistle to the other members that were in the village. The hooded figures all deserted their posts and made their way towards a patch of trees to plan their next move.

  The following evening, Kiara was having the time of her life, laughing and dancing in the great hall with all her friends from the village and the servants. She was even happy to see that some of her siblings had come to celebrate her birthday with her - mostly to enjoy the music and food. Of course, every child from the orphanage was invited, along with Miss Heather, who decided to sit back and watch the festivities to give her tired body a rest. Even the servants were all allowed to rejoice and dance happily to the lively tunes that were provided by the music players at the far end of the room.

  Justin and Malcolm clapped along with the rhythm of the music and laughed merrily as they watched Kiara dance with the little shy orphan boys. Eshean, too, was smiling at the party, sitting near Miss Heathe
r to keep her company.

  All were in high spirits, energetic and the room was filled with a kind of vivaciousness. Kiara would have it no other way on her eighteenth birthday. All was gay and light-hearted for that evening. Even the stiff knights and soldiers that were invited were partaking in the dancing.

  When the music slowed down, the dancers bowed to their dance partners and applauded the music performers’ excellence. Kiara, although she was the guest of honor, chose to set herself away from the center of attention and walked off to stand next to Heather and Eshean.

  “You look magnificent tonight, my lady,” complimented Heather with a weak, smile. Kiara didn’t particularly think she looked too wonderful, but her satin blue dress was very form fitting and lovely. However, she was not the best dressed out of the room when glancing over to her other sisters. Kiara only smiled, thanked Heather and hugged her neck playfully. The two ladies were not much different in their ages and despite everything, Kiara considered Miss Heather her equal.

  “Will you not dance this round, my lady?” Eshean asked, just barely audible over the band.

  “No, I would like to take a break for a few moments to rest my heart,” Kiara answered with a wide grin.

  “Oh, that’s too bad. I was hoping I would be able to dance with you for a short while,” a voice came from behind her. Kiara turned to look at a very tall, proper-looking soldier. His black hair was combed back carefully, dressed in a very expensive blue tunic uniform and long coat to match. He wore a short sword at his waist to show his high status and wore a pair of tough dark leather riding boots. Kiara scrutinized his demeanor and soft brown eyes, but couldn’t recall any acquaintance with him.

  “Princess Kiara, this is Sir Claude. I believe you met him last year when your father held the jousting tournament in Aleph,” Eshean introduced as he stood up from his chair to walk towards the two.

  “I apologize, but I don’t seem to remember that occasion,” Kiara said shyly.

  “That’s quite alright. I’m sure all nobility begins to look the same after a while. So, may I have what is left of this dance?” Sir Claude offered out his gloved hand to the princess very cordially. Kiara glanced from Heather to Eshean, who were both encouraging silently for her to accept that invitation. However much Kiara wasn’t easy about the idea of dancing with Sir Claude, she nodded and placed her hand in his to be led out to the floor.

  Kiara didn’t remember the man well enough to know his character, but from his serious countenance and rather unpleasant deportment, he didn’t look like a person Kiara would care to get to know. As they began dancing slowly in the set, Kiara kept her eyes on the ground and didn’t look up to him during the experience unless she absolutely had to. She wouldn’t say it was painful to be interacting with the gentleman, but she disliked it enough to want to leave him stranded on the dance floor and run off to talk to her friends. There was just something in his eyes and in the air about him that made her uncomfortable and restless. Kiara hoped she would not have to encounter this man again. She wasn’t even sure why the man was at her party in the first place. Kiara certainly wouldn’t invite him, so it must have been her father or brother, who were watching with special interest from across the room.

  While Kiara and Sir Claude danced, Eshean hobbled over to Malcolm and Justin. Once by their side, he didn’t have to say a word about the situation.

  “Kiara is dancing with Sir Claude,” the king stated.

  “Yes, my lord… However, she looks very uneasy about the affair. Should I send someone else to cut in?” Eshean asked eagerly, wishing the king would consent to such an idea.

  “No, I’d much prefer them to become better acquainted. They’ll be married some day and it’s better to leave them be for the moment.”

  “But, father,” Justin interjected, “I don’t think Kiara would want to be married or even engaged to him. Wouldn’t it be wiser to let her make that decision for herself after first meeting him? If she isn’t interested in him, then forcing her to marry the man won’t improve their feelings for each other.”

  “I’m not going to force Kiara to marry Sir Claude. I’m simply saying that she needs time to grow used to him. If she dislikes him now, there is nothing to say that she will continue to dislike him or even grow to hate him over time. Once she knows more about him, perhaps the union will be easier. But, she must make that decision for herself, I agree. I’m just giving her an opportunity to form an opinion so that she will be able to make the wisest choice.”

  The other two nodded with indignation and watched the couple finish their dance. And though it was short, Sir Claude seemed to thoroughly enjoy being in Kiara’s company. Kiara, on the other hand, curtsied and allowed him to kiss the back of her hand before running back to Heather’s side. Sir Claude glanced after her only once, then walked away proudly.

  The remainder of the evening was less eventful. After a few more dances, the party sat down to a banquet feast with all fifteen members of the royal family seated at the half-circle table for the first time in months. The knights and squires that attended sat in the long table that was prepared in the middle of the hall. To the king’s left and right, there were two more long tables to house the invited servants and townspeople. Another table was essentially set up on the other side of these three tables to hold the orphan children and miscellaneous guests that were left over. In all - including the noble family - there were ninety-five people in the great hall.

  Towards the end of the meal, the king thanked the guests for coming in honor of Princess Kiara and invited them all to stay for dessert. The king would present his present to the young lady later that evening, even though she had already received a little chestnut brown cocker spaniel puppy earlier that morning from her father, along with several other small gifts of jewelry or clothing accessories from the townspeople.

  When the main courses were complete, everyone was served a portion of rich pound cake and strawberries. After a few hours of socializing and mingling among servants, peasants and knights, the great hall progressively became empty until only a few drunken servants and knights were left reveling. The royal family had dispersed to their own desired occupations for the night, leaving only Malcolm, Justin, Eshean, Kiara and the dreaded Sir Claude sober and active.

  “Daughter, may I see you outside in the courtyard?” Malcolm asked, offering his arm to Kiara. She gladly took it and was escorted outside into the brisk night air, their path only illuminated by the moon above and the lit torches from under the covered walkways. Eshean and Justin felt like following, but refrained to out of courtesy. Sir Claude, knowing that the moment had come, wanted to join them, but decided that it wasn’t proper to accompany them uninvited.

  Once outside, Malcolm gestured to a stone bench for them to sit on. Kiara folded her dress carefully so as not to tear it and sat down beside her father with a smile.

  “Have you enjoyed your party?” Malcolm began.

  “Yes, very much. Thank you for allowing me to have it,” Kiara replied.

  “I’m glad,” The king gave her a comforting, confident smile and placed her hand in his, “You do know, that I want you to be happy, no matter what?”

  “Of course. You’ve told me that several times in the past fortnight…” Kiara could read something in his eyes which gave her concern, “Is something wrong?” she asked.

  “No, nothing is wrong at all… But, you are eighteen now and old enough to make your own choices in life. You’ve always been able to make the wisest choices and I admire you for that. Your siblings have yet to learn that skill, but they are catching on, slowly but surely,” the king paused and took a deep breath, “And you are going to have to make a decision very soon that will change the course of your life. I don’t want you to be rash or immature about this topic, but have you considered marriage anytime recently?”

  Kiara was startled by his speech, but tried to keep a calm, rational face for her father. She sighed and looked down to the patch of grass in front of them.r />
  “To be honest, no, I have not. But, I’m sure that I’ll know what to do when the right man comes along. I’m not like my sisters who are willing to court any man that pleases them. I know that marriage is a very serious subject, indeed, and I wouldn’t make that kind of choice lightly.”

  “I’m glad to hear that… You met Sir Claude earlier tonight, did you not?”

  Kiara looked up to her father, shocked again. “Yes, I did. What about him?”

  “Well, he is a very noble man. He is a knight of the city of Lameda…”

  “Eshean was kind enough to provide that information. But, why do you bring his name up when we’re talking of marriage?” Kiara wasn’t a fool. She knew where this was leading and she didn’t particularly like it.

  Malcolm chuckled and patted her hand. “You are very smart, Kiara. You never miss a thing… The reason I bring him up is because Sir Claude has asked for your hand.”

  Kiara felt like fainting. Her marry Sir Claude? Was her father insane? Did Malcolm not know Kiara well enough to realize that she would be unhappy with the knight if they did marry? Kiara tried to not show how disgruntled she was, but it was hard not to make a face of disgust.

  “Sir Claude? Really?” Kiara had to ask, hoping that she had heard him wrong.

  “Yes, really. Sir Claude came to me a week ago when he arrived in town and asked for your hand in marriage. I told him I would allow you to give the answer yourself,” Malcolm squeezed his daughter’s hand, “I know how free-spirited you are and how much you care for adventure. Sir Claude travels all over the kingdom to tournaments. He is very rich and is a good man. He would take care of you and provide for you almost as well as I can. In my eyes, it is a wise match. There is no knight like him. I’d like you to think about it and make a decision by morning. Sir Claude is staying in the castle and I invited him to breakfast so that you can give him your answer.”