The Everlands Chronicles: The Truth

by A. J. Bell

  “What are you saying?” Victor sounded hurt.

  “You’re meant to be a great ruler. Some decisions you face will be hard to make, but they need to be made nonetheless. You can’t turn your back on everyone else because of me.”

  “But what about us?” he said, confused.

  I turned to face him. “Will you be selfish and renounce the Crown to be with me? Will you forget the promises you made when you accepted the Crown? Will you turn the throne over to your stepmother instead? Think of the consequences. She’s a tyrant that thinks only of herself. If you run away, you will be no different than she is.” I kissed him softly, maybe for the last time, since his lips would soon belong to someone else. “Victor, you must sleep on it. Think about what this would mean to your father, to the kingdom, and then to yourself.” I walked him to the door and hugged him tightly, longing for another kiss, but not daring to ask. “Goodnight, My Lord.”

  It was early morning when I decided to go out to the stables to say goodbye to Stardust. Since it was meant to be a gift to Victor’s future wife and that was no longer me, the horse was no longer mine either.

  “I have made up my mind,” Victor said, waiting for me, knowing I would come to the stables. Although deep inside I yearned for him to selfishly choose me so that I wouldn’t be alone and I could have that freedom and protection he had promised me, I knew his answer was to honor his father’s treaty. That was the kind of king he would be – a man who would keep his promises, just like his father. “I’ve asked Father to allow me to meet the Princess before I marry her and before he makes the official engagement announcement. We’ll send an escort to bring her to the Everlands so that I can properly court her.”

  “That’s a wise decision, My Lord.” I really meant it, even though my dreams of hiding no longer were fading.

  “Will you be here for me if, after getting to know her, I still want to run away?”

  Did he really ask that question? “I’m certain that won’t be the case, Your Highness. I’ve heard wonderful things about the Princess of Ganzale. But if My Lord still refuses to fulfill his duties and marry her, then and only then, I will go away with you.”

  He took my hand and gave it a tiny squeeze, his eyes full of sadness. I knew then I would never touch him again, not like the woman he once wanted to marry.

  “This is a gorgeous mare. The Princess will love her,” I said.

  “I said it was a gift for the woman who stole my reason, which is still you. Besides, you’ll need your own horse from now on,” he said, as if he knew something I didn’t.

  “What do you mean?”

  “The votes have been cast by all the knights present in the Royal City for you to be knighted.”

  My eyes opened wide in alarm. Did my ears deceive me?

  “I cast my vote as well–” he began.

  “You decided against it, correct?” I asked, worried.

  “Everyone agrees that, after what you have done, you should become a knight to serve the Crown, and that includes me. Elle, are you ready for what is coming your way?”

  Chapter 18

  “This is insane! You know better than anybody else why this isn’t a good idea. If your father finds out the truth, he’ll surely send me to the gallows. How could he not? I’ve lived a lie for many years, and now they want to reward me for being a liar?”

  “You won’t be lying to him, just keeping the truth from him,” Victor said persuasively.

  Keeping the truth and telling a lie was the same thing. “Victor, I wasn’t born into nobility, and I could never go beyond being a squire, not just because of my background, but because I’m a woman,” I said, a bit scared and angry.

  “Father would be amazed knowing all you have accomplished. He would reward you for your bravery just the same as he would do for a man. My father is a just man, and someday I hope to be like him,” he sighed.

  “Surely, he wouldn’t make me a knight if he knew the truth.”

  “You’ve served the Crown better than any other man who bears the title of knight. Besides, think of the benefits knighthood will bring to you. Father would grant you some land; you would be the Master of his own household, coming and going when you please; you would have enough servants to care for you and your estate. Elle, you’d have your very own army to protect your family, more now with the abundance that you can have. Think about it. You’ll no longer have to serve Richard. You can roam freely in your house. You can send John away on a holiday and just be yourself. The possibilities are endless.”

  “It all sounds too good to be true, Victor… I’m not sure this is the right path for me, but I guess it is up to your father now.”

  “Father has made his decision. He has only heard good reports about you. It is up to you to either take the oath or back down from this stewardship. If you accept, you will take your oath tomorrow night, but you must tell Father your choice tonight during his welcoming feast.”

  The feast to celebrate the return of the King was magnificent, from the food to the decorations to the music and even the guests. It seemed to me that I was the only one there who was not born into nobility. All of the squires were either sons of lords, knights, or members of the court, unlike me – the offspring of a blacksmith. But the King recognized me and welcomed me among the others.

  Once I agreed to become a knight, he sent me away to be prepared. I would spend the night at the castle as well as the following day, spending every hour meditating, fasting, and praying for the sacredness of my calling.

  The time for the ceremony arrived. I wasn’t wearing the Arden Seal on my cloak nor on my chest like I would normally do. In fact, I wasn’t wearing a seal at all, as if I had no house to belong to. Instead, I wore a white tunic to represent the purity of my new calling. I wore only a ponytail that Mother had fixed with my hair. Somehow, she had wrapped my long hair inside my short hair and tucked it inside my shirt so that it was impossible to tell that there was actually more hair than what showed. I tried to look as masculine as I could.

  Before the feast, Sir Richard, Victor, and His Majesty King Tobias bestowed wonderful gifts on me. I received a new pair of gold spurs from Sir Richard, and Victor announced that he had given me a horse to go with those spurs. I had a sword already, but not a shield, until Sir Richard gave me his own – the one Father and I had made for him out of Clouds.

  His Majesty’s gift broke all the rules, as if rules hadn’t been broken enough already. He gave me a red cloak with the Royal Seal embroidered in gold thread on it. It may not seem like much, but the red cloak symbolized royal blood, which I wasn’t.

  Victor was right when he said his father would go above and beyond to reward those who deserved to be rewarded, but I still felt unworthy of such honor.

  Before the ceremony started, I sat next to Sir Richard, who wouldn’t stop staring at me. All of the other knights were scattered around the tables, but all of them were facing the King.

  “I don’t recall ever seeing you without your cap.”

  I dismissed Sir Richard’s comment by putting something in my mouth. I was very nervous. I never went without my cap because of the fear of people seeing the full length of my hair. What if the King realized I was no man at all and decided to slice my head off instead of dubbing me?

  “You will do great, lad!” Sir Richard said.

  I ignored his comment again.

  “I sent for your parents. I was hoping for them to be here in time, but it seems…” He stopped midsentence, but then continued excitedly. “They are here!” he said, pointing towards the main stairs as the two most humble citizens of the kingdom walked in. Seeing them was soothing to my soul, and I now could breathe better. I hadn’t seen them since we had first left Stoneburg to go to Abilene, and I wasn’t sure what things they had already been told.

  “Do they know what’s going on?” I asked Sir Richard.

  “I didn’t think it was my place to tell them, so I saved it for you. They’ll be surprised, but more than any
thing, they’ll be proud of you! I’ll bring them here.”

  “Thank you, My Lord,” I said.

  The servants took our empty plates away and refilled our cups. His Majesty the King raised his golden chalice and offered a toast to celebrate the treaty signed with the Kingdom of Ganzale, but just like he had promised Victor, he didn’t mention the details of the treaty.

  “I wonder what Lady Elle will do when she finds out about Victor’s engagement, since he was planning to marry her–” said Sir Richard, unexpectedly and with real concern.

  “She already knows,” I assured him. “She understands that this is what needs to be done, for the good of the entire kingdom.”

  “How do you know this?” Sir Richard asked.

  “She’s a good friend of mine,” I said, hoping he would leave the conversation there.

  “Has she ever said anything about me?” Sir Richard asked, nervously.

  I stared at him. “Anything, like what?” I replied, estranged by his question.

  “Like if she has ever considered me to be handsome, brave – a man worthy of a woman like her?” He looked serious when he said this, so I suppressed the laugh his comment gave me. I did find Sir Richard very attractive, and since I was no longer engaged to Victor, I was a free woman when I was not pretending to be a man. However, I needed to be careful around Richard, for both of our sakes.

  “She does think you are handsome, but she also knows of your many heart-robbing adventures, and she doesn’t want to be part of them.”

  He suppressed a smile, as if he had really liked my response, but I had just told him I was not interested in being one of his games. Before I could clarify my comment with him, the King’s speech began.

  “The people of this kingdom can be sure that they are being watched every night while they are sleeping. They can rest assured that their fields are safe during the day, not only from the common wolf that would attack their sheep, but also from other wild predators that would attack their families. Thanks to the people who take up arms and fight for our kingdom’s freedom, we can enjoy liberty in the Everlands. Tonight, I, King Tobias of the House of Lovan, rightful ruler of the Everlands, keeper of the Keys of Justice, have chosen to honor Master John Giles of Stoneburg by bestowing upon him the powers, authorities, and duties of a Knight of the Everlands.

  “Stand up!” Sir Richard urged.

  I did.

  “Do come forward,” said His Majesty.

  I waited because I still wasn’t sure I wanted to follow through. I looked at Sir Richard doubtfully. He nodded, encouraging me to walk, and so I did. I stood in front of His Majesty. I then looked over to Victor, who also encouraged me. On bended knee I took both of the King’s hands in mine still fearing that his sword would be used to behead me instead of dubbing me.

  “From this day forth, in life or death, I shall serve thee, my King, until the end of my days or the fulfillment of my oath. I shall be faithful and true. I shall defend the Royal Seal. I shall live to protect thy honor, My Liege. This I swear.” I kissed his Royal Ring as a gesture of submissiveness to his will. He took out his sword and tapped both of my shoulders, accepting my oath.

  “I dub thee, Knight,” the King said. He then bid me to stand up, and he reintroduced me to everyone present. “My Lords, My Ladies, I give you Sir John Giles.”

  The King also made me steward of Andora. In a matter of days, I went from a simple blacksmith who had nothing to a knight who owned acres and acres of land. Life, as I had known it, was long gone, but my heart still wondered what would happen if the King knew I had lied to him by pretending to be a man. Would he condemn me and my family, or would he grant me forgiveness and simply take back what was rightfully his?

  Leaving Sir Richard was harder than I could ever have imagined it would be. I had grown to love him so much – his teachings, his patience, and his kindness towards my parents. He chose me to be his squire when I had no previous training; he allowed me to carry a sword when squires like me only carried knives; he allowed me to go on a long trek, acting in the name of the King as if I had the authority to do so; and finally, he sponsored me into knighthood. I had not been away from him for more than a few days at a time. This was going to be a big change.

  I took my time packing my few belongings, remembering the years spent servicing my master of Arden Manor. Father, on the other hand, packed his tools faster than I would’ve thought possible to do. He was excited for the changes coming. Mother, though, had a really hard time to bring herself to the idea of departing, because she had cared for Richard and his household for over seven years, so he had become like a son to her. I was grateful that Sir Richard let them go with me. I couldn’t bear to be without them. Mother took a long time to pack, because she not only took her few things from our home, but also took some roots and herbs from her garden to plant in our new garden at our new home.

  Sir Richard accompanied us to our new estate in the city of Andora, located north of the Everlands. Andora’s castle was our new residence. In the past, it had only been used by the Royal Family when they traveled through the area. As we rode through the city, it was easy to tell that Andora was a humble city, full of farmers and small huts rather than brick or stone homes.

  Since His Majesty had already sent a messenger ahead to announce our arrival, plenty of folks were waiting for us inside. The castle looked so alive, with torches and candles lighting its many windows and hallways. Even though it was small compared to others I had seen, it was enormous compared to our humble home back in Stoneburg. I feared I would need a map to not get lost in my own home. Not mention the luxury that surrounded me made me feel guilty. I had to do something about it. I couldn’t be swimming in wealth and have half of the people of Andora going hungry to bed. I just couldn’t.

  The servants made haste to direct us to our chambers and to prepare our dinner. Men ready to pledge their allegiance to me in exchange for a piece of land were also waiting for me. This feeling of responsibility was overwhelming. I was very grateful to have Sir Richard’s guidance through it all. While we both listened to proposals, he would raise his eyebrows as a warning sign. Sir Richard’s careless but staged looks would tell me that it wasn’t a bad deal to take, while a chuckle here and there would mean a complete NO, as if he couldn’t believe the person was bold enough to try to take advantage of someone newly knighted in such a manner. By the end of the first day, I had about two hundred strong men pledge to fight my battles whenever they arose. There were many others who wanted an audience with the new Lord of the land, but I was too tired to see them. They would have to wait until the next morning.

  The servants had prepared so much food that we ate until we were sick to our stomachs; yet, there was still so much food on the table – enough to feed an army. Still, the servants were in shock when I told them to sit down and partake with us and to take whatever was still left to their homes. Their jaws opened even more when I told them to not worry about coming in the morning. They would be summoned when their assistance would be needed. I didn’t like having them hovering around me. I was just a servant like them and refused to be served specially in my very own state. I could work the land and manage the house. Besides, having them around would prevent me from letting my true self out, and I refused to be trapped in John’s clothing much longer.

  Andora was about four days north of the Everlands, but the path to Abilene was closer to Andora than it was to the Royal City, so a journey of two full days was worth taking for a quick visit to see my friend Meav. I knew she would be marrying soon, or maybe she had already married and I wasn’t aware of it. If that was the case, I would love for her and her brand new husband to come to live in Andora. I was planning to visit Abilene soon.

  “That shall be all for today. We must get some rest. Early tomorrow, I shall take you to the mountains so that we can see the end of the land you now possess,” said Sir Richard, interrupting my thoughts.

  “Let’s all go to bed,” I said. I wasn’t ready
to see the boundaries of my lands, especially when I noticed my parents discomfort when he announced we would be going to the mountain top, but I thought it must have been my tired imagination, so I went straight to sleep.

  In the morning, I felt renewed. Being so far away from everyone who knew me did give me new freedom, as Victor had said, and I was sure my opportunities to set Elle to roam free would increase once Sir Richard was gone, because I wouldn’t have to stay hiding inside the castle like I had previously.

  “Are you ready, John?” Sir Richard asked, geared up for our trip to the mountain top.

  I nodded. Before we left, Mother pulled me aside and gave me a big hug. Something was bothering her, but she didn’t say what it was. It was so strange! I kept thinking about her attitude as we rode in silence until we reached the peak. The view was amazing, except for the ruins of another city, which was covered in ashes and ivy. Even though it was far from where we stood, after so many years, it was still possible to smell the fires that had consumed it.

  “What is that place?” I asked, horrified.

  Sir Richard gave me that familiar look that could only mean one thing – I already knew the answer.

  “I forgot you don’t remember many things, John. That was the city of Bellaterra, burned down almost eight years ago by Gypsies. After the Gypsies attacked and burned everything in their path, King Tobias declared war against them. They murdered everyone inside Blackrose Castle.” I sensed bitterness in his words. “Your parents, who lived at the edge of Andora, were lucky; the assassins stopped at Bellaterra.” He sounded so hateful, I wanted to reach out and comfort him.

  “My Lord, are you all right?”

  “We’ve seen enough; we must get going,” he said dryly.

  Sir Richard didn’t speak another word that afternoon; yet, it was obvious that the anger from that morning didn’t fade with the passing hours.

  Mother and Father were waiting for us anxiously. Mother took me in her arms as I came through the door. She looked so worried. Once again, I didn’t understand her reaction.