Servant of the Crown

by Paul J Bennett

  Prince Henry looked up as it was handed to him, not fully realizing what was going on. Gerald nodded toward the letter, and the prince read through it, his face darkening as he read.

  “What is it, Henry?” Anna wanted to know what was going on.

  “The Black Hand,” he responded, the disgust showing on his face. “The same people that tried to kill you years ago!” He handed the letter to Anna who examined it with great interest.

  The villagers had finished checking over the bodies and were propping the injured against the wall. “Stop that!” commanded Henry. “There will be no assistance to these murderers!” He looked to the tavern’s proprietor and asked, “Do you have a rope?”

  “Yes, Your Highness,” replied Arlo Harris.

  “Then get it and follow me. These villains will pay for their crimes immediately!”

  The villagers helped take the surviving attackers outside where Henry had them hanged. It was a pitiful thing to see. It would have been far more merciful to have put them out of their misery with the sword, but Henry seemed to relish the thought that they should suffer for their crimes.

  Anna watched the whole affair with a blank look, even seeming to enjoy the spectacle. Gerald was troubled; her father, the king, was known as a ruthless and sadistic ruler, and now he wondered if she had the potential to be the same. As he pondered this very thing, Henry went back to the bar, ordering up drinks for all. Anna remained outside watching while the life choked out of the last of the attackers. They hanged the man without compassion, and now, instead of a broken neck, he was slowly strangled to death by the rope. It was a terrible way to die. Gerald thought back to Bodden, and all the fights he had been in, and how they had affected him. He suddenly felt a sense of loss; it was as if the old Anna had been washed away to be replaced by the ghost of her father. Without him noticing, Anna walked over, and suddenly she launched herself at him, grasping him tightly around the waist as she began crying and he felt her shaking. He knew at that moment that he had overreacted to her apparent indifference. His Anna would never be like Henry or the king, and he vowed to take care of her, no matter the cost.

  The trip back to the Hall was uneventful, leaving Henry sleeping the entire way in the comfort of the carriage, while Anna sat quietly. As they pulled up toward the Hall, Charles came running out to talk to the prince. While they were in town, two friends of Henry had arrived, and they were waiting in the trophy room.

  The prince, awakened by this news, insisted on being taken there immediately. Anna, on the other hand, wanted only to go to an early bed. She asked for Sophie but was informed by Charles that Sophie was in the trophy room.

  Gerald immediately became suspicious. He knew about the calibre of friends that Henry had and was worried for the young maid. “I think that we should go and fetch Sophie for you, Anna. It might be difficult for her to leave the prince’s company without permission.” Anna, evidently too tired to resist at this point, agreed, and they proceeded to the trophy room.

  Anna was used to having the run of the house, so when they arrived, rather than knock, as Gerald would have done, she just opened the door. What she saw shocked her. Henry was sitting in one of the comfortable chairs, his leg over an arm, holding a drink in one hand. He was laughing and looking toward the fireplace at his companions. His two friends were standing to one side of the fireplace and had cornered poor Sophie who looked terrified. One was running his hands through her hair, while the other was grabbing her waist with two hands. Anna was so shocked she didn’t seem to know what to say. Gerald noticed that the there was a slight rip at the top of Sophie’s dress.

  Before anything worse could happen, something must be done, so Gerald spoke up in a loud voice, clearing his throat to get their attention. He must be careful, he thought, it would be dangerous to upset the prince. “Sorry to interrupt your lordships, but the young lady is required by the princess.”

  “Who cares,” uttered Lord Spencer, “she’s just a maid, and we are having some fun. Go find someone else!”

  Gerald was about to speak again but took a moment to calm himself. Letting his anger get the best of him would do no good.

  While he stopped to collect his thoughts, it was Anna who spoke next. “Sophie’s not just a maid,” she said in a very stern voice, “she’s MY servant!”

  Lord Spencer was about to speak, but Henry cut him off. “Let her go,” he commanded, “my sister has that right.”

  The young lord knew better than to contradict Henry. No one dared go against the wishes of a royal these days. Sophie all but ran to the door in fear, stopping just the other side of Gerald who, at least for the moment was at a loss for words.

  “I think,” Gerald finally found the courage to speak, “your lordships must be tired after such a long trip. I’m sure the king will be pleased that your visit was such a success. If you come with me, I will show you to your rooms.” He stood to the side of the door, holding it open and waiting for them. At the invocation of the king’s name, the two nobles complied meekly. Gerald had gambled, and fortunately, the gamble had paid off; he had assumed that these two young nobles were mere followers. He had seen their ilk from time to time, trying to act like officers in the army. Typically, a firm hand by a sergeant was all that was needed, and he was pleased to see this technique work here. As the two young men sheepishly approached the door, he turned to Anna and said quietly, “Send Charles and another male servant up to the guest rooms. Keep the women away from that area tonight.”

  Anna nodded and then took Sophie's hand, leading her away. The young woman looked forlorn, and it was quite touching to see the smaller girl lead the older one away with a gentle pull of her hand.

  Prince Henry and his two friends left early the next morning without much fanfare. Anna and Gerald watched them ride away. He looked down at Anna who had a firm look about her features. He could tell she was upset; her brother had laughed as his friends attempted to assault Sophie. He knew she would have questions, so he waited in silence for her to get her thoughts in order.

  The riders reached the gate and turned onto the road. He could see Anna’s shoulders finally relax. She kept staring towards the gate while asking, “Why are men that way?”

  He had expected something of the sort, and so found himself prepared for once. “Not all men, Anna. There are many men who would never treat a woman that way.”

  She looked up at him and continued, “I know that, of course, but why do some men think they can take any woman they want. Have you ever taken a woman against her will?”

  This was far more shocking than he expected, but he was quick to respond. “No, of course not! No man in his right mind would do such a thing.”

  “But, it happens in war quite a bit doesn’t it. That’s what books say. Oh, and they talk about it as if it’s no big thing, but it’s quite barbaric.”

  “Agreed. I remember an occasion when we followed a raid back across the river and tracked down the attackers to a farm. One of our men decided to have his way with the local farmer’s wife.”

  A look of disgust crossed her face and then she spoke, “What happened to him?”

  “Lord Fitz had him hanged on the spot! He didn’t put up with that sort of behaviour in his army,” he stated.

  “What happened to the woman?”

  “Luckily, the man was stopped before he got too far. He had just ripped her clothes. The baron felt so bad about it. He was very apologetic and had the troops leave some food for the farmer and his wife.”

  She seemed to think this over before resuming the discussion, “So how do you prevent this sort of thing from happening?”

  “Discipline,” he responded. “You need to make people understand that it’s not going to be tolerated, and that requires leadership.”

  “Would you call Henry a leader?”

  He mulled this over carefully before responding, “No, he’s got authority, but he doesn’t know how to use it. There’s a big difference.”

  “I’m
never going to allow that to happen again, not if I have any say in the matter.” She turned back into the house with Gerald following. It was going to be an interesting day.

  Chapter 24

  Lily

  Summer 958 MC

  THE visit of her brother had seemed to disturb Anna more than she was willing to admit. She was happy when he first arrived, but now Gerald could see she was upset as she moped about the house. He needed something to cheer her up, so he put his mind to the task. It didn’t take him long to sort things out, for he remembered that they had planned a trip back to the grotto before Henry had arrived. They had gathered all the equipment they would need the previous day. He had merely to get Anna’s attention and convince her it was time to go. The best way to do that was to get Tempus on his side.

  The loyal dog was upset when they left him back at the Hall yesterday. Gerald was amused to think how quickly the attack would have failed if only Tempus had been with them. Now the poor creature was following Anna around the house with the concerned look that only a dog can have. Getting Tempus excited would be the key to his plan; Anna would do anything for her dog. He only had to convince the dog that he wanted to go outside. To this end, he gathered a nice stick, about three feet long and relatively thick. If there was one thing he knew about dogs, it was that they could not resist a stick toss.

  He found them sitting in the sun room. The large, windowed room was on the back of the Hall and overlooked the grounds behind the building. It offered an excellent view of the hedge maze, though from this height one still couldn’t see all the twisted paths that the maze held.

  As he opened the door, Tempus looked up. He was a very alert creature, and his tail began to thump. All Gerald had to do now, was start swinging the stick back and forth in his right hand. It immediately had the desired effect; Tempus stood up and, much to his surprise, barked. Anna was startled and looked up; her eyes pulled from the distance into which she had been staring. The effect was startling. Where moments ago there was a stern looking young woman, now there was a little girl, delighting in her dog’s excitement.

  “Tempus says,” Gerald suggested, over the echo of the bark, “that he’s ready to go back to the grotto. We have a mystery to solve. Do you think you’re up to it?”

  Her face broke into a big grin as she answered, “Yes!” She jumped up out of her chair with startling speed and ran over to Gerald, who stopped waving the stick and tossed it to Tempus.

  “I’m sorry Gerald,” she apologized in a mild tone. “I’ve been moping since Henry’s visit.”

  “Really? I hadn’t noticed.”

  She laughed at the remark and hugged him. “Thank you for being patient with me.”

  “You’re welcome,” he said and hugged her back.

  She stepped back, and he could see her composing herself, straightening her back to present the ‘official’ princess. “I had better go and change,” she said in a serious tone. “I’ve got some work to do today.” She walked with purpose to the door giving Tempus the hand sign to stay where he was. Tempus didn’t pay much attention as he was so engrossed with his stick.

  Gerald watched her exit the room with quiet dignity, then once she cleared the doorway, she ran off into the Hall, reverting to the excited little girl that he realized lay just beneath the surface.

  Gerald knew she would be all right, but one problem now remained; how to get the stick away from Tempus.

  Sometime later they arrived at the grotto. It was a warm day, but the water would most likely still be cold. Gerald stooped to feel it, and his touch confirmed his suspicions as the icy liquid dripped through his fingers. He guessed an underground spring rose here, but it mattered little. It was but a short swim to the cave entrance.

  Anna had found some pants and a shirt that used to belong to a stable boy, a much better outfit to swim in, and so she was changing as Gerald made his calculations. With her announcement that she was ready, Gerald made up his mind. Stepping back from the pond bank, he stripped off his shirt and removed his boots.

  “What are you doing?” Anna asked.

  “I’m coming in with you,” he replied, a determined look on his face. “We don’t know what’s in the cave and I think I should be there, just in case.”

  She didn’t seem to have any problem with this. Gerald stepped into the water and began to pull their small makeshift raft in with them. Anna opened up the backpack and withdrew the candles. They had picked nice thick ones, the better to ensure they didn’t fall over. A few strikes of the flint and steel and she had a small tinder lit, which she used to ignite each candle. She stepped to the edge of the pool, arranging the three candles carefully on the raft.

  “Are you sure we need three candles?” she asked.

  “Yes, one for each of us, and one to leave on the raft so we can find it easily. Now let’s get into the deeper water and then I can pull the raft.” They had affixed a small leather strip to the front of the raft, which was just big enough to hold the candles comfortably, yet small enough to float through the opening.

  Gerald waded into the water until it was up to his waist. It was freezing, and he had to catch a breath as it passed the level of his groin, stealing the heat from his body. His face must have betrayed his shock for Anna laughed. “What’s so funny,” he said with a voice was an octave higher than normal.

  Anna looked at him, trying to keep a straight face. “Oh, nothing, it just occurred to me that you just wet your pants.”

  He couldn’t help but laugh; it was enjoyable to see the old Anna returned.

  “Come on then,” he prompted, “time to get your feet wet, we’ll see how you like wetting YOUR pants.”

  She tentatively placed her toe into the water then finally, after gathering her breath, stepped forward, until she was up to her ankles. “Oh, it’s so cold!” she complained.

  Gerald was getting used to it. “It’s not so bad once the shock wears off, better to dive right in,” he encouraged.

  Much to his surprise, she jumped right in, completely disappearing under the water. She broke the surface a moment later with a shriek, her wet hair steaming as it hit the warm air. She took a moment to catch her breath and then Gerald, not to be outdone, let himself sink below the surface, and he, too, coming back up with a gasp.

  “Are you all right?” she asked.

  “I'm all right,” Gerald replied. “Let’s start moving to the entrance.”

  He dog-paddled toward the cave entrance, swimming being something he was not well versed in. He was careful not to disturb the surface of the water, holding the leather in his teeth. He held onto an outcropping on the side of the cave as he examined the cave opening. His head was too big to fit through unless he dove under so he looked toward Anna, and when she nodded, he sank down into the water, using his hands to feel his way through the opening. A moment later his head broke the surface, and he took in a breath, still holding the leather. He tugged lightly and began pulling the small raft through the opening, and a moment later Anna’s head broke the surface just behind him.

  The flickering light of the candles danced across the room, and he rotated to get a better view. There was a rock shelf along the back of the cave, which angled down to the right where it sloped to the surface of the water. He swam toward the shelf and was surprised to find that the slope continued under the water. This ramp made it quite easy to exit the pool. He left the water and turned to offer a hand to Anna, but she had already reached the ramp and was passing him. He pulled the little raft closer and grabbed a candle, giving it to Anna, then grabbed another for himself.

  Gerald used his candle to examine some markings on the rear wall of the cave. They appeared to be scratches of an irregular nature, and yet, there were repeated patterns. The thought struck him that it might be some form of writing. He was about to ask Anna what she thought when she interrupted him.

  “Up here,” she beckoned. “I found something interesting. It looks like a bed or nest.”

  He moved c
arefully up the incline which ran across the back of the cave. The top flattened out into a small platform, perhaps six feet square. In the back corner was piled all manner of leaves and twigs and other plants. At first, it appeared rather haphazard, but as he examined it in more detail, he noticed that there was some sort of pattern. He used his other hand to move some of the plants. “Interesting,” he mused, “the twigs seem to be woven into a frame, with leaves and such piled on top to make it more comfortable.”

  Anna was intrigued and eagerly bent over the bed to see it more detail. “What’s this?” she gazed at the outer edge, for here was a separate construction, another woven object, this time in the form of a bowl. She brought her candle closer and saw some plant leaves and berries in the bowl. “It appears it likes blueberries, and some herbs,” she pointed at a delicate leaf that lay inside.

  “That’s goldenroot,” he said, “it’s commonly found in remote regions, like mountains. It’s very rare. Perhaps it grows here because of how cold the water is?” He knew he was musing, but the excitement on Anna’s face was infectious.

  “The poor creature that lives here must be cold; it’s quite chilly in here. I can’t imagine what it would be like in winter time,” Anna reflected.

  “Perhaps it hibernates, like a bear?” he offered.