by M G Darwish
DULLAHAN
THE HEADLESS KNIGHT
by
M.G. Darwish
www.mgdarwish.com
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or are used fictionally. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or to actual events or locales is entirely coincidental.
This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person you share it with.
All rights reserved. Including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof, in any form. No part of this text may be reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the author.
Copyright © 2017 M.G. Darwish.
Version 20170429
Table of Content
One
Two
Three
About the Author
One
LIFE WAS ALWAYS INTERESTING in the kingdom of Reyona. History books teach that it wasn’t always as peaceful as it was during the current era, but those are often stories of the past, forsaken so that the new generations forget about the horrors of the dark times, a period before enlightenment, civil constructs and evolution.
Though life was hectic, it was in the time of King Felix R. Reyona III that the kingdom reveled in peace and flourished with military advancements. The King was known to be lenient to his foes upon victory, a virtue that helped forge an everlasting peace between his, and the Kingdom of Stidia.
It was quiet inside the court. The King was wearing his usual robe of royalty, that matched the color of the sun at dawn, and on top of his round head rested the crown. It was encircled by the prettiest of gems in all the known lands. This was but a normal day in the life of a king.
“I’m telling the truth milord . . .” a peasant said. Dressed in torn rags, he stood before the King’s throne.
The crowd, gathered to witness the King having an audience with his subjects, burst into laughter. Their cries grew by the second.
King Felix raised his hand, and the crowd went silent. “What is your name?”
“Gavin, your grace,” the peasant responded.
“That’s a good name,” the King said before he took a pause. He leaned in. “Now, I want you to tell me again what is it that you saw.”
The peasant took a deep breath. “I was minding my own business as usual. I was late and decided to take a shortcut, but what I saw on the other side . . .” he said before he took a pause. He sighed. “I saw him . . . the Headless Knight, there on his horse. He looked straight at me with those gouging hollow eyes.”
The room fell silent after hearing those words, they would sooner edge the sound of their hearts beating in their minds than blink, and they weren’t even capable of forming words to break the silence that gloomed.
The King raised his eyebrows and took a good look at the man in front of him. “A Headless Knight . . . who stared at you with his gouging eyes?” he said before he sighed. He lowered his head and then tapped the side of the throne with his fingers. “You truly test my patience.”
The crowd resumed their laughter as if on command.
“I know what I saw!” the peasant demanded, and with that, the crowd fell into silence yet again. “You all are laughing at me, but you won’t be when he comes for you at the dead of the night! He exists, and for some reason he picked our kingdom as his next target—”
“Enough!” the King interrupted. “I will hear no more of this. The crime for which you were arrested, my dear Gavin is one of theft, and urinating on public property,” he added before he stood from the throne and began to descend.
“But milord—”
“And if that’s not enough, you carefully construct tales to cover up your petty crime. Your refusal to admit to the falsehood of your reports will be the death of you. I have no place for liars in my kingdom.”
“Milord please, I am not lying, I did steal some food, but it was simply because I didn’t have any. You have to believe—”
“Believe you? After you come here spouting nonsense trying to shake the very foundations of peace, with your talks of fairy tales?” the King interrupted as he reached down on the floor, he stopped. “I would’ve helped you, had you come to me but now see what you have done.” He said before he gently shook his head. “By my name as your King, I sentence you to die.”
“No! No, milord I am sorry!” the peasant said, but before he could even add anything, two guards came and grabbed both of his arms tightly, as they began to remove him from the court.
The King looked to his right. “Roger, see to it that he is properly fed before his time.”
“Wouldn’t you say that a death sentence is a bit harsh, my liege?” Roger said as he strolled toward the King.
“Nonsense, it is what he deserves. Unless you would have me believe in children’s tales now?” The King moved toward the upper corner. He waved at Roger, and he followed. “Where is my daughter?”
“Haven’t seen her much for today, but I wouldn’t worry about her.”
“And why is that?”
“We have a dozen of our best spies looking after her, surely she’ll be fine, your grace.”
“That is true. Sasha does bear my name very well.”
The two entered a narrow corridor that lead inward to the castle. It was made of marble that had been carefully constructed to elevate the senses of all who dwelled within it. To their right, there were portraits and were each inspired by a previous King.
They stopped near a broad door at the end of the corridor that was heavily guarded. This was the entrance to the King’s very own chambers. The King leaned to grab the handle. “Oh well, I guess it cannot be helped. Make sure you get enough sleep.”
“Father!”
The King and Roger turned toward the voice that came from the far end of the corridor.
“Sasha?” the King cried. Taken back, he placed his hand on his chin. “There you are,” he added, but his heart was not at ease yet. Sasha was gorgeous by all measures of beauty. Her skin was white and as smooth as milk, and her round face that housed her blue eyes, and short dark hair.
“What’s troubling you, my princess?” Roger asked, his eyebrows raised.
Sasha ran toward her father, and leaned a kiss on his cheek. She turned to Roger. “A matter of great importance; I hope you support me in this,” she said before she turned towards Felix.
“There is a girl—”
“Not again,” the King interrupted and then he sighed. “I’ll see to your friend in the morning, the hour is late now for audiences.”
“No, Father, this is different. Please just hear her out!” Sasha grabbed the King’s arms and gently pushed them toward her.
“Sasha, we’ve done this about a dozen times already . . .” The King gazed into his daughter’s eyes. It seemed repetitive, Sasha was as kind-hearted as she was fierce and that was a troublesome trait to have for a princess. She always wanted to help others and tried to get the ones in need of an audience with her father, even when the solutions often seemed simple to her, but to a King, very few matters are simple after all.
“Father please, her village was blazed down and her family were attacked by bandits, surely there is something we can do!” Sasha said, her grasp on her father growing stronger.
Felix felt a chill down his spine. “Bandits? In my Kingdom?” the thought of bandits plundering his villages caused his eyes to widen, and he sighed. Turning to Roger he nodded.
THE HOUR WAS LATE AND all were tired, but they were summoned one last tim
e before the day had passed. Princess Sasha stood next to a villager. She was battered and bruised, and was covered by the royal robe of Felix’s Kingdom, that robe belonged to the princess.
“It’s alright, tell him what you told me,” Sasha said.
“It happened so quickly . . . but those bandits attacked us, they gave no warnings or requests, they were there simply to butcher us. My family and my home, were all either killed or burned down with the remainder of the village.”
The King sighed deeply, sitting on his throne. “What is your name?”
“Lia of Wynkester, my lord.” She wiped the sweat off of her forehead.
“Wynkester?” the King repeated. “But Wynkester does not lie in my kingdom, have you spoken to your lord about this?”
“He would not listen to us. He is too busy fighting in the north, so to allocate a patrol to come and save us would cost him dearly. He left us be . . .” Lia said before her words stuttered. She began to choke up. “You are our last hope, my lord.”
The King’s eyes darted back and forth and he began to tap the edge of the throne with his fingers. He sighed. “Allocating a force to deal with these bandits is no problem,” he said. “However, doing so would be perceived as an act of war. That is something I cannot risk—”
“Father!” Sasha interrupted, taking a few steps ahead. “We are to sit idle while they get butchered? And you call yourself King!”
Whatever emotions brew on Felix’s face, they faded away in an instant. He locked his gaze with his daughter and leaned back in his chair. “Hold your tongue.”
“My liege, perhaps there is an alternative—”
“Silence!” the King interrupted Roger. He turned his face toward him. “My decision is final. That will be the end of it. See to it that our guest here is taken care of until the break of dawn. Tomorrow she is to go back where she came from.” Felix said before he began to descend.
Roger faced a couple of guards that stood next to them and nodded.
The guards moved toward the girl and placed their hands gently on her. She frowned as she gazed upon the King who had let them down. She couldn’t help but feel that they were forgotten as she burst into tears.
“Roger, wait,” Sasha said. She stepped close to her and lifted her chin up. “I promise you, we’ll figure it out, okay?” she said to the women.
Sasha then stood up and turned to face her father. “I’ll walk her out myself, if that is okay with you,” she said as she gazed upon his eyes.
Felix didn’t make much of it and made his way back to the corridor, he ignored Sasha as much as he could, lest his anger get the better of his judgment. He was truly in a position where he couldn’t help. The thought of starting another war would cause more lives than the ones he would save in the first place. None would envy him at times like this. Felix was a good person at heart.
It wasn’t long before he reached his chambers; he turned toward the guards accompanying him. “Thank you.” H retired on his bed. He closed his eyes and had trouble sleeping with his thoughts haunting him. It was the right thing to do he wondered and gently whispered to himself. I promised you to be just, and that is what I will become.
IT WAS IN THE DEAD of the night, when the doors of the King’s room were barged open. The sound shook his chambers and broke him free from the world of dreams. He jumped out of bed panting heavily. “What is the meaning of this?” he cried before he squinted his eyes to make the details of a few guards accompanying Roger.
“My liege, Sasha did not return,” Roger said.
“What!” the King spat as he got on his feet. “What do you mean she did not return.”
“She showed that girl out, and insisted to be left alone with her, by the time the guards realized it, she was already gone, my liege.”
The King’s face heated, and rivaled the absent sun. He balled his hands into fists. “Get every knight available at once; she must’ve gone for that damned village after all.” He shouted and then rushed outside.
“My lord,” Roger pleaded but to no avail, the King would just not hear him. Roger grabbed the King’s left arm. “Felix, would you listen to me?” Roger grabbed the King’s arm.
The King’s gaze fell upon the arm that grabbed him and then strolled his eyes towards Roger. “I have not the time, surely you will understand.”
“No, I do not understand. This is exactly why Sasha ran away, it is because you refuse to listen to anyone but yourself.”
“Careful, Roger,” the King said as his tone turned sour. “You are a dear friend of mine, but alas, that will only protect you for so long.”
“I mean no harm Felix, but you were right before, there must be a better way than to instigate a war with a neighboring kingdom . . .”
“She is my daughter!”
“I will not judge you; nor will I tell you that you’re wrong” Roger said before he paused. He took a deep breath and swallowed. “But you know what this will bring; you remember the oath that you heard during the old war . . . that cursed soul that stalks your lands waiting for you to slip up . . . a headless knight, that does speak nor pause to reason.”
“For your sake, I pray that you keep your mouth shut before I do something I truly regret!”
The King ignored the cries of his friend and made way to the court. He gave the command, and for the first time since the old war ended, the bells rang clear and loud waking all of those who slept.
Two
IT WAS A LONG NIGHT, one that did something to the King. All his life he was known to be a man of reason and justice, he was famed for not putting his personal gain or agendas ahead of the wellbeing of his subjects, but this went far beyond what he could compromise. His living daughter and the only remaining memory of his wife; it was simply too much to bear.
Roger never found the words to comfort his old friend. He simply tried his best to carry on with his duties, it wounded him to see Felix distraught.
The King sat on the throne longer than anyone would care to remember. He would refuse to eat unless driven to the brink of madness. So many sleepless nights passed until that final day when the doors to his castle were barged open by the elite scouts. The thump of the giant door was music to his ears, he rose from the throne as his eyes widened up. “Approach!” he commanded. “Tell me, what news do you bring?”
One of the scouts stepped forward and bowed. “It is as you suspected. The princess has gone to the village to try to and protect them. Our reports did indicate that a bandit lair lays close by—”
“Ready the army at once. You leave at daybreak,” the King interrupted.
The scouts gawked at his response. “My lord, that is an act of war!”
“I know what it means,” the King shouted back, as he fell on his throne. He gently lifted his palm and tried to steady it, but he couldn’t stop the shaking.
“My liege . . .” Roger turned his gaze upon the King. “I implore you to use reason instead of madness here.”
“Hold your tongue Roger, you are a dear friend of mine, but that will only protect you for so long, do you hear me?” You’d have me shit in my place and eat while my daughter rests there sitting for the butcher!”
“And how many daughters and men would perish at the end of this sad pursuit? Have you no regard to the war you’re about to start?” Roger’s words were harsh but they were true.
“Damn them, damn them all! The life of my daughter means so much more to me than they do, do you not see old Roger?”
“Have you forgotten the oath that—”
“I have not forgotten, how could I?” The King stood from his throne and scanned his surroundings. “Leave us,” he commanded all those gathered.
It didn’t take long before the courtroom went silent after the absence of all save for those two friends. The hour was late but even then, their thoughts were as clear as day.
“It sounds awfully similar, Felix.”
“I will risk it,” the King said before he took a moment to catch his
breath. “I remember it like the back of my hand.” He descended from his throne and stood next to Roger. Together they gazed upon the roof that was made of transparent glass, making way for the view of the lonely moon.
The night quickly turned viciously bright, as the King kept pondering at the thought of losing his only daughter, the jewel of his life. It haunted the back of his mind that he might have prevented this. Had he taken action before perhaps his daughter would still be beside him.
Roger was hurt, to see his friend and King suffer at the mercy of fate. He stood by him so many nights and days, until that the time Felix would unite with his daughter came.
A glistering sound burst open the giant doors that preceded the throne, and a dozen guards approached with Sasha in their midst. Their armor was nearly all covered by blood and the stench of freshly cut flesh.
“Sasha!” the King quickly descended the steps in a daze. He was moving left and right, and the closer he got to his daughter, the more concerned Roger got for his friend.
The guards made way as their King rushed to embrace his daughter. He pressed hard and true as he ran his fingertips through her hair. “I’m sorry,” he said as his voice broke. The thought of him losing her punished his mind more than he would care to admit. He didn’t care about the consequences so long as she stood by his side.
“Father . . .” Sasha mumbled.
“You poor thing,” Felix said before he let go of the embrace and took a hard look at her face. “You must be starving . . . come, let us eat.” He grabbed her arm and gently pushed onwards. He looked at one of the servants. “Have the cooks prepare the best meals that they can.”
“Felix, now is not the –”
“Enough Roger!” the King interrupted, he just wouldn’t have it. His mind buzzed with thoughts that any parent would do what he did lest they go insane. Was the life of one person truly worth risking an entire war? That remained to be seen, but the King did not regret his actions.
