Original Stories Fan Fiction / Fables/Fairytales Fan Fiction ❯ Sword of the King ❯ Pain and Questions ( Chapter 2 )

~ Chapter 2 ~

Mary spent the next few weeks constantly by the side of the man called Sir. Andrew. Mary had been told that she was to be trained as a knight, but was not told any more. Mary would watch the other squires' train and could not wait till she would be able to join them.

Mary's wish came true one chilly spring morning when she assembled in the yard outside of the garrison with all the other squires. Soon all the present knights were standing in front of them with smirks on their faces.

Mary shifted uneasily at the look on Sir Andrew's face as he started to speak. “Today is the day that will test your mind and body. You all will be sparing with real swords.”

Sir Peter stepped forward, “We don't want you to hurt anyone on purpose.” There was a moment before he continued. “You will be paired with your bunk mate. Now pair up and when I say go… start.”

Mary reluctantly moved to face Skilf as Sir. Andrew handed them their swords. Skilf gave her an evil smirk as Sir. Andrew leaned down and whispered in his ear. Sir. Andrew stepped back and shouted “START!”.

As Skilf and Mary circled each other, Mary tried to keep an eye on every move that Skilf made. Even that didn't help when he lunged with his sword pointed at her chest.

Mary turned jut as the blade came towards her and collided with her own sword. Mary jumped back and tried to remember everything her brother had taught her about sword play. She attempted to swing her sword at Skilf's shoulder but instead made contact with his sword.

Time slide to a snail's pace as her sword was ripped out of her hands. Mary could only feel the cold steel of Skilf's sword slide into her side with sickening silence.

Mary let out a cry and fell to her knees as blinding pain spread through out her body. She didn't even feel Sir. Andrew rush to her side as she collapsed to a pit of darkness.

~*~*~

Skilf listened to Sir. Andrew as he whispered directions in his ear while keeping an eye on Deke's face and was pleased to see his face pale. Skilf watched Deke carefully as they circled each other.

Skilf lunged Deke and was shocked to see how clumsy he blocked the blow. Skilf blocked a blow to his shoulder and threw Deke's sword away.

What happened next was all muscle memory. Skilf sliced at Deke's side and was awaken from his trance by a cry of pain. Skilf stared at his bloody sword in shock, after a few seconds, Skilf dropped his sword as Sir. Andrew raced to Deke's side as he collapsed. Skilf took one look at Sir. Andrew's face and ran towards the stable.

~*~*~

Sir. Andrew knew what was coming before he saw Skilf's sword sliced at Deke. As Deke cried out in pain and fell to knees, Skilf just stared at his bloody sword.

Andrew raced to Deke's side and was able to catch the boy as his eyes slowly unfocussed and closed. Andrew turned and shouted after Skilf as he ran towards the stable. Andrew knew hat everyone was watching but he didn't care. He slowly but quickly undid the boys jerkin and moved his hand under the boy's shirt and up his chest to find out how far the cut was.

Andrew froze, “This isn't right...” Andrew said to himself as he slowly slide his hand out of the shirt. But reality was that it was true. Andrew had been around women enough o know that Deke was no boy.

Without a word Andrew pick up Deke's limp body and headed towards the garrison. His mind was swimming with unanswered questions by the time he reached his room.

Andrew laid Deke's body on his bed and turned toward Peter with outrage.

“What!” demanded Peter “Is he dead?”

“No,” whispered Andrew “Just go and get some supplies from the healer, but not the healer himself.”

Peter left while Andrew turned to Deke and slowly removed the bloody shirt. Andrew tried to come the realization that this was a girl as he removed the bindings at her chest.

Pete returned as Andrew finished with the binding and was placing a soft shirt over the girl's head. Andrew turned and looked Peter in the eye. “This is why I took Deke off the lawn.” He said as he stood aside.

Peter's eyes flashed at the sight of the girl on Andrew's bed.

“I don't know who she is or how she got here, but I'm going to find out.” Andrew said while taking the basin of water off the table and started to wash the wound.

Peter nodded and assisted Andrew in the gruesome task ahead. Soon they were both happy with the wound to stitch it up. Andrew hated this part but he knew he could not get a healer to do it.

As Andrew started to stitch, the girl moaned and started to move around. Peter got up and held the girl down as Andrew finished. Andrew wiped his hands off and gently touched the girls' sweaty forehead. Peter glanced at Andrew and waited for his unspoken reassurance.

Andrew looked down at the girl's hazy green eyes and nodded at Peter. Peter pored wine on the wound and cringed at the girl's muffled scream and watched her eyes roll to the back of her head.

Andrew removed his hand from the girl's mouth and sighed at the steady rise and fall of her chest.

“Fever's already setting in; it will be full blown by sundown.” said Peter as he started to clean up all of the bloody rags.

“Peter,” said Andrew as he laid a rag on the girl's forehead. “Don't say anything about the girl. If anyone ask about Deke… tell them that fever has set in. But tell them not to come in here.”

Peter nodded as he opened the door and left, leaving Andrew alone with the girl. Andrew got up and walked to the fireplace as the girl started to mumble.

~*~*~

Andrew and Peter fought the fever that threatened to take the mystery girl's life for several days. Peter could see the old Andrew slowly coming to the surface once more but never said anything. He just prayed that the girl would live, no only for herself but for Andrew. And one day his prayers were answered.

Andrew awoke at the sound of someone walking out side his door. As he stretched he glanced over at the girl on his bed and was meet by two fever free green eyes looking at him. Andrew was over at the bed so fast that the girl didn't even finch.

“Are you thirsty?” asked Andrew as he placed his hand on the girl's forehead. At the girl's nod, Andrew turned to pour water into a cup and helped the girl raise it to her chapped lips. “I have a few questions for you young lady.” said Andrew as he helped the girl sit up. “And I want you to answer them honestly.”

Before Andrew could ask any of the questions that had been forming in his head, the girl looked down at her lap and whispered. “My name is Mary Ferbenan of Claysworth, my brother was Squire David Ferbenan. He was here under your service, when he was killed… Before he died he sent me a letter claiming that he had come across a plot to kill the King. He told me that I was to take my younger brother, Ray, and go into hiding until he came for us… When David did not come for two weeks, I took Ray to a school in the mountains by our home and decided to come and warn the King of the plot myself. I didn't know who to trust… I'm sorry, I should of told you.”

Andrew slowly stood up and walked over to the fireplace, “You know, your brother, David, had told me before he died that he had found some type of plot. But he never told me about it, and he never told me that he had told you about it. Had I known that he told you I would have come for you myself so that you could have told the king what you know.” Andrew turned and looked at the girl sitting in his bed. “Mary… why? Why didn't you tell me who you were when we were at the church? I could have taken you strait to the King; you could have told him everything that you knew of the plot? I wouldn't of hurt you like I did.”

“I didn't want to be killed.” cried Mary as a big tear rolled down her cheek. “I wanted to live. I was planning to go to the King right as I got here but I saw all the posters and feared for my own life. Plus I don't have that much information about the plot; all I have is what David told me about in his letter. And I didn't think that was enough information to save me or my brother's skin. So I hid until I could come up with a plan to get word to the King.”

“I'm going to have to tell the King who you are and that you are here in the capital.” said Andrew as he watched the girl's face drain of what little color there was.

“NO!,” cried Mary as she tried to get off the cot but was stopped by the pain in her side. As she slid to the floor Andrew was by her side. Mary grabbed the front of his tonic for dear life as a sweat broke out all over her body. “You can't tell the King, He will kill me and my brother. You can't!! Please, please don't tell the King that I'm here!”

Andrew held the girl as she cried and slowly fell to sleep. Andrew could not believe that he was going to be the bearer of death to this girl. A girl, who was the sister to the only squire he has ever had respect for. Andrew cursed under his breath as the door of his room slowly opened and Peter walked in the room.

“She's David's sister.” was all that Andrew could say at the look on Peter's face. “And I don't know if I'm going to tell the King. She scared out of her mind. She even tried to leave when I told her I had to tell the King.”

“Andrew I don't think that you should the King yet that you found Mary.” whispered Peter as he squatted down by Andrew. “The King raised the reward up 357 pieces of gold for the girl and 254 pieces for the boy. She wouldn't even get a trial. She would go strait to the block.”

“How do you know this?” asked Andrew as her gently lifted Mary back on to the bunk.

“Because of this.” said Peter as he handed Andrew a newly made piece of paper that had Mary's drawing on the front. Andrew cursed and turned towards the door. “Stay with her, and don't let her out of your sight!” With that Andrew opened the door and headed strait to the King's solar.

~*~*~

“I wanted to congratulate you, your majesty.” said Grand Duke Seth as he stood before the fireplace in the King's solar, “I will sleep better now that the reward has been raised. I want this horrible family in jail, or dead.”

“Grand Duke,” said King Peter as he sat behind his desk, “You were the one that practically begged me to up the reward. I just decided to be nice and raise it. I will sleep better at night when this family's blood stains the stones under the block.”

Seth turned and smiled at the King, “I understand, your-“

A knock at the solar door interrupted the conversation. King Peter glanced at the Grand Duke's face as he raised his hand, “Show Sir. Andrew in.”

As Andrew walked into the room he noted the displeasure on Seth's face. Andrew kneeled before the king, and at the king's nod, he stood up and took his spot behind King Peter.

King Peter took one look at Andrew's face and then turned back towards Seth. “What were you going to say, Grand Duke?”

Seth's eye's narrowed as he looked at Andrew. “Nothing of importance, your majesty. If it pleases you I'll leave you now. “

With that, Seth bowed and walked out of the solar.

When the door closed, Peter got up and walked over to the fireplace. “Is your squire still alive, Andrew?”

Andrew smiled and sat down in the chair the king's desk. “Why do you ask? Are you afraid that I tried to kill him myself?”

Peter turned and raised an eyebrow as he said, “Well it wasn't very smart to have teenage boys fighting with edged blades now was it, Andrew?”

“No, it wasn't.” said Andrew. “And yes, the boy is still alive. He will make a full recovery, the only thing he will get out of it is a “battle” scar if you want to call it that.”

After several long moments Andrew asked, “Any word on where David's sister and brother is?”

“None.” said Peter as he sat down in front of Andrew. “No one knows where they went after your messenger left. Last I heard, Mary was hiding in the mountains. But that was never found to be true.”

Andrew looked down at his hands. “Could it be possible that she made it to the capital?”

Peter rubbed his eyes before he answered. “I hope not. Grand Duke Seth just had me raise the reward. If she is in the capital, she won't last very long.”

After several moments, Peter broke the silence by saying. “Andrew, I need you to do something for me. Something that no one can know about….I want you to ask Deke if he knows were the girl is.”

Andrew looked at the king with shock. “Why? Do you think the boy knows were she is hiding?”

“I think that the boy knows something, Every time the girl's name comes up, his face drains of blood and he looks uncronftible. I would-“

The King was cut short at the sound of the door opening and Sir. Peter poking his head into the room.

“I'm sorry you grace, but Andrew you need to come quick. It's Deke.”

Andrew jumped up and raced out of the room with out a backwards glance.

~*~*~

Mary curled up on the floor by the fireplace. She was dyeing, she knew it. Mary closed her eyes and felt new tears roll down her cheek. Even as the door opened she cried out in pain.

“Shhh….It's ok.” whispered someone as they placed a wet rag on the back of her neck.

Mary took a deep breath and looked up into the eyes of a woman. Mary's blood ran cold at the realization that she had been found. Before Mary could do anything Andrew and Sir. Peter stormed into the room and stopped at the sight before them.

“Shut both your mouths and close the door.” ordered the woman as she glared at them.

“Jane, what are you doing here?” hissed Andrew as Peter closed and bared the door.

“Bringing your dinner.” answered Jane as she walked over to the bed and grabbed a blanket. As she turned back to Mary she asked. “Where dose it hurt sweet?”

“Everywhere.” sobbed Mary as Jane wrapped her in a blanket.

“How old are Mary?” asked the Jane.

Mary heard the gasp of both men. She could see that they were shocked that Jane knew who she was.

“Who did you know?” asked Andrew as he took a step towards Mary.

“Because she looks like her brother.” said Jane as she turned back towards Mary. “Now, how old are you?”

“Four and Ten.” hissed Mary as she squeezed her eyes closed at another wave of pain washed over her.

“Sweetie, did your mother never tell you?” asked Jane as she brushed the hair out of Mary's face.

“My mother died when I was born. And there were no other women at the keep.” whispered Mary.

“I think that we will leave now, Jane.” said Andrew. “But don't tell any one who she is.”

Mary turned her gaze to Andrew as he closed the door. She didn't want to be left alone with this woman, she wanted Andrew.

“My dear, you are not going to die…you are changing from a girl to a woman.” smiled Jane.

~*~*~

Once Andrew closed the door, he placed his head on the wall. “Well,” he said. “This is just another coin in the bucket for what we have to hide.”

Peter smiled and patted Andrew on the back. “Just be glad that did not have explain what is going on to her body.”

Andrew turned and smiled, “True, I don't envy Jane right now.”