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Knight Errant 1. Argument "Sophie, you must do as I say - I command you to obey me!" Sophie flashed anger and then smiled sweetly at the young Knight. "Peter, you have always tried to order me about ... Even as children, when we played together, you always wanted to be in charge ..." "Sophie, - I am in charge - I am master of this castle, and you are my prisoner!" "Peter, you know very well that you are too soft-hearted to lock me in your dungeon ... It was your brother, who kidnapped me for ransom ... He was so disappointed that my father would pay nothing, that he kept me prisoner out of spite." "I know, Sophie - A great injustice - And I am sorry!" "Don't be sorry, Peter! I had a pleasant childhood, a fantastic playmate, and a great friend!" Peter blushed - just as Sophie knew he would. "It's too dangerous, Sophie - I will certainly lock you in the dungeon, if I think you intend to disobey me!" "Peter, look at this logically ... You have selected Maria as your accomplice, because she is pretty and the Baron will be fascinated by her - But, Peter, Maria is truly terrified - And a terrified accomplice in a plot like ours will bring us all to catastrophe. I know that I am not as pretty as Maria, but I do have confidence in our plan - You must certainly take me as your accomplice instead of Maria - I promise to learn all the secrets of powder and paint, female clothing and feminine wiles - Nobody will recognise me as Sophie, the Tomboy, when we arrive at castle Blackbrook." "Sophie, I wish you would sometimes do as I command you ... but as usual, you do make good sense ... If it starts to become too dangerous we shall flee for our lives, and I will brook no arguments - Understand!" "Yes, My Lord Jailor, I fully understand!" - - - - - 2 Second Thoughts "You are right, Sophie - The plan is too tenuous, we should abandon it now, and return to the castle, and think hard for another solution!" "Don't you quit on me, Sir Peter of the Lea! The noble virtuous knight, and lord of Strathmede was never before thought coward! The plan must be made to work! There is no future without it! We did already agree that it was our last hope! Let us stand or fall - Let the fates decide!" "Sophie, if you weren't a girl, you would make an inspiring leader!" "I have a stake in the success of this expedition, Peter. I am the de facto chatelaine of Strathmede castle - Even your brother accepted that I was most suited to the task after his wife died, and when your brother died you kept me on." "I promised to free you, Sophie! I promise you since childhood, but even when my brother died you wouldn't accept your freedom!" "Peter, I have no family except you, my father discarded me when asked for ransom, and no blood relative has ever thought to visit me. Freeing me, Peter, would be another huge trauma for me - another discard - but this time - with nowhere to go!" "Sophie, I promise to keep you as my prisoner forever!" "Thank you, Peter, and I promise to keep you forever!" "... As chatelaine, or?" Sophie laughed dismissively and spurred her horse ahead of him. Peter watched and admired her as she drew ahead. Her side saddle enhanced her profile, as she expertly brought her horse to a fast trot. She had more than succeeded with her boast. His tomboy friend had transformed into a beautiful, confident and graceful lady. Maria must have worked hard - as hard as Sophie - to effect the changes. Yes, Maria would have been most willing to coach and primp her replacement. - - - - - 3 Change of Plan "Why have you arranged rooms in this inn, Peter?" "... So that we can travel the short distance to Blackbrook fresh after a night's sleep." "Good idea, I suppose, but it maintains the tension longer ..." "Bring wine girl! ... And what meal can we have?" Peter shouted at the serving wench as he claimed a bench at a vacant table. "Would the lady like her wine weakened with small beer, sir? We have pork today, sir ..." The serving wench waited expectantly after putting the wine on the table. Sophie shook her head, and Peter answered the girl. "We'll both have the pork! ... Tell me ... Isn't castle Blackbrook near here?" "Yes, sir, but I hope you're not going there!" "Why is that, girl?" Sophie demanded. "Well, my lady ... The gentleman might find trouble with the Baron ..." Both Peter and Sophie started with surprise. "What do you mean, girl?" Peter insisted. - Worried that the Baron might have some inkling of their plan. "It's not really my place to say, sir ... But you're just the sort of gentleman that the Baron really likes." Peter grinned at the girl and grinned at Sophie. "I can't help it if people like me on first sight!" "It's more than that, sir ... The Baron really likes attractive men, and he likes to keep them ... He borrowed my betrothed to serve during a feast, and he hasn't been seen since!" "Was your betrothed as handsome and good-looking as my gentleman, girl?" Sophie asked quietly. "Oh, no, my lady, he wasn't, but he was mine and I miss him!" "What's wrong with that? Maybe the Baron found better work for him?" "Rumour is that my intended is now working in chains as a serving maid ..." The girl burst into tears and ran out to the kitchens. "I don't think the Baron will find me distracting after all, Peter ..." Sophie admitted. "I think you're right, Sophie ... It seems the Baron might only like pretty boys ... That's torn it! All our planning was for nothing!" "No, it wasn't, Peter! If the Baron needs a pretty boy to distract him, we shall just have to give him one!" "You'll disguise yourself as a boy, Sophie?" Peter chuckled derisively. "That'll never work, Sophie!" Peter laughed aloud, but Sophie was shaking her head. She smiled her Cheshire Cat smile, until Peter became quite worried. - - - - - "Why did you choose such heavy chain mail, Peter?" Sophie complained. "It's two overlaid layers of "Turtle Plates" Sophie ... It's good protection against longbows down to 60 feet - better than simple chain mail, and better than plate armour." "Well. it's far too heavy for making social calls!" Sophie affirmed. "You wanted to be 'Sir Peter of Peneforth,' Sophie and the armour does crush your breasts and make you appear manly ... Whereas you have shamed me in this serving maid outfit - The skirt is even shorter than the inn girl's skirt, and I can't decide whether the face makeup is more shameful than the collar and lead to my neck." "Do be quiet, Peter! We are now close to the main gate ... Remember to dismount from your side-saddle first to help your master dismount - and don't forget to always call me 'sir'!" - - - - - 4 Blackbrook Castle "So you see, my lord, hearing gossip and innuendo, I decided that we were probably like-minded men, and decided to call on you ..." Sophie explained to the Baron. "I am so very glad that you did, sir knight, I am jealous of you for your slave boy! "He is magnificent ... And his short skirt is so erotic ... Perhaps, you may be interested in viewing some of my own slaves? ... Some you have already seen as they served our dinner, but I have others locked in the tower, and yet others - recalcitrant bitches - fastened in my dungeons." "Indeed I would enjoy that, my lord ... I am happy with my slave boy, Sophie ... but I should like to explore your acquisitions, and perhaps, gain some new ideas!" Peter kneeling at Sophie's feet jerked in reaction to his new name. That had not been agreed ... but he hadn't even considered any name for his new persona. "It is late, sir knight ... let my chambermaid show you to your chamber, and we can tour my castle in the morning ..." - - - - - "I am sorry to disturb you, sir knight ..." The Baron had entered the chamber with neither announcement nor knock, but neither Sophie nor Peter had started to undress, and Sophie half- smiled at the interruption. "... But I have a rule about slaves in my castle ..." The Baron signalled behind to four of his retainers, who each seized one of Peters limbs, and held him in iron grips, as the Baron advanced on him. Peter protested volubly, but girlishly, and Sophie reached for the hilt of her sword. "He will not be harmed, sir knight ... merely restrained!" When released by the retainers, Peter had something attached to his groin and a metal anklet connected by a length of chain to one of the feet of the large bed. The Baron presented Sophie with two keys. "The keys to his anklet and his chastity ... These are my presents to you, sir knight ... In gratitude for your visit to my home. "I have a very clever blacksmith, who can create anything that I can invent." The Baron's retainers filed out followed by the Baron. "Good night, good knight!" chuckled the Baron as he closed the door behind him. "Get me out of these things!" Peter demanded immediately. Sophie rushed to obey. "These are the wrong keys!" Sophie exclaimed after fruitless attempts to unlock Peter. "The swine!" Peter exclaimed in a low voice. "The Baron has plans for us, Sophie!" "He is testing us to find any complaints about the keys ... Why would a genuine depraved master wish to free his slave late at night? We must be patient, Peter!" "We must ask ourselves the question, Sophie ... How does this affect our plan?" "No effect at this stage, Peter ... You were not invited to view his slave stock, so you might remain locked to my bed as I open my eyes to seek the Denderage heir. We will need to discuss what must be done, after I have found him." - - - - - The sun had risen enough to cast beams of light through the slitted windows of the bedchamber, when the Baron once again rushed in without warning. "Good day, good knight!" he announced cheerfully and his eyes roved inspecting everything. Sophie and Peter were cuddled together in the generous-sized bed. Sophie had rationalized that a special slave like hers would be expected to have bed-warming duties, and not sleep on the floor. "My lord, these keys are defective - they fit no lock - I wished to free my slave for intimate play, and could not do so! ... I could not access those treasured delicate parts, and the ankle chain spoiled all other enjoyments. If he must be restrained, then as his owner, I must have keys that work.!" "My regrets, sir knight, the blacksmith must have made copies of the wrong keys ... I will take the master keys to him for copying after we have broken fast." The baron unlocked Peters chain from the bed post, and handed him the loose chain. "To the kitchen, slave - You must help prepare our break-fast meal!" Peter limped away to the kitchen carrying his chain and swinging his burdened ankle slowly. "So, sir knight - Will you arise or nay? Breakfast soon awaits, and then we shall see my treasures and inspect them together." "My lord since childhood, I have been shy of my own nudity, and I must beg you to give me privacy as I clothe myself ." The Baron gave a curt bow from the neck and withdrew disappointed. - - - - - 5 Castle Kitchen "Peel those vegetables!" Peter was greeted by a grumpy, fat cook as soon as he entered the kitchen. He didn't argue, and decided that the vegetable knife would become 'lost' when he had finished. "You're supposed to serve at table, but you can't - dragging all that chain around with you. "Cecelia, ask the blacksmith to come here and strike off his shackle!" Peter saw an effeminate young boy rush away to carry out her order, but he concentrated on his vegetables - He didn't want to be asked for his knife! - - - - - "Cook, Blacksmith says to take him to the forge - He'll work on the shackle there ..." the effeminate boy reported back to the fat woman, who groaned at the complication. "Take him to the forge then - Help him carry his chain - and hurry back - there's plenty of work to be done here!" Peter was looking forward to losing the restraint on his ankle, and didn't resist when the blacksmith put his legs in wooden stocks. The blacksmith looked at Peter's shackle and rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Reckon I already made a key for that ..." The blacksmith searched his shelves and grinned as he examined a bright, shining key, which he used to unlock the shackle on Peter's ankle. "I thank you, blacksmith!" Peter tried to reach his ankle to rub it. "I haven't finished yet!" exploded the annoyed blacksmith. "You still need your slave anklets ... more practical than dragging that huge chain around ..." Peter watched in shocked surprise as the blacksmith riveted delicate shackles on his ankles which were already connected together by a short silvery chain. Definitely a big improvement on the heavy chain, but still encumbering - and preventing any striding or running. His escort did a quick dance to demonstrate his own identical anklets, and grinned at Peter, and then grinned more when he saw Peter's face fall in resignation. "Hurry!" demanded the youth. "Cook will punish us both, if we should dally!" Immediately Peter realised that the feminine short steps employed by the youth were more the result of the anklets than his predilection for a feminine gait. - - - - - As soon as he returned to the kitchen, Peter was loaded with breakfast utensils, and dispatched to the dining room. "Don't forget to curtsey!" was shouted as a warning, "The Baron likes us to curtsey!" Peter was horrified, "Could his situation become worse than this?" He knew he had to consider Sophie's safety, and that meant keeping up the pretence. His instinct was to go berserk and try to kill the Baron and anybody else that got in the way - But pragmatism won out - He only had small kitchen knife secreted under his short skirt - He could do nothing without consulting Sophie. - - - - - Peter bent his knees and nodded his head after entering the dining hall, and saw the gasp of amazement on Sophie's face. "The trollop's curtsey lacks poise - But that can soon be trained, sir knight ..." the Baron commented quietly watching my blush fading as I placed my burdens on the table. Peter escaped back to the kitchen for another load, and taking a deep breath, he re-trod his previous path, and tried harder to emulate a servant-girl's curtsey. "The wench shows promise, sir knight." the Baron commented, and Peter was horrified to see the predatory look appear on Sophie's face. - - - - - 6 The Tour "I have three levels of servants, sir knight ... Those who resist me, who live in my dungeon - Those who are learning to obey without question, who are usually locked in the tower - and those who I trust enough to actually serve me ... I presume that you would enjoy seeing all these levels?" "I certainly would, my lord ... I find your entire household completely intriguing!" "Very well I shall show in reverse order - Let us enter the kitchen ..." - - - - - "You see before you a busy kitchen with serving maids dashing about under the command of my cook - A woman with unquestionable loyalty to my own person ... However, in my kitchen, all the serving maids are attractive boys and youths effeminately attired, and presenting as females ... From time to time I select one or more to attend and amuse me in my bedchamber!" "They are very convincing, my lord - and there is my own Sophie working too hard to see me here! Are they all shackled in the same way as my Sophie, my lord?" "Indeed they are, sir knight ... They are all trusties, but not trusted about running away." - - - - - "Here, sir knight we see my maids-in-training. The severe woman is Samantha, my chief instructor." "Girls, you know how to greet your master and his guest!" Samantha screamed at the slaves, and then spread a smarmy smile across her face to greet her master and Sophie. The slaves drew up in ranks and curtsied in synchronism to their owner, and curtseyed again to Sophie. "They are merely acting at this stage of training - They move and obey to avoid punishment, but they still harbour evil thoughts about their master," the Baron commented quietly to Sophie. "There are several here, who will soon join me in my bedchamber, and I become excited as I watch them gyrate under Samantha's command. Each of them has a separate cell in the tower, where Samantha locks them each day before she retires." "But, my lord, here are enough to overpower Samantha?" "Ah, yes," the Baron grinned, "But Samantha's husband and his three friends are always near - gambling in a quiet corner - And any rebellion will return them to the dungeon." - - - - - 7 Revelation "This is the dungeon," the Baron explained unnecessarily. "Initially every new servant is rebellious and unwelcoming of my terms of service, so they have to be convinced that serving me is their best and only option. Resistance is rewarded with painful punishment, and submission is rewarded with food - We find that it works well - don't we Simon?" the Baron queried his jailor. "Yes, my lord, and the really obstinate slaves die from hunger!" "But - What about your punishments spoiling the merchandise?" Sophia demanded. "Simon is an expert - No marks no lasting injuries - just lots of pain - Hay, Simon?" Simon grinned and looked away shyly in reply. "Perhaps you would like to sample his work yourself?" The baron stared at her, and Sophie stared back uncomprehending, until she laughed at the joke - But the Baron failed to join in the laughter, and Simon suddenly gripped her and made her helpless. "Upon our first acquaintance, I thought to merely steal your slave, sir knight ... But now I am determined to steal your very self! You are very pleasing to the eye, and already you have those attributes often reserved for the fairer sex. To miss adding you to my stable would be a great sin, and I could never forgive myself." "Unhand me, sir - And command this oaf to release my arms this instant! "I grow angry, my lord, at your pitifully un-amusing amusement!" The Baron selected a metal collar, and locked it around her neck. A length of chain attached it to a solid wall anchorage. Some of the slaves tittered with amusement as they witnessed her capture, but most were shocked into immobility and silence. "Hold him steady. Simon while I strip him naked ... Is the chastity cage at hand?" "Yes, my lord, I have it ready in my pouch." "My god, Simon ... This knight is a real woman!" "Surely not, my lord!" "Sure is what I am, Simon ... Bind her tight and then fetch her slave! ... I must think about this." Simon bound Sophie's wrists and elbows behind her back, and gagged her with a filthy rag, and then hurried to find Peter. - - - - - Simon dragged Peter away from his work in the kitchen, as the angry cook continued to hit Simon's back with a saucepan. "You stupid man, I need those vegetables peeled - You are not to take him away!" "... The Baron's orders, you ugly cow!" Peter was shocked - He had seen Sophie pass through on her tour, but had ignored her then ... Now this thug had been sent to fetch him - Something had gone wrong, he decided. He hurried to keep pace with Simon - His legs skittering like birds' wings - He must keep tension away from his lead, whose attached collar had been pre-weakened with slices into the back-stitches. He hurried along thinking quickly. - - - - - "Here is the slave Sophie, my lord!" Simon declared as they entered the dungeon. The Baron slowly turned from staring at Sophie, and as Peter's eyes adjusted to the gloom, he saw a naked bound woman before him. He immediately realised that she must be Sophie, and that the game was up! Sophie was helpless and could not run, so Peter had to fight! He leapt onto Simon and quickly slit his throat - As he pushed the dying jailor from him, the Baron automatically and urgently drew his rapier to dispatch Peter. Peter launched himself at the Baron, with his outflung arm holding the pathetic peeling knife - forgetting the limitations imposed by his ankle shackles, and tripped ... Peter was a fit warrior, and balled into a forward roll to save himself. Fortuitously Peter's roll ended with him rising to his feet within the Baron's guard, which made the rapier useless to the Baron. Without preamble, Peter sliced the Baron's abdomen, and thusted the small knife point-first up into his chest. The Baron coughed blood once, and then collapsed dying at Peter's feet. Peter wasted two seconds looking for further enemies in the dungeon, but saw only amazed slaves staring back at him in fear, except for one impatient-looking, naked woman, who was vocalizing furiously into her very effective gag. Peter smiled at Sophie. "You seem to have got yourself into a bit of trouble!" he observed as he took the Baron's rapier, and tested its balance. Sophie's vocalizations became louder, and her eyes glared furiously as her impatience surged. "Remember what fun you had as I had to curtsey to you at breakfast?" Peter grinned at her, "And here you are all prepared like a plucked chicken ... If we weren't friends I would rape you before releasing you, you look irresistible like that!" Sophie was temporarily confused. Her mewlings became muted. She was embarrassed to be naked before her friend, but pleased to be found pleasing. Before her confusion dissipated, Peter had used the peeling knife to free her wrists and elbows, and left her to ungag herself as he rushed to the door to check for interruptions. "Peter, I am still fastened to the wall by this collar - Please, get the jailor's keys! That Baron ruined your chemise, and all your clothes - He cut them all off - They're all unwearable!" she mourned. Peter took Simon's pouch and handed it to her, and then took the Baron's purse in case he had keys inside it. "Help me, Peter - I can't manage to find the keyhole!" Peter quickly placed a bench against the dungeon door, and hurriedly took all the keys from Sophie, and began testing each in turn in the collar's lock. None seemed to fit, and the keys in the Baron's purse were too fine for the lock. Peter scratched his head as he examined the lock, and eventually started to work the peeling knife inside the lock. "Don't move!" he ordered as Sophie tossed the useless jailor's keys to a nearby prisoner with freed hands. By the time Peter had picked the lock open, a crowd of freed prisoners had gathered as an audience, and waited expectantly for Peter to tell them what to do. "Escape! Run! Shoo!" Sophie shouted at them, and they quickly slipped away. "I found the heir - He's in the tower!" Sophie stated calmly. "Is our quest still on then?" Peter was incredulous. "Of course it is, Peter ... We have both suffered too many indignities to give up at this point - where success is so very close!" 8 The Heir is Found "Honestly, Peter, it really was necessary to stop to get your armour ... There are four guards as well as the old cow in charge at the tower!" "And me putting on my chain mail fortuitously gave you an opportunity to clothe yourself?" "Yes, Peter, I was feeling very cold - And I do need to wear something for when we flee from this castle. - And now we have your own sword as well as the Baron's!" "I'll give you the rapier, Sophie - It's less cumbersome than my broadsword." - - - - - The delays had allowed the news to reach the tower before Peter and Sophie arrived. The four guards waited sword-in-hand on the stairs. Spiral stairs on towers are designed to favour right-handed defenders higher up the stairs, and the four guards had taken this advantage, but when they saw that their enemy was one of the effeminate slaves, the nearest guard attacked recklessly, and Peter picked him off with a well- aimed thrust. The second guard had propelled himself into the first's slipstream, and tripped over his friends crumpled body as he tumbles past Peter and quickly found himself expiring on Sophie's rapier. "Ugh!" Sophie expleted as she realised that she had killed for the first time ever. Sophie became covered in blood from the two corpses and wanted to stop and throw-up, but her sense of purpose kept her close to Peter. Now the remaining guards decided to be more cautious, and the lower ran into the higher guard as he tried to back away from Peter. It was the opportunity that Peter wanted - The guard was off-balance and unable to make a strike, so Peter used a left hand grip on his broadsword to pierce the lower guard's right foot with a swingeing blow. The guard howled his pain and tumbled helplessly past Peter to rest on Sophie's waiting rapier. The upper guard rapidly abandoned the stairs and disappeared into one of the tower rooms, and cautiously, Peter and Sophie made to follow him. But it was unnecessary ... The guard had locked himself in the guardroom, and the sounds and smells betrayed his urgent imbibement of strong liquor. - - - - - Samantha had been overpowered by her charges, who were concentrating on their revenge - They too, had heard the news of the Baron's unexpected demise. Sophie pointed to one of the effeminate boys, and after nodding to her in reply, Peter grabbed him, and carried the struggling boy out of the tower, and back to sir Peter's previously allocated bedchamber. "These clothes of mine are bloodied and ruined, Peter - I shall have to borrow some of yours again! "Any way - You can't use the breeches until your ankle shackles are removed - and that can't happen until we get home!" "Where are you taking me?" Colin, heir of Denderage, wanted to know, as he sat up from the bed where Peter had dumped him. "To your Father at Denderage, Colin, he has offered a smalll fortune to your rescuers," Sophie replied politely. "Ah, so you two are simply my rescuers!" "Rescuers, Colin - Not 'Simply Rescuers'! - We have taken many hardships and risks to free you!" "But you're working for my father - and in-a-way working for me!" "No, Colin, we are independent of your father, and we don't work for you!" "Are you ready, Sophie? Less chatter - The Baron may have friends who may want to revenge him - Let us away!" - - - - - "This is embarrassing, Sophie ... Because of this ankle chain, I have to take your horse with the side-saddle, and you - wearing my breeches - you take mine!" "It's just as embarrassing for poor Colin, Peter - He has to sit side- saddle on my pillion - His own ankle chain makes the same problem." "And to compound the embarrassment, I have to ask you to help me to mount." Peter complained. Sophie laughed gently. "I think it's sweet, Peter ... I, a woman, am dressed as a man riding a man's horse, and my jailor is dressed as a woman - though wearing chain mail - and riding a woman's horse - and the woman also has a feminised man as her side-saddled pillion passenger ... Don't you see that it is truly hilarious?" "No, Sophie, it is not hilarious - so stop laughing!" Sophie managed to control herself and they continued trotting in silence until darkness fell. - - - - - 9 Denderage "But I tell you ... This man is Simon of Denderage - the Heir of Denderage!" Sophie insisted ... waving her rapier for emphasis. "Wait there, my lord!" the guard shouted down from the battlements above the firmly-closed castle gate. "Wait there for my lady to speak with you!" - - - - - "The omens seem to be against us still..." Peter posited to Sophie. "No wide-flung gates - No banners - No trumpets and drums - No great feast and no welcome of any sort! ... Just a half-hearted promise from a guard to fetch a family member to come and argue with us!" "It is many years since I was taken ..." Simon mused, "Back then father was a widower ... It seems that he may now have remarried." "You are the Heir of Denderage, Simon - This place is - or will be your birthright. Peter and I have rescued you from your kidnapper, and we are entitled to our reward. If this is some ploy to cheat us from our entitlement, then Denderage has made a determined enemy!" Sophie ranted at Simon, who cowered from her fury. - - - - - "Who are you people?" The question from above surprised them out of their introspections. "We are the rescuers of Simon, the Heir of Denderage, with the Heir of Denderage in company with us." Sophie replied, and they all waited while a muttering sound disguised a secret conversation taking place above. "You must enter and be welcomed!" shouted the original female voice, and commands were barked before the gate was drawn back enough to permit them to guide the horses inside. Sophie saw Peter shaking his drooping head as the horses automatically turned towards the stable. Simon slid from his pillion without conferring, and ran as fast as his ankle chain permitted up the steps and into the castle keep. "We have lost our hostage!" Peter noted resignedly. "But we are inside, Peter ... They are unprepared - This cannot be an ambush - We can create great mischief should they try to betray our welcome!" - - - - - "Welcome. Welcome, welcome!" the old man greeted effusively from his sickbed. Simon stood proudly by his father. His anklets were gone and his face was scrubbed. He was dressed just as a young nobleman should be dressed. Sophie was relieved at the very genuine welcome from the Earl of Denderage. "We thank you for your welcome, my lord, and ..." "And we shall immediately release Simon into your charge upon payment of our reward!" Peter had finished off Sophie's statement, and changed her intended meaning. Sophie appeared annoyed, but bore the trespass in silence. "Of course, in all honour, I must remain hostage until your reward." Simon bowed to Sophie and Peter, who bowed to him in return. "As you see ... my father is unwell, and is closely tended by my new step-mother, but we have agreed to disburse your promised reward tomorrow. "This will now take precedence over my introduction to my new step- brother, and my father's official recantation of his last will when he will officially recognise me as his true and only son." "To this end, Simon, we insist that you and we share the same bedchamber." Peter demanded. Simon and his father looked at each other in consternation, and Sophie glared at Peter angrily. "There is no need to be discourteous!" she hissed at Peter. "I have a sort of premonition ..." Peter whispered in return. - - - - - "There was no need to lock the door, Peter ... I have no intention of escaping, and every intention that you shall be paid your reward!" "I lock it merely to ward away any evil that lurks beyond." Peter apologised obtusely. "Simon, I must tell you, that you do enjoy my trust - Even if Peter distrusts you!" Sophie made her reassurances to Simon while glaring at Peter. "Will you desist from swinging that sword, put out the candle, and rest, Peter? We are all tired and find you distracting!" "As tired as you are my distractions will not delay your sleeping, Sophie." - - - - - The key had been left in the door lock. It wriggled and twisted and fell from the lock onto the wooden floor with a soft bump. Peter had fallen asleep fully dressed in his armour sitting on the floor and leaning against the wall next to the door hinges. The sound of the bump barely penetrated his sleepy daze, but his brain did record it and he pondered the sound in a slow-motion, stupid-with- sleep way. The scraping sound of a key being inserted was dismissed by his brain as the rustling of foraging rats or mice. The slight whine of rusty hinges puzzled his brain, and he began to wake as his earlier tension was remembered. The door was suddenly flung open, and armed men stormed into the bedchamber. They halted lost for one moment until one of their number showed a lit candle, and then they all rushed to the nearest bundle on the floor and cut and stabbed at it with their swords. "I am glad that I left that bed unslept!" Peter thought as he leapt, and attacked the murderers from behind. There were great cries of pain and protest as Peter harvested limbs, ears and blood. Those in the front turned to defend themselves from those behind, and Peter stood away from the melee now occurring in the dark. One of the attackers had withdrawn to relight the dropped candle, and he shouted to his comrades. "Friends, we assault and kill each other! Desist I say! Let us kill our enemies instead!" Peter sliced off the man's head in one clean cut, and tore into the confused crush of men in the total darkness. He received several hits onto his chain mail, but nothing would stop him. His opponents were all un-armoured assassins, and eventually all fell to his blade. Sophie had found flint and candle and kneeling from her bed she illuminated the gruesome slaughterhouse scene. After her initial shock she grinned at Peter. "I told you that your swordplay would disturb our sleep!" Simon was still gasping like a fish as she blew out her candle and returned to sleep. "That Sophie!" Peter grinned and propped himself by the door jamb again, and slowly nodded off. - - - - - The morning showed that events in Peter's bedchamber were not the only excitement or incident during that night. A great wailing throughout the castle informed all and sundry that the Earl himself had been murdered. His throat had been cleanly cut, and he had bled to death. Investigation showed that his new wife had disappeared and her son was not to be found either, until the steward was coerced into inspecting the dead assassins in Peter's bedchamber - It seemed that Simon's new step-brother was one of the would-be assassins. - - - - - 10 The Reward "I resented your implication, when you insisted that I remained your hostage, Peter ... But that now stands as the reason for my salvation! My stepmother planned for my step brother to inherit Denderage and the titles and lands that go with it. Matilda has told me that my father was fit and well until my step mother began to feed him unrecognisable, healthy, invigorating herbs. She wanted him weakened enough to sign a new will that accepted that I was dead, and placed her son as the sole surviving relative." "It must have come as a huge shock, when we three appeared unheralded at the castle gate!" Sophie observed. "She needed to deal with us - We could not be sent away to make trouble later ... So if we three as well as your father all died in a mystery murder spree, who could raise any alarm or doubt about the rightful new Lord of Denderage?" Peter supplied. "What will you do now, Simon?" Sophie asked. "Firstly as promised by my father, and then by myself ... My saviours must receive their reward in gold and specie! ... "And then I will send out patrols to search for my treacherous step mother, and those few of her retinue that survived to flee with her!" "Can you be certain that she has not already emptied your treasure house, Simon?" Simon grinned briefly. "My father may have been in his dotage, but he was no fool ... The key to the treasure room was always hidden in a secret place that he showed me when I was a child - There is no way that she could have gained the treasure without knocking down a substantial part of the castle!" "Now, Peter, shall I have my blacksmith strike off your shackles, and my maid, Matilda is clever with her fingers - she can pick the lock on your private cage - just as she did my own ?" Sophie had strong views, and interposed. "We thank you for your attention, Simon - but we wish Peter to remain encumbered for a little longer!" Both Simon and Peter looked at Sophie with astonishment. "Peter and myself are in the course of re-adjusting our relationship, Simon, and the shackles and the cage may become important ..." "I do not know your relationship, Sophie - I assumed that you were fraternal brother and sister?" "No, Simon! ... Officially I am Peter's prisoner, and I would prefer that he was my prisoner instead!" Simon was shocked and gasped in surprise. Peter was surprised and blushed from his scalp to his bound ankles. "Peter, you always said as a child that you wished to share everything with me?" Peter nodded slowly as his blush faded. "Well, I have been your prisoner since your brother died, so in a spirit of sharing you must become my prisoner for the same length of time!" Sophie looked at Peter hopefully - had she made a huge mistake? "Do you wish to imprison me in our dungeon, Sophie?" he asked, and then Sophie knew she had not misjudged him. "Only when you deserve it, Peter! I want to see you and know that you are in my power - I want to be in charge!" "Well, we will see - but for now I shall stay shackled and caged - I shall have to seek Matilda's help when I need to be freed ..." "You shall not seek Matilda, Peter, I have the key to your cage - I had it from the Baron's purse!" Sophie laughed at him and dodged as he began to chase her for it. "Behave, prisoner!" she scolded him. "Or I shall send you to the dungeon after all!" Simon watched them in amazement, and finally smiled a generous smile. Unsaid he had two firm friends, who he liked and trusted. - - - - - 11 Return to Strathmede "Peter we are close to Strathmede, shall we send Thomas ahead to warn your sister of our return?" "Mistress, I am a simple prisoner - Such decisions are within your province - not mine ... If you wish to inform Maria of our approach, then you should do so!" "Peter, you are not very helpful ... As my prisoner, I fully expect you to serve and help me!" Sophie had a worried look on her face. "Will Maria be resentful that I have made you my prisoner, Peter?" she wondered. Peter observed her concern and responded seriously. "My sister has seen us playing as children, she will see my enslavement by a cruel, ungrateful, escaped captive as part of some childish game. You need have no concerns about my sister - who is more your friend than mine! You two often plotted together against me as children!" "Yes, Peter, but this really is different!" - - - - - "Welcome home, Peter ... Welcome home, Sophie, and I see that you have returned with treasure to remedy our poor situation!" "What is it, Thomas?" Sophie was rather short with the borrowed servant. "May we return to Denderage immediately, my lord, My party has duties awaiting us there?" "Is the treasure now unloaded from the mules?" Sophie probed. "Yes, my lord - Do we have your permission?" Sophie nodded in dismissal. "My lord Sophie?" Maria queried with a grin, and looked more closely at her brother. "Peter, you ride without breeches on Sophie's horse - on Sophie's saddle, and your ankles are chained! ... "I see that you and Sophie have a new relationship!" Maria's face lit up and she hugged Sophie to her tightly. "He has done it then, Sophie? ... He has asked for your hand?" Maria's excitement knew no bounds until she saw how much Sophie's face had fallen. "Brother, have you asked for Sophie's hand or nay?" she demanded aggressively. Then it all became clear to Peter, and he felt a great guilt for his stupidity. It was so logical, but it had taken saying it out loud to make him see what everyone else must have seen already. Peter flung himself to his knees before Sophie, and grabbed her knees for support. "Sophie, my mistress, I do now ask for your hand in marriage - Will you take me as your husband?" Sophie could not hide her joy - though she tried to be severe with Peter. "I will accept you as my husband for Maria's sake ..." Sophie's eyes filled wetly. "... But mostly for my own sake ... And as punishment for making me wait so long, you shall remain my prisoner until our wedding! Maria bind his arms!" Peter didn't resist. "My arms are bound, but my lips are free!" "Not for long, my own!" Maria watched contentedly as her friend and her brother wriggled in the courtyard dust with their lips locked together - totally ignoring all the rest of creation. "Do you want a feast or not?" she enquired in a whisper, and then answered herself. "Food is no substitute for what you enjoy at this very moment." - - - - - The End