Attendants

Aedric prepares for his role as Queen's Champion

27.

Attendants

 

 

Thorm led him all the way down the tourney field to the very last place, next to the Queen’s pavilion.  

“Ye are the Queen’s Champion, lad, so ye get the first slot.”   The Dwarf explained.   He was amazed to see a rather large rectangular tent filling most of the spot, with his jousting steed hitched nearby, happily feeding on oats.  

Over the entrance into the tent hung his coat-of-arms, painted upon a false shield.   Carn, the large Bugbear, was straightening the shield as Mutt stood off a distance, giving directions.

 

The two goblinoids  turned when they approached and Mutt whistled.

“Look at you!   Now THAT is a suit of plate armor!   What do you think, Carn?”

“It fits well.”  He grinned a rather frightening toothy smile, “I worked on that breastplate for hours last night getting it just right.”

 

Aedric turned to the Dwarf, “You’ve gone to a lot of trouble for me.   I’m afraid I’m not worth all the effort.”

“Sure ye are, lad.   From what I’ve heard, ye are quite a horseman.   Just do your best and the Guild will be satisfied.   This is the best place to advertise, and ye are our salesman, so to speak.   As long as a lance doesn’t pierce ye through our armor, ye will make us money.”

“I hope so " it was one thing to practice with your own fellow knights-in-training, but quite another to joust for prizes and honor.”

“Ye will do fine, trust me; I know by a-lookin’ at ye.”

“So have you found me a squire?”

 

Thorm chuckled, “Ah, well, ye have to remember lad that most of the boys awaitin’ to serve as squires were eager to be selected last night at the knightin’ service, so t’aint many to choose from.”

 

Aedric’s shoulder’s slumped, because he immediately knew who they had selected, “Oh no, not the albino girl!”

 

“Now, ‘tis not that bad.  Snoe’s a fine worker, and she knows more about armor then most of my Dwarves.   Both of her parents are knights, as is her brother, so she understands what she has to do as your squire.”  Thorm led him to the entrance of the tent.

“But she’s a woman; there aren’t any female squires!”

“Your foster mom is a knight, lad!”

“Yes, but neither she nor Duchess Aurei ever served as squires.   Especially not to a male knight; it looks improper.”

 

Thorm pulled the flap back revealing spacious quarters.   Snoe was seated at a table in the tent, adjusting the straps on what he guessed to be his jousting shield.   From the somewhat sad look on her face, he knew that she had heard their conversation. 

With a timid smile, she placed the shield down on the table and stood up with a slight bow, as any well mannered squire would give to their master.

“I’m sorry you’re stuck with me.” She said in a very soft voice, lowering her gaze shyly, “I will stay out of sight so I won’t embarrass you.”

He found that he hated himself right then, for the gentle girl hadn’t wronged him, yet again he’d slighted her.

 

“Lady Snoe,” He said to her as he walked across the room, “I am sorry; I’m being very unfair to you.   I’m a proud and stupid man.  It is foolish for me to let tradition dictate what I do or how I look at things.    I am certainly not embarrassed of you in any way.   Your parents are legends for their valor. Honestly, I am unworthy of having you serving as my squire.”

 

The girl just shrugged but kept her slight smile, “It’s alright, Sir Aedric, I understand.   Status is important to a knight.   Yesh told me to help you… not only just last night, but all this week.   That’s why I volunteered to serve as your squire.   Sorry, I should have asked you first if it was alright.”

 

Again she lowered her gaze demurely and he noticed that a slight red glow dusted her cheeks.   She was blushing, yet with her milky skin, it was very noticeable and " surprisingly- quite lovely.  

 

“I would have agreed.”  He replied, finding himself smiling at her.   Her red eyes sparkled when he said that.

“Good.   I don’t want you to feel like you have to keep me as a squire if you want someone normal.   My father could probably find you a young man who could replace me.”

“No, I’m satisfied with you.   I don’t want ‘someone normal’ I’d rather have someone extraordinary.”

 

She laughed slightly, “Well, you really don’t want me then.”

“But you are!   I’ll have by far the most beautiful squire in the tournament.”   He was stunned to hear himself say that, and even more stunned to realize that he found the girl less freakish and more and more beautiful, the more he got to know her.  

Snoe just blushed again, shaking her head slowly, “I’m certainly not beautiful.   Your armor, however, is very beautiful " but you are supposed to wear a tabard with your coat of arms upon it.   We had some seamstresses craft one for you last night.   They should be done by now " I’ll run over to their booth and check on it!”  

 

Before he could say anything else, the girl jumped up and raced out of the tent as if she needed to escape.

 

Aedric turned to Thorm questioningly. 

“She’s shy,” Thorm explained, “She gets very nervous when anyone compliments her, especially on her looks.   It usually causes her to flee.”

“Why would that upset her so?”

“She thinks they are sayin’ it out of pity for her.   She feels self-conscious.   She hates the way she looks.”

“She’s really not bad at all.   Once you get used to her white skin, she’s actually very beautiful in a most exotic way.”

 

Thorm nodded, “Aye, she is, but she doesn’t believe that.   When some customers would come to our booth and flirt with her, she’d get so nervous that she’d not be able to finish her work.   So she insisted on not dealin’ with the public.”

“So she thinks she’s ugly?”

“Aye, and some sort of monster or freak.   I’ve known the lass since she was born, and she has always been timid.   I’m glad ye got her to speak again.   Her voice is even pretty.”

“Yes, it is.   Will she come back?”   Aedric asked, glancing at the tent entrance.

“Oh, aye, she’ll be along in a little while, with your tabard if the seamstresses are finished.   Just be patient with her, lad, she’s a gem in the rough, but she’s my favorite of the Duchess’ girls.”

“I’ll try not to upset her.”

“Good!   Now let’s talk about your weapons for this tournament…”

 

They turned to a discussion of swords and lances.   Unknown to them, just outside the door, Snoe straightened up from where she had eavesdropped on their words about her, and with a nervous smile, hurried off to fulfill her task.

 

***

   

An hour later, he was ready for the Tournament.   A royal herald had come to his tent and instructed him of his duties as Queen’s Champion.  

“You issue a challenge to any who might question the Queen’s honor " merely a ceremonial tradition.   Nobody will accept the challenge, then you will say, “In the name of Her Majesty, Queen Eioldth I, I hereby declare this tournament has begun!”   The Herald had explained.

“What if someone does challenge the Queen’s honor?”   He had asked.

“Oh, that has never happened before!”

“Well, what if it did happen?”

“Well, you’d be expected to fight them.”

“Fight them?   By what means?   A joust?  A duel?”

“The one who accepts the challenge has the right traditionally to choose the type of challenge.   Usually it is a joust or a sword duel.”

“ You said ‘usually’; I thought this hadn’t occurred?”

“Well, not in the last 100 years.   Queen Eioldth is very well loved, so I wouldn’t worry about it.”

“Someone tried to assassinate her last night!”

“Oh… well… still, I don’t think an assassin would try a challenge.   If he did, and you lost, all that would happen is that he would have disgraced you and the Queen.   It wouldn’t remove her from the throne.”

“Still, I think I should be ready.”  He had told the herald, who just laughed and shook his head.

“Very well, Sir Aedric; I guess that is wise, but you are worrying needlessly, believe me.”

 

The herald had left and a moment later he saw Snoe’s white head peek into the tent.

“Come on in Lady Snoe.”  He called and she walked in hesitantly.

She had changed into the traditional squire’s attire; a waist-length tunic with his coat of arms emblazoned on it, a sword belt, but (since she was only a squire) with only a dagger attached to it, wool pants and tall leather riding boots, as well as a shapeless ‘squire’s cap’ with a silver broach pinned to it.

 

Upon seeing that, Aedric was horrified to think that she could be wearing a broach that was very similar to the one she had scooped up on the night her sister and the Princess were violated and killed.   He rushed over to her and glanced at it, but was very relieved to see the coat of arms of the Duchy of Westmark.

 

She looked up at him questioningly, “It’s my parent’s arms… sorry, I know it’s supposed to be your coat-of-arms, but there wasn’t time to have one cast.”

“No, no, I’m glad you have your own.”  He quickly replied, then he realized that might sound bad so he continued, “I mean that it is more proper that you wear your own coat-of-arms, since you are a noble woman and I’m just a mere knight.”

“I’m not a noble woman.” She said with the same sad, but pretty smile.

“Of course you are!   Your father is a Duke; your mother is a Duchess.”

“That doesn’t really mean anything.   My brother will inherit all the titles of my parents.   The rest of us are just ‘ladies’, but it is a courtesy title given to the daughters of a Duke.”

“Well among the Faesidhe, all of my brothers and sisters had titles.”  He said this, but then regretted mentioning his Faesidhe connection because it might stir up within her bad memories.  

 

She didn’t seem effected, but continued to smile shyly, “You and your brothers and sisters were sons of the King.   That is different " at least it is amongst the human kingdoms, and I suspect it was amongst the Faesidhe.   All children of a King are Princes or Princesses.”

He frowned at the title, recalling how her sister used the term with such distain. 

“You still are the daughter of a Duke.”   He finally said.

“I’m just a common person.   I’m no different then anyone else… at least not in who I am.”

He knew she was referring to her albinism, and he began to comment, but recalled Thorm’s words and didn’t speak.

“Well, you look very… nice.”

“Thanks… I hope the crowd won’t think you have a clown or jester serving as your squire.   That wouldn’t be fitting for The Queen’s Champion.”

“It’s just a title.” He replied with a smile and she nodded, catching his meaning.

“The knights will be assembling in less than an hour.”  She told him while looking down at her hands.

“Will you be alright out there in the sun?   I know that albinos have to be careful.”  He hoped his question wouldn’t embarrass her.

“I’ll be okay.”  She replied, holding up her hand and showing him a silver ring she wore, “The ring is a protection from daylight ring.”  

“It’s one of a handful that my parents took off the undead of the Necromancer’s Guild before I was born.   They wore them to protect them from the effects of the sun upon them.   The vampires especially needed them, I’m told.   My mother figured out that if I wore one it would protect my skin from the sun.   It also lets me see normally in bright sunlight.  So I don’t sunburn even if I wanted to stay out all day in the sun.”

 

“I’m glad to hear that " your skin is very lovely.”  

“It’s ghastly.” She replied, still looking down at her hands, but now she seemed extremely uneasy, from his compliment.

 

Fortunately for her, they were interrupted by a man wearing riding leathers who came bursting into the tent.   He looked around rather anxiously, and then turned to them.

“My pardon, sir and lady, but I am looking for Master Thorm the Dwarf.”

Snoe put her hand over her heart while looking at the messenger and then said, “Life is wearisome.”

The man looked surprised, but immediately put his hand over his heart, “Hard of toil.”

“It is tainted water.” Snoe replied.

“A Bitter Dreg.” The man said, and then bowed slightly to her, “You are well met, my lady.”

“I am Snoe, I work for Thorm.” She replied, and as the man glanced over to Aedric, she added, “He also works for Thorm; he is Aedric, a Paladin.”

 

The man bowed, extending his hand, “I greet you, Sir Aedric, I am Sam Mellis, of the Bitter Dregs of Southgate.”

 

Aedric shook his hand, amazed, for he had long heard of the secret brotherhood known as The Bitter Dregs, but never had he (nor anyone he knew) ever met one.   They were the most secret arm of the Church of Yesh and known for their protection of the innocent and spying on criminals and any miscreants.

 

“I will go get Thorm.”  Snoe said then hurried out of the tent.

“I’ve never met one of the Bitter Dregs.”  Aedric said after a few moments, not knowing anything else to say.

“You probably have, actually, but you didn’t know it.   We keep a low profile.”

“And Thorm is a Dreg?”

“Oh yes; but since you now have been informed of his status as well as the lovely Snoe’s status as members, that means that YOU are now a Dreg!”

Aedric put his hands up, “Now hold on, I didn’t ask to be one!”

“True.   But there is only one other option if you don’t want to join the brotherhood…”

“You mean…” The Knight drew back in surprise.

“No!  Not murder!  For heaven’s sake, Sir, we are followers of Yesh!   We each have a wand that will erase all memories and anything mentioned about the Bitter Dregs if we touch you with it.   It doesn’t hurt and there is no other effect.”

“I’m certain I don’t like that either.   If I agree to keep your secret-“

“No, it doesn’t work like that, Sir Aedric.   You either are one of us or you forget all about us.”

 

“What would be required of me if I decided to join your brotherhood?”

“Well, that would be up to your Master " which would be Thorm, most likely.   Really, there isn’t much that most of our brothers and sisters do except keep watch for evil and danger and when we learn of it, we spread the news, then fight it if possible.”

“Spread the news where?”

“First to your Master, then he decides what to do with it.  If you are a Paladin, you are already fighting evil by your vow before Yesh.”

 

Aedric nodded, thinking deeply for a minute, “Well, alright, I certainly want to keep on the right path.”

“Good!   Let Thorm know, and he’ll have his examiner magically scan you for sincerity.”

“You didn’t mention that!”

“There should be no problem, if you are sincere… right?”  Sam looked at him guardedly.

 

Aedric sighed, deciding to explain, “I’m sorry, sir, I have just accepted Yesh as my God yesterday and it is all new to me.   I fear that while I believe I am sincere, what if something lies within me from before?”

 

The man smiled sympathetically, “That is a common worry, Sir Aedric.   If during the scan, you are found to be unworthy, then the spell that is cast will do the same thing as the wands we carry.   You will wake up feeling like a drunk with a hangover, but unable to remember anything concerning the Bitter Dregs.   Believe me, sir, we are the faithful of Yesh, we do not kill to keep our secrets.  Trust me.”

 

Aedric swallowed nervously, “Alright.”

 

At that moment Snoe arrived with Thorm, and to his surprise, Mutt and Carn (who had to duck down to enter the tent).   Aedric looked to Snoe in surprise and she simply nodded in answer to the question she knew that he had about the two goblinoids.

Reviews

[Elina]

"They turned when they approached..." This could get a little confusing, I think, if one wasn't quite paying attention, what with "they" being used twice.
"You’ve went to a lot of trouble for me." This would sound better as either "You've gone..." or "You went..."

[Eddie Davis]

Thanks, Elina, as you can see, 'went' and 'gone' are probably one of my most reoccurring mistakes.