Big News
Thea barely noticed the slight breeze on her face as she rode Dena over the cobblestone road. Marlie's Bakery filled the air with the fragrance of freshly baked sweetbread, causing her stomach to rumble. One day, her manor would be like this . . . someday. Now that Galin had given her land and a lot of money to get started, she was truly on equal grounds with the other knights. What kind of bakers or merchants should she have in the square just outside of her manor? Maybe then she'd find someone to love. Children . . . yes, she wanted children. But, who had the time? She certainly didn't. Always on Galin's short leash, Thea had to be ready to leave for months at a time. Despite all that, she wanted a child.
Clop. Clop. Clop.
Thea strained her eyes as she turned the corner, putting the setting sun directly in front of her. She squinted to keep the sun's attack at bay. There it was, the clanging of a blacksmith hammer on raw steel over an anvil. Could he repair her sword? If so, he was a better blacksmith than Thea thought. She knew Brock Feran from his failed attempt to become a knight. Unlike Thea, Brock was not born with noble blood. No, he was a commoner through and through. The only thing not common about Brock was his skill with a bastard sword.
Clop. Clop. Clop.
Smoke from his forge pierced her nostrils. With the sun recoiling behind the mountain, Brock's Blacksmith Shop came into focus. Like its owner, it was simple; a wooden building with a thatched roof. The completely enclosed portion was Brock's home. A long wooden roof extended from the right side of the house parallel to the main street. Street side, there were three support columns made from oak. Attached to the farthest column from the house was a weapons rack filled with daggers and short swords. An athletic man with a well-developed upper body stood over the anvil in the center of the room. The forge, facing towards the anvil, shared the chimney with the house in the center of the wall.
Bang. Bang. Bang.
As Thea got closer, her nose began to itch from the smoke. She dismounted Dena, tying her off to the hitching post next to the small weapons display. Carrying what was left of her sword, she stepped inside the open-air shop. She couldn't take her eyes off him. Brock's arms had grown enormously in just a few years. Thea licked her lips.
Brock tossed the ball peen hammer down on a small table and placed the steel he had been working on back into the forge. He looked up at the rack hung between two columns and grabbed a brown towel that was hanging on a long nail. Brock paused, as if in thought, and kept his back to her.
Was he ignoring her? Is he still mad after all these years? "Brock, I need some help."
"What?" Brock asked with his back still turned toward Thea. "What do you want now?"
Yup, he was still bitter. How long can one man hold a grudge? "My sword broke when we fought the orcs at Nightfall Meadows."
Reluctantly, Brock faced Thea. "Let me see." He took the broken sword from her. "There's only about eight inches of the blade left. I can make a dagger out of it if you want. Fix it? No way. I could make you a new blade and attach your hilt to it."
Thea smiled. "Good, I need it in a couple days."
"Days? I'm not one of your subordinate knights anymore. I don't take orders from you. I'll get to it when I can. Remember, you're not the only knight at Staerdale Castle." He tossed the busted sword onto the small table, hitting the hammer. "Check back with me in a few weeks."
Her face reddened. How could he talk to her like that? She may be a woman, but she was also a knight and of noble blood, unlike him. Brock was the best—and the only—blacksmith at the market. "Brock, are you mad at me? I haven't been down here for months."
Brock sighed. "I'm sorry, Thea. It's just that the anniversary is coming up again. All I can think about is everything I've lost because of him."
Thea leaned against a column. "Do you actually keep track of the day you were removed from the knighthood? Seriously, Brock—"
He picked up Thea's sword and brought it over to the workbench on the other side of the anvil. "Yes, I do. Seeing you here today only makes it worse. I was a good knight and beat nearly all of them. Until—"
"Until you fought Kade," she finished.
"I whooped him, and he knew it. It was because of him that I'm no longer a knight; no one else. Now look at me, I'm just a glorified whetstone." Brock popped the pummel from her sword. "The king gave me permission to become a knight after the work my father did for him. If Kade didn't rouse the other knights against me because I was the son of a blacksmith, I wouldn't be here right now."
Thea rolled her eyes. "Here we go again. Brock, you aren't a noble and your family line decides that, not the king."
Brock slammed down the small hammer. "How can you side with him? That same king made an exception for a woman to be a knight. Why not a commoner?"
"You're better off here," she said under her breath.
"What did you say?"
"You—you've got no idea what the life of a knight is like. It's nothing like we thought it would be, not at all. We fought for honor, right?"
Brock nodded. "Yeah."
"There's none after you become a knight. Until today, I wasn't treated like a knight at all. I had no real title, money, or land. Every time I entered a conversation, I had to be better than everyone else just to keep their respect." She felt her blood race towards her face.
"Was that because of them or you?"
"I—please, just fix my sword." Thea abruptly turned and started towards Dena.
"Thea, wait a second." Brock laid his tools down and sighed. "You're right; both of us shouldn't have been knights. When the king gave me the choice, I chose to leave."
Thea stopped short. "You did what?"
"The king said it was up to me, but it would be best for the kingdom if I left. He gave me this shop and enough crowns to get started. My father was here before he died of the fever that winter. I learned about being a blacksmith all my life, except for the brief time I was a knight. So yes, I chose the honorable thing by putting the people ahead of myself. That's something Kade would never do."
Did he leave by his choice? She didn't know that, nor did anyone else. When Kade told the trainees that Brock was thrown out, he gave the impression that he was dragged out, fighting the whole time. "I'm sorry, Brock."
"It's not been all bad. The truth is, I wouldn't have met Sally if I was still a knight." Brock smiled as he resumed removing the hilt from Thea's sword.
"Sally who?"
"Sally Healy, she's the queen's handmaiden. I love her."
"Does she know it?" Thea asked.
Brock started to pry the guard off the sword's tang. "I haven't told her, if that's what you mean. I'm loyal to the king's family, and his son who sits on the throne now. They were both good men."
Thea nodded. "After the king saved my life, I pledged myself to his family, not just him. When can I have my sword?"
He smiled at her. "Give me a week; some of the other knights can wait a little longer."
"Thanks, Brock." Thea grinned as she climbed on top of Dena. "I'm heading home. Maybe we can go to the tavern sometime—with Sally, of course."
"Why not tonight?"
"The queen has some big announcement tomorrow. I have to dress up for it and act like a lady."
Brock grinned. "Good luck with that."
After the next sunrise, Thea fell out of bed. The small room was barely big enough for the bed, but she still managed to fall onto the floor. The single item hanging on the wall was a small cracked mirror. She was still wearing the torn red tunic from last night. Reaching for a hairbrush, Thea raked through her hair, tearing out every knot. Why did it matter, anyway? She was a knight, not a lady. Bags drooped from her eyes, a strong reminder that she shouldn't have stopped at the tavern last night on her way home. Sure, Thea had every reason to celebrate, but was it a celebration or an escape?
She tossed her rancid tunic onto the floor. Thea couldn't afford to have her own private bath, until yesterday. Add that to the list of things she'd buy for her manor house. Land, title, and crowns all came with a heavy price; her constant involvement in the king's court. She would prefer to ride out and see her new land and begin to spend her newly found wealth, but the king's court demanded her attention. Queen Nina was making an announcement today—unusual, but not unheard of.
Thea walked into the main room, looking for the washbowl. She smiled as her eyes zeroed in on the small piece of cracked pottery sitting on the counter underneath the southern window. Cupping the warm water in her hands, she washed her hangover away. Dabbing her face with the small brown towel next to the bowl, she decided. Today was the day. Once her court obligations were fulfilled, she would see her new lands and the peasants who would serve her. After she was completely dried off, Thea put on fresh tunic. After throwing on her cape, she mounted Dena and headed towards the castle.
Duties at the king's court were the worst part of being a knight. No glory, no honor, just a bunch of sniveling old men fighting over table scraps.
As the double doors opened, the Great Hall was displayed in all its grandeur. Lords, ladies, knights, and members of the Ravenward clan bustled around the dais. Who did she want to mingle with first? On the queen's side of the hall stood Kade and Beldroth; she'd rather have a tooth pulled than talk to them. Lyonus, the treasury adviser, was obviously engaged with Coala, the high priestess; no point even trying that one. Her eyes were drawn back to her old spot in the corner, where the other real knights gathered. It was near Kade, but she could stand his vileness for a few hours. Besides, he never even seemed to notice her anyway. Thea spied the only knight younger than herself and smiled.
"Sir Robert," Thea said as she made her way towards him. Kade looked over and turned back to Beldroth in disgust when he saw Thea. Ignoring Kade, she reached out and took Robert's hand.
The handsome young man smiled. "Good to see you, too. Why'd you leave the tavern so early last night?"
Thea shook her head. "My body this morning told me I stayed out way too late. If I'd stayed longer, I'd never have gotten out of bed."
He grinned. "You’re right." Robert looked toward the throne. "What's keeping them? The king's never this late."
"No idea." Thea's father told her many times that the best way to defeat your enemies in the king's court was to listen more than to speak. Maybe the queen was rehearsing her speech or planning how to deal with the sharks that would certainly try to take advantage of whatever she announced today. No one fit that category more than Kade. Her eyes shifted towards him, standing next to his servant, Beldroth.
Robert stared at Thea. "It's been nice talking to you when you were paying attention. I've got to go."
"I'll see you soon," Thea said.
Kade leaned into Beldroth and lowered his voice. "What could be so important that they had to call us back to the castle?"
Thea strained her ears to eavesdrop on their conversation.
Beldroth’s lips curled. "Maybe to give you the throne, my lord." Her lifeless, nearly black eyes twinkled. "Does it matter?"
"I guess not. I'm just tired of waiting for my turn."
She took his hand and caressed it. "Patience; you need to learn patience."
"That's easy for you to say," he retorted.
"You only have to wait because you choose to," Beldroth said.
Thea swallowed hard. What did she mean by that? Obviously, Kade wanted to be king. The only way he could ever be king was if—if Galin died. No, even Kade wouldn't murder his family. What kind of monster would even think of it? Women have enormous persuasion over men. Thea had the necessary looks and knew how to use that ability, but chose not to. Was Beldroth as honorable? She was leading Kade on, but why?
Kade lowered his eyes. "I won't kill my own brother," he whispered.
"If you want to be king, you will," Beldroth replied. "And I will be your queen."
"Enough of that talk," Kade snapped.
Thea grimaced. Wasn't that treason? Who am I to accuse the king's brother? A mere lowly knight who openly dislikes him.
Silence fell over the small crowd as the ornate door behind the thrones opened. Galin led Nina out into the Great Hall. All heads followed the queen as Galin sat her down.
Galin's failed attempt to hide a smile was obvious to everyone. He sat down on the throne, lowering his head to regain his composure. "Lords, ladies, and knights, thank you for coming so quickly. Your queen has some news that affects the whole kingdom."
Thea's eyes darted towards Kade. His face twisted as if he’d discovered her grand announcement.
Grinning, Queen Nina stood up. "The court knows that the king and I have no children, despite trying since I was sixteen years old..."
"I was right," Kade muttered to himself.
"Quiet," Beldroth said.
"...I began to believe that I was barren..."
Kade rolled his eyes.
Thea focused her attention on Kade, rather than on Nina. How desperate was he to get the throne? How far would he go?
"...The goddess Odella blessed me last night when I found out that I was carrying Galin's child." Nina's grin broke free. "I'm pregnant. We're having a baby."
Cheers and clapping drowned out what Beldroth whispered to Kade. But Kade's face gave away his true feeling about the news.
Galin stood beside his loving wife. "As you can imagine, we have a lot of things to do."
"Sire," Coala began, "what if it's a girl? Who will be your heir then?"
Kade's ears perked up.
"She would, of course. If a woman can be a valiant knight, why can't a queen rule?" Galin asked. "We're only in our twenties. I think we'll be having more children." Smiling, Galin and Nina left the Great Hall, disappearing behind the thrones.
"I—I can't believe it," Kade said. "I'm forever cursed to be a servant for my brother's family."
Thea attempted to filter out the other conversations in the room to listen closer.
Beldroth licked her lips. "All is not lost, my lord." She placed his hand around her lower back. "Maybe I can take your mind off things."
Vomit crawled up Thea's throat, only to be pushed right back down. She was obviously more than a servant.
Kade's eyes lit up. "What do you mean? Are you finally going to say yes?"
"We'll talk about solving your problem and satisfying me away from here," Beldroth said.
Thea watched Beldroth lead Kade out of the Great Hall like a pony. His problem? What problem? It couldn't be—yes, that’s it. It had to be. They were going to kill the king's family. Should I tell him now? No, I can't. I need evidence before I accuse the king's brother of anything. What kind of evidence can you get before a crime is committed? The plan. She needed to hear the plan. Thea hurried after Kade and Beldroth.