Squire to the Rescue

by

deathworks

Chapter 1 : Dark Clouds Rising

The raven- haired man on the ebony throne looked down at the man kneeling at the base of the stairs leading up to him. The throne's occupant couldn't be older than 30 years with a soft and boyish face and was attired in a blue tunic with brown trousers, the plain look of which underlining his youthfulness. The crimson robe with white trimming attached to his shoulders and the simple, golden crown on his head were in stark contrast to that average appearance as were the wrinkles above his eyes. His thin lips hid any emotions he might have had, while his green eyes were fixed on the man below. That man was quite the opposite of his sovereign. He was thin to the extreme and looked worn- out beyond belief. He certainly counted at least 60 years, but no one could say for sure, how many more, as his pale face was a maze of wrinkles and scars. His hair was white seemingly shining before his black robes. Next to his right hand, there lay an ebony staff, the head of which was carved to resemble a blazing sun. Although he was old and showing his respect, there was a gleaming in his brown eyes telling of inner strength and defiance. Neither he nor his sovereign cared about the guards and courtiers surrounding the scene in silence. And no one dared to move or even whisper a word to his neighbor.

After this short pause, King Gerald III continued to speak:
"Have you understood what I ask of you, bishop Jeremiah? What is your answer and what payment do you desire?"
"I have understood my task and I understand the necessity of the subject to obey his lord. I will do as you have asked, but there are some things I need to be able to finish the ritual. As your subject, I can't possibly expect you to give me any other reward than your enlightened rulership. The Holy Mother Azkata is another matter, though. All the power I have comes from her, and it is her generosity that helps us prevail, although she had been betrayed by her children. Therefore, I have to beg your Highness to have a great temple built in honor of the holy mother so that I may spread the wisdom of the past among the people."
"A request most fitting for a holy man like you. The ritual's success would without doubt bring safety and peace to our lands. How could I possibly fail to acknowledge the Holy Mother's generosity that helped us in that time of need. Succeed in the ritual, and I will built a worthy Great Temple of the Holy Mother here in the capital. And I will also erect subsidiaries in Greenriver, Stormedge, and Willowshade. Once they are under our control and the populace pacified, I will see to the building of temples in Redsand, Deepswamp, and Brightcloud. I, King Gerald III, ruler of Stormrock, promise to do all this if the Holy Mother would look favorably upon my request."
"Then I am sure that your prayers will be answered. As for the things I require, it's a complete list of all people in the castle and the lives of two men for each one of them."
"Rest assured that I will see to it that everything will be as you need it. You are dismissed."
"Thank you, my Lord."

Using the staff to carry most of his weight, the bishop rose to his feet, bowing his head before his sovereign. Then he turned around and left the audience chamber. Both men knew that there had been no other way things could have developed. And both men knew that Jeremiah's submissiveness was more show than anything else. The necromancer was probably the only living creature King Gerald was afraid of, but he needed him and his powers. Needed them too much. As the old man disappeared from sight, the sovereign wondered, when the necromancer would rise against him - and if he would be able to prevail. But that was the future, he had to see to it that his spies gather the information the magician had asked for. Very soon, he would own Blackberry Fields as well. And he would have his bride, fair Elizabeth. At this thought, a smile crept onto his face.


Chapter 2 : A Common Squire indeed

"Ah, fair princess Elizabeth. If only I could be among the lucky ones that are allowed to climb the stairs of the tower to wait on you. Just seeing your distant face at the window makes me comprehend that there can't be a fairer being in the world." THUD! A wooden sword smacked the young man's side, making him return to reality from his day dreams and sending him into the court yard's dust. It hadn't rained for two days now, so that his sudden impact sent grey clouds into the air, making him cough. The dirt immediately covered his green tunic and trousers, as well as his brown hair. The man whose sword had struck him, couldn't help but laugh at the sight of this. This little pause wouldn't last of course.

"What were you thinking, John? It is an honor to become a royal knight's squire, and you should be grateful for anything I, your master and mentor, are teaching you. When we are practicing the fighting arts, your thoughts should only be with your sword and your foe. Had my sword been real, and I your enemy, you would be dead by now. Get up, so that we may continue and pay attention this time." Sir Humphrey Ironshield was one of the well- known royal knights protecting Blackberry Fields from any threats. He was a broad- shouldered man of 44 years with black hair having a slight grey shining to it. Well- trained, his body was strong and agile, and few would have claimed to be a better swordsman than him. The tales of his deeds are many, the most reknown of them being his fight with Goldenfang, the dragon, a terrible beast that invaded the country and tried to conquer it 12 years ago. It is said that, although he had been accompanied by 20 most formidable knights, it was him alone who dared to enter Goldenfang's lair. The other knights, ashamed of their cowardice, couldn't abandon him completely, so they waited outside the cave, hearing the sounds of a fierce battle. After two hours, legend has it, Sir Humphrey emerged, carrying Goldenfang's head in his arms. Being only 16 years old, John Fields could hardly judge whether this was true or not, but if a mortal could defeat such a terrible beast, Sir Humphrey would be most likely. John was lucky indeed that his father somehow knew Sir Humphrey and had been able to convince him to take John for a squire. Otherwise, his chances of getting this close to the royal court would have been naught. And he would never have been able to see princess Elizabeth.

Princess Elizabeth. The only child of King Rupert II of Blackberry Fields, her beauty had already become a legend. It is said that she is a gift from Lord Fukar, the Creator, himself. After testing the King's devotion for many years, and having him wait for an heir, he had finally found him worthy of such a wonderful boon and had Queen Margarita give birth to a child as fair as can be. She had black hair, glistening in the sun, while her skin was slightly pale with only a rose tinge like snow on a winter morning. Her eyes were of a deep blue and her voice more enchanting than those of the most wonderful birds. King Rupert was of course the happiest father one could imagine, but soon he became convinced that he had to shelter his precious daughter from the dangers of the outside world. He kept her in a big tower he had added to the castle, and only the most reliable and loyal nobles were chosen to wait on her. Still, her form looking down from the tower's windows had enchanted several men, and so word of her beauty had spread even to distant kingdoms.

For the next hour, John kept himself focused and tried to beat the old man. But no matter how well he tried to protect himself, the knight always found the flaw in his defenses. And no matter how hard or fast he attacked, the knight's sword was always there to parry his weapon. John had just hit the floor again, his muscles aching and pain surging through his body, when a messenger, a boy of John's age in a white tunic approached the fighters.

"Greetings, Sir Humphrey. I am here as a messenger to arch wizard Michael. He wants to inquire, if you could spare your squire this afternoon, as his assistance would be very helpful. Arch wizard Michael hopes that you appreciate the importance his tasks have."
"Go tell arch wizard Michael that I will send John to him after lunch. He isn't really concentrated today, so lessons would be lost on him anyway." After hearing these words, the messenger bowed and turned around heading back to the castle's buildings. With an angry scream, John jumped towards his master trying to hit his left side. The two swords met, entangled each other, and suddenly John's sword went flying through the air, while the squire lost his balance and pushed his face into the dirt once more. "Much too slow and unfocused."


Chapter 3 : An Interlude of Dark Tidings

"Here, your Highness. The list of all persons residing and working at Blackberry Fields castle. It counts 124. The King also tells you that the main hall of the castle and 248 men are ready for the ritual. The King hinted at the fact that haste would be greatly appreciated." Finishing that sentence, the young messenger, who was already kneeling down, bowed his head nearly touching the ground with it, while his outstretched arms presented a roll of parchment. Bishop Jeremiah approached him and fetched the scroll. Unravelling it and studying its contents, the necromancer started to speak:"Yes, this will do. Squire! Tell His Majesty that my preparations will be finished the day after tomorrow. Before that day's noon, I will start the ritual, so that the King's men will be able to claim the castle that same day. You are dismissed." Without any further comment, he sat down at one of the tables in this smoky room. Taking a quilt, he started copying names from the scroll. Thankful for the order to leave, the squire retreated. Visiting the bishop's abode always made him feel weak and insignificant. A man to be feared, no doubt, with powers mortals are not meant to have.


Chapter 4 : Doomsday

"Ah, it is good that you could come, John. I have heard that you are a healthy boy and not the weakest squire at the castle. I suppose you know who I am and what my purpose here is." "You are the royal arch wizard Michael, advising King Rupert II and helping the royal knights defending our country from any dangers." The old man was obviously pleased with John's quick and correct response as a smile filled his wrinkled face. Although his white hair and sick complexion told of a life that had lasted for too long already, the arch wizard was obviously still very strong and energetic. His laboratory was a large room filled with tables upon which diverse pots and bottles with the most bizarre of ingredients were stored. Smoke from two fire places and an oven filled the air, but its owner didn't seem to notice. John, on the other hand, found his surroundings bewildering and more than a bit scary. But this was the King's arch wizard. He was their ally, therefore John had to trust him.

"I have summoned you, because I needed to test a new spell I have devised for His Majesty's knights. If it succeeds, I will be able to grant you the strength of a hundred men. Currently, our spies are reporting that King Gerald's men are gathering at the border. His attack will begin very soon, so I have to get this spell finished now. Don't worry, there is no possibility that harm could befall you. Just stand over there and wait until I am finished with the incantation."

John moved to the clear spot the old man had pointed at while the latter began murmurring strang words of magic. King Gerald of Stormrock. He was a very famous man. It was said that he had to ascend the throne at an early age after his father had been killed by an assassin. The plan of the usurper to steal his heritage failed, though, but King Gerald had learned how to fight. He had been ruling his country with an iron fist. As it would seem, he had heard rumors about princess Elizabeth. Being impressed even by those oral descriptions, he had sent a vast treasure together with a message asking for the princess's hand. Considering what a dangerous man he was, and the dealings he had with necromancers and other creatures that would certainly lead to heavenly punishment one day, all counselors concurred, and King Rupert denied King Gerald's request. That King Gerald wouldn't accept 'no' for an answer was something everyone had been apprehensive about. John was glad, of course, that the princess wouldn't be handed over to such a monster who was believed to steal his peasans' children for dark offerings to the necromantic gods.

John suddenly felt strange. It was a feeling just as if a lightning storm was about to begin. The sensation filled his entire body. Although not really unpleasant, it was odd. Looking around, he noticed that the arch wizard had stopped with his chanting and was examining him. "Grab that iron bar and try to bend it. No normal mortal could do that bare handedly, so if you are able to do it, your strength has certainly been increased." Looking at the heavy iron bar, the squire got a bit dishearted. He certainly didn't feel stronger, and the mage was certainly right about no one being able to bend that metal bar without applying fire and hammer. Sighing with resignation, John still tried to pick up the pole. It certainly was heavy and he really felt it. He had to try, though, just to make sure. Holding the iron with two hands, he started to push using all his strength. All his muscles tensed and blood rushed into his head, but the bar wouldn't change a bit.

"Stop. It is no use, the spell has failed. I will have to UNGH! ..." The old man was never able to finish that sentence as flames suddenly erupted from his body, turning him into a living column of fire. The flames hungrily ate at their prey and the heat was intense. Within a few seconds, the wizard was reduced to ashes, overwhelmed before he had any time to act.

In distant Stormrock, in the castle's main hall, an old man chanted arcane words and invocation while lifting the blood covered knife in order to slit another man's throat.

John was stunned only for a second by the shock. Then he recovered. "You are a royal knight's squire. You have to inform your master and his liege about this incident. You have to defend the castle, the king, the princess" He kept telling himself these words so as to keep himself from thinking about the fact that he had just seen a respected man spontaneously burst into flames and die within mere moments. Hastily, he ran up the stone stairs leading to the castle's ground floor.

During the afternoons, Sir Humphrey was always in the court yard practicing with the other knights or telling the squires about the duties of the knights. He was a hero. He would certainly know what to do. Missing his footing, John fell just as he reached the top of the stairs. Instinctively, he put his arms in front of his face so as to stop his fall, but the impact was still very hard and he cut open his left hand. "No time for that. Just hurry and get some help." There was the door to the court yard. He opened it and was greated by screams. Looking around, he was only able to see two of the squires sitting in the dirt and holding each other in their arms while screaming at the top of their lungs. But no sign of the knights.

Then terror gripped him as it dawned to him. Looking to the ground, he saw them. The knights' suits of armor, terribly burnt and molten to dark clumps of metal, they were still able to confirm his fears. This wasn't just a backlash of the wizard's spell. This must be some kind of divine punishment - or attack! King Gerald's necromancers! Could it be that they had such terrible powers. If that was so, the princess would be in danger. This last thought gave the squire the goal he needed. Saving the princess, becoming her hero, her knight, her ...

He ran back into the main building. Running through the corridors, he just came across two places where the fine carpet was still smoldering and a disgusting stench of burnt flesh lay in the air. There was the door to the princess' tower. It was open and two clumps of molten metal told of the guards' dire fate. Right behind the door, a charred tray lay on the floor among shards of a tea pot and some cups, no doubt. Sugar dissolved in the pool of liquid upon which some ashes were still drifting. This was all just too unreal, this couldn't be happening.

Understanding the urgency and the imminent danger, John climbed the stairs as fast as he could. As he came across a window facing the yard, he was able to witness a gruesome sight. The two squires had still been in the court yard, too scared even to move. Suddenly, one of them burst into flames. The other didn't seem to notice, he still held him in his arms as the flames ate away, burning his flesh. Once the fire was gone, the surviving squire suddenly burst into flames and was released from his miserable existance. As the flames died down leaving behind an empty court yard, John realized that he had stopped to watch the incident. A stupid mistake, there wasn't any time left.

Just as he was nearing the top of the stairs, with the open door to the lady's chambers in sight, John was gripped by terrible pain. Searing heat filled his entire body, he couldn't breath, he couldn't think. He only knew that this was it. This was the fiery death the others had already suffered. He wouldn't get to wait on the princess after all. He wouldn't even become a knight. What a lousy fate.


Chapter 5 : A Great Triumph

"Your Highness, there is no doubt. It's our horn signal we are hearing." "Good, the ritual is finished then. Sir Winston, have the army advance. Blackberry Fields is ours. If there is any futile resistance, crush it mercilessly, but I don't think that anyone would dare oppose us." "Yes, my liege."

King Gerald III watched as the knight rode his horse to the front of the army. Then his soldiers began moving towards the border. It was an awesome sight, a great army that no one could resist. Blackberry Fields stood no chance especially without any leaders to rally the troops. "Yes, princess Elizabeth is mine. But it wouldn't do to rush things. There is nothing she could do, so I better stay calm and first see to it, that word of my conquest gets to all corners of Blackberry Fields. Then, I will go and collect my bride." The king was very pleased with himself. He set his horse into motion, following slowly his army, only accompanied by his royal guard.

Meanwhile, his forces had reached the enemy border towers. While most soldiers fled upon seeing the army advancing, some valiant archers remained firing away at the enemy unwilling to allow them to enter their country. They paid for their bravery with their lives, as the army crashed into the towers sweeping away the gates like the tide rushing in. None of the defenders that had stayed was spared.

The refugees had reached Greenbeech with the news of the attack. The village had no defenders in addition to the border patrols, so that the populace panicked. People gathered their family and the things they needed most before running off, either along the road towards Redsand or into the forests, hoping to escape King Gerald's wrath.

Blackberry Fields was small and rather densely populated. Therefore, the first refugees hit Redsand just as the sun was touching the horizon. The terrible news spread immediately. The city had its own forces though, which would be able to hold off the enemy for a short while during which reinforcements from the castle and the rest of the kingdom may be summoned. Thus, the city prepared for a siege and sent messages to the other cities and the castle.

In the meantime, King Gerald and his men kept on moving slaying anyone who tried to put up resistance. Greenbeech had been burnt to the ground as this lack of respect angered King Gerald. He ordered the village burnt and all its residents slain when found. He would have this people obey him, no matter what the cost.


Chapter 6 : An Impossible Situation

John's head was on fire. He shouldn't have had that much wine with his master. Being a hero, that man certainly also knew how to drink more than a mortal. And he would soon have John get up and start practicing with him. Why couldn't John be like him a great hero, a strong knight protecting the kingdom. It was no use, he had to get up, no matter how much his head hurt.

He opened his eyes. "Strange, I don't recall having such a high ceiling. What did we drink last night?" Raising his torso, the squire wiped the sleep out of his eyes. The pain in his head was lessening, and his thoughts were more focused again. Looking around, he couldn't recognize his surroundings. He had been lying on a stone floor, obviously built of gigantic granite boulders. Off to his left, the floor ended after a few meters, while a fifteen meter wall limited the plain to his right side. Forwards and backwards, unbelievably high wall rose into the sky in the distance.

Puzzled, John got to his feet and walked over to the edge where the floor suddenly ended. Looking down, he saw a plain similar to the one his was on fifteen meters below. And below that one another and another, going on and on. Just like a titanic staircase. Staircase. He knew there was something about stairs. Stairs he was climbing.

Then his memory returned and he was shocked. The people being turned into living torches. The death. His wish to save the princess. The pain. His death? No, he was still alive. But if this was the princess' tower and he was on its stairs, then he must have ... No, that can't be right. He must be mistaken. He can't have been shrunk. But then there was the arch wizard's spell. Maybe it did have an effect after all.

He could sort this out later. If this were the right stairs, he would have to climb up in order to check on the princess. If she was still there, he would have to get her out of here before she gets hurt. Pushing away all his doubts and fears about the situation, filling his mind with a vision of the fair maiden in distress, he approached the wall.

Steep as it may be, it was still roughly hewn stone, especially to him. Many holes and ridges allowed even an unskilled climber like the squire to overcome this obstacle. Reaching the top, he was confronted with a sight sending both joy and chills down his back. An open wooden door of impossible size loomed up before him. There was no doubt about this being the princess' tower just meters away from the goal. There was also no way to ignore the fact that he was tiny, an imp. Still, the princess was probably in there, and he had to get to her.

Running past the door, John came to a halt. There were three more doors after the first one. Since only the most priviledged courtiers were ever allowed to see the princess, John had never been here, and therefore couldn't tell where the doors would lead. Since the door closes to him was still fifty meters away, he wanted to figure out which would be the best choice before starting off. But how should he figure out such a thing.

Just then, the central door opened. Light flooded into the room and in that light, he saw a gigantic tower. When his eyes had recovered from the sudden change, he realized his mistake. It was an angel in a white dress, soft features and blue eyes. Her pale face was surrounded by perfect, black hair. Even her incredible size couldn't hide her perfect proportions and her cuteness. John couldn't breathe, he was simply stunned by princess Elizabeth's beauty.

The princess had stopped a moment and was obviously thinking about something. Then she began moving forward. Certainly, she took just small steps as was fitting for a princess, but to John, it looked as if she advanced at tremendous speed. The white wall of her dress rapidly approaching was just frightening enough to the shrunken squire to make him recover from his reverie. As loud as he could, he shouted:"Your Highness! Stop! Down Here! Your Highness!" She paused. She turned her head as if trying to find the source of some faint noise. John shouted again.

Then she looked down and saw him. A soft smile formed in her face, and she looked at him as one would look at a young animal whose cuteness makes one want to protect it. She bent down and John shouted again "Your Highness!". She paused. A cute frown was building on her face. John was puzzled. "You talk?" "Your Highness! I am ..." "You are a gremlin, aren't you? My nurse had told me everything about you. You steal little babies and naughty children. Be gone, You won't find anything here you could steal." She began to rose again. "No! I'm no gremlin! I'm a squire." She halted. "I am Sir Humphrey's squire John Field!" "I know Sir Humphrey, he is a tall man, and his squire is a normal- sized boy. How could such a small creature like you be a royal knight's squire." "I shrank just this afternoon. After the arch wizard's spell failed and everyone got - " John stopped in mid- sentence. he couldn't just tell her that they were probably the only living things in the castle. This was all absurd. What could he do? She was right, at his size, he couldn't be a squire, he couldn't even defeat a mouse, much less a human adversary. How could he hope to protect her? But he could try to help her escape. If this really was King Gerald's doing, he would certainly come here in order to catch the princess and force her to marry him.

"You do look nice." John was startled by the princess' voice booming directly at him. While he had been thinking about the future, she had been kneeling down all the way and was examing him closely. "My nurse always told me that gremlins were small and ugly. But though you are small, you are quite hansome, like the courtiers usually attending me. You started saying something about 'everyone'. Do you know what has happened? The afternoon tea has never arrived, and no one has come to look after me for what must be hours. They have never forgotten about me before."

"Well, Your Highness. There was an emergency. And everyone had to leave. And I, and I was sent to fetch you, but then I shrank and was delayed. The castle isn't safe anymore, so we have to leave." "Ah, so that is the reason. But why aren't there any other servants to help with the lugagge?" "It's an emergency, we have to leave immediately. Without lugagge." "What!? Is it really that bad? Well, if father thinks it is that important, then let us not wait any longer." The princess started to rise again.

"Your Highness!" "Yes?" "Well, I am a bit ashamed, but under these circumstances, could you, could you - could you carry me?" The princess was at first surprised, but then she smiled gently at him and put down her hand next him. John was quite embarassed while climbing onto it, but what choice did he have. He was just a centimeter or so high and would just slow them down if he tried to run on his own. Elizabeth carefully rose after seeing him sit down in the middle of her palm and started walking down the stairs holding the hand carrying the squire in front of her chest.

Squire to the Rescue (Part 2)
by Deathworks


Chapter 7 : Interlude at Redsand

King Gerald's army had reached Redsand just two hours after the refugees. They found the city as prepared as possible and the tall gates in the stone walls firmly closed. Neither side started attacking the other, though, as the army awaited its king's orders and the city hoped for reinforcements.

It was King Gerald himself who broke the silence. He rode up in front of the gates and shouted at the defenders:"Behold my form and recognize King Gerald III, king of Stormrock, who has come to claim ownership to Blackberry Fields. Is there anyone on those walls with the authority to represent the city of Redsand?"

"There is, Your Highness. I am Sir David Armstrong, Knight of Redsand and its protector. I make all the decision at Redsand as requested by King Rupert II. Your invasion is ill- advised. Blackberry Fields Castle is noot far away from here, and they have been informed about our plight. Surely, a formidable army led by the best knights we know is already on its way. You are better off leaving this kingdom peacefully. We don't want any unnecessary bloodshed, but we will protect our city from any attack. And we will certainly be able to hold the walls more than long enough to see the King's men drive you away."

"Well- spoken, proud knight. I am sure that there will be a good position in my realms for you after your city's surrender. I can assure you that King Rupert and his knights are all dead by now. There is no need for you to fight me. The last member of the royal family alive is princess Elizabeth who will become my bride. I know that you can't simply trust my word in this case. Therefore, I and my men will wait before your city's gates until your messengers return. They will confirm that there are no mighty knights that will come to your rescue. I will come to accept your surrender tomorrow noon." With these words, the king returned to his men and ordered them to prepare a camp, a normal military camp without any siege preparations. He knew that the war is already won, so there was no need for haste.


Chapter 8 : On a Lonely Road

Being carried by a 100m princess really needed some getting used to. Her skin was soft and warm, and it was giving off a sweet smell that was making John kind of drunken. It could have been the most wonderful ride one could imagine, especially since he could always look up and see her beautiful face high above him, if she wasn't climbing down a long chain of stairs. She took only gentle and small steps, being a well- raised princess and all, but even her slight movements became gigantic leaps to the shrunken squire.

Finally, they reached the base of the tower. The princess couldn't fail to notice the broken tea set on the floor. She paused. "Don't worry. They - they just heard about the emergency and were so surprised that they dropped the tray. And then everyone had to leave and no one had time to pick things up and, and, and everything will be alright." "Yes, of course." John wasn't sure if he had been able to convince the princess. "Her answer was too short. She has doubts. Or maybe that's just my imagination going wild. How could she possible guess at what had happened here? I'm just too worried. Everything is going to work out fine. But how will it work out fine? Where should I take her? Who could help us? If we left the kingdom, we might get another king's protection. But wouldn't that king want to marry the princess himself? Surely, he couldn't help himself seeing such a wonderful being. No, we need some help here. Maybe someone who could give us some advice, like a wizard, or a sage. Yes, that's it! Wasn't there some sage living near Deepswamp. If we could just get there, he may help us to figure out what happened and what to do next."

"Where to now?" John was startled by the voice. Soft and sweet as it may be, it became booming loud to his reduced form. Looking around, he realized that they were in the castle's court yard. The sky was already turning crimson as the sun was about to hand heavens over to the moon. "Can you ride, Your Highness?" "No, I have never learned it, as it was considered not appropriate for a princess to do so." "In that case, we will have to leave on foot. Just go through the main gate and follow the road. I will tell you where to go. Please trust me." "A - Alright ..."

John looked up at the beautiful face. The fading light drew dark lines of shadow over it, making it look as if she was frowning. "She isn't sure if I am telling her the truth. But I can't tell her now. She might refuse to go on. And how could I save her then. I couldn't even move her little finger much less her entire form if she doesn't want to move. I am so sorry, princess."

The road they were travelling on was miles wide it would seem. Formerly, there had been a merchants' village around the castle's entrance. Then news came about how an intrigue involving such a merchants' village led to the death of King Robert IV of Seasight, and King Rupert decided that the village was to be removed. Both the merchants and the castle's servants were not happy with that decision, but they couldn't help it. Thus, the village had been torn down and the path leading up to the castle reduced in width. Only John's small size made it look to him like a gigantic plain. But it helped the squire to get a feeling for their speed now. As he had been afraid, the princess just couldn't move very fast. And she was bound to get tired soon. Besides, the sun's light was nearly completely gone, so they would have to stop soon.

"Now comes the crossroads. Please take the route to the left. Only a few more meters, than you can rest, Your Highness." "Thank You." Princess Elizabeth sounded tired. She wasn't used to running around that much, she hardly ever got out of the tower, so who could blame her?

After some more twenty minutes, John bid Elizabeth to step into the woods beside the road. Being tired, she put up only few words of resistance before agreeing to lie down leaning at a tree. Although there were animals in the woods in abundance, none of them would hurt a human, they wouldn't even approach them.

As the princess lay down, she was still holding the squire in her hand. John wasn't sure whether she was simply too tired to notice or didn't really mind, but everything suddenly tilted and he landed on the bosom of her dress as she lay down. The fabric was soft, and the princess' hand above him was like a warm blanket. Before he knew it, the exhaustion of the day overwhelmed John and he was fast asleep.


Chapter 9 : Interlude at an Abandoned Castle

Later that night, a sole horseman rode up to the castle. When he came near the gate, he shouted: "Alarm! Invaders! To Arms!". But only silence answered. There were no lights, no music, no life. Certainly, the night was still young and there would be court activity. The messenger was puzzled. The gate was wide open, so they weren't preparing for an attack either, so why was there no one around?

He entered the court yard. No servants came to greet him, no one came to take care of the horse. He knew that the main building was in front of him, but there were no candles or torches to show him the way. The moon was already very thin, but it still provided him with a little light. After getting off the horse's back, the messenger was able to tie it to a pole at the stable's entrance.

Making his way to the main building, the horseman nearly fell as his foot caught something heavy lying in the middle of the court yard. Even in the moon's light it looked dark. It felt like dirty metal, although its shape was terribly twisted. He just couldn't imagine what purpose it would serve. Leaving the heavy object alone, the messenger continued towards the main building, cursing his forgetfulness that has kept him from getting a new torch after having used up his last one the day before. On the other hand, there should have been people here to greet him.

Searching his way through dark corridors, he finally found some red glimmering. Some wood already reduced to coals as the last survivors in an abandoned fireplace. Just minutes before, the man had found some candles. Pushing the wick into the hot ashes, he was able to get some light. Now that that was taken care of, he could try to figure out where everyone had gone.


Chapter 10 : Gerald's Glorious Day

King Gerald slept peacefully and satisfied this night. After all, the last day has not only provided him with a greater kingdom, it has even sent him on his way to fetch the most lovely bride in the world. He really was a fortunate man. He dreamed of the beautiful princess he had yet to meet in his real life. He would shower her with presents, he would conquer the world if she asked him to. He would stop the sun in the sky and give her the moon. And she would return his feelings, would be his loving wife. He would finally have someone to share his life with, someone to trust.

He awakened to some change in his surroundings, he couldn't quite place. Looking around, he can see the vast interior of his tent, complete with two tables, chairs, chests with clothes and everything. Light came in through the partly opened entrance, and next to the bed, Sir Winston knelt. "Good morning, my Liege. Your Highness have asked to be woken an hour after sunrise, which is now. The royal bath has been prepared as has been the royal breakfast."

King Gerald looked down at his knight. "Ah, a loyal knight indeed. He is doing a good job as my general thus far. Yes, I think I can give him Blackberry Fields Castle, once things have settled." Out loud he said:"I think, I will start with the bath." "Yes, my Lord." Sir Winston left the tent only to return seconds later accompanied by four soldiers carefully carrying a wodden tub filled with water. They were followed by two women carrying sponges and brushes.

After setting the tub down, the knight and the soldiers left. Stepping out of his bed, the sovereign allowed the maids to remove his night gown before he stepped into the tub. "Yes, this will be a fine day."

An hour later, the king had just finished eating breakfast, a knight approached, kneeling down. Nodding, the sovereign asked him to speak. "My Lord, the town has opened its gates and a delegation has left in order to bargain about the terms of their surrender. Sir Winston is currently watching over them and is asking for permission to send them over to Your Highness, so that they can directly surrender to Your Majesty." "Good timing indeed. Have them come over here. I will personally attend to this matter."

"Everything is going according to plan. I am just glad that that Sir David is a man of reason. He could have felt like being a martyr or something sending his men to certain death, but he has chosen the wiser path. I will really need to find a job for him in my kingdom. Conquering Blackberry Fields turns out to become more and more fortunate by the minute."

"Greetings, King Gerald III, Sovereign of Stormrock. I, Sir David Armstrong, Knight and protector of Redsand, have come in peace." "Welcome noble knight. I wager you have received news by now that have made you change your mind?" "Indeed. Earlier this morning, our messenger to Blackberry Fields Castle returned. He had reached the castle after sundown and there had been no lights, no people to greet him. Searching the entire castle, he didn't find anyone at all, although the horses and arms were still there. Considering this development, there is no point in fighting the inevitable. All by ourselves, we can't win against your army, even if the other cities assissted us. Therefore, I beg you to spare our people, citizens and soldiers alike, as we are willing to surrender without a fight." "Well, then hear my words. I accept your surrender. From now on, Redsand and all its inhabitants belong to Stormrock. For the time being, Sir David Armstrong is allowed to keep control over the city in my name. See to it that the citizens are informed and that my rulership is enforced. You are dismissed - for now."

"'...didn't find anyone at all.'? Well, he probably failed to check out the tower chamber. I shouldn't really worry about it. Besides, I will be at the castle myself this evening, embracing my bride, so everything will be alright. Conquering the princess will be just as easy as conquering her kingdom."


Chapter 11 : A Confession

John awoke, feeling an immense pressure on his body. Opening his eyes, he started looking around. The squire was startled when he saw that he was suspended several meters above the ground. Looking around, he first saw a white wall not far from him, obviously tilted to a dangerous degree as it turned into a ceiling above him. Looking down along his body, he saw that he was entirely enveloped in the grasp of something of a faint pink color, warm and soft. Only his head was free. Then he remembered what had occured the day before. "Ah, the princess must have rolled over in her sleep. If she hadn't instictively held onto me, I would have fallen to my death. I was really lucky. I have to be more careful at this size. But we have to get going now."

Although the princess' hand was soft and delicate, her grip on him was still too firm for him to break or escape. After vainly trying to extract himself directly, John started to move as much as he could, effectively wriggling in her hand. Even giving everything he had, he wouldn't really move an inch. Fortunately, his movements had an effect, as he heard a distant moan. The princess came to. After yawning and wiping the sleep out of her eyes, the former being a fearsome sight in spite of her beauty, as her mouth opened wide, showing teeth just as big as he was, the princess realized her squire's predicament and set him down on the trunk of a fallen tree.

"I will need some privacy for a moment. I'll be right back." With these words, princess Elizabeth disappeared between the trees. The squire couldn't help but admire her. "Just think about it, she has had her every need taken care of for all her life. And now she is suddenly cast into the outside world. Yet, she remains calm and puts up with things. She is really strong. Still, she seems tired and a bit pale. I don't think we can make it to Deepswamp by foot. Ah, we'll find a solution, I am quite sure of it. While she is gone, I should relief myself as well."

Just moments later, he heard twigs breaking as his lady returned. Hastily, he got finished and walked away from any evidence. (Not that he really expected her to notice, the difference in size was just too big.)

"They are all dead, aren't they?" John was startled, not by the volume of her voice, but by her words. "I may be inexperienced in the way of the world, but this is the only reasonable explanation for this entire situation. Something happened, and they have all been killed. I know that you want to protect me, but you can't hide the truth forever. Tell me, if I am right." The squire looked up at her face. She wasn't angry, she didn't blame him. There was just sorrow in her eyes. He couldn't hurt her, but she was right, he would have to tell her sooner or later. With a sigh, he answered: "Yes - I think that we are the only ones who got out of the castle alive. I didn't lie about the arch wizard's spell though. Probably it was that spell which saved me. I saw ..." He broke off, as he saw the tears running down her face. Then she turned and went into the woods. "Your Highness!" No use, his voice wouldn't be heard. He couldn't catch up to her either. All he could do was just wait for her to calm down by herself. If he only weren't that helpless.


Chapter 12 : Interlude on the Eastbound Road

Getting the army ready to continue towards Blackberry Fields Castle had taken ages, King Gerald had felt. After having had lunch, he had grown more and more impatient. He finally wanted to see his bride. Only forcing himself to stay calm, he was able to restrain himself. After all, he wanted to impress the princess by coming to the castle at the head of a formidable army.

Now it was two hours after noon and they were finally on their way towards the castle. Although the sovereign knew that they would definitely reach their destination before sundown, he was excited. He knew that he would get his treat soon, and that there was nothing that could stop him, but he just couldn't wait.

"Your Highness, is everything alright?" Sir Winston has brought his horse alongside his sovereign's. "Ah - yes, yes." "Should I ask the men to hasten?" "Mmmmhhh - that won't be necessary. Just leave me alone a while."

Watching the knight returning to his men, King Gerald considered this incident. "He really is a loyal subject. And he understands his lord very well, even to the point that he needn't be told about his king's feelings. Is this a good thing, or a bad thing, though?"


Chapter 13 : Heading towards Deepswamp

After long minutes, an hour perhaps, John was startled out of his daydreams. Being unable to do anything else, he had reconsidered their situation. The king and the major knights were all dead. The cause of this was some fould magic. Yet, he and the princess had miraculously survived and had been able to escape from the castle. Actually, he was very fortunate. A few days before, meeting the princess was only something he could do in his dreams, but now he talked to her, had even touched her soft skin. And he was the only one she could really relie on, the only one left to protect her. Yeah - right, protect her. Even a sewing needle would be a major lance to him. What could he possibly do at his size. He couldn't even go looking for her and console her in her grief. But then again, he was able to guide her, tell her how to get by in the outside world she had never visited before.

Thus, he had just come up with some plan of how to continue, when the princess returned. She seemed to be in control of herself once more, although there were dried tears on her cheeks and a sorrowful look in her eyes, mingled with defiance. By now, her dress was looking just as if it was trying to sympathize with its owner's feelings. Its edges had been torn, and twigs and dirt had fastened themselves to it. Although she was obviously miserable, the princess still had a fighting spirit. The squire was impressed.

After finding him on the tree trunk, the Elizabeth knelt down so as to get her face closer to her last courtier. "I guessed it already when we left the tower. Things just didn't add up. But I didn't want to believe it." Her voice was faintly quivering, but she stood strong. "I am a royal princess, though. And as it seems I am about to ascend to the throne as queen. I have to be strong, as I have to be there for my people and my country. I am very grateful for your efforts, but I can't just keep on following you blindly. Yet, I have little experience in matters of state, much less in the affairs of the world outside the castle. Therefore, I ask you to be my counselor."

John was surprised by this turn of events. He had been afraid that the princess would have been broken by his revelation. But she seemed to have overcome it and grown. After a stunned pause, he raised his voice. "As you wish, my Lady, I will do anything to serve and protect Your Majesty. The road we have been following is leading towards the city of Deepswamp. A sage is said to live in that area. Since I am but a simple squire, I don't really know what course of action would be the best for us to take. Therefore, I suggest that we seek out that wise man to ask for his advice. However ... " He fell silent. "However?" "However, Your Higness is obviously not used to long travels. My diminished size puts all the burden on my Lady's shoulders. Besides, we don't have any provisions or any other things needed for the days to come. Therefore, we seem to need to ask for help from the peasantry. For food, maybe a ride on a cart, for - for other clothes for your Highness." "What? Why would we want to do that?" "Beautiful though it may be, this dress is certainly not fit for travelling. Besides, if the cause of the disaster that befell the castle was really an alien king, they would certainly be looking for a princess in expensive clothes soon. But even the greatest beauty could be hidden with the coarse clothes of the peasantry. Please forgive me, but this is what I deem necessary." "Your words make sense. We will try it your way. Step aboard, so that we may continue." Gently holding her hand next to the trunk, the princess allowed the squire to climb onto it again. Then she rose carefully and was back on the road seconds later.

An hour later, the quire was already getting hungry, and he noticed that the princess was also slowing down, they saw the beginning of fields of to the right. Envigorated by new hope, the princess walked faster again. Soon thereafter, they were able to see a farm house and a barn. They had already talked about the John's reduced size. Explaining it would take a lot of time, and he might still scare the farmers. Therefore, they had come to the conclusion, that he was to hide in the princess' ear only showing himself if absolutely necessary. Thus, the Elizabeth lifted her hand to her left ear and waited for him to climb off. A tickling sensation told her that she could lower her hand again.

For the squire, this was another new experience. The entrance into the princess' ear was just as high as he was tall. After walking in a few steps, he had to kneel down, though, as the ceiling grew lower. It was quite hot in there, and the soft floor and walls were covered with fine hairs. While being carried on her hand, he had been surrounded by air full of the forest's smell. Now, the air was warm and filled with a sweet smell. As he moved around, the ground shook a bit and there was distant giggling. Obviously, the ear was rather sensitive. Not wanting to cause his beautiful host any discomfort, John sat down and waited for things to develop.

Just after putting down her hand and the tickling sensation from within her ear had stopped, the princess saw a woman stepping out of the barn and walking towards the house. Raising her right hand and waving, the princess shouted "Hey!" and came closer. The woman turned in her direction, hesitated and then ran towards her.

"Who are you? Those clothes, such lovely blue eyes. It couldn't be!" The woman, obviously in her thirties threw herself into the dirt kneeling down before the girl. "Rise. I need your help. And I don't know how urgent things are." "Yes, of course, - Your Highness?" "Princess Elizabeth, yes, but let's talk inside your house." " - - Yes, yes. I'll just prepare it for you." The farmer got back up on her feet and ran back to the house, nearly tripping over her own feet.

The house had but one room featuring a single table, some stools, a fire place and some straw on which the family could sleep. In a corner, a child of no more than three years was playing with a ball made of straw, wearing naught but a shirt. Next to it, there was a chest. On a board attached to one of the walls, wooden spoons and bowls waited. The woman was wearing a simple brown dress and an apron, both well- worn and patched at several places. Many wrinkles filled her face adding years she actually hadn't passed yet.

She and the princess were sitting at the table. Dried fruit and bread were lying on it, provided by the host on the princess' request. The latter was watched by sympathizing eyes as she explained that the castle had been attacked by some strange magic, and that she had been the only one able to escape. She ended her tale by asking for the farmers' help, namely food, some clothes and help in finding a ride to Deepswamp. In return, she couldn't give much but the dress she was currently wearing, although she would certainly remember their help, once the crisis was over. At first, the older woman said that a princess couldn't wear peasant's clothing, but the princess insisted, so that the senior gave in.

Opening the chest, the woman brought forth her most expensive dress, stating that though it wasn't really fit for a princess, it was the best she had. The princess hesitated, then asked if she couldn't give her something more plain. Reluctantly, the woman handed her some simple brown dress. In addition, she gave her a scarf she could use to hide her features. After helping her to change her clothes, the woman excused herself, saying that she would get her husband since he could help her with a ride.

The princess used the chance to consider the situation. The dress was coarse and itchy, hurting where it touched her bare skin. It certainly was different from what she wore at court. Fortunately, her undergarments covered most of her body, protecting her quite well from this wretched thing. She then told herself that she shouldn't think bad of the peasants. They didn't have much more than this, and helping her would certainly cause a lot of trouble to them. She should be grateful for their effort. Elizabeth felt ashamed of herself.

John had established himself quite well inside her ear. Although there had been one or two close calls when he was nearly expelled as she turned her head, he was rather safe. He was thankful for his restraint as not to try and watch as she changed clothes. One of the close calls had been while she was doing exactly that, and he would certainly have dropped to his death, hadn't he been that deep inside her ear. Now, he had heard that the peasant had left. Though it may be considered inappropriate, hunger won over etiquette with him. "Could Your Highness please be so kind as to share some of the food with the Lady's servant." The princess blushed, remembering her little guest and that he must have been hungry all the time. Quickly, she broke off some crumbs from the what was left on the table and offered them to the squire. He took a gigantic piece of apple and another big piece of bread from her hand, and returned into her ear, thanking her for the kind gift. Sitting down, John started to eat his treat.

Although she felt a bit guilty because of her lack of foresight, Elizabeth had to smile at the thought of her tiny guardian sitting in her ear, eating his meal.

The peasant wife returned with her husband and their two other sons. The men were rather tongue- tied and even a bit afraid, but the father explained that he had a cart that could be drawn by his oxen. If the princess really wouldn't mind, he could take her to Deepswamp. The princess was really happy, her feet still hurting from all the walking of the past two days and agreed.

Thus, the princess and her invisible squire were off to Deepswamp in a farmer's cart. Two days ago, She had been in her tower, kept safe as a precious treasure. Now she was clad in what was little better than rags and thrown up and down on a dirty cart. The only courtier left was so small that he was able to sit inside her ear right at that moment. Her parents were gone. And she had to be strong and fulfill her role as a royal princess ...

Squire to the Rescue (Part 3)
by Deathworks
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Chapter 14 : At an Empty Cage

"Ah, there it is, Blackberry Fields Castle. A nice castle indeed, though not as well- built as Stormrock Castle. But I have come to claim a beautiful bride and not an army, so it is appropriate for the occasion. And they left the gate open, how nice of them." King Gerald enjoyed the sight before him. After travelling for gruelling hours on the dirty roads, constraining his wish to hasten towards his bride, his destiny lay before him. Grey battlements designed to protect the kingdom's ruler seemed white as the sun's full force hit them. Beyond the open gate, glimpses of the gleaming white main buildings could be perceived. Again, the sovereign felt the urge to rush forward. And again, he suppressed it.

"Your Highness, is everything alright?" The king was startled as Sir Winston addressed him, a worried frown on his face. Obviously, he had been caught up in his own thoughts, looking at the castle. "Of course. Let's go inside and claim my prize." Angry at himself for showing weakness before his men, the king ordered his horse to enter the yard.

No living soul was to be seen. It wasn't quiet,though, since the horses in the stable became aware of the activity outside and demanded to be fed and taken care of. The king dismounted. Immediately, a soldier appeared next to him and took the horse's reins. Behind him, Sir Winston dismounted as well and walked up to his master.

"Whatever the Bishop's flaws may be, it seems as if Mother Azkata's blessings are really strong indeed. Look at what little evidence of this castle's knights survived her wrath." The king pointed at the charred armors lying in the dirt. "All those strong men, these high battlements, and yet they were defeated without a fight by miraculous powers. The bishop is indeed a powerful man. Who knows what else he could do to attain his goals." "Indeed, Sir Winston, what else will he do to reach his goals? Let's concentrate on our current mission, though. Have the old banners replaced by ours and have the castle searched for any survivors, looters, or whatever. And have someone tend to the horses, that noise is getting to me. I will examine my royal quarters and the princess's chambers, which should be in that little tower here." "Consider it done, my Lord."

While Sir Winston returned to the soldiers, giving them commands as requested, the sovereign entered the main building. There was no one here as well, of course. Everything was quiet and peaceful, only some weak wind blowing through the corridors caught the monarch's attention. Although he had never been to this castle, King Gerald figured that the royal quarters were on the left side of the building, as the small, fine tower that must have been the princess's resident was attached to that side.

For a moment, he considered visiting the tower last, but then came to the conclusion that his appearance at the castle had been good enough. Besides, the princess must be starved by now and worried. As her future husband, he should take care of her first. Empty rooms and beds can wait. Looking out through the windows to his left, he was able to see his men do as he had ordered. The yard was bustling with activity. "How much more activity there will be at my wedding - all of them are so eager to please me, especially Sir Winston ... Ah, this must be it!" Finally, the king had arrived at an open door. Two charred sets of mail lay before and a tray and shards of expensive pottery just beyond. With a pounding heart, the king began his ascend.

"Why did he have to do this? If we are unlucky, this conquest may worry the neighboring lords enough so that they could forget their petty bickering and attack us in an allied force. And for what? A worthless bride?" While overseeing the cleaning up on the court yard, Sir Winston allowed his worried thoughts to drift. He wondered if his monarch would regain his senses, once he had seized the princess and the euphoria of conquest had left. His eyes travelled towards the building and up that wretched tower. The sun was setting, her fading light turning the tower crimson red. Sir Winston knew he didn't like the looks of this.

Just then, a chair flew out of the upper most window and shattered on the floor below. Before anyone else had a chance to react, Sir Winston was racing into the main building. Behind him, soldiers gave his disappearing form and the debris that had once been a finely crafted chair puzzled looks.


Chapter 15 : A Family on the Road

Princess Elizabeth felt rather uncomfortable. She had grown used to the smell during the past hours, and even the motion of the cart, the jumping at every rock, every hole in the road, but the situation worried her. Neither she nor her tiny squire knew what exactly had happened at the castle. They were on their own, and although he had said that he'd be there to defend her, she knew that she was responsible for herself and the squire, and for the entire country in the long run. She was afraid that she might not be up to all of this.

John felt his host was feeling uneasy. This caused him more distress than the bumpy ride. Although he had advanced deep enough into her ear so as not to be in immediate danger of falling out, he still jumped up to the ceiling at every bump. Had it not been for the softness of the surrounding flesh, he would certainly have broken each and every bone in his body. But his problems were terribly small when compared to hers, her being a princess and now a refugee it would seem. He had to give her mind something to focus on.

"Your Highness. Thank you for Your kindness. After all, as a royal squire, I should have protected the monarch and the castle with my life, but I have failed. What is even more, I have had to rely on Your Highness to take care of me, whilst it should have been the other way around. I promise that I will do everything I can to repay that kindness once I have regained my original size." The princess whispered her answer so quietly that only she and her little occupant could hear it: "Don't talk nonsense. If it hadn't been for you, I would never have had the strength to leave the castle. And it was you who told me about the sage and how we may get a ride there. Your strength of body may be insufficient at the moment, but your strength of mind and knowledge are what I need now in this time of distress. Your idea with the daughter was simply ingenious."

Until their situation became clear, John had thought it safer for the princess to travel incognito. If there really were enemies around, they might be looking for her. Therefore, he had suggested to have the princess pretend to be the farmer's daughter, suffering from a wasting disease. The two of them would be travelling to see the wise man in search for a cure. As evidence. the princess could show her hands, whose whiteness and slenderness may very well fool the people used to hard work under the sun. Although the farmer had hardly understood her reasoning, he had understood what she asked of him and was more than willing to comply.

"I am glad if that's so. Let's just have faith in Lord Fukar. I am sure that he will protect us. And what could possibly defy the Creator himself." John felt the urge to fondle the princess, but restrained himself, as this would only tickle her, possibly causing both of them more distress.

The princess had to smile. "Such a brave man. Although he has become utterly helpless and everything dangerous to him, he still worries about me and tries to cheer me up. I will be strong, especially for him."

Later, as the sun was setting, they were beholding a farm. Being poor travellers on a long journey, they would certainly get some food and shelter for the night.


Chapter 16 : Interlude at a Mad King's Court

"What do you mean, there is no sign of her? Find her! Bring her to me!" "Please, my Lord, restrain yourself. The entire castle has been searched, and there was no one there but the animals and us. Maybe she fled, or maybe ..." "Send for the spies that are watching over the castle. Why haven't they informed me about this?" "Your Highness, as ordered, their names had been added to the list given to Bishop Jeremiah. They are all dead." "Jeremiah? Jeremiah! Send for him. Have him brought before me as soon as possible. Either, he will find her for me, or he will die."

Sir Winston didn't know what to do. He was worried about his sovereign as he had never seen him in such a mood. He wished he could comfort him, could help him regain his senses, but he was a mere knight in his army. Unwilling to leave his lord alone, he summoned for Sir Reginald, one of the lower knights whom he knew to be a loyal subject. He would certainly be able to escort the necromancer on his way to Blackberry Fields Castle.

"Ah yes. You can't trust spies. They have betrayed someone else before, what would keep them from betraying you. I had thought I wouldn't need them anymore after everyone has died here at the castle, but now fate laughs at my efforts and turns them useless. Let's just hope that she is still alive and that that good- for- nothing priest can find her." After Sir Winston's departure, King Gerald III had more than enough time to consider his situation. It were depressing thoughts indeed.

The next morning saw a sovereign in a terrible mood. Claiming the royal chambers, he came across several paintings depicting a young beauty who was certainly his missing bride. She looked just as lovely as he had imagined, if only he could find her. His sleep was troubled as he kept dreaming about her leaving him in a cold and empty world. When he finally awoke from his nightmares, he knew that he had to make her his bride no matter what the cost.

Early in the morning, he had all his knights summoned. He then ordered two parties to be formed to claim the other cities in this realm. Since there shouldn't be any resistance, they were to have only small escorts. Before they were to leave, he invited the knights into his private chambers and, showing them the pictures of the princess, asked them to be on the look- out for his bride. The one who found her would be granted a special reward. After that, he dismissed them and returned to his lonely thoughts totally unaware of the sadness in one pair of eyes.


Chapter 17 : Into the Murky Swamps

Two days passed without much of an incident for the princess and her companions.

During their first night travelling with the farmer, John woke up in the middle of the night just as he fell into the scarf the princess was still wearing. In order to be unsuspicious, the squire had stayed inside the princess's ear even as she went to bed. (Not that he would have complained about these accomodations). Obviously, she had rolled over in her sleep, so that exit was suddenly below John's sleeping form. Fortunately, he wasn't hurt by the incident. He thought about his situation and found that the best thing to do was to sleep below her throat as there wouldn't be any danger of her crushing him there in her sleep.

Thus, the tiny squire started to walk down besides the sleeping princess's face. Since there weren't any lights, he could just guess at the shapes next to him. At first, the regular sound of her breathing grew louder and louder, until he found himself standing in the path of a strong air current moving towards the face at one time and away from it in the very next moment. Fighting to stay on his feet, he continued and finally reached a point where the wall next to him moved backwards. There he settled down onto the scarf.

In the morning, the princess woke up first. She started to get up, when she suddenly felt something fall onto her bossom. Without thinking, she exclaimed "Eek!". Her being a well- raised princess though, that cry of surprise was rather short and quiet and wasn't even noticed by the farmer. In a flash, the incidents of the past days returned to her together with the smell of her poor suroundings. In order to confirm her suspicions, she lifted the cloth of her garment over her right breast, and yes, there he was, still rubbing the sleep out of his eyes and unaware of his "interesting" surroundings. Before he could realize what happened and really embarass the princess, she quickly picked him up, though still careful not to hurt him.

Once she had held him up to her ear and waited for him to climb in, she asked him about what he thought he had been doing. "Your Highness, I don't know what I have done so as to incur your anger. During the night, Your Highness had tilted Your head, dropping me out of your ear. After recovering, I settled down in your scarf below your neck. Now I woke up, falling and obviously landing on your shoulder. Before I came to my senses, though, you picked me up. Where have I gone wrong, and what should I do." "Mmmmhhh. Well, I was just surprised by you falling onto me. But I guess we can't keep me from moving in my sleep, so I have to be more careful when getting up." "No, no, it wasn't the fault of your Highness. It was just a stupid accident."

John wondered why the princess had been so distressed by the incident. Come to think of it, her shoulder had been rather soft, more like ... He didn't want to think of it. If he had really fallen there, there would be no way to apologize for it. Since things seemed to be settled for the princess, the squire came to the conclusion, that it would be best not to ask any further questions.

After lunch that day, they were passed by a knight and twelve soldiers marching as fast as they could. Both the princess and John recognized the banner of Stormrock. Holding her breath, the princess pulled the scarf tightly over her head and cowered, trying to appear even smaller. But the soldiers didn't even wait to look onto the cart much less inspect the occupants more closely. There was actually little words the princess and her squire had to exchange after words. Both now knew at least the answer to some of the open questions. But they had to carry on, although they now knew what enemy to look out for.

Now, two days after leaving with the oxen cart, they were entering the Murky Swamps. It was known to be a rather dangerous region. As long as you stayed on the road, you were reasonably safe, but as soon as you abandoned it, you were doomed. The waters were said to be full of spirits and monsters waiting to pull foolish travellers to a horrible death. As the princess held her breath and tensed, John peered outside. The sight was indeed intimdating.

In front of them, the road slowly descended into a dark wetland. Crippled trees surrounded it, with thick fog blocking the view after only a few meters. The croaking of frogs mingled with some strange gurgling sounds and noises whose origin John couldn't even guess at. After spending most of the time enjoying the princess's nice smell, he was hit very hard by the stench emanating from the area.

Since Deepswamps was situated squarely in the center of the Murky Swamps, they had no options but to proceed. Disgusted by the area, John crawled deep into his host's ear where it was warm and her smell was keeping the stench out. Then the ground started shaking. After wondering for a few moments, the squire realized that the princess was shivering. He remembered how cold fog can be, especially when it was that thick, and the clothes the princess was wearing would be offering little protection from that. John cursed his size. If he had been normal sized, he could at least try to keep her warm, maybe by giving her his tunic, or maybe embracing her - in order to keep her warm of course. Still, he felt the blood rushing into his head as he had these thoughts.

This was indeed a dark time for the princess. Although she had learned a lot and changed quite a bit recovering from her extremely protected youth, she hadn't been prepared for something like this. The stench was making her feel nauseous and once they entered the swamps, she discovered that the fog was freezing. Her clothes offered no protection at all as the humidity crawled through the seams.

It was the evening of that day when it happened. Suddenly, the road dissolved under the wheel on the princess's side, tilting the vehicle and sending the occupants flying into the swamps at the side. Fotunately, the ground was still stable there, so they weren't in any real danger. Still, all the movement caused the squire to leave the ear and fly further away from the road into a bush on a small island. Although he got cut by the leaves in several places, he didn't suffer any serious injuries.

"Nothing's broken it would seem. I really am a lucky guy. But the fog is REALLY cold. Poor princess Elizabeth. While she kept me warm and safe, she must have been suffering terribly. I bet she is really worried about me now, so I better get ... Aaahh!" John stopped as a rock as big as a small hut to him started to move. Turning around, the toad looked directly down at him. The squire was paralyzed by fear, but even if he had been able to move, where could he have run? Certainly, the toad would be faster than him and its brought mouth seemed more than big enough to swallow him whole.

The toad slowly began to open its mouth. It was a dark cavern glistening with saliva. Sticky strands of saliva were being pulled apart and only unwilling dissolved.

The toad tensed.

SWOSH! Suddenly, a giant shade appeared behind the toad in the fog. The animal forgot about its tiny prey immediately and scurried away. "HERE! PRINCESS! DOWN HERE!" John was overjoyed when he recognized his Lady who had obviously been looking for him. Therefore he had been crying out at the top of his lung. At first, she didn't hear him, but just as she was so close that he began considering running away in order to keep from being stepped on, she suddenly stopped and tilted her head. John yelled again, as loud as he could and she looked down. Quickly, she bent down and put him near her ear. "Are you alright?" "Now that I am reunited with Your Highness, I am fine. Thank you so much for saving me." He crept deeply into her warm ear. "Mmmmhh???" "You appeared just as a toad wanted to make a meal out of me. But don't worry, you came in time and I was saved." Still this incident made both of them quiet as they thought about what could have happened.


Chapter 18 : The Prophecy

Sir Winston was really worried about his sovereign. King Gerald had been sleeping very little those past few days and had eaten even less. His mood had been shifting between depression and rage, making all soldiers fear him even more, and thus furthering his isolation. He had even ceased spending time with his royal knights, something especially bitter for Sir Winston. And now, after five days of this routine, HE was here. The royal knight felt deep apprehension just looking at the black- robed figure.

"Your Sire, please forgive the delay ..." "Find her! Now." "Yes, My Lord. But I need a sacrifice ..." "You there, footboy, go and assist Bishop Jeremiah."

The young boy was shaking with fear. He couldn't have been older than 10 years and had blond hair und brown eyes. His appearance was pleasing, enhanced by the white tunic he was wearing. Knowing that resistance wouldn't do him any good, he slowly approached the old man who had started murmuring words in a tongue the boy didn't know.

Four meters to go. The old man had his eyes closed and seemed oblivious of his surroundings.

Three meters to go. The boy felt a strange anxiety.

Two meters to go. The boy couldn't stand the murmuring voice, the odd words echoing in his head growing louder and louder, although the man still didn't do anything.

One meter to go. The boy's heart was pounding. He felt that something powerful, something dark was entering, was preparing to devor him. He wanted to turn and run, but instead he stepped forward.

Without interrupting his chanting, Bishop Jeremiah drew his dagger. While his left hand pulled the boy towards him with a force unlikely for such an old man, his right hand drew the dagger. The boy's scream was cut short by a stream of blood that turned the tunic's upper half red. Swiftly, the priest proceeded to cut open the cloth, reveiling an unscathed body, looking more like a statue as it lay still, not disturbed by the stroke of a heart or the breathing of a lung. Still singing the magic words, he drew the dagger over the stomach, drawing lines of dark red blood. Then he opened the boy and stopped his chanting.

Although it was a gruesome sight, no one in the hall could move. All were staring at the priest's activity with a terrible fascination. After giving the corpse's organs a swift inspection, Jeremiah removed them one by one, weighing each in his hands and examing its shape from all directions. Then, amidst a pool of blood and guts, he turned towards his monarch.

"The Holy Mother has answered our questions via this boy. The princess is alive. She is still within the kingdom in the south. She will be with you within ten days." "If your words are true, you will not only get the temples you requested, but I will give you a most generous donation. But if the princess hasn't come here by the eleventh day, I will see your head on a stake outside the castle." "I have faith in the Holy Mother. Surely, she will help us." "You are dismissed - for now. Sir Winston, send a message about this prophecy to Deepswamps. And someone should clean up that mess."

As the king turned and left the audience chamber, the audience recovered. Although most of them were warriors accustomed to death and war, many of them were quite pale. Sir Winston had two soldiers carry the corpse outside while another two were sent for buckets and cloth so that they could clean up the guts scattered on the floor. After seeing them get to work, he summoned a scribe so that he could pass on the word as ordered.

He considered what he had just witnessed. Though he didn't trust the necromancer, he knew that his powers were great. If he wanted to, he could certainly get such knowledge. And considering the king's current state, lying to him would be very dangerous. So, if he said the girl was in the south, then she was there. And she would come here. There would be that marriage.

When the scribe arrived, Sir Winston dismissed him immediately. Then he went for his lord's chambers.


Chapter 19 : A Hot Spot

John woke up, lying in the princess's scarf as had been his habit ever since that incident in the first night during their cart travel. Although the cloth was much too coarse to offer effective protection against the cold humidity, he had been able to get huddled into several layers of it, which was helping at least a bit.

Walking around her chin, he was able to see that his beautiful companion was stil asleep her eyes closed and a frown on her brow. He felt sorry for her as she was seemingly even dreaming about the terrible things that had happened and the problems they were facing for the future. There wasn't much he could have done about it save helping her finish this journey as fast as possible.

Hearing nature's call, he walked away from his lady and relieved himself. Then he returned and climbed up the sleeping beauty's hair and into her ear. After being outside in the cold swamp, the warmth she emitted was more than welcome, although it also made him sleepy. Content, he settled down, gently stroking the walls surrounding him.

Next thing he knew, things started moving. He must have dozed of after all, as the farmer was inquiring about the princess's well- being. While the farm lands were densely populated so that one was able to find shelter just about anywhere, they hadn't come across any huts ever after entering the swamp's grey twilight. As grey turned to pitch black, they were forced to set up camp for the night. The humidity made lighting a fire outright impossible as the wet twigs and leaves wouldn't nourish a fire. At least there had been a blanket in the cart so that the princess could get at least some protection. Still, it must have been her worst night yet.

The next day passed without any incident, the environment only a mixture of grey with some black shades just hinting at was there just a few meters away. Princess Elizabeth obviously didn't feel to well, probably because of lack of sleep and talked only when asked. John felt a bit guilty as he enjoyed the warmth of his hiding place, but was at a loss as what to do. Not sure what exactly was bothering the princess the most, he didn't know what words could ease her life.

Again the grey fog turned black without any human habitation in sight. Hadn't there been the road they were moving along, the travellers would have believed that they had lost their way. Still, the total lack of humans was unsettling as the surroundings looked strange and cursed.

The night was cold and unpleasant. John dreamed he was normal sized, walking through the castle next to the princess. They were chatting and laughing together. Suddenly. The ground shook and everything fell to piece. Dust billowed up in high clouds. Still coughing, he looked around as it settled. He was tiny, insignificant next to the princess who called him but couldn't find him. Then, an eagle- winged black shape rose behind the princesss. As she couldn't hear the squire's warnings, she was surprised by the darkness suddenly engulfing her, swallowing her whole while John screamed out in terror.

He awoke covered with sticky sweat, his mouth still opened for a scream and his heart pounding. Looking around, he figured that it must have been early morning, the grey world around him still a bit darker than usual. Checking on the princess he found that she was still sleeping, uneasily though with sweat gathering on her brow. After attending to his morning toilet, he returned to his place in her ear.

Something was wrong. It wasn't just warm inside her ear, it was outright hot. Had John believed that he was mistaking the day before, he was now sure that it was too hot here now. Worried, he shouted at the princess, trying to wake her up. She just shifted her head a little bit and groaned a bit. He tried tickling her, hitting her, but to no avail.

Then he heard the farmer addressing the princess. Still she wouldn't answer. The peasant now sounded worried. Then, everything jumped up. It wasn't the princess getting up though. In that case, everything would have been tilting as she raised her head. Instead, everything just went up pressing John into the soft floor beneath. Obviously, the farmer had lifted the princess onto the cart. Then they continued, the farmer being abusive towards the oxen shouting out in an angry voice. And John wondered what other disasters he would have to witness helplessly.