Being chained together was still difficult for Maxine and Carrie. Not only did they have to spend all their time together but it was also making certain activities nearly impossible. Not only that but it also made a few things very unpleasant for the other. More and more they wanted the chains to be removed but they didn't ask their father Sir Tucker to do so.

They knew that if they asked him, he would say no and most likely decide to keep the chain on them for even longer. It was only when he was convinced that they were getting along that he would allow the chain to be removed.

For Maxine this was taking far too long as she wanted to leave the next day and continue on with her work. She couldn't do that if she was still chained to Carrie and she couldn't even put on her armour. All she could do was try and remember what her squire had taught her and convince her father that they had changed.

It wasn't long before the family was sitting at the dinner table and eating their lunches. Charles was once again sitting with them as he was a guest and thus was treated with respect by the Martels. Maxine and Carrie were forced to have to sit next to each other thanks to the chain while the other members of the family sat accordingly. The only member of the family who wasn't at the table was baby Rina who was currently asleep in another room. She had been well fed and now just needed to take a nap.

Sir Tucker took a few mouthfuls of his food before he looked over to his eldest daughters. The fact that they weren't trying to choke each other out was a big step forward in his mind but not enough to convince that they had changed yet. It had been Carrie who made the lunch but moving around in the kitchen had been difficult. Maxine had tried to help her but like their mother her cooking skills were lacklustre at best.

It had been a great chore to get the lunch ready and now that it was it seemed that things were beginning to improve slightly. For this meal Charles was not sitting with Maxine as he had instead been sat between Jane and Denise who seemed to enjoy having him sitting next to them. One thing that he was not overly surprised with was how much the girls were eating. They were easily eating double if not triple what he was eating but, in a way, it made sense to him. Both of them were extremely tall and if they were going to reach the same height as their older sister, they needed to eat a lot more in order to grow.

"I see that neither of you are bickering," said Sir Tucker as he looked over to Maxine and Carrie. "That's good, have you learned anything yet?"

"A few things," replied Carrie. "Our guest sat us down and tried to make us talk through our issues."

"And was it successful?" He could already see that there was some success in what they had done. The fact that Charles had been able to get through to them was impressive in his mind. But he still wanted to hear it from them.

"Not really," answered Maxine. "We're still chained up so I'd say that not much has changed."

"Oh, I wouldn't be so certain. And I know what you're thinking, when will I release you from your chains?"

"You make it sound like you're keeping us prisoner. It's true that we are thinking about the chain but we're not going to ask you. We already know what you're going to say."

"That you can only be released once the lesson is learned. Very good, I can see that my teachings haven't been ignored. I have to say that I am impressed with what I'm seeing right now. You might not think it but I can definitely see an improvement has been made and I admit that I'm proud of the both of you. I just wish that it didn't have to come to this."

"I still think that this is too cruel," said Jessica who for now had been silent at the dinner table. She hadn't agreed to what he had done and she didn't like seeing her eldest daughters chained together.

"You know that we were left with no choice. But it seems that we're getting results so it looks like it was the best course of action." He then took a quick look at Charles. "And thanks to Maxine's squire Charles we've been able to save some money. Money that we could maybe use for a short family holiday."

This made the kids somewhat excited, it was rare for any family of their level to be able to go on a holiday. It was unlikely to be too far away from Morgan but it would still be nice for them. A trip to the west coast that wasn't related to business would be something that they could look forward to.

For Maxine the news didn't mean all that much to her. She didn't plan on stopping much longer so a holiday so a holiday didn't really mean anything to her. But the idea of having one when she had saved a little bit of money was something that she would reserve. Taking some much-needed rest and relaxation rather than taking jobs would be a nice change of pace for her.

These thoughts were interrupted when she heard the rattle of the chain. She looked at it for a moment and she would have loved to have snapped it off. Unfortunately, she lacked the strength to do so which meant that she would just have to endure for the time being. Like her father said they had made a lot of progress.

Charles continued to eat his food as he was happy that he had been able to help the family. He wasn't too sure if he had earned enough trust with Maxine for her to return his deceased mother's locket to him. On a couple of occasions, he was worried that she would sell it in order to gain some much-needed money. This was a thought that he would quickly dispel as he knew that she would never do such a thing. Even though he had done a lot for her he still didn't think that he had done enough to fully repay his debt. Maxine had saved his life after all and there was nothing that he could do to make up for that.

"Charles," said the voice of a girl. This caught the attention of the squire and he looked up to Jane sitting next to him. He still couldn't get over her appearance as she still looked very stretched. "I've been meaning to ask; how long will you be a squire for my sister?" In the time that he had been there she felt that she had struck a friendship with the normal size man. Also, she was just genuinely curious.

"I'm not sure Jane," replied Charles. "When your sister decides that my debt is paid then I might not be her squire anymore. That is unless she sees value of me being around and right now, I'd say she'd be completely hopeless without me."
"What was that?" asked Maxine in a slightly annoyed tone as she had caught the last part of what he had said.

"Nothing ma'am." He was a little nervous as he didn't want to incur her wrath but since he had mainly been joking, he didn't think too much of it.

"Because from what I hear you're saying that I'd be useless without you." She seemed to be more humoured by what was happening rather than being angry. A small smile appeared on her face. "Adam, would you like to do the honours?"

Charles was confused but she watched as Maxine's oldest brother got out of his chair and quickly made his way to Charles. He was able to reach down and grab the squire in a headlock.

The headlock itself wasn't enough to hurt him but just to hold him in place. Adam then rubbed his knuckles on Charles's head which caused him a small amount of pain but was more irritating than anything else. The punishment that he was receiving was not for anything too bad but more seemed like a joke. It did last for a few seconds before Adam broke it off and allowed Charles to regain some composure. His hair was a little messy now but he was perfectly fine.

This caused the family to laugh a little and Charles couldn't help but laugh as well. He could see what it was, it wasn't primarily to humiliate him but rather as a joke. He couldn't help but laugh along with them as he could see the funny side to it. If it taught him anything it was that he shouldn't make comments like that of Maxine while she was in ear shot. It would be bad for his health.

Jessica did feel a little bad for what had happened and as a small apology she gave him a piece of cake which he was more than happy to eat. Sir Tucker did sit where he was at the table and looked over to Charles. There were a few things that he was wondering and knew that Maxine's squire was the only one who could answer it.

"Now Charles there are a couple of things I'd like to ask you," said Sir Tucker after he had eaten what was in his mouth.

"Yes Mr," replied Charles before he quickly realised that he had made a mistake. "I mean Sir Tucker."

"You told us about how you met my daughter but you haven't said too much about yourself. I can tell that your line comes from outside of Angleland. Would you mind telling us about it or would you rather keep it to yourself?"

"N-No not at all Sir." He thought that Maxine might be angry with him if he declined so he decided to speak what he knew. "My father is from Angleland but my mother wasn't, she was from the lands to the East and she raised me by herself. Unfortunately, she was taken from me too soon and until I met your daughter I have been more or less alone ever since."

"Oh, I am sorry to hear that. Losing a parent is always difficult, but now at least you're a part of this family. That is of course when you decide to marry Maxine."

"What?" This was spoken by both Charles and Maxine who looked at Sir Tucker with surprise on their faces. Sir Tucker then began to laugh very loudly and it took a slight nudge from his very large wife to calm him down.

"I'm only pulling your leg." He laughed for a few moments before it finally subsided. "But anyway, you've helped this family a great deal and because of that you're always welcome here."

"Thank you, Sir Tucker." He knew that this was a great honour that had been given to him and he wanted to make sure that he was grateful. "But it does look like I will be here for longer than I originally planned as Ms Maxine cannot go anywhere with that chain still around her wrist."

"Oh that, I can see that there has been some progress since this morning." He looked over to his eldest two daughters. "This is the first time that they've sat together like this and not tried to tear each other's throats out."

"Is it progress enough for us to get these damn chains removed?" asked Carrie with a sense of hope in her voice.

"Nope, but it certainly is a start." Jessica looked at him with a disappointed look on her face. She wanted to say something but the cries of baby Rina drew her attention. This caused her to get up from the table and go to her latest daughter. She just hoped that her husband would decide to unchain both Maxine and Carrie. She had already decided that they wouldn't have intercourse until this happened.

The rest of the meal was relatively uneventful, some of the other children did speak about other things. This included Alison who said that she wanted to have a puppy which her parents stated that they would take it into consideration. After that everyone helped to clean up the table. The task was more difficult for Maxine and Carrie as they were still chained together. A few times they wanted to go in opposite directions but they were always pulled them back towards one another. This was annoying for the both of them and it even led to a stare off between them.

Thankfully no one had to stand between them to ensure that they didn't bite each other's head off. This was observed by Sir Tucker who couldn't help but be impressed by what he had seen. The fact that they hadn't tried to rip each other's head off was a big step forward in his mind. He also wasn't an unrealistic man, he didn't think that they could put all of their differences behind them in a single day but it was certainly a start.

He wasn't the only one who noticed the difference as well. Jessica had noticed that her daughters weren't bickering as much. This did make her fell happier as it always upset her watching them fight and argue. She had always raised them to love each and the fact that Maxine and Carrie didn't get along made her feel that she had somehow failed as a mother. But now she was seeing that things might not be as bad as she thought.

Not long after lunch almost the entire family went back out to do farm work while Jessica mostly tended to the younger members of the family. Normally she wouldn't be alone as Carrie would sometimes help her. This was because they both knew that it wouldn't be too long before Carrie began her own family and would bring Jessica many beautiful grandchildren.

With Carrie chained up to Maxine it meant that this wasn't entirely possible. There was still work that needed to be done outside but for the time being the eldest of the Martel children sat down with Carrie as they watched Jessica tend to their youngest siblings. At one-point Maxine even had to hold onto baby Rina.

To her this was a bit of an odd sensation. All of her focus was on becoming a knight so settling down and starting a family was a thought that was alien to her. Holding onto baby Rina was probably one of the few times that she would ever hold a baby. She doubted that she would ever have any of her own.

"Can we just be done here now?" asked Maxine. She was sitting on a chair in the room where Jessica was tending to Rina and Jaime. She wanted to cross her arms but the chain on her right wrist prevented her from doing so.

"What?" replied Carrie. "Can't you stand being around children?" This was mocking her a little but it wasn't too much.

"It's not that, it's that there are more important things to do than this."

"Oh, come on this is important, one day you're going to have children of your own." To Carrie it was her dream to have children with a lord and live in his castle. That dream was on hold due to these chains.

"I doubt it."

"What?" asked Jessica who was close by. She turned to her eldest daughter and looked at her with some shock. "You don't want to have children?"

"No, I don't have time for such things. Having children will only slow me down and in my profession that could be fatal."

"But having children is one of the most important things one can do in their lives. Besides you say that now but I guarantee you that when you find that special someone that you'll put all that to one side. Being a mother is one of the greatest and most rewarding jobs in the world, it might not seem so desirable but believe me, having a small bundle of joy in your arms like this means more than gold or any titles."

Maxine wanted to completely dismiss everything her mother had just said. But she couldn't help but sense a small amount of truth behind it. One thing that she knew was that there was only a very small selection of men who she would allow herself to have children with. They had to meet several different qualities which included bravery, honour and in general be a good person. There were others on the list but she thought that they were important nonetheless. Thankfully height wasn't an issue as she would likely never find a man who measured up to her in that department.

There was also the thought of anyone calling her mother was something that she would never be able to wrap her head around. Something else that put her off children was the idea of going through child birth, she had seen her own mother go through it on more than one occasion and it had never been a painless experience for her. Even when it came to the boys Jessica had shown a lot of discomfort while she was in labour with them and it was an experience that she didn't want to repeat herself.

"Maxine," said a small voice. She looked down and she could see Jaime standing near her. Even though she was sitting down on a chair she still looked absolutely huge in comparison to him. "Jane says that when you're not chained to Carrie you're going to be going away again." He looked a little sad at her. "I don't want you to go away, I like having you here." The next thing he felt was Maxine's left-hand brush against his hair. It was a gentler touch than most would expect for a woman of her size.

"Yes, I do Jaime," replied Maxine. "But I won't be gone forever, I will come back like I am now but unfortunately I can't stay. I'm going on a grand adventure and when I return, I can tell you all about them. Like how recently someone fired a cannon right into my chest, thankfully your big sister is made of stronger stuff than a cannonball." She didn't want to admit how close the cannonball had come to killing her. She still had a large bruise on her chest which was painful whenever she touched it. "One day I might even slay a dragon and bring you his tooth."

"A dragon tooth?" His excitement began to increase as the thought of owning a dragon tooth was very cool in his mind. "I want a dragon tooth."

"And I'll make sure you have one when I come back."

This was a little white lie that Maxine had spoken. There had been legends of dragons roaming Angleland years earlier but none had been seen in recent years. Even if there were she didn't know if she could slay one. If the legends were true their scales were the strongest material on Earth, their fire could melt a knight in their armour and their claws were sharp enough to cut through rock. Even someone as big and strong as Maxine would likely not stand much of a chance against such a beast.

Carrie just sat there and listened, she took in a little of what Maxine was doing as she could see that although her sister didn't really want children she was still capable of looking after them to some degree. It was unlikely that someone like Jaime would be able to become a knight but he did seem like a boy with a bright future.

"I'm sorry that your father decided to chain you up like this," said Jessica just after she had finished feeding Rina. The baby seemed to be quiet and it was likely that she was going to drift off to sleep soon. "I've tried to convince him to release you but unfortunately he's having none of it."

"It's a cruel and unusual punishment," replied Carrie. She wanted to blame Maxine for it but she kept it to herself for the time being. She knew if they began arguing that it would make the chances of being released even more remote. "And if we don't take this off by tonight we'll have to sleep in the same room as each other." This was a thought that sent a shiver down her long spine.

"It won't be a pleasant experience for me either," added Maxine who for a moment imagined herself sleeping in the same bed as Carrie. This as a thought that she didn't particularly enjoy. But it did mean that her squire would likely be sleeping in a room alone. This was something that she didn't mind too much but she still wanted to keep an eye on him. He had a tendency to get himself into trouble, the fact that he was perfectly safe in this household had not completely dawned on her. In her mind there was still a small need to protect him.

It wasn't like Charles went out to find trouble, if it was up to him he would be safe all the time. But it seemed that trouble would find him more often than not, this was most likely because he was a little smaller than the average man and he didn't look to be that strong. When compared to Maxine he was more or less like a small child, but then again she had that effect on almost everyone. Most ne'er-do-wells would see him as an easy target but if they knew that he had a nine foot, muscle bound, armoured woman looking after him they would keep their distance.

"Then what do you suggest that we do?" asked Carrie who didn't seem to be too impressed with what her sister had said.

"I don't know," replied Maxine. She then looked over to their mother. "Mother can you grow and break these chains?"

"I could but your father would be very unhappy with me if I did that," replied Jessica. She knew that she had a very good relationship with Sir Tucker. They had argued over a couple of things during their time as husband and wife but their marriage had been a happy one. One thing that they had promised at their wedding was to trust each other. If Sir Tucker thought that this punishment was just then she would have no choice but to go along with his decision.

"Then it looks like we don't have much of a choice. We'll have to push two beds together and sleep on there."

"You're joking aren't you?" asked Carrie who seemed to be far from impressed with what she was hearing.

Maxine gave her a look that indicated that she was indeed being serious. This caused Carrie to sigh as she didn't like the idea. The only other idea that Maxine did come up with was cutting off Carrie's hand and freeing each other through that. Of course she knew that this was an idea that was completely off the table.