Special Smashwords Edition
Castle 3:
The New King
By
JH Wear
Special Smashwords Edition
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Published by
Melange Books, LLC
White Bear Lake, MN 55110
Castle, Book 3-The New King, J. H. Wear, Copyright 2011
ISBN: 978-1-61235-311-1
Names, characters, and incidents depicted in this book are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental and beyond the intent of the author or the publisher. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
Credits
Copy Editor: Diane Pearson
Line Editor: Karen Morse
Format Editor: Mae Powers
Cover Artist: A. Bratt
Castle, Book 3
The New King
By
J H Wear
A hero must be willing to die. Domum is in turmoil when the ruthless Lord Darius vies to become King, overpowering and killing anyone who oppose him. To Liz’s dismay Jon accepts the role to lead the undermanned Horstruff defences. Liz becomes worried Jon doesn’t want to return to Earth and plans to give him ultimatum if he wants her, if he can even survive the conflict.
Meanwhile Gilbert's reluctant marriage proposal to Donna takes a surprising turn. As the final battle looms he suddenly finds fate has placed him in the midst of the battle where he has a chance to be a hero.
http://www.jhwear.com/index.html
* * * *
Also by JH Wear:
Castle 2, The Return To Domum
By JH Wear
When Lord Troy Sussex buys a recovered gem with unique powers, he believes it will free him from the spell that confines him to his castle. But the strange power the gem possesses has an unexpected result, and the fate of Domum rests with a thief, a sex slave, and a warlock in exile.
Castle – The Fall To Domum
By J H Wear
After inheriting an Irish castle, Jon and his girlfriend Liz find themselves thrust into the world of Domum. The two must search for a crystal that will aid them in finding their way home, if they can survive the dangers of the many harrowing twists and turns of adventure the two find themselves caught up in.
Shadows And Sensations, an anthology
* * * *
About the Author:
For a few years I wanted to try my hand at writing, but too many obstacles prevented me from having the time to do so; three boys and a darling wife who loved home renovations, to be more specific. Now that the boys have “grown up” and left home, I have time to do a bit more of what I want to do, such as writing. My other interests include wine, reading, astronomy, photography and convincing my wife that our home is actually fine the way it is.
To learn more about JH Wear, please visit http://www.jhwear.com.
Send an email to JH Wear at jhwear@jhwear.com.
Castle, Book 3
The New King
Part One
Chapter One
Men are hopeless about planning events, unless it’s war.
Sir Jon McKinney, Dragon Slayer, leaned over the heavy oak table. His thick arms supported him as he peered at a large map filled with small lines and comments. The map was unrolled, held into place by a sword on one end and two rocks on the other.
He muttered a curse under his breath and slowly stood up straight.
“Sir Jon, how’s ya doin’?”
Jon turned to the doorway of the library where Gilbert entered, sporting a toothy grin and gripping a tankard of ale. The library on the second floor of Lord Perry’s castle was nowhere near the size of the main library, although it still held hundreds of books and rolls of paper along the shelves that reached to the ceiling.
“Ah, just a little frustrated in trying to figure out all the possible routes an army can travel on. We not only have to defend the kingdom but also have to attack and engage the enemy. It’s hard to figure out where the enemy might be traveling. This map is so detailed that it’s difficult to figure all these markings.”
Gilbert wandered over and peered at the map. “Lots of little lines be there, Sir Jon.”
“I noticed.”
“I helps you, Sir Jon.”
“Yeah? What advice do you have, Gilbert?”
“Army don’ts like to travel over hills, hard on horses. So that cuts some routes out.”
“Good point, but I did take that into account.”
“Army also has to travel near water. They don’ts like to carry a lot of water. So looks for places near rivers.”
“That makes sense. Gilbert thanks for your help.” Jon smiled, knowing Gilbert wanted to feel that he was contributing. “Now what brings you here? I thought Lord Perry had you doing some work in town.”
“I is, Sir Jon, I is. Learns some more rumours and went to tell Lord Perry right aways. How come you here? Thought you had a room at Lord Troy’s castle.”
“I did too. But Liz was under the impression I would have too many distractions there.”
Gilbert grinned. “She means the ladies there.”
“I suppose so, but it seemed to me to be unnecessary.” He thought of the women living at Lord Troy’s castle and their habit of walking around topless, or sometimes nude. “I guess I see her point though.” He put his hand on the small man’s shoulder. “It’s time to have some lunch. Come with me Gilbert. You too, Reesler.” Jon spoke to the gnant waiting in the corner.
Reesler quickly shuffled over. The gnant was made available to Jon by Lord Perry to retrieve items from the shelves in the library. The creature could easily climb to higher areas. Gnants were vaguely human in form but their facial features of elfin ears, sharp teeth and forked tongue made them look demonic in appearance. A hooked nose and a hairy face, coupled with claws on their hands and feet completed their odd appearance.
Jon, unlike most people, was friendly towards gnants and even befriended a few. Still, he was aware most gnants disliked humans and would like to see all people leave Domum.
They reached a second floor dining room and a servant quickly inquired what they desired to eat.
Jon gave his order for a sandwich and a pint of ale. He pointed at the gnant. “Bring Reesler something too.”
The servant, a heavy middle-aged man with thinning chestnut coloured hair, didn’t change his stoic expression and quickly complied. The last time he balked at serving a gnant, Jon admonished him and the clearly worried servant begged for forgiveness.
“So Gilbert, what is going on with you and Donna?” Jon gave him a wink.
Gilbert gave a sheepish smile. “Well, Donna and I are getting alongs pretty good. Her family likes ol’ Gilbert now after I tooks her to the ball at Lord Troy’s a couple of moons ago.”
“Going to marry her?” Jon recalled the wedding of Lord Troy and Patricia in the castle located at the edge of Horstruff. Gilbert as a citizen of Vegrandis, the district located within the city of Horstruff, was not normally invited to gala events of royalty. However, Gilbert had befriended Lord Troy and began to be included in some of functions at the castle.
“Oh, I don’ts know Sir Jon. Gilbert has his eye on a few women.” Gilbert held back telling Jon that Donna had turned down his first proposal because of the lack of approval from her father. That problem had disappeared when Gilbert received an invitation to the wedding of Lord Sussex and Lady Patricia. As a result, Donna’s parents saw him in a new light, although Gilbert now wasn’t in a hurry about asking her a second time.
“I’m sure you do, but how many of them have an eye for you? I think you’re lucky to have Donna interested you. Someone may sweep her off her feet if you don’t act soon.”
Gilbert squinted at him. “Donna have someone else after her? What do you knows?”
Jon spread his hands. “I don’t know for sure Gilbert, but a pretty girl like her? It just stands to reason.”
Gilbert nodded his head slowly. “You may be rights there, Sir Jon.”
“Just think about it, Gilbert. She may not wait for you forever.”
Jon felt good about giving advice to Gilbert. He liked him, and had seen the good side of him unlike many others, but Gilbert was also devious and selfish at times. Jon thought Gilbert just needed to be prodded in the right direction, and in this case to marry Donna rather than just keeping her hanging around as a girlfriend.
“Hello.” Liz sang out in greeting as she stood in the doorway.
Jon broke into a grin. “Hi, how are you doing?” He stared at her in admiration. Her long blue dress with white frills billowed out at her hips, but the body of the dress was tightly fitted, making it appear that she would have trouble breathing in it. The front of the dress had a low scoop neckline and her bosom looked ready to burst out of the top.
“I feel great. I looked for you in the library but you were gone, so I come to the only place you seem to have time for and that’s where food is.” She walked to the table.
“Sorry, I’ve been busy.”
Liz patted her hand down in his direction. “That’s okay. I’m going back to Lord Troy’s castle for a girls’ night. As soon as a carriage is ready, I’m going to pick up Nicole as well. I thought we should include her and make her feel welcome. She has had a tough time making friends.”
Jon nodded, knowing that Nicole was originally a barmaid who made a quick ascension in social ranks when she became involved with Sir Anthony Graham. Despite the family’s acceptance of her, she was excluded from most of the social circles in Horstruff.
“I’m sure she’ll enjoy the company of the ladies.”
“Yeah, it’ll be fun.” She partially sat at the edge of the table. “I’ve been thinking about the wedding and figure we have to have the wedding in Ballymiller, but your parents will probably want a second reception in Boston.”
“I suppose they will.”
“That’s what I figured but what about Domum? Do you want to have a reception here too? You know a lot of people here, so it makes sense to have one here too.”
“I guess a reception here would be okay.”
“Have you figured out who your best man is going to be? How big of a wedding party do you want? I like three bridesmaids and groomsmen, though we could go for four.”
“I think three is more than enough.” Is she serious? Three wedding receptions?
“Well, start planning about what you want for the wedding and who we need to invite. I guess I should check with your mother about some of the people on the invitation list back home. Anyway, we have a lot of work to do. Flowers, invitation cards, decoration, catering and music. You go back to work with your battle stuff. We’ll talk more about this later.”
“Sure, but I think you’re better at details for the wedding.”
“That’s true. Men are hopeless about planning events, unless it’s war.” She walked to him and gave him a long kiss. “See you later.”
After she left, Gilbert looked at Jon. “Ya still think Gilbert should marry Donna?”
Jon slowly nodded. “Just insist it’s a small wedding. Better still, elope.”
Chapter Two
Lord Darius leaned back in his chair, tilting it on its back legs. He crossed his black leather boots on the desk and turned a black handle knife in his hands. “So how is our friend Sir Nolene doing?” Lord Darius was tall but light of build. He favoured black leather garments and keeping his black hair and beard long. Together with his narrow, dark brown eyes and olive skin, he had a menacing appearance. That was backed up by his reputation for being an excellent swordsman and the occasional ordering of the torture of prisoners merely to make sure the population feared him. He smirked as he looked at the large man standing nearby.
Sir Sadon grunted. “He is doing what we expected, sire, and creating a nice bit of havoc.” Beads of sweat glistened on his forehead and he used the palm of his hand to push back a few strings of long hair from his face.
“And his army?”
“Growing rather well. One of the nobility is helping him on the chance of future favours.” The big man grinned, shifting weight that caused a strain on the belt holding his dark blue pants up.
“Good, perhaps we can start the next stage of our plan.” He swung his feet to the floor, causing the chair to land with a bang. He stood, tossed the knife on the desk and with his hands clasped behind his back, strode over to the open balcony. “I want you to organize the troops for an attack in a fortnight. I want you to personally lead the attack on the King’s castle.”
Sir Sadon gulped. “It will be a difficult assault, sire.”
“That’s why I want you to lead it. You’re familiar with the need to improvise during an attack.”
“Yes, sire.” Sir Sadon lowered his head. “I will do my best.”
“Good. But if the King doesn’t fall, it will be on your life.”
* * * *
Sir Sadon stomped into the main royal stables. He looked around for the stable master, and after spotting him at the far end grooming a horse, bellowed at him. “McTeer, get your ass over here!”
The old man hobbled over as quickly as he could. “Yes, Sir Sadon?”
“I need your best horses ready in two days time.”
“Yes, of course. How many horses do you need?”
“All but the hags.” He turned to leave.
“But what of the need for protection of the kingdom?”
“I don’t give a rat’s ass. If I’m going to put my neck in a noose then I’m taking every advantage I can.” He grabbed the old man’s tunic in his fist, hissing at him. “Not a word of this to anyone or I’ll cut off your balls.” He pushed the old man away, almost causing him to fall, and walked out of the stables.
Sadon made his way back across the street, kicking at a dog that was slow to move out of his way. The canine yelped, and with its tail tucked, hid behind a food stand. Sadon entered a brick structure that contained his living quarters and office. The building was part of a group that belonged to Lord Darius and used to house the higher ranking members of his staff. Wheezing, Sir Sadon climbed the stairs to his second-floor office that overlooked the courtyard. A female servant endured a grab on her behind before he ordered her to fetch him some food and drink. She hurried off as he entered the room and began his plan of attack using a map spread out on a table.
As his greasy finger traced lines on the map, he began to smile. This may work after all.
“Sire?” The servant girl approached cautiously from the doorway, carrying a tray of food and ale.
He looked up and grinned. “Put the food at that table over there.” He pointed to a small table by a window. He watched her quickly set the tray down. “Now come here.”
Her lips quivered as she slowly approached him and gasped as he reached out to grab her arm, pulling her close. He forced his mouth on hers as he jammed his hand over her breast. After a few seconds, he pushed her away.
“Unfortunately I have to eat and too much work to do. But maybe next time.” He laughed as she hurried out of the room, fixing her blouse.
Chapter Three
Liz climbed inside the four-horse carriage, painted bright red and yellow. Besides the driver, two guards rode at the back of the carriage with two more horsemen following. Liz sat on the black leather seats, padded with horsehair and cotton. Despite the cushioning, her body was jolted as the horses pulled the carriage over the rutted road.
The people of Horstruff stopped and stared at the carriage rolling by, recognizing it from Lord Perry’s castle. Some of the common folk waved at the occupants hidden behind the dark lace curtains, while those on the street hurried to get out of the way.
The carriage rumbled down the street and out of the main town, turning down a well used road until it arrived at a private road that led to Sir Anthony Graham’s castle. The driver stopped at the front of the castle where servants descended from two pairs of large doors. The castle was relatively new, less than two hundred years old, and was one of the largest castles in Horstruff. It was not as large as Lord Perry’s, but did rival the castle of his father, Lord Kevin Graham.
The carriage door opened and two male servants lent a hand on either side of Liz to assist her exit. She stepped forward, turning her head to look at the massive castle built with light and dark grey marble. She thought the hanging vines helped make the Graham castle an impressive sight.
She entered the foyer, where another male servant escorted her to a sitting room. A female servant immediately followed with a tray full of an assortment of drinks and pastries. As Liz selected a chair, another servant hurried forward to fluff the pillows behind her.
Liz tried to relax with a cup of tea but she found that with every movement she was being watched. If she set the cup down, it was immediately refilled. She felt relieved when Nicole came into the room.
“How are you Liz? It’s so nice seeing you again.” Nicole walked over to her with open arms.
Liz exchanged a hug and looked at her again, admiring her dark green dress with a deep V neckline. Like her own dress, the waist was pulled tight by a series of laces in the back. “You’re looking very nice Nicole. Life in a castle must agree with you.”
Nicole smiled. “There are certainly advantages to living here. But…” she turned to look at the servants around them, “…it can be a little overwhelming.”
“I see what you mean.” Liz thought of her own quiet life she once had on Earth in Ballymiller. “But don’t worry. Tonight you’ll be able to relax.”
“Yes, thank you for the invite. I haven’t been able to garner many friends since I’ve moved in here. I guess that’ll take a bit of time for the other ladies to accept me.”
“I’m sure in time you’ll have all kinds of new friends.”
“Thanks Liz. Could you give me a few minutes? I want to check on a couple of things before we leave. Why don’t you say hello to Anthony? I think he said something about being in the central courtyard.” She turned to one of the servants. “Grace, will you take Lady Elizabeth to see Sir Anthony?”
Liz followed Grace down a long hallway, decorated with coloured cloths and paintings, and to a second hallway that led to a courtyard. She saw several servants watching two combatants wield wood swords at each other. Both were without their shirts, their skin gleaming with moisture.
Liz walked across the manicured lawn. When she reached just past the servants, she called out, “Tony!”
One of the men turned his mouth open. Then a grin appeared on his face. “Liz! What a wonderful surprise.” He dropped his sword and marched over to her.
Liz looked at him advance, staring at the muscles across his chest and shoulders. She looked at his high leather boots, military style of pants and back at his bare chest. When he stood in front of her, she grabbed his shoulders and gave him a kiss on his cheek. “Tony, it’s so good to see you again.”
“It’s been too long.” He turned to the servants. “Go. Practice is over.”
“Playing with swords?”
He laughed. “First you ignore my given name and insult my preparation for a possible deadly fight.” He gestured towards a table holding refreshments.
She slipped a hand under his arm, finding his skin hot and damp. “Are you doing well Tony? Happily married?”
He looked at her. “Yes and yes, but I often think of the time we spent together. I was very happy then too.”
“Don’t be silly. You were frustrated looking after the stables and having lost your title back then.”
He took a long drink of water from a goblet on the table.
“Thirsty work I see.”
“If I’m not tired after practice then it wasn’t worthwhile doing. Are you here to take Lady Nicole to Lord Troy’s castle? I understand it’s some sort of a private party.”
“Just for women. We’re going to have an all night party.” She grinned.
“Pity for all the men.” He stepped in front of her and placed a hand on her waist. “I truly miss you.”
She took a half step back. “Tony, I miss you too, but…”
He pulled her close to him, leaning into her.
Liz lifted her hands, pushing them against his chest. “Tony, you mustn’t.”
He pressed his lips towards her.
For a moment, Liz turned her head away, before returning to face him. She pushed her lips against his, slipping her hands behind his neck. She broke apart from him again and lowered her head. “Tony, you have a wife. Behave yourself.”
“I can’t help myself when I’m near you.”
She twisted out of his grasp. “I like you too, but we can’t do this. Walk me back. I have to meet up with Nicole.”
He put on his shirt and showed her the way back to the sitting room. “I’m sorry if I made you feel uncomfortable.”
“Well actually you made me feel good, but we can’t do that anymore. Here’s Nicole, act proper.”
Nicole smiled at Liz and gave Anthony a kiss. “I’m ready, let’s go.”
* * * *
“So are you and Jon planning the big wedding? How’s it going?”
Liz looked at Nicole sitting across in the carriage. “He’s planning a battle and I’m planning the wedding.” She grinned. “I think he’s having more fun.”
“Men do like to fight.”
“How’re things with Anthony?”
“Really good. He’s treating me really well.”
“I guess he’ll be doing more sword practicing while you’re away.”
“He does keep himself in shape that way. I just wish all the women at the castle didn’t find him so interesting. I’m guessing he has a couple of mistresses.”
“Mistresses? Are you sure?”
“Of course. He’s rich, good looking and has power. All these lords and high ranking sirs have a woman or two on the side.”
“Really? Have you talked to him about it?”
“What good would that do me? If he does, I’d rather not know. It’s not as if I could do anything about it if he does. I’m not about to leave the comfort of being a lady of the court and end up back on the street. If I walk away, I walk away with nothing.”
“That’s horrible.”
“It is what it is.” She smiled. “I have a good life now. I’m not going to jeopardize it over some tart.”
Liz thought about Jon alone at Lord Perry’s castle.
Nicole spoke, as if she was reading her mind. “Jon is the exception, of course. He, of all the men I know, wouldn’t stray.”
Liz breathed a sigh of relief. “Thanks for saying that. I seem to be out my element here in Domum. Tell me more about what’s going on in your life.”
Chapter Four
“Sir Nathan.” Jon looked up as the big black man entered the library.
Nathan favoured him with one of his rare smiles. “Hello Sir Jon. How you be?”
Jon swept a hand towards the map on the table. “I’m getting a headache trying to work out a battle strategy.”
Nathan shook his head. “I can’t help you much there. I’m more for doing the battle plan on the field than on a table.” He moved lightly for a big man as he walked over to the table. “The trouble in planning a battle on paper is you can’t see what the enemy is really doing. Who knows how they have their maps drawn out?”
“That’s one of the problems I’m dealing with.” Jon gave a small sigh. “Also I want to make sure my decisions are not going to put our men in a bad position. I have their lives to consider here.”
“Thanks for saying that. I can tell you, as a man fighting for his life in the battle field that we always hope that those safely within the castle are not just tossing us to the wolves to get a worthless piece of turf.”
“I hope I can earn the trust of the men in the battle field.”
Nathan nodded.” You have mine, Sir Jon, but then I know you. I suppose the men will in time learn to believe in your leadership as well.”
“Thank you Nathan. I do understand that the common man must wonder who this Sir Jon is and why I’m planning this battle.”
“You’re a very smart man Sir Jon, and that was why you were chosen for this task.” Nathan turned to leave. “I understand what you said Sir Jon. Now it would help the men’s confidence greatly if your title was that of a Lord.” Nathan gave him a smile and a wink. “Time for me to get some food in my belly. We’ll talk later.”
* * * *
Jon scribed some lines on his map and pondered the possibilities of the latest fictitious battle. This is like an elaborate chess game. If they do this, what do I do? If I attack here, how will they respond’ He shook his head and pursed his lips. If I was a warrior, would I trust a Sir Jon to make the right decisions for a battle? Confidence is as important as anything when it comes to a battle.
“Sir Jon.” The short, middle age servant waited until Jon looked at him. “Lord Perry and Lord Kevin Graham are here to see you.” The servant gave a slow bow and backed away from the doorway.
Lord Perry stepped forward, grinning. “How are you doing Sir Jon?”
“Fine, thank you.” He looked over at the older, slim gentleman standing by Lord Perry. “It’s nice to see you again Lord Kevin.”
“The honour is mine Sir Jon. I understand you have taken up with the task to formulate our battle plan.”
Jon nodded. “More like struggling with our battle plans I’m afraid. Perhaps I wasn’t the best choice for this. I’m not too sure what I’m doing here.”
Lord Kevin walked over to his map and briefly scanned it. “It looks like you’ve accomplished some work here. I will let you in on a little secret Sir Jon and I hope Lord Perry will forgive me for being frank.” He paused a moment to take in a deep breath. “You see, the kingdom has been in trouble for some time. Lord Perry has done a remarkable job of shielding us from the decay that has occurred in other regions, but the fact is that King Charles is not the leader he once was.
“We hear reports of the King’s soldiers taking the law into their own hands, setting up artificial tax collections or highway tolls and collecting money for their own pockets. Lord Bennett, as insane as he was, might have toppled the King if it wasn’t for the quick thinking of Lord Perry and your own courageous work. Now we have yet another challenge to the throne. It is sad and traitorous, but this is what we are dealing with. Unfortunately, this latest attack on the King may succeed. King Charles is weak, physically and mentally. His two sons do not have the intellect to lead and are capable only of sending out distress calls for help. This is despite having more men and horses that those attacking. Such is the state of our affairs.
Lord Kevin continued. “So when you were asked to help formulate a plan, there were several reasons for it. One is that we needed to have fresh look on how we developed our strategies. For too long we always planned battles the same way, but now our stubbornness is costing us dearly. What worked so well against gnants has not proved to be so effective against men.”
Lord Perry added his thoughts. “Our soldiers are questioning the leadership, wondering if they are merely being sent to their deaths. When some of the better informed men learned of your involvement, there was a sense of optimism.”
Jon raised his eyebrows. “Because of me?”
“Indeed.” Lord Perry continued. “You see, you are from the Other-side and men who arrived from there are held in high esteem. It is a common belief that those who lived there have been educated in ways that cannot be duplicated here. You have a reputation of a dragon slayer and helping to defeat Lord Bennett. You have the respect of several gnants, and they do not extend that honour to many men.”
Lord Kevin added, “Many men have confidence in you Sir Jon, including the lords, that you will find a way to win the battles ahead.”
“Thanks, I appreciate that. I’ll do my best.”
Lord Perry smiled. “We know that. However, there has been a discussion among the lords regarding your status. It has been suggested that your present title of Sir Jon doesn’t properly reflect your standing or responsibility. Therefore I am pleased to inform you that you have gained the title of Lord Jon.”
Jon’s jaw dropped. “Are you serious? Me, a Lord?”
“Quite. There will be a formal induction ceremony in three day’s time, but in the meantime you will have to do with the title of Sir Jon.”
Lord Perry turned to leave with Lord Kevin, but stopped at the door. “Oh, one more thing. A Lord should have his own residence. You will be taking over the former Lord Bennett’s castle.”
Chapter Five
Liz entered Lord Troy’s castle with Nicole. Patricia, Lord Troy’s wife, greeted them warmly at the entrance. As they were led down a hallway, Liz marvelled at how many paintings and statues Lord Troy managed to squeeze along the walls. Numerous alcoves held statues while paintings covered most of the stone walls. The head of a dragon mounted above one of the entrances startled her for a moment before she realized it was inanimate.
Liz admired Patricia’s casual long white dressing gown with yellow trim. Although it was a bit transparent, it suited her. The two servant girls waiting at attention at the end of the hallway wore the traditional long skirts, and nothing else.
Patricia spoke as they walked. “There is so much to do here. We had to hire three girls for the castle and two men for the stables. One of the girls is also responsible for looking after Talker and Hairy. They’re still acclimatizing to our world, but at least they seem content being here.” Patricia referred to the two gnants that had been transported to Domum just before their world disappeared. “Here are your rooms. I’ll let you both freshen up and we can get together with the other ladies later. In the closet there are some gowns you can change into to be more comfortable. Do you need help dressing?”
“No, I prefer to do that myself.” Liz entered the spacious room and was drawn to the open French doors that led to the balcony. She walked across and stood by the stone rail to gaze at the manicured flowered garden beyond and breathed in the perfumed air.
After a few minutes she returned to the closet and chose a light blue, lacy gown. Then she began the process of undressing, working the tied laces at her back until they were loose. The dress finally came off and she took in her first deep breath since putting on the dress. She removed the petticoat and, after a moment of hesitation, her panties. Maybe my Grammy would find these lacy things pretty but these are big enough to use as a bedspread.
She put on her gown and studied herself in the mirror. Liz worked her hair with a brush and satisfied with the result left the room. A few steps took her to another oak door and she knocked.
“Nicole, are you ready yet?”
Nicole called out. “Come on in. I’m just doing up this robe.”
Liz entered and looked at the sheer white robe Nicole was tying up. “Wow and I thought my gown was revealing.”
Nicole blushed a bit. “Yeah, none of these seem to offer much coverage. I guess the tradition at Lord Troy’s castle continues.” She looked at Liz’s gown. “That’s pretty. Too bad there aren’t any men here, other than Lord Troy, to enjoy the view.” She laughed.
They walked together to a second floor lounge, where Patricia sat with several women. Liz recognized Angela, Alicia, Lena, Gwyneth and Juliana as part of the castle’s servants, although it was rare for any of them to do hard work. Their main requirement was to look pretty and to make sure visitors, especially men, were taken care of. They sat on various large chairs in the centre of the room. Lord Troy was standing by Patricia as he held a glass of red wine. There were two more women serving drinks, wearing long dresses that were cut high on the hip on one side and bare on the other side from the shoulder to the waist. Liz gazed at the women and smiled. I’m glad I insisted Jon move to Lord Perry’s castle. Despite what Nicole said that he was completely trustworthy, there is no need to lead him to temptation with naked females. The style of dress Lord Troy insisted on the servants wearing in his castle doesn’t seem to be very functional.
Lord Troy gave a small bow as he turned his attention to Liz and Nicole. “It is so nice to see you two again, Lady Elizabeth and Lady Nicole. Now that you have arrived, I will take my leave.” He bent down and kissed Patricia, took a final drink of his wine and marched out of the room.
After Liz settled in a cushioned chair, Patricia introduced the two servers.
“This is Isabel and Rose.” She first looked at the dark hair petite woman and then at a taller red head. “Maureen is working in the kitchen right now, preparing snacks.”
Patricia grinned after Lord Troy disappeared. “He decided to travel around the town again. After being held hostage in the castle for many years, he is finally glad to be able to explore the outside world. That means we ladies have the castle to ourselves, except for the two stable hands working out in the back. By the way they’re definitely worthwhile taking a peek at.”
Liz sipped her wine, listening to the chatter around her. Angela was complaining that since they arrived on Domum, she had seen very little of Madoc.
“It’s ridiculous. Gone at the crack of dawn and only returns late at night. He even didn’t come home one night.”
Juliana smiled. “Are you sure he doesn’t have a mistress on the side?”
“If he does, she sure has him tired. No, he says he’s working with Lord Perry to develop spells for protecting the kingdom from black magic. I just want to have more time with him.”
Patricia reached over and patted her arm. “This is a time of war, and we have to understand our men have to prepare for battle. Their lives, and ours, depend on them being ready.”
Angela gave a small smile. “I know. But I would have preferred it if he was still exiled on Earth. We would both be safe there.”
“I understand how you feel. But we need Council Madoc and Sir Jon to help us. Right now it does not look good for King Charles.” Patricia stood. “Why don’t we go for a walk in the garden? That will help to lighten our spirits.”
Liz followed the rest out of the castle and to the flower gardens. She caught up to Patricia along one of the small pathways that weaved among the potted plants, fountains and flowers. “Can I ask you a personal question Patricia?”
“Of course.” She smiled and took Liz’s hand.
“Are you concerned about Lord Troy having all these beautiful and half naked women around him?”
“Not really. I understand he is a man after all and before we married he had taken all of them to bed at various times. But now I’m the only one who sleeps in his chambers at night. I suspect that during the day he may wander, but I own his heart.”
“Nicole was telling me that lords often have mistresses, but there is nothing the wife can do about it.”
“I suppose that is true. I know little of Earth and its customs, but on Domum women have little in the way of power except through their husbands. If you are married to a lord, then you have wealth and power. Unfortunately a lot of pretty women will tempt men of higher social standings to improve their own lives. The best way for a lady to make sure her man doesn’t stray too far is to keep him occupied.”
“I’m worried about Jon looking around.”
“Do you have any reason to believe he would?”
Liz sighed. “When I first met Jon, he had another girlfriend. I was the other woman.”
“When Jon was here the first time, when he was trying to get back to Earth and he didn’t know if he would ever see you again, he didn’t take advantage of the opportunity. He could have had any of the women here in the castle and he also refused Nicole’s advances as well.”
“Nicole, she tried to have him?”
“Don’t get mad at her. She didn’t know you at the time. But, yes, she made it plain he could have her at anytime. He was a gentleman about it, but turned her down because of his commitment to you.”
“Thanks, I feel better now. So how long have you known Troy? Did you fall in love with him right away?”
Patricia laughed. “Oh no, it definitely was not love at first sight. I was bought at the labour house and was required to do five years of service for him. At that time I had a quick temper and often got in trouble with him for not doing my work. He had a lot of patience and rarely did he lose his temper with me. He offered to send me back to the labour house if I didn’t like it here but I knew this was as good as I was going to get. I have had experience in taverns and other homes and knew I was lucky to be here. So he would punish me by sending me to the dungeon until I learned my lesson.”
“A dungeon? He sent you to the dungeon?”
“More than once. Come, I’ll show you. It’s not as bad as it sounds.” Liz followed Patricia back into the castle and along a curved hallway. They reached an open arched doorway where Patricia took a lighted torch from a mounted wall bracket. She led the way down a set of stone spiral stairs.
Liz expected there to be only the gloom of a dirty dungeon, but as they reached the bottom of the stairs she noticed there was light present. It was a soft light that reflected off the walls and floor, revealing an empty room with a series of cells along one wall.
Liz looked into one of the cells, through the iron bars. Light streamed in from an open slot high above in the centre of the cell, revealing a small bed made of wood planks.
“The light comes from chutes from the outside, so we don’t always need a torch.”
Liz nodded. “I expected this to be dark and dirty.”
“We have the cells cleaned regularly, though it’s pretty rare we use them.”
“Except for you.”
“Yes, well, I guess I deserved it.”
“Because you didn’t obey his every whim?”
Patricia smiled. “He owned me. He had the right to do what he wanted. He never whipped me, which is what some slaves receive from their owners for the littlest mistake. You have to understand that once someone gets sold in the labour house, they lose their freedom completely for five or more years. I made a serious mistake that got me into trouble and ended up in front of a judge. I was fortunate Troy purchased me. I could have ended up working in a tavern or worse.”
“I guess that’s some consolation. So Troy never actually hit you?”
“Well, I did get the occasional spanking but it wasn’t really a punishment.” She blushed.
Liz looked at the far wall that held chains dangling from hooks and whips hanging from wooden brackets. “What about those?”
“Those have been there forever. The most Troy ever did was make some of us wear a slave collar for a day so that we understood what it could be like. He never hurt any of us.”
Liz walked over to whips hanging on the wall. She touched one and found the leather hard and cracked from age.
Liz returned with Patricia to the upper level. Liz recalled her own experience when she first arrived at Domum and said she had been lucky to have been purchased by Lord Rosemore’s family.
“I guess I’ll never get used to ways of Domum, with people being owned and women depending on their husbands to achieve social standings. I like Domum to visit but I wouldn’t want to live here permanently.”
Patricia looked at her carefully. “What if Jon wants to stay here?”
Liz shook her head. “No, he wants to live on Earth with me.”
“He told you that?”
“Well, maybe in not so many words. But why would he want to live here? Earth is his home.”
“I suppose you know him best. It’s just that men are wanderers and believe they can have more than one home.” She shrugged her shoulders. “Sorry, I was just curious.”
Chapter Six
Freeman Colin Ferguson patted the horse’s flank as he went by. “That’s it for today. Maybe tomorrow we’ll fit you with new shoes.”
He strolled past the royal secondary stables for King Charles’ kingdom, limping slightly from a broken leg that had never healed properly. Tall but with a pronounced stomach on otherwise average frame, Colin had two main occupations. The first was taking care of the King’s horses. The second was going to his favourite watering hole and speaking to those around him, enlightening them of his opinions. Two blocks past the stables placed him at the outskirts of the market place where taverns did a reasonable business from travellers and the local population.
He entered the Dragon’s Egg tavern, found his preferred table where three of his friends already were drinking ale.
“How are you doing lads?” He didn’t wait for nods of acknowledgement before launching into a topic. “Have you heard the latest about the Princes?” He took a long swallow of the ale placed in front of him, the young serving wench not needing to ask what he wanted. She stood close by to capture the latest news.
He lowered his voice slightly as it was not wise to make disparaging remarks about the royal family. “It seems the young men were having a dispute about who got to ride Rex, the white stallion. It was an embarrassment. They didn’t fight like men but rather like princesses, pushing and calling each other names. This is while their father is barely able to sit up straight in his chair. King Charles must be wondering which one of his fine sons is going to be the best to take over when he’s gone. Technically Morley, being the oldest, will be chosen. But Harris, even though he is two years younger, has more brains.” Colin glanced around the table. “But his old man can’t stomach Harris’s preference for young boys.”
The server gave a small gasp and hurried off to spread the gossip.
Smitty, the burly blacksmith, nodded. “It ain’t no good at all. It don’t matter to me much whether it’s the King or one of the Princes, but I wish someone would get me some decent metal to work with. They want a hundred new swords but give me enough to make only half that. Low grade stuff to boot.”
Colin tightened his jaw and leaned forward on the table. Jabbing a finger at the table as he hissed, “I tell you lads, and you can mark my words, this kingdom is like a fat cat that had it easy too long. Someone is going to figure out she don’t know how to fight no more. We’re ripe for the pickings, I tell you.”
Percy, who owned a shop in the centre of town, opened his mouth but then closed it, finding that this time there wasn’t any argument on what Colin said.
* * * *
Daniel swung the axe one last time at a log stump and dropped it by the pile of wood. He took a deep breath and wiped the sweat from his forehead as he stared off to the horizon. It was the direction of a full day’s ride to Regius, where King Charles ruled, to the north and two hours ride to the west to the town of Treston. He wished he was a bigger man so he could handle the physical exertions of clearing land for crops better. He turned to Sarah’s voice calling out at him.
“Twelve eggs! The hens laid twelve eggs today.” She hurried carrying a dark brown wicker basket.
He grinned. “Food for the table and some to sell at the market.” He watched her approach, her blonde hair glittering in the sunlight.
Sarah lifted the bottom of her grey skirt with one hand as she stepped over the uneven ground, smiling. Suddenly her smile disappeared and he quickly turned to see six men ride up on horses, dust rolling behind them. He grabbed the axe again but wasn’t sure what good it would do against them.
The horsemen quickly surrounded them, two of them with their swords drawn. One of the riders commanded, “They’ll do. Bind them and let’s be off.”
Daniel stepped in front of Sarah. “Leave her alone I say!” He held up his axe in defiance.
A big, dark skinned man slipped off his horse. He laughed as he stood in front of Daniel. With his double edged sword he swung down hard, shattering the axe handle in the middle.
Daniel looked in surprise at the useless axe handle and suddenly a backhand across his jaw sent him toppling to the ground, landing him on his side. He moaned as he felt Sarah drop to her knees by his side, her hands on his face.
In a blurred vision he watched Sarah being hauled to her feet and a rope tied her hands behind her back. Next his hands were tied together behind him and he was shoved to sit on the back of a horse behind another rider. He struggled to keep his balance as his head slowly cleared.
Daniel tried to look around but couldn’t see Sarah, assuming she was somewhere behind him. Fear and anger raced around in his head, and he became increasingly frustrated as he rode to an unknown fate.
He watched as they were taken deep into the woods and to a large camp, full of horses and men. There was no doubt in his mind this was an army preparing for an attack as he was pulled off the horse and told to sit on the ground.
The sound of Sarah’s voice, screaming to be let go caused him to turn. He saw her try to run toward him but was quickly grabbed by two men, one of whom slapped her in the face.
Daniel saw her swear at her attacker as she was gagged and dragged away to a far tree.
What the hell do they want with us? Can I make a deal to protect her, get them to let her go? He looked at the tall, chiselled-face guard standing next to him. “Can you tell me what’s going to happen to us?”
The guard shook his head. “Just following orders.” He looked quickly to his left and right and softened his voice. “Now you best be quiet.”
Daniel sighed, surprised at the gentleness of the guard’s voice, and looked over at Sarah’s frightened face.
* * * *
Sir Sadon grunted as he stepped out of his tent. “Where is he then?” he bellowed at the guard standing by a fire pit.
The guard quickly pointed in the direction of a young man sitting. Even at thirty feet Sadon could see the sweat and fear on his face. “Bring him here then.”
The prisoner was hauled to his feet by two guards. After being shoved over he was pushed to his knees in front of Sadon.
“I have your wife over there, and I have to say she is a very handsome prize indeed.” He pointed at a gagged blonde sitting on the ground, her hands secured behind her back.
“Please don’t hurt her. I’ll do anything, just let her go.”
“Of course you will, and here is what you’re going to do.”
The prisoner listened carefully to Sadon’s demands.
“Do you understand?”
“Yes sire.”
Sir Sadon smirked. “Good.” He turned to one of the guards. “Rough him up some, make him look like he just escaped from a battle and send him on his way.” He walked back to his tent and turned to look at the woman, a smile creeping across his face.
Daniel looked at the back of the departing Sadon, loathing the man who would so casually take Sarah and himself as prisoners and use them like tools. Then he turned his attention to the tall guard who gave a small grimace.
“Sorry, you heard what Sir Sadon said. Nothing personal.” He picked up a broken tree branch, hefted to test its weight and used it to beat Daniel.
Daniel tried to cover his head by rolling on the ground but soon was covered with cuts and bruises. Breathing hard he was pulled to his feet and his hands freed.
“Alright, on your way, you know what to do.”
“Can I say goodbye to my wife?” He spat out blood from his mouth, guessing his nose might be broken.
The guard looked over at Sir Sadon’s tent and nodded. “Be damn quick about it.”
Daniel hurried over to Sarah. “I’ll be back for you, I swear, and get you free.” He kissed her over the gag and he mounted the horse given to him. He looked one more time at her tear stained face and steered the horse out of the camp, followed by two horsemen.
Chapter Seven
Liz leaned back against the cushion, exhaling as she observed the others around her. She wondered how Jon was doing and considered he was probably getting more work done than if she was around. At least in Lord Perry’s castle there aren’t a bunch of underdressed, sex starved females to distract him. She looked down at her gown. I guess that includes me as well. She looked over at the middle of the room where Lena had Gwyneth lying on her back. Gwyneth had her two hands pinned above her head by one of Lena’s, giggling as Lena used a finger tip from her free hand to draw circles on her face. So far their robes were closed but Liz considered it was only a matter of time before they came off. They should just go and get a room.
She looked at the table in the middle of the room with the metal box that contained the mood figurine. The figurine was inside the container, but with the lid open, some of its erotic effects reached out to the women. She was feeling the subtle pleasant influence and it concerned her of the eventual consequences. Liz took a drink of her wine and smiled as Patricia did an exaggerated dance around the floor. Her robe became undone during her dance as she whirled around.
Alicia and Juliana were sitting next to each other, looking comfortable with their close contact. Occasionally one would run a hand along the other’s leg or arm. Juliana was bare from her neck to her waist from Alicia slowly undoing her gown. I wish they would close that damn figurine box. She’s starting to look good.
“You okay?” Angela spoke softly as she stood by her side.
Liz looked up at Angela. “I’m fine.”
Angela slowly dropped next to her. She gave Liz a careful smile. “You looked deep in thought.”
“I guess I was thinking of Jon.”
“Well that’s understandable. But we’re here right now and you might as well enjoy the party.”
“I am. It’s fun watching Patricia dance.”
“She has some good moves. Back home she would make a good stripper.”
Liz laughed. “That’s hardly an acceptable occupation for a lord’s wife.”
“Still, she flashes that robe open like she has done it before.”
“I’m sure she has had some practice.” Liz giggled.
Angela slowly slid her hand along Liz’s arm, coming to a stop on her hand. “I guess they do things a bit different here on Domum, at least in Lord Troy’s castle.” She gave a very soft squeeze on her hand.
Liz responded with a squeeze back. She took another sip of her wine and licked her lips as she watched Patricia finish her dance. Patricia ended by sprawling on the floor, her robe open over her hips as she took in deep breaths of air. Liz felt Angela’s fingertips slowly slide up her thigh over her gown and down again. The movement was repeated and Angela carefully untied the ribbon at the waist.
Liz stopped breathing as Angela placed her hand on her bare leg. She turned to face Angela, not sure how to react to the advances that felt good but also wrong. Angela leaned towards her, her eyes closing as she tilted her head. After a moment’s hesitation Liz pressed forward, kissing Angela on the lips.
Angela gave a soft moan and ran her hand up Liz’s arm to her shoulder. Her fingers grazed her neck and slowly dropped her hand down her chest, pushing apart the gown.
Liz felt Angela kiss her neck and move lower. She reached out and found Angela’s hand.
“You want me to stop?” Angela spoke with a warm breath on her skin.
“Actually I was thinking that maybe we should go to one of the bedrooms.”
Angela took her by the hand and led her out of the door.
* * * *
“My head hurts.” Angela groaned as she lay on the bed in one of Lord Troy’s bedrooms. The morning light from the window hurt her eyes.
Liz turned to see Angela lying on her back with one hand on her forehead. “A bit too much wine last night?”
“I think so.” Angela rolled out of bed and walked to the pitcher sitting on a table. She poured herself a tumbler of water, and drank it slowly. She turned back to Liz. “Want some?”
Liz got out of bed. “Thanks, that looks good.” She looked around the room. “What happened to my robe?” Last night came back to her in a fog. Her last recollection was going to bed with Angela, where they made a mutual decision just to go to sleep. She guessed that being out of the range of the mood figurine helped put their wants in check. She took the glass of water and quickly drained the contents.
“I don’t think it made it this far.” Angela walked over to the closet and pulled out a gown. “Here you go.” As she handed the gown she gave Liz a smile. “Look, about last night. I’m sorry if I pushed you and well…”
“It’s alright. It takes two to tangle. But the next time I see them pulling out that mood figurine I’m running for the hills.”
“Agreed. Let’s go and find some breakfast.”
Liz followed her out of the bedroom after Angela found something to wear. What is going on here? First I get kissed by Tony, and then make out with another woman. And here I was worried about Jon getting into trouble.
After breakfast, during which Lord Troy joined them, Liz reluctantly got dressed again. She needed to obtain help from Isabel to tie up the strings of her dress. It’s a good thing they have servants to help you dress in this world. I would never be able to tie this by myself. It sure is an extreme from last night with women partying naked to wearing three layers of clothing. This is hard to get used to. Liz made her way downstairs to where Nicole was waiting in the lobby.