Rhiannon washed her face in the cold water of the basin. She never used hot water as some of the nobles or ladies of the court preferred. The shock of the cold water made her sharper and ready for the day. She dried her face and dressed in her official uniform.
Bombast hoses covered by soft leather thigh-high boots, a simple doublet in her family’s colours of red and white, a breastplate unadorned save for a gold filigree around the neck, a short cape, and then her weapons, a longsword and a dagger carried in scabbards.
If it had been her decision, she would wear trousers and boiled leather.
‘The Queen’s Guard is solely a crown dependency, they are her representatives, her will made manifest. Therefore the captain of said guard must be the embodiment of this manifestation.’
That was the answer she got when she proposed a simpler, more practical uniform.
Still, Rhiannon enjoyed some of her small rebellions, like the unadorned doublet and the additional long dagger that she now slid into her boot.
As she tucked the dagger in, there were three insistent knocks at her door.
“Come in”, she said.
“With your permission Captain”, said a voice hurriedly.
Cadfan, her second in command, rushed into the room. Rhiannon noticed small beads of sweat on his brow.
“Sorry to disturb you captain but we’ve caught an intruder,” Cadfan said.
“Where?” Rhiannon asked.
“He’s on the Crimson Patch, we believe he fell from the wall and knocked himself unconscious.”
The Crimson Patch is in the inner gardens surrounding her Majesty’s rooms.
Rhiannon got up and started towards the door. Cadfan followed close behind her.
“Where’s her Majesty?” she asked.
“In a budget meeting with the head seneschal.”
“I want ten guards on her at all times. Close the gates, all movement inside the palace is restricted until further notice.”
They stopped at the exit of the main guard tower. Two guards stood at attention.
“Some of the visiting nobles might not like that.”
Rhiannon dropped her voice as to not be overheard by the two guards.
“To hell with them”, she said, “We’re the Queen’s Guard, that is our first mandate. How many troops are in the palace at the moment?”
“Eighty or so, plus the ones that are off-duty in the city, those are about seventy.”
“Quietly and discreetly send messengers to fetch the reserve. Do not inform the rank and file of what is going on, just the officers.”
“Of course captain, but why? We already caught the intruder.”
“You caught an intruder. His co-conspirators might have just left him there.”
Cadfan’s eyes bulged, the possibility of others had occurred to him, but he assumed they would have fled after one of them fumbled.
“Understood captain”, he turned around and addressed the two guards, “Bligh, accompany the captain. Cor, come with me.”
“I don’t need an escort,” Rhiannon said curtly as she started to walk towards the gardens.
“With all due respect Captain, you do. The first thing I’d do if I wanted to attack the palace is to kill the commander of the guard.”
Cadfan started to walk in the opposite direction to carry out her instructions.
“If I die, you’d be next-in-line, lieutenant,” she shouted as he walked off.
“No thank you, the job looks awful,” he shouted back.
Rhiannon turned around, her temporary bodyguard in tow, and made her way towards the gardens. When she arrived at the gardens, there was a small knot of guards around the entrance to the inner courtyard.
Gawking like a group of seamstresses instead of keeping watch. A fine opportunity for a lesson.
She recognised the guard closest to her. Aneira her name was, a farm girl from the south. Tall, strong and tawny-haired. Bit of a darling with the guards who were city raised.
Rhiannon slowed down, signalled her escort to wait and switched her weight from the heel to her toes. This minimised the sound of her soft leather booths. She tilted the scabbarded sword with her hand, the blunt end of it pointing forward. She waited until a couple of steps away, then lunged and placed the unsheathed sword’s point in the small of Aneira’s back.
At the same time, she said in a calm but loud voice, “Amazing guarding you’re doing here.”
All of the guards jumped up and turned towards her, swords half-drawn.
Not bad. At least they know the appropriate response.
Aneira had ducked and started to turn, hand on her sword. Rhiannon put her hand on Aneira’s shoulder and pushed, unbalancing her. Rhiannon stepped back to be out of range.
A chorus of “Captain!” erupted once they recognised her.
“Guards,” she answered, “please establish a perimeter around the garden and have at least two people at each entrance.”
She was answered by a second chorus of “Yes, Captain!”
They scrambled to carry out her orders.
“Whoever found the intruder, please stay behind,” Rhiannon shouted.
Aneira, who had gone to one knee to stop herself from falling face first, got up and approached the Captain.
“I found it Captain,” she said, a flush spread on her cheeks.
A lesson was taught, no need to make her feel bad.
“Fine work corporal,” Rhiannon said, a sincere smile stretched across her face, “Could you detail when and how?”
Aneira perked up and straightened herself.
“Aye Captain. It happened during the change of the guard. I had already been relieved, and making my way to the guard tower to sign out when I heard a thump on the other side of the tall hedge.
“I thought it might just be a cat since the Queen favours them. But the thud had been a bit too loud, so I rushed to where I thought the sound came from.
“That’s when I found it, right in the middle of the Crimson Patch.”
Rhiannon frowned at that. The Crimson Patch was an important part of the realm’s history. The seeds had been brought back by one of the first kings from far away. No flowers like them existed anywhere else in the world. The softness of their petals, red hue and fragrance inspired poets and bards up to this day.
Aneira continued. “As soon as I saw it I raised an alarm… Ahhh… I mean, a couple of minutes might have passed actually.”
“Why?”
Aneira gripped the pommel of her sword a bit tighter. “Well,” she said, “the intruder is a bit odd-looking Captain.”
Rhiannon raised an eyebrow. Aneira did not strike her as the kind of person to be shocked easily.
“I see. Did you search for other intruders?” asked Rhiannon.
“Yes, Captain, one of us stayed here and the rest of us split up to look for more intruders. We also sent for Lieutenant Moon.”
Sharp instincts this girl, even after having a shock.
“Time to welcome our guest I guess,” said Rhiannon.
“Sure Captain, please follow me.”
Aneira turned around and walked to the inside of the inner courtyard.
The smell of smoke hit Rhiannon as soon as she crossed the threshold. The shock of it slowed her for a second. She had not seen any smoke before when she was making her way here. The next smell that slithered up to her was quite familiar as well. Blood, sweat and steel. The smell of the battlefield.
A blackened round patch about a rod in diameter contrasted with the deep red of the Crimson Patch. At its centre rested a vaguely human figure.
An impossibly large shiny helmet reflected the morning sun. The helmet itself was cracked down one side, revealing the outline of a human face inside. Following down the helmet’s crack, the rest of the odd armour was similarly destroyed, the chest piece was caved in and looked loose, the arm and leg armour were split down the middle.
It reminded Rhiannon of a sea bug lying on its carapace, its soft underside exposed.
Rhiannon bent down to touch the strange armour. Ping and pops came from it, she reached out with her hand.
“Ruddy hell!” she exclaimed as she pulled back her hand. She looked at the tip of her finger, a blister was already forming.
How? I didn’t even touch it.
Small curls of smoke that she had not noticed before rose from the armour.
Doesn’t matter, whoever is inside doesn’t look strapped by anything.
“Corporal, help me pull him out of this armour,” said Rhiannon,” and don’t take off your gloves.”
Rhiannon unclasped her cloak and wrapped it around one of the armour’s boots. The heat exuded even through the thick cloak.
Aneira took hold of the other boot and together they pulled. Out from under it came a man. They both pulled until he was free from the burned patch and laid him out on the cobblestones.
Pulling him out provided no answers. There was no heraldry on his clothes or rather cloth. A single item of clothing enclosed his body, only his face was visible.
At least his face looks normal.
Rhiannon reached out and touched the material. It sounded like the thin paper used by bakers to wrap delicate pastries, but it felt strong. She grabbed the top part of the peculiar suit and pulled it back revealing its occupant's head. Short dark brown hair crowned his head.
She could not see a way to get him out, there were no knots or belts.
“Bligh!” Rhiannon exclaimed, getting the attention of her temporary bodyguard. Bligh came into the courtyard and stopped short when he spotted the weird armour and its former occupant.
“Compose yourself lad,” Rhiannon remonstrated, “I need you to grab hold of one of his arms.”
She turned to Aneira.
“You grab the other.”
They both did as told.
Rhiannon pulled out the knife from her boot and delicately started cutting the man out of the weird cloth. She was being careful not to shake him too much, lest he wakes up. She could have done this inside a cell of course, but she did not want to give the intruder a chance to search for weapons inside his clothing.
As she cut the strange cloth away Rhiannon thought about a couple of observations.
He looks healthy and as robust as most of my guards. He has to be a soldier.
Rhiannon heard a sharp intake of breath as she reached the waist and looked over to Aneira, who, to her surprise, was blushing.
Oh! For goodness sake lass. Alright, perhaps he’s a bit more robust than most guards.
A groan broke her train of thoughts. Rhiannon stopped cutting and looked up to see two large hazel eyes staring back. The eyes then narrowed and before Rhiannon could speak, the intruder twisted his body, pulled back his leg and kicked Rhiannon straight in the chest. Caught by surprise, she fell on her side, but still managed to roll away from further attacks.
Bligh went for his sword. Before Rhiannon could shout at him to not let go, the intruder freed his hand, pushed Bligh off, then grasped Aneira by the edge of her breastplate and pulled her towards him. A head butt followed by a crunching sound ensued.
The intruder struggled to get out from under the now unconscious Aneira. Rhiannon rolled and came up in a crouch. She pulled her sword out a bit, pommel first and launched herself. Her left hand fended off the intruder’s hand as he brought it up for defence, making the way clear for her pommel to strike him on the side of his head.
The intruder crumpled back unto the cobblestones.
Rhiannon looked over to Bligh with his sword half-drawn, who stared at the crumpled figure and then back at Rhiannon eyes wide.
Like a startled buck.
“Are you alright Bligh?” said Rhiannon.
“Ah… Aye…” he stammered, then remembered himself, “Are you alright. Captain?”
Rhiannon exhaled heavily.
“Aye, corporal. I’m fine. Go fetch me more guards and some irons.”
Bligh looked towards the unconscious prisoner.
“Don’t worry,” said Rhiannon understanding the unspoken question, “I can take care of him.”
She got up, pulled out her sword and placed the tip of it unto the intruder’s throat.
“Aye captain,” said Bligh with a bit more conviction.
In a few moments, Bligh came back with five more guards.
“Hold the assassin,” Bligh said.
Rhiannon relaxed, sheathed her sword and murmured something under her breath.
“Captain?”
“He’s not an assassin,” she said while tending to Aneira, “he had more than enough time to fetch any hidden weapons while we fumbled about. He didn’t. He is a brawler, a skilled one, but just a brawler.”
Bligh looked doubtful, but he kept quiet. Aneira groaned. Her nose was broken.
It looks like a clean break. It will heal. Maybe it won’t even be crooked.
“Corporal,” said Rhiannon addressing one of the new arrivals, “go fetch a healer for Button here.”
As the corporal ran to find the healer on duty. Cadfan walked into the courtyard.
“Captain,” he said, “I did as ordered. Her Majesty is now in the inner apartment behind the audience chamber. Ten guards are with her and I’ve posted guards at all other entrances.”
“How about the reserves?”
“They’re quietly on their way here.”
“Perfect. As they start getting here, distribute them over the palace. Make sure that…”
Rhiannon paused and considered something.
“Actually, have Sergeant Hier do the redistributing. I need you to take over with this prisoner while I go and inform the Queen. Finish cutting him out and then take him to the tower.”
Rhiannon turned around and started to walk out of the courtyard.
Cadfan caught up to her, “One more thing Captain.”
She turned around and nodded.
“Polkinghorn has been asking questions. What should I tell him?” Cadfan jaw’s tensed.
“Tell the esteemed commander that as partners-in-arms they do have a right to be informed as to current events in the palace,” Cadfan started to tilt his head to the side as if trying to comprehend what she meant.
Rhiannon continued, “But seeing as how Polkinghorn is a useless brute and has brought down the City Guard to match him by filling it with his cronies and toadies, they will be told nothing.”
At this reply, Cadfan smiled a little and saluted crisply. “As you wish Captain!” he said, with all the seriousness he could muster.
Comments (0)
See all