A messenger had arrived at the castle only a few hours earlier and ever since the entire place was a bee hive of activity. The rider had announced Sartell's lord and his army were marching toward the fortress, fresh from a victorious campaign. There would of course have to be a celebratory banquet that evening so the kitchen scullions were busy preparing such a feast.
The daughter of Lord Tancred, Safiya, was beside herself with excitement. She and her father were truly close and the news meant he was not only safe from harm but he had won another victory against the pretender Offo. Hopefully losses were low. The brunette beauty hastened to wear her finest gown, she believed it to be her father's favorite not that he would ever say such a thing aloud.
She and Rigunth had become friends since her forced arrival, the girl had had the run of the castle and the pair had spent much time together sharing in a variety of activities. Safiya was quite fond of the girl. The fact that their families were enemies mattered little to her. So naturally they both stood upon the battlements overlooking the main gate and watched the steady approach of the army snaking down the winding dirt road. The weather was as bright as Safiya's mood.
"You know this might mean that negotiations will commence and you can gain your release from captivity? I will speak for this with my father, rest assured. I can be very convincing," she smiled.
"Although, I will miss you, you know. my dear friend." The words were sincere too.
"You know this might mean that negotiations will commence and you can gain your release from captivity? I will speak for this with my father, rest assured. I can be very convincing," she smiled.
"Do you really think so, dear Safiya?" quizzed rigunth with a slight frown, turning her gaze from the approaching army to her friend on the balcony, for she no longer thought of the girl as her jailor. In fact, she had not thought of her in that way since the very day that she had been brought to this bustling town and castle.
"Although, I will miss you, you know. my dear friend." The words were sincere too.
Rigunth smiled and turned back to the sight of the army.
"I think I recognise your Father, just there at the front! I imagine he can't wait to get back and see the three extra stitches you have added to your tapestry!" the keen eyed girl chuckled; for it had become a standing joke that Safiya would find any excuse not to work on the blasted thing.
"... And all his splendid knights." she squinted with her hand shielding her eyes from the Sun. "Alack, I wonder how many shields have been left on the battlefield, how many knights on either side lie beneath them."
She hadn't forgotten that horrible Sir Pons and, well, it wasn't really a nice thing to think, but she rather hoped he was one of them. It would have been easy to see by the shields, had they not been slung back or in leather covers, for a rudimentary form of heraldry existed up here, but nothing as sophisticated at the system in the South, in the Kingdom of Brydd, where professional heralds could tell you who any knight was by a mere glance at his arms and could describe a shield exactly using a convoluted nomenclature all of their own..
"Are there any particular Knights we should look out for? I mean..." Rigunth looked slyly sideward at Safiya "... have you got a favourite?" she giggled.
"I think I recognise your Father, just there at the front! I imagine he can't wait to get back and see the three extra stitches you have added to your tapestry!" the keen eyed girl chuckled.
Safiya turned and pretended to be outraged, "But those are very big stitches. And I had much to do around here since it addition to my regular duties as garrison commander I also had to guard a very dangerous prisoner. You might recognize her, if you look into a mirror."
That's when she grinned and gave a girlish laugh.
She knew Rigunth would want to leave and get back to her own folk - even Offo for some unfathomable reason - but she was going to miss the girl when that time came.
"... And all his splendid knights." Rigunth squinted with her hand shielding her eyes from the Sun. "Alack, I wonder how many shields have been left on the battlefield, how many knights on either side lie beneath them."
Safiya's smile faded quickly, "I try not to think about things like that. War is men's business. Far too grim for me." In truth she always feared one day her father would become one of those unfortunates on some far off battlefield.
"Are there any particular Knights we should look out for? I mean..." Rigunth looked slyly sideward at Safiya "... have you got a favourite?" she giggled.
"Oh....well they are a mixed lot to be honest. Some are quite grim fellows. A few even scare me though I think my father likes them scary that way. But there are nice ones too and a few even handsome. I find one called Pons to be most entertaining at a feast table. Oh and he has a fine voice too when they sing those war songs. Although some of the lyrics are most bawdy and even vile at times. All that drinking you know," Safiya answered in surprising detail.
Safiya's smile faded quickly, "I try not to think about things like that. War is men's business. Far too grim for me." In truth she always feared one day her father would become one of those unfortunates on some far off battlefield.
"But, dear Safiya, surely it behoves us to understand War, that we may best understand and support our eventual husbands?" Rigunth posited, which led on to a question.
"Are there any particular Knights we should look out for? I mean..." Rigunth looked slyly sideward at Safiya "... have you got a favourite?" she giggled.
"Oh....well they are a mixed lot to be honest. Some are quite grim fellows. A few even scare me though I think my father likes them scary that way."
"Mmm" agreed "I don't suppose you want to be leading an army of pretty charmers!"
"But there are nice ones too and a few even handsome. I find one called Pons to be most entertaining at a feast table. Oh and he has a fine voice too when they sing those war songs. Although some of the lyrics are most bawdy and even vile at times. All that drinking you know," Safiya answered in surprising detail.
Rigunth listened aghast. Safiya seemed to like the man. Uggh.
"Yes, I've...er... met, Sir Pons." What to say? The man was absolutely horrible to her at her lowest ebb, talk about kicking someone when they were down. She decided it was better, if you couldn't say anything nice about someone, to not say anything at all.
"What arms does he bear?! We might be able to spot his shield." Rigunth suggested brightly. At least Safiya wouldn't have to worry about a rival for Sir Pons' affections. Not that the knight, even if he was interested in the sloe eyed beauty, had a hope in Hell's chance: Safiya, like Rigunth, was just a pawn in the diplomatic games of powerful men: a pawn that was to be used to take a King or some other high ranking piece on the great eschec board of life, not a mere knight.
"Yes, I've...er... met, Sir Pons."
"He is usually laughing and has a fine smile. His teeth are even better than most," Safiya was definitely not in love with the man, not that it would matter. Her father would decide who she marries and when it would best serve the family fortunes.
"What arms does he bear?! We might be able to spot his shield."
"Oh, he's down there. I see him. Just to the left of my father slightly behind him. The red and black striped shield," Safiya pointed down.
"He once saved me from a wild dog. When I was thirteen, we - a few girls my age and I - were wandering about outside of the town just enjoying the sunny day and this large dog - I thought it was a wolf at first - came out of some brush and charged us. Pons was watching over us that day and just when the dog dragged me to the ground by my skirts.....he was upon the creature and killed it. And then he joked about it too."
"Said that dog had good taste to pick out the prettiest girl in the bunch," she grinned.
They were looking for Sir Pons, the hilarious joker in the pack.
"Oh, he's down there. I see him. Just to the left of my father slightly behind him. The red and black striped shield," Safiya pointed down.
"Oh yes... wonderful!" smiled Rigunth, trying make her relief that the man had survived sound convincing. "So why do you like him, is it just the teeth and the... laughter?" Yes, probably laughing at his own cruel jests, the captive girl guessed.
"He once saved me from a wild dog. When I was thirteen, we - a few girls my age and I - were wandering about outside of the town just enjoying the sunny day and this large dog - I thought it was a wolf at first - came out of some brush and charged us. Pons was watching over us that day and just when the dog dragged me to the ground by my skirts.....he was upon the creature and killed it. And then he joked about it too."
Oh, that'd be a change!
"How brave and gay!" nodded Rigunth. She liked Safiya a lot, and swallowed down her dislike of the annoying Sir Pons.
"Said that dog had good taste to pick out the prettiest girl in the bunch," she grinned.
Rigunth looked the beautiful Safiya up and down.
"Well, that's true!" she commented. At least the buffoon wasn't blind.
Then she pointed. "Who is that funny little priest at the back? He looks out of place in the train of bold knights, and that fellow with the red shield with the wavy white cross seems to be guarding him, almost."
"Well, that's true!" Rigunth commented.
"You will meet him at the night's banquet. We always have a banquet when Father comes back from the wars.
Then she pointed. "Who is that funny little priest at the back? He looks out of place in the train of bold knights, and that fellow with the red shield with the wavy white cross seems to be guarding him, almost."
"Hmmmm, Father usually does not have a priest along on his campaigns, no place for a priest he says. Oh that face...yes, he looks familiar. He was at the castle once when I was a child. Aqualin? Acron? Something like that. He patted me on the head...that I remember," Safiya recalled.
"As for the knight, I do not recognize the shield. Perhaps he is a mercenary recently hired for the war? He looks young and ....quite handsome at least from up here," Safiya pointed out.
"You will meet him at the night's banquet. We always have a banquet when Father comes back from the wars.
The thought of meeting Sir Pons again made Rigunth's stomach turn, and she could only hope that the sight of the clod would not stop her enjoying the tasty fayre at the promised banquet. She also wondered, her family pride resurfacing for the first time really, since she had come here, where she would be placed at table: if she was made to sit below the salt, it would be a slap in the face, as the niece of one of the most powerful men in Sask, whether you accepted Offo's claim to kingship or not.
She opened her mouth to reply to Safiya, but the thought of the possible slight and of having to speak again with the odious Sir Pons strangled the words in her throat, and she had to be content with giving her jailor, and now friend, a tight smile instead.
Then she pointed. "Who is that funny little priest at the back? He looks out of place in the train of bold knights, and that fellow with the red shield with the wavy white cross seems to be guarding him, almost."
"Hmmmm, Father usually does not have a priest along on his campaigns, no place for a priest he says. Oh that face...yes, he looks familiar. He was at the castle once when I was a child. Aqualin? Acron? Something like that. He patted me on the head...that I remember," Safiya recalled.
Rigunth nodded her understanding. Maybe he would be at the feast and give her news of the outside world: for suddenly such a place existed again after this insular existence.
"As for the knight, I do not recognize the shield. Perhaps he is a mercenary recently hired for the war? He looks young and ....quite handsome at least from up here," Safiya pointed out.
The prisoner bent forward and squinted her eyes, but it was no good. She didn't recognise him, but there was something somehow familiar about him, it was the oddest sensation. Rigunth turned to Safiya. "Can we go down to meet them?"
Rigunth wanted to rush down to greet them, Safiya just chuckled, "Oh no, Father does not approve of such displays. It is much more dignified if we await him in our quarters. Give him, them time to shed their armor and change into more appropriate and comfortable clothing. Besides I am certain, if I know Father, he will be bellowing orders as soon as he dismounts to anyone in range or he sees."
And she knew the man alright.
Some time later...
Safiya had changed into a better quality dress than she had been wearing for everyday fare, her little servant girl had fitted on her brightly colored slippers, a gift of her father last year. By now, Safiya had made certain Rigunth had a variety of dresses to choose from too as befitted an honored guest and now good friend. The brunette looked into a mirror held by the girl and checked that every strand of her dark locks were in their proper place.
"M'lady, will your father let Lady Rigunth go or do you think he will execute her?" the girl suddenly cheekily inquired, but she was quick to turn to their guest, "Not that I want that but I be just asking." She finished that comment with a toothy grin, the scamp.
"Execute her? Nonsense! I would simply not allow it. Besides what purpose would that serve and Father does nothing without a good reason or as he says 'to gain a tactical advantage'," Tancred's daugher scoffed.
Safiya was very certain that Lord Tancred would not want to be welcomed home immediately by his nearest and dearest and that the two girls should wait in their rooms until visited or summoned. So be it. Her own father, she remembered, Ceros rest his slandered soul, had loved it when she and her sister and bothers had run out to meet him on his return from campaign or hunt or any other journey. But he had been a genial, noble, kindly, admired soul. How unlike his brother Offo. Maybe that is why Offo had done so much to denigrate his character after his death.
She was raised from this reverie by the piping voice of little Guindel at her side.
"M'lady, will your father let Lady Rigunth go or do you think he will execute her?" the girl suddenly cheekily inquired
"Oh, Guindel!" Rigunth exclaimed.
she was quick to turn to their guest, "Not that I want that but I be just asking." She finished that comment with a toothy grin, the scamp.
"No, I don't want it either!" Rigunth replied. it was said in fun (rather grim fun. it had to be said) but it was still a possibility, especially as the niece of the 'King' of Sask was of neither use nor ornament to his dynastic plans.
"Execute her? Nonsense! I would simply not allow it. Besides what purpose would that serve and Father does nothing without a good reason or as he says 'to gain a tactical advantage'," Tancred's daughter scoffed.
"Yes, I am a bit of a nonentity, really." nodded Rigunth "I suspect Offo has more reason to want me dead than your Father. for I am a constant reminder to him of the great qualities my father possessed that he does not." The time spent with Safiya in Sartell had made her more bold about speaking her mind on such matters.