• The knighting of Aric Lamoard was a great thing. He was a simple peasant boy who was squired and trained in the castle and this gave way for more like him to succeed. Not all were happy with this though. Knights of noble blood resented him and looked to him as a lesser being, a soft hearted fool who would betray them all. Yet he had greater regard for the codes of chivalry than most senior knights, and he would often help the peasants in their day to day lives, such as holding baskets and giving a copper here or there for odds and ends. But he was different from other knights, in that he was able to sing in key to any song and play any instrument. Aric was called, ‘The Minstrel Knight’ for his abilities and played in courts to pass the time. He loved to write ballads of the life of peasants for that is the life that he had lead for the first eight years of his life. He sat under a tree, in a leather jerkin and tan breeches, franticly scrawling out the words to a new poem when he heard a woman’s scream pierce the spring air. He sprang to his feet and ran into the quarry to see a group of knights chasing a young woman in a pale blue dress. Tears ran from the woman’s eyes as her pursuers laughed and shortened the distance between them. “Help!” She screamed once more, and Aric leaned down to pick up a small stone.

    He watched the men reach out for her wrist and hurled the stone, hitting one of the knights square in the temple. The man yelped and they stopped as the woman saw Aric and ran behind him, using him as a shield. The men looked his way and laughed. “Ah, Sir Aric. So you have come to join in our little fun, eh? Just let me have this lovely flower first and I’ll leave her for you when I am done. What do you say?” One man with thin mustache asked.

    “I say that you are as ignorant as you are lustful, Sir Roald. This woman is not to be treated in such an undignified manner. If you want to get her, you will have to go through me.” Aric answered coldly, his blue eyes dark with anger.

    “Why you little knave. You shall pay for your insults! Taste the steel of my blade!” Roald hissed at him, drawing his sword.

    A young squire that had seen him fight with his sword smiled and scoffed, “You don’t even have your sword. How do you expect to defeat us four?”

    Aric smiled, leaned down, and picked up his staff. “Like this.” He said as he planted the staff into the ground and attacked.

    He hoisted himself into the air and kicked the squire in the face. He twirled the staff in the air and smacked it across a thin mans’ stomach, and followed with a smack to his spine. Aric never saw the blade as the flat hit him in the ribs, all he saw was Roalds’ grinning face as he fell to the ground, winded. As Roald swung his sword upwards to finish him off, the maiden threw herself onto him and scratched his face. “You wench!” he screamed and flung her off of him.

    Aric regained his breath and pulled a dagger out of his boot. He jumped to his feet and slashed Roald across his face. Crimson blood spurt out the gruesome wound and through the fingers clutching his face and he howled in pain. Roald stumbled back and fell to his knees begging, “Please don’t kill me. I’ll do anything, anything! Please don’t kill me. Please, please, please…”

    “I want you to leave, for if I see you again I just might kill you for shaming all of your fellow knights. Hell, I don’t believe that you are a knight, merely a glorified peasant. Now leave with your fellow peasants, before I change my mind.” Aric said, his words full of promise and hate.

    Roald scrabbled to his feet and ran towards the road, the other knights stumbling behind him. As he reached the road he lowered the blood-stained hand, letting blood flow steadily down his linen shirt, he called, “This is not over, Sir Aric Lamoard of the lower city! You best not forget this oath. I will get my revenge!” and ran down the dusty road towards the village of his father, like a coward.

    He looked around and saw the woman lying on the grass staring at him, open-mouthed. He got down at one knee and reached one of his arms out to her, and gently pulling her up to her feet. Her rich blond hair was disheveled and she was bleeding from her lower lip. The dress was torn at the hem and very dirty. Her eyes were full of fear and wonder as she gazed into his deep blue eyes with her own light green ones. She looked at him and quietly said to him, “How can I ever repay my rescuer? Is there anything that you will of me?”

    Aric was captivated by her breath taking beauty, so he listened to her proposal and heard the hint of reluctance and hopelessness in her voice and knew that if he were to take advantage of this lovely creature, he would be just as dishonorable as those self-proclaimed knights that he had just fought. He thought hard for a moment as he knew that not allowing her to do something in return would hurt her pride. “I would be honored if you would allow me to escort you back to your dwellings.” Was the calm reply.

    Another look of fear crossed into her enchanting green eyes and she pulled away. Something in her movements betrayed her thoughts and Aric knew. “You ran away. Maiden, why did you perform such a drastic action?”

    “Please, my name is Lorina. I could not stay at the cottage anymore. My father would beat me when he returned from the taverns. My mother was too afraid to stop him. I had no choice in the matter.” She softly confirmed.

    The knight raised her head up to look at him. “You did have a choice. You could have gone to the castle and requested audience with the Queen. You could have-”

    “Been raped by knights while waiting for my audience to be granted? No, I would rather take my chances out in the wilderness. You must allow me to go, there is no other way.” Lorina told him.

    “No, there is another way. You can return with me to the castle as my maid. I will watch over and protect you until my last dying breath leaves my body. No harm can come of you until then.” He suggested.

    Lorina looked at him with joy in her eyes and nodded. Aric quickly added, “I will not take advantage of you and you will have a say in every matter concerning you. Come, we must depart if we wish to be back in time for the evening feast.”

    They walked on the winding road, talking of subjects that they enjoyed, until the massive splendor of the castle stood sentinel over them. Lorina stared at the magnificent structure and was held captive by its beauty. Aric clasped her hand in his own and pulled her towards the castle, and towards her knew home. The sentries saluted him as they smiled at the fact that he had a woman in tow. They entered the castle walls and were greeted by the robust life that only a castle would contain. He led her up to the seamstress and she stood rigid as her measurements were taken. The seamstress smiled as much as she could with the pins held in her mouth. She motioned for Lorina to step behind a screen. As the two women pulled off the clothes the seamstress said quietly, “You sure are the lucky one. Many a woman has gone after Aric’s heart, but none have succeeded. He is an honorable knight that one.”

    “Yes he is. He is so selfless about people and wants to do what is right by the law, not by him.” Lorina replied.

    “That is exactly it. It seems that he chose a woman with brains, not just looks. What a refreshing change from the other knights.” This provoked a giggle from Lorina. “Good. Now that you are not a stoic statue, my name is Remine, yet those who I become close with call me Remy.”

    “I am Lorina, but call me Lori.” Was the laughter filled answer.

    Remy smiled back at her and slid out an extravagant emerald green silk dress with pearls and diamonds sewn into the shining fabric from an oak chest. Lori stared at the dress with wonder in her eyes. “No, that is too fine for the likes of me. I have never been near enough to even see a dress like that to think to purchase it, let alone touch it.”

    Remy smiled once again, saying, “Nor can you. This I made by hand and it’s one of a kind. It was for the queens’ birthday but then I discovered that she prefers amethyst, not emerald. So, I have this one as a loose article.” She sighed. “What I’m saying is that it’s yours.”

    Lorina stood mouth gaping from shock as Remy slid the dress over her head and laced it up in the back. Remy let out a slow whistle as Lori turned around to face her. “This is great! You’re the same size as the queen, so I need not fool with it. It looks absolutely stunning on you.”

    Quietly they combed her hair and washed her hands and face. After her hair was pinned up in a tight, neat bun, Lorina stepped out from behind the screen. Aric was asleep in a chair, snoring softly and Remy kicked him to wake him up. “I wasn’t sleeping, I was resting my eyes.” He protested as he stretched.

    “Well then your eyes snore pretty loud. Here Lori, put these on.” She said, handing her a pair of emerald velvet slippers with pearls and diamonds sewn on the front.

    As she slid on the soft shoes, Aric watched her. Her movements were graceful and her voice clear as a crystal bell. He continued to watch her even as she stood upright. Their eyes caught and both of them felt their breath catch in their throats. Aric stood up and bowed deeply, as if he were bowing to a great queen. “My lady, it would give me great honor if you would allow me to accompany you to the Great Hall for our evening meal.” He said with a strange tinge of emotion in his voice.

    Lorina walked over to him and ruffled his dark brown hair with her hands, giving the appearance of a small child. He looked up into her eyes and smiled as she laughed a like chime, sweet and beautiful. He fought the urge to do the same to her beautifully tied hair, but as if reading his mind, Remy looked at him with piercing eyes and said, “Do it and die a slow and painful death.” Pulling out a single throwing knife from the sheath around her leg, concealed under her dress.

    Aric smiled nervously, knowing full well that she was trained by the master at arms, Donavan to use those weapons. She could hold her own against five war hardened soldiers with the thin knives and defeat them all. Lorina turned and gasped when she saw the blade in Remy’s hand. Aric pulled her into his chest and explained, “All employed by the king and queen are trained to master a small weapon, so that all can defend themselves. But our Remy likes to harass me with them instead.”

    Lorina smiled and looked at Aric, “Can they train me too? I don’t want to be defenseless anymore. I used to chop firewood, so hatchets would be fitting.” She begged.

    He gently squeezed her around her shoulders and said, “Of course. Anything for you my sweet.”

    Lorina loved the feel of his strong arms around her, the secure feeling that it brought to her heart and mind. She had flirted with some of the young men working in the city, but none of them had made her feel so wanted, so special, so beautiful, so loved. She felt her chest tighten and wondered if this was what love felt like. She leaned her head onto his shoulder and asked, “When is evening feast? I am starving!”

    “In just enough time for you to get lost and still happen to make it on time.” Remy responded.

    Aric led her through the many corridors and courtyards, pulling her past vibrant flowers and elegant stone statues. A golden statue of god Cainos stood silent witness to the activities of a maze, in which he held stead fast at the center. They heard the watch call the sixth hour past midday, and walked through a large doorway, into the Great Hall. They were about to be seen by the others when a young boy ran up to Aric and tugged on his shirt. “Sir Aric, your sword. You left this morning without it.” the youth said in a distinct lower city drawl, handing over a beautifully painted scabbard holding a sword within it.

    He was about to turn and leave when he noticed her watching him. “Who are you?” he inquired.

    “Lorina. She will be staying with us now. Roald attacked her with some of his friends. I will explain it to the king myself. Lorina, this is Carlo, he is my squire. I choose him from the lower city after his mother saved me from a rather nasty pack of thieves.” Aric said while fixing his belt, and winked at her, “She was a terror that one.”

    Carlo smiled and bowed as Aric straightened. He waved and retreated from the swarm of people that were beginning to descend upon Aric and Lorina. They entered the massive room and Aric was forced to drag her along once more as she stood and gaped at the glorious tapestries that lined the walls, the elaborate candle posts standing on the floors, the long oak benches and tables filling the hall. He sat her down next to a very finely dressed noble couple and told her that he was going to talk to the king. As he walked away, Lorina sat and a servant came over to offer her some wine. She accepted with great interest, wine was a new thing for her to sample. She watched how the others held their goblets and gave up. They held it with a too fragile touch for her taste. She gripped it with all except her little finger and took a small sip, and her senses exploded. The wine was unexpectedly sweet and subtle at first, and then had a tart finish. She couldn’t believe that a beverage could have such complexity in its flavor, yet here one was with a shocking barrage of tastes. The man seated on her immediate left saw her look of utmost surprise and laughed in good fun. “Ah, I see that you have tried our Tristam blend of wine. You can find no other with that distinctive flavor in the whole realm. It is made right here inside the Tristam castle.” He informed her.

    She smiled at him and thanked him. She saw Aric whispering into the kings’ ear and the king nodding, his face turning red in controlled rage. As Aric walked back to her side with stiff legs, the king stood, and raised both hands for silence…