The Lady Knight

Chapter XLII: Conflicts and Confrontations

The Lady Knight

I could not believe it. The demons were bringing me to Red Fort.

I had regained consciousness a few hours ago, only to find myself on a horse, strapped to a plump, stinking, perspiring man riding the stallion I was perched on, side-saddle.

I wanted to snort.

However, I controlled myself from doing so, for I did not want any of them to discover that I was awake. One dose of that nauseating herb was more than sufficient. I hated the stench that came along with it, in addition to the intense migraine and the fuzziness that it caused in my head when I woke up.

The Red Fort was a dismal end to a two-day journey. An old, ruined Castle made of red sandstone, it was situated in the deep in the large tract of woods that bordered Bordeux and Louvre. Old legends state that there used to be a duchy between Bordeux and Louvre, and the Red Fort was the Manor that had once belonged to the Lord of that duchy and his family. It was burned down during war ages ago.

At the moment, it was a long-forgotten heap of ruins – ruins that were currently guarded by guards in blood red and orange uniforms.

Red and orange were the colours of Vantauge.

When I neared the ruins, in full speed and full view of the mixture of Monriquan and Vantaugian guards surrounding the place, I could see all their weapons being held up in defence against me, the intruder. There was no way I could fight with them and escape alive. There were easily about fifty, heavily armed guards surrounding the outer perimeter of Red Fort alone. No doubt there were many more inside, simply waiting to shred me into pieces on sight.

"Declare yourself!" came a cold voice from among them.

I knew not who had spoken. They all stood unnaturally still and expressionless, their shoulders stiff, their heads high.

"I am Hugh," the man holding me cried, "and I have the Lady Knight - defeated." I could almost hear him smirk, as his companion jeered in victory.

He dug his fingers painfully into my ribs, no doubt trying to wake me up.

I pretended to be sluggish in my movements as I opened my eyes a little wider. Hugh untied the rope that tied me to him and pushed me down from the stallion none too gently. I sat up, hurting and indignant.

More snickers to humiliate me.

Seeing my pathetic state, the weapons were lowered at once. A few of them stepped forward and proceeded to remove my sword from my waist to check my identity without my permission, and began to feel my entire body with their hands, no doubt to check for hidden weapons on my person apart from the sword.

I slapped their hands away, disgusted.

"I presume your orders were to check me for weapons, not violate me in the process," I snapped at them, my cheeks turning pink, "I assure you, I am not hiding any weapons inside my uniform. I only have my sword."

They still remained expressionless. "We are only doing our duty," they chorused, and kept my sword for themselves, "you may now enter." They nodded at the men on the stallion.

I was grabbed by my collar and heaved onto Hugh's stallion once more.

The guards by the gate stepped aside in sync as the rusted gates of Red Fort swung open. Hugh spurred his horse into a canter, and we both trotted into the grounds of Red Fort, as a feeling of intense dread and foreboding washed upon me while I took in my eerily quiet surroundings.

Hugh pushed me down from the stallion again once we reached the grounds, and tied his stallion to the trees yonder. He then strode towards the entrance to this Fort, dragging me by the hand. Even here, there was a battalion of guards standing within, all their empty eyes trained on me to ensure I did not attempt any mischief.