As I look at my brother before me and our King at his side I cannot help to thank that my dear sister had married well. Excluding that we are on our way to charge Essex Manor for her rescue I was happy for her.
Even as a child Elisabeth would always get in the most difficult unexplainable situations. Weather it was the silliest thing that needed just one of us to intervene or the almost life threatening situation that needed all our help to set her free, there was no doubt in anyone's mind how much we dearly loved her. For her we would go to the end of the world if it meant that we could have her safely in our lives, but no matter the situation she found herself we always kept her mother in the dark. I still cannot comprehend how a silly, arrogant, self-centered woman could have given birth to such a sweet girl like Elisabeth.
Like my companions I was deep in thought when a rider came our way. From behind us Captain Gray moved forward and talked to this new rider. From what I could hear it was one of two men that Captain Gray had sent after Elisabeth. They have been following her since her disappearance and it seems that they had some disturbing news about Elisabeth.
George, my eldest brother turned to us and said, "A Spanish Inquisitor has been brought to torture our sister. He arrived a few days before she was abducted and when she arrived he has been in the dungeon with her. So we must prepare ourselves for what we might find upon arriving. Our priority is to save her. If we must kill to get to her then God be with us. They have not seen her, but it is suggested that she is badly hurt. It is said that her screams could be heard throughout the castle and that they have recently ceased."
"What are we waiting for? Why can we not attack now?"
"William, please we all want to go in there, rip their filthy heads off and bring Elisabeth home, but we must wait." George calmly said.
We waited around the new rider as he explained in detail the manor. I might be anxious but George was right, without the information we just received we could have done more harm than good. The orders were given and within the hour we rode ahead towards Essex Manor. If I am in such a state what could Richard be feeling? It must not be easy to have his new bride be taken form him in less than a week after the wedding. Personally I would be going insane. I admire his calmness.
Our group stopped a few yards from the main entrance. One of the guards yelled our way and asked what we wanted.
"I am the King do you really think I need to give you any reason for my being here? Open the gate and let us in...AT ONCE! Or you will suffer the consequences."
"They do not answer to you! These are my lands I am master here not you." Lord Essex yelled form the tower.
"If you keep this up Essex you will have nothing left. Surrender and bring Lady Brandon out this instant."
"Never! She should not have been chosen. She used her arts and her heretic ways to entrapped Stafford and his son. She must be punished."
"Lies!" George & Richard yelled at the same time.
"Silence you two!" Looking at us all and discreetly he gave the signal. With no time to waste we attacked the manor.
Seeing our charge Essex ran and hid while his men fought for him. With arrows and swords at hand we ran into the gates. A few men detached themselves from our group. We protected them from the arrows coming from the wall. They were able crawl up the gate and go through a small opening. With their agility they opened the gate and we charged deeper into the keep.
I checked to my right and saw George and Robert with their swords fight off some men. They were no match for George for he was too strong for them. To my left I saw Richard with his sword in hand attacking defending himself and attacking others. I noticed he was caring a second sword. It must be Elisabeth's. The only one I could not see was Charles. There were too many men coming and going. I fought with all my force and went through killing as much as I could to get to my target. I scrawny thing came screaming my way. I took my knife and threw it his way. The young boy fell to the ground with the knife sticking out from his chest. Pushing the knife deeper I made sure he was dead and once satisfied I pulled it out, cleaned it on my clothes and ran further into the keep.
YOU ARE READING
A Royal Romance
Romance----- All comments, good or bad, are welcomed ----- Lady Elisabeth Ashton, the daughter of the Duke and Duchess of Durham, is 16 years old and she is to wed . Along with her parents they travel Stafford for a ball. After a night of debauchery, Lor...
