Everdog: Tale of the First Female Knight

Chapter 50 - Response to Change

While the men were celebrating at the banquet, there was an attempted siege in Walden. Hundreds of Lord Bullock's men tried to take over the city at night and terribly failed when they were met with resistance. The baron thought he could seize control of Walden in the marquis's absence, but he didn't anticipate for the city to be prepared for such an event.

The marquis was the defender of borders. He had been preparing his people and his men for when the Northlanders attacked. It was not to say that he didn't anticipate an invasion to come from within. The Midlanders didn't exactly hold the reputation for being the friendliest neighbors. When the marquis's army slaughtered the Lord Bullock's pitiful militia, the marquis received word of the siege.

Upon hearing the betrayal, the marquis withdrew his sword in front of the crowd and mercilessly slayed Lord Bullock on the baron's own dining table. The snake had double-crossed him, and the marquis did not tolerate such deceit. Like he taught all his men and his brothers; reward those who were loyal to you but punish those who betrayed you.

The banquet came to an end and it was a night that no guest could forget. Lord Kendryk gathered his men and quickly returned to Walden. Due to the urgency of the situation, Lord Kevin returned with his father and left a few men behind to watch over Lord Everin, who was going to continue staying at the knights' residence.

The next day, Everin woke up to an awful hangover and last night's events hit her like a truck. Despite being wasted and confused at that time, she lucidly remembered Sir Merek trying to rape her. She recalled all the disturbing events including the one where Sir Williams silt the knight's throat. Her clothes were covered in the dead man's blood and her eyes were swollen from all the crying.

Feeling revolted being in the same clothes as last night, she changed out of them. She hid them away and planned to burn them in secret. While she cleaned herself up, Lord Kevin's men informed her that the marquis and the first earl had returned to Walden. Lord Bullock planned a siege on Walden was killed by Lord Kendryk last night. To ensure the second earl's safety, a few of Lord Kevin's men will be staying with Everin until she was safely escorted back to the residence.

Everin didn't expect so much to happen in the time that she was passed out. She nervously bit her finger terrified that there would be news about someone finding Sir Merek's body. How would she explain what happened? Would she have to go to trial for Sir Merek's death like the man who killed his neighbor for raping his wife? Everin's heart thrashed with unease. How much did Sir Williams see or hear last night? He couldn't possibly saw much in all that darkness. He wouldn't have figured out that she was a woman, right?

Sinking into an ocean of worries and anxiety, she didn't see Taylor entering the tent. The groggy squire was hungover and came over to the lad's tent in hopes of getting some medicine for his stomachache. He knew that the lad always kept at hand medicine for stomach pain. When the squire tapped the lad's shoulder, the alerted lad jumped.

"Oh my god!"

Alarmed by Everin's high-pitched voice, the men outside charged into the tent and surrounded the squire.

"Eol-nim, is everything alright?"

The squire raised his hands up. "I'm so sorry, Pretty Face. I didn't mean to startle ye. I came over to ask for some stomach medicine and ye men allowed me entry. Please don't kill me!"

After what happened to Lord Bullock last night, everyone was on edge. Everin told the men that everything was alright and to exit the tent. Searching through her medicine box, she found the medium-sized vial of mint oil. She prepared some warm water and dropped a few drops of oil in it.

"Pretty Face, are ye alright? Ye seem very shaken." The squire asked as he took a seat at the table located in the middle of the tent.

"Hangover headache," Everin explained to the squire.