The Lady Knight

Chapter XLII: Conflicts and Confrontations

Truly, I could not comprehend why they expected me to attempt anything at all after they had shoved those nauseating herbs up my nose to numb my limbs and confiscated my weapons.

Another guard strode towards me before I could reach the entrance. "The Lady Knight?" he boomed, looming over me.

He seemed rather cross, thus, I decided to call him Master Cross in my mind.

"Aye."

"Please follow me. Hugh, release her," Master Cross turned sharply on his heel.

Apparently, this movement was a signal, for I was instantly surrounded by about seven guards. However, I was glad that at least Hugh and his equally stinking men left the room.

Master Cross began to walk swiftly towards the entrance, not caring to see if I were following him.

For a moment, I deliberated breaking out of their hold, and searching for Richard and Nick myself among these ruins. However, even before the thought could form in my mind, I felt three sword hilts poke into my back, pushing me forward.

Damn, they were good.

I was all but forced to step over the threshold. Only when I entered Red Fort, did I realise the true meaning of the phrase do not judge a book by its cover.

Truly, the interior completely defied the external appearance of Red Fort. The first aspect that caught my eye was the realistic murals that were painted on the ceilings. I tilted my head, taking in the elegant colours, the intricately drawn figures, the sapphires encrusted on the royal figures.

I recognised the murals all too easily. They portrayed the history of the civil wars that had brought the Seymours, the current royal family, to the throne two hundred years ago.

Complete with pristine, cream coloured walls, glittering chandeliers hung at intervals on the ceiling along the hallway that stretched on and on from the front door past the receiving hall, and white, squeaky-clean marble flooring, it could almost be considered a palace of sorts.

In truth, it resembled Bordeux Castle so much that it overwhelmed my mind.

However, I did not have much time to ponder on that, for the hilts poking against my back were beginning to become more and more insistent, almost viciously trying to cause me as much pain as possible.

Biting my lip, I decided to count the number of chandeliers I passed, hoping to forget the discomfort of being pushed along, of being completely at the mercy of these dangerous strangers.

I was currently being led along the endless hallway I had spotted earlier. Everywhere I craned my neck, I saw men in red and orange uniforms armed with blades and maces. Around the garden, on the connecting bridges, on top of the Red Fort, on the parapets surrounding the perimeters of the place, outside every chamber in the Fort, everywhere. Most of them were Vantaugians, but I did spot Monriquans here and there.

It pained me. It pained me that my own country people would resort to aiding the man who was betraying his country. Their country. How I longed to strangle these ungrateful, good-for-nothing traitors with my own bare hands!

"We have arrived," Master Cross abruptly came to a halt outside a large pair of double doors guarded by two, bulky men.

They were painted in blood red, bordered in bright, shiny gold. They were certainly set apart from the rest of the chamber doors, which were a dull grey in hue. On these doors were the words, embossed in gold, Master Diego in elegant script.

An elegant script that resembled Diego's penmanship very much.

Master Cross rapped the red doors three times. "Master Diego, the Lady Knight is here," he called out, his voice clear, edged with triumph.