As the knight is escorted out of the castle he thinks. Well, the king certainly did not clear my head of uncertainties. In fact, he just added more. This is all so strange. A white, talking dragon that breathes fire and most unfriendly people and them being prohibited to speak of the beast. Will I ever know the truth or should it matter to me? After all, I am here to kill a dragon. It is not my business to know why I should do so, only that I should do so. And besides, this is merely a dragon, not a man. It is just a wild animal which, somehow, as the king has said, has the ability to speak.
At the castle doors there awaits the stable boy with the knight's horse and his belongings. From there the captain and his aide ride with him to the castle gate. Before leaving the knight turns to the captain and asks,
"Is there an inn of sort where I may find lodging for the night nearby?" The captain points and says,
"There is one at the end of this road not far from here. You will find lodging for yourself and your horse. Be here tomorrow at dawn. I will then lead you to the dragon's lair. A cart will be attached to your horse to bring back the head of the dragon should you be so fortunate. If not, and you lose your life, your horse will be used in our military and your belongings will be given to our soldiers. The dragon's hiding place is a cave high in the mountains overlooking the castle. If you decide to give up this endeavor I suggest you leave tonight. The king will not be pleased that you have abandoned your quest, so it is best that you be far away when he discovers this."
"I am not a coward," replies the knight. "I will not abandon my quest."
"I didn't think so," states the captain.
The captain seems to be a kind man. He is not so unfriendly as the others, thinks the knight.
"You seem to be a loyal servant of the king. If I may ask, how long have you served him?" asks the knight.
"For over 25 years, and my father before me," answers the captain.
"I am sure the king has much trust in you," replies the knight.
"I am the most trusted servant of the king. He has told me that himself, and that he would trust me with his life. I have sworn my loyalty to him;" the captain answers proudly.
With these last word's he says,
"I shall see you tomorrow." He then turns and rides back into the castle. The wall gate closes and the knight turns and rides to the inn.
Upon locating the inn the knight enters and asks for lodging. After paying the innkeeper, he is told to take his horse to a nearby stable and return. When he returns he is then shown his room for the night. He is also told that food and drink can be found in the tavern next to the inn. He moves his few belongings into his room. He then leaves his room and goes into the tavern. Again he notices that the people in the tavern look away from him as they did on the road when he first approached the castle. He feels very unwanted. He then quickly eats a hearty meal and asks the tavern keeper to prepare several meals for him for the following day. He is very tired and in need of sleep but notices a man with a big smile on his face who has obviously had too much to drink and is having trouble just sitting in his chair. He is the only one in the tavern that does not look away from him. The knight decides to speak to him. He seems friendly enough and perhaps, I will learn something, thinks the knight. He then approaches him and speaks.
"May I join you, sir?"
"Certainly, you may," answers the drunk.
The knight then politely sits next to him and asks,
"Permit me to introduce myself. I am sir......,"
"I know who you are and why you have come here," answers the drunk. "News travels fast in a small village such as this. I guess you think I am drunk, well perhaps am. For your own good, I suggest you leave immediately. You do not want to get involved in what the king has created."
"I don't understand!" replies the knight.
"Don't you see? You will fail! It is not the dragon that is evil, it is the king. All the villagers know this but do not dare to speak," replies the drunk.
Suddenly, a loud voice from behind says,
"No more! Your tongue is too loose! You will have the king's guards down on me and my business as well," says the tavern-keeper. "Out with you!"
He grabs the drunk by his collar and pulls him out of his seat and leads him to the door. The knight sits in disbelief. What did the drunk mean? He wonders what to do next. He then turns to see who has seen what has just happened but they all turn there faces away quickly. He knows not what to do. He waits and contemplates what to do next. He slowly finishes his drink and gets up to leave. He looks around and sees no one looking at him. After receiving his prepared meals from the tavern-keeper he leaves and notices two guards standing outside the door. He also sees the drunk sitting on a bench. He approaches him and speaks,
"I am sorry for the trouble I may have caused you."
"It is not your fault and it is not the first time I have been thrown out," chuckles the drunk. "I am not afraid, as others are, of speaking the truth. The dragon is not the evil one... it is the ..." With his last word, the guards shout,
"Stop!" They then move swiftly and grab the drunk and say, "Perhaps a few days in the dungeon will curb your tongue!"
"At least I am not afraid of what the king may do to me as you two are!" says the drunk to the guards as they carry him away.
The knight sees this and he thinks , what is happening, so many unanswered questions? What does the drunk mean by saying that the king is the evil one? He then returns to his room and struggles to sleep for the night after what has just happened.
YOU ARE READING
Don't Kill My Love
FantasyA man is deeply in love with a beautiful woman, but a jealous king won't allow their marriage because he wants her for himself. The king plots a devilish scheme to turn the man into a dragon and use him as his pet.
