Chivalry and Dread.

[Tiermann]

Yes, great story, looking forward to the future developments.

[Rhalius]

(thanks everyone, and sorry for the delay.))

Everything is quite peacefull again, squires are cleaning up the field while the friends ponder on what to do.

Elena: "Hopefully everything will return to normal soon."
Roderick: "I'm affraid things arent looking that good.. The Dread Baron is still free, and Cedric is the only one strong enough to face him head on. And we also don't know what prince Edward is planning.. he might be connected to the Dread Baron."
Henry: "And he truly lived up to his reputation today.. appearing unannounced at a tournament, defeating the new champion with ease while everyone has seen Sir Christopher is no push over.. and then managing to take out Cedric as well and just leave without anyone able to stop him."
Frederick: "We'll come up with a plan to stop him though.. we may not be able to defeat him in battle but there must be some way."
Elena: "I gues he won't ever let his guard down around women anymore since I knocked him out with a flail last time.."
Henry: "He might hold a grudge against you for that.. I'll make sure to keep you safe as best as I can."

Suddenly a tower squire approaches the group.

Squire: "Ah there you all are, the king has requested your presence. Follow me!"

Roderick gave a nod. "Alright, let's not keep King Phillip waiting."
They all followed the squire to the safe place the king had moved to.

Frederick: "I'm curious how the Blacktowers are doing.."

As they leave the field, Fernando is waken up by the falcon squire. "Hm? what? Did I miss anything?"

Squire: "Both the new champion and the former champion where defeated by a mysterious knight, Sir Hugo is in prison and someone tried to assasinate the king."
Fernando blinked and looked at the squire. "Did I do that? People say I do silly things at times but I dont remember."
Squire: "No, you didnt do that. Right before you passed out you said you where going to double my payment though."
Fernando. "Alright, fair is fair.. now let's go back home and tell king Miguel that Hugo decided to stay here for a while."
Squire: "Shouldn't we tell him that he has been put in prison?"
Fernando: "Nah, then he might get mad and want me to do something about it. Besides, its good ale here! I'm sure Hugo will like it here."

In the meanwhile the squire has brought our friends to the city barracks where the ruling nobles have been kept safe, and where the wounded knights where brought as well.

[Rhalius]

King Phillip, Queen Dominique and the blacktowers where standing amongst the unconcious and wounded Cedric. Sir Christopher is concious again and while in pain, feels better already.

Maria the nun: "I've done all I can for him sire, but he requires medicine. Without knowing exactly what poison was used, I don't know what to give him. He should be concious again in several days, but without medicine he will stay weak."
King Phillip looked at Cedric, trying hard to hold back his tears. "Cedric.. brave Cedric.. you always kept us safe.. even when I was still a prince, and you a squire entering my father's service. You where always there to watch my back, to protect the castle and our people.. We may have taken it for granted that you would always be there to solve all our problems. I will do all that is within my power to ensure you will recover, my friend."
Queen Dominique added: "Without you, Philip would not have survived.. We will find who is responsible for this Cedric.. all of them will be brought to justice."

When the three friends arrive with Elena down the stairs, king phillip turns around to adress them.

King Phillip: "It's good to see all of you are safe, we have much to discuss though.. But I will give you all a moment with Cedric first."
King Phillip and the others move away from Cedric and to the table, to make room.

While relieved that Cedric will make it, they still didnt like seeing him like this.

Henry: "We will find out who is responsible for this brother, I swear it."
Elena: "You always took good care of us, now it's our turn to take care of you."

Maria the nun: "I will study the poison on the arrow further and see what ingredients I will need for his medicine, I may need to call on you three to help me gather these things."

Henry looked a moment at Roderick and Frederick, who smiled and nodded to him. Then Henry looked back at Maria. "We will do whatever it takes to help Cedric get better."

King Phillip was about to start discussing how to proceed. "Alright, I think we shou-"

Lady Blacktower suddenly interrupts: "Gah! I can't stand it in here in this dark dungeon! I want some fresh air! And cookies!"
Baron Blacktower: "Very well my dear, why don't you go to the bakery with Pierre and the guard captain? The streets are safe again now."
Lady Blacktower: "Alright, bye!"

Seemingly in a hurry to go do something she enjoys instead of worrying about the safety of the kingdom, Lady Blacktower is quick to leave along with Pierre and the guard captain.

Baron Blacktower: "This is probably for the best, she never enjoys talking strategy.. will you not join her Queen Dominique?"
Queen Dominique: "This is not the time to think about cookies, we need to take action, or the Dread Baron might destroy everything we hold dear."
In the meanwhile, the three friends join them around the table.
King Phillip: "Ah, now that we are all gathered here we can start discussing how to proceed.. Someone was clearly out to end my reign, but could it have been just the Dread Baron? the archer must have been with him for certain, but the fact that Prince Edward said nothing about Ranulf having escaped from his dungeons only seems to confirm Roderick's suspicions.. But we need to have evidence."

[DrDalek6]

Great work again can feel the sad shocked atmopshere in the story and the photos, look forward to seeing more and hopefully seeing Cedric recovering and some justice being dealt out eventually 

[Tiermann]

great addition to the story

[Rhalius]

Queen Dominique: "We should question the two men that where captured, but I don't want them anywhere near the children."
King Phillip: "I agree.. Stephen, Jory, please escort Prince Phillip and Gilbert upstairs, and bring back the assasin for questioning."

Jory: "Right away sire."

The two knights move around the table to the children.

Stephen: "My prince Phillip, Honourable Gilbert Blacktower, will you both please follow us upstairs?"
Prince Phillip: "No! I want to stay here!"
Gilbert: "Yes, we want to see whats going to happen here!"
Jory: "Very well.. but then you will miss out on your combat training."
Prince Phillip: "Wait.. combat training? We get to fight with real swords now?!" The prince seemed quite exited about the idea.
Stephen: "No, we don't want anyone to get hurt.. you will fight with wooden swords, but the soldiers will instruct you."
Gilbert: "What are we waiting for in this boring basement then? let's go!"

Exited to get lessons in how to use a sword, the two boys rush upstairs, escorted by the two knights.

King Phillip: "Hopefully we will get some answers."
Frederick: "He seemed very fast for his age.. called himself the blue shadow."
King Phillip: "The blue shadow?! I have heard stories about him.. an expert archer who is said to never miss his mark... an assasin that cannot be stopped... I thought it was just a myth though.. one my father told me when I was young."
Queen Dominique: "It seems this myth has been true all along then.. stay on your guard everyone."
Henry: "There is no telling how many people he might have killed... he should be send to the chopping block for this!"

Roderick: "We'd just be as bad as him then.. he won't hurt anyone in prison."
Baron Blacktower: "Roderick is right, we are no butchers."

Under heavy guard, the blue shadow is brought downstairs. Every step he takes is watched carefully.


Henry stands next to his wounded brother, sword drawn in hand and staring down the man responsible for it.
"Make a wrong move and it will be your last. Are you proud of yourself, hm?"

The assasin looked over Cedric's unconcious body, surprisingly he seems a bit sad, almost remorsefull.
Blue shadow: "The blue shadow has the utmost respect for Sir Cedric, stopping the Blue shadow from doing his work has been deemed impossible untill this day."

Surrounded by knights, the blue shadow is brought to stand at the table, in front of the king.

King Phillip narrowed his eyes at the man who tried to assasinate him. "You tried to kill me, why?"
Blue Shadow: "The Blue Shadow was hired to do his task, but will never reveal his employer."
Queen Dominique: "I assume your employer would not care to free you, why not reveal him so that he can face justice?"
Blue Shadow: "The Blue Shadow does not care for his employer, the Blue Shadow is a proffesional assasin who will be free again one day, to be hired once more."
King Phillip considered this a moment. "I see.. so you will not reveal who hired you out of fear no one will hire you again? Why not seek out another life?"

Blue Shadow: "There is no other life. This is the Blue Shadow's calling. But the Blue Shadow will honour the man who stopped the Blue Shadow's arrow. He requires Krinflower from the pepperwood forest to remove the poison, so he can fully recover."
Frederick: "Why should we trust anything you say? It might be poison!"
Blue Shadow: "Sir Cedric was not the target. Through his sacrifice he proved that I can be stopped, but the blue shadow has also proven that he can stop the legendary Sir Cedric. The Blue Shadow will live to continue his legend, and so should Sir Cedric."

King Phillip: "Alright, I have heard enough.. we will look up this Krinflower but you will be served the cure made with it before Cedric receives it. Please take him back to his cell and bring the other prisoner. He might tell us more."

[Rhalius]

The Blue Shadow is brought back to his cell by Sir Stephen and Sir Jory, they keep a close eye on him.


As they wait for Stephen and Jory to return with the other prisoner, Frederick gets an idea.

Frederick smiled: "That big guy didnt seem to be the brightest, I have an idea, just follow my lead!"
Roderick: "He did seem to be the hired muscle yes.. strong but careless."
Henry: "We'll follow your lead Frederick."

Under guard, Halgar is brought downstairs to be questioned.


Like his partner in crime, he's guided to the table to face the king.

King Phillip: "You where part of this conspiracy, who was leading you? Ranulf the Dread Baron?"
Halgar: "I ain't talking! I'll stay as silent as a fish!"

Baron Blacktower: "Come on now, you aren't going anywhere untill you tell us who hired you."
Halgar: "No way! nu-uh! I'll tell you nothing! Not even what I had for breakfast!"

Frederick: "Well your friend already told us who hired him, we just want to know if you where hired by the same guy.."

Halgar: "The old man? no, he wouldn't talk.. would he?"
Henry: "Well not everyone can keep secrets as well as you.. he even told us what he had for breakfast."
Roderick: "He also seemed quite happy about being paid ten thousand gold coins for his work."

Halgar seems to grow quite upset now.

Halgar: "What?! but that prince only paid me two hundred! He said he didn't have more to pay us!"
Frederick: "Maybe he didnt think you where important enough."
Halgar: "Not important enough?! I had to protect that old man from whatever would come our way so he could fire one arrow at the king while the Dread Baron created a distraction! When I get out of here, I'll go straight to Prince Edward and demand more payment for what I did!"

[Rhalius]

Everyone around the table smiled.
King Phillip: "That will be all, please take him back to his cell."
Still muttering about this great injustice, Halgar is escorted back to his cell.

Still muttering about this great injustice, Halgar is escorted back to his cell.
King Phillip: "Well done Frederick, while I don't approve of lying, in this case it can save many lives.. now we know Prince Edward the Lion is behind all this."
Henry: "So what happens now? We can't take the fight to him.. Cedric is the millitairy advisor and leader. He'd know what to do."
King Phillip: "Which is why it is best we keep it a secret that we know of Prince Edward's intentions.. first we will need to focus on finding this Krinflower. Also.. Henry.. during Cedric's recovery I'd like to request you to take over his positon for the time being. You will now lead the swans untill Cedric is capable of it once more."


Henry seemed rather overwhelmed by this. "Sire? But.. I can't possibly stand in my brother's footsteps! I'm not ready for this."
King Phillip: "I know it is a big responsibility, but it is only temporarily.. and I am sure that Frederick and Roderick will help you carry this burden. You are not your brother, and I don't expect you to be.. You are turning out to be a great knight yourself, you have a good heart. You will need to learn to calm yourself though... you can be quick to anger at times."
Henry: "I.. no you are right sire.. I'll try to watch my temper."
Elena: "I'll help you Henry... we are in this together."
Frederick: "Your friends are here too, we'll help where we can."
Roderick: "Yes, you don't need to do this alone.. perhaps you should have a word with your servants before we continue?"

Henry agreed and turned around, Elena moved to stand beside him. The two swan squires and the archer lined up, having overheard the discussion. They where staying close to their lord, Cedric.

Henry: "Alright men.. you are all aware of the situation.. I will do my best to lead the swans in my brother's absence.. If you have any concerns, feel free to speak your mind about it. Together, we can get through this and I hope Cedric will recover soon."
The Swan followers smiled and spoke in unison: "We are with you sir Henry, we respect you and will follow your lead."

Henry nodded to them, and moved past them towards his brother.

Henry spoke determined: "I will make you proud brother.. but please.. get better soon.. Right now I only wish to train with you again, with you seemingly invincible to whatever I throw at you... We will do our best to keep the castle safe during your recovery." Henry could barely hold back a tear as he spoke, remembering better times.
Elena placed a hand on his shoulder, she would wish for things to return to how they where just as well, but would do her best to help Henry through the difficult times ahead.

In the meanwhile, Sir Christopher pushed himself off his bed and moved over to the table, walking rather uneasy and then leaning on the table for support.

King Phillip: "Sir Christopher, you should rest. Don't exert yourself!"
Christopher: "I can't just watch when I'm needed.. I want to help in this.. I heard everything and I think your kingdom should not face this threat alone. There may be more to it than has been revealed yet. I won't fight for a while, but I have friends at several courts.. Other kings should know the truth about Prince Edward as well."

As he speaks, Stephen and Jory return to the table along with Henry and Elena.

Together, all of them are now planning together how to proceed for the times ahead.. There are many things to do and they need to be carefully about it.
The Krinflower needs to be recovered from Pepperwood forest, Prince Edward's true intentions need to be revealed and his plans must be stopped.. and the Dread Baron is also still around. Will they be able to overcome all these dangers without Cedric?
Time will tell.. they are discussing their plans for hours untill they finally come to an agreement..

What exactly they are going to do, will be revealed soon in the next chapter.

[Tiermann]

Great continuation! Looking forward to the plan. Unfortunately Krinflower is out of season in Pavelonia, but if there's anything else we can help with do let us know.

[Lynx]

I'm enjoying your story so much, Rhalius! The photography is superb and the story intriguing! Keep them coming!