Regression: Medieval Intrigue

"Greetings Mr Carter."

Alice is a bit less cheerful today but musters a smile as she opens the door fully. I'm barely inside before she's back at her desk though and I briefly wonder if I'll be entranced while still standing in the doorway.

---

King Henry gave Father a village and a small two-storey castle for services he provided following the sinking of the White Ship. When I became of age some time later I was given command of our men-at-arms, the peasants conscripted from the village. Upon the death of the king Father declares his support for the Empress Maude, as any loyal subject should, and as England slips deeper into war commands me to take the company to the river crossing, to hold it against another petty lord we're unfriendly with and who lives nearby. I lead my force, nearly fifty strong, from the castle soon after the breakfast, Father watching from a balcony he'd had built a year ago.

The men are in high spirits as we march, the bridge over the river was narrow and easily defendable. We arrived in good order, setting camp on the bank and I establish a system for guarding the bridge. This continues for six days, the priest is just packing up to head back to the village church after prayer, when a bloodied horseman rides up to the camp. I start towards him as he dismounts, recognizing him as one of Father's servants.

"My lord!" He drops to one knee at my approach. "Your father bade me give you new orders."

I'm nervous as I take the scroll the servant holds out. From his condition someone had tried to prevent his movement.

"Richard!" A peasant hurries to my side. "Take this man to the butcher. I want him looked after."

The peasant leads the servant into the camp, an arm thrown around him, and I carefully break the seal on the scroll, unfurling it. My face pales as I read the words, read of the surprise attack on the castle that had been repulsed only with great loss.

The priest is still loading his possessions onto his pony when I find him. He pauses upon seeing me, placing the book in his hands on the ground.

"I need guidance Father. My lord has commanded me to assail the castle of Sir David, to take revenge for the slaying of my own family."

The priest looks troubled for a moment, eyes cast downward, before kneeling to collect his book.

"My son, the Lord Almighty commands us to honour thy father. If he has truly tasked you with such an undertaking then you should obey."

I nod in understanding, touching the pommel of my sword. It was wooden, carved into the shape of a lion's head by Mother the day I received the weapon. The idea that she was dead, that my father and sister were dead, stokes fury in my heart and I draw my sword, going down on one knee before driving the blade into the soil.

"Father, attend me. I make a vow on the cross to visit ruin on Sir David."

The priest solemnly nods as he acknowledges my vow, making the sign of the cross and pressing a finger against my forehead.

"Go with God my son."

I quickly make preparations for my mission, checking the health of the horse the servant had arrived on and then finding a respected peasant. I give him command of the company, tell him to heed any advice the servant has, and ride across the bridge, eyes fixed on the horizon and the castle that lies beyond it. The road I'm on is a major north-south trail and from travellers I learn much about the conflict now gripping southern England, and why Father had given me the task of holding the river. Amid the chaos of the royal civil war lords, both north and south, were settling scores under the guise of supporting one claimant or another.

I leave the road as I get nearer to Sir David's castle. I vaguely remember it being larger than ours due to many generations of expansion. Among what I'd packed though is a grapple and I'm quietly confident I can scale the castle and gain entry during a night. All my plans might not be needed, camps of mercenaries are gathered around the gates of Berkton and the castle. They'd clearly been assembled so Sir David could expand his territory but I could pretend to belong to a group in order to enter the castle. Finding insignia isn't hard and I stride beneath the gatehouse in my adorned armour, trying to fit in among the rough types. I notice a serving girl pass around a tapestry and after following discover the servants' passageways nearly all large buildings seem to have. The girl is reaching for jars on a shelf, stretched out so prettily, and she gasps upon turning to see me, her prize falling from her hands. I stab my dagger into her stomach, manhandling the doubled-up servant back into the alcove as she sobs, before swiping my blade across her throat.

Moving quickly now I hasten through the bewildering length of hidden corridors, climbing up into the central keep's upper levels. As I pass an archway I hear Sir David's distinctive boom, there's a voice you'd never forget, and peer into the chamber beyond. It appears to be a solar, Sir David holding court even when with just his wife, and my gaze flicks between them both, eventually settling on the knight's wife. She's young, looks only slightly older than I am and I'm reminded of my sister and how she would have turned out. I rush into the solar, hurling my dagger at Sir David to distract him, and drive my sword fully into his wife's chest, until the crossguard was pressing into her breasts. Her death comes so swiftly she can't comprehend it, staring at me with bulged eyes, and a flicker of fast-passing pain crosses her features when I pull back to wave my bloodied weapon at Sir David.

"You ordered the destruction of my family, the ending of a proud lineage. You will die for that."

He laughs as I approach, the sound of his sword being drawn ringing out, and I glance at the chamber door for an instant following our first engagement, sure that guards are about to burst in. We step around furniture and the dead woman, swords clashing in a furious display. I'm slightly offput by Sir David's lack of reaction to losing his wife, perhaps he's so confident he's thinking he'll grieve later.

The vigour granted to the young provides me with an advantage and despite my being in armour it is Sir David who is struggling for breath. Shallow wounds decorate his arms, lucky escapes from powerful blows, and he's unsteady due to tripping over one of his wife's outstretched legs.

"You fight well young warrior and I commend your teacher."

I remain silent, recognizing what he's doing as a delaying tactic, and step forward, sword pointed out. He manages to just deflect my strike, another line of blood appearing on his shoulder, but I then pivot. My blade cuts into his neck, chopping deeply, and we gaze at each other until Sir David stumbles, dragging himself away. He almost instantly drops, trying in vain to staunch the blood gushing from his neck, and I step forward again, sliding my sword into his chest and ending his life with a clean thrust.