Chapter 100 Honor
In the royal stables.
The three hundred Blue Knights sat on wooden benches around long tables in a large dining hall of the building where they lived. One hundred and fifty squires served them dinner before eating their own meals at separate tables.
A loud noise echoed throughout the building.
A squire: Thunder?
Rodrigo stood up: No, that was not thunder
The noise was heard again, but this time louder. The captain of the Blue Knights approached a door and looked out of the building. He looked at Azure Death, and at the lines of unicorns behind him. They raised their right hooves and struck the ground with great force in unison. The building vibrated around them.
Rodrigo: Knights! Look!
The windows were filled with the faces of men and young boys. The unicorns struck the ground with such force that wine cups fell from the nearest tables.
Rodrigo looked at the sword of King Gutierre. He had carried it with him and had reflected on the words of the queen. Coward.
Rodrigo shouted: Knights! I remember bravery. I remember honor. I remember the feeling of strength. These are memories of the past. Our strength is useless. Honor has fled from our hearts. We can once again serve a strong and courageous heart. A girl faced Cobalt Storm without fear. She is a queen who deserves our loyalty.
A knight: For the kingdom!
Many voices: For the God of the Greenwood!
Hundreds of voices: For the queen!
Rodrigo: Saddles! Spears! Thunder!
The first floor of the tower.
Esteban looked down the main corridor of the west wing. He saw neither pages nor maidservants. No one was carrying dinner to the nobles.
The count: Shields! Weapons! The attack is coming!
The bells rang six times from the tower. Many doors opened quickly, and the main corridor filled with soldiers armed with crossbows. They fired in groups, with a one-second interval between each shot.
The royal guards formed walls with large steel shields. They blocked most of the projectiles fired by the crossbows. Some were fired with greater arc and flew over the shield walls.
Esteban watched one of them as it struck a stone wall near the main staircase. He picked up the steel projectile and looked at it with a strange feeling.
The second floor of the tower.
Pedro climbed the service staircase. He saw Marco and the page Yegor wielding spears and dressed in the leather training armor that the guards had provided to them. The young men were nervous. He looked at them and grabbed each of them by the shoulder.
Pedro: Calm down. This position is very far from the soldiers on the other side. They will have to get past many guards before you have to face them.
Marco: Yes, if they get here, we will have lost, right?
Yegor: We have not lost if we still have blood in our veins.
Pedro smiled: Yes, my warriors. If we are still alive, they have not won.
The captain went out and entered the main corridor. He watched as a nightmare came to life right before his eyes.
The queen, the duke, and several others were walking towards the captain in a group along with Raul and Mateo.
Many voices: Crossbows!
The young captain ran down the corridor, past the royal group. He drew his two swords and watched the crossbow bolts flying over the shields of his guard.
His mind determined in an instant which ones were dangerous and which would fall to the ground. He moved his swords with the speed of snakes. Two projectiles were deflected to his right and one to his left.
Pedro: Queen! Return to your chambers!
Chara: An attack is coming from above! The queen needs to escape with the help of the Pegasi!
Pedro: From above? The roof! Raúl, Mateo! The windows in the royal prayer room! Run!
The two guards started running. The captain deflected two more projectiles.
Pedro: My queen, flee to a safe place!
The group started running towards the stairs that the servants used. Pedro spun his swords like a windmill. Three more projectiles fell to the ground without causing any harm.
Chara pushed the queen towards the staircase entrance, and Volker did the same with the duke. The others quickly followed them. Now, thick stone walls protected them.
In the prayer room on the third floor of the tower.
Raúl and Mateo entered the dark room. In the past, kings had used this room to pray to the God of the Greenwood and the Goddess of the Air. Aloisio had not used it in years.
The guards heard the movements on the roof. They were very close. Raúl silently drew his sword and dagger. He crouched down next to the window closest to the door. He let out a small growl in his throat. A knight in chainmail began to climb through the window. Raúl stood up and using his dagger, lifted the chainmail and stabbed the knight in the stomach with his sword. Then he pushed the man back toward the knight who was behind him.
Mateo took the battle axe from his back and held it with both hands. He positioned himself next to another window. A head, protected by a steel helmet, appeared in the window. The large axe struck the helmet with incredible force. A knight from Colina Alba fell onto the roof and died half an hour later.
On the stairs.
Chara: We must run to the nest. It is a long journey, but if the queen stays here, I think she will die.
Monika: My queen, I cannot run with you. I am too old. I do not want to slow you down.
Olivia: Mama, no.
Monika: Everything I have done has been for you. Run, survive, and be a good queen.
Chara: Queen, we must go now.
Olivia: Antonio, please take her to a safe place.
Antonio: Of course.
The young page took her hand and guided her down the stairs. The queen and five others rushed up the stairs. The sounds of fighting came from very close by.
On the first floor.
Esteban watched the knights advancing down the corridor. Every time his guards attacked them, the crossbows fired again. Their progress was slow, but he could not stop them.
Esteban: Retreat to the tower! Defend the main staircase and all the entrances!
They retreated slowly with their shields held high. The knights from the west wing of the castle advanced. As they crossed in front of the main entrance, groups of soldiers emerged from the libraries, art galleries, and corridors. Each soldier raised a crossbow and fired in unison.
The soldiers and knights of Valero faced a hail of crossbow bolts coming from their flank. Some received three or four wounds. More than thirty fell to the ground in less than two seconds. Many others retreated into the corridors, dragging along comrades who were injured. Any man on the ground who moved or made any noise received another crossbow bolt.
The trap of Esteban held them for now.