Chapter 69 A Shaky Peace
The great hall of the royal castle.
Six royal guards stood in a row in front of the main hall that led to the great tower that formed the center of the palace. They were watching a group of castle guards and Colina Verde knights approaching from the west wing, where most of the important nobles lived.
Guard Raul: Tell that page to find the captain.
The guard turned to speak to a page. The young man ran down the corridor toward the stairs.
The twelve men reached the front of the royal guard and deployed in a curved line, so that there were knights on both sides of the guard line. One guard, the leader of his unit of six, approached Raul.
Guard Dante: I have a message for the Count of Arms and orders to escort him to the chambers of Count Octavio.
Raul smirked: I am happy for you. Give me the message, and when the count has read it, he can walk to Count Octavio without help.
Dante: Are you deaf? We were going to the apartments of the Count, and we will take him before Count Octavio.
Raul: The count, to whom you swore an oath, takes no orders from Octavio or you. Give me the message and return to your duties, or you will be in a jail cell very soon.
Dante: Can you count?
Raúl: Yes. One pussy from Colina Verde, two pussies from Colina Verde...
Dante took a step back and drew his sword: Stand aside or there will be blood.
Raul: Guards, stay in line.
He stepped forward and drew his sword. The five royal guards adjusted their formation to block the corridor, maintaining equal distances between them.
The two of them circled to the right with their swords almost point to point. Raul struck the sword of Dante with his own in a swift motion. Dante almost overcorrected the position of his sword and in doing so almost created a hole in his defense.
Raul, with a smile: Watch out, little hen!
Dante struck the sword of Raul hard and then slashed across his eyes. Raul leaned back to avoid the attack and lunged forward with a stab towards his stomach. The point was deflected by the armor worn by Dante, but he groaned in pain from the blow.
Raul: If you could use a sword, your wife would not lay with all your friends.
Dante feigned an attack on his chest, withdrew his sword, and stepped to the left. The sword descended toward the leg of his opponent. Raúl regained his balance and blocked the attack with his own sword. The two approached and raised their swords above their shoulders, striking toward the head of the other. Both swords would have struck their mark but were stopped by two swords in the hands of Captain Pedro.
The captain had pushed past one of his guards and entered, drawing his two swords. Between the two fighters, he twirled like a dancer and spun his swords to push their swords in a direction against their wrists. Two swords fell to the ground and Pedro stopped with the tips of his swords pressed against the throats of the two surprised men.
Pedro while looking at Dante: Raul! Pick up your sword and return to your post.
The captain swung his other sword at the tabard of Dante. He sliced the fabric across one shoulder with a swift cut and used his other sword to lift it up, stripping Dante of the tabard that identified him as a guard of the castle. The captain threw the tabard with his sword towards a wall. He used both swords to take the message from his belt and tossed it towards a guard behind him.
Pedro: Dante, if I see you again in the castle tabard, I will kill you. You are dismissed from service immediately.
Peador walked silently toward the entrance of the great hall. He had heard the struggle and decided to investigate. He glanced at the knights beside the guards. One drew his sword, and another did the same. He took three quick steps toward the men.
He moved his mace as if it weighed nothing in an arc above his head, until he smashed down onto the sword. The steel blade broke in half with an incredible sound. The other knight turned to face him, and the great man raised his mace with such force that the sword and arm flew over the head of the knight. Peador kicked him in the stomach, and the knight flew away from him and landed on his back.
Peador: It is time to leave, boys.
The Lord watched as some retreated and brandished the mace above his head, bringing it down to the ground. A block of stone shattered as it was struck by the iron head.
Some of them walked a little quickly down the corridor towards the west wing, almost half of them fled in great fear.
Pedro bowed to the great Lord and looked with less respect at his guard Raul. He placed his hand in front of the guard with the message, who handed it to him.
Pedro: Men, keep your heads. Only fight if necessary.
He left the great hall to go to the chambers of his count. When the captain stood before his commander, he handed him the message.
Pedro: We are discovering who is loyal to their oath and who is loyal to coin.
Esteban read the message and sighed: Two royal pages are dead, and four others are seriously injured, but they will live. Steward Hector was found in his chambers, murdered with his own dagger. Count Octavio wants to know who committed these horrific crimes while I was in command.
Pedro: What does my commander want?
Esteban: Wait a moment.
The count took out a parchment and wrote a long official order and handed it to his loyal captain.
Esteban, in a serious voice: For the safety of the castle servants, all those who serve a nobleman of the castle may remain in the rooms closest to their masters, even in their private quarters. Common servants may remain in the wing of the castle closest to the nobles they serve. The servants decide where to live in times of danger. The kitchens and quarters of the servants will be guarded by the royal guard and the common guard, under the command of Count of Arms Esteban of Colina Verde.
Pedro: I need a hundred or more regular guards to do it.
Esteban: Use one hundred and fifty. Those at the gates of the defensive wall. Only honorable guards, understand? The danger now is inside the castle.
Pedro sighed: I understand. Let us protect everyone we can.
The captain saluted his count and went out to fulfill his duty.
Esteban would soon have a small army in the castle under his command.