Conquest
Chapter One
Frosty winds billowed across the castlegrounds. It was nearing the sunset and a single knight sat alone, their sword laid across their lap and sitting in the grass.
They looked up at the sound of a new arrival.
"Anna," they smiled, "What brings you here?"
"You're gonna freeze, you idiot," Anna settled beside them, "Take off the helmet, Liz. Seriously." Lizzie smiled a little and pulled the helmet off, placing it and the sword on the ground beside her.
"I wasn't planning on staying that long," Lizzie insisted.
"That's what I was told you said about two hours ago," Anna voiced, skeptically.
"So time got away from me," Lizzie shrugged, the last of the sun settling over the horizon. She grabbed her helmet and tucked away her sword before offering Anna a hand up, "Let's go back to the castle."
⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆
Within seconds of returning to the castle, the two instantly missed the peaceful atmosphere of the field.
"WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?" a serving boy was suddenly in their face.
"In the field," Lizzie replied.
"Do you have any idea the stress you cause me?" he demanded. He turned to Anna, "And you! I thought you were gonna go get her and get right back here! What's the idea?"
"It takes me twelve minutes, one way," Anna said, "If you have such a problem, next time, you go."
"Maybe I will," he argued.
"Okay... Okay. Enough," Lizzie sighed, "I'm going inside now. Happy, Kif?"
"Oh, no you don't," he shook his head, "You go upstairs and clean up before you even CONSIDER seeing the court."
"Right." Lizzie rolled her eyes and headed to do just that.
⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆
"This is so uncomfortable," Lizzie complained, trying to readjust her formal uniform, only to get her hand swatted away by her hand maid.
"It's not all bad, Liz," Anna suggested, already in her own uniform and ready to enter the court of the king, "You look civilized, at least."
"Hey!" Lizzie exclaimed, shoving her playfully, "Shut up."
"Done," her hand maid, whose name was Auburn and was about the same age as the two knights, but far too shy and disciplined to ever bother talking to them, squeaked. Lizzie glanced around the room at the other knights - twelve in all. These were the finest knight the land of Gulgal had. Each of them would be sent on a quest, to test them. The king would choose from them the greatest to gain his kingdom, for King Valmire was old and had no heir.
"No doubt you think you're going to win, Lizzie?" a broad shouldered man also wearing the formal uniform approached her, "Don't you have a feast to cook, princess?"
"Get lost, Augustus!" Anna replied, "You're nothing but a puppy. All bark and no bite."
"We'll see about that, wont we?" he sneered, sending one last prideful look at Lizzie, "May the better MAN win."
They looked up at the sound of a new arrival.
"Anna," they smiled, "What brings you here?"
"You're gonna freeze, you idiot," Anna settled beside them, "Take off the helmet, Liz. Seriously." Lizzie smiled a little and pulled the helmet off, placing it and the sword on the ground beside her.
"I wasn't planning on staying that long," Lizzie insisted.
"That's what I was told you said about two hours ago," Anna voiced, skeptically.
"So time got away from me," Lizzie shrugged, the last of the sun settling over the horizon. She grabbed her helmet and tucked away her sword before offering Anna a hand up, "Let's go back to the castle."
⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆
Within seconds of returning to the castle, the two instantly missed the peaceful atmosphere of the field.
"WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?" a serving boy was suddenly in their face.
"In the field," Lizzie replied.
"Do you have any idea the stress you cause me?" he demanded. He turned to Anna, "And you! I thought you were gonna go get her and get right back here! What's the idea?"
"It takes me twelve minutes, one way," Anna said, "If you have such a problem, next time, you go."
"Maybe I will," he argued.
"Okay... Okay. Enough," Lizzie sighed, "I'm going inside now. Happy, Kif?"
"Oh, no you don't," he shook his head, "You go upstairs and clean up before you even CONSIDER seeing the court."
"Right." Lizzie rolled her eyes and headed to do just that.
⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆
"This is so uncomfortable," Lizzie complained, trying to readjust her formal uniform, only to get her hand swatted away by her hand maid.
"It's not all bad, Liz," Anna suggested, already in her own uniform and ready to enter the court of the king, "You look civilized, at least."
"Hey!" Lizzie exclaimed, shoving her playfully, "Shut up."
"Done," her hand maid, whose name was Auburn and was about the same age as the two knights, but far too shy and disciplined to ever bother talking to them, squeaked. Lizzie glanced around the room at the other knights - twelve in all. These were the finest knight the land of Gulgal had. Each of them would be sent on a quest, to test them. The king would choose from them the greatest to gain his kingdom, for King Valmire was old and had no heir.
"No doubt you think you're going to win, Lizzie?" a broad shouldered man also wearing the formal uniform approached her, "Don't you have a feast to cook, princess?"
"Get lost, Augustus!" Anna replied, "You're nothing but a puppy. All bark and no bite."
"We'll see about that, wont we?" he sneered, sending one last prideful look at Lizzie, "May the better MAN win."