Rules of Engagement

“Arabella! Arabella wait up! Please!” I swung my horse around and watched as my sister rode up to me on her noble steed. The pouring rain was making it hard to see more than a few feet before me but it didn’t stop me from making my horse canter out of the palace walls. The sack on my back was filled with food, travelling clothes, and things I could sell or trade for money, housing, or more food. I wasn’t planning on coming back, not with Father dictating my life till he passed. “I’m coming with you!”

“You need to stay in the safe walls of the castle Isabelle! I can’t protect you like the guards can!” I had to yell over the booming crackling lightning and thunder that split the sky into a bunch of shattered little pieces. More horse snorted in fear and started to get antsy, and for fear of being thrown off I turned him around and started running again. I knew Isabelle was following because I knew the kind of person my sister was. If she wanted to follow me, then so be it.

I didn’t know where I was going anymore and the rain was starting to become too much for me and the horse to handle. I turned to my sister who was soaked down to the bone like I was and I felt a tug at my heart. I didn’t want her to get sick on my behalf so I started looking around for someplace for us to camp for the night. Another lightning strike sent Isabelle’s horse rearing up and I quickly grabbed its reins to hold him down so as to not knock her off into the mud.

“Easy, boy. Easy, boy.” I kept looking until I spotted a faint light in the distance near the forest. I tapped Isabelle’s shoulder and pointed. She looked and nodded and we both started running towards shelter. “He-ya! Come on boy faster now!”

I was beginning to shiver and my teeth start to chatter from the cold when we reached the small shabby shack that was supposed to be a house. I could tell, even with the rain pelting me in the face and blinding me, that it had a leaky roof and needed to be fixed up. These poor people…

Isabelle jumped off the horse with her stuff and ran to the door in hast with myself in suit. I pulled the hood further over my face and made a promise to myself that I would reward these people kindly if they helped and sheltered us. Isabelle went to go knock when it was suddenly thrust open sending her backwards into me as I ascended the steps. I grabbed her as she yelped out in fright and shock.

“I'm sorry to disturb you, but we saw your light and we’re lost.” Isabelle hid her face well but as soon as I saw him I recognized him. The boy from the market was standing before confused at our presence before he blinked and shook his head to clear his thoughts.

“Well, come in, please. I'm Jack.” He stood aside and Isabelle and I quickly shoved ourselves inside and out of the rain. I hurried over to the fire place and started to feel my body completely de-numb from the cold rain. Jack said nothing but eyed us suspiciously. I don’t think he knew who we were yet and hopefully we could keep it that way.

“How do you do, Jack?” I said smiling. I knew he could see the lower half of my face.

“What are you doing out in this nasty weather?”

“Well, it wasn't like this when I set out. The storm just crept up on us.” I said sitting down on a rickety chair before the fire. There was no way I was leaving this spot if this fire kept going. Isabelle was examining the room around us, not observing anything but just being nosey. She always did like looking at things.

“What, and you just saw my light?”

“Yes.” Isabelle replied simply looking to me. He was asking a lot of questions, which I didn’t blame him but we couldn’t afford for him to find out who we were. He might turn us in for a prize or something.

“And you two were just riding alone?” He crossed his arms and really looked at us now. He was trying to put two and two together. “Do you do that often?”

“Is this your farm?” I quickly asked standing up and walking around the room. It was my turn to ask questions now. I ran my hand along the spines of a few books before one caught my eye. I picked it up and started looking through it remembering old times. I sighed and closed it gently before placing it down once more.

“Yes. No. Sort of. My uncle and I are tenant farmers. We just work the land.” He blushed a little causing Isabelle to have a small smile cross her face. I smirked and looked away. She had a little crush on the farmer boy and I had to admit it was kind of romantic, the whole forbidden love notion. That was until I remembered my own tragic love story and it was no longer romantic.

“And, uh, these books?” I asked indicating the one I put down.

“Yeah, they're mine.”

“You know what? It's fairly unusual for a farm boy to have so many books that he could actually read.” I said impressed with his knowledge and skills. I didn’t mean it in a rude or insulting manner but I guess it came out wrong because he got defensive.

“Judging by the cover are we?” He asked crossing his forearms once more watching my every move. I smiled softly at him trying to ease the tension.

“I apologize for my abrasive comment. What do you like reading Jack?”

“I like a good adventure.”

“In books or in life?” Now I was really intrigued with the boy, but not in a romantic way. I had to admit he was surprising me with every passing moment.

“Till I can find a way to get off this farm, I have to settle for books.” I nodded in agreement. Isabelle and I were the same way. Always taking the small chances we got to escape and explore and do something with our lives other than read, sew, and just stand around looking pretty.

“And, uh, that mark on your face was that an adventure?” I raised my eyebrow at Isabelle who was quickly placing herself in the conversation and I got the quick thought that she was jealous for a moment but she had to know I was not interested in a boy who was old enough to be my little brother. I always did prefer men to boys. Men like Elmont…

I ignored the stabbing the pain in my chest and turned back to the books. A lot of these I had read before on rainy days or in the study chambers with my tutors to further my education in the arts of literature. There were novellas like‘Sir Gawain and the Green Knight’ which was a late 14th-century Middle English alliterative romance. It is one of the best known Arthurian stories of our time, and is of a type known as the "beheading game". The Green Knight was interpreted by some as a representation of the Green Man of folklore and by others as an allusion to Christ himself. Written in bob and wheel stanzas, it draws on Welsh, Irish and English stories, as well as the French chivalric tradition. It is an important poem because it involves a hero who goes on a quest which tests his prowess. It describes how Sir Gawain, a knight of King Arthur's Round Table, accepts a challenge from a mysterious "Green Knight" who challenges any knight to strike him with his axe if he will take a return blow in a year and a day. Gawain accepts and beheads him with his blow, at which the Green Knight stands up, picks up his head and reminds Gawain of the appointed time. In his struggles to keep his bargain Gawain demonstrates chivalry and loyalty until his honor is called into question by a test involving Lady Bertilak, the lady of the Green Knight's castle. It was honestly one of my favorites next to the Giants of Albion.

There were a few more like Chanson de Geste which was originally composed in Old French and apparently intended for oral performance by jongleurs. The chansons de geste narrates legendary incidents in the history of France during the eighth, ninth and tenth centuries, the age of Charles Martel, Charlemagne and Louis the Pious, with emphasis on their conflicts with the Moors and Saracens, and also disputes between kings and their vassals. The traditional subject matter of the chansons de geste became known as the Matter of France which distinguished them from romances concerned with the Matter of Britain, like King Arthur and his knights and with the so-called Matter of Rome, covering the Trojan War, the conquests of Alexander the Great, the life of Julius Cesar and some of his Imperial successors, who were given medieval makeovers as exemplars of chivalry.

“I, um, got in a fight today. At the market.” I blinked out of my thoughts remembering where I was and what we were talking about. Isabelle was captivated by what this boy had to say about everything and here I was ignoring him thinking about books.

“What about?”

“I was defending the honor of the princesses.” He said somewhat proudly and I bit back a chuckle. If he was of Noble Blood he would have fit into the Guardian’s group perfectly.

“The Princesses? Really now? You sure you didn't read that in one of your books? How did you know it was the princess?” I asked turning towards him. I felt my hood shift and his eyes seem to narrow like he was trying to remember something.

“I didn't. Just saw she needed help. It wasn't until the Guardians showed up that I realized who she was. Anyway, it happened very fast. I wouldn't blame her if she didn't remember me.” He paused looking at Isabelle almost like a young fool in love. Oh this boy had it bad. Isabelle looked at me and blushed as she saw my features straining not to laugh at her. We may be inseparable and have a strong bond but that didn’t stop us from being like normal sisters and teasing each other nonstop. “What are you running away from?”

“Who says we’re running away?” Isabelle asked standing up straighter going into a defensive stance. It was the same one she used when arguing with our Father. “Maybe we’re running toward something. Just looking for an adventure of our own.”

“Well, so far you've run toward the light on my porch, Your Highness.” I saw when it finally clicked as he saw me and he dropped to his knees. The loud thud made me cringe in pain wondering how people willingly fell to the floor when they saw us. I pulled my hood back slowly realizing our cover was blown. Isabelle waited before doing the same.

“Please stand.” I said embarrassed and looking away. I know it was a sign of respect but I never did like how people threw themselves at my feet…literally.

“You must think I'm very silly.” Jack said quickly standing up not looking me in the face.

“No not at all actually.” I said smiling. “I just wish my hood did a better job at hiding my face.”

“I just wish that.-. Well, earlier at the market-.” He started stammering and I held up and hand to stop him. His mouth snapped shut and I chuckled.

“Thank you for defending our honor, Jack. It was a very brave thing to do.” I smiled kindly at him and indicated for my sister to say her thanks as well. Isabelle expressed her gratitude and I nodded in approval. Manners were always key.

“Anytime. Here, I'll take your coat. And until you find your own adventure-.” He started but Isabelle got distracted by the book I was now playing with again. I had always wondered if it was really a myth or legend. Did giants really once roam the Earth?

"The Giants of Gantua.” She muttered taking the book from me and skimming through it.

“My father used to read that to me.” Jack smiled sadly and I remembered he said he lived with his Uncle. His father must have died judging from the sad faraway look that now played with his features.

“That was always our mother's job.” Isabelle looked at me and it was my turn to smile sadly. I missed our mother every day wish I could bring her back. I needed her gently and reassuring guidance more than ever now these days. She always knew what to do.

“I hope you find what you're looking for, Your Highnesses.”

“Please. Call me Isabelle. And that ill-mannered future Queen over there is Arabella.” I rolled my eyes at my sister and waved a hello at Jack.

“Isabelle.” He nodded at her and turned to me. “Arabella.”

The cat suddenly growled deeply at the floor boards and I raised my eyebrows in question at the feline’s mental state. Before I could say anything to our newfound friend, there was a deep and loud rumble that didn’t belong to the thunder outside. The house began to shake violently and as I fell backwards from being thrown off balance, a giant green vine burst through the floor to my right and shoot straight up into the air and through the roof causing a rush of rain water to come crashing in me. The house continued to rock back and forth before more vines came sprouting up.

“Isabelle!” I screamed for my sister turning to where she just was only to find it empty.

“Arabella!” I heard her from beneath the bookshelves that had fallen on top of her and I quickly stood up to go help her only to be thrown backwards towards the now open front door as we began to rise up with the vines. The house was now entangled in the green mess.

“Jack! Go help Isabelle!” I screamed as I slammed into the door frame and started sliding out. I screamed even more in fear as my feet dangled off the ground and we rose higher.

“Help! Hurry! Get me out! Jack! Please! No!” Hearing my sister in fear and knowing I couldn’t help her without helping myself first was killing me. I needed to get her and get her out of here and fast. I looked up as she push the shelves off and started for the door. There was a quick jerking in the vines and she fell over and Jack fell out the door by me. I somehow ended up grabbing onto his jacket and trying to keep him from falling to his death. Jack grunted as a vine smashed into him and ended up slamming the door shut on us and creeping in front of it holding it shut. Isabelle had just gotten up and over to it to get out too.

I yelled as I used what little muscles I had to pull him up to stand on the vines beneath us. He made a strange noise that even made me pause. “What is it? What's wrong?”

“Heights. I'm not wildly keen on heights.” I shook my head. Now was not the time for a phobia to rule his life.

“Hold on, I'm coming Isabelle!” I yelled pulling on the vine but it wouldn’t move. “It's stuck!”

Before anyone else could say anything further another vine shot out and ended up knocking Jack and I off the ledge of the house. I screamed from falling from a distance up but nothing matched my sister’s scream as she reached for me through the window of the house that was now at full speed towards the dark gray and stormy clouds and out of my reach.

“Arabella!”