"Sayemontess: Do Not Enter" #ReedsyTalk

Trigger Warning: This short story contains Mature Themes, some Sexual Content, some Strong Language, Alcohol Use, Bloody Violence, and Suspense.

 Sayemontess: Do Not Enter.

“All men to the gates!” I ordered. “Run. Run fast! Take your torches! Take your weapons and armor. Just go! Go now! Fire. We need fire in the pits! All of them! Sonja, please. Go quickly with this torch. Light. We must have light. The rest of you beautiful women, I depend on you to help me protect Sayemontess. Will you?” That was all I had to say as they took action barricading the massive castle doors.

It was so late when the guards alerted us. There had been a breach at our southern gate. This was unprecedented. Two-dozen people against our population of sixty-nine. Were they stupid? Sonja approached me as I sat on my throne.

“It is finished. I have set fires around the perimeter.” She said.

“Don’t panic. Don’t panic.” I said to myself.

Then, Daniel, who was a little older than me, rushed to the throne all covered in blood.

“I made it! I made it back alive! I had to see your face one last time, my Great Leader.” cried poor Daniel. Then he collapsed. He did a face-plant right at the foot of my throne. A knife protruded from his spine.

“Oh my! Is he dead, Sonja? Oh, check him, please!” I begged.

“No pulse! He’s dead!” She said as she closed his dead, bloodshot eyes. “I’m so sorry, Martha.”

“It’s Great Leader! Remember?” I said softly, but harshly.

“Oh, I’m sorry! It just slipped.”

“Alright. Go fetch me some wine.”

I did not know how many casualties we had. The fight had just started. I needed answers! It took her a few minutes, but Sonja returned with two bottles of Cabernet.

“Sonja, my brave friend. You have always supported me. I’ve cried on your shoulder many times. I need you to hide. Hide in the dungeons. Take fire, and water. Pack as if you are going away for a long winter trip. It gets cold down there. Take blankets. Make two trips if you must. If something happens to me, and I’ll put it in writing, you will be heir to the throne.”

“But Great Leader…”

“Go!” I ordered as I teared up.

“Yes. I’ll go, but…”

“Yes?”

“The absinthe. May I…”

“It’s yours. You’ll need it more than me. I’ve got my wine… Actually, fetch me one bottle. Before you leave, we’ll have us a drink.”

“Yes! Great Leader! Do you want sugar cubes? I can light it up, or do you want it straight?”

Before I could answer, we heard screams coming from one man on our side of the gate. Such brutal screams. Bloodcurdling screams. I wanted the screams to stop.

“Go! Absinthe. The works! Light it up! Oh, dear Lord in Heaven, if you are real… if there really is sin… then forgive me for what I am about to do.”

I took off my crown and placed it on the throne. I dressed myself in chainmail armor, and Sonja returned with the drinks.

“Where are you going? Why the armor?” she asked as she put sugar cubes on a silver, slotted spoon. She then lit the drinks on fire. I could smell sweet licorice fill the air.

“If we must fight, I will join the men on the battlefield. Sonja, we’re going to win.” I assured her. “Please, now, drink.”

The fire had burnt away the sugar, and in minutes, the drinks were gone. They were strong. Delicious. It made my mouth, and my lips go numb.

“Thank you, Sonja. It’s time.”

When she left, I did not know if I would see her again. I, then, gathered my weapons, and approached my female guards at the front doors.

“Open, please.” I ordered. They removed the barricades and opened the heavy doors. As I stepped forward, I tripped over my chainmail suit. “Blast!” I swore. I had fallen hard and landed on my bad knee. “Dammit!” I swore again.

A woman named Clarice tried to help me up, but my bad knee was telling me-

“No, don’t!”

“You must go back to the throne, Great Leader.” said Clarice in her uniquely soothing voice.

I did not want to go back, but I did. I quickly put it in writing my plans for Sonja. Then, finally, the screaming stopped. I felt my stomach drop. Could it be over? Or could my men all be dead or captured? I needed more answers! I stared out the open doors, and into the darkness. It was the longest minute of my life.

Then, a head, the head of Bartholomew, came flying through the doors. It landed with a splat right next to Daniel’s corpse. I couldn’t help but scream. Someone had just thrown Bartholomew’s head at me.

I instantly grabbed my bow and arrow. I shot it into the darkness, and it hit the target that was about to come inside.

“Clarice! Drag the piece of shite in! Strip him! Search him!” I yelled.

He wore a belt of knives, and filthy, worn-out clothes. Twelve knives to be exact. One massive knife had jagged edges like a saw. This must be what he killed poor Bartholomew with. The bastard. I rose up from my throne and retrieved that knife. I approached the dead stranger, and I sawed off his right leg.

“How do you like that? Huh? How do you like that?” I spat in his ugly face. I plunged the wicked knife deep into his throat, and when I pulled it out, blood sprayed out all over me and Clarice. Some women gasped. Some cheered. Some just stood in silence. I killed. My first killing, and dismemberment. Now, who was going to be next? I waited. I waited for something to happen. The quiet, oh the quiet was killing me.

Clarice took inventory of what the sick bastard possessed. She found a nice pocket watch, some pain pills (These will come in handy!), a toothbrush, and a small, pure- gold locket that had a small picture of an older woman. His mother, perhaps? But really? Who cared? I tore out the picture and walked out towards the closest fire pit. I ripped it in half and threw it into the fire. I laughed a little as I watched the woman in the picture vanish into ashes and smoke. I pocketed the locket, and said to it-

“You’re in a better place, my new friend. I’m sure of it. I will protect you.” Then I turned to the women who watched me from the doorway as they were too afraid to step outside with me. “I will protect all of you! Tonight, we will have victory. I believe it. Do you believe me? We can take these common, and dirty people.”

As I got closer to the women, I had them all huddle around me. I spoke as quietly as I could.

“Here is what I’m thinking. We spread out around the fortress. Stay close to the fire pits as we shall light our arrows on fire and kill these common fuckers.”

Then it happened, and my heart just broke. An arrow flew right past me. It almost hit my head. A great assassination attempt. It hit Clarice in her left clavicle. She collapsed.

“Spread out! Shields up!” I screamed. “Don’t panic. Don’t panic.” I whispered to myself. “No, don’t!”

Then I heard one of the sweetest, most soft-spoken women you could ever meet, Beatrice, scream-

“I see them! They approach us from the south! Great Leader, permission for us to light our arrows? Permission to set the skies ablaze?”

“Women, guard your stations! Prepare yourselves for battle! Now, light it up! Light up the sky! Aim, and…” Then I heard a male’s soft voice whisper in my ear.

“Peace. You have the power to make peace.”

Peace? Peace would not bring back Daniel or Bartholomew!

“Fire!” I ordered, and the spectacle was amazingly breathtaking. The arrows lit up the south side of Sayemontess. They landed in unexpected areas. In the trees, in the pond, in one man’s shoulder, and beyond. I counted three fallen men from the first round. When the flames went out- it was so hard to see. Were they charging us? Where the hell were our men? I ordered another round to be fired.

“Take aim at whatever moves. Fire at will!” I ordered as I retreated to the bathroom to relieve myself. Even during these times- I felt it was important to be a lady. While the other women may be squatting in place- I preferred my privacy. There had to be more than a dozen men out there ogling them. There had to be. As I raced through the corridor, I stopped suddenly. I heard something behind me. Not screams, but footsteps. I proceeded cautiously but was afraid to look back. I entered the bathroom, opened the stall door, and soon felt relief. As I washed my hands, the warm water felt good. Then, a hand covered my mouth!

“Don’t scream! No, don’t!” whispered a male voice in my left ear intensely. He spun me around. It was Jacob. What a relief! Jacob was someone I cared about very much. We enjoyed our private times together. We had hot sex. He was quite possibly the best I had ever had. He uncovered my mouth and smiled at me with perfect chops.

“What are you doing here?” I asked. “The men are to guard the gates! I needed you to protect the women!” I became unglued. “Why is this happening? How many men have we lost? This is not okay! Why are you so calm?” He grabbed both of my arms and told me to be calm. To listen closely.

“Daniel got a bit ahead of himself. You know how he gets excited, right? Well, he just took off running towards the southern gate. He had his torch, and we told him to stop. To wait, but he just kept running. Then his torch went out. It was like he just disappeared. We kept moving, and we were careful not to let our flames go out. Then I heard Daniel.”

“Oh my, God.” A phrase I would normally never use.

“They got him. We re-grouped and discussed if we should split up. Bartholomew wanted us to split into four groups. North, South, East, and West! We decided against him, and he took off running north- back towards the castle. I’ve been so worried.” He said as he got choked up. Apparently, he did not see the corpse and the head by my throne when he entered Sayemontess. I made sure it would stay that way, at least, until morning, or the end of the battle- whichever came first.

“Jacob, I sent Sonja away to hide in the dungeons.” I said as I wept. “I miss her sweet face already. She was my kindred spirit. My best friend.” I took a deep breath and reached for my document I had folded and slipped into my chainmail waist bag. Jacob read the letter with haste. 

“What’s this about her being heir to the throne? You don’t honestly believe these commoners are going to kill you, Great Leader?”

I said nothing. I hoped it would not come to that, but as the leader of my people, I had a responsibility to secure Sayemontess. Even through the event of my death. 

“Jacob,” I whispered, “can we make quick love before we go back? I know it isn’t ladylike for me to ask, but I keep thinking they’re going to take me away, or worse, send me straight to the gallows. I know deep down that I am sterile, so even if I survive this, I will never be able to produce an heir. An heir to the throne. Oh, please! Make love to me.” And he did. Right there on the bathroom floor. We continued until we had both been pleased. It did not take long as Jacob always knew what he was doing. We both giggled as we left the bathroom. We were being completely inappropriate. While my people may be dying, we were making love. It was foolish but needed by both of us. Jacob expressed he had great mental clarity after our encounter. 

As we exited the corridor, I gasped. 

“Beatrice!” I screamed. She stood in the doorway with three arrows sticking out of her abdomen. She stood there solid. She did not scream. She was surging with adrenaline. She would guard Sayemontess with every ounce of her energy. 

“Great Leader! We are winning! But I shot Micah!” She said ashamed. “He was out there in the mix without armor. I shot him! I did!” Beatrice cried. “He was the love of my life!” Then she finally broke down. She took an arrow out of her pack and shot her left foot with it. “That’s what you get, Beatrice. That’s what you get!” She then sat down in the doorway. She leaned her head up against the door and died. 

“No, please!” I rushed to her, and an arrow grazed the skin of my cheek, but I did not care. I checked. No pulse. She was dead, and for what? Oh, poor Beatrice. Where was your shield? What did they want? What were their demands? Disoriented again, I stood up and walked towards the brave women that continued to fight. There was Gloria. She always beat me at cards. Samantha never stopped smiling. I watched her for a moment. She was targeting one commoner. Arrow after flaming arrow- she did shoot at the guy. She was having the time of her life. She smiled big, and laughed-

“Take that you bastard!” She said as she nailed her target in the forehead. Were we winning? I think we were. 

“Jacob,” I paused, “where are the other men? Jacob?”

“We got separated. Separated in all the chaos. That’s all I can say. The next thing I remember was being alone in the darkness. My torch had gone out, yet I was so careful not to let it. Then I found myself backtracking to Sayemontess.”

A deserter! Jacob was a deserter! He carefully reached for my arms, but I pulled away. Samantha raced inside laughing-

“Hey guys, look! They got my ear, and it doesn’t even hurt!” 

I shook my head. Was everyone losing it? I wish I had some feathers to give to Jacob as a symbol for his cowardice. Tar and feathers also seemed like a good idea. We could send him to the commoners on a rail. Do with him what you must! And leave the rest of us be!

“I want you to leave Sayemontess never to return.” I did not have to say anymore. His time here was done. He knew this castle as well as I did. I folded my arms as if to say, “I’m done. Find your own way out.” We were nearing the final stretch. I could feel it!

As Jacob fucked off, I checked on my women. One by one, I checked on each of them. 

“Are you hungry? Can I cover for you while you take a break?” I asked questions like that, and no one took me up on my offers. They were such strong women who wanted to stand their ground. Such loyal women. A few had fallen, and they will be missed. Celebrated even. 

I returned slowly to my throne. At this point, I wanted to saw off my own leg- it hurt so bad.

“Sayemontess.” I muttered. “You shall always be mine.” 

I heard chatter coming from the women outside. Frantic chatter, or was it excitement? 

“We caught one!” exclaimed Miranda, one of our oldest people. “I shot him right in the caboose! He’s down there by the bridge crying- the pathetic, little cur! Come with me to go fetch him. Come on, now.” Usually, I give the orders, but when Miranda says to do something- you do it. She led me to the commoner. My heart raced as we approached with extreme caution. I did not know what to say. What to ask him, so I said-

“Why? Why are you doing this? You’re all going to die.”

The man just panted and stared at me for what was the second longest minute of my life. 

Then he said, “You gotta pretty castle. What’s it called?” 

“Sayemontess.” I said as I withdrew that wicked knife. I handed it to Miranda. “Now saw off his head!” I grabbed his hair with both of my hands. He squirmed and moaned. Then, Miranda sawed away. She took great joy in it. Blood drenched both of us, but we did not care. As we turned around, the rest of the women were standing at the castle’s entrance. They sobbed great tears of joy as they watched us. Even Samantha was crying. That never happened. Could it be? Was he the last one? Was it over? I grabbed Miranda and held her close. I kissed her forehead, and said, “Oh, Sayemontess. My beautiful castle filled with my beautiful people! Say, let’s go get cleaned up. Tomorrow, we can start a new chapter. It will be just us girls.”