A Stab at the Queen

Hanged men haunted Danielle Longbow’s dreams. They had been allies in the battles against the Empire of the Holy Proclamation. They had risked life and limb for the Kingdom of Crann like her on the walls of Leonor City.

            Then they chose to betray their queen. A monarch whose brilliance had saved them all from annihilation. How could they kill the princess? How could they plot the downfall of their saviour, Queen Malin?

            That they had failed was the biggest shock. Assassins they hired had been paid to make a fake attempt upon the life of the queen and the late king’s sister. Danielle had been told by the master of those assassins, Archbishop of the Church of Red Knives, that the pair had been perfectly capable of killing the queen and her daughters.

            Why wait?

            “I don’t understand it,” Danielle said again to her girlfriend, Lupita Smith.

            “What’s to understand, they were clearly out of their minds. Our problem now is Sir Armstrong.” Miss Smith stoked the fire and added more logs. “He clearly knew exactly where those men were hiding. He couldn’t outrun them at his age. I’ve no idea how he got them to hang themselves, but I’d bet all of Crann’s gold he did.” She rubbed her hands together.

            “He’s Princess Elspeth’s bodyguard. How will we convince anyone he was involved? There’s no reason to believe it’s over. He could strike any time. The minute the queen lets her guard down she or the princess will die.” Danielle brought Lupita into a hug to keep them both warm.

            “Did you smell anyone else in that house Badru?” Miss Smith looked at the morose perfumer who had been rubbing his arms and fidgeting to stay warm since he sat by the fireplace.

            “Only Sir Armstrong.” The loup garou stretched and moved his stool closer to the flames. “When we found him, he stank of relief, not the right kind.”

            “Only Fabian would stand a chance against him in a fight. He should be back by now.” Seeing white fog as she exhaled, Danielle told Lupita to get up for a moment as she moved her own chair closer to the fire.

            “How could they both betray their princesses? Elspeth and Fionnghal must have known those men all their lives. Do you think the queen’s bodyguards are in on the plot as well?” Lupita rubbed her stiff knees.

            “It’s possible. Who do you think is behind the conspiracy? Did they come up with it themselves? They could have wiped out the whole family in a night if Sir Calum and Jura are in on it. There was no need to wait. It makes no sense.”

            “It would have if the attack on the princesses had been successful,” Badru said. “Everyone would have suspected the Church of Red Knives had sent more assassins. No one would suspect the bodyguards. Someone would step in to take the throne and no one would know they killed our queen, princesses and Lady Guinevere to get it.”

            Crunching footsteps in the snow outside made them all start. Lupita leapt off Danielle’s lap and the women raced for their sword. The footsteps passed. Both waited with their sword’s drawn.

            “I didn’t smell their adrenaline. They’re patrolling,” Badru said.

            “I hate the waiting.” Danielle’s voice was higher than usual. “It’s torture.”

            “We’re still alive.” Lupita took her hand; they lowered their swords.

            “For now.”

            “No one will get us without a fight. I have a trick up my sleeve if they show up.”

            “What’s that?” Badru asked, moving closer to the fire again.

            “Concentrated rhododendron toxin. The rhododendrons have a lot of uses in alchemy. The one I favour is a paralytic. The idea came from the story of Rubio and Giulia. You know the story? Teenage lust, rivalry and then suicide by poison, which was a ruse. It’s nonsense of course but the bit about the rhododendron toxin was based on fact. It’s powerful stuff. Paralysis sets in moments after it touches the skin and can last for a day or two. People have been buried alive because they were unable to move thanks to it.”

            “Scary stuff. You haven’t been keeping it near the food, have you?” Danielle looked at the empty wooden bowl she’d used for breakfast.”

            “Of course not.” Lupita stood and fetched a tiny chest from one of the shelves on the wall. She stretched to reach the key kept on the shelf above. Danielle would have helped, but she was enjoying the view. “Clear away the plates and the bowls.”

            Putting away anything to do with food, Badru and Miss Longbow pulled their stools towards the table where the Miss’s Smith and Longbow ate all their meals. They were all given leather gloves stained with nasty things that stank with a reek that burned the nostrils.

            “Don’t touch your face.” Lupita fixed cloth masks over her friends’ faces. “Be careful when you take the gloves off. If it touches skin, you’ll be as good as dead until it wears off.”

            “When will that be?” Asked Danielle, hands raised into the air.

            “I’ll have to test it to find out.” Miss Smith flashed a wolfish smile. She imagined ripping off Lupita’s clothes and throwing her down on their bed until she remembered the deadly stuff in the box that was being opened.

            Inside the box were four glass vials stopped with corks. Each one was the size of an adult’s thumb and had a skull drawn on the cork.

            “How do you use that as a weapon?”

            “My plan is to wrap it in cloth on the end of a pole, wet it and jab people with it, wherever I can touch their skin. The water should be enough to transfer it from the cloth to the skin of the victim and then you just have to wait for the stuff to take effect.”

            “A lot of unknowns in this plan, aren’t there?” Danielle asked.

            “Alchemy is a neglected art, Dan. If we survive using it, I will have plenty of information to record for posterity.”

A heavy knock on the door made them all jump. Placing the vial of yellow powder in the chest, Lupita locked it.

            “Who is it?”

            “Your favourite person in the whole world.” The boy’s voice was braggadocio as usual.

            “Carl?”

            “Obviously? Open the door, will you? The cold is trying to castrate me out here.”

            Throwing open the door, Danielle went to hug the boy but remembered the gloves on her hands. She raised her arms and let the boy throw his snowy self around her.

            “I missed it here,” he said. “The deadly trees around the walls, the black of the granite, the white of, everything else. The stink of damp and sweat in here.” He smiled, looking older even in the two weeks he’d been away.

            “How are your ribs?” Lupita wrapped Carl in a warm hug as he freed himself from Miss Longbow’s mighty arms.

            “A lot better now you’ve let me go.” The boy smiled with a hint of stubble on his face.

            “I hope you don’t mind if I come in as well?” Fabian was as polite as ever, stepping in from the cold, covered head to toe in snow.

            “Warm yourselves by the fire and close the bloody door.” Danielle waved a hand to invite them both in. “We’ve a lot to tell you both.”

            Huddled around the fire, they updated the two on the story of assassins and treachery. They explained what little plan they had.

Lupita started work, making her toxin staff, and testing it with chalk and meltwater. It worked.

            “The big flaw in your plan, Lupita, if you don’t mind me pointing it out,” Carl talked as if he would stop if she asked. Everyone knew he wouldn’t. “Is that anyone who attacks us is going to be in armour and wearing gloves. The only flesh on show will be their eyes. To use it we’d have to rip off their helmet at the same time as fighting them with their swords and hold them still. Not easy.” He shrugged.

            “So, you have a better plan,” the alchemist asked with a growl.

            “No. I just thought that it was better to point that out now than when we’re fighting for our lives.”

            “It’s noted but I don’t want to kill people we don’t know are involved in the conspiracy.”

            “Can’t we ask the curaduile trees for help? They like Danielle.”

            “One of them does.” Though she didn’t think it would work, she hadn’t considered asking the magical trees for their aid in the counterinsurgency mission.

            “Nets?” Carl asked.

            “We don’t have any.”

            “Rope?”

            “We have rope. We’d only need it until the toxin works.”

            “If it works.” The boy shrugged again to Lupita.

            “It works,” she said.

            “Good. So, when do we start?”

            “No time like the present.” Said Danielle. “It’s good to have you both.”

            Everyone put on whatever armour they had. All but Carl had shields and swords, mostly the standard issue ones given to all citizens of Crann to be ready against the threat of imperial invasion.

            Carl Northman had specifically been forbidden from carrying any weapons. Fabian gave the boy his shield, bearing the red and black quartered crest of the Castel family. Staring at the sword crossed over the white crescent moon, the boy beamed.

            Having made two of the toxin staffs, Lupita kept the ends in a bag for safety. They all had gloves, she just had to be careful not to touch any of them.

A heavy knock sounded on the door again.

            “Who is it?” Lupita asked.

            “Sir Armstrong. I have to talk with you immediately.” The gravelly voice was shot through with urgency and an undertone of phlegm.

            Danielle signalled for everyone to stand back from the door and pulled it open.

            “NOW!” The green knight’s command made the hair on the back of Danielle’s neck stand up in a moment. “Seize them in the name of the queen.”

            In poured soldiers of Crann in their green, oak emblazoned tabards. In came the cold.

            Each of the six soldiers had a knife drawn, swords would have been useless in the small space.

            Blades aimed for Danielle’s eyes. She sidestepped and slammed two heads together with a loud clang. The stunned soldiers fell as replacements jumped over them.

            “What is the meaning of this? You attack Sir Fabian Castel? Did you hear that from Queen Malin’s lips, or do you take this traitor’s word for it?” Fabian’s rage was genuine but the question clearly a ploy to give the soldiers pause. He, like his father, was a knight of excellent standing.

            So was Sir Douglas Armstrong, many years the senior of Sir Castel. When it came to a war of words between the two, Sir Armstrong’s accusations held more water for most.

            “Not coming to fight yourself Douglas? You were happy to slaughter the other traitors in your plot two weeks ago.” Danielle goaded the man, hoping for an outburst of rage at her insolence. “How did you get the three fools to hang themselves? That was a stroke of genius.”

            “You’re a traitorous whore, Danielle Longbow. Your father was a drunken oaf as well. If I’d have killed him in a tournament when I had the chance, the kingdom might have been saved your treachery. You’ve already proved your colours, saving that imperial welp from the death he deserves.”

            Danielle avoided another stab and slammed a woman’s helmeted head against her knee, knocking the woman out.

            Fabian had disarmed another woman. Carl removed the kneeling woman’s helmet and Lupita stamped the soldier’s forehead with the toxin. In seconds the woman collapsed, seemingly dead.

            Between them they managed to incapacitate all of Sir Armstrong’s minions.

            “Sounds like I have to do it myself.”

            The veteran barrelled into the bungalow, slamming the pommel of his sword into Danielle’s nose. Stunned, she fell backwards as the old man charged on, kicking the table towards Lupita with vicious strength.

            Miss Smith was pinned against the wall as Badru threw himself at the knight with a sword in hand. Again, Douglas proved too fast, turning aside the perfumer’s sword and smashing him in the face with his pommel. Badru went down hard onto the straw on the floor.

            Fabian met him with a drawn sword. He was his elder’s equal for speed, but Sir Armstrong had weight behind him. He was pushing Sir Castel back with each blow.

            “Hey, prick.” Carl yelled. Danielle watched him reaching into the fire with a gloved hand and grabbing glowing embers from the burning logs. He threw them into the old man’s face as the traitorous knight turned.

            When Douglas screamed, dropping his sword to claw at his burnt eyes. Fabian kicked him to the floor. With Danielle holding the arms, Carl wrestled off the gilded helmet on the knight’s head. Lupita tried to touch the prisoner’s head with the toxin but got his hand.

            “What’s happening to me?” Sir Douglas looked at the hand as if it wasn’t his.

            “You’re dying of poison. Last chance to be a good man,” Carl’s words were out in a heartbeat. No one spoke faster. “Who else was plotting against the queen? You could die as an honest man.”

            Sir Armstrong’s arm fell, limp.

            “Sir Gordon, Sir-” what followed as a rasping whisper as his face froze.

            “What did he say?” Lupita asked.

            “Sir Noble.” Carl turned.

            “Sure?”

            “Yes.” The boy got up.

            “If Jura Ironwill is working with them as well then that’s all the queen’s guards. She could be murdered at any moment.” Fabian rushed for the door.

            Looking briefly at Sir Armstrong lying immobile on the floor, the rest followed.

            No one stopped them.

            The conspiracy had seduced the most renowned knights in the kingdom, but it seemed the average soldier wasn’t in on it. Those who had been had hanged themselves two weeks before, no doubt threatened by Sir Armstrong.

            At the queen’s door they were stopped by two women who Danielle had fought with on the walls of the city.

            “You know me. The queen is in danger. Let me in at sword point if you must but let me in.”

            The women had an unspoken conversation and let them in.

            The five trees that had been guarding the queen, the princess and Lady Guinevere were gone.

            “What’s the meaning of this?” Queen Malin, still by her daughter’s side, looked at them with grey hatred etched into her face.

            “Sir Armstrong just invaded our home with soldiers to hide his part in the plot to overthrow you, my queen.”

            Sir Calum Noble, Sir Brodie Gordon and Jura Ironwill had their swords drawn.

            “With his dying breaths he named Sir Gordon and Noble amongst his conspirators.”

            “Liar.” Sir Calum yelled with a foul grin on his lips. “She’s a traitor my queen. Not to be trusted.”

            “Who had access to the royal treasury my queen?” Lupita asked. “Who had access to both you and your daughters? Who had a way to wipe out the royal line?”

            “There’s a simple way to know who betrayed her.” Badru Quacey stepped forwards. “If you trust me, my queen?”

            “What’s your test, mister wolf?” Queen Malin asked. Traitors looked at each other in confusion, not knowing that Badru was a loup garou, who could smell the fear of liars.

            “Tell me, one by one, that you have never plotted against the queen and I will know by your scent if you tell the truth. I can smell the fear in lies.”

            “I have never plotted against the queen,” said Jura Ironwill.

            “He speaks the truth,” said Mister Quacey, sniffing the air.

            “I have never plotted against the queen,” said Sir Noble, taking his time with each word.

            “Liar.”

The queen’s eyes studied the knight’s, which were darting back and forward between her and Sir Gordon.

            “How dare you, I should-”

            “Sir Gordon, how about you?”

            “I have never plotted against the queen.”

            “You reek of dishonesty.” Badru’s face was bold disgust as he looked at the knight. Normally timid, Danielle was shocked by the strength of passion in the man’s eyes. “Would you care to make your own declaration, Lady Guinevere?”

            “Surely I am above reproach?” Queen Malin’s sister-in-law stood from her place at the sick bed and pouted.

            “Then there’s no harm in saying it is there?” Asked the queen in a voice as hard as diamonds compared to the iron of Lady Guinevere’s.

            “I have never plotted against the queen.” She rushed the statement out and sighed.

            “Now I see,” Badru nodded. He pointed to the two knights with their swords drawn. “They work for you.” He pointed to Lady Guinevere.

Lady Guinevere lunged at the queen with a knife.

            “KILL THEM. I WILL MAKE LORDS OF YOU BOTH WHEN THEY’RE DEAD.”

            Jura Ironwill jumped to aid the queen. The traitorous knights went to stop him.

            Danielle ended up going toe to toe with Sir Noble. Fabian took on Sir Brodie with Jura Ironwill’s help.

            The real shock was that Carl saved the queen’s life. Intercepting a stab at Queen Malin with Lady Guinevere’s knife, he plunged it into her neck and held her down until her strength was gone.

            It was a while before any of them spoke.

            “I can’t trust anyone anymore, can I?” Queen Malin looked at the body of Lady Guinevere as the blood of the bodies spread out across the floor. “Saved by a boy who fought for our enemy. Betrayed by men I’ve known for years. Have I seen it all now?” She closed the eyes of her traitorous sister-in-law and buried her face in her bloodied hands.