Over the next few days, Thomas attacks the guards who left the castle. In all his life, he hadn’t known the knights of Brigadoon to be so stubborn. It was almost like they didn’t know him at all. He continued to beat them until they lost the will to fight, then he sent them back to the castle with the message that he wanted to see Fenella.
“Why have I not seen any of my friends?” He thinks. “I recognize none of these guards, nor any of the villagers around town.” Thomas struggles to remember their faces, and his memories are still confusing.
Soon another guard from the castle came to him.
“I have a message from the king!” The man announced. “You will not see the princess, nor will your actions be pardoned. As long as you stay around here, we will send guards to defeat you.”
Thomas fumed. “I will not leave until I see my princess!”
A large group of men swarm around him. However, Thomas is so superior in combat he still manages to fight them off and escape.
The guard that had delivered the message witnessed the whole thing, including Thomas’ victory, and fled back to the castle.
“Your majesty, the knight in dark armor has defeated another group of our best men! He will not stop until he has the princess.”
“Blast! Who is this dark knight and why is he so set on getting my daughter, Mona?”
The princess who was sitting nearby, rose to her feet. “Father. He seems to be confused. Remember how he kept calling me Fenella. Perhaps I have a resemblance to his true love. Let me go and see him. We can talk about this.”
“No. I refuse to send you into danger. He has defeated all of our best men, they are now in the hospital wing being treated for various injuries. If you go to him, there may be no stopping him. Instead, we will defeat this dark knight and beat the senses into him.”
The girl got visibly upset and stormed out of the meeting room.
The king shook his head and turned to his attendants. “Post a flier in the town and in each of the inns. Whoever defeats the dark knight who is terrorizing our castle, Stornway, may take any one item from the treasury.”
This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.
Then the attendant wrote the request on a piece of paper and distributed it throughout the place.
The news of the king's reward spreads through Stornway like wildfire. A single bar of gold from such a place would pay a man's wages for the rest of his life. However, by now, the “dark knight” is well known for his strength. None of the retired soldiers nor the skillful hunters are inclined. No one dared step up to the challenge.
The king is at his wit’s end. If he has to experience another few days of this, he might really have to send his daughter. Sitting on his throne, he is still deliberating when the doors fly open.
A man dressed in strange clothing and carrying a simple-looking sword entered the room.
“Your majesty, I am Kirdrey. I will defeat this dark knight for the sake of Stornway and princess Mona. Where must I go?”
“You don’t look like much of a fighter. What is your occupation?”
“I am a minstrel.”
“A minstrel?! A mere entertainer wants to go and defeat the knight who defeated all of my best men?”
“Whether or not you believe I can do it, please agree to spread word of my victory when I return.”
The king sighed, looking like all hope was lost. “Very well. I will allow you access to my treasury and give you the glory. The dark knight always goes to Loch Storn to wait for us to bring the princess.” He waved his hands, beckoning him to get out.
Kirdrey bowed respectfully and turned to leave. However, on his way out the door, princess Mona stopped him.
“Please wait, good sir. You do not have to do this.”
“Hello princess. I respectfully disagree. For various reasons, I wish to spread my name throughout the country.”
“The dark knight is not a dangerous entity. He has never killed any of our soldiers, despite my father sending them to kill him. They are all merely injured and are resting in the hospital wing, soon to recover and get back to work.”
“So what would you suggest I do? Not kill the dark knight and let him go?”
“Indeed.” She made a complicated expression. “For reasons I cannot understand myself, I feel sympathy for him. He calls me princess Fenella even though that is not my name. He calls this place his hometown of Brigadoon, even though that is not the case. Clearly, there is a misconception. If you encounter him, please don’t kill him but try to help him.”
Kirdrey pondered on her words and then nodded. “I will try not to kill him.”
Then he turned around to leave.
Loch Storn was a peaceful place, a body of water almost completely surrounded by land. There was a sea beyond the horizon and the shifting tides would uncover and recover a sandbar. Kirdrey rested at the banks and waited until sunset. There were a few trees around, but nowhere adequate for hiding a large group of people for an ambush. Yet there were also patches of soggy ground that would make a quick escape more difficult. Truly, the dark knight was a knowledgeable military strategist.
As the sun began to set, Kirdrey gave a sigh of disappointment and was about to head home when he heard the neighing of a horse, and the flash of a magnificent lance.