A Knight To Remember

Chapter 1

Huge thanks to NaTTyKiinz who made my first ever trailer! 

Chapter 1

It was that time of year again.

So quickly it reappeared.  The year in this place reoccurred with regularity.  This was my third witnessing of its predictability.  I sighed.  I couldn’t help it.  Three years had gone.  I closed my eyes and forced myself not to think about it.  I had things to do.  Too much to do.

I turned to look out the window again.  There they were.  Again this year, they came, same as the previous two.  The outer field was littered with many tents, many horses and the men, so many men. 

It was the beginning of Autumn.  The end of campaigning season.  I watched events unfold.   All winter the men would drink and tell tales of war, honour and glory on the battlefield.  Spring the harvests would be planted, the men worked.  At the end of spring the bards would come with tales of far off villains, of injustices that begged for correction, of easy victories.  They filled the children’s heads of hero’s who slayed creatures so vile and rescued maidens so pure and so beautiful that mortal men could not stand in their presence.  The eyes of the men and the boys would widen as they sharpened their swords and prepared their armour.  The women would weep as they waved their husbands and sons off.   Summer and the women would work the fields and tend to the crops.  Then as the days grew short and the harvests ripened the surviving men would return.  The warriors would camp on the outer field together before disbursing to their families and over this week they would feast and toast those who did not return.  They would tell their stories, sing, drink and celebrate their return.  After the week the tents would be stored for the winter and the warriors would become farmers again to harvest their crops.  Then winter would settle in again. 

Ahh yes and nine and a half months after the return of the men the children would be born.  I shrugged, many of these children were born in wedlock and to proud parents.  Those were not the ones who concerned me.  I turned to the young ladies crowded in my sitting room.  It was the ones who were born to crying girls that concerned me.

“Young ladies, I have asked you here this morning to listen to me and to heed my advice.  You have all seen the tents.  You all know that the warriors returned in the early hours of this morning.” An excited buzz filled the room, I sighed.

“Some of you remember previous hero’s return but some of you are new to my staff.  These men have fought and have killed on the battlefield in the name of our Kingdom, they are worth of our respect and our awe.  We owe them much. We owe them our gratitude.  However we do not owe them our virginity or our virtue." I paused to let that sink in. 

"You are women of the court not common whores, you have no obligation to lie with any of these men.  They are not your husbands and will never be no matter what they promise.    This week they will drink and then they will beget anything that moves.  They will not see you as the beautiful young ladies that you are they will see you as conquests, as the final victory in their campaign.  You will be little more than vessels in which they spurt their seed.  They will not marry you after they have had their way with you.  They do not love you no matter how genuinely they profess themselves.  They only seek another chapter in their story or another verse to their song.  Let the whores satisfy their lusts." This time I paused to take a deep breath and calm myself.

"You are ladies of the court, remember that and know that should you succumb and fall in child then be prepared to be shunned by your family, ostracized by your peers and birth the child in solitude only to have it taken away and find yourself in a convent as a fallen woman.  One night of passion is not worth the loss of your virtue.  You all have futures which promise loving husbands who will wait until you are truly theirs before they take you to their matrimonial bed and then they will expect you to be intact.  Save them the privilege of being the first to enter you.”  I sighed, I was starting to drone on, I knew it. 

“Travel together, support each other.  Remember that these men have only known violence over the campaign season.  The might not take no for an answer so do not give them the opportunity to take the action.  We are a family look after each other.  Heed my advice and my council.”

I watched the young ladies leave before I turned to Aine.  “I know, but I have to try,” I said to her smiling face.

“Not bad, my Lady Maeb, I especially liked ‘beget anything that moves’ and ‘vessels for their spurting seed’, those were new this year.  I personally would have been more direct , ‘ladies of the court these men are not men but walking hard flesh swords just looking for your softness to push themselves into...’,”

“Yes, thanks for that Aine, next year I will get you to write the speech, maybe your way might yield better results.  Did you see young Ginny, her eyes were glazed over, she has probably been up against the wall already.  How many do you think will be lost this year?”

“Hard to say, but it is better each year.  Remember our first year, the girls from the previous hero’s return.  There were seven lost to the church that year.  Five the next year, the first year of your speech, and we only lost two this year when their indiscretions could no longer be hidden.  That was a good year.  I will keep an eye on Ginny and ensure that she is kept in the kitchens.  Did you hear?  There is a foreign hero amongst them this year.”

“Yes, there is much gossip about that one. “ I snorted a laugh, “He is suppose to be the reincarnation of Achilles, a true demi-god, a genuine hero.  He even has his own followers.  I suspect he will be trouble if he believes himself to be a god.” I shook my head, “I hate this week.”  

Enough with the self pity I turned to start the day.  There would be a feast to prepare, entertainment to organise and the hall would need to be decorated.   It was my role to make sure that the King and his house were presented in the best light.  This week needed to run smoothly or it would reflect badly on the King and that in turn would have consequences for me. 

I went through my mental lists and went to work while silently pleading to whatever god would listen to me "Please make this hero impotent!"

************ IMPORTANT NOTE - I don't usually write Author Notes so read this! **************

A Knight To Remember -

I wrote the first part of this story some time ago.  I had a fear of writing intimacy.  So as therapy I wrote a story that would force me to face my fear.  This is it. 

Originally, I had no intention of share this - it was written simply for my own benefit - but then I fell in love with the characters and the storyline.  It was a story I had to tell.

So here it is. 

This version has had to be greatly edited to maintain it's PG13 rating.  I have recently had to do a massive rewrite so please let me know if something doesn't make sense.

If you find anything in this story which you think is offensive please let me know - I will alter it.

The other thing - I wrote this as a historical novel without any research or proper regard to the period it is set in.  So please read it for the romance of it rather than the historical content.

A Knight To Remember - UNCUT - Fans Only (R-rated)

 For those of you who are interested I have also published - A Knight To Remember - UNCUT - Fans ONLY - this is the R-rated version of this story and is on my profile page.  They both have the same plot only the explicit sex scenes have been cut from this version.

I was brave enough to upload this story...

Please be brave enough to vote for it....

I hope you enjoy it responsibly...

Cheers!