The Princess and The Reluctant Knight

Episode 32

Squirming uncomfortably, King Dave cast a skeptical eye over the Great Hall.

The cavernous space, usually brimming with the clatter of cutlery and the muffled laughter of courtly gossip, now echoed with a hollowness that seemed to gnaw at the room's edges.

The banners along the walls, depicting the kingdom's proud history, hung limp as if mourning the absence of the Queen and the Princess.

At the high table, a few loyal knights still lingered, their dining more out of routine than appetite, their clinking armor a reminder of the many who were not there.

The smell of roast pheasant, always so inviting, now carried the weight of the kingdom's unease.

"Grand Master Gusafus," Dave said, "I grow weary of Lord Heathcliff's assurances. His plans to find my wife and daughter seem as fruitless as a winter vineyard."

Gusafus leaned forward. "Sire, if I may be so bold, I have yet to have a word with Lord Heathcliff regarding any plan. It seems he did not seek my counsel.

The knights paused, half-eaten morsels hovering before their lips, the air pregnant with the sudden tension. Murmurs wound their way through the hall, like mischievous sprites darting between the stone pillars.

Dave froze, his brow furrowing at the news. "Not sought? But he claimed to have had your guidance in his every move."

Gusafus shook his head. "Nay, my liege. It appears Lord Heathcliff has been weaving tales more intricate than the local bard's."

A knight, Sir Bubbalot, spoke up, his voice a rasp of honesty. "Sire, there is a stench in the air... and it is not the cheese."

Laughter briefly dispersed the gloom, but it swiftly departed, vanishing as swiftly as it had arrived when Dave's hand found the chalice before him. "And of the men?" he asked.

Gusafus's gaze swept over the remaining knights, each a pillar of loyalty amidst a sea of uncertainty. "My king, we are but a skeleton crew guarding a body that grows weaker with worry. Lord Heathcliff has sent the bulk of our forces hither and yon on this wild hare chase."

Dave's grip on the chalice tightened. "Then it falls to us," he declared, rising from his seat, the regal blue of his robe pooling about his feet like a slice of the night sky. "We shall seek Queen Elana and Princess Brittany ourselves. Sir Gusafus, select a handful of your most able men. We ride at dawn in the opposite direction of Heathcliff's folly. It is time to cut through this tangle of deceit."

Inspired by their king's resolve, the knights of the long table pounded their gauntlets against their chests in solidarity. The sound was like a drumbeat, a call to arms that stirred the heart and set the spirit ablaze.

"But sire," Gusafus said. "We must tread carefully. If Heathcliff is the architect of this deception, then he is no longer a man to be trusted. Keep a close watch on him, for treachery wears many guises."

Dave nodded. "Indeed, Grand Master. We shall play Lord Heathcliff's chess game... but this time, he shall be in check."

The knights exchanged glances, their minds already mapping out the moves ahead. Sir Bubbalot said "And when we find him out, may I have the honor of knocking his block off?"

Laughter filled the room, bouncing off the high ceiling.

Dave smiled. "Patience, Sir Bubbalot. Our justice will be swift, but it must also be just."

The knights, satisfied with their sovereign's assurance, turned their attention back to their meals, the food now a fuel for the journey ahead rather than a feast for enjoyment.