The Vengeful Vigilante #Wattys2016

THIRTEEN

                  

Gwendolyn

From the distance, I see him surrender. What are you doing Black Knight, you're going to get yourself killed. I stay a safe distance away as they fetch his horse and take him away. I watch them leave onto the wooden path, then start to follow them back to the city.

I said I would do something for him, what can I do to save him now?

Christopher

Once we get to the palace, I personally take the Black Knight to the dungeon. As we descend into the ground, I can hear the water slowly drip from the ceiling. The only thing that lights our path now are the torches that line up on the wall. We finally reach the floor, and I push the Knight along.

"This wasn't what you had in mind when you turned yourself in, was it? I'm not a stupid brute, I know you did that for a reason. Why?"

He just looks at me, and even though he is about to be thrown into a cell until his future is decided, he has a twinkling in his eye.

I drag him over to a cell, unlock the door, and push him inside. Before I leave, I say, "This isn't how I imagined reuniting with my best friend."

Black Knight

"Christopher? You were behind this?"

He turns, and retorts," Well who else did you think it was?"

"Wait, what are you talking about?" I ask.

"Don't you see? I've been after you since I first knew you were here. Did you really think the king was smart enough to pull any of this off? Please tell me you did think it was him."

I say nothing.

"Ugh, why does my handiwork always go unappreciated? Anyway, I am more involved than you think, I've just been waiting for the right time to strike." This time he walks away for real, and ascends back up the stairs he came from. What did he mean, from the beginning? The beginning of my time here, or as far back as Oglos?

Abella

I almost skip to the throne room to report of the Black Knight's capture.

"we have him," I try to hide my smile, but a small grin sneaks out.

"Good, now we can start his conviction process," he says.

"wait, he's going to trial?! Why the heck is he going to trial? We know he is guilty, giving him more time to lay around gives him more time to escape! You know he is capable of it, he's done it once before."

"we need to sum up all of his crimes to give him the correct punishment."
"He has committed basically every major offense, what is clearer than that?"

"If you are so sure he is guilty then it should be easy to prove it in court. This is final."

"As you wish, King Jasper."

Gwendolyn

Since I used to sneak in to visit Christopher as a kid, I know all of the secret entrances and exits, as well as secret passageways.As I walk through a dark corridor, I hold a torch, since the passages that don't exist to anyone else aren't lit. As the air gets damper, I know I am headed in the right direction. The dungeon has always been a very wet place.

Thankfully I don't have to worry about dungeon guards, they are stationed at the only entrance and exit, and not in the dungeon itself. I wouldn't want to be stationed down here, it's pretty disgusting. I finally come out of the corridor and into the room full of cells, but only one is occupied. As I walk toward it, the occupant addresses me, "Gwen, is that you?"

"Andrew, why did you give in?"

"Because this is how I am going to set things right."

"What? How does surrendering help you win?"

"In surrendering, I got myself a ticket into the middle of their operations. I am going to have a trial, and I can testify for myself, and there I can tell the people everything. I can finally spill the secrets of the Black Knight."

"What can I do to help?"

"Keep me posted on any big news, and stay safe."

"Okay, I'm on it."

Roran

Mom walks into the house with a piece of parchment.
"What is it mom?" I ask.

"The Black Knight is being put through a trial. I don't know why, its pretty clear he's guilty."
"How do you know he's guilty?! All you know is what that Christopher says."
"Roran, where is this coming from? What are you hiding from me?"

"Nothing mom."

"Roran, do you know something about the Black Knight."

My heart races, and I get a pit feeling in my stomach, "No."

"Why are you lying to me? Oh, Roran, did he hurt you?"

"NO Mom, he is a nice person. He gave me this." I pull out the feather from my pocket that I have carried since the say he gave it to me. 

"Come on Roran, we are going to the king, and you are going to tell him everything you know."

I shake my head, "No I won't I'm not gonna help him or that Christopher."

"Roran, you are going, now."

I sit in my chair firmly, and cross my arms, displaying the fact that I am not getting up.

"I really didn't want to do this," mom says.

She grabs me and throws me over her shoulders like the potatoes she brings to market.

"Let go of me!! I'm not going!!"

Christopher

Just before I head out to find citizens for jury, I run into Abella.

"Where are you going," she says as she stops me in my tracks.

"I'm going to find citizens for jury."

"What? Why can't the king's court oversee this? This is too serious for a regular jury!"

"Leaving him at the mercy of the public is going to hurt him more than presenting him to the king's court. We are going to put him through something he will never forget, if he makes it out alive."

"Fair enough," she complies," I'm going to organize my evidence, you should do the same."

As she finishes talking, a woman walks in with a little boy on her shoulders.

"I'm not talking, mom, I won't do it!!" he yells, flailing around like a fish.

I give a puzzled look to the mother, who says, "This is my son, Roran. He lied to me about not seeing the Black Knight, and I thought you would want the information he has with the upcoming trial.

"Ahh, yes. Any evidence we can get is very much appreciated. We will have a chat with him, won't we Abella?"

"Yes, we will. We will make sure to get you something for bringing him to us," Abella adds.

"Yes, of course, come on in," as the mother and son leave, Abella and I look at each other and grin.  

Gwendolyn

As they walk around the corner, I exhale and walk around into an empty hallway. Does Andrew know about the boy?