Everdog: Tale of the First Female Knight

Chapter 30 - Equality

At the end of the market road were small inns that provided foods and drinks to tired travelers. For a small price, tired travelers could rest on the stalls and stools provided and also learn about the latest talk of the town.

Two laborers walked into a busy inn and took a seat in one of the empty tables as a middle-aged woman in a worn-out apron came over to clear the table for the new customers.

"Two ales and two cereal." One of the laborers told the woman.

"Right away, Sir."

As the men settled down, the woman came running back with two mugs of beer. Another woman, younger and probably the daughter of the house, served the two men with their oat porridge.

"Miss, ye not serving drinks today." One of the men said.

"Where do ye think this is? A brothel. My daughter is not some woman who serve drinks." The older woman replied to the men.

The men were regulars at the inn and always jokes about when the daughter of the inn was going to get married.

"I have a nephew, he is a bachelor, if ye are interested...," (the madam of the mother interrupted the man.)

"Oh-ho, no Sir. My daughter is going to marry a rich man." The madam insisted.

She wasn't going to let her daughter marry to some poor farmer. The men laughed. The family sure dreamt big. Across from that table was lone traveler who came from the north. He was sipping tea and couldn't help but eavesdrop on the conversation that the regulars were having with the madam of the inn.

"Well, ye missed ye chance to wed her to a rich man." The traveler said taking a gulp from his mug. "The marquis from the northern borders was recently seeking for a daughter-in-law."

"From the northern borders? Northlanders?" One of the two laborers laughed. "Who would want to marry a Northlander?"

The traveler shook his head. "The king already gave his decree, they are no longer Northlanders, but Midlanders. What a shame, ye daughter could have become a wife of an earl."

"Wife of an earl?" The madam of the inn gleamed.

One of the laborers looked over at the traveler. "Who in Midland doesn't know that the marquis from the northern borders has no heir?"

The other laborer slammed his palm on the wooden table vexed by the traveler's false information, "Everyone knows that the marquis lost his wife and his children during the war! Whose feet are ye trying to pull here!?"

The lone traveler smiled. "I just came back from the north and I saw...,"

The men and the madam leaned for the traveler to finish his sentence.

"... the town celebrating the return of the marquis's son!" The traveler said clearing his throat. "Two knights brought back the marquis' long-lost son back after a decade! The town celebrated for a week straight day and night!"

"After a decade!? Where has the son been all this time?" Another customer joined in on the conversation. "If the son was the earl, why didn't he say anything until now?"

"That's true." The madam agreed.

More ears gathered around wanting to listen in on the gossip.

"During the war, the earl got a head injury and lost all his memories. He forgot that he was the son of the marquis and lived as a peasant for a decade."

"What a coincidence!" The laborer chugged down his ale. "Anyone can say that they lost their memories and claim to be the marquis's son."

"Sir, listen to the whole story. Do ye all remember the manservant that Sir Williams asked Lord Bullock for as a reward for winning the hunt?"