An Unusual Fairytale

Chapter 8: All Men Are Monsters

"You have returned sooner than I thought, little sister." Gretchen chuckled as she slammed the door shut. Amelia took a deep breath then she threw herself at her older sister's feet.

"Gretchen! You were right! They are cruel! They are beasts!" She sobbed.

Her sister's face softened. Gretchen crouched down in worry. "Sister? Amelia, what happened?" Gretchen pulled Amelia to her feet and held her close. "Are you alright?" She panicked.

"They attacked me." She whispered then collapsed against her sister's body.

"Amelia?! Amelia?! Mother!" Gretchen yelled as she lowered herself and her sister to the floor. Her mother came running in with her fellow guards behind her.

"What happened?!" The queen demanded.

"Those brutes attacked her! I knew she should not have gone down there!" Gretchen sobbed holding her little sister against her. "All men are monsters!"

"Hush child! All will be fine soon. The full moon shall rise tonight and the men shall burn." The queen stated. "Guards! Take Amelia to her room at once!" The queen beckoned.

"Yes your highness." The two women replied. They lifted her from the floor without ease and carried her off to her room in the west wing with Gretchen and the queen following.

The men below heard the footsteps leave with the women's voices and they knew that as their cue to begin throwing rocks up at the door. They made sure the children stayed away even though they begged to help. They threw up the biggest rocks they could find and jumped out of the way each time one fell. After a mere minute chips of wood fell down with the rocks. The men cheered and continued throwing rocks and diving out of the way until the wood fell in large hunks. Then Jacob and another man, being the most built physically, climbed the stairs and threw their shoulders up into the door until it cracked opened.

"Yes!" The men cheered. Jacob peeked out, when he saw no women he motioned for the others. They quickly climbed the stairs to exit the dungeon.

"We leave the boys until it is safe." One of the fathers spoke.

The other men nodded their agreement. They fanned out in search of weapons.

Jacob grabbed a mace. "I go back in the dungeon over my dead body." He declared swinging it around, up over his head, preparing himself for a fight.

Mason grabbed a sword. "Thank you father for teaching me to use this." He said as he swiped it through the air hearing a swish that gave him hope they could win this battle.

Michael got his hands on a dagger. "Not much but it shall have to do."

The other men grabbed daggers, swords, pieces of wood from the broken door, and whatever else they could find. Some men still had rocks clutched in their bloody hands.

"We shall not go down without a fight!" Mason yelled when he heard footsteps. He swung his sword in front of him, holding it out in defense and protection of the older men behind him.

"You inhuman monsters!" The queen shouted as she came running in with her servants, guards, and daughter. She did not realize her younger daughter was running behind them until she ran out in front to stand by her man. "Amelia?!" The queen gasped at the treachery.

"I was the decoy." She stated as she grabbed the dagger offered to her. "You will not burn these men, mother! They have done nothing wrong and shall be freed!" The men cheered.

"You are a traitor to your gender! To your kingdom! To your family!" The queen shouted.

Gretchen stood frozen beside her mother as she stared at the man she once loved holding a mace in his hands. His face was drained of the joyfulness and youth he once had. He had grown a beard and his blond hair was so dirty it looked dark brown. He looked lost, but determined.

Carmen stared into Michael's once bright blue eyes that now looked as dim and gray as a foggy night. She flipped her red hair out of her face so he could see the hazel eyes she knows he loves so much. She gave him a smile and lowered her dagger, not enough to betray, just enough to show she would not be a threat to them or their plan of escape. To show him she still loved him.

The girl with short dark hair looked at her brother standing close to her father. She felt like a traitor to her family. She felt like she had killed them or sent them to their death.

"Mother, I do not wish to fight you though if I must than I shall!"

"No!"

"Mason?"

Mason looked from his love to the queen.

"We shall not fight." Mason said stepping forward.

"Men only know fighting!" The queen shouted.

Mason held out his sword and the guards cowered behind their queen as he moved closer. He laid the sword at her feet and moved back showing them that he was not a threat.

"I lay my sword down your highness. I lay down my sword for your daughter's hand."

The queen looked at the sword then at Mason. She glared.

"You shall have her hand when I have your head." She hissed.

"With all do respect, I need my head. My crown needs a place to rest in my kingdom."

"Men never use their heads! Only their hands, for acts of violence!"

"As do women." Mason replied still feeling the sting of her female guards' blows. "I will not lie to you. I have used a sword. However, I have never wounded nor killed anyone. I use my hands to paint, strum my lute, pick apples for beautiful girls," He said looking back at Amelia who was blushing as red as an apple. He winked then turned back to the queen. "-and hold the reigns of my horse-" Mason stopped what he was saying to quickly look around. "Where is my horse?!" Mason shouted. "What have you done with him?!"

"He was freed. We do not harm animals. Only beasts." Gretchen stated.

"Well how could you not? My horse is male." Mason snapped.

The queen did not appear to be understanding him.

"Your highness, I promise no harm." He vowed.