A Lady's War: Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Eleanor Scia held the jennet's reins firmly in her hand, waiting for Lady Sophia to mount. Her mistress had begged her father, the Earl of Enthir, to allow her to go riding. He was a strict man, preferring to keep his two children, the Lady Sophia Mountfort and the Honourable Thomas Mountfort inside, despite them being the age of nineteen and twenty-two respectively. Realising her mistress was safely seated in the saddle, Eleanor led the jennet towards the castle gates.

“Milady, are you sure you don't want me or a guard to accompany you on your ride? It could be dangerous for a noblewomen on her own in the forest,” Eleanor murmured quietly.

Lady Sophia was, in Eleanor's eyes, the best mistress to be a servant to. And this meant they shared a solid bond of friendship, unlike most of the grudging respect most servants show to their masters.

“No, I am quite sure I'll be fine, please, don't worry,” Lady Sophia smiled, “Just ensure someone lays down a fresh bedding of hay in Cobalt's stall. He likes to rest after a ride.”

Bowing her head, Eleanor promised she would. One of the stable-hands could take care of it, and she could finish some of her other chores. All Lady Sophia was asking was to make sure that Cobalt would be well cared for when they returned.

“Ride safe then, milady, and be careful!” Eleanor said, watching as her mistress left.

She turned around and headed towards the stables.

**

Lady Sophia gripped Cobalt's reins as she dismounted, carefully stepping down onto the forest floor. The jennet stood stock still, showing off his fine training. Jennets were one of the most favoured horse types for ladies, due to their gentle nature and small build. They were a far cry from the knights' destriers, who were of a large, bulky build, perfect for charging at the enemy. There was no way jennets could be battle horses, but they didn't need to be. It was truly only noblewomen who ever rode them. Turning round, she viewed the reason why she had stopped. It was a strange shape laying next to a tree.

“Probably nothing,” Lady Sophia muttered, “Probably a strange rock, but everything is worth a look.”

As she neared the shape, she cried out and leapt backwards. It was a man, dead, his eyes open but unseeing. After she had overcome her initial shock, she stared at the body, noticing the arrow embedded deep into the chest. However, the most horrific thing was not the poor man's manner of death, but the coat of arms embroidered on his blood-soaked tunic. A golden griffin on a black shield could mean only one thing; it was the crest of her family, the crest of the esteemed Mountforts, the family who were in favour of the king. Slowly, she edged away from the body, back towards where Cobalt was standing. Reaching blindly for his reins, she contemplated what her next choice of action would be. Cobalt tossed his head, trying to turn back the way they had come. Lady Sophia took it as a sign. She mounted hastily, then, spurring her jennet on, galloped back towards the castle.

**

Eleanor struggled to keep her mistress' elaborate gown off the floor. It was fundamental that not a spot of dirt touched it, especially as it had just been cleaned. Unfortunately, it's elongated length meant that carrying it was an extremely risky business. As she finally reached the doors of Lady Sophia's chambers, Eleanor halted. She could hear the thunderous rhythm of a horse's hooves. Just one of the Earl's knights, back from a hunt, Eleanor thought to herself. Out of habit, she glanced out of one of the castle's many windows. Galloping like the devil was chasing him, Cobalt charged through the courtyard, Lady Sophia seated low in the saddle. A frown crossing her face, Eleanor bustled into her mistress' chambers. She hanged the gown over the screen that offered Lady Sophia privacy whilst changing, then hurried out the room. Once she had made it to the courtyard, she rushed towards the royal stables. Lady Sophia was standing outside Cobalt's stall, checking that her beloved horse was okay.

“Milady?” Eleanor said uncertainly.

Lady Sophia spun round, hand over her heart.

“Thank the Lord, Eleanor, it's just you!” she cried.

Eleanor raised an eyebrow, not quite knowing why her mistress sounded so startled. Leaning on the door to Cobalt's stall, she carefully assessed the condition of the jennet. His flanks were slick with sweat, his mane was matted, and he was breathing heavily. He stood against the wall, but looked as if he was about to slump down to the floor.

“Milady, he doesn't look well. I fear you may have pushed him too hard,” Eleanor said, then spun round to see a stable-hand, and added, “Freshen the water in this trough, then rub the jennet down with cool water.”

She turned away, and gestured for Lady Sophia to follow. If she was a servant to another person, Eleanor would've been punished for disrespect, but she and Lady Sophia did not care much for formalities, and they only displayed the correct relationship between servant and mistress when in the presence of higher ranked people. Lady Sophia did indeed follow, but it was reluctantly.

“Eleanor, I have to speak to Father, but I have a lesson with my tutor now. Could you tell him I am not feeling well and have retired to my chambers? That's a perfectly reasonable excuse, and he can't come to my chambers to investigate, because that would be intruding upon my privacy,” she murmured, wanting her words to be only heard by Eleanor, and not the stable-hands who were prone to gossiping with the kitchen maids.

Her brow creased, Eleanor considered her answer with great thought. It never paid to lie to a tutor, as their family and the Earl's usually went back generations together, allies and friends. But her mistress had an urgency in her voice that Eleanor could not ignore.

“Yes, milady. I have but one question about this matter, what if your tutor finds out I was lying? The punishment...”

“Would be non-existent. I promise, and if you were caught lying, I would take full responsibility anyway.”

Reassured greatly, Eleanor walked up the stone stairs that led to the castle's main entrance, and slipped down a corridor to the grand Hall of Records, where Lady Sophia's tutor awaited. Lady Sophia strode purposefully towards the castle's main hall, wondering what her father would make of her news.

**

Tentatively, Lady Sophia asked the two guards who stood outside the main hall's double doors if they could permit her entrance. At once, they refused. Lady Sophia glared at them. She knew these guards, they showed no respect to those of a higher rank, and yet her father insisted they kept their jobs.

“I demand you allow me entrance. I need to tell my father something of the utmost importance,” she said coldly.

The guards laughed and shook their heads. Raising herself to her full height, Lady Sophia curled her lip in disgust and repeated her demand.

“The Earl wants no visitors at the moment, he is discussing important business with the King's advisers,” one of them explained.

“So? I'm his daughter, and you are no more than a pitiful guard!” Lady Sophia cried out.

“And you will be confined to your chambers if you're not careful! We have the power to do that, so I suggest you leave quietly and come back later.”

At that moment, the double doors swung open from the inside, and the Honourable Thomas Mountfort stepped out into the corridor. Lady Sophia sighed with relief at the sight of her brother.

“Thomas, please help me, I must speak to Father, but these two guards will not allow me to enter,” she said, not noticing the fact that her brother had just emerged from the main hall.

“Whatever it is, Sophia, it must wait. You can't come in here, so just go back to your chambers. No, better yet, go to your lesson, I know you have one now.”

And with those words, Thomas turned around and re-entered the main hall. Tears streaked down Lady Sophia's face. She had a longing to see her father, to let someone wiser and older take control of the situation. The unseeing eyes of the dead man in the forest floated to the front of her vision, and she shook her head, trying to clear them out of her mind. While she did this, the raucous laughter of the guards filled her ears.

“Quiet!” she screamed, “Please!”

“Milady, you don't seem well,” chuckled the one who had talked earlier, “Perhaps you should go see the physician, I am quite sure he has something for instability in the mind.”

Despite her sobbing, Lady Sophia heard this and looked up.

“How dare you!”

She slapped the guard, right across the cheek, leaving a red mark against the paleness of the man's face. The desperation she had felt had led to anger, and she had blindly acted upon it. The guard put his own hand to his cheek, eyes blazing with rage and not mockery, as they had done before. He stepped forward, and Lady Sophia fled. Running down corridors without a single thought, she considered what to do next. There was no way she could retreat to her chambers; the guards would check there first. The Hall of Records, where her tutor gave his lessons? No, the guards had heard her brother mention her lesson, and all lessons took place in the Hall of Records. Although she was of a higher rank than the guards, assaulting one was a serious crime, and one that would earn her at least a couple of weeks imprisonment. And she was quite sure her father wouldn't listen to her if she was in a cell. Breathing heavily, Lady Sophia slipped down a side corridor. It was one not many travelled, but it was a way of reaching the courtyard without moving down the main corridors – and into the waiting guards. She sat down in a small alcove, resting. I should never have slapped that guard, she thought, Father will kill me when he finds out! I'm sure of it. Oh, was I not taught to control my anger? While she sat there, lost in her thoughts, a loud, sudden noise echoed through the corridors.

“My daughter did what?” the Earl of Enthir bellowed.

Lady Sophia shakily got to her feet, looking left and right. Her father now knew about the incident; nowhere in the castle was safe. She supposed she should just take the punishment, but no-one would ever treat her the same again. For now, at least, her only choice was to leave the castle and wait till the situation cools down. Exiting the side corridor, she crept into the courtyard, and, keeping her head bowed, hurried to the stables. She felt bitterly sorry for Cobalt, he had galloped the whole way back to the castle not long ago, and now looked set to do the same, just in opposite directions.

“Watch where you are going, young lady!” a voice growled.

Lady Sophia's head snapped up, and came face to face with a destrier . She looked up further, until her eyes were locked with the dark eyes of a young man. Slowly, she backed away, the horse's full body coming into view. And on the back of the horse, behind the man, was a body. No, not a body, but the body.

“You-you found him, in the forest, right?” she stammered.

The rider twisted in the saddle to look down at the corpse. At once, his eyes became clouded with suspicion. Dismounting in one fluid movement, he stepped so he was directly in front of Lady Sophia.

“I think you and me need a talk.”