Previously: Allis is a peasant girl who's family must move inside the castles walls to be protected from the attack of another kingdom. This part: The Siege.
A siege was a long and tedious affair. The besieging army, led by the Lord of Soja, became sick during their wait, many of the warriors dying off without a battle. The rest of the knights built up their anger. The castle of Ashdom had refused their offer of surrender and that granted Soja the right to kill anyone inside. The castle was well defended with knights and archers. Wood hoardings had been built over the castle walls to drop oil and rocks on the heads of their attackers. But the people were getting very, very hungry.
The besiegers had begun digging under the support of the outer walls. When they were far enough under they could set fire to the beams and the wall would collapse.
Still, the battle should have been on the side of the besiege. They could hold the other army off by keeping them away from the walls. But yet Soja seemed to be making too much progress. It meant spies. And Lord d'Ashdom knew it.
Though Rouen had been very kind and genteel, Allis had not spoken to him during her time inside the fortress walls.
She spent most of her time staying very close to the stables. The knights often came for their horses and saw her there. By most of them she was considered simply one of the many silly peasant women gathered to glimpse the knights.
Sir Christian spoke to her one day. "You are living here in the stables, are you not?"
"Yes, my lord. My family was invited to stay during the siege."
"Why is that? Is not your father a –simple field worker?"
"Yes, sire. I am promised to the son of a stableman," Allis said simply. She turned her head back to her sewing but she knew the tall knight was looking at her.
"Rather old for a maiden, aren't you?"
"Yes, sire."
"Did you not wish to marry?" His horse was ready now but Sir Christian was curious.
"I will wed soon, my lord."
"Was this your parents match?"
"Yes, sire," Allis replied, looking up.
"And what if this is not right for you –what if it only seems right?" Knight Christian's words were thought filled.
"Yes, sire," was all Allis could find to say. And the knight left.
Allis was not sure of her course. But neither did she doubt the passing of it. It seemed right....
In the days ahead, many of the peasants were called to help defend or fortify the castle walls. It was becoming a hopeless battle. Plans were made to get the duke's daughter Aria out of the castle.
Aria had demanded her safety from her father. He had made desperate plans to distract the troops from Soja somewhat in the front by a warlike showing while his daughter and 2 knights slipped out the hidden back door.
Unfortunately, there was not a question about the lives involved. Princess Aria would be saved and others would surely die.
Allis' parents were involved. Her good mother came to bring a lunch to her husband as he was throwing rocks down upon the enemy. They were both killed by arrow almost simultaneously.
The good duke heard of the maid's plight. His own daughter was safe and he invited Allis to an extra room in the castle. But Rouen stepped forward and respectfully informed the duke that as Allis' parents were now dead the two would be marrying soon to honor the pact. The duke insisted she stay with him for the time before that and Allis agreed for herself.
But something had gone wrong. Somehow word reached them about Aria. It would seem that pirates had connections or abilities enough to get even through Soja's lines. And as it turned out, that was how Aria had gotten through before. The knights with her were not trustworthy after all, for they had taken the princess straight into the hands of the fiercesome band of pirates led by Neo. She was on their ship now, and she would either remain their prisoner for the rest of her life or the duke must save her.
"We are under siege! How does Neo expect me to come to him?" the duke paced his inner rooms.
Sir Luke and Sir Christian were the only ones there with him.
Like offered an idea. "Perhaps Soja would yet accept an offer of peaceful surrender."
The duke frowned at his knight. "I would still die. And I cannot, I must go for Aria!"
"If I wore your armor and went in your place, sire, they would not discover me until too late."
The Lord looked at his men. "Sir Luke, you would die." The knight said nothing. "You are a very good man." The duke turned away and bowed his head.
"This should be kept a very close secret," Sir Luke mentioned.
The duke turned to look at them.
"Vashi is not what he seems, Lord," Luke said.
"Fine, then. Sir Christian, you will go with me. We will need enough men to take Aria away from the pirates by force if necessary, but we cannot take any soldiers from the castle. We will leave...tonight."
Allis stood in the corridor and watched the duke with a small group open a door to the maze of tunnels in the walls. She had seen a man on the duke's horse and wearing his armor leave quietly with a surrender party earlier that evening.
"Sir Christian," she said softly.
He stopped, turned back to her. He hesitated. "The duke's daughter is in trouble. She has been captured by pirates."
"You are leaving us here? If the knight surrenders we may all yet die."
Sir Christian did not reply to that. "If you do not die you will marry."
"Yes," Allis replied quietly.
"It is not what you wish."
"I do not believe either my intended or I wish this marriage, sire," Allis admitted.
"Come with us. You are still invited to stay with the duke's...party."
"My lord–"
"Come, we must hurry."
Allis went with him, following the others through the dark tunnels. Allis looked back when she thought she heard wild cries from the city; then she stepped out into the night.
