Read Online The Legend of the King by Gerald Morris - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Gerald Morris
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are you going to do?" Lynet demanded.
"Challenge Breunis to single combat."
"What? He'll never agree to that."
"I hope not," Gaheris said. "Can't talk now. Here they come." Lynet glanced away from Gaheris to see Sir Breunis and his three companions at the foot of the wall.
"Well, Sir Gaheris? Have you decided to give yourself up?" shouted Sir Breunis.
"I have concluded that we cannot defeat your army, at least," Gaheris replied. He had stepped back from the wall and had one hand up to partly obscure his face. "But you must realize that a man of honor cannot simply give up."
Sir Breunis guffawed. "What makes you think I would know or care about your notion of honor?"
"Right, my mistake," Gaheris said. "Just take my word for it. A knight of Arthur's table doesn't just surrender. Instead, I challenge you to single combat. If I win, you spare us all. If I lose, the castle is yours, and all the people inside go free."
Sir Breunis roared with laughter. "You must be mad! I hold every advantage now. Why would I give you a chance?"
"Then make it harder! I challenge the greatest and most skilled of all your knights to single combat! Whoever you choose! I'll even take on one of those big fellows behind you!"
"No!"
"Then I hope you're not in a hurry, because we aren't coming out. We have food enough in here for months!"
At that point, the large knight in the middle leaned from his saddle and said something in a low voice. Sir Breunis shook his head and replied, but the large knight persisted. Gaheris turned to Lynet and said, "Go, Lynet! Get Douglas dressed and ready."
"Gary, I think you're the most wonderful man in the world, but I also know you're hopeless with a sword. I don't see that you fighting a single combat is any different from just letting them kill you. I still think you should take the rest of the men out with you. In a battle, who knows what willâ"
"Listen to me, lass. I've no time to explain it right now, but I want you to trust me. I've no intention of dying here today."
Lynet searched her husband's eyes and saw in them a lurking flicker of anticipation, even amusement. She knew his every mood, and if he were lying, she would know it. "What is your plan?"
Gaheris shook his head. "No time," he said. "Go! And have someone get a second suit of silver armor ready for me."
Lynet nodded and descended to the courtyard. Behind her she heard Gaheris shouting something at Sir Breunis and his companions as the negotiations continued, but she paid no attention. Walking up to where Douglas's mother wept over his body, supported by a village maiden, Lynet said, "Elspeth?"
Douglas's mother looked up. She was no more than forty. "Yes, my lady."
"I am sorry for your loss. If I could restore Douglas to you, I would in a moment."
"I know, my lady."
"But I can't. And now I have to ask something else of you." Elspeth looked blank, and Lynet said, "Sir Gaheris has a plan. I don't know what it is, but I know he wants to make the soldiers outside think that your Douglas is Sir Gaheris."
"Eh?"
"They want Sir Gaheris dead. So, Sir Gaheris wants to pass off Douglas's body as his own to make them think they've won."
Elspeth still looked blank, and Lynet felt her heart breaking for the young mother stupefied by her grief. Then she received unexpected support. The young woman whose arm still encircled Elspeth's shoulders said, "And if this plan works, then we'll all live?"
"Sir Gaheris thinks so," Lynet said.
The girl leaned her head on Elspeth's shoulder. "Let her do what she has to, Elspeth. This way Douglas will still be saving us all, like he meant to." Elspeth said nothing but nodded weakly. The village girl looked up at Lynet. "What do you need us to do?" she asked.
Lynet smiled a thank you. "I'm sorry. I know you're Coll's daughter, but I don't remember your name."
"Rowena, my lady. I was to marry Douglas next month."
"Oh!"
"Shouldn't we be making haste?" Rowena asked.
Lynet shook herself, then looked into
"Challenge Breunis to single combat."
"What? He'll never agree to that."
"I hope not," Gaheris said. "Can't talk now. Here they come." Lynet glanced away from Gaheris to see Sir Breunis and his three companions at the foot of the wall.
"Well, Sir Gaheris? Have you decided to give yourself up?" shouted Sir Breunis.
"I have concluded that we cannot defeat your army, at least," Gaheris replied. He had stepped back from the wall and had one hand up to partly obscure his face. "But you must realize that a man of honor cannot simply give up."
Sir Breunis guffawed. "What makes you think I would know or care about your notion of honor?"
"Right, my mistake," Gaheris said. "Just take my word for it. A knight of Arthur's table doesn't just surrender. Instead, I challenge you to single combat. If I win, you spare us all. If I lose, the castle is yours, and all the people inside go free."
Sir Breunis roared with laughter. "You must be mad! I hold every advantage now. Why would I give you a chance?"
"Then make it harder! I challenge the greatest and most skilled of all your knights to single combat! Whoever you choose! I'll even take on one of those big fellows behind you!"
"No!"
"Then I hope you're not in a hurry, because we aren't coming out. We have food enough in here for months!"
At that point, the large knight in the middle leaned from his saddle and said something in a low voice. Sir Breunis shook his head and replied, but the large knight persisted. Gaheris turned to Lynet and said, "Go, Lynet! Get Douglas dressed and ready."
"Gary, I think you're the most wonderful man in the world, but I also know you're hopeless with a sword. I don't see that you fighting a single combat is any different from just letting them kill you. I still think you should take the rest of the men out with you. In a battle, who knows what willâ"
"Listen to me, lass. I've no time to explain it right now, but I want you to trust me. I've no intention of dying here today."
Lynet searched her husband's eyes and saw in them a lurking flicker of anticipation, even amusement. She knew his every mood, and if he were lying, she would know it. "What is your plan?"
Gaheris shook his head. "No time," he said. "Go! And have someone get a second suit of silver armor ready for me."
Lynet nodded and descended to the courtyard. Behind her she heard Gaheris shouting something at Sir Breunis and his companions as the negotiations continued, but she paid no attention. Walking up to where Douglas's mother wept over his body, supported by a village maiden, Lynet said, "Elspeth?"
Douglas's mother looked up. She was no more than forty. "Yes, my lady."
"I am sorry for your loss. If I could restore Douglas to you, I would in a moment."
"I know, my lady."
"But I can't. And now I have to ask something else of you." Elspeth looked blank, and Lynet said, "Sir Gaheris has a plan. I don't know what it is, but I know he wants to make the soldiers outside think that your Douglas is Sir Gaheris."
"Eh?"
"They want Sir Gaheris dead. So, Sir Gaheris wants to pass off Douglas's body as his own to make them think they've won."
Elspeth still looked blank, and Lynet felt her heart breaking for the young mother stupefied by her grief. Then she received unexpected support. The young woman whose arm still encircled Elspeth's shoulders said, "And if this plan works, then we'll all live?"
"Sir Gaheris thinks so," Lynet said.
The girl leaned her head on Elspeth's shoulder. "Let her do what she has to, Elspeth. This way Douglas will still be saving us all, like he meant to." Elspeth said nothing but nodded weakly. The village girl looked up at Lynet. "What do you need us to do?" she asked.
Lynet smiled a thank you. "I'm sorry. I know you're Coll's daughter, but I don't remember your name."
"Rowena, my lady. I was to marry Douglas next month."
"Oh!"
"Shouldn't we be making haste?" Rowena asked.
Lynet shook herself, then looked into
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