The Lioness and Her Knight (23 page)

"The woman said that she'd be forced to sew with the prisoners," Luneta said slowly.

"That's right," Rhience said. "I didn't quite understand that bit."

"Me neither, but I wish I'd asked her," Luneta said. She told Rhience and Ywain what she had heard through the door at the end of the corridor. "They've got some secret here that they don't want anyone finding out. There are women being held captive behind that door."

"Which explains why they discourage outsiders," Ywain said.

Luneta nodded. "And why they took our weapons from us and shut Lass up and tried to keep us apart."

Ywain frowned. "You don't think they mean to kill us? To keep some secret? But that servant was so polite."

"Once we're here, what would be the point of being rude?" Luneta replied. "Better to be nice, take our weapons away, and then get rid of us at their leisure."

"What should we do?" Rhience asked.

Ywain smiled suddenly, a hint of mischief in his eyes. "Well, if I'm about to be murdered, I'd like to know why. Let's go back to that door, Luneta."

Luneta led them back upstairs. Ywain's step was jaunty, and he whistled softly as he walked. Luneta realized again that danger only made her cousin cheerful, and she shook her head. At the door, Ywain felt all around the edges, then said, "Hinges on the inside, so it opens that way." He dropped to his knees and pressed his mouth to the crack beneath the door. "Knock on the door for me, will you, Rhience? Hard."

Rhience glanced at Luneta, shrugged, and then began banging on the door. At the first knock, Ywain began growling something indistinguishable in a gruff and impatient voice. Then he listened at the opening. "Do it again," he said.

Rhience knocked and Ywain gave his angry growl four times before Luneta heard hesitant footsteps coming near. Ywain leaped to his feet and said, "Stand back from the door." A moment later Luneta heard the unmistakable sound of a bar being drawn from its place, and the door moved.

Ywain threw his body against it, thrusting it wide open. Inside, Luneta had the vague sense of a huge torchlit room, but her eyes focused on the thin figure that was falling away from the door. Ywain leaped forward, then checked his attack. At his feet lay a terrified-looking woman.

"I'm so sorry," the woman whispered. "I'm so very, very sorry. It was all my fault. I shouldn't have startled you like that!"

Ywain extended his hand to her. "
You
shouldn't have startled
me?
" he asked. "I should have thought it was the other way around. Do let me help you up, madam. I beg your pardon for knocking you down."

"Oh, no, you mustn't think of that," the woman said. She looked as if she were blushing. "I'm sure I brought it on myself." Looking away from Ywain's extended hand, she climbed to her feet without assistance.

"Permit me to introduce myself, madam," Ywain said, sweeping a courtly bow. "I am called the Knight of the Lion, and these are my friends Rhience and the Lady Luneta."

The woman bobbed a curtsy and looked at the dirty floor at their feet. "I'm very sorry that it took me so long," she gabbled self-consciously. "It is most unfortunate that the foreman should have stepped out just at this time, and of course we aren't used to new ladies coming in by that door, but I was afraid that the Brothers would be displeased with us if we kept them waiting, and truly you did sound very angry to me." The thin woman peeked up for a moment, then looked down. "Where are the other ladies?"

"There is only one lady with me," Ywain replied.

The woman looked at Luneta a gave a tremulous smile. "Welcome. You know, I didn't
think
it was already time for the regular thirty. You must be a special case. Let me show you around. I've been here the longest so I'm usually the one who does that."

Luneta was just about to ask the woman to explain what she meant when she heard Rhience say, "By all the gods!" and she looked up.

They were standing on a wooden landing at the top of a stairway, about midway up the wall of the largest room Luneta had ever seen outside a cathedral, and on the floor of the room were dozens of women sewing by torchlight. Three or four looked up at them, but most of the women simply hunched over their work.

"What is all this?" Luneta asked breathlessly.

"This is the workshop where you'll be working, of course," the thin woman replied, taking Luneta's hand and leading her downstairs. "You come at a good time. We've just had a place come open."

One of the women who had looked up spoke in a restrained but very clear voice. "Why don't you tell them why the place came open, Dorothea?"

"Sophia," the thin woman said sternly. "If I were you, I'd concentrate on my work. You're hardly healed from the last time you were found dawdling."

The woman called Sophia ignored the thin woman and looked at Luneta. "One of the workers died yesterday. Her name was Arivelle."

"Of course we're very sorry for poor Arivelle," Dorothea said, "but she was a very slow worker, and her unfortunate fate is a reminder to us all that if we simply do our best here, we can all live very happily."

"Very happily indeed," Sophia repeated, without expression.

"What is all this?" Luneta asked again, but this time addressing her question to Sophia. "Why are you all working here?"

"Don't you know?" Sophia asked. Luneta shook her head. "You mean that you haven't been brought here to work with us?"

"No," Luneta said. "We're travelers from outside this land who found our way to this castle and discovered this doorway."

Dorothea gasped and turned nearly white. "Oh, no! Please go away! If you're found here and the Brothers hear that I let an outsider into our community..." She trailed off, evidently unable either to imagine or to express the fate that would befall her.

"Where does that door lead?" demanded Sophia.

"Into the castle, up to the entrance hall," Luneta replied.

"No, Sophia! Don't even think it!" Dorothea said vehemently. "If you run away, the rest of us will be beaten! You know the rules."

"What if we
all
run away?" Sophia asked.

"They'll catch us!" Dorothea said despairingly. "The Brothers!"

"Are you prisoners here?" Luneta demanded.

Speaking simultaneously, Sophia said, "Yes," and Dorothea said, "No." Sophia gave Dorothea a weary look, then turned to Luneta. "Yes," she repeated. "We're all from the Isle of Wight. Ten years ago, the lord of this land, Sir Garius, fought a war against our king and defeated him, mostly because two monstrous fiends fought for Sir Carius, two brothers who are like demons of Hell. No one could stand before them, and our king surrendered. The terms of peace permitted our king to keep his throne, but every year he has to provide thirty women to serve Sir Carius here in Diradvent."

"Diradvent?" Ywain interrupted suddenly. "Is that the name of this land?"

"Yes," Sophia replied. "You've heard of us?"

"Everyone at court knows about Diradvent embroidery and clothing," Ywain said. "It is the finest in England and is much in demand." He looked around. "And this is where it is made?" he asked, horror in his voice.

Dorothea, who had been clutching her hands anxiously throughout this exchange, was suddenly distracted. "Oh, ladies! Did you hear that? Our embroidery is famous!"

Sophia ignored her, as did the other laboring women. "This is where it is made," she repeated softly. "We sew here ten hours at a time, then sleep for five hours, then start again."

"Fifteen hours is not a full day," Rhience pointed out. His voice was quiet.

"Day and night mean nothing here," Sophia replied. "I haven't seen the daylight since I came, three years ago."

Ywain was still gazing around in horror. "Your king sends thirty of his subjects, thirty women, to work in this hole, so that he can keep his throne?"

"That's right."

"Is a throne worth trading away your own soul?" Rhience whispered.

Ywain continued, "And he's done this for ten years? Three hundred women?" Sophia nodded. "I see less than a hundred here. Where are the rest?"

"These are all that live," Sophia replied simply. "We are fed poorly, and if we do not sew well, we are beaten."

Dorothea interrupted suddenly. "But you don't tell the whole story!" she snapped. "Why should we not sew our very best for the kind master who gives us food and shelter? And at least it is work that is suitable for us!"

"I see nothing suitable here," Ywain said.

"I only mean that sewing is what women are good at. We are asked to do only what we do well. And as for the food, women don't need as much as men. Only those women who have overly high opinions of themselves think that we're ill used." Here she looked pointedly at Sophia.

Luneta stared at Dorothea. "Do you defend your captors?" she asked.

"I am not a captive," Dorothea said proudly. "I am very comfortable with my lot here and do not ask for anything more."

"Don't think too harshly of Dorothea," Sophia said quickly, before Luneta could respond. "She's been here longer than any of us, the only survivor of the first group that came ten years ago. Whatever she says, she has survived."

"But I won't much longer if you're found!" Dorothea said urgently. "I opened that door only because I thought it might be the Brothers, but now you must leave!"

Ywain looked at Sophia. "Will you come with us?" he asked.

Sophia hesitated, but only for a moment. "Not unless everyone leaves with me," she said. "Dorothea was right. If one escapes, everyone will be beaten, and some here won't live through another beating. Can you get us all away?"

Rhience said, "We can't even guarantee we'll get away ourselves." Ywain started to speak, but Rhience said, "I know, Ywain. But the only thing to do is to leave for now. It sounds as if these Brothers are the key. Get rid of them, and we can come back."

Ywain nodded slowly. Luneta turned to Sophia. "You can trust this knight," she said. "He won't leave until you're free or he's dead." Then, as an afterthought, she added, "Neither will I." Then she and her friends went back up the stairs, barred the door behind them, and returned to the entrance hall together. No one spoke.

"Sir!" the velvet servant exclaimed as he came into the entrance hall and saw Ywain sitting with Rhience and Luneta. "I did not think to find you here!"

"Oh, no," Ywain replied blandly, "but I grew bored in that other room and found this lady and her friend. We've had a very pleasant visit while we waited for you to return."

The servant gave a forced smile. "I'm delighted to hear it," he said. "Indeed, I was just coming back to introduce you to each other, as would have been proper."

"That's so kind of you!" Luneta said brightly. "And will you now conduct us to your master? He seems such a fine man, to stay here ruling over his surly people!"

"Indeed," the servant said with a bow. "If the three of you will follow me."

He led them up the stairs and down the opposite hallway from the one leading to the women. Unlike the other passage, this hall was well lit and lined with doors that stood open, revealing several opulently furnished salons and sitting rooms. Sir Garius seemed able to afford the very best. At the last door, the servant stopped. He spoke briefly to Ywain, making sure he had their names correct, then opened the door and said, "My lord and my lady, may I present to you the Knight of the Lion, Lady Luneta, and their companion, Rhience the Fool!"

Luneta followed Ywain into the room and, to her surprise, saw not only a kind-looking old man with fine white hair but a brightly smiling girl of about her own age. The girl saw Luneta, and her eyes sparkled with delight. "Oh, Father! Look! The Lady Luneta is just a girl like me!"

"Remember your manners, Floria," the white-haired man said indulgently.

"Oh, dear, my tongue has run away with me again," the girl said, blushing prettily. "I do beg your pardon, my lady, but we have so few visitors, and most of them are so old and
fusty
that I couldn't help being delighted to see someone near my own age!" Floria leaped to her feet to sweep a curtsy and then stopped as her eyes fell on Ywain's face. "Oh, my!" she said, suddenly wide-eyed and breathless.

Ywain bowed. "Lady Floria, is it?" he said, smiling. Glancing at him, Luneta realized that even through his beard, Ywain was quite good-looking.

"Oh, my!" Floria said again.

The white-haired man rose to his feet. "I hardly need say so, but we are also quite unused to having handsome young men to visit." Floria turned bright red but didn't take her eyes from Ywain's face. "I am Sir Carius, lord of these lands, and I am honored to greet you all."

Luneta could only gape at them. Was this gentle old man the one who had imprisoned three hundred women, killing more than half of them with cruel labor? She glanced at Rhience and found him looking at her, equal amazement in his eyes.

"We were just about to go to dinner," Sir Carius said. "I would be honored if you would join me. We are thin of company this evening, I'm afraid, and it will be a simple family gathering—just the five of us."

"We would be honored, Sir Carius," Ywain said. "But surely you were not expecting us and have not prepared for three more guests."

"I believe there will be enough," Sir Carius said placidly. Then he led them through a side door into the most extravagantly decorated dining hall Luneta had ever seen. Every wall was covered with brilliant tapestries, and the little bit of wall that showed between the hangings glowed with gilding. The long banquet table was covered with food, more than five people could eat in a week. The plates were of gold, and the goblets of purest crystal.

"Come sit beside me, Lady Luneta!" Floria called out. Luneta sat in the place that Floria had indicated and was immediately swept up in a flood of chatter.

"Floria!" her father said gently. "You forget yourself again. You will give our guests a very odd opinion of our manners here in Diradvent."

Rhience chose a place directly opposite Luneta and said, "Indeed, it is pleasant to meet someone so courteous here. I must confess that we saw little in the way of courtesy from your people."