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Until the End, Chapter #3 Meeting with the King

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Chapter #3: Meeting with the King

Rapunzel’s POV

I woke that morning when a ray of sunlight shone into my eyes, causing me to cringe at the sudden brightness. After removing the arm that was around my waist, I rolled out of the bed and got dressed. I put on a similar dress as yesterday but instead of green, the dress was a lavender colour. Princess Merida had bought it for me when I first started working for her since colours like lavender and purple was very expensive. Normally a person from common background was not allowed to wear any shade of purple but Merida had given me permission to do so.

After putting the dress on and closing the back, I looked towards the fireplace and saw that Hendry was still asleep. Today would be the day he would meet with the king and right now the soot on his face made it look like he came from a pigsty; he had to look somewhat presentable or he‘d never get the job. After grabbing a bucket, I went outside and walked to a nearby well in the middle of the town. A few people were already awake and starting the day and I felt a pang of fear when I saw the same group of men that attacked me yesterday wobbling out of a brothel. I averted my sight and began to walk faster. When I had reached the well, I dared a quick glimpse over my shoulder to see that the men were heading to the castle, the opposite direction from where I was. After filling the bucket with the cold water, I walked in a quickened pace back to the house and placed it on the table; Hendry could wash himself after he woke up. In the corner of my eye, I saw his bag and wondered if he had a clean tunic with him. I opened the bag, the contents clanging loudly, and below all the strange tools and odd looking contraptions, I found a neatly folded green tunic along with a leather belt that clearly was new.

I placed the tunic and the belt beside the bucket and I heard my stomach growl; I never bothered to make food in the morning as I could easily eat something in the castle kitchens and today would probably be no exception. I ignored the growls for the moment and walked to Hendry, placing my hand on his muscular shoulder and shook him,

“Hendry, wake up!” He moved and blinked his eyes a few times when he looked up. He yawned and looked straight at me, “You have to get up.” I whispered since Jack was still asleep and I didn’t want to wake him up. Well, not yet anyway; he had to work too today. “You’ll be meeting with the King today and you need to clean yourself up before you go.” He groaned quietly and rubbed his eyes before nodding,

“Alright” He grumbled and lifted himself slowly into a sitting position. When he had stretched his arms, he got up and spotted the bucket and his clean tunic on the table. Slowly, he walked to the table and began to clean himself, starting with his face and his hands. I watched him for a few minutes as he washed the soot off his face and cleaned the dirt underneath his fingernails. He leaned forward, scooped up water in his cupped hands, and threw it over his hair in an attempt to clean it. When I saw he wasn’t having much success, I got a large bowl, filled it with water and dumped it over his hair, some water seeping into his shirt and causing him to sputter loudly. He opened his mouth to complain but I shut him up as I began to run my fingers through his hair, hoping it would remove the dirt. When his hair looked clean enough, I threw a large rag over it and began to dry it off,

“I can do this myself you know.” Hendry complained as he tried to take control of the rag. I eventually let go and let him do the rest. As he began to pull off his shirt to put on the clean tunic, I turned away from him and walked over to the still-sleeping Jack. I was surprised that he was still asleep, despite all the noise Hendry made when I cleaned his hair.

Waking Jack up was easy; just a little shook on his shoulder and, just to tease him, a blow into his ear and he was awake. He reluctantly got out of bed and started to get dressed. I left the house again and descended into the storage room; where Jack and I kept food among other necessities for winter time. It was hard to see in the dark room but I had been there so often that I easily found my way around and find I was looking for: feed for the animals. I re-emerged from the room and walked to the pens. I quickly fed the hungry animals and walked back to the main door to see Hendry and Jack standing by it, waiting for me. Jack was wearing the same white shirt and brown pants but replaced his brown vest with one that was dull blue.

During the rather short walk to the castle, we were all talking and laughing with each other. For me, it all ended too soon when a large door located to the side of the caste appeared in front of us. I pushed open the heavy oak door, which opened to the kitchens. In an instant the smell of food hit our nostrils. Jack and I walked in immediately, having been there so often, but Hendry stood in the doorway and looked around in awe; he’d probably never seen a kitchen this large before. I headed for a pot that was hanging over the fire whilst Jack grabbed a loaf of freshly baked bread and an apple. He walked over to me and gave me kiss, causing some of the others in the kitchen to giggle. Encouraged by the giggles, he pulled me closer to him and deepened the kiss while I wrapped my arms around his neck. Máiri, a pretty 17-year-old girl with dull red hair and dark brown eyes, was the first to say something

“How did you ever get stuck with that guy?” She asked in an obvious teasing tone. I pulled away from the kiss, keeping my arms around him and shrugged my shoulders,

“I don’t know.” I smiled when he looked at me in surprise, “But I’m crazy about him.” He smiled too and he gave me a tender peck. He placed the apple in his hand to his mouth and sunk his teeth into it, making him look like a pig and causing nearly everyone to laugh. Jack slowly walked backwards, towards the now empty doorway, making silly faces and then disappeared to the outside world.

Hendry had sat down at the large kitchen table and his head had turned red from laughter. As he finished his bouts of laughs, I had gotten two wooden bowls and filled them with the contents of the pot: porridge made from grounded oats and goat’s milk. I placed the bowl in front of him and he immediately began to put spoonfuls in his mouth. I ate my porridge much slower than he did so he was done much faster than I was. As I neared the end of the meal, I felt a hand placing itself on my shoulder. I looked up and saw Máiri standing beside me,

“You best wake the princess,” She said quietly. I nodded and got up. After telling Hendry where to go for his audience with the king, I ran up a staircase used specifically for servants to the upper levels, tying an apron around my waist. The staircase led to a small room with only a door. I walked through the door and entered a large hallway. I a quickened pace, I walked to an oak door. I carefully turned the handle and entered the dark room. The only light came from the creaks of the still-closed shutters. On my tiptoe, I walked to the window and opened the shutters allowing light to flood into the room. When I heard a grunt and moan coming form the large bed, I couldn’t help but smile. As headed to the large fireplace to throw in more wood, I heard a voice grunt,

“5 more minutes.” I shook my head and walked over to the bed, sitting down beside a figure hidden beneath the blanket. I placed my hand of its shoulder and shook,

“Not today, my lady.” I had grown accustomed to calling the princess by her name but calling her ‘my lady’ or something else was always the perfect way to annoy her. As expected she sat up, her red curls bouncing.

“Don’t call me that, Rapunzel.” I couldn’t help but smile as I stood up,

“Maybe if you got up, I would.” I walked to the princess’ large closet and opened it, looking at the numerous dresses she owned. For a princess, she wore very simple dresses with some being so simple that she could be mistaken for a commoner but if you looked closely one could see that they were made from very uncommon cotton. After only seconds of browsing, I took out a dress I knew she liked: a traditional dark green dress with white slits on the elbows. I took the dress out and was happy to see Merida out of her bed, already standing in her chemise. I helped her get the dress on and while closing the back of it, Merida talked to me,

“So, how are you and Jack?” She asked

“Very well.” I replied as I pulled on the strings, trying not to pull them too tight, “We are hosting a very special guest.” She looked over her shoulder, her hair bouncing into my face as it moved,

“Who?” she asked with the curiosity of a child,

“Hendry Gallach.” She turned her head even more to catch my gaze with her cerulean eyes,

“Really?” She looked for wards again with her hands on her stomach, “What’s he like?” I was quiet for a minute, not sure what to say. I couldn’t just say that he was missing his leg; she would never believe that,

“He’s not what you’d expect him to be.” I said, finishing the back. Merida turned around and looked at me with a bright smile,

“I suppose I’ll meet him sometime soon. He is going to work for my dad.” I nodded,

“You do know you have a lesson today with your mother?” I asked, changing the subject. As expected, Merida let out a groan of frustration,

“Do you know about what?” I shook my head,

“No but don’t worry about that now. First, you need to go down and eat breakfast with your family.” Merida pouted in a teasing way and I laughed; it‘s not often that a maid tells a princess what to do. She let out a joyous laugh and turned on her heels and left the room; being anything but quiet. I kept laughing for a little while longer and then set to the task of making the bed and fulfilling my other duties.

-------
Merida’s POV

I hate lessons, its official: I hate them. I’d much rather be riding Angus and firing arrows than being in a room with my mother teaching me how to walk properly. Today’s lesson I found rather pointless: the Vikings. I mean, what’s the point of learning about an enemy that is too weak to even return to the place they originated? The only thing about the Vikings that interests me is the legends about dragons; it is said that the Vikings used to fight dragons but if that’s true nobody knows.

‘Merida! Are you listening?!” My thoughts were interrupted by my mother’s yells. In all honesty, I had barely listened to a word she said but I nodded. My mother looked at my with her usual look of disbelief. “Then what are the Viking tribes?” That was an easy question; I’ve had lessons about the Vikings before,

“Bashem Oiks, Bog-Burglars, Hysteria, Berserker, Outcasts, Meathead, Lava Louts, and Hairy Hooligans.”

“Leaders and their fates.” my mother commanded as she began to pace slowly back and forth, her hands behind her back and her eyes set on me. I took a deep breath and replied,

“Bashem Oiks: leader unknown. Bog-Burglars: Big-Boobied Bertha, killed in battle. Hysteria: leader unknown. Berserker: Dagur the Deranged, executed. Outcasts: Alvin the Treacherous, assassinated. Meathead: Mogadon, drowned. Lava Louts: leader unknown. Hairy Hooligans: Stoick the Vast, killed in battle.”

“And did any of those leaders have any children?” I let out a groan,

“Why do I have to learn about the Vikings?” I whined. My mother stopped her pacing and gave me a stern look,

“The Vikings have been greatly weakened, yes, but they all wish us ill and they still pose a threat to the Kingdom. Now answer the question: the children of the chiefs and their fates.” I let out a deep sigh and answered the question,

“Only two of the leaders had children. Bertha had a daughter named Cami-something-”

“Camicazi.” My mother corrected. I rolled my eyes but luckily my mother didn’t see it,

“And she was lost at sea. Stoick had a son and his name was-I believe- Hiccup.” I looked at my mother and she nodded. With a feeling of relief, I kept talking, “No one is sure what happened to him but the general consent is that he’s dead.”

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Hiccup’s POV

I was standing in a corner of the great hall, a large circular room where the King deals with kingdom business. The king, a big man with curly red hair wearing a long green gray and red tartan with a bear cloak, was currently listening to a man’s unheard problem. I had been waiting for a while now and part of me had begun to wonder if I would even get a chance today but ignored that part of me and waited patiently for who knew how long. I couldn’t exactly say that my time waiting were uneventful but not the most pleasant.

A few hours ago, the King was interrupted from the man his was dealing with when some guards advanced towards him dragging a young woman with thick blonde braids with them. She was cursing in Norse; the language of the Vikings. Behind the woman, a Scottish man was being dragged and forced onto his knees in front of the King. The man was forced to confess that he had been hiding this woman for several months and the woman kept cursing the King in Norse. I hadn’t spoken Norse in years but I could understand what she was saying. She cursed the Scots for destroying her home and killing her twin brother and cursed them for forcing her to live in hiding for 5 years. The Scottish man pleaded with the King for mercy but his pleas fell on deaf ears and they were both sentenced to die tomorrow. Just before she dragged away, the woman spat at the King’s feet.

That’s what always happened to those who helped the Vikings; they we’re helping an enemy of their land and that was treason and treason is punishable by death but despite the risks, there are, according to rumours, many who are hiding the Vikings and smuggling them out of DunBroch. Sadly, many get caught but there is one who the Scots could never get their hands on. One who had smuggled Vikings right under the noses of the King and his guards.

Aileen Fletcher. This woman never shows her face, never gets caught by the Scots, and never loses a Viking to them. Some say that she’s just a myth but many others have claimed to have seen her; a young woman hidden behind a blue cloak. But despite the possibility of being myth, Aileen is wanted; dead or alive.

I snapped out of my thoughts when the King’ voice boomed, asking if there were any other issues to be dealt with. This was my chance. I walked forward, the clinking of metal echoing through the room. I got down on my good leg, clearly showing my prosthetic, and bowed my head. The King was silent as his blue eyes studied me, his fingers playing with his rough red beard,

“Who are you?“ he asked eventually. I took a brief glimpse at the large man and gulped quietly,

“Hendry Gallach, your Majesty.” As I expected, he didn’t say anything and I just knew that he, along with other person present, was looking at my prosthetic and stump,

“So you’re the famous blacksmith?“ He asked and replied with a nod, keeping my head bowed, “Anybody can say that.” He said eventually, disbelief evident, “Can you prove it?” I nodded earnestly and grabbed the folded letter, which I was smart enough to bring. I held it out and the King’s advisor took it from me and handed it to him. The King unfolded the letter and briefly looked at its content. He leaned towards his advisor and whispered, though I could easily hear it,

“I send for the best blacksmith in DunBroch and what do I get? A cripple.” A pang of anger hit me when he said that. Here I am with a fake leg, kneeling in front of a man who also has a fake leg. I had to say something but if I did, it could cost me the job. But if I didn’t say anything, there is no way I would walk out of here with a job. I had to say something, that way I’d at least have a chance,

“Forgive me, your majesty, but if I’m a cripple what does that make you?” Somebody behind me gasped and I felt all the eyes in the room looking at me and then at the King’s peg leg. The King seemed flabbergasted by my statement and slouched into his throne, taking a look at his leg. The King’s advisor leaned towards the King and whispered something into his ear, which was replied with a nod and he looked back at me,

“You proven your point but I’m not convinced that you’re the blacksmith everybody speaks so highly of.” He stood up and slowly walked towards me, his footsteps echoing through the silent room. He stopped in front of me and unsheathed his mighty sword, holding it in his hand and looking at the worn blade. After playing with the sword for a few minutes he looked at me, “If you can make a new and better sword for me, I’ll give you the job.” There were whispers floating through the room as eyes stared at the king and back at me. I was about to reply when the King’s advisor interrupted,

“May I speak, your Majesty?” He asked. The King looked at the old man and nodded, re-sheathing his sword,

“Your Majesty,” the man started, “Hendry Gallach is said to be the best blacksmith in the land. Rumours go that he can complete a sword in less than two days, a skill mastered by few, and this man,” he pointed at me, “Claims to be that blacksmith.”

“What are you suggesting?” the King asked,

“If he is who he says he is than he should have no trouble making a sword before the celebration of your daughter’s betrothal tomorrow.” There were more whispers in the room as the King remained silent; his forehead frowned in deep thought. After a minute, he raised his large hand in the air and the room fell silent. He looked at me,

“Alright. If you can make a new and better sword for me before the end of the celebration tomorrow, I’ll give you the job. Do you accept?” I remained silent; I could make a sword that fast, if my future wasn’t hanging in the balance. I could deny the challenge and just go home but something was telling me to take the challenge. After contemplating my options, I took a deep breath and looked at the King,

“I accept.”
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Squabasaurus's avatar
Aww, Rapunzel seems so motherly!
Wait a second, is Aileen Fletcher really Merida??? (you don't have to answer that.....)