《Three Short Stories》 The Bandit Part 1 ¨C Refugee Columns of black smoke broke the cloudless blue skies and everyday a new one rose. It seems to get closer and closer to the refugee camp but as long as the cries of terror were inaudible, the distance was deemed safe. The lord''s sergeant, covered in maille with a bright and clean surcoat, came to the camp with another supply wagon and the refugees, thin and weak, suddenly had a burst of energy and raced towards the sergeant and his men. "Fall in line, damn it!" the sergeant yelled. "I''ve been telling you this every week and you still can''t get it, you dirty dogs." The crowd complied to the sergeant''s command and begun forming multiple lines. As the bread started to be distributed, a thin and bearded man just left his tent and ran between seemingly endless rows of tents to the end of the line. "Hey John, over here," another thin, but tall, man in the middle of the line shouted. John immediately found him and ran towards that man. "Fall in line before me, friend, it''s alright," the man said. "Thank you, Mark. I''m sorry for being sluggish, I was just washing my wife in the tent," John replied. "It''s alright, John. I know your wife just gave birth. She needs all the help she can get." "Yes, of course, thank you again, Mark." "What''s your baby''s name?" "Henry." "Congratulations, John. Another handsome devil eh." John chuckled. Mark gave John a tap on the shoulder. Two hours later, John finally reached the front of the line. "Here. Now go," the soldier said after handing him a roll of five long bread and a bag of potatoes. "Sir, may I have a bit more potatoes? My wife just gave birth to another child. She needs the nutrients, sir," John begged. "I said off you go. If I gave you more, there might not be enough for the next families." "Just a little, sir, it''s just that she''s very weak, sir, jus-" "It¡¯s alright, John, you can have some of my potatoes, my sister doesn''t like them that much anyway," Mark interrupted. "Hear that? Now get off the damn line." the soldier commanded. Mark received his share of the provisions and John waited for him at the side of the line. "Here, John. Take half of my potatoes. It''s alright." "Thank you, Mark. But you don''t have to help me so much, I don''t want to burden you, friend," John said with a sigh. "Don''t feel bad, John. You''re not less of a man for receiving help from a friend." "Yes, but-never mind. I swear I''ll return the favors, Mark, you have my word." Mark gave John a nod and separated. Part 2 - Father John returned and entered his tent. He placed the bread and potatoes in a basket beside their chest of clothes. His wife, with her black hair tied exposing her pale thin face, sat opposite of it. "I''m hungry, father," his son said. "I''ll boil you some potatoes, Joseph. Help me carry your mother outside first, she needs the fresh air," John replied. Joseph held his mother''s legs while John carried his wife while she was holding the baby. They sat her on a log in front of their fire. "Are you comfortable, Mary?" John asked. "Yes, thank you, John," Mary replied with a faint smile. "Put some potatoes in the pot, Joseph. I''ll add more wood to our fire." "Yes, father," Joseph grabbed the bag of potatoes and opened it, "Oh there''s more potatoes than last time, father." "Really?" Mary asked pleasantly. If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. "Yes, Mark was kind enough to give us some of his." "Thank the gods, you have such kind friends, John." "And thank the gods, you and little Henry there is safe." John replied with a smile. Shortly after supper, Mary and little Henry were in the tent sleeping. "You watch over your mother now, Joseph. I''ll go do my watch." John kissed Joseph on the head and left. The night was bright but cold. Bats sped over John''s head and eyes of owls shined through the branches as their heads turned. Small critters were making all kinds of noises in the shrubs, this was a good a sign. There were footsteps behind him coming closer, John turned. "Hey, Richard," he said. "Good evening, John," Richard, a hairy and pale man, greeted back. "What is it? It''s not your watch yet." "Aye, but listen, we heard that you got a new child." "Aye, little Henry." "Congratulations, John-" "Thank you, Richard." "Listen, John, I came here because perhaps you could help me and our other friends and neighbors." "Sure, Richard, how can I help?" "You see, while me and my friends were on watch, we came across a camp of former soldiers." "former soldiers? Veterans or...?" "The second one," Richard whispered. "What happened?" John was worried. "Nothing bad, don''t worry, John. We just talked. They asked us if we would like to... uh... help them." "Help?" "Yes, they said that merchants are travelling south towards the camp of the main army, they know what road the merchants go through. They said it''ll be fast, no one has to get to hurt, just point your weapon on to them and take whatever you can take then run back to the woods." "Wait, what the- are you asking me to rob merchants on the road?" John was surprised. "Come on, John. You got a new child, my wife is also pregnant. We need the extra food and money," Richard said in a low voice. "What about their escorts? If they see us, we''re dead." "They travel relatively close to the army, so they don''t hire escorts anymore because the army scares away bandits, that''s what I''ve been told." "Then the army''s knights will get us." "It''ll be a straight road towards the south, we will see them a mile away, then we get back in the forest where it is too difficult for their horses to maneuver." John paused, he swallowed the saliva in his mouth, looked around then slowed down his breathing, I shouldn''t, but I need to, and it''s my chance to, I just have to do what I have to do, I''m tired of being a..., he faced Richard again, "When will it happen?" he asked. "Tomorrow night." "Fine, I''ll help you." "Thank you, friend." Richard tapped John on the shoulder and left. John continued his watch sweating as the cold night breeze blew to his face. Part 3 - Bandit Another day passed and night has fallen again. The bats flew over the camp and small critters continue to creep under the foliage. John was sharpening his spear outside his tent and was already wearing his coat. "Where are you going John?" Mary asked. "Sergeant said that men who do extra nights of work and watch will get extra food." John replied. "Oh, so you¡¯re going on watch again?" "Y-yes, Mary. I am." "Well, be careful out there. I''ll be sure to pray for you." "Thank you, Mary," John kissed her on the forehead, "nothing bad will happen, I assure you. I''m just doing this for my family." he continued with a smile. Richard and five of his friends approached John and greeted him and his wife. "Let''s go, John." Richard continued. "Aye. Let''s go." John replied. Mary watched the men walked away from the camp and into the woods. She turned to the tent and was frightened by a moth sticking on the curtain. Mary grabbed a piece of wood and raised it to hit the moth, but a bat suddenly flew pass her and attacked the moth making her squeak. John had reached the bandit camp with Richard. There were eight of them, all wore padded jackets and hood over their metal caps. On their right was a spear, on the left a shield with the army''s colors. "Just call me Captain," the leader of the bandits said, "this is a one-time operation, after this we never knew each other, we have never seen each other, got it, lads?" "Aye, captain," everyone answered. "Here''s the plan, me and my boys will hold them back, we know how to fight, it shouldn''t be a problem, while you boys carry as much cargo as you can and run back here, understand?" "Aye, captain." "Good, follow me." The bandits went West of the camp guided by their leader with a lamp. After an hour of walking, they reached an elongated depression covered by ferns and the roots of trees a few paces away from the road. The captain turned off the lamp and slowly their eyes adjust to the darkness. They waited motionless and silently. Bats and insects restlessly raced over them. Cartwheels was then heard, lamps begun to appear, and hooves were making noise on the gravel. John gripped his spear tightly, his heart started to beat faster as they follow the lamps and sound of horses. The world began to narrow, and he begun to hear Richard breathing heavily beside him. "Now!" the captain commanded and charged. The bandits followed him, and they jumped out of foliage at the side of the road. The merchants were startled and immediately panicked, they drew their swords and retreated on the opposite side of the road. The captain and his friends held them away from the two carriages with their spears and shields. John, Richard, and his friends dropped their spears and begun opening the carriages, they dragged and carried the crates into the dark forest. When John and the others returned to continue the looting, one of the merchants blew a whistle so loud it echoed through the night and startled the birds and critters nearby. The captain of the bandits turned south and saw a cloud of dust rising. "Knights are coming from the south, there''s still time, carry what you can now and let''s go!" the captain yelled. John ran towards the forest carrying a small chest then a dog jumped and emerged out of the foliage and bit his leg. He fell, dropped the chest, and screamed in pain as the dog locked its jaws on to his right leg. The bandits turned North, and knights appeared from the bend. "Run for your lives!" The bandits scrambled and panicked. More dogs ran toward the forest and knights in full plate harness followed them. "Richard! Help me!" John cried. Every one of the bandits were gone. The merchants heard his cries, ran towards him and started kicking him on the ground. John tried to crawl away, but the dog held him in place. A knight approach the violent group and they started to step away from John. His lips were popped, head was bleeding, and his limbs were swelling. John''s blood stained the ground. "Please, sir..." John cried. Tears, blood, sweat, mucus, and saliva flowed down his face. "Sir, I beg you. Please..." John cried, he could not think of anything to do but cry. He shook and screamed on the ground helplessly. "My family is starving, sir, mercy please..." The merchants looked at the knight, were they waiting for a response or maybe they could not look at John anymore, they do not know. "Sir... I will not do it again I swear," John begged. The knight did not answer. John crawled to the knight''s sabaton and kissed it. The knight drew his sword and stabbed John through back and into his heart, John''s body dropped instantly, and the dog finally released his leg. The knight faced the merchants, he saw them grew pale, and said, "He''s just a dirty dog." John''s blood puddled beneath him. He saw the merchants, the knight, and the dog walk away. He could hear Mary''s prayers and the cry of little Henry. He heard Joseph''s calls and he simply replied, "You watch over your mother now." The merchants continued their way, and the bats continue chasing and eating the insects flying away in terror. The knight Part 1 ¨C Oath The door squeaked open, and two bodies emerged. Their skin glowed beside the torches and their voices whispered and giggled. The man, brown haired with both body and face were chiseled, threw a bottle at a wooden bin next to the door and the woman pulled him back to the room. The man and his wife laid in bed and embraced each other while the moon watches over them through the open windows and the cold summer breeze made their embrace tighter. Footsteps thudded and suddenly stopped in front of the door. The woman rose, her blonde hair flowed down, her eyes looking worried, the man held her arms to assure her, ¡°It¡¯s just Albert, my brother,¡± he said. ¡°Was he¡­ listening? To us?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Elizabeth, it¡¯s just the bottle, he likes collecting them,¡± he said and chuckled. ¡°Oh, okay. Let us sleep, Alexander, oh how you exhausted me tonight,¡± Elizabeth said with a wide smile. Alexander gave his wife a kiss and the couple fell asleep with their arms wrapped around each other. The morning was busier than usual. Everyone gathered at the dinning-hall. At the end of the table sat the castle¡¯s lord, Alexander¡¯s father, his hair was black and short, and face well shaved, he was well-built man with a stern face and a scar below his right eye. On the table¡¯s left side was Alexander and Elizabeth, on the right was Albert. Alexander¡¯s brother was short, black haired, simple-minded, and sweet, he barely leaves his room but when he does, Alexander was always by his side since they were young. The lord offered a prayer to God, and they started eating afterwards. Warm bread, wine, and roasted fish was served with sweet berries as desert. After the meal, the lord commanded them to stay at the table and informed them of the campaign to be held that season. ¡°I shall keep my oath, which I had always done in all my sixty-years of life, and I have made the decision that it is now time to prove your worth as my son, Alexander, in the field of battle¡±, the lord announced proudly. Albert started to clap enthusiastically, he gave his brother a wide and proud smile filled with excitement. Alexander was ecstatic, his father¡¯s stories about his experiences and deeds during the holy wars had always amazed him and it drove him to be like his father, to be honorable, strong, and dependable. Elizabeth held his hand and gave him a smile of genuine joy which he did not expect to see. Alexander turned to his father, ¡°I am very pleased, father. I assure you that I shall deliver those pagans to God, to face judgement. I am not just a boy anymore but a knight, and I will strike all our enemies down with my lance and sword,¡± he proclaimed with pride. The lord smiled and clapped his hands, Albert and Elizabeth did the same. He stood up and opened his arms toward Alexander, the latter stood up too and embraced him. Alexander was given the instruction to summon his squire and the stable boys. The preparations for the march shall now be made. Later in the afternoon, Alexander stood on the courtyard and his father beside him was already mounted on his horse followed by their squires and servants. Their carriage was loaded with supplies and extra weapons. The maids and guards lined up on the side of paved pathway to the gates. Elizabeth walked towards Alexander and the latter walked to her too. He gave her a kiss in the forehead, ¡°I am going to miss you so much, my wife. I promise that I will return,¡± he said. ¡°It is unfortunate we must separate only after a few weeks of marriage, my husband. But I promise to wait for your return. I¡¯ll have a new dress made and show it to you the moment you come back,¡± Elizabeth smiled and bit her lips. Alexander chuckled, ¡°Please take care of my brother, he is a sweet boy but helpless sometimes, I promise he will not cause you much trouble,¡± he continued. Elizabeth glanced at Albert, who smiled at her with innocence and trust, and she gave back a faint smile, ¡°Y-yes, of course, my husband,¡± she returned her eyes to her man and answered. It was the answer Alexander wanted to hear but it gave him no confidence at all after hearing her words. The couple embraced each other one last time then Alexander mounted his horse and rode behind his father to march for the rallying point of the Holy Patriarch¡¯s army. Part 2 - Feast The gates opened and the lord with his son entered the courtyard welcomed by warm applause and the smiles of Albert and Elizabeth. Alexander wore the same cloaks, as clean as it were when they left but patches and repairs were clearly done. The servants and stable boys tended the carriage and carried the leftovers and weapons away while the squires dismounted and ran beside the father and son, ¡°Your orders, sir?¡± Alexander¡¯s squire asked; the knight dismounted, ¡°Take my horse in the stables and get some sleep, it has been a rough endeavor,¡± he said and held the squire¡¯s shoulder with appreciation and respect. The lord and his squire did the same. Elizabeth walked towards and embraced him, she looked at his face closely, ¡°What happened, dear husband?¡± she asked touching the scar on his left cheek. Alexander smiled, ¡°It is an interesting story, I shall entertain you all with my deeds in dinner,¡± he replied and gave his wife a passionate kiss. Albert also walked towards him, his eyes were filled with admiration and a smile so welcoming and warm, Alexander embraced him tight and tousled Albert¡¯s hair. The lord finally entered the castle¡¯s keep first and everyone else followed. A feast was prepared in the dining halls, the lord and his family were seated in their usual places. In front of them were a mouth-watering banquet; roasted beef, pork, and fish with various stews and colorful fruits and salads were served. Alexander and his father inhaled the heavenly aroma, the long marches had made them glutinous. The lord gave grace to God, and they ate dinner. Alexander and the lord¡¯s appetite surprised Elizabeth and made her and Albert chuckled. Alexander¡¯s father wiped his mouth and said, ¡°I have missed you all and I am glad everyone is safe and healthy. I know what everyone is thinking when we arrived: what is the story behind that horrid scar on Alexander¡¯s face?¡± Everyone chuckled, This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. ¡°So, my son, please tell them it¡¯s tale,¡± the lord continued. Alexander gulped some wine, cleared his throat, ¡°This may be anti-climactic, but this scar did not actually come from a battle against the heathens. We were encamped on the border; father and I were hunting in the woods, this is admittedly embarrassing, but I was to lead the chased and I lost my way. Dear lord, I got a tongue-lashing from father,¡± he chuckled, ¡°then we finally managed to find and retrieve the doe we shot but it was already sunset and when we traced back our way, it had been nightfall. We found the road and followed it southward to our camp. When we turned on the bend, there were a small group of merchants that were ambushed by bandits. Father unleashed the dogs, and another hunt was set. He led the chase in the woods and followed close behind him, one of us stayed behind to look after the merchants. It was night and the leaves covered the skies, I was blind as a mole, I could not see anything in my helmet, so I raised the visor. The bandits decided to split up, so we decided to do the same. As I was chasing a bandit, my horse, which I rode through the foliage, slipped on a rock, and fell taking me down with him. As I was getting up, a spear point flashed before my eyes and rushed towards my face. Luckily, I grabbed it before it could bury more of its metal inside my flesh. I draw my sword, rushed him back, and slayed the dirty dog. My mount was fortunately unharmed, so I rode him back to the locations of the merchant after wiping the black blood of the filth I punished. They tended to my wounds and my father returned there too, carrying two filthy heads, well everyone was carrying heads except me! Because of that no one believed me that I had slayed the parasite I chased down, what a waste of opportunity,¡± Alexander shook his head and chuckled again. ¡°I believe, I believe!¡± Albert said impressed. ¡°Well, I still don¡¯t,¡± the lord remarked, and everyone laughed. Everyone stood up after the lord invited them to the fireplace for more stories. While walking together, Elizabeth leaned on Alexander, ¡°I will show you my new dress later and you could take it off me if you want afterwards,¡± Elizabeth whispered. Alexander answered her with a devious smile. Part 3 - Count Everyone sat around the brick fireplace, the lord sat on his furnished dark oak chair padded with red silk cushions with a maid beside him pouring tea on a circular table. Alexander, Elizabeth, and Albert all sat on their own beautifully decorated but smaller chairs. Alexander¡¯s father took a sip from his cup and begun, ¡°I shall tell you all about the first battle we had with the pagans. God was on our side as he blessed us with a calm and beautiful weather, this is also Alexander¡¯s first battle of course, it was on- oh my, what is that smell?¡± the lord and everyone else looked at Albert who had soiled his trousers. ¡°Did you have some wine, Albert?¡¯ Elizabeth interrogated. ¡°Yes, sorry,¡± he replied shamefully. Elizabeth turned to the maid and asked her to bring Albert to his room, but Alexander intervened and insisted he would do it. Alexander and Albert went upstairs and to the latter¡¯s room. As Albert was changing his pants, the sparkling bottles lined up on a shelf had caught Alexander¡¯s eye, ¡°How many bottles do you have before I left, brother? Ninety-nine, right?¡¯ Alexander was curious. ¡°Ninety-nine, ninety-nine.¡± Albert answered and showed his fresh pair of pants to Alexander. ¡°I¡¯ll give you your hundredth tomorrow,¡± Alexander proclaimed devilishly. ¡°Hundredth-first, hundredth first,¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s a hundredth after the ninety-ninth not- ¡°Alexander counted the bottles, not being satisfied with the first count, he counted again, ¡°W-where? Where did you get the hundredth bottle?¡± he asked worriedly. ¡°Your room, your room,¡± Albert pointed at him. ¡®But why? Why would that? Why would she¡­ she was expecting someone, of course! That wretched dog!¡± Alexander immediately turned and ran out of the room confusing his brother. He went downstairs until he reached the castles alchemist¡¯s laboratory and knocked its door loudly, ¡°Open the damn door, woman!¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± the voice behind the wooden door answered. The door was unlocked, and Alexander kicked it so hard, it smashed on the hooded alchemist¡¯s face and knocked her down. She wiped the blood of her nose and looked at Alexander¡¯s cold and stiffed face. ¡°Did she ask for a bottle of contraceptive?¡± the man questioned her. The alchemist could not answer and crawled back instead. Alexander grabbed her left leg and pulled her back, she turned back to him, ¡°No, sir,¡± she panicked. Alexander kicked her across the face from the right to left, she was knocked on her back again, revealing her bald head and dark eyes, and she spat pieces of broken teeth on her side. ¡°Don¡¯t lie to me.¡± The alchemist¡¯s eyes started to water, and her mucus dripped from her nose, ¡°Yes¡­ yes¡± ¡°Did you know she was with someone?¡± ¡°No, no, sir,¡± she sniffed, ¡°I just gave it to her when she asked for it,¡± the alchemist cried. Alexander went inside and took a bottle from a shelf and a slow deep breath, he turned, walked pass the alchemist, and shut the door. He washed his face and hands before returning to his chair at the fireplace. ¡°Are you alright? Albert said you just suddenly left him,¡± the lord said. ¡°I am not feeling well, father. Perhaps I should excuse myself,¡± Alexander replied. ¡°Well, I understand, I feel a little spent myself. Very well then, will have the stories after breakfast,¡± his father announced. Everyone left for their chambers leaving the maid behind to clean after them. Elizabeth leaned on Alexander, pressing her left shoulder on Alexander¡¯s right, ¡°I guess you could not wait for tonight, my dear husband,¡± she teased and chuckled. Alexander smiled, ¡°Yes, my dear faithful wife.¡± Part 4 - Confession The door squeaked open and a woman wearing a bloody white robe had emerged. She turned to Alexander, who was standing next to the door anxiously. ¡°You may enter to see your wife and child, sir,¡± the midwife said. Alexander rushed inside. Elizabeth lied on the bed pale, sweaty, bleeding, and exhausted, she was carrying the baby which was wrapped in white silk cloth. The bed itself was a wet mess and beneath it was a tub full of blood still rising slowly. The midwife leaned on Alexander, ¡°Her wounds, sir,¡± she wiped the sweat on her eyebrows, ¡°her wounds are still bleeding, sir¡± she whispered. Alexander glanced at the midwife and turned his eyes back on his child, ¡°What about my child?¡± he asked. ¡°It¡¯s a healthy boy, sir. He will be fine,¡± the midwife answered. ¡°Good. That¡¯s good,¡± Alexander was relieved and nodded slowly. ¡°I shall leave you now, sir.¡± ¡°Yes, thank you for your services.¡± Alexander replied with a faint smile. The midwife bowed and left the room carrying the extra towels and tray of medicine. Alexander sat beside Elizabeth, the latter handed him their baby and smiled. ¡°He¡¯s beautiful, isn¡¯t he?¡± Elizabeth said with a frail voice. Alexander smiled. His eyes fixed on the child¡¯s wide brown eyes that reflected him. ¡°Very. He¡¯s very beautiful.¡± Alexander rose and placed the child gently on an old dark wood carriage across the room. He returned to his wife still refusing to look at her directly. ¡°Did she tell you that¡­ that- ¡° ¡°She did,¡± Alexander replied coldly. Elizabeth held Alexander¡¯s arm, her tears flowed down her grey cheeks and her breathing started to get heavy. ¡°I won¡¯t be able to watch our little boy gro- ¡° ¡°You¡¯re dying, Elizabeth. Is this not the best time to confess your sins?¡± he interrupted. ¡°My¡­ sins?¡± Elizabeth turned to him with her eyes wide. ¡°I know you¡¯re an adulterer. Are you going to show me that you¡¯re a lying a whore too?¡± Elizabeth gripped his arm with the remaining strength she had. Alexander finally faced her, and their eyes fixed on each other¡¯s. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare,¡± she growled, ¡°I never loved you, Alexander. And you don¡¯t really love me too. It¡¯s all an obligation to you. You did your role and so did I. You do nothing but imitate your father, always boasting about yourself, it¡¯s all about you, and your honor, and you glory. Since you want to be him so much, then you deserve to have an unfaithful wife too. You¡¯re not heart-broken, you¡¯re humiliated because a knight like you, an arrogant noble who knows nothing else, had been cucked by a commoner that makes women¡¯s clothes for a living.¡± ¡°Are you done?¡± Alexander asked calmly. ¡°No! Unlike you, he made me feel I was desired for who I am, he did not see me as some baby-making ornament or a bar-maiden to pleasure yourself with. We made love, Alexander! Here! On this bed! On that one night, he satisfied me as a woman more than you ever could in our whole marriage!¡± Elizabeth breathed heavily, her teeth grinded, and her eyes red with bitterness. ¡°Very well, now I shall confess to you too,¡± Alexander said flatly. His wife was speechless. Her anger was replaced with shocked and curiosity. ¡°When I fetched the tray of potions and concoctions that the midwife asked for,¡± Alexander continued, ¡°I replaced one of the potions you must drink with a blood thinner I had bought outside and poured it in one of the bottles from the laboratory. I took the bottle from the laboratory before our previous alchemist had an unfortunate accident, so her replacement does not know that I have the same type of bottle she used.¡± ¡°You murderer!¡± Elizabeth pulled herself towards Alexander and grabbed on his black robes but immediately released it. She sunk back to her bed, her breathing worsened and her cheeks and lips became paler, but her eyes remained fixed on Alexander. ¡°Now I shall have the satisfaction of watching you die, Elizabeth.¡± Alexander watched his wife¡¯s eyes dilate and slowly roll-up and her eyelids shut. He listened to her breathing slowdown until it stopped. It was as quiet as the southern battlefields after the slaughter, he thought. Yet again he found himself watching over another corpse drained of its blood, and it was blissful. The Tailor Part 1 - White Cartwheels started rolling on the rough stone pavement as dawn broke. Jane opened her brown round eyes and the sun¡¯s rays started to seep between the boards of the wooden window shutters and their white silk curtains glowed and faintly illuminated the room. Beside Jane was her husband under their red blanket, he had medium length golden hair, prominent cheek bones, and a square jaw. She kissed him softly on the forehead, slipped out of bed slowly, brushed off her flowing black hair from her face, and tip-toed on the floor, across the green carpet at the center of the room, and sneaked out the door. Jane washed her face and hands in the kitchen, still wearing her white night gown, from a wooden bucket she had filled with water last night. She had put some coal in the stone furnace, started a fire, and filled a pot with water to boil. On the table right next to the furnace, she began slicing the bread prepared on the night before and took two cups on the wooden shelf above the table. As she placed their breakfast on the table, Jane heard footsteps coming towards her, she turned around- ¡°Good morning,¡± her husband greeted her, still only in his white pajamas with his messy hair and he wrapped his arms around her small waist. ¡°Good morning, darling,¡± Jane greeted back with a shinning smile looking at his emerald eyes. ¡°Your beauty never fades,¡± ¡°Really? Do you feel guilty about something?¡± Jane said as she moved her face away. ¡°Of course not,¡± he chuckled, ¡°Am I not allowed to compliment my wife?¡± ¡°You dreamed of another woman again, didn¡¯t you?¡± her eyes squinted. ¡°What? No. You¡¯re the most beautiful woman in this town, that¡¯s why I married you, darling,¡± he smiled. ¡°And you¡¯re the most handsome and most charming man in this town. Which is why I must keep an eye on you, Lucas!¡± she said jokingly. Lucas removed his arms around her and sat at the table, ¡°Let¡¯s eat, darling.¡± After breakfast, Jane stayed in the kitchen to clean up while Lucas went to his shop. The walls were entirely covered by shelves and cabinets filled with fine clothing, color and dyes of various shades and hues were seen everywhere in the room. He opened the curtains and unlocked the door. Lucas sat behind his desk, as usual, and from below, pulled a thick black leather covered book with a mark between the pages and opened it. Jane went inside the shop and placed a cup on his desk, ¡°here¡¯s your tea, darling,¡± she said. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°What are you reading?¡¯ ¡°It¡¯s titled, The Heathen State, it¡¯s about the Republic of Diveria, written by someone who visited there.¡± ¡°Oh my- They allow people to go there?¡± ¡°Of course, ships had been going their ever since it was established, it says in this book that the people there are just like us.¡± ¡°Not everything written in books is real, Lucas, you should be careful with the things you read,¡± Jane shook her head. ¡°I know, dear, but there are a lot of interesting accounts here, want me to read some for you?¡± ¡°No thank you, you know I¡¯m not interested in books, I¡¯d rather just serve you here at home,¡± she said with a soft smile and left. Lucas picked up his cup of tea, took a sip, and put it down half full, he did not drink from it again. An hour later, someone knocked on the shop¡¯s dark oak door. Lucas put down his book, stood up, and walked towards the door and opened it. The young man outside wore a bright yellow cap with a white feather on the left side, he had a small and thin frame. He bowed and handed a letter to Lucas; it had a lordly wax seal which the tailor recognized. Lucas bowed back and thanked the messenger before the latter left. Jane returned to the shop to take her husband¡¯s cup. Lucas was taking the clothing from the top shelves and stuffing them in a chest in a hurry. ¡°What¡¯s all the shuffle about?¡± Jane asked. ¡°Here,¡± Lucas turned to her, sweating and with a smile, and handed her the letter. ¡°This is good news! We better prepare immediately.¡± ¡°I¡¯m so anxious to be honest, darling. I was still a boy when I accompanied my father to that castle. Do you think they will be impressed with my work as much as my father¡¯s?¡± ¡°No doubt about it,¡± Jane replied with an assuring smile. The couple started sorting and going around the shop. Tools and expensive garments were put in their respective containers. Lucas closed the curtains and hung a ¡°closed¡± note on the door. Part 2 - Grey The two black and brown mares pulling the packed wooden cart had stopped in front of a large wooden gate. A guard, wearing a maille shirt and armed with a sword, approached Lucas, who wore a red hood over a white tunic with floral patterns, and his hair was tied behind his head, was holding the reins, ¡°State your business,¡¯ the guard commanded. ¡°I am mister Lucas, the tailor.¡± ¡°Ah, yes, of course, the lady had sent for you. Do you have the letter?¡± Lucas took the letter from inside his coat and handed it to the guard, the latter opened it and read. ¡°Mister Lucas Shearman the third- ¡° ¡°Son of Lucas the third, I am Lucas Shearman the fourth, my father had died a year ago, so I took over the shop, naturally,¡± he intervened. The guard gave him a strange look, with his hand on his sword, he walked around the cart and inspected every corner and board. Jane, who was seated at the back of the cart, sat silently with her eyes on the ground, her plain yellow dress contrasting with her black hair caught the guard¡¯s eyes and he suddenly paused for a second to look at her face then continued with his inspection. ¡°Alright, you can go inside.¡± The gates slowly opened, and the mare walked in. The keep, with its two large stone towers at the front, overshadowed the front yard and the cart. Wooden walls covered with white plaster, and towers surrounded the pale grey keep. Eyes from the battlements followed the cart slowly making way on the dirt path towards the keep¡¯s dark wooden doors. Servants welcomed them as they reached the front of the keep. Jane and the keep¡¯s servants begun taking and carrying the fabrics and chests from the cart and Lucas handed the reins to the stable boy afterwards. Behind the front doors was the castle¡¯s hall, two rows with four stone pillars each, lined up towards the lord¡¯s dark oak table and decorated chairs where his family is seated. Between the two rows of pillars was a long red carpet on the stone floor with five iron candle stands on each side. The sun¡¯s rays enter through the thin windows and dimly lit up the wide empty hall. At the left of the lord¡¯s table was a door, Lucas and Jane entered and was led by the servants carrying their materials which was led by a woman in red, it led to a hallway which had red and white painted on the upper and lower walls respectively, decorated by paintings of the lords that owned the castle through the centuries. The couple and the servants ascended the stairs at the end of the hallway and walked through another one. The servants stopped at the fourth door from the stairs, ¡°Lady Elizabeth is waiting for you inside,¡± the lead servant said. Lucas opened the door and entered followed by his wife and then the servants. Half of the room was lit by the sunlight that entered through a single window and the other half was lit by candles placed at the sides of the white painted stone walls. Below the window was a bed for two, at the end of the bed was a decorated dark wooden chair with red cushions where Elizabeth was seated dressed in a plain blue dress matching her eyes and her blonde hair was tied at the back of her head, she had a book in her hand. The couple bowed and so did the servants, as they raised their heads, Jane watches her husband¡¯s face, observing any reaction upon seeing the beautiful wife of the castle¡¯s knight. ¡°I¡¯m Lucas the tailor, my lady. Shall I begin?¡± he said nervously. ¡°Yes, Mister Lucas,¡± Elizabeth replied as she stood up and put her book on the bed. She walked towards the tailor and spread her arms. Her blue dress was closely fitted enough to reveal more accurate measurements for the tailor. Lucas opened a small chest and took out his measuring tape. Jane watched every movement of her husband¡¯s, she measured how close his fingers were to the lady¡¯s body, every movement of his ten digits was followed by her two eyes. As Jane watched Lucas¡¯ hands, Elizabeth noticed his eyes squinting on the book she left. A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. Part 3 - Yellow ¡°It¡¯s The Heathen State,¡± said Elizabeth. ¡°Pardon me, my lady?¡± asked Lucas. ¡°The Heathen State, that¡¯s the title of the book.¡± ¡°Really? I¡¯m reading the same book too, my lady,¡± he lit up and continued taking Elizabeth¡¯s measurements of the limbs. ¡°What chapter are you in so far, mister Lucas?¡± Elizabeth interrogated. ¡°I¡¯m in chapter twelve, Sir Paolo had- ¡° ¡°Hush! I am still in chapter eight, mister Lucas, please do not spoil it to me,¡± Elizabeth interrupted as Lucas was measuring her left arm. ¡°My apologies, my lady, I¡¯ll be shut as a clam.¡± ¡°No worries, I¡¯m not angry mister Lucas, but I was surprised a man would be reading the same book. Noblemen are usually so busy jousting and hunting, perhaps they should learn a thing or two from you,¡± Elizabeth complimented as the tailor measured her right arm. ¡°Well, I am just a humble tailor, my lady. They fight wars and I make clothing, nothing more.¡± ¡°At least you made the world seem less lonely to me, I thought I¡¯d never meet someone with the same interest as I do.¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad that I had pleased you, my lady,¡± Lucas blushed. Jane silently stood behind them, now looking down at the floorboards, as she listened to them, her husband¡¯s voice sounded like he was younger, when they were younger. The tailor and his client conversed about their book, but Jane could not understand anything as if they had their own bubble and she was watching them from the outside. If only she accepted Lucas¡¯ offer to read with him, then she thought she would not feel isolated from her own husband. ¡°All done,¡± said Lucas, ¡°please choose a color and fabric of your liking, my lady.¡± The servants lined up holding the fabrics and rolled it down. Elizabeth started inspecting starting from the fabric that Jane was holding, which was olive green colored silk, to the left where the servants lined up and at the end was the lead servant holding blue colored silk. Elizabeth pointed out the colors- emerald, navy blue, violet, and yellow. Lucas took notes of the lady ordered six dresses, two of which would have two colors combined. Lucas gave them a gesture and then Jane and the servant began rolling them up. ¡°Miss Jean will hand you the pay for your services today,¡± Elizabeth said and pointed at the lead servant. ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure conversing and doing business with you, my lady. My wife and I are grateful for your patronage.¡± Jean led the couple and the servants out of the room and back to the front of the castle. Lucas was given his pay and the stable returned his cart. The servant and the tailor¡¯s wife packed the fabrics and chest back on the cart. As the horses pulled the cart away from the castle, Jane noticed the guard staring at her continuously until they lost sight of the castle. Part 4 - Green Jane woke up and her husband was already out of bed. She went down to the kitchen and there was already a pot of water on the flames, the bread was cut, and an apple core on the table. After washing her face, she made a cup of tea and went to the shop. Lucas, already wearing a proper shirt and hair tied, was already drawing his designs on the table. The loom was already prepared behind the shelves. ¡°You¡¯re early and full of energy,¡± Jane said as she placed the cup on the table. ¡°Good morning, darling. I must. Six dresses are a lot of work, the sooner I finish, the better,¡± Lucas replied. ¡°Can¡¯t wait to see and talk to your special client again?¡± ¡°Special client?¡± her husband chuckled, ¡°Darling, she¡¯s a client with deep pockets, that¡¯s what makes her special.¡± ¡°Deep pockets, a pretty face, and fancy books just like you.¡± ¡°Oh darling, you¡¯re prettier than her. And if I wanted someone with deep pockets then I would¡¯ve married old Madam Victorina from on the next street,¡± Lucas stood up and held her by the waist. Jane chuckled and bit her lips as she looked back at her husband¡¯s green eyes. ¡°You¡¯re lucky I can¡¯t get angry at that charming face of yours,¡± Jane smiled, put her arms on her husband¡¯s shoulders and leaned for a kiss. Lucas sat back to continue his draft and his wife left the shop. An emerald, navy blue, violet, and yellow dress lined up on the racks and on another was a dress with both yellow and green, and another dress with both blue and violet. Jane touched the silk sleeve of the emerald dress that was lined with white fur. ¡°It¡¯s the same color as your eyes,¡± she said. ¡°Do you think I had done better, darling?¡± Lucas asked. ¡°Each one you make is a masterpiece, darling.¡± ¡°Be honest.¡± ¡°I am honest, darling, now I really do envy her.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, my dear,¡± Lucas chuckled, ¡°After this job, I¡¯ll make you the most beautiful one that even the Holy Patriarch will fall for you.¡± ¡°You should!¡± Jane replied. The couple then folded and loaded the product carefully in the cart. Lucas gave his wife a kiss and sat on the front of the cart. ¡°Be careful, darling. Comeback home immediately and let¡¯s make that dress you promised.¡± Lucas pulled on the reins and the horses began walking. Jane waved and the cart began to speed up until it joined the busy streets of the town and blended in with the traffic. Jane sat behind the desk at the shop, there were two cups but only was still full. Cartwheels slowed down at the front of the shop and the door opened. ¡°Good evening, darling,¡± Lucas greeted. ¡°What took you so long? Are you alright?¡± Jane asked. ¡°Yes, darling. It¡¯s just¡­,¡± her husband scratched his head, ¡°I had to draft another dress for the lady, she was impressed by my work and commissioned another.¡± Jane frowned and looked away. ¡°It¡¯s just one dress, darling, it¡¯ll be over in a week,¡± Lucas pleaded. ¡°Alright,¡± Jane replied coldly, she then took the empty cup and went back to the kitchen. Lucas followed her but stopped at the doorway. His eyes followed Jane as she made her way to the large barrel of water to wash the cup. She did not say anything nor looked at him. Lucas sighed and went back to his shop. Part 5 - Black The cart was loaded and Lucas, he wore a green jacket, and trousers of the same color, sat and held the reins of the horses. He turned to his wife, who was standing at the doorway silently, and was wearing her brown apron over a white dress, and he waved silently. Jane turned away and closed the door. The cartwheels started rolling until she could not hear it anymore. She leaned on the door and sighed. For a moment, she paused and cleared her head until a thought came, an unpleasant one, now she regretted it, she questioned herself why she was like that, she questioned if it would make things better, and she concluded that it would not. Immediately, she opened the door and stepped outside, but Lucas had already disappeared. Candles were lit at the table and two warm cups were again on top. Jane had sat the whole day waiting. A knock on the door. She quickly jumped out of the chair and reached for the door. Slowly the door was unlocked, she opened it a little to peek and it was kicked wide open. The door hit Jane and knocked her down. She looked up and saw the intruder¡¯s face from under the brown hood, it was the guard from the castle, he wore a black robe over a blue jacket and black pants. Even though shaky, Jane stood up as fast and she ran away but the guard grabbed her hair, pain surged all over her head as if her scalp was about to be torn away from her skull, she let out an awful scream. Still having her thoughts, she reached for a cup and threw the freshly boiled tea at the intruder¡¯s face. He finally let go of her hair and groaned in pain. Jane ran to the kitchen and grabbed a knife. The guard followed, his face red, and walked in calmly. She pointed the knife at her assailant, and held it with both hands, ¡°Stay away from me!¡± she roared. The guard grinned, ¡°What¡¯s the point of resisting? No one is going to come and rescue you.¡± ¡°My husband is on his way home!¡± ¡°Home?¡± the guard laughed, ¡°He¡¯s having too much fun with the lady at her chambers. I doubt he will be home soon.¡± ¡°Shut your mouth! You¡¯re a bloody pervert!¡± rage had mixed with her fear. ¡°Your husband is not very faithful, miss tailor, you¡¯re just going to let him have all the fine?¡± ¡°I said shut your damn mouth!¡± her vision narrowed, and breath became heavy. ¡°Don¡¯t you want to get even with him?¡± the guard walked closer. Jane, sweating and shaking, retreated until she bumped into the kitchen wall. ¡°You¡¯ll feel better. Trust me. You¡¯ll just be doing to him what he is doing to you,¡± the guard licked his lips. ¡°Prove it.¡± The guard stopped walking and smirked. ¡°Prove it,¡± Jane continued, ¡°and you can do whatever you want with me for one night.¡± The guard laughed, ¡°The contraceptive they use in the castle gets flushed out of a man¡¯s body with the urine. If you see something blue, I assure you that you will,¡± he smiled, ¡°that means he is using it¡­ and not because of you.¡± Jane did not answer and still held the knife pointed at the guard. The latter showed and opened his hands and stepped back, ¡°I¡¯ll be back for my prize tomorrow,¡± he then turned back and walked out of the kitchen, through the shop, and disappeared into the dark streets. Jane dropped the knife and sat on the floor. She cried, and wailed, and pulled her hair. She knew he was telling the truth and every word stabbed her in the chest and suffocated her. But she cannot let her husband see her like that. Jane stood up and washed her face. The knife was washed, and her clothes wear changed, she made another cup of tea and cleaned up the shop. Part 6 - Red Three knocks were suddenly heard after hours of silence both outside and inside of the shop. Jane walked towards the door and opened it, ¡°Good evening, darling,¡± Lucas greeted. ¡°Good evening,¡± Jane replied with a little smile. Her husband entered the shop and took off his jacket, Jane embraced him and pressed her face on his chest covered by a white cotton undershirt. ¡°What¡¯s for dinner?¡± he asked. ¡°I boiled some sweet potatoes for us. And your bath is waiting for you,¡± she replied. ¡°Thank you, darling. Let¡¯s eat, I¡¯m starving and exhausted,¡± then the couple went to the kitchen for their supper. Lucas returned to the kitchen from their privy. He sat back at the table while Jane was cleaning the pot and knife. ¡°I¡¯ll start working on your dress tomorrow, darling,¡± Lucas said and yawned. ¡°Really?¡± Jane responded. ¡°Yes, the lady actually commissioned another dress, but I can¡¯t just make my wife wait all the time, right?¡± Lucas then stood up and embraced his wife from behind. Jane wiped the pot dry and put it back on the shelf. ¡°Now you¡¯re getting me all excited, darling. I¡¯ll just use the bathroom, okay?¡± She set herself free from her husband¡¯s arms and walked to the privy carrying a candle. As she slowly reached and opened the wooden door, her heart started to beat rapidly again. Jane stepped in and hovered the candle over the chamber pot, she closed her eyes upon seeing what she was expecting to see. There was no longer any pain or anxiety, she already knew what she was going to see, and she already knew what she would do. She left the candle on the shelf against the wall inside the privy and returned to the kitchen. Lucas was sitting back on his chair, facing away from Jane. She walked slowly towards him and touched his shoulder, ¡°Let¡¯s call it a day, darling,¡± Jane said. Lucas held her hand, ¡°Yes, I want to sleep already, dear.¡± He rose and walked first towards the stairs. Jane embraced her tightly from behind, ¡°Oh, darling, what is- ¡° Lucas¡¯ throat was sliced open, and blood gushed out and poured all over his shirt. He tried to shake Jane off, but she refused to let go, her right hand was still holding the knife. Blood splashed all over the floor and walls as he struggled. Jane press on him even more and the blood was dripping all over arms and started to stain her apron. The couple crashed at the furniture and walls leaving a messy crimson trail on the floor. On his knees, Lucas was finally too weak to move. He turned grey and leaned on his wife. Jane pressed her face on her husband¡¯s back soaking it with tears, mucus, and saliva. A few minutes later, her husband¡¯s arms dropped, and she felt no heartbeat. Jane finally released him from her arms and his body dropped on the floor sideways to the right. She put the knife back in to her apron and dragged Lucas into the bathroom where the tub had been filled with warm water. After stripping her husband and herself, she pulled him into the tub and sat him in front of her. Jane grabbed the knife from her apron and drew a lateral red line on her left wrist. After dropping the knife on the floor, she caressed Lucas¡¯ left cheek with her right hand and smiled as tears fell and dropped on the water. Lucas brushed his short wet blonde hair and caressed Jane¡¯s face. His new wife leaned on her left arm resting on the rim of the tub, ¡°What do you find interesting about me?¡± she asked. ¡°Well, you¡¯re beautiful, kind, and I know you will be the perfect wife,¡± Lucas answered with a smile. ¡°I mean, what do you like about me as me?¡± ¡°I just told you, didn¡¯t I?¡± ¡°Never mind,¡± Jane replied weakly as she stared into the still clear water.