Chapter 1: Ideas Never Die

I went out one night to buy bread for my mother, I was walking down the boulevard when a woman as fair as could be crossed my path, her eyes were as bright as the stars in the sky, and her smile is one so pleasant that I simply could not believe it was real. "Hello Madam," I started "My name is Jeremy Warner, who might you be?"

 

 She replied "My name is Abigal Wendelbury if you don't mind me asking sir. Have we met before?"

 

 I responded, "Madam I think I would remember if I'd seen a face like yours."

 

"What's that supposed to mean?"

 

"I don't think you understand Madam, Your face is one so beautiful that it is permanently fixed in my head."

 

"Oh," She began to blush "Where are you headed?"

 

"I'm heading out to the bakery to buy some bread for my mother, what about you?"

 

"I'm here with my father,  he is at the coffee shop with his friend, he sent me outside."

 

"Well, thank goodness for that," I started to shake "Ms Wendelbury, I would like to know if you would like to go with me to the king's ball on Saturday of this week."

 

She looked away "I'm sorry Mr Warner. I can't, my father is arranging a marriage for me with the Duke. I am to be married on Saturday."

 

"I assume I must respect the customs of the rich."

 

"What do you mean by that. You are wearing a tuxedo, you appear to be a person of wealth as well."

 

"What I appear to be is not what I am. My flesh may appear one way, but what matters is what I am beneath the flesh."

 

"Is that Shakespeare?"

 

"No, it's Warner."

 

Her father exited the coffee shop with a smile on his face, "Abigal, you are quite the seller. I got close to 20 pieces for you."

 

"That's... amazing father."

 

His smile dropped "Who is this man?!"

 

"He's nobody father, just someone I met."

 

I dropped a lit gunpowder pellet on the floor, which erupted into a cloud of smoke, I ran away before the smoke dissipated. I returned home and my mother was waiting in the kitchen.

 

"Mum, Dad, I'm home!"

 

"Great, Hand me the bread, I'm making  stew."

 

I remembered I forgot the bread "Yes, mother, minor issue. I may have forgotten to get the bread."

 

"Of course you did. What girl is going to want to be married to a slob like you."

 

I replied "But mother, I-" She interrupted me

 

"But nothing Jeremy, go back to the bakery and get me my bread." She pointed sternly at the door. I stormed out of the door and walked to the bakery once again, I grabbed mother's bread and walked back home. When I was on the pathway leading to the door of my house, I noticed a knight wearing red armour knocking on my door. My mother answered the door as I came closer.

 

"Mrs Warner, I regret to inform you that the queen has sent me to arrest your husband and you for treason."

 

"Treason?! I'm sorry sir you must be mistaken, we have great respect for the queen."

 

"Madam, all I know is that I have a job to do." The man entered my house, I removed my public outfit, revealing my Cheshire outfit underneath. I ran in and found the knight beating my father with a rod. I grabbed the rod when the knight charged his swing.

 

"What's this?" He turned around

 

"My name is Cheshire, and I demand you release this man immediately."

 

"I will do no such thing." He pulled the rod from my hands and wound up. In that instance, it appeared that time had slowed down, just enough for me to move out of the way of the rod, grab it from his hands and push him to the floor. I had the rod ready to swing, but I dropped it.

 

"I gave you mercy. Now I expect you to give it as well."

 

"What am I to tell the queen. She will surely have me beheaded."

 

"Sir, do not return to the queen, flee to France you will surely be safer there." I joked

 

The man exited the house.

 

"Mr...um...Cheshire, is it? How can we repay you?" My mother asked

 

"No need for that. Good fortune to you." In a cloud of smoke, I disappeared, I ran to my bedroom, put on a new outfit, exited my house and knocked on the door. "Mother, I got your bread!" I yelled, my mother came to the door.

 

"Good, it's great to see that you can complete a task as simple as this with that twisted head of yours."

 

"Mother please, I do my best to please you, what will it take."

 

"Find a girl. get married, and I will be pleased."

 

"It will be done, mother."

 

She grabbed the bread and turned away to the kitchen. I went out every night after, hoping to find another woman like Abigal. While I was out, I intervened many crimes as Cheshire. It was at this time that my reputation would grow. T'was Saturday, the night of the Queen's Ball  and Abigal's wedding. I went to the ball without my parents as they were trying to stay away from the queen. I gathered in a crowd waiting for the queen's adress. She walked triumphantly onto the stage, stood tall and said-

 

"My fair people, I have called this celebration to honour the wedding of my son, Duke Coracion Oeffharts to Madam Abigal Wendelbury. It gives me great pride to present the Duke and Duchess Mr and Mrs Coracion Oeffharts."

 

The crowd applauded as Abigal and her newly married husband walked onto the stage. The Duke said

 

"People of London, I am Duke Coracion Oeffharts,  I speak on behalf of the beliefs of my wife and myself when I say that London is in serious turmoil. Masked men running rampant in the street committing acts of vigilantism, crime rates are at their peak right now and this must be stopped. Anybody with information on the man "Cheshire" is asked to bring it forth as soon as possible." Suddenly, a dagger flew at the duke from the crowd,  I pushed people aside and ran to push the duke to the floor, I got there right on time as I could see the dagger fly over my head and stab the wall behind. I grabbed the dagger from the wall and ripped off my formal attire to reveal the Cheshire outfit.

 

"Assassin, reveal yourself," I exclaimed to the crowd, another dagger flew from the crowd, I saw it was coming from a masked man in a trenchcoat, I caught the dagger and dropped it. I ran into the crowd to apprehend the masked man. The masked man started to run, I chased him out to a room with a looking glass perched upon the wall and a wardrobe in the corner. "Assassin, this is your last chance."

 

"You don't understand the case, Mr Cheshire."

 

"I understand well enough. Leave, and never return."

 

"You don't know what you're in for." He pulled out another dagger. I pulled out my blade. He thrust forward, I parried, he went for my legs and I parried again, I thrust for his chest and he kicked me backwards.  I lunged toward him, we were gripped in an intense battle for a rough 5 minutes, until I finally got a slash at his leg and he fell to the floor.

 

"Who are you, and who sent you?" He said nothing. "I asked you a question!"

 

"Fine," He replied, he took off his hat and a long bout of hair fell. It turns out, HE wasn't a he at all. "My name is Dinah. I am a contract assassin, I was sent to kill the duke for using the people's tax dollars to pay for bars and such."

 

"A contract Assassin? Why would you do such a thing?"

 

"My family is low on income. I had no other choice."

 

"I can help with that just never kill a living soul, ever, again." I let go of her.

 

"This is nothing but a game of Cat and Mouse, Mr Cheshire, if you're not going to end this... I will." She threw a dagger into my leg and ran away. I stood up, grabbing a piece of fabric from the blinds and wrapping up my wound. I waited five minutes then stepped outside, where Dinah had a blade up to the Duke's the neck.

 

"Assassin!" I yelled, "Unhand him!"

 

"How are you not dead?! Why won't you die?"

 

"Because, Assassin, what I am is more than a piece of flesh, I am a dream, an idea! and ideas are immortal, ideas never die."