The King's Duel

A Story by anonymouse

A medieval adventure for kids, and teens.

Prologue:

"Do you remember the plan?" King Hugo asked.

"Yes. If you die in the duel, your advisors will tell me. I will take the princess and run to Millepain." Colette replied.

"Good." Hugo put on his helmet with shaking hands. He lowered his visor and walked onto the field. King Rafael was waiting, deep in conversation with his advisor, the Earl of
Dunbar.

"King Hugo of Chonneurlis. And King Rafael of Malinoirs." A servant announced. He blew the horn, and the duel began. Rafael charged, and Hugo dodged, their swords clashing. Rafael threw his spear, grazing Hugo's shoulder. Hugo swung his sword, but

Rafael blocked it. Hugo swung again hit Rafael's chest, knocking him to the ground. Rafael fell to the ground, and Hugo held his sword over Rafael's neck.

"I surrender!" Rafael croaked.

Hugo took Rafael's sword and spear but left a small knife still at his side. In one motion, Rafael grabbed his knife and stabbed it in the gap between the chainmail on Hugo's neck and his helmet. Hugo fell to the ground, dead.

"No!" Colette screamed. She quickly put two-month-old Maria in the pouch on her back and ran.

A guard heard her scream and shouted for soldiers to follow her. Four immediately started chasing her. They were faster, but she had a head start. She saw a market ahead and ran straight for a baker's booth. She slid under the table.

"Did you see someone run past here? A soldier asked the baker.

"She went that way." He pointed to a fish seller who was shouting, "Fresh fish! Come get yours here!" The soldiers left and started interrogating the fisherman.

"Quick!" The baker whispered. "Leave before they see you."

Colette ran through the small village. She was almost there when a soldier spotted her. Colette dashed for the door but tripped on a loose stone and fell flat on her face. A small book fell from the bag and slid across the ground. The soldier that was chasing her caught up with her. He was about to stab when a man leaped from the shadows, knocking the soldier to the ground.

"Come, Colette." Her brother, Rene, said.

She followed him inside.

"So, it has come to this." He said, "I know a family who can take care of the princess. She will be safe."

Chapter 1:

"Pierre! Are you ready?" Maria called.

"Coming!" Pierre replied. He grabbed his backpack and swung it over his shoulder, then he followed his mom out the door, towards the market.

"I'm going to visit Andre, after I get the food. Would you like to come?" Maria asked, "You should meet him."

"I guess," Pierre said. He trudged down the cobblestone street.

Maria bought the day's groceries. When she was done, they went to Andre's house.

Maria knocked, and Andre answered the door.

"How are you?" Maria asked.

"Good," Andre said, looking like he meant anything but good.

Pierre went to the back room and sat down on the hearth. He moved a clay jar t to the side to make room. It rattled, and Pierre looked inside. He turned it upside down, and a

small book fell out. That's weird, he thought. Why would someone keep a book in a pot?

Dear diary,

This war has lasted for six years. A duel is the only way to end it. But what if I fail? What will happen to my country if it is taken over by that tyrant Rafael? What sort of country would my daughter inherit? I hope it never comes to that. But if it does, I will be ready. My servant, Claude, is calling me so I must go.

Hugo

Hugo? King Hugo? Pierre nearly dropped the book in the fire. But why would Andre have the former King's journal?

He flipped through the rest of the book. There was an entry every few days, for about three months. On the last page there was a scribbled drawing.

"Pierre! Time to go!" Maria called.

"Coming!" Pierre replied. He put the diary back in the pot and went back home.

Chapter 2:

Pierre did his chores and then went out in the sheep field when he got home. He spent a lot of time with them, and his mom joked that he spent more time with sheep than people. His dad, Henri, used to take care of them, but when he died three years ago, Pierre started doing it. Henri had fought bravely for the resistance and died saving a baby girl from a fire. Pierre's dad loved telling stories about his missions. Pierre always asked for the one where Henri was running away from a soldier and knocked over a rice basket. The soldier slipped, and Henri got away. Pierre missed his dad.

"Pierre! Come inside. Now." Maria said. She closed and barred the door.

"What's wrong?" Pierre asked.

"I went out to get water, and as I was walking back, a man stopped me. He's with Malinoirs. He said I would leave Leyonneux and never contact the resistance again if I knew what was good for me."

"What are we going to do?"

"I don't know. Be careful."

* * *

The next day, Pierre went to Madeleine’s house. Pierre was going back home and had invited madeleine for dinner. They had just gotten to his house when she heard a weird noise.

"What was that?" Madeleine asked.

"What?" Pierre asked. "I didn't hear anything." Then he heard a stifled scream. "Oh no. Another lamb got stuck. Mom's going to kill me. I'll show the paper to you later, okay? I have to go find that lamb."

"I'm not busy right now. I'll help." Madeleine said. "It sounded like it was coming from inside."

Pierre went inside, and Madeleine followed him.

"Mom!" Pierre shouted. She was lying in a corner with her hands tied.

He untied her hands.

"What happened?" Madeleine asked.

"The man I saw earlier came back. He searched the house, looking for something."

"Who would do that? And why?" Pierre asked.

"I don't know. But we have to go tonight. Pack your things and say goodbye to Madeleine."

Chapter 3:

He went outside to pet the sheep one last time. He gave them plenty of food to avoid starving and slowly walked back inside. Maria was packing cooking supplies, and Madeleine was helping back the gardening tools. He packed his things into his bag. The bag had been a gift from his mom. It had been Maria's ever since she was a baby, but she gave it to Pierre on his twelfth birthday. He packed a change of clothes, a blanket, some basic toiletries, and a water flask. The paper with the scribbled drawing was laying on his cot and he threw it in too. He said bye to Madeleine, and she went back to her house.

Then they went to the resistance base. Every base had an animal carved into a tree in front of the building. The symbol for Leyonneux was a deer. It was in a house that was supposedly abandoned because of "An uncontrollable snake population." The owner was actually one of the founders of the resistance.

A man was waiting inside, and Maria told him her password. He responded with his, and they walked in. Maria met with the base leader while Pierre waited. A few minutes, later she returned.

"They gave me an address for a base in Millepain. We can stay there until we find a permanent place." Maria said.

Millepain was a little village about a thirty-minute walking distance from Leyonneux. When they arrived, they started looking for the base. The leader had given her directions and said the carving was a fish. The house was next to a goat field and had a large chimney with smoke coming from it. Maria knocked, and an old lady answered. They exchanged passwords, and then Maria and Pierre walked inside.

"My name is Genevieve." Their host said. "I am the base leader. I have arranged a room for you." She walked towards one of the walls and lifted a tapestry. There was a hole behind it, leading to a secret room. The room had two straw beds and a small table. Pierre claimed the one on the far side of the room, and Maria got the other one. So much had changed in just one day.

Chapter 4:

The next day, Maria woke up early and made breakfast. They ate at a table that was obviously not meant for three people.

"My brother carved this table before he was taken," Genevieve said. "He gave it to me for my birthday."

"Taken?" Pierre asked. "Where?"

"The tower." She replied. At the mention of the tower, Pierre was silent. It was a large jail where many captured resistance members were. He knew some guards were sympathetic to the cause working there who had helped a few people escape, but most were not that lucky.

"Thank you for letting us stay here," Maria said. "If you have any missions we can do, let me know."

"Actually, there is one. The Earl of Dunbar, Rafael's advisor, is gone this week. There could be information in his castle. We need people to pose as servants so they can search his rooms for clues. This mission will require both of you starting in two days."

"We will gladly help the cause," Maria said.

Chapter 5:

"That castle is huge," Pierre said.

"You will be working the kitchen, and I will wash clothes," Maria said.

When they got to the castle, a guard with the resistance let them in.

That night Maria searched The Earl’s bedroom. She cracked open the door and slipped in. On one side of the room was an elaborately carved bed. On the other side was a matching desk with a giant chair. Above the desk, there was a painting. It was a large portrait of a man who looked very familiar to her. The caption below read,

Andre Van Cleve, Earl of Dunbar.

Maria gasped. She continued searching. She rifled through the desk, trying not to disturb anything. Her elbow hit a jar of ink that was sitting on the desk. It fell on the floor with a crash. Even if they didn't hear it, they'd definitely see it, she thought. She heard footsteps in the hallway and dove under the bed. She peeked out from under the bed skirt. The person who had come in was wearing big brown boots, but that was all she could see.

"Hello?" She heard a man's voice say. Where have I heard him before? "If you're under the bed, that's not a very good hiding spot." Maria instinctively slid deeper in, but it was too late. "Come out." The guard said. She got out from under the bed and was surprised to see the guard who had let them in.

"It’s you again.” He said. “My name is Sebastien. I want to help you escape, but the other guards know I’m here. I can’t just tell them the ink fell by itself. I will have to leave with you. We have a few minutes before they will start looking. Come with me.”

Maria got Pierre, and they walked up to the gate. “Where are you going?” The guard asked.

“Prisoner transportation. My number is 1134.”

“Cleared.” The guard said.

As soon as they were out of sight, they ran. “Do you know where to go?” Sebastien asked.

“We were sent from a base in Millepain. We can go back there.

When they got to the base, there was no smoke coming from the chimney. Maria walked up to the door and knocked. No one answered. She knocked again, and still, there was no answer. Then she looked in a window. The house was a mess. The table was upside down, and the chairs were broken. Clay pieces were littering the floor. The tapestry was still on the wall. There was only one explanation: The house had been ransacked by Malinoir’s soldiers.

Chapter 6:

Maria, Pierre, and Sebastien went inside Genevieve’s house. On what remained of the table, there was a note. It read:

I have been taken to the tower. If you know people you can stay with, this is the time to go. I will meet you at the base in Leyonneux.

Genevieve

“How is she going to escape, and who could we stay with?” Maria said.

“I have no friends. So, I can’t help you.” Sebastien said.

“Wait. I might know someone.” Pierre said. “What about Madeleine? We could stay with her family.”

“I don’t know why I didn’t think of that before,” Maria said.

“I know why I didn’t think of that before,” Sebastien said. “I’ve never heard of them.”

The following day, they walked to Madeleine’s house.

Madeleine’s mom answered the door. “Pierre? Maria? What are you doing here? And who’s that?”

“Louisa, meet Sebastien. He’s with the resistance. Pierre and I were forced to leave our home. We stayed at the base in Millepain, but it was ransacked. We didn’t know where else to go, so we came here.” Maria said.

“I’m Gabriel.” Madeleine’s dad said. “You’re welcome to stay with us until you can find a permanent place.

* * *

Pierre woke up to the sound of Sebastien snoring. They had both slept on the dirt floor since

the house barely had room for six people. They ate breakfast and then went to the base. Genevieve and a man about Genevieve’s age who Maria didn’t know was waiting there.

“How did you escape?” Maria asked.

“Tunnels are going from a shed in a field near the tower to the supply closet. If you make an excuse to go in the closet, you can open the trap door and sneak through the tunnels.”

“Wow,” Madeleine said. “That’s impressive. Why are there tunnels?”

“I’ll explain later.” She said.

“Who’s with you?” Pierre asked.

“This is my brother,” Genevieve said.

“Let’s go back to the house,” Louisa said.

When they back to Madeleine’s house, Genevieve called everyone into the main room.

“I have a lot to explain.” She said. “First of all, my name isn’t Genevieve, it’s Colette.”

Chapter 7:

“The story began a long time ago when Hugo was King.” Colette began. “Chonneurlis and Malinoirs had been at war for six years. I was a servant at the castle. After the queen died, I took care of her daughter, Maria.”

“What?” Maria said.

“You are the princess.” Colette said. “When you were four months old, King Hugo and King Rafael decided to duel. They fought, and Hugo won. Rafael surrendered and set down his weapons. He still had a knife at his side and used it to stab Hugo. I will never forget that moment. Watching my King fall over dead, and knowing I was my countries only hope now.

“I took the princess and ran. I took him to my brother, Rene’s house, and he placed her with a family. I lived near her and watched her grow up.” She turned to her brother. “Rene, tell them the story of the Labyrinth.”

“This mission was before the King died. At the beginning of the war. Chonneurlis treasure was hidden in the tower at Fort-De-Malais, a place most of you have heard of. Rafael knew the treasure was hidden there and decided to take it. Hugo and I thought up a plan. We could trick Rafael, but only if he didn’t know he had been tricked. There were already tunnels running underneath the fort, and we made one of them run from the tower to the edge of my farm. We moved almost all the treasure to a secret hiding place in the tunnel before he got to it. There was still some left in the tower that Rafael took. He was too proud to admit the mission was a failure, and very few people knew. The treasure is still hidden somewhere in those tunnels. Unfortunately, the only map ever made was in the King’s private journal. We don’t where the journal is though.” Rene said.

“I think I do.” Pierre said.

Chapter 8:

“Hello!” Maria said as she walked into Andre’s house.

“Hey.” Andre mumbled.

Pierre walked to sit by the fire and looked in the pot. The book wasn’t there, so he got up. Where would you hide a book? he thought. Maria distracted him by asking questions and talking. When Andre looked away, Pierre snuck in the bathroom. He didn’t see anything. He felt around the thatched roof. His fingers closed around the book, and he grabbed it.

He walked out and sat down again. “Mom, my head hurts, can we go home?” Pierre asked.

“I have to get home.” Maria said. “I’ll see you later Andre.”

She walked toward the door, but Andre blocked it. “Not so fast.” He said. “Hand over the diary, and I won’t hurt you. I know you have it, so there is no use pretending.” Pierre looked around for some way to escape. There was a window on the other side of the room, it was big enough to climb through, but he couldn’t get there fast enough. Andre was blocking the only door. Then Pierre saw just what he needed. A basket of red currants was sitting on the table behind. He inched toward it and dumped it on the floor.

“What?” Andre shouted. It was only moment of hesitation, but it was enough for Pierre to run. Andre grabbed Maria, but Pierre ran as fast as he could. He didn’t want to leave her but going back now wouldn’t help anything. He ran for Madeleine’s house.

“I found the diary.” Pierre said, “But he figured out I have it. I managed to get away, but he captured mom. We have to help her.”

Chapter 9:

“I see her.” Louisa said. “Maria is tied up in the corner of the room. Andre is eating, and he’s facing the other way. Now is our chance.” She slipped through the window, clutching a small knife. She quickly cut the rope, and they crawled toward the window. It was nearly dark, and she couldn’t see very well. Her elbow hit a pot on the hearth, and there was a slight tapping noise. Oh, no, she thought. He didn’t notice it though, and they slipped out the window.

“Let’s go.” Colette whispered. They were waiting where they would see the window and door in case something happened. They ran back to Madeleine’s house.

Pierre opened the diary when he got home. He flipped to the last page and showed it to Colette. “Is this the map of the tunnels?” Pierre asked.

“It is, but that is only half of it.” She said. “Do you have a backpack?”

“Yeah. Why?”

“Show it to me.”

Pierre brought it to her, and she felt inside. She turned the bag inside out and lifted a flap on the bottom. Underneath it was the other side of the map. “Your grandfather made sure only you, your mother, and him could find the treasure. Let’s go.”

Chapter 10:

“Which one should we take?” Maria asked.

“That one.” Colette pointed to the one on the left. There should be a room in there. The map doesn’t show anything after that.” Maria walked in, and the rest of them followed her.

“It’s tiny, and empty.” She said.

“What?” Pierre said.

“Maybe there is a secret door or something here.” They felt around the wall until Madeleine found something. There was a hole in the wall, and Madeleine pushed it. A door opened, and they walked into the biggest room Pierre had seen. Chests, and random artifacts were covering the floor. Tapestries were hung up on the wall, and the whole room glittered.

Madeleine picked up a sword and Pierre picked up a staff, and they pretended to fight.

“I remember this.” Colette said. She pointed to a tapestry that looked like mountains at sunset.

Sebastien found a tiny statue of a blue man with a goatee. “I have no idea what this is, but I like it.” He said.

On top of a chest in the back of the room, sat three golden crowns. Maria picked up the one she wore as a baby and placed it on her head. Once the people saw there was a rightful heir to the throne, there would be widespread rebellion. The war would last for many years, but in that moment it had just begun.

THE END