The Lady of the Castle (The Marie Series Book 2) Read online

  The two guards exchanged glances and tried to appear stern. “It’s strictly forbidden to serve beer after curfew,” one of them said.

  “Unless you’re willing to pay for us to turn a blind eye,” his comrade Hasek added, suggestively moving his hips.

  “Oh, that’s what you’re talking about! We could talk about it.” Helene lifted her skirt and turned, illuminating her body in the light of the fire.

  Hasek groaned and approached Helene, but she pointed at the barrel. “The beer first!”

  The other soldier took four cups from a bag and filled them to the brim from the last barrel to have been tapped that evening. “If we’re happy with you, you can have more.”

  “You’ll be happy with us,” Helene promised while taking her cup.

  In the meantime, Marie hid behind the pile of barrels and realized with a shock that she’d completely forgotten something important: Each barrel was tightly plugged, and she wouldn’t be able to open them with her bare hands. At first, her disappointment was overwhelming. She had failed miserably, and her friends were humiliating themselves for nothing. Then she remembered that the men used primitive pliers to open the plugs, and she scanned the area.

  When she spotted them next to the open barrel, Helene and Anni were already underneath the panting soldiers. Marie crawled over and picked up the pliers, then climbed onto the barrels. Pulling the first plug, it made a hissing noise. She had pressed herself tightly against the barrels so she wouldn’t be seen, and she held her breath fearfully. But the sounds from below told her that the guards were still busy with her friends. She estimated how much of the potion to use for each barrel, and poured a quarter of the first bladder through the hole, struggling not to sneeze at the brew’s pungent smell. She only hoped that the potion wouldn’t change the beer’s flavor so much that they’d toss it away. About to close the barrel, she encountered the next problem. If she banged the plug in with the pliers, she’d draw the attention of every guard in camp, so she merely pushed the plug in with her hands, hoping the Taborites wouldn’t notice if some barrels were easier to open than others.

  When the second pig’s bladder was emptied, she fought a sudden feebleness borne from relief and found her knees going weak. Taking a deep breath, she listened to Helene and Anni cooing at the men, then climbed down at the darkest spot near the barrels. After a few paces, she noticed she’d accidentally taken the pliers. Turning quickly around, she saw Helene and Anni laughing with the men, holding two full cups of beer. She put the pliers back where she’d found them, and carefully walked back through the camp, then crawled back to her sleeping place. Helene and Anni returned shortly after. As they wrapped themselves up in their blankets, they quietly exchanged their stories. Marie told them about her success, while Helene stretched out blissfully.

  “Tell me, Marie, is it a sin to like lying underneath a man? I felt something tonight that I’ve never felt before.”

  “No, it’s not a sin. Every woman who voluntarily gives herself to a man should have that feeling. Once you’re married to a good man, you’ll even enjoy it.”

  “I’d like that,” Helene mumbled as she was falling asleep. “But first I’d have to find a good man.”

  Marie smiled and turned to Anni. “How bad was it?”

  The girl snuggled up to her. “It didn’t hurt, not like with the horrible Sir Gunter. He hurt me terribly.”

  “Try not to think about it anymore, because when you’re older and a gentle husband shows you what love is, you’ll like it, too.”

  4.

  Michi felt a profound sense of relief after he’d left the ring of wagons behind. Now he was following the forest path that he and Marek had taken, and he began to run. He couldn’t wait to surprise his friends with all of his news. But cold despair soon gripped him. It felt like he’d been running for hours without finding a trace of Sir Heinrich’s group, and for a few moments he imagined they had left without waiting for him. Then he thought he might have walked in the wrong direction. Just as he hesitantly stopped, Marek emerged from the semidarkness of the forest.

  “Thank heavens you’ve returned. We were very worried about you. What are things like in the castle?”

  “Greetings from your master and Sir Michel,” Michi replied with a grin.

  Marek shook his head in surprise. “Sir Michel? Who’s that?”

  “The man you called the German.”

  “The German’s a knight? Fancy that! I took him for the captain of some foot soldiers.”

  Michi grinned in delight. “He is a proper knight of the Reich, and my godfather!”

  Marek took a few deep breaths and pointed behind him. “Come now, Sir Heinrich is eagerly awaiting your report.” To himself, he added with a shake of his head, “The German’s a knight! Will wonders never cease.”

  Camp had been set up in a small clearing, surrounded by a dense forest. It had been difficult to get the wagons there, but they were now so well hidden that the Taborites would have to walk right into them to find them. When Michi and Marek appeared, the leaders were holding a council of war. Sir Heinrich broke off in midsentence, jumped to his feet, and rushed toward them, visibly relieved. “Michi! Finally! We were wondering if the Hussites had caught and roasted you. Come and sit down. You must be hungry! I’ll tell Eva to get you something to eat.”

  Michi declined excitedly. “I had a big bowl of soup and a piece of ham before leaving this morning, and I’d rather tell you everything right away.”

  “Then sit down!” Sir Heinrich pushed the boy onto a primitive bench where Sprüngli and Junker Heribert were already sitting, and leaned on the back of his camp chair, expectantly staring at Michi. The knight wondered what had happened, as the boy’s face seemed far too cheerful and mischievous for their dire situation.

  Michi told them of his journey into the castle and of the cook’s fine skills and friendliness, then began talking about Sokolny. Sir Heinrich snorted when Michi outlined the lord of the castle’s plan for them to fight their way through the siege line the next night.

  “It’ll be bloody, even if we manage to surprise them in their sleep.”

  Urs Sprüngli pounded his fist on the rough table. “Better we act first before the Hussites chase us through the forest like hares.”

  Bursting out in laughter as if he had just played a funny trick, Michi spoke again. “Sir Michel has planned everything well. The moment we attack, the men of the castle will also launch an attack. But he doesn’t think there’ll be a lot of Hussites able to fight, as Lady Marie will mix a potion in their drink to cause stomach complaints.”

  “Marie? What Marie?” Junker Heribert shot up as if stung by an adder. “You’re not talking about our Marie, are you?”

  Happy with the stir he’d caused, Michi nodded. “Yes, exactly, our Marie. She and Anni are prisoners of the Taborites, and they’ll flee into the castle with us.”

  “Marie is alive! Heaven and all the saints be praised!” The Junker knelt down and folded his hands in prayer.

  Urs Sprüngli watched him and grimaced. “You said something about a knight named Michel. I used to know a man called Michel Adler, but it’s said he was killed by a group of Hussites a few years ago.”

  Michi looked proud. “He wasn’t killed! He was wounded, and Falko von Hettenheim abandoned him. With God’s help, he managed to escape the Hussites and flee to Falkenhain Castle.”

  Urs Sprüngli exhaled with a whistle. “If that’s true, I’m not worried anymore. I think very highly of Michel Adler. When he puts his mind to something, he succeeds.”

  “Let’s hope so,” Sir Heinrich replied grimly.

  A lively discussion ensued, and Michi answered many questions. Finally, when no one was paying him any more attention, he stood up and walked over to Eva’s wagon, where a kettle hung above a barely noticeable fire. The old sutler saw him coming and handed him a full bowl of porrid
ge.

  While he ate, he smiled at Trudi, who was standing nearby, watching him with her head tilted to one side.

  “Come here, my darling. I’ve got wonderful news! I just saw your mother, and she’ll be back with us soon.”

  “That’s no joking matter! You’re only making it harder than it already is for our little girl,” Eva scolded him, but Michi smiled knowingly.

  “It’s the truth. Marie’s alive! The Hussites took her prisoner, and she’s working as a slave. But when we make it to the castle, she’ll join us.”

  “Well, we’ll see if it’s as simple as you imagine,” Eva grumbled in reply, handing Trudi a prune.

  5.

  The night following Michi’s return, hardly anyone in Sir Heinrich’s camp managed to sleep, and the next day went by so fast, they barely finished their preparations before nightfall. Heinrich checked every detail repeatedly. For a long time, he’d been unsure about leaving the wagons behind, but in the end decided against it. The wagons would offer Trudi and the women some protection from the heat of battle, and in addition, he didn’t want to leave their equipment behind for the enemy. They had wrapped the iron-clad rims of the wheels with grass, blankets, and tent canvas to avoid alerting the Hussites with their noise, and anything that might rattle had been padded and secured.

  In the last light of day, Sir Heinrich gathered together his men and pointed east, where the mountain’s summit was a black silhouette against the darkening sky. “You know what awaits us tonight. We’re facing a far superior enemy, and our only chance to make it to the castle is to surprise them. So be careful your weapons don’t clatter, and don’t make a sound. That applies to the women as well. I don’t want to hear any curses or whips.”

  “We’ll be as quiet as weasels on their way to the henhouse,” Eva promised.

  Labunik quietly chuckled and winked at Marek. “I didn’t know you had a thing for henhouses!” When Junker Heribert stared at him in confusion, he explained that Marek’s family name Lasicek was related to the Czech word for weasel. The men started to laugh, and Sir Heinrich’s temper flared.

  “I’m glad you’re all so happy, but you need to express it more quietly. Every Hussite for miles around can hear you!”

  “But Sir Knight, if the Taborites were that close, they’d hear you, too,” Marek replied good-naturedly, and the others laughed again.

  Heinrich swallowed a curse and grinned a little, relieved that his men were cheerful and determined going into battle, rather than kneeling on the ground and begging various saints for the salvation of their souls. “We’ll see what you’re worth. Now rest and try to get some sleep. There will be no more loafing around when the moon rises above the trees.”

  “To your success, Sir Knight!” Eva said, handing him a glass of wine.

  “To our success!” Heinrich von Hettenheim exclaimed, drinking the wine in one gulp. “Now tell me, do you and Theres know what to do?”

  “Since you’ve explained it five times, we should know by now,” the sutler jested, “but I’ll repeat it one more time for your peace of mind. We’ll keep our wagons close together. I’m going first with Michi and Trudi. The little girl will be hidden inside the wagon, so nothing can happen to her. Theres will follow me, and the two other wagons will be behind her. Your men will be positioned around the wagons so that we’ll approach the enemy like a spiny porcupine. God willing, the enemy won’t discover us until the last moment and it will be too late for them to gather up the troops and block our way.”

  “Stop trying to tease us with your cheery words!” Sir Heinrich scolded, and pointed at his cup. “Pour me another. Hearing it from you, my plan doesn’t sound nearly half as good, so I need something to give me courage.”

  “But don’t drink too much courage, or we’ll have to put you in the wagon with Trudi.” Sir Heinrich raised his hand to poke Eva for her freshness, but the old woman dodged and giggled as she returned to her wagon to fill his cup.

  That night, while waiting for the right moment to leave, Heinrich von Hettenheim sat on a fallen tree trunk and looked up at the clear sky, which seemed to hold ten times as many stars as usual. Junker Heribert and Urs Sprüngli silently joined him, each lost in his own thoughts. Unable to bear the tension any longer, Heinrich stood up, clapped the two men on the shoulder, and went to wake his men. Hardly anyone had managed to sleep, however, so they all rose as soon as they saw their leader approach and grabbed their pikes. Heinrich couldn’t make out their faces in the light of the narrow crescent moon rising above the southern treetops, but he assumed they weren’t as cheerful as earlier that night.

  “It’s darker than I thought,” he said to Marek. “Shouldn’t we light torches, at least until the last ridge lies between us and the besiegers?”

  Marek exhaled with a hiss. “I’d advise against it. If the Taborites have posted a guard atop the ridge, he’ll see the glow of our lights and the element of surprise will be gone. I know this area better than my purse, so I will lead you. Tell the men to test the ground in front of their feet with the shafts of their pikes and to lead the animals by their halters.”

  “I hope to God you’re right, as I don’t want to reach the castle after daybreak, when our enemies will be wide-awake and ready to attack us with full force.”

  “Don’t worry. We’ll get there just as the first hint of dawn lightens the sky.” Shortly afterward they were on their way, and more than one man offered up silent prayers, begging for protection that night.

  6.

  After Marie had spiked the barrels, it seemed that the following day would never end. She’d been scared since morning that the Hussites might become suspicious and discover that someone had tampered with the barrels, as Vyszo had suddenly decided to give out cups of beer as a special reward to a few soldiers. Luckily, no one noticed that the two soldiers who’d received their beer from a new barrel staggered to the latrines a short while later, suffering from stomach complaints. Since illnesses were common in camps of war, their leaders ordered them to stay by the edge of the forest to prevent contagion.

  At first Marie was relieved, as the brew from the Falkenhain cook seemed highly effective, but as the evening progressed and turned into night, she began to have doubts. Most soldiers had by now tasted beer from the contaminated barrels, but none of them seemed to get sick, as they kept up an animated discussion as to whether the castle would fall the following day or the one after that. At Vyszo’s order, the largest culverins had been set up outside the gate that morning, and they had fired at the gate, even though the teams handling the cannons weren’t protected from the showers of arrows raining down on them from the castle towers. But the soldiers up on the wall soon stopped jeering, as the fourth volley splintered one of the heavy boards in the gate, and now the attackers as well as defenders knew that the castle would fall within a few days.

  These weapons were useless without gunpowder, however, and so Marie made a plan that would delay the storming of the castle and help Sir Heinrich’s men. The Taborite army had three wagons full of powder, and Vyszo had directed the one with the best powder to be posted directly alongside the main road to the castle. If she could manage to set fire to the wagon and blow up the powder, the Taborites would be confused and her friends would be rid of some attackers. She was aware the explosion would possibly kill her, too, but it was the only thing she could now do to save Trudi’s life and buy Michel the time he needed to fend off the attack on Falkenhain while awaiting Sir Heinrich’s group. She’d make any sacrifice for that.

  Anni, who was crouched alongside her, took her hand and squeezed it gently. Marie sensed that her friend, who had long ceased to be a child under her care, was now trying to console and reassure her.

  She returned the squeeze and smiled, even though Anni couldn’t see her in the dark. “We’ll make it!” she whispered, knowing she was trying to convince herself as much as the girl.

  The
passage of time seemed agonizingly slow. Marie didn’t dare close her eyes for fear of falling asleep and missing something crucial. She started counting the stars, but got lost in the twinkling profusion, so she instead listened to the noises of the camp at night. A horse’s nearby snort drowned out the men’s regular snoring for a moment, and a little farther away a man got up to visit the latrine. A guard called out to him, and he replied with a joke.

  At some point, Marie became so restless, she couldn’t lie still any longer. Rolling out of her blanket, she looked around carefully. The camp was as quiet as usual, and she started to fear the worst. Most of the guards were staring at the castle, where the battlements were lit up by torches and firepots. Hammer blows and other sounds could be heard constantly from behind the gate, letting the enemy know that the besieged defenders were reinforcing the entrance and building another line of defense. Marie hoped that all of that noise would mask the arrival of Heinrich’s small group of soldiers. Another sound startled her out of her thoughts. Sitting up, she listened intently, then realized what she heard was just her own wildly beating pulse. Before she lay back down, she looked at the gate tower, where a man was silhouetted against one of the fires.

  Convinced the man was Michel, she felt herself propelled into action, and she nudged Anni and Helene. The two women clearly hadn’t managed to fall asleep, either, as they sat up immediately.

  “Listen carefully,” Marie whispered. “When the guards sound the alarm, you sneak to the castle and wait until the gate is opened, all right?”

  “And what are you going to do?” Helene asked with concern.