Maryann's Story

The Party
Benjamin Cuthert had spent his entire day listening to the gabbing and primping of his four sisters and was understandably in a very bad mood. There was to be a party tonight at the Winslow’s and the girls were all in raptures at the thought of being able to wear their frilly dresses. Benjamin had hoped he would be spared the tediousness of going to the party (he had heard enough about it for one day), but his mother insisted that he should come and said it would be a terrible insult to Mrs. Winslow if he did not show up. So at about six-thirty in the evening he threw on his best suit and climbed inside the carriage alongside his sisters. Of course, there was all manner of squealing and laughter from them and Amelia, the youngest, complained about not being able to wear silk gloves like her sisters. Benjamin wished he could just jump out of the carriage and walk the rest of the way, but that was absolutely out of the question for it had been a very dry summer and the dust on the road would surely stain his suit. So he sat in the corner in silent vexation the whole ten minutes to the Winslow’s.
“Oh, how I do hope the Chestersons will be there! Mildred is so amusing!” Francine exclaimed.
“I don’t think it’s only Mildred you are excited about seeing,” Sheila said mysteriously. “I believe she has a certain brother…?”
“Oh…well, yes of course I am excited to see Fred also,” Francine replied, blushing.
“Oh do you mean Fred as in Benjamin’s friend Fred?” Amelia asked.
“I hope the Miltons will be there. Georgie and Polly are such jolly girls,” Claura shrieked.
“Yes, me too,” Amelia put in. Benjamin rolled his eyes.
“Oh look girls!” Mrs. Cuthert cacked as the Winslow’s house came into view.
“Oh, Mother, isn’t it the most beautiful sight you’ve ever seen?” Francine cried enthusiastically.
“Absolutely droll,” Benjamin said sarcastically.
Once inside, the Cutherts were greeted by Mr. and Mrs. Winslow who showed them through the house and out into the courtyard. Although it was past sundown, it was very bright. Lanterns hung in the trees and candles burned throughout the area. There were tables set up around the edges with all manner of foods and drinks laid out upon them. In the far corner a small orchestra was playing music and soon, Benjamin thought with a grimace, there would be dancing. The Cutherts were joined by the Doles, the Astleys, the Browns and practically everyone else in town.
“Oh, Francine, look! There’s the Chestersons,” Sheila taunted.
“Oh and there’s the Miltons!” Amelia cried and waved Georgie and Polly over.
“Good evening, Polly, Georgie. How do you like my dress?” Amelia asked joyfully, spinning around.
“It is very nice Amelia,” Polly replied. At that moment Fred motioned Benjamin over.
“Excuse me ladies,” he said shortly and strolled over to Fred.
“Well, Benjy ol’ boy! This is quite a fine party, wouldn’t you say? I mean just look at all the lanterns and candles! What extravagance!” Fred cried.
“Yes, I suppose it is. But you know me, I hate parties,” Benjamin replied.
“Ah, yes that is right. You always were the Pessimistic Patty. But, ho, you seem especially annoyed this evening.”
Benjamin didn’t reply for at that moment his mother ambled over.
“Now, Benjamin, I don’t mean to be prying, but I daresay there shall be dancing tonight, and I would like it very much if you would dance at least one. I wouldn’t like my son to be the only person not dancing,” she said. “Oh, hello there Fred. Very nice to see you this evening,” she added and sauntered away.
“Dancing! This is by far the best party I have ever been to! Excuse me Benjy boy, but I must go snatch a partner,” Fred said and strode away. Benjamin sighed and pretended to be preoccupied by some cake as the dancing began. He sat down by the trees and wished he could be a little boy again and throw rocks at the dancers from up in the branches. He sighed again and watched Fred and Francine and all the other dancers twirling and swaying. Soon Polly, Claura, Georgie and Amelia strode over next to him and sat down.
“Polly, do you know who that girl over there is? I can’t say I’ve ever seen her before,” Claura said. Benjamin looked in the direction she pointed.
“Ah, yes. I hear she is staying with the Doles. Some cousin or niece of some sort. She’s quite a pretty little thing isn’t she?” Polly replied.
“Yes, she is indeed. What is her name? Have you met her yet?” Claura inquired.
“No, I have not, but I believe her name is Liliana Walsh or something.”
“Walter,” Georgie said, “Liliana Walter.”
“Ah, yes! Liliana Walter,” Polly affirmed.
“Ben?” Amelia suddenly asked, “Would you please, please, please ask William Dole to introduce us to that girl sitting over there with him? I would love you so dearly if you would!”
“Well, if that is the only way I will earn my sister’s love, I suppose I must,” Benjamin replied with a sigh.
“Oh thank you, thank you, thank you!” Amelia cried. Benjamin stood up and walked across the courtyard.
“Hello, William. I’m glad to see I’m not the only lad not dancing,” he said.
“Ah, yes. You know how much I loathe dancing. But I suppose I will be forced to sooner or later,” William replied gravely.
“Me too. Well, I was wondering if you would introduce my sisters to the young lady staying with your family. Amelia especially would like to meet her,” Benjamin said.
“Of course! One moment please,” William answered and turned around. He spoke to Liliana for a moment then brought her forward. “Liliana, this is Benjamin Cuthert. Ben this is my cousin Liliana Walter.”
“Pleased to meet you, sir,” Liliana stated, curtseying.
“And you also,” Benjamin replied, bowing.
“Liliana, Benjamin has some sisters who would very much like to meet you. If you…?” William asked motioning towards the trees.
“Of course,” Liliana answered. They walked over together. William introduced them and while the girls whispered and giggled, he pulled Benjamin aside.
“Have you heard the latest?” he said quietly.
“No, what’s happened?” Benjamin replied, alert.
“The Algarkians have invaded Vistol,” William responded gravely.
“What? When?” Benjamin asked, alarmed.
“A few days ago, from what I’ve heard.”
“From…?”
“Liliana. She lives in Vistol. Her father and brothers had to join the military so she was sent here.”
“Oh…,” Benjamin said, glancing over at Liliana. “So what now? Do you think the Vistolians will be able to hold them off?”
“I highly doubt it. From what Liliana’s said, their military is very small. Even with the drafting of all their men, I don’t think they have more than twenty thousand troops,” William whispered, “and the Algarkians have at least…”
“One hundred thousand,” Benjamin finished. “I suppose it’s only a matter of days before they reach us. Have you heard from your uncle in Westburg? Is King Vern making any plans?”
“Yes, I’ve heard from him. His news is not very encouraging, though. Apparently Prince Linus of Vistol has asked the king for help. Reinforcements and supplies. But the king’s chief advisor persuaded him against sending them.”
“What? Why?” Benjamin exclaimed.
“Hush, we don’t want the whole town to know,” William whispered. “The king’s chief advisor Leonard is very pessimistic it seems…or just crazy. He thinks that the Algarkians will win no matter what we do. His thinking is that if we save our supplies and men we will survive longer. Even if the Algarkians make it here. He obviously has no compassion whatsoever.”
“And the king listened to him?” Benjamin asked.
“Yes. You must remember that Leonard practically raised him. The king trusts him with his life,” William replied. At that moment the music stopped and Fred and Francine joined them.
“Ben, Will, you two must have a dance! I insist!” Fred cried joyfully.
“I’m not really in the mood for dancing,” Benjamin muttered. Thoughts of war were on his mind. But his mother had heard Fred and quickly agreed with him.
“Yes Benjamin you must! Come now, I’m sure Miss Liliana would love to dance with you! She hasn’t danced all night!” she exclaimed. Benjamin couldn’t refuse now, not without insulting Liliana.
“All right, I suppose it couldn’t do me any harm,” he said trying to be cheerful. “But William must dance one too,” he added smiling at his friend.
“Fine,” William muttered, glaring at Benjamin. He asked Polly and they all walked out onto the dance floor. The music began.
“Are you enjoying your stay here?” Benjamin asked conversationally as he and Liliana began to dance. Liliana sighed.
“To be honest with you, not really,” she replied. “I miss my father and brothers terribly and I’m so worried about…” She stopped.
“The war?” Benjamin finished. Liliana started.
“Yes…,” she said hesitantly. “I feel like I should be there fighting alongside them! I’m not like other girls, you know. I wasn’t raised thinking that girls should sit at home and embroider all day. I was raised in a family of all boys and no mother, so I learned how to shoot a bow and wield a sword just like my brothers. I am just as qualified to be fighting the enemy as them,” she said fervently. “I mean wouldn’t you feel ashamed if your father was fighting a losing war and you weren’t there beside him?”
“I haven’t got a father,” Benjamin replied shortly. “He died when I was seven.”
“Oh…I’m so sorry,” Liliana said, taken aback.
“It’s all right,” Benjamin assured her. “But I know what you mean.”
“My father absolutely blew up when I asked him if I could stay. His lame excuse was that the military wouldn’t allow me to join.”
“Maybe he’s right,” Benjamin said. “I mean, I’ve never heard of a girl joining the military before.”
Liliana glared at him. “Yes. But, I’m sorry, I am ruining your evening with all this talk of war,” she said coolly. “Are you very good friends with my cousin Will?” she asked.
“Um… yes we’ve been friends since we were six,” Benjamin replied. He was very confused by this abrupt change of subject.
“How very sweet,” Liliana answered in a fake cheerful voice.
“Yes,” Benjamin said. The song ended and they immediately left the floor. Benjamin sat down by the trees again and resolved not to dance anymore.
Meetings
“Oh, mother was not this the most wonderful night ever?” Francine asked that night as the Cutherts drove home.
“Aye, it was a very nice party,” her mother responded, “Even Benjamin danced! Although I am a bit disappointed he did not ask Miss Walter for another dance. They were such a joy to watch!”
“Hmm, yes. But mother didn’t Fred and I look absolutely marvelous together?” Francine asked shifting the conversation to herself.
“I think you two looked delightful!” Sheila cried, “How much longer till he proposes, I wonder?” she added in a whisper. Francine blushed.
“Miss Liliana is quite a delightful creature! So friendly and very pretty!” Francine said changing the subject again.
“Yes, I quite agree,” Claura said enthusiastically. “What did you think of her Ben? I saw you two talking in a very friendly manner…”
“Um…yes she is quite friendly but…”
“Do not you think her pretty?” Francine probed.
“Yes, I cannot disagree with you on that point,” Benjamin replied.
The rest of the carriage ride was ridden in silence, which Ben was thankful for, because it gave him a chance to ponder the evening’s events. The news of war was extremely unnerving and Ben only wished there was something he could do. He felt so useless sitting at home and going to frivolous parties. But, he realized with a shudder, it wouldn’t be long before the Algarkians made it through Vistol and war emerged in his own country.
Over the next few days, the news of war spread and everywhere Benjamin went he saw looks of unease. More Vistolian refugees arrived and no one was spared the constant talks of the Algarkians. Frightening stories of their brutality were told, terrifying the townspeople. Benjamin’s mother was so scared she thought if she stepped outside, she would immediately be shot down by an arrow. No matter how much Ben tried to convince her otherwise, she refused to leave the house. So, Benjamin ended up doing all her errands, often accompanied by his sisters.
One day, while he and Francine were out getting groceries they came across William Dole and Fred Chesterson.
“Fred, Will!” Francine cried, “How are you today?”
“Very well, or as well as can be,” Fred replied.
“Glad to hear it! But where is Miss Walter?” Francine asked.
“She is at home,” William responded, “we were at the Chestersons visiting Fred and Mildred and she said she wasn’t feeling good and left early.”
“Oh no! I hope she is not ill!” Francine cried. “Well, some rest should do her good. Would you like to join us? We were just on our way to the Brown’s store.”
“I’d be happy to join you,” Fred replied joyfully. William nodded. They began walking again. Will pulled Ben back and they stayed a few paces behind the others.
“I’ve heard again from my uncle in Westburg,” he said quietly.
“Yes? What is his news?” Benjamin replied.
“He says there is a society forming in secret. People who want to help the Vistolians. He wants me to start a branch here. Would you like to join?”
“Yes, I’d be very happy to join. I feel so useless not doing anything.”
“Good, I thought so,” William replied. “Would you be willing to join the fight?” he added after a pause. Ben nodded slowly. “We’re planning on training all our recruits and marching down in about two weeks.”
“Okay…” Benjamin said, starting to feel a bit queasy.
“The first meeting is tomorrow night at my house. If you think anyone else would like to join just invite them to come,” William said.
“Okay,” Ben said again. They caught up with Fred and Francine and entered the Brown’s store.
“I have a few more errands to take care of…” Ben began as they finished there.
“Would you like me to carry these things home with Francine?” Fred asked eagerly.
“Sure, thanks,” Benjamin replied, smiling.
“Well, I better get home. I have some things to take care of,” William said with a glance at Ben. “See you later.” He strode off. Fred and Francine headed in the other direction. Ben made his way through town and took care of his errands. He decided to take the scenic route home through the forest. He was still feeling ill at the thought of actually fighting and thought some fresh air and nature would do him good. However, the forest soon had the opposite effect as an arrow shot through the trees, barely missing Benjamin’s head.
“Oh no! The Algarkians have come!” he thought, petrified. He stood stock still and listened very carefully. All he could hear was the birds’ chirping and the slight rustle of the leaves in the wind. After a few minutes of silence, he cautiously took a few steps forward. “Maybe I was wrong. Maybe it’s not the Algarkians,” he thought desperately. Then he stopped in surprise as he heard a girl’s voice say,
“Shh Maple, I’m not going to hurt you.”
It was Liliana! But it couldn’t be! William said she was sick! Ben took a few steps forward and peeked around a tree trunk. It was indeed Liliana but not at all the way she had looked at the party. Her brown hair was pulled tightly up into a bun and she was wearing what looked like men’s riding clothes. A brown horse was tethered to a tree and Liliana was trying to soothe it.
“Shh…” she said again. Benjamin noticed that she was holding a bow, and a quiver of arrows was lying on the ground.
“So she shot the arrow,” Ben muttered under his breath. Relief washed through him, and then surprise as what he said sunk in. He watched as Liliana patted the horse and then pulled an arrow out of the quiver and strung it on her bow. She spun around looking for a target and…
“Oh!” she gasped as she spotted Benjamin. She dropped the arrow in surprise. “B-Benjamin…” she stuttered as she fumbled on the ground for the arrow.
“Sorry to frighten you,” Ben said, hesitantly walking forward. “I’m rather frightened myself actually. I didn’t expect to nearly get shot with an arrow on my way home,” he said, grinning.
“Oh…” Liliana replied, her face reddening. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t think anyone came here. I’m sorry,” she said again, popping the arrow back in the quiver.
“I’m okay,” Benjamin assured her. “You were right though. You really can shoot an arrow.”
“I’m just…practicing,” she said. “I don’t want to forget, just in case.” They stood in silence for a bit and then Liliana asked, “Would you like to try?” She held the bow forward.
“Um…,” Ben hesitated. “I’m not very good, but I’ll give it a go,” he said setting his things on the ground. He took the bow and pulled an arrow out of the quiver. He strung it and looked for a target.
“I take it you’re feeling better?” he asked nonchalantly as he fixed his eye on a large trunk.
“What?” Liliana asked, startled.
“Will said you were feeling ill.”
“Oh!…yes, I feel much better,” she replied, blushing. Ben let go of the arrow and it zinged into the trunk.
“Ah! Better than I expected,” he said handing the bow back to Liliana.
“Not too bad,” Liliana said, knocking an arrow into place. She let it go and it pierced the middle of the tree. Ben whistled.
“Nice,” he praised, picking up his things. “Well, I better get going. Sorry again for frightening you.”
“Oh! I’m sorry! I’m the one who nearly killed you!” Liliana replied. Ben smiled.
“See you later,” he said and left.
The next day Ben spent in agitation. The meeting at Will’s loomed like a dark rain cloud. Every time he thought of it, he was reminded that he would be fighting in no more than two weeks. His stomach queased at each thought and he began to think, rather hopefully, that he would be too sick to join the meeting. But then he remembered that there were people who needed his help and he chastised himself for such thoughts. When the hour approached, Benjamin told his mother he was off to the Doles and set out. It was a rather chilly evening for the time of year and Ben took that as an ill omen of what was to come. When he finally came to William’s house, he was surprised to see how many people were there. It seemed as if all the young men in town had been invited.
“Good evening, brothers!” William said as the meeting began. “I am so happy to see that there are so many people who disagree with the king’s chief advisor! To start the meeting off, I would like to thank you all for your neighborly kindness to the Vistolian refugees that have settled here. As many of you may know, my own cousins live in Vistol and I take it as a personal compliment that you are so accommodating. My cousin Liliana would especially like to thank you. Her family members are currently fighting the Algarkians and she is very thankful that they will soon have reinforcements.”
“I am very pleased to be of service!” a man shouted from the back of the room. A few men laughed.
“Yes, well, I’m afraid this might be a bit more of an undertaking that you might think. The Algarkians are very strong in number and even stronger in abilities. They begin training when they are no older than seven. They have the best sword smiths in the world and their king is a very powerful commander. We, on the other hand, have only a few years of sword fighting and archery practice (if any at all) and have no commander. However, if we train very hard and commit ourselves to practicing, we may be of some help to the Vistolians. I am very pleased to say that we have an old war general in our midst who has agreed to lead us and teach us all he knows. General Gregs?” William said gesturing to a grey haired man in the front. General Gregs stood up and waved. “I am also pleased to announce that the local farmers, Mr. Astley and Mr. Blumington have agreed to donate a fair share of their crops for us to bring to the Vistolians,” William continued. “They have already begun stockpiling and should have a decent amount, if not quite enough, in two weeks time.”
“Wait, two weeks?!” someone exclaimed. “By then there won’t be any Vistolians left to help!” Shouts and cries of agreement followed. Ben couldn’t help joining in.
“Quiet!” General Gregs shouted, standing up. “If you really want to help, you will need to be trained. And that will take some time. If we march down there now, we won’t be of any use to our neighbors.”
“We won’t be of any use to them once they’re all dead,” someone murmured.
“If you really want to go there now, then by all means, please do,” General Gregs said, glaring at the man who spoke. The man scowled back, but remained in his seat.
“Eheheh…Thank you General,” William said nervously. “Yes, well, um… We will need to start training as soon as possible and that means tomorrow morning. If any of you have old armor, swords, shields, or whatnot, please bring them along with you.” And with that the meeting ended.
News
“Benjamin, I really insist that you stay! I would be so worried and sick with fear for you if you went away! Really, I command you to stay!” Mrs. Cuthert exclaimed after she had heard about the plan to help the Vistolians.
“Mother, your commands can not keep him here,” Francine cried, “All the men have to go. It’s the only way to keep the Algarkians away.” She wiped her eyes. That included Fred.
“They most certainly do not!” Mrs. Cuthert shrieked. “I have not heard of any orders given by King Vern! Why, actually I’ve heard quite the opposite. I was under the impression the king was against helping the Vistolians!”
“Yes, he is but I believe (and I would hope you feel the same way) that we need to help the Vistolians. It is our duty as neighbors. Besides even if we don’t help them I shall have to go to war eventually. The Vistolians can’t hold the Algarkians off for very long,” Ben replied. He was surprised at how calm his voice sounded. He secretly wished he could follow his mother’s commands. “Anyways, I have to go start training soon. Do you know where dad’s old gear is?”
“I most certainly do not!” Mrs. Cuthert exclaimed, indignant. “I would never associate myself with such things!” Ben sighed.
“I think they are in the shed,” Francine mumbled.
“Thanks,” Benjamin muttered. He left the room and went out to the shed. He scrambled through some boxes and finally found the armor. It was a bit rusted and the sword badly needed some polishing, but, Ben remembered, it had been over thirty years since it was last used. He sighed, piled it all into his arms and went off to the training grounds.
For the first few days of training, the men worked on sword fighting, on foot and on horse. Ben found that he was pretty good at both and soon he was one of the top sword fighters in the group. He often thought of how weird it was that only a week ago he was griping about going to a party. And now he was training for war.
One day, after a very intense day of training, William ran up to Benjamin.
“Hey,” he panted, “would you like to come over to my house for lunch? My parents are in Westburg on business and it’s pretty lonesome.”
“Sure,” Benjamin replied as he stripped his armor off. They cleaned up and then walked back to William’s house together. On the way they met up with Liliana who was on her way home.
“Well, hello!” she cried as she neared them. “I see you’ve brought company.”
“Yes, hope you don’t mind,” William replied.
“No, not at all. It’s been pretty quiet around here for awhile,” Liliana said as she caught up with them. Benjamin noticed she was limping a little, but pretended he hadn’t. He could only guess why. They continued on their way.
“Um…I’m going to go clean up a bit,” Liliana said, as they entered the house. She ran upstairs. William and Ben went to the dining room. A few minutes later they all joined at the table.
“All right, so we have chicken salad, biscuits, some carrots and iced tea,” Liliana said, gesturing to the various objects. “So, help yourself.”
“Liliana! What happened?” William suddenly gasped pointing to a long cut on her arm. Liliana looked down, her face reddening.
“Oh…I fell in some bushes at Mildred’s house. I’m very clumsy you know,” she replied, hesitantly. “I’m fine, really, don’t worry about it.”
“Okay…” William said, uncertainly. He shrugged and began to fill his plate.
“So, how is training going?” Liliana asked, as she began piling food on her own plate.
“It’s going good, I’d say,” Ben replied.
“Yeah, good for you. It seems like you were born sword fighting,” William said.
“Really? And how about you, William? How is your fencing?” Liliana asked.
“I’m terrible at it. I don’t think I’ll last a minute on the battlefield.”
“Oh, come on, it’s not that bad,” Benjamin cajoled.
“Yeah I…” But William was interrupted by a knock on the door. “I’ll be right back,” he said getting up. He left the room. Ben looked at Liliana inquisitively.
“What?” she demanded.
“Oh nothing, I just think that that’s a pretty big cut for a bush to make,” he replied casually. Liliana stared at him.
“You think I’ve been out in the woods practicing again, don’t you?” she asked.
“Well, am I wrong in thinking such a thing?” Ben replied, raising an eyebrow. Liliana didn’t answer. They went back to eating.
“It’s a letter from my uncle in Westburg!” William cried as he entered the room.
“Really? What’s it say?” Liliana asked, grateful for his reappearance.
“Well, I haven’t read it yet,” William said, opening up the letter. He read through it very quickly, and then reread it a few times.
“Come on, what’s it say?” Ben asked impatiently.
“He says…he says that King Vern has found out about our secret societies. Or at least the branch in Westburg. He’s not sure what will happen, but he urges us to try to keep our branch more secret. And he says that his branch is planning to march down to Vistol tomorrow, before the king can do anything to them,” William finally said. He sat down, sighing. The three of them sat in quiet for a bit.
“Well,” Liliana said, breaking the silence, “I don’t suppose it will be long before you all go, so we shan’t have to keep quiet for too long.” Ben’s stomach turned at the remembrance.
“Yes…but I don’t like this at all,” William said, “I don’t understand why King Vern and his chief advisor are so against us helping the Vistolians. It’s almost like they are on the same side as the Algarkians.” Benjamin started at this suggestion.
“But that can’t be!” he cried. “We have been allies with Vistol, and enemies with the Algarkians for too long to suddenly switch sides!”
“Yes, but think about it. We have not fought the Algarkians since King Vern took the throne. Who knows? Maybe he and whoever the king of Algarkia is, made a secret alliance years ago and never told anyone,” William said gravely.
“That’s a little hard to believe,” Benjamin said, although he found he was taking to the idea quite quickly.
“Well, you should probably tell everyone to keep quiet,” Liliana said. “I’ll help you. I’ll go to the Chestersons and the Miltons and…”
“Good idea,” William interrupted, getting up. “We should do it right away.” They decided who would tell who and set off.
“I knew this whole secret society thing was a bad idea! I knew it!” Mrs. Cuthert cacked as soon as she heard the news. “I was absolutely correct in my assumptions.”
“Oh, mother, please!” Sheila sighed. “It was not a bad idea. Just think of all the Vistolians that need help! Who cares what the king says!”
“I do! I certainly do not want my boy to be committing a felony!” Mrs. Cuthert replied.
“Mother, I am not committing a felony. King Vern never made any law against helping the Vistolians,” Benjamin said, exasperatedly.
“Well then why is he punishing those who are?” Mrs. Cuthert cried.
“He hasn’t…yet. That is very good question though once he does,” Benjamin replied.
“If he does,” Sheila said optimistically. Benjamin smiled at her.
“Yes, if he does,” he said.
“Ben,” Amelia suddenly said, “Are you leaving soon? I mean, if the Westburg society is, won’t you be too?”
“Probably,” Benjamin replied quietly. He really did not like to think about that too much.
That night, long after all his sisters and mother had gone to bed, Benjamin was still awake. He couldn’t sleep, not with the idea of going to war the most prominent thought in his mind. He really wished that King Vern had just answered Vistolian’s Prince Linus’s call for aid. Then they would not be so outnumbered against the Algarkians. Then they could actually have a chance of beating the enemy. But it did no good thinking these thoughts. Instead Ben thought of the Vistolians who could be fighting right this minute. He thought of Liliana’s family and hoped that they were still alive. She would be devastated if her whole family died. Ben knew he would be too. He really did like his sisters, although he was a bit sad now, now that there was a chance he might not live much longer, that he did not know them very well. He resolved on spending more time with them during the coming days. He would take them all out on a picnic; maybe invite some of their friends. Yes, that would be nice, to have one last time of joy before entering the war zone. With that thought in mind, Ben realized that maybe he could sleep after all and went up to his bed.
The Beginning
“Finally,” Liliana sighed, shutting the front door behind William. She had been waiting all morning for him to leave the house. Usually he left before she had even finished eating breakfast, but after what had happened yesterday, he was being extra careful about leaving at strange hours. Liliana took one last glance out the window and then quickly ran upstairs to her room. She crossed the tidy little room and pulled the curtains closed on her window. Then she went to her closet and kneeling down on the floor, pulled up a loose floorboard.
“All right, time to practice,” she said to the objects hidden underneath. She pulled out some ragged clothes, a quiver of arrows, and a sword. Then standing up, Liliana pushed aside some dresses and pulled her bow off a hook on the wall. She wrapped all these things in a cloak and went down to the stables. Luckily, her uncle was not very rich so there weren’t any servants around to bother her.
“Maple, are you ready to go for a ride?” she whispered to her horse as she saddled her up. Maple neighed in response. “I thought so,” she replied. She mounted and then they were off. They rode through town and out into the forest beyond. After her terrifying experience of almost killing Benjamin, Liliana had decided it would be better to train in a more remote part of the forest. But this also meant she had to ride further, almost half an hour longer. Yet, the forest was a nice place to go to; it reminded her of her home in Vistol. She once tried telling William that the recruits should train in the forest, as much of Vistol was covered in trees. But William said that there would be a bigger risk of them hurting each other, so they never did.
When Liliana finally reached her practicing site, she tethered Maple to a tree and surreptitiously changed into her shabby training clothes (which she had snatched from her brother before she left Vistol). But she paused just as she was about to pick up her sword, hearing a shout from somewhere in the forest.
“For Vistol!” Then there was a great thundering of hooves and neighing of horses.
“Oh no! Are the recruits leaving already?” Liliana exclaimed in a whisper. She quickly wrapped all her things back in the cloak and tied up her hair. Then she untied Maple and climbed on her. “Go!” she cried pushing Maple forward. The trees rushed by her in a blur.
“What a complete waste of time!” she whispered viciously, thinking of her thirty minute ride to the practice ground. She pushed Maple harder and made it back to the town in fifteen minutes.
The main street was lined with townspeople so Liliana had to take a back road to her house. But before she could completely hide herself she heard someone say, “That can’t be Liliana, can it?”
“Oh crap,” Liliana muttered, looking down at her shabby riding clothes. She made it to her house and hastily put Maple in the stables. She ran inside and found a note sitting on a table in the front hall. It was addressed to her and her aunt and uncle. She ripped it open and read:
Dear Mother, Father, and Liliana,
I’m sorry this letter is not very long, but I don’t have much time. The recruits are preparing to ride to Vistol as I write. General Gregs has just gotten word from Westburg that our society has been discovered and that the king’s chief advisor is on his way! I have no idea what he plans on doing and I have no inclination to find out. We ride out this very minute. I’m sorry you were not here to say goodbye to, but I love you and I hope I see you again.
Your son (and cousin),
Will
Liliana had to read the letter a few times to completely comprehend it. The chief advisor was on his way! But what does he plan on doing? And what is he going to do when he finds out the recruits have already left? All this ran through Liliana’s head as she ran upstairs to change into something more suitable for someone of her gender.
Just as she finished tying the laces on her dress, she heard a knock on the door. She peeked through her curtain out the window and saw a carriage pulled up outside. Her heart pounding, she scampered down the stairs. She smoothed her dress and casually opened the door. An old man, dressed in very fine clothing, stood on the porch.
“Hello, how may I help you?” she said as calmly as she could.
“Does William Dole reside her?” the man responded grandly.
“He does,” Liliana replied.
“May I speak to him?” the man asked impatiently.
“No, you may not,” Liliana said.
“Why…?” the man began.
“Because he is not in town at the moment. I am so sorry.”
“May I ask where he is?” Liliana thought for the briefest of seconds.
“He is in Westburg with his parents.”
“Is he? Well, when will he be back?”
“I am not sure. They left rather abruptly, not knowing when they would return.” It wasn’t a complete lie. The man stared at Liliana in annoyance.
“Miss…?”
“Liliana Walter.”
“Ah, Miss Walter. I am not in the mood for beating around the bush. I know that a, quote, secret society, unquote, was formed by your…husband? Brother?”
“Cousin,” Liliana replied shortly.
“Ah, cousin. Yes, and this secret society was formed with goals that disagree with the intentions of His Majesty, King Vern. As such…”
“Excuse me, but who are you?” Liliana interrupted. She didn’t care if she was being rude. The man rolled his eyes.
“I am King Vern’s Chief Advisor Leonard. Now, I do not enjoy being interrupted so please do not do it again.” The man glared at Liliana.
“I am so very sorry,” Liliana lied.
“Yes, I’m sure,” Leonard muttered. “Now tell me where your cousin really is,” he commanded.
“I already did,” Liliana replied. Leonard glared at her.
“Miss Walter, would you please come with me?” he asked gesturing to the carriage.
“I most certainly will not. Now if you will excuse me, I really have some things to take care of so…” But she didn’t finish as Leonard grabbed her arm with surprising strength and dragged her to the carriage.
“Get inside. And keep quiet!” he whispered viciously, shoving her inside and slamming the door.
Setting Out
“Look alive!” Fred shouted cheerfully, tossing a loaf of bread to Benjamin. Ben caught it and took a bite.
“Thanks!” he said with his mouth full. “Will you help me pitch this tent?” he asked.
“Um…” Fred hesitated looking at the jumbled pile of poles and canvas. “I think I’ll pass…”
“Fine,” Ben said and began setting it up. “Have fun sleeping on the ground,” he added as Fred walked away.
“Oh I’ll be fine sleeping anywhere after riding all day,” Fred replied and swanked away. Ben sighed and took another bite of bread. He was staring at the mess of tent, trying to decipher it when Will walked up.
“Hey,” he said staring down at the canvas.
“Hey,” Ben replied.
“Need some help?” he asked.
“Yeah. I asked Fred, but he refused.”
“That’s Fred for you,” William said with a smirk. They began trying to set the tent up.
“I am so tired,” Ben sighed. “I don’t think I’ve ever, no wait, I know I haven’t ever ridden on a horse for as many hours straight as we did today.”
“Oh, you’re preaching to the choir man preaching to the choir,” William replied with a grin. Ben chuckled. But William’s face suddenly fell.
“What’s wrong?” Ben asked. William was silent for a moment.
“I am so worried,” he finally sighed. “I mean, I feel so bad leaving Liliana at home all alone. I’m pretty sure Leonard knows I am the one who recruited all of you. He probably will go to my house to try to find me. Actually he probably already has.” William stopped working for a second as this thought hit him.
“I bet she’s okay. She seems like she can take care of herself,” Ben reassured him, remembering Liliana’s skills in archery. “Besides, what could Leonard do to her?”
“I can think of a lot of things he could do to her,” William said gravely. “I just hope he’s not as bad a person as I imagine him being. I would feel much better if my parents were home, but they weren’t expected to be back until next week.”
“Well, she has lots of friends, I’m sure she’ll be okay,” Ben replied, although he didn’t quite agree with what he was saying.
“I hope so,” William murmured. They finished setting up the tent and soon after, the sun went down and they crawled inside to sleep.
Ben was as tired as could be, but he couldn’t sleep. He knew that it would only take the recruits about three days to ride to Vistol and then they would be in war territory. And this thought was not a very good thing to have in his head as he tried to sleep. He tried thinking of something else; of his sisters or his mother, but these thoughts only made him sad. They reminded him that he might not ever see them again and silent tears rolled down his cheeks.
“I never even got to have the picnic with them,” he murmured pathetically. He curled up in his blankets and finally, after a few more tears, he fell asleep.
The next day, the recruits got up with the sun and, after cleaning up camp, got on their horses and started off. Ben was very sore from riding all day yesterday, but soon his hunger overpowered that feeling. It was also a very hot day and the sun beat down on them with all its power. They stopped only a few times, to eat and drink and to give the horses a rest. But most of the day they spent riding, through the sparse forests and wide fields that seemed to stretch on forever. Mountains rose in the west, but they were riding south and though many of the recruits had dreamed all their lives to see the mountains, they only saw them from afar.
“I say, do you know how much further we have to ride?” Fred asked Benjamin when they had slowed down.
“Vistol is about three days away, counting today.”
“Yes, yes I know that. But how much longer do we have to ride today?
“I have no idea. Probably for a few more hours. Why?” Ben replied.
“Oh, well it’s just so hot! I can’t bear this heat!”
“Oh…” Ben responded. “I thought maybe there was a more urgent reason…”
“What could be more urgent that being burned alive by the sun?” Fred replied happily. Ben wiped the sweat off his forehead and glanced over at Fred.
“I don’t know,” he sighed. “How can you be so cheerful?” he asked after a pause.
“I just don’t think about what we’re riding into,” Fred answered. “I just imagine that I am going on a quest of great importance…or something.” Ben laughed.
“A quest of great importance? Like what?”
“Oh, I don’t know. Like saving damsels in distress.”
“Well, I suppose we kind of are doing that,” Ben said.
“Ha! Right you are!” Fred laughed cheerfully. Ben grinned.
A few hours later, though, Ben had no reason to smile. A young boy from town had ridden into camp carrying a message for William. It was from Fred’s father and it read:
Dear William,
I hope this letter finds you well, for I am sorry to say that I am in deep distress. Earlier this morning I asked my daughter Mildred to go to your house to invite your cousin Liliana over for lunch. I remembered you saying that she would be all alone, and I thought she might like to spend some time with us. Well, Mildred came back in hysterics saying she found the front door wide open and Liliana nowhere in sight! Her horse was in the stables and your neighbors all said they hadn’t seen her all day. I know this may seem like an overreaction; I’m sure she leaves the house all the time as she is a very sociable creature. But we have searched and scoured the town all day and have found no sign of her anywhere! Finally, though, we came across a young girl, a neighbor of yours I think, I’m sorry I can’t remember her name, but anyways, this girl said she saw “a very fancy carriage” stop by at your house yesterday, not long after you left. I remember you saying that Chief Advisor Leonard was expected to come to town, and I fear that he may have come indeed and taken Liliana away! I can understand if you think me a strange old man for thinking this, I may be very far off from the truth. But I thought I should tell you anyways. I really hope that I am wrong in my assumptions. I shall keep looking for her, and I will definitely write again to you if I have any news of her. I have sent a letter to your parents already, so please do not stir yourself to write one to them yourself. Once again, I really hope I am incorrect in my thoughts and I hope that I will see you again sometime soon.
Mr. George Chesterson
William sighed as he set the letter down, and put his head in his hands.
“It’s just as I feared,” his muffled voice said. Ben didn’t know what to say. No comforting words came into his head. Will looked up and stared off at the stars for a moment and then said, “I have to find her. Now.” He stood up.
“Wait,” Ben said pushing him back down. “You can’t leave. It’s too dark now to try to ride. Besides, you have to lead the recruits.”
“Ben’s right, you know,” Fred agreed.
“Well, we can’t just leave her in the hands of Leonard! Who knows what he might do?”
“She might not be with Leonard…” Fred began, but William cut him off.
“She is. I know she is.” Silence followed.
“I’ll go,” Benjamin announced. He liked the idea of going back to Westburg much more than going to war.
“You will?” William asked, looking relieved.
“Yes. I’ll leave as soon as the sun rises.”
“Thanks,” William replied. Then he stood up, weariness in his face. “We should get some rest. Wake me up before you leave.” Ben nodded.
The next morning, or more like middle of the night, Benjamin packed up all his things and saddled up his horse. Then he went to Will’s sleeping pad and shook him.
“I’m out,” he whispered. Will sat up and rubbed the sleep from his eyes.
“Where are you going to go?”
“I think I’ll go to Westburg first and then if she’s not there…well I don’t know yet,” Ben replied.
“Sounds like a plan,” Will mumbled. “Thanks a lot for doing this.” Benjamin smiled.
“See you later,” he said, hoping what he said was true.
“Bye.” William laid his head back down. Ben mounted his horse and set off.
Chapter 6
“Miss Walter, here is your room,” Chief Advisor Leonard said, gesturing to a dark cell. “I hope you enjoy your stay!” he added with a mocking grin.
“Thank you, I think I shall,” Liliana replied with a smile. Leonard scowled.
“Get in!” And he shoved her inside.
“Hmm, it could use a little work!” Liliana cried from inside. “Maybe a cute little rug or a chair in this corner here…” Leonard’s footsteps faded away. Liliana looked around her. The cell was lit by one stubby candle in the corner. There was a bed on the floor, but it did not look very serviceable. Other than those two things the cell was completely empty. Liliana sighed and carefully sat down on the mattress.
“Well, at least there’s no rats,” she said, hopefully. The room was completely silent and Liliana wondered if there were any other cells nearby. “There must be other cells somewhere. This is the castle’s prison,” she thought aloud. A few minutes passed in complete silence. Suddenly Liliana stood up, unable to bear it any longer. She needed something to do to keep from going crazy. But the moment she stood up, she realized how tired she was, so she sat back down. Then, grimacing, she laid her head down. The bed felt surprisingly comfortable; she was so tired she didn’t care what she slept on. She had only had three hours of sleep on the ride from Westburg. And so, she very quickly dropped off.
The next morning, (at least Liliana thought it was morning, she couldn’t tell in the dark) a servant came and brought Liliana food. It wasn’t exactly gourmet, but it filled Liliana’s stomach so she was grateful. A few hours passed in complete boredom before Liliana heard the key turn in the lock again. The door opened and the chief advisor smirked down at Liliana.
“Good morning, Miss Walter!” he beamed. “Today is a very special day for you!”
“Oh really?” Liliana replied with mock interest.
“Come now! Do be cheerful! Today you shall meet your king! Isn’t this exciting?” Leonard clapped his hands together. Liliana was going to say that King Vern was not her king. But remembering the recent refusal to help the Vistolians, she decided against it. Instead she gave Leonard her biggest smile and said,
“Really?! I’ve waited my whole life to meet dear old Vern!” Leonard smiled in a sympathetic way.
“How sweet! But, Miss Walter, I must warn you. King Vern would not like to hear you refer to him in such a way, okay? When you meet him you must curtsey and say…”
“Yes, yes, I know how to treat royalty,” Liliana interrupted. “I wasn’t raised by cows.” All mock kindness was erased from Leonard’s face.
“Really, Miss Walter, I would very much appreciate it if you showed me some respect. I will not tolerate rudeness any more. Now, in about an hour I will come back here to take you to the king. Please make yourself presentable, and maybe you should freshen up on your manners!” And with that Leonard swept away, locking the door behind him. Liliana sighed and fell back onto the mattress. What was she going to do? The king would certainly ask questions about the secret society. She didn’t know how she would answer them. And why were they making such a big deal out of this anyway? Liliana had always believed that King Vern and Vistol’s Prince Linus were allies. These thoughts ran through Liliana’s head as she tried to “make herself presentable”. She ran her fingers through her hair, trying to untangle it, and smoothed her dress. She could only hope that her face wasn’t too dirty. Then she sat in silent thought for the rest of the hour.
“Miss Walter!” Leonard called from the other side of the door. “Are you ready to meet your king?” There was a jangling of keys and then the door opened. “Ah! I see you’ve tried to make yourself pretty. Well, here this may be of some use.” He held out a bowl of water and a small mirror. He watched as Liliana splashed the water on her face and checked herself in the mirror. “There, that is much better. I believe the king will actually be willing to talk to you now!” Leonard chuckled. Then he reached in his pocket and pulled out a pair of handcuffs. He clamped them onto Liliana’s wrists. “Just in case…” he murmured. Liliana glared at him. Then they left the room and proceeded through a wide corridor. Liliana saw that there were indeed more cells, many more cells, all along the hallway. At the end of the hallway there was a staircase which they went up. At the top there was a door, and Leonard jangled his keys again and unlocked it. The door led to a large courtyard. Liliana squinted her eyes, adjusting to the bright sunlight. It seemed to be about midday. She breathed in the luxurious fresh air and marveled at how cheerful all the servants seemed to be. They crossed the courtyard and went inside through another door. This door led to a wide hallway with tall ceilings and huge windows. They walked down this hallway for quite some time and then went through yet another door into the great hall.
This room was the grandest room Liliana had ever seen in her life. The floor was tiled marble, the windows were all beautifully stained glass, and at the end of the room there was a magnificent throne of gold. Sitting on the throne was King Vern in all his splendor. He looked as if he was in his mid forties, his hair graying a little. He was dressed in a magnificent red and gold robe and on his head was a large crown of gold with rubies encrusted in it. Liliana and Leonard walked the distance to the throne and stopped a few feet away from it.
“Your Majesty,” Leonard said, bowing. “May I present to you Miss Liliana Walter.” Liliana curtsied. King Vern nodded his head in acknowledgement. “Miss Walter is a cousin of William Dole’s and has been living with his family for the past couple of weeks,” Leonard continued.
“Thank you, Leonard,” King Vern said. Then he looked at Liliana. He stared at her for a bit and then said, “Miss Walter, do you have any knowledge of a certain society your cousin William Dole started?”
Liliana debated whether she should tell the truth or not, and decided that the truth would be best. “Yes,” she said. Then added, “Your Majesty.” The king seemed taken aback that she would tell the truth so easily.
“And…” he stumbled. “And do you have any knowledge of what the purpose of this society was?”
Once again Liliana said, “Yes.”
“Could you expound a little on this subject?”
“No, I don’t believe I can,” Liliana replied coolly.

to be continued...