12.
Master Augustus looked at the wood mashed prints with the charcoal sketches. They were well drawn with some resemblance of dimensions and measurements. He studied the details and then frowned. He looked to the figure who was the mason to build the castle. He had wanted a villa but the mason told him, they only build castles and cathedrals.
“And the occasional church.”
“Go ahead.” Master Augustus nodded then. He then stepped away. The mason called on his apprentices to start away. He turned to look once more at the building that was to be his castle. It was not a complete build but a major repair over an older one. The main structures were still there; the four towers and the walls, the gates were a wreck, and so were the three building structures which were in state of derelict. The walls were made of stone and that will hold, but the flooring and ceiling with the roofs collapsed. Once all that was done, then the furnishings. He had arranged for the furniture from the homeland and the silverware from Gaul. He loved the design there and young Meleagant loved it.
“Master, we have send for the recruitment. That left us with twelve guards but we will be safe.” The leader of his guards reported to him. “I have the Centurion to stake on frequent patrols near our camp. We will be fine.”
“Have you contacted the one I asked for?”
“The Black Knight have declined your offer. I am looking at the others.”
“It’s alright. We can do without the knight or whatever he called himself.” Master Augustus told the guard. “We can go ahead. Where is the mason? I want a higher wall than that he had proposed. If I am under siege, I want that.”
The siege on the young man’s mind was what prompted the journey to the nearby market place. Young Meleagant was then walking past the offerings at the nearby village’s market. He was never one to get involved in his father’s workings and held his own. He was not alone; his father forbidden him that and there was one guard with him. He looked handsome in his silk clothing and finery that he had adorned on his chest. He played along with the sellers there; flirting with the admiring ladies until the wares he was looking for was seen. He approached the blacksmith and looked at the iron manacles. He took drawings from his tunic and passed it to the skill master.
“Make that for me.” Young Meleagant then handed over the coins. “Deliver it to …”
“The wall? I know.” The blacksmith nodded. “Do you want swords and…”
Young Meleagant had stepped off and approached a seated figure under the shed at the far corner. The figure was bearded like many others there and clothed in a torn tunic but he stood out with the runic designs on his limbs.
“Are you a …” Young Meleagant question was challenged.
“Are you a Man or a noble with the coins and guards to accompany you?” The bearded man challenged back. “You may not be the Man for you would not walk alone. As for me I am just the old man seated here.”
“Are you a druid?” Young Meleagant asked.
“What is a ….druid? I am just an old man seated here.” The bearded man replied. “Are you ..”
“I am a Man. I am also a noble. I have a guard to…”
“Well, he better be. There are three warriors that want to take your life.” The bearded one told him. He then motioned to the trio standing by the butcher. He reckoned the bearded man was wrong.
“Four, old man. There are four.” Young Meleagant signalled the guard. The other stepped up but then the butcher had stepped out with two of the three that was identified to kill him. The butcher was armed with the meat cleaver while the other two held the short sword named the gladius. Young Meleagant retreated back and stood before the guard. The market place was then in chaos with the patrons there clearing the area.
“Noble one, you are not invited here. Leave now.” The butcher called out towards Young Meleagant. “Or we will drag you out in pieces. This is not your land.”
“I ….” Young Meleagant was interrupted by the warrior.
“Leave now!” The guard have pulled Young Meleagant to the rear. “I will handle them.”
Young Meleagant turned to run and was on the way out of the area when he turned to see the guard then stabbed in the back by the butcher. The guard was dead then. The young noble ran pursued by the trio. He ran past the huts and then into the open land without looking back. He heard the sounds of the hoofs and ignored it. If those hoofs are the trio’s mount he will be dead soon. He stopped and turned to look once more. He saw the trio was confronted by Legionnaires. Three riders have attacked the killers. The Legionnaires were winning. The butcher was the last to fall.
“Are you well, young noble?” Young Meleagant nodded. He recognized the Legionnaire. He was Galahad.
“You are outside your boundary. You need to get back. We can offer you a ride.”
“It can’t be. We are in Britannica. It’s our land.” Young Meleagant replied. “Father told me so.”
“Britannica is by name. It’s still their land.” Galahad reminded the younger man. “Rome had conquered theirs but we have not convinced them of it. Due to that, we are unwanted like invaders.”
13.
The elder Marcellus lady had her tent set up and covered up. She had the tent positioned next to the underbrush. It was a convenient for her friends to find her. She was seated cross legged with the scented candles around her and metal bowl in front of her. She had on her favourite tunic and round her neck was the string of bones. She had placed some powders in five different shades which she was then stirring it with her index fingers in opposite rotation to each other. She was chanting the verses known only to her own family and related ones. It was past the hour of midnight and the nocturnal creatures were out on the prowl. She felt the vibrations on her body. She was delighted then and maintained her chanting.
It was soon time.
Her friends appeared then.
The elderly lady removed her fingers from the bowl and then tapped the flooring. With each tap, she dropped the powder shades onto the flooring. It did not form any characters but the scent of the powder mixed soon overcame the other scents. The friends of her’ were three slithering creatures with the dark scaled body and a length of over three feet. Two of them slither up her arms and onto her shoulder. The one on the right slither up to back of the neck and then raised it head towards the left ear while the left one hung onto the left shoulder and lowered itself into the chest by the heart. The last creature stopped before her and stayed on the flooring. It was poised for the strike from that position and the target was the torso.
The lady continued her tapping and then stopped. The message was relayed.
The creatures slither off the same they came.
The lady then raised her arms and stopped the chanting. She then called out.
“Adele, come on in.” The aide of her from her homeland stepped in. The aide bend down to clear the candles and the bowl. She then swept the flooring of the powder before she opened the flap. The moonlight filtered in past the flaps while the aide lit up the normal night candles.
“Thank you, Adele. You may bring me my night shift and stored these away.” The elderly lady passed the bone to the aide. “And call my son in. He has waited long enough.”
“Mother I am here. Are we done?”
“Yes, we are. The friends of mine will maintained a boundary for us while we build the castle. How goes the castle?”
“There is no castle, Mother. I am building a villa. Like the one we have at our homeland. I have moved our wealth here to pay for it.” Lucius Marcellus told his mother. “It will hold a barrack for fifty warriors and we will have archers too. I will ….”
“I know you will, Son but who will lead them. I have not heard of a name I can relate to. Do tell me.” The elderly lady asked. “I…”
“I invited Sir Bernlak….”
“The Green Knight. I am glad. He will do fine.” The elderly lady recalled the Green Knight or his name Sir Bernlak of Haus. He was not any knight but on the mythical level, he was revelled as one with them. He was considered as a demi god and yet no one had seen his real face. He was always in his armour. Due to that, he was ostracised but he appeared on both sides. He worked for his own needs.
“Mother, with him here, we may be …. Left alone.”
“Ostracised? I am used to it.” The elderly lady smiled.
“Mother, Bernadette was killed ….”
“She was in the wrong place at the wrong time. I have taken care of her daughters. My own granddaughters.” The elderly lady reminded her son. “
“And you have named them Heidi, Catlin and Madeline.” Antonio Marcellus chose to remind his mother. “They were …”
“Insignificant names but the ones I gave them will made them famous. Like their namesake, they will ruled the land.” The elderly lady then dismissed her son. She then looked at her aide.
“Attend to me, Adele. I want to rest. No one must disturb me.”
None will disturb the Augustus family. They have resettled further back after the attack. They have decided to neighbours to the Marcellus. Enough distance to be seen but not to visit each other. Auric Augustus knew enough of the Marcellus but he also knew that they could be an ally in dire times.
“Father, can I visit Gaheris?” Auric nodded to his daughter. He can’t hold her back for long. She was a big girl and her mother was not complaining.
For the lovers, there was no boundary except those set by them. The lips of the lovers caressed each other before one set trailed to the chin and then lingered at the neck, nibbling at the cleft between the neck and the head. The lips trailed from there to the left shoulder leaving a trail of kisses while the prowling hand lowered the dress line to display the left bosom. It was the subject of the other with then lips making gentle pull at the soft flesh there till it hovered over the extended part where it widen over the flesh.
The moan of the lady was sweetness to his ear and he took her hand over to him. She felt his hardness beneath the tunic and with his guide, she was caressing it with the coarse cloth that made the tunic. It could had been expectancy or misplaced desire he shuddered and her hand felt the wetness on the clothing. He was spent but was still able. He leaned up to kiss her lips with his body rolling onto her.
“I have to stop…” Elaine pushed the other off her body She rolled over and then sat up before adjusting her dress. Gaheris sat up next to her on the grass. They were blocked from the wall by the low rise of the hill. It was the second visit then and it was getting steamy. She wanted to let her boundaries down but held on. It was not Gaheris in person but the journey had taught her caution and boundaries.
“Was there …” Gaheris gave out what was his boyish smiles.
“No, darling. It was just me. I am not ready.” Elaine smiled. “I …”
“No, Elaine. Let me take you do more than … this.” Gaheris told her. “I will show you the wall, my brothers and my Centurion. The whole family.”
“Would that be a mistake? I may be ..,,.:”
Elaine was not wrong. She was cautious. Sometimes when we are cautious, we drew boundaries and then we may make mistakes when we cross the boundary.
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