literature

Chapter One - needs a title

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Liam groaned as he rose from the cramped seat of his small air transport, really there had to be a better way to travel than to sit for hours with only the engine roar and a small pack of stale peanuts for company. But this mattered little because as soon as he collected his gear and found his guides he was to report to his new post as Ambassador Peacekeeper, or as he liked to call it "let's swap knights for a few months and see how it goes!" But he just needed to follow orders and hope the eye-candy in this kingdom---

"Hey! You ready yet?!"

Jerked out of his train of thought Liam whirled around to see a pair of knights looking at him expectantly. At least he thought they were knights. But they couldn't be could they? After all what kind of heathen kingdom allowed females to be knights?!

As the two approached him he just got more confused.

"Kimmy, I think he's deaf." Laughed the shorter of the two females, dressed mostly in leather-like armor and a bandana tying her cropped hair back. The other just snorted and rolled her eyes and her companion.

"Really Mae? It couldn't possibly be because you practically bellowed in his ear could it?" The other stood a head taller than the other and wore what appeared to be knee high boots and a leotard with a vest, all leather. What kind of county was this?!

"Pssshaw, we weren't that close. Hey, New Kid! Are. You. Read-dy. Yet. Question mark."
Liam arched his eyebrow, "Are you speaking to me, madam? Because my name is not New Kid. My name is Liam, Knight First Class of the country of -"

"Yeah, we know. We're here to escort you to the palace for your audience with King Whatshisface and Queen Jane. So c'mon grab your stuff and we'll be off." The taller grumbled. "Oh and brief intro. My name is Kimberly and this is Mae. Do Not call me 'Kimmy' or there will be consequences." With that Kimberly turned and walked toward a carriage that was waiting just off of the landing strip he's come in on.

Liam blinked after her a few times, looking mildly confused at the almost friendly introduction hiding in the surly instructions. Mae looked on with a smirk before turning back to Liam, "Don't worry to much about her, she's not as caustic as she seems. Call her Kimmy, she won't actually do anything, and it's fun to push her buttons."

Liam looked down his nose and the noisy little female and replied, "It matters little to me if she eats entire vats of acid for breakfast, I wish to get to the palace and begin my duties." Internally however he was all but gibbering to himself 'So the situation is that I'm trapped in this strange kingdom for the foreseeable future and the only knights, the only people period, that I've met are both female(not a bad thing at all) and apparently knights of the realm. If their knights behave this strangely, what are the rulers like? And why didn't anyone tell me that I was walking into an insane asylum?!'

Hearing snickering beside him he turned a frosty look at the shorter knight who poked him in the ribs, grinned, and grabbed his bag before trotting to the carriage, "Hey Kimmy look! Spoils!!!"

******
Upon arriving at the palace Liam stepped out of the carriage that he had privately dubbed "Purgatory" in his mind, and looked upon the place he would be protecting for the remainder of his trip.

Queen Jane sat upon her throne with all the dignity required of her station (King Whatshisface was noted only by his absence) while her new exchange-knight bowed low to her. The occasion went as Liam had hoped, with all the pomp his rank afforded him and all the grace she could muster for this knight after having been interrupted in her workshop.

Internally, she was wondering how long it would be before she could change out of the itchy and constraining gown and return to her machine shop. She'd almost finished working out the problems on the motor that'd been trying her patience for the last month or so. For now she just had to foist this man off on one of her knights so he could become used to the kingdom and maybe make a friend so he'd be content during his stay. But who....?

Shaken from her line of thought by a clatter, Jane and the rest of the court looked to the back of the room and saw one of her knights, Mae of the Senlar Family, looking sheepish and edging sideways away from the shield she had just knocked off of the wall and from her friend, Kimberly of the Werbo Clan, who was in the process of rolling her eyes skyward and mouthing "Why me?" toward the heavens.

"Mmmm yes you'll do. Mae, Kimberly, come forward. Liam, stay where you are. The rest of you are dismissed, leave us." As the nobles and other officials shuffled out, Mae shuffled forward dragging her feet the whole way while Kimberly gave the queen a long-suffering look and moving forward in a manner similar to Mae's. Liam watched them approach with a look that was a mixture of confusion, disgust, and amusement. Stopping in front of the queen (who had risen from her throne and walked down the three steps from the dais where the thrones sat) they stood with lowered heads and stared at their feet.

Jane chuckled "Now really you two, it's not like I'm having you executed. Perk up, I have an assignment for you two. It's right up your alley, too." Mae and Kimberly looked up at the teasing and half smiled at Jane.

"But Highness," Kimberly said, in a similar teasing tone "You've not spoken to us in so long I wondered if you remembered our names, let alone our specialties." She ended her sentence on a soft giggle that had Liam staring at her as though she had three heads, this could not be the caustic, sarcastic knight he had been trapped in a carriage with only an hour previous! And speaking to the Queen in such a familiar manner, was she mad?

Such were his thoughts that he almost missed the queen's response, "C'mon Kimmy, you should know better than that. Now then there have been reports of bandits along the northern border. Not many, but enough to warrant sending a few knights out to sort out the mess. I'm assigning you two." Jane internally smirked already anticipating the next question but waiting to see who it came from. She wasn't disappointed when Mae spoke up.

"Jay, you said a few. Now Kimmy and I are good enough to handle whatever idiots are poaching our people, but you never send just two knights out like this. It's against the protocol you're so fond of." Mae finished with a grin.

At this point Liam had had enough, "Who do you two think you are!?" He shouted, "this may not be my country, but I would never be so, so, so snarky towards a royal! It shows an utter lack of disrespect and if this is the way you two behave normally it's a wonder to me that you aren't permanently placed in the stocks or even executed for your complete impudence!" When Liam stopped for breath he was amazed to find the three women looking at him with identical gob-smacked expressions that were slowly giving way to laughter.

The queen caught her breath first while the two knights were still leaning against each other laughing. "Sir Liam, you are correct this is not your country, so you couldn't possibly know that the three of us were in school together as children. As such these two are still friends to me, insolent though they can be." she ended her sentence with another smile, glancing at the still snickering knights. Mae and Kimberly had righted themselves and were upright again, though still smirking a bit. Jane continued with a shake of her head, "Now then Mae, clumsy as you ever were, and Kimmy, don't think word hasn't gotten back to me that you've been late to practice almost every day this week." The smiles dropped from both of their faces as she continued, "Now normally I'd have the head guard dole out punishment but this time I have just the thing. Mae, while Sir Liam is acclimating himself to our country you will be his guide. This means he will be accompanying you both on your trip so he can see the land as well as how we deal with brigands." As Mae started sputtering in protest Jane held up a hand, "This is non-negotiable. If this is that disagreeable to you, you can spend the next two weeks in a cell and in the stocks." Mae frowned and shook her head. "And Kimberly, there has been word of a monk wandering the countryside in the western lands, after the three of you have completed your first task I would like you to head to the west and find him. I wish to know his intentions, if any in my country. You are to seek him out, question him, and if necessary apprehend him and bring him to the royal city." Kimberly nodded quietly and sent a sideways glare toward Mae. Jane sighed. "Really this is nicer than the head guard would be and you both know it. Now stop sulking and get a move on, you leave the city tomorrow morning. Sir Liam," at hearing his name the foreign knight turned all of his attention toward the queen he was currently serving, "there is a feast tonight to welcome you to the kingdom before you head out on assignment tomorrow. Do be there. And don't worry," the Queen Jane said, "Mae will assist you with anything you need to know during your stay."

Sensing an opportunity for a bit of payback, Liam Looked at Mae lasciviously, "Really, anything?"

Mae grinned back, showing a few more teeth than was really necessary. "Make my weekend, Cupcake. I dare you."

Liam smirked.

******
This is the first chapter of an original(ish) story I started about a year ago. I'm trying to remember where I was going with it.

Also reviews make me feel fuzzy and loved. :)

Character Guide So Far

Liam - a knight from kingdom A
Mae - a knight from kingdom B
Kimberly - a knight from kingdom B
Jane - Queen of kingdom B
© 2011 - 2024 Rikasha
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