Chapter 744: Captive Knights (Part Two)
"You have that option," Heila said curtly when Sir Rain declared that he wouldn’t touch Ollie’s cooking. "And in three or four days, when you’re too weak to stand and lying in your own filth because of it, we’ll still send a nursemaid to care for you because Lady Ashlynn hasn’t commanded your death."
"Until she does," Heila said, "you’re our guest and you’ll be treated like one," she finished, closing the door and leaving the knights alone before any of them could respond to her.
For a moment, silence hung awkwardly in the air as everyone stared at the door as if they were listening to the sounds of Heila’s cloven hooves on the stone floors and waiting for the sounds of her presence to fade away before any of them spoke.
"I’m sorry, my lord," Carwyn said, turning back to Hugo Hanrahan and lowering his head. "I failed you and your father. The demons took my autumn tithe and everything else we were planning to bring to market, and they killed or captured all of my soldiers. As your vassal, I’ve failed in my duties," he said formally, lowering himself to one knee. "You can punish me as you see fit."
"None, none of that," Hugo said awkwardly as he rushed over to the young knight and helped him to stand. "We’re all prisoners here. Do you think we would have fared any better if we fought back? These demons and witches... they’re just, just too terrifying."
"Did you at least manage to take a few of them with you?" Sir Rain said from the sofa. "Baron Hanrahan might forgive you if you took a few trophies before you were captured."
"Just one," Carwynn admitted, shaking his shame when he thought about how poorly he’d performed in the battle. "I’m sure Sir Rain felled many more than I did before my lords were taken prisoner."
"Not at all," Hugo said with a slight smile as he watched his frequent tormentor squirm in discomfort. "The only time his sword drew blood was when Lady Ashlynn used it to execute a traitor. The first demon he saw, Sir Rain fainted dead away."
"Demon Witch!" Rain shouted, jumping to his feet as his face turned a brilliant shade of red. "Not just any demon, a claw demon and a witch. And what else was I supposed to do? She climbed into the carriage with us!"
The instant Rain started shouting, Sir Carwyn moved to place himself between Sir Hugo and the crimson-faced Sir Rain, his hand dropping instinctively to his waist before his mind caught up and he remembered that he’d lost his weapons when he was taken prisoner.
Still, even if Sir Rain was the son of Baron Aleese, he wasn’t about to let the man berate his lord’s son like this without taking a stand.