Day 01: A Princess' Diary
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7th Day of the Pasture Month, 1123
Dear Diary,
My day began with the last fitting of my armor at the stables. It was taut and hefty. The constriction was tighter than a corset I wore for my 18th Night Ball at the castle. My father, his majesty, King Henry I, proposed I wore an iron chain mail as the other lowly knights do. But my cousin, a Lord Knight, Sir Stephen, urged me to don a full plate to distinguish myself above the others.
"You are a princess in shining armor!" he mocked, chuckling as he evaluates my set.
My pursuit to join their ranks of Knights and raise my sword to protect my kingdom was unusual for a lady or more so a princess.
But I wouldn't let a mere taunt deter my wish. I would become a chivalrous Knight, like the heroic sir Wulfric who rescued me from a bandit when I was a mere wildling.
I remember wholly; I was a lass lost in town recklessly donning the jewels on my narrows and arms. As I stepped into the muddy marketplace, filthy hands from a beggar snatched me away into a deserted alley. The stinking breath of the cretin at my face almost made me faint.
Shouting, "Gimme your trinkets lass before I slashed your narrows off with it."
I was courageous even when I was helpless. I didn't whimper like an infant from the threat of a sharp knife shimmering in my face. I was planning to boot him harshly on his bollocks like the way my servant did when the perverted gardener willfully touched her buttocks. But a thundering voice roared toward us from a man with a white, elegant horse boisterously neighing to his master.
"Unhand Princess Matilda or I'll cut your hands together with your head," fearlessly announced by a warrior clad in a black iron plate.
Sir Wulfric Anjou drew a polished sword from his waist and formed his torso into a stance ready to attack the bandit. I hastily trotted towards my savior when the robber foolishly engaged in a duel with an experienced warrior.
I recalled my heart-stirring amazement witnessing my first sword fight. Sir Wulfric was graceful with each swing of his blade, like an agile dancer. Refined. Spirited. As we rode back to the castle with his grand steed, I vowed to myself to become like him.
The silence of the night reminds me to begin my slumber, but my heart kept buzzing for tomorrow's event. When the light arises from the mountain top, I shall enter the kingdom's enlistment to train with young lads to become valiant men.
What a bloody exciting day it would be! I shall become a Knight and one day kiss a Knight riding his elegant horse beside me.
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[At the stables...]
"Hurry!" she complained to the attendant, helping her to fix the armor on her body.
"Forgive me, your majesty. I don't know what happened," the servant replied, struggling, "It fitted you perfectly yesterday, I don't know why it won't close off even with my tight grip."
"Are you telling me, I became fat after yesterday's fitting?" she accused the servant after complaining about her body.
"No, your majesty. I would never," the attendant shook her head hastily in fear.
Eyeing the servant with disdain on her face, she held her stomach tight and held her breath to help the attendant shut the breastplate. With a powerful pull and a tight grip, the armor finally fastened.
The sound of the horn echoed throughout the castle grounds. It signals the start of the recruitment occuring at the castle lawn. A long dialogue from her father would begin and next was the introduction of every man with their proposition to join the ranks of knights judged by the ten remaining Lord Knights of the realm.
Only after a hundred days of training would they become full pledge. Their skills and endurance would need to be tested first, which would be held publicly at the town square. Whoever passes the arduous trial would be given a title as Knight and swore loyalty to the king and the kingdom.
"I'm late!" she exclaimed.
The silver full plate armor made her every step hefty and the full-faced helmet on her head restricted the sight of her surroundings.
"How do they fight with this kind of weight or even swing a sword?" she uttered.
The blade on her waist made a clunking sound whenever she took a step. It irritated her further as the people walking about turned their heads towards the noise she made.
Deciding to resolve it herself, she halted from sauntering and abruptly turned, swinging the sword and hitting another knight in their groin.
"BLOODY HELL!" a girl cried out in pain.
"I-I apologize, sir," she quickly spoke, lowering her registered voice to imply that she's a boy.
In her view, she hit a fellow attendee donned in black iron plate armor, yet the person who shouted behind the full-face headgear unmistakably sounded like a maiden.
"I'm not a boy! You STAMPCRAB!" the knight-to-be shouted in outrage.
"I-I beg your pardon!"
"You shouldn't be a knight if you don't know how to keep your sword properly secured in your belt," the fellow novice retorted.
Stunned by the offensive words, she struggled to haul words from her head. As a princess, she wasn't used to being insulted by anyone.
"Y-You should know how to evade a sword!" she stuttered.
The girl took off the helmet off her head and revealed the long raven strand swinging in the slightest whiff of air. With it, a square-faced lady with high cheeks and a sharp jaw announced its intricacy. The furious thick brows flattered the light-colored irises. When it reflected the vegetation of the castle, it became verdant, then shifted into a sky blue hue as the heaven cleared out.
"Blimey!" she yelped.
The bewitching view fascinated her heart. It beat wildly inside her chest like a rampaging bear, tossing and turning inside its cage.
"Can you fix your buckle on your own or do you need help?" the girl spoke like a bell chiming from the church tower.
"Um…," she faltered.
"You're hopeless," the girl voiced her dismay, shaking her head.
As she stood unruffled, the girl quickly stepped closer to stabilize her belt. With the closeness of the girl's face on her helmet, she could study every inch of the fellow novice's splendidness.
"That's lovely!" she blurted, which made the lady flash a smile on her thin edges.
"Next time, before you strut yourself with elegant armor, be certain you check everything is in order," the novicd advised. "You could kill a fellow knight with your clumsiness."
"T-Thank you, my lady," she addressed the lass properly before the fellow novice left her to approach a Lord Knight across the lawn.
The young lads at the courtyard gathered as the king ended his long dialogue. Everyone who enlisted themselves will be called forward to introduce themselves as an apprentice. They needed a striking oratorical discourse to impress the Lord Knights seated on the twelve seats above the podium.
"Why do we need to have a speech? Aren't we learning to be warriors?" a young lad asked with his muscled arm bulging from his unfit armor.
"They say a liar's tongue can be as sharp as a sword. If you know your way with words, you could use them to defend yourself from the deceitful acts of your foe," she clarified.
The other novice nodded their heads, hearing her justify the necessity for eloquence. It was also a way to measure their education. A knight should be properly informed, as each battle wasn't only about clashing swords but also about strategy and combat maneuvers.
The crowd churned as the first novice clad in black iron plate armor stepped up on the podium.
"It's the lassy," they babbled and chuckled.
"Women aren't allowed to become Knights!" someone in the crowd spoke with contempt.
The whispers by the group of folks became louder as every second passed by.
"Silence!" the crier shouted at the men.
The lady stood unruffled by the commotion and waited for the lot to give her time to begin her introduction.
The illustrated leniency towards her fellow apprentice was admirable. And she felt her heart adore her more. When the clamor ended, the lady began her oration.
"My name is Morrigan Anjou, daughter of the heroic knight of the northern land, Wulfric Anjou. Named after the goddess of war, you will see I have the skills and likeness of the"Shadow Queen". For I am agile with armor and twice on my bare feet. I learned to fight at the age of six. Trained by my father, I am accustomed to any weapon. I want to become a knight to honor a legend and hope to make a tale of my own bravery in battle."
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