Chamberlain Roleplays: Rape of the Queen

January 7th 1016

Morning -- Commonyr -- Catherine Chamberlain

The Sirion war banners had not been unexpected but were an unwelcome sight in the field at Commonyr. She wondered in part why she had left the city. Her new roles saw her at the head of nine men at best and compared to the units she was used to fielding, these men were green recruits with much to prove. After the first battle she had been left with but four, they had stood as a bodyguard for the most part, and as the armies of Sirion darkened the field she was once more flanked by the four men.

Ecthelions horse moved with purpose along the lines of the nobility her people were to face. As the horns blew signalling the attack he moved with the same purpose directly for her position with the small posse of men. The horses thundered toward them and Catherine was warmed to see that the small troupe held their nerve standing between her and the Death Riders. Their bravery though was to be short lived, in the carnage that marks near one-hundred and twenty riders against four men, all of them fell. Catherine remained defiant, her dirk drawn she raised her arm in challenge to Ecthelion. The horses had formed a brief circle about her, Ecthelion himself ensconced at their rear.

Four dismounted, walking with purpose toward her. She had nowhere to go, the dirk seemed little threat to the group of men about her.

"Garas whore," one of the men snarled as he grabbed at her outstretched arm. She pulled her free hand across her abdomen, a deep fear gripping her that they might hurt the child that had been sending spasms of pain through her body himself over the past few hours. The man took her chin roughly in his hand turning her head to his colleagues. The wound under her right arm pulsed with pain, turning the fabric of her tunic a spreading black. "Shes still fair, even without the crown of Nivemus," he leered licking her cheek. She was frozen in the gulf between fear and defiance, in disbelief that Ecthelion would allow her to be abused in this fashion.

Her eyes betrayed her and tears ran freely down her cheeks as the men pushed her to the ground, pulling at her skirts. Some of the horsemen turned away as the four held her down. Her arms pinned back she let forth with savage screams in fear for the child she carried. Rage blinded her and she struggled against the men with all that she could. She was only dimly aware that the circle of horses was moving from her, and felt almost triumphal as she felt the pressure of the four being lifted. Then she saw the arrows in the hides of some of the horses, some of the men slumped in their saddles. With the cry of: "The Prime Minister has fallen!" she was released, pulling herself back from the dismounted men.

Three turned from her quickly resuming their mounts, but the fourth turned back, fearing a kick she pulled her knees to her abdomen shielding herself, head down, but the pain was instead in her side again, he forced the short knife back into the black wound, twisting as he thrust, she opened her mouth to scream but no sound came forth. Pulling back her hair, he spat in her face: "Hurts, doesn't it..." He sneered turning from her to return to his horse.

She looked in anger and anguish at the growing stain on her tunic and the retreating figure of the man. She had no weapon in reach but for the knife now in her side. Gritting her teeth she pulled it out, a fresh wave of pain went through her body from head to toes, and the world turned black.

Evening -- Commonyr -- Garas Gabanus

Garas had been preparing for the latest battle and as he walked out the tent his kissed his wife goodbye and told her that he looked forward to ending this battle and returning to her. Little did he know that his wife intended to join the battle also with her small group of inexperienced soldiers, while being highly pregnant. Garas too had a new captain as he had promoted his former captain Hartmann to become the head of his servants. He knew well there were none as skilled as Hartmann to keep them peasants in line and good service. This new captain, Rein, was a man of around 30, who had served Garas before as well under Hartmann. But it was clear however that Rein sometimes still had to get used to the fact of leading archers, rather than infantry, and so it occured that in the middle of the battle Garas was occupied with correcting his captain and ensuring that the 120 archers remained in order.

While Garas shouted some commands, he heard some of his men repeat, "The First Lady, fire, the First Lady" and at that moment Garas looked up and fell a chill go through his spine. This couldn't be, he thought: "Fire on them cavalry! Fire, fire dammit!" he shouted with desparation within his voice, "You follow me!" he continued as he himself ran towards the horsemen of Ecthelion and the place where they had seen his wife. Rein had not seen the affair and tried to correct his master, "Milord, shouldn't we fire on the infantry there in stead as was pl..." but before Rein had been able to finish he had felt the back of Garas' iron covered fist in his face and fell down "Get her! At all costs" he yelled as his captain fell and where there was some confusion among his men, 30 still witnessed well what happened and followed their Prime Minister. The others started to fire on enemy forces, where some had missed the event entirely and were still shooting their original targets.

As Garas approached others had done so also, only in time to see a lone rider of Ecthelion strike a dagger into Catherine before trying to walk away. The rider did not get far however as he was knocked down by one of the soldiers who approached the field chasing the cavalry away. "Keep him alive, take him away now!" Garas yelled towards the soldiers and two men took the unconcious rider and caried him away from the battlefield, back to the camp. "Catherine, Catherine!" he said, once more with desperation forcing a trembling in his voice. "She is unconcious, where are the damn medics," he continued while he but for a moment turned around. Quickly some field medics had arrived and attempted to stablize the First Lady. "I will go with them!" Garas said, "you, you serve in my unit do you not?" he said to one of his man and before the man had well replied to him, he continued: "Keep grounds here untill we are safe and then move back to captain Rein." The soldier had only dared to nod and promise this to his master. He was too afraid to mention the fact that Garas had knocked Rein unconcious in his fury, it would be unwise to mention this now. "Yes sir," was all that the soldier could say.

Then Garas attention was drawn back to his wife quickly again when one of the medics had addressed Garas: "Prime Minister, my Lord, this wound in her side, I'm afraid for the baby. We must force its coming...it's coming my lord." Garas looked but baffled at the men, "here, on this battlefield?" he thought to himself, but merely uttered: "Yes, yes, do what you must"

Evening -- Commonyr -- Catherine Chamberlain

At some point night had come.

She awoke to pain and noise, still lying on the field of ever dampening grasses. Hands pushed at her and she could feel the breeze on bare legs and the most excruciating pain from her groins. A fire crackled nearby but she felt no warmth from it, a steady cold numbness made her limbs heavy while the skin prickled with sweat and moisture. She cried in anguish as the men pushed at her trying in vain to extricate herself from their grasp. One of the men gripped her by the back of the neck and tried to pour fluid in her mouth. She spat it back tossing her head and eventually managing to sit upright as the men shied from her. Looking in confusion she noted the banners of Oligarch staked around her shielding her from sight of all but the old men who now stood huddled together at her left.

She stammered trying to make words come from her mouth but only grunted, feeling her head swim with the effort of sitting upright. A flash of white caught her eye moving between the banners and the Mother of Oligarch came into her vision, her mere presence was a salve to Catherine and she reached out to her to come forward. The young woman seemed to glide in her white robes across the bloodstained earth. Wrapping Catherine in a blanket she called to one of the medics. He approached warily a small bundle in his arms. Kneeling before her he offered the child to her, for a moment she struggled to comprehend, then reached out for her son.

He lay in her arms, warm pink silence, his eyes a little perplexed and unfocused as he surveyed her own confused face. The Mother of Oligarch comforted her, stroking her hair from her face. Catherine's head swam and she saw sparks of light and black pots when she moved too quickly.

"He is...he is well?" she struggled with her words looking desperately to the maunt for solace.

"He is well." She nodded smiling warmly. "But he must go with his father, and you must take the draught. The healers are not done with you yet dearheart, your side..."

Catherine shrank at the womans words pulling herself from the maunts smiling grip. She pulled on the damp grass with her right hand... it felt so weak, inching from the healers and the maunt. They all seemed once more to be coming at her.

"No..." she muttered lying on the black slick right side of her body, dragging her useless legs with her: "...no" the child stirred beginning to mewl at his mothers distress. She hauled herself upright, tears once more running freely from her eyes. She was dizzy with the effort. Finally slumping back she called once: "Garas!" and the world again went black