This Soul Calibur fanfic is dedicated to a friend and fellow fanfic writer who first inspired me to try my hand at writing this.
Ok, first thing's first. I do not own Siegfried Schtauffen, Nightmare or Soul Calibur. All credit goes to Namco's Soul Team for creating such interesting characters and games, blah, blah, blah.
Secondly, this fanfic is purely FICTIONAL. I made it all up, save for the stuff about Siegfried's history that we are told about in the Soul Edge/Calibur games. So don't blame me if you don't like the way I'm making a certain character act, or if you don't like the stuff Siegfried goes through in my story.
If you don't like original characters, too bad because I have a few made up characters in this fic, but ultimately this story focuses on Siegfried's childhood. Review if you like, but be aware that I only write for fun and if my grammar sucks, so be it (smirks).
Thank you for reading my lengthy author's note, now on with the story!!
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Chapter One - The Lady Of The Manor
The sound of soft humming could be heard coming from inside the room as the Lady of the manor busily prepared herself for the festivities that were planned for later that evening. As she ran an ivory brush through her long blonde locks, she continued to hum a sweet serenade to herself. A song she remembered her Father always sang as he worked in the Dragon's Keep Tavern back in the days of her childhood. It seemed such a long time ago that she had last been there, but she did not regret leaving her home to travel to the very capital of the Empire. It was here at Schtauffen Manor that she had spent the last few years living happily with her Lord and husband, Sir Frederick Schtauffen.
"Frederick…" she whispered her husband's name as her hand reached up to rest gently against a silver chained jewel encased within a shiny pendant she wore around her neck. Her fingers traced the smooth metallic surface and ran over words engraved on the back of the trinket.
"Two as one, now until eternity…"
She closed her eyes and, still humming that familiar tune, started to slip into a private reverie as she recalled what had happened six years ago.
As the daughter of the tavern's owner, Margaret Lindemann started work as a barmaid as soon as she reached the age of sixteen. It would have been sooner if her Father did not dote on her so much. He was fiercely protective of her for she was his only child. It wasn't until she was twenty that she met Frederick for the first time and was allowed to approach a man without incurring her Father's wrath.
The day Sir Frederick came to her… She remembered that day well…
It was during the fifth month that she first saw him. She was walking down a narrow alley, a short cut home, having just gone to the market place on an errand for her Father when she found a band of young children standing before her. From the way they were dressed so roughly, she could guess they were street urchins, children orphaned against their wills due to the war being fought between the Empire and its neighboring countries.
Seeing all the hungry faces and sad eyes staring up at her tugged at her heartstrings. A single child dared to approach her and placed his hand out, begging for money, or at the least, some food. She knelt down and carefully removed a small satin satchel from her pocket. As she drew the strings apart and went to offer the boy a silver coin, the sound of heavy footsteps behind her startled her and instinctively she rose to her full height before turning around.
A burly, middle aged man with dark features now stood before her. Upon his face was a wry, crooked smile. His hazel eyes stared unwaveringly at her from behind a mass of tangled black fringe bangs, which was held in place by a red bandanna tied across his forehead. In his left hand he held a precious looking weapon; a silver cutlass with a golden hilt upon which sparkling emeralds and sapphires were embedded. Her eyes wandered up from the sword to look at the man's bare arm. There was a marking on it of a skull and crossbones!
She felt her throat tighten then as a silent gasp escaped her lips.
A pirate?!
A cold chill ran down her spine as the hairs on the back of her neck started to rise. She thought of screaming for help, but found her voice would not come to her. And as she stared at this man, one question kept going over and over in her mind: did he mean her harm?
It was a stupid question to ask as the second she tried to back away from him, he advanced and made a grab for her arm, confirming her greatest fears as his hand closed around her wrist tightly before he jerked her towards him in a most violent manner.
The young boy who had begged for money moved in and amongst all the confusion, swiped her purse out of her hand and quickly led the rest of the children away, leaving her behind with her assailant. She watched helplessly as the child ran off with her money while the pirate kept his hold on her wrist, pulling her closer yet until his face was but an inch from her own.
"Aren't ye a fair catch, missy? Blonde haired and blue eyed, my favorite type to pick on" he said in dark voice.
His words sent an overwhelming sense of fear through her very being. But the fear drove her to fight back and she struggled against his grip, much to her assailant's delight and amusement.
Pulling as hard as she could, she fought desperately to free herself from the man's clutches, but her attempts were met by failure as the pirate's grip was like that of an iron vice. Unable to break free from him, she forced herself to scream, though her voice, like before, was reluctant to come forth.
"Help! Someone help me!!" she managed to yell before she found a hand being slapped against her mouth.
"Hold your tongue lass or I'll be forced to mar that pretty face of yours!" The pirate had sheathed his cutlass and now kept his hand over her mouth, preventing her from screaming out any more.
Her constant struggling was starting to irk him for he cursed under his breath as he tried to drag her aside, further down the darkened alley.
It was in that instance, when she thought that all hope was lost and she would fall prey to the vile man, that she caught the sight of something small and silver flying through the air to land with a metallic clink on the cobblestones by her feet. It was a silver coin of a rare design; one that only saw the light of day during jousting tournaments for it was a knight's coin. And not just any knight, it was a coin awarded to the bravest of knights, a champion of tournaments.
"If you know what is good for you, you'll unhand the girl" a voice suddenly said.
What happened next could only be called a miracle of God as a man with darkened short hair and intense emerald eyes stepped out from the shadows to confront the pirate that held her captive.
"Who?"
The pirate's voice died away in his throat before he was able to speak another word as the sun's rays, cutting through the spaces between stone buildings hit upon silver armor worn by the man, to reveal his grand status to the pirate and herself.
He was a knight of the Empire.
"I will not repeat myself again, vermin. Unhand the girl", the knight ordered in a clear, strong voice.
Though the grim expression on the knight's face wasn't enough to intimidate her captive, the lengthy hilt of a sword behind him that he grasped lightly in his right hand was more than enough to make the pirate loosen his hold on her.
"Unhand Lady Margaret now and leave this place, or you shall taste the wrath of my Faust"
How did he know her name, she wondered. But she had no time to muse over this question as she found herself being released and shoved forwards to land rather heavily on the cobblestone street.
She thought then that she was saved, but her ears caught an unmistakable sound from behind. She turned to look and found the pirate had unsheathed his cutlass and was poised ready to fight the knight.
The knight sneered in disgust and in one swift movement, drew his sword free from its restraints and held it out to the side. Truly it was an amazing weapon, finely crafted with a golden hilt and a long, silver blade. The sheer size of the blade weighed it down, but he held it with ease using only one hand.
In the time it took for the pirate to make the first move, the knight had already advanced and, mindful of the lack of space in the tight alley, brought his huge sword upwards in a diagonal motion to block the sharp cutlass blade as it came striking down from above.
The man grunted loudly as he felt himself being forced back by the knight who, still using only one hand, pushed forwards. Stumbling a few steps, he narrowed his eyes and switched the cutlass from one hand to the other.
The knight, in turn, mirrored his moves and held the massive zweihander in his left hand as easily as he had held it moments before using his right hand. An arrogant smirk broke out on his countenance as he eyed the pirate with a much heated glare.
"Retreat gracefully or the next move I make takes your head off your shoulders", he remarked calmly.
"I'll die before I surrender to the likes of Imperial scum like ye!" The pirate spat at the knight and raised his cutlass up to chest level. "Ye'll be the one with no head once I'm through with ye!"
He advanced again, and as he reached attacking distance, twisted his body around, circumnavigating the cutlass in the air in hopes of confusing the knight as he tried to strike at his opponent's neck, the most vulnerable part for a knight. But as he thrust forwards with his sword, he suddenly found it hitting the hard surface of his opponent's zweihander once more.
Taken back by how fast the knight reacted to his agile moves, the pirate made a desperate attempt to leap back as he knew he was too close to his foe.
At the same instance he thought to do this, the knight reached out with his free hand. He possessed such speed unbecoming of one kitted in heavy armor and before the pirate could retreat, the knight's fingers were grasped tightly around his neck.
The pirate gasped and choked as the knight tightened his hold. Finally it became too much for the man and he dropped his cutlass, which hit the ground with a heavy metallic thud.
She couldn't believe her eyes, but when she dared to look, she found the knight had hoisted the pirate up, and was dangling him a good inch or two off the ground.
With one hand holding the pirate at bay, the knight replaced his sword back into its restraints nonchalantly. "Leave now and never show your face in this town again. If I hear word that you have dared to show yourself here, or worse, have the utter gall to prey on Lady Margaret again, I promise you that by my sword I will send you to the very gates of Hell without a moments hesitation"
He released his hold on the pirate and she watched the man fall to the ground, landing heavily on his side and getting the wind knocked right out of him.
The pirate, once he gathered his bearings, pushed himself off the ground and made a run for it in the opposite direction. In his haste to escape the knight, he forgot to pick up his cutlass. The weapon lay discarded by her feet and she remembered staring at it for what felt like the longest time until he spoke to her.
"Lady Margaret, are you all right?" He asked in a soft, gentle voice. There was a subtle movement beside her as the knight picked up his Champion's coin off the ground. "Please, allow me…"
Badly shaken by the whole ordeal, she could not find the strength to speak let alone to stand to her feet. He saw this and knelt down before her, gathering her up in his arms. He smiled down at her and, noting the flustered expression on her face, apologised for his abrupt behavior. She tried to protest that there was no need for him to help her now, but he insisted on carrying her back to the tavern. In truth it felt like a children's fantasy had turned into reality as she clung to his neck with her arms and allowed the knight to carry her back home. Almost like something from a fairytale romance novel, a knight in shining armor saving a damsel in distress.
But who was this man?
How did he know where she lived? That was a mystery to her until they reached the Dragon's Keep and her Father rushed out to meet them.
"Sir Schtauffen! My God, what has happened to my daughter?" her Father asked when he saw the knight carrying her in his arms. It turned out that the knight was currently residing in the Castle Courts Inn, adjacent to the Dragon's Keep Tavern. He had been to the tavern the night before and recognised her as the local barmaid.
That was how he knew her name.
"Please, Sir, call me Frederick. Your daughter had a run in with an unruly pirate, but I made sure to give that villain a lesson he won't ever forget. Do not worry, your daughter is safe from harm now" The knight answered as he lowered her back to her feet.
Frederick.
His name was Frederick Schtauffen, the legendary knight famed throughout the Empire for his bravery and skills as a warrior. It was the first time she had set eyes upon him. Unfortunately, she also expected it to be the last, as he spoke of leaving the town the next morning to rendezvous with the rest of the men in his battalion.
With a curt bow of his head, Frederick excused himself and took his leave of her Father and herself as he had other matters to attend to. She remembered watching him leave and thinking to herself that he was like no other man that she had ever met, or would ever meet. Even then she knew in her heart that she was more than just taken by the dashing young knight. She felt emotions akin to love for the man, yet it was all but unrequited.
Truly, it was a shame that he would be gone soon for she would have liked to become better acquainted with him.
Thus, she thought she would never meet the man again, but that night he appeared at the tavern and asked for her company. When she politely declined his offer by telling him she had to work until the late hours of the night, he merely sat himself down by the side bar and insisted on waiting for her to finish her work. And when that hour finally came, she found herself being swept off her feet both emotionally and physically as Frederick stole her very heart and soul.
That was the night Margaret Lindemann ceased to be and 'Lady Margaret Schtauffen' came into existence…
The distant sound of a quiet knock accompanied by a soft voice calling to her, drew her out of the reverie.
"Mama?"
Margaret opened her cerulean eyes and inclined her head to look in the direction of the doorway where a small boy stood, staring back at her with curious eyes of emerald. The child looked quite the mess with his sleeves rolled up and the ends of his cotton shirt hanging out from the waist of his trousers, while the laces on his boots were loose and partially tied. Even his shirt was barely half buttoned up and from where she sat, she could see visible, but faint markings around his neck and arms. Tell tale signs that he had been roughing around with one of the squires again, instead of studying his books and scriptures.
A smile graced her countenance when the boy broke out of his rigid stance and started towards her.
"Mama, will Papa be home tonight?" He asked as he stared up at her.
Margaret reached out and placed him within her embrace before lifting him up to sit the boy upon her lap. Taking a hold of her brush in hand, she ran it through locks of dishevelled blond hair, much to the child's annoyance.
"Papa is returning from the Borders as we speak. But whether he will make it back in time for tonight's festivities, I am afraid that even I do not know, my child" Margaret explained the situation to her son while her son, clearly not liking how she was fixing his hair, swatted at the ivory brush with a hand.
"But Papa promised me he'd be back tonight!" he said in a whining tone of voice. He stuck out his lower lip, pouting in distaste as both hands reached up to keep the brush well away from his hair. "Mama! Stop that!"
This caused Margaret to laugh as the look on her child's face was nothing short of moody. "Come now, Siegfried, you know that Papa always keeps his promises" she said lightly as she brought the brush forwards once more to comb out the last of the tangles in his hair.
"But…" Young Siegfried Schtauffen tried to protest only to have his Mother give him a stern glare, which silenced him immediately.
Margaret breathed a sigh as she replaced the brush back onto the dresser table. She rested her hands gently against Siegfried's face so the boy would look her in the eyes as she spoke softly to him.
"Siegfried, please listen to what I am about to say to you. Your Father is a knight, a man of bravery and courage, one who fights for his country and for those he loves. He fights to protect what he believes in. To do this, certain sacrifices have to be made. I know you are too young to understand this, but understand that he does everything for us. He is a great man… Some day, you too, shall be as great as him, my son…" She brushed aside strands of his blond fringe to place a kiss upon Siegfried's forehead.
As she drew back from her son, Siegfried's eyes seemed to have a strange glint to them. It was as if the child were deep in thought over what she had just said.
"But Mama, what happens if I don't become like Papa? I watched Dieter training with Papa once and Papa was so strict with him. I don't think I can do what Dieter does…" Siegfried said sadly.
He felt his Mother's arms tighten around him as she gave him a reassuring cuddle. "My son, it is your destiny to become as great as your Father. It is your heritage… But fear not, you have years yet before you have to take on the tasks that you see Dieter performing around the manor"
She gave her son another kiss before lowering him back to the ground. Reaching to the side, she pulled on a long cord that was attached to a bell hidden somewhere in the manor. Siegfried often wondered where exactly the bell was for no matter where the servants were, once his Mother or Father pulled on that cord, just about everyone in the manor would hear it without fail.
This time was no exception as within seconds of the bell being rung there came the sound of hurried footsteps from outside in the corridor. The footsteps slowed considerably and came to a complete halt at the open door.
Siegfried looked across the room to find a familiar figure of an ashen haired youth standing by the doorway.
"Lady Margaret, how may I be of service to you?" asked the youth as he bowed curtly before the woman and child.
"Dieter, please escort Siegfried back to his room and ready him for tonight's festivities. I have already asked Hannah to pick out his suit, it should be lying on his bed when you get there" Margaret explained. She moved to give Siegfried a push towards Dieter, but stopped when it appeared the boy was more than willing to go with the young squire.
Dieter bowed low as Siegfried walked passed him and out into the corridor. "As you wish, Lady Margaret" he said politely before taking his leave of her, closing the door behind him.
She waited until she heard their footsteps fade away before she rose from her chair and walked to the window and peered down at the main gates leading into the courtyards and the manor. "Frederick, please be safe and return soon…" she whispered as her eyes set upon the beautiful orange and red sky, and at the sun that was setting far away in the distance…
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Dieter tried to stifle his laughter as he trailed behind Siegfried. The young heir to the Schtauffen family was fussing with his hair, running his small hands through it and messing it up to such an extent that the squire didn't know whether to continue laughing at the boy, or to scold him.
"Siegfried, come on! At this rate we'll never get you readied for tonight's festivities!" Dieter urged the boy to walk faster, but Siegfried had another idea in mind. He stopped without warning and Dieter almost tripped over him!
"Dieter, this bores me. Why don't we go some place fun? You're free now are you not since Papa isn't here and you've completed all your chores. We can go to the Crystal Lake by the Black Forest! If we go there now, we can be back before the festivities begin, right?"
Siegfried turned to look at Dieter; his eyes were like those of a puppy dog, big pools of emerald pleading for him to agree with his idea.
The squire frowned though and brought a hand to his chin in thoughtfulness. "I don't know if that is a good idea, Siegfried. We might be cutting it a bit tight if we go that far out into the forest… Besides, what happens if we run into Lord Schtauffen while he's travelling back to the manor? He will be most displeased with us"
Dieter was a good ten years older than Siegfried and, naturally, understood the hazards of making such a dangerous trip outside of the manor. What he feared most, however, was not any wild beasts that lived in the Black Forest, but rather the merciless wrath of his Knight Lord and mentor, Sir Frederick Schtauffen.
"If that happens, I will take responsibility for it! Please, Dieter!! Can't you take me there? Just for a little while? I promise we'll be back in time! Please!!" Now Siegfried begged him and the look on the boy's face was one that Dieter could not deny.
He gave in with a sigh and told the boy to follow him to the 'secret' exit that they used on many occasions whenever they ventured out of the manor without permission.
As they left the building, Dieter stopped to take one last look behind. Something was wrong about this, he could sense it and it caused him to feel uneasy. He tried to call Siegfried back, but the boy was already running ahead of him and by the time he caught up with him, they were far away from the manor and heading straight towards the Crystal Lake…
Ok, first thing's first. I do not own Siegfried Schtauffen, Nightmare or Soul Calibur. All credit goes to Namco's Soul Team for creating such interesting characters and games, blah, blah, blah.
Secondly, this fanfic is purely FICTIONAL. I made it all up, save for the stuff about Siegfried's history that we are told about in the Soul Edge/Calibur games. So don't blame me if you don't like the way I'm making a certain character act, or if you don't like the stuff Siegfried goes through in my story.
If you don't like original characters, too bad because I have a few made up characters in this fic, but ultimately this story focuses on Siegfried's childhood. Review if you like, but be aware that I only write for fun and if my grammar sucks, so be it (smirks).
Thank you for reading my lengthy author's note, now on with the story!!
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Chapter One - The Lady Of The Manor
The sound of soft humming could be heard coming from inside the room as the Lady of the manor busily prepared herself for the festivities that were planned for later that evening. As she ran an ivory brush through her long blonde locks, she continued to hum a sweet serenade to herself. A song she remembered her Father always sang as he worked in the Dragon's Keep Tavern back in the days of her childhood. It seemed such a long time ago that she had last been there, but she did not regret leaving her home to travel to the very capital of the Empire. It was here at Schtauffen Manor that she had spent the last few years living happily with her Lord and husband, Sir Frederick Schtauffen.
"Frederick…" she whispered her husband's name as her hand reached up to rest gently against a silver chained jewel encased within a shiny pendant she wore around her neck. Her fingers traced the smooth metallic surface and ran over words engraved on the back of the trinket.
"Two as one, now until eternity…"
She closed her eyes and, still humming that familiar tune, started to slip into a private reverie as she recalled what had happened six years ago.
As the daughter of the tavern's owner, Margaret Lindemann started work as a barmaid as soon as she reached the age of sixteen. It would have been sooner if her Father did not dote on her so much. He was fiercely protective of her for she was his only child. It wasn't until she was twenty that she met Frederick for the first time and was allowed to approach a man without incurring her Father's wrath.
The day Sir Frederick came to her… She remembered that day well…
It was during the fifth month that she first saw him. She was walking down a narrow alley, a short cut home, having just gone to the market place on an errand for her Father when she found a band of young children standing before her. From the way they were dressed so roughly, she could guess they were street urchins, children orphaned against their wills due to the war being fought between the Empire and its neighboring countries.
Seeing all the hungry faces and sad eyes staring up at her tugged at her heartstrings. A single child dared to approach her and placed his hand out, begging for money, or at the least, some food. She knelt down and carefully removed a small satin satchel from her pocket. As she drew the strings apart and went to offer the boy a silver coin, the sound of heavy footsteps behind her startled her and instinctively she rose to her full height before turning around.
A burly, middle aged man with dark features now stood before her. Upon his face was a wry, crooked smile. His hazel eyes stared unwaveringly at her from behind a mass of tangled black fringe bangs, which was held in place by a red bandanna tied across his forehead. In his left hand he held a precious looking weapon; a silver cutlass with a golden hilt upon which sparkling emeralds and sapphires were embedded. Her eyes wandered up from the sword to look at the man's bare arm. There was a marking on it of a skull and crossbones!
She felt her throat tighten then as a silent gasp escaped her lips.
A pirate?!
A cold chill ran down her spine as the hairs on the back of her neck started to rise. She thought of screaming for help, but found her voice would not come to her. And as she stared at this man, one question kept going over and over in her mind: did he mean her harm?
It was a stupid question to ask as the second she tried to back away from him, he advanced and made a grab for her arm, confirming her greatest fears as his hand closed around her wrist tightly before he jerked her towards him in a most violent manner.
The young boy who had begged for money moved in and amongst all the confusion, swiped her purse out of her hand and quickly led the rest of the children away, leaving her behind with her assailant. She watched helplessly as the child ran off with her money while the pirate kept his hold on her wrist, pulling her closer yet until his face was but an inch from her own.
"Aren't ye a fair catch, missy? Blonde haired and blue eyed, my favorite type to pick on" he said in dark voice.
His words sent an overwhelming sense of fear through her very being. But the fear drove her to fight back and she struggled against his grip, much to her assailant's delight and amusement.
Pulling as hard as she could, she fought desperately to free herself from the man's clutches, but her attempts were met by failure as the pirate's grip was like that of an iron vice. Unable to break free from him, she forced herself to scream, though her voice, like before, was reluctant to come forth.
"Help! Someone help me!!" she managed to yell before she found a hand being slapped against her mouth.
"Hold your tongue lass or I'll be forced to mar that pretty face of yours!" The pirate had sheathed his cutlass and now kept his hand over her mouth, preventing her from screaming out any more.
Her constant struggling was starting to irk him for he cursed under his breath as he tried to drag her aside, further down the darkened alley.
It was in that instance, when she thought that all hope was lost and she would fall prey to the vile man, that she caught the sight of something small and silver flying through the air to land with a metallic clink on the cobblestones by her feet. It was a silver coin of a rare design; one that only saw the light of day during jousting tournaments for it was a knight's coin. And not just any knight, it was a coin awarded to the bravest of knights, a champion of tournaments.
"If you know what is good for you, you'll unhand the girl" a voice suddenly said.
What happened next could only be called a miracle of God as a man with darkened short hair and intense emerald eyes stepped out from the shadows to confront the pirate that held her captive.
"Who?"
The pirate's voice died away in his throat before he was able to speak another word as the sun's rays, cutting through the spaces between stone buildings hit upon silver armor worn by the man, to reveal his grand status to the pirate and herself.
He was a knight of the Empire.
"I will not repeat myself again, vermin. Unhand the girl", the knight ordered in a clear, strong voice.
Though the grim expression on the knight's face wasn't enough to intimidate her captive, the lengthy hilt of a sword behind him that he grasped lightly in his right hand was more than enough to make the pirate loosen his hold on her.
"Unhand Lady Margaret now and leave this place, or you shall taste the wrath of my Faust"
How did he know her name, she wondered. But she had no time to muse over this question as she found herself being released and shoved forwards to land rather heavily on the cobblestone street.
She thought then that she was saved, but her ears caught an unmistakable sound from behind. She turned to look and found the pirate had unsheathed his cutlass and was poised ready to fight the knight.
The knight sneered in disgust and in one swift movement, drew his sword free from its restraints and held it out to the side. Truly it was an amazing weapon, finely crafted with a golden hilt and a long, silver blade. The sheer size of the blade weighed it down, but he held it with ease using only one hand.
In the time it took for the pirate to make the first move, the knight had already advanced and, mindful of the lack of space in the tight alley, brought his huge sword upwards in a diagonal motion to block the sharp cutlass blade as it came striking down from above.
The man grunted loudly as he felt himself being forced back by the knight who, still using only one hand, pushed forwards. Stumbling a few steps, he narrowed his eyes and switched the cutlass from one hand to the other.
The knight, in turn, mirrored his moves and held the massive zweihander in his left hand as easily as he had held it moments before using his right hand. An arrogant smirk broke out on his countenance as he eyed the pirate with a much heated glare.
"Retreat gracefully or the next move I make takes your head off your shoulders", he remarked calmly.
"I'll die before I surrender to the likes of Imperial scum like ye!" The pirate spat at the knight and raised his cutlass up to chest level. "Ye'll be the one with no head once I'm through with ye!"
He advanced again, and as he reached attacking distance, twisted his body around, circumnavigating the cutlass in the air in hopes of confusing the knight as he tried to strike at his opponent's neck, the most vulnerable part for a knight. But as he thrust forwards with his sword, he suddenly found it hitting the hard surface of his opponent's zweihander once more.
Taken back by how fast the knight reacted to his agile moves, the pirate made a desperate attempt to leap back as he knew he was too close to his foe.
At the same instance he thought to do this, the knight reached out with his free hand. He possessed such speed unbecoming of one kitted in heavy armor and before the pirate could retreat, the knight's fingers were grasped tightly around his neck.
The pirate gasped and choked as the knight tightened his hold. Finally it became too much for the man and he dropped his cutlass, which hit the ground with a heavy metallic thud.
She couldn't believe her eyes, but when she dared to look, she found the knight had hoisted the pirate up, and was dangling him a good inch or two off the ground.
With one hand holding the pirate at bay, the knight replaced his sword back into its restraints nonchalantly. "Leave now and never show your face in this town again. If I hear word that you have dared to show yourself here, or worse, have the utter gall to prey on Lady Margaret again, I promise you that by my sword I will send you to the very gates of Hell without a moments hesitation"
He released his hold on the pirate and she watched the man fall to the ground, landing heavily on his side and getting the wind knocked right out of him.
The pirate, once he gathered his bearings, pushed himself off the ground and made a run for it in the opposite direction. In his haste to escape the knight, he forgot to pick up his cutlass. The weapon lay discarded by her feet and she remembered staring at it for what felt like the longest time until he spoke to her.
"Lady Margaret, are you all right?" He asked in a soft, gentle voice. There was a subtle movement beside her as the knight picked up his Champion's coin off the ground. "Please, allow me…"
Badly shaken by the whole ordeal, she could not find the strength to speak let alone to stand to her feet. He saw this and knelt down before her, gathering her up in his arms. He smiled down at her and, noting the flustered expression on her face, apologised for his abrupt behavior. She tried to protest that there was no need for him to help her now, but he insisted on carrying her back to the tavern. In truth it felt like a children's fantasy had turned into reality as she clung to his neck with her arms and allowed the knight to carry her back home. Almost like something from a fairytale romance novel, a knight in shining armor saving a damsel in distress.
But who was this man?
How did he know where she lived? That was a mystery to her until they reached the Dragon's Keep and her Father rushed out to meet them.
"Sir Schtauffen! My God, what has happened to my daughter?" her Father asked when he saw the knight carrying her in his arms. It turned out that the knight was currently residing in the Castle Courts Inn, adjacent to the Dragon's Keep Tavern. He had been to the tavern the night before and recognised her as the local barmaid.
That was how he knew her name.
"Please, Sir, call me Frederick. Your daughter had a run in with an unruly pirate, but I made sure to give that villain a lesson he won't ever forget. Do not worry, your daughter is safe from harm now" The knight answered as he lowered her back to her feet.
Frederick.
His name was Frederick Schtauffen, the legendary knight famed throughout the Empire for his bravery and skills as a warrior. It was the first time she had set eyes upon him. Unfortunately, she also expected it to be the last, as he spoke of leaving the town the next morning to rendezvous with the rest of the men in his battalion.
With a curt bow of his head, Frederick excused himself and took his leave of her Father and herself as he had other matters to attend to. She remembered watching him leave and thinking to herself that he was like no other man that she had ever met, or would ever meet. Even then she knew in her heart that she was more than just taken by the dashing young knight. She felt emotions akin to love for the man, yet it was all but unrequited.
Truly, it was a shame that he would be gone soon for she would have liked to become better acquainted with him.
Thus, she thought she would never meet the man again, but that night he appeared at the tavern and asked for her company. When she politely declined his offer by telling him she had to work until the late hours of the night, he merely sat himself down by the side bar and insisted on waiting for her to finish her work. And when that hour finally came, she found herself being swept off her feet both emotionally and physically as Frederick stole her very heart and soul.
That was the night Margaret Lindemann ceased to be and 'Lady Margaret Schtauffen' came into existence…
The distant sound of a quiet knock accompanied by a soft voice calling to her, drew her out of the reverie.
"Mama?"
Margaret opened her cerulean eyes and inclined her head to look in the direction of the doorway where a small boy stood, staring back at her with curious eyes of emerald. The child looked quite the mess with his sleeves rolled up and the ends of his cotton shirt hanging out from the waist of his trousers, while the laces on his boots were loose and partially tied. Even his shirt was barely half buttoned up and from where she sat, she could see visible, but faint markings around his neck and arms. Tell tale signs that he had been roughing around with one of the squires again, instead of studying his books and scriptures.
A smile graced her countenance when the boy broke out of his rigid stance and started towards her.
"Mama, will Papa be home tonight?" He asked as he stared up at her.
Margaret reached out and placed him within her embrace before lifting him up to sit the boy upon her lap. Taking a hold of her brush in hand, she ran it through locks of dishevelled blond hair, much to the child's annoyance.
"Papa is returning from the Borders as we speak. But whether he will make it back in time for tonight's festivities, I am afraid that even I do not know, my child" Margaret explained the situation to her son while her son, clearly not liking how she was fixing his hair, swatted at the ivory brush with a hand.
"But Papa promised me he'd be back tonight!" he said in a whining tone of voice. He stuck out his lower lip, pouting in distaste as both hands reached up to keep the brush well away from his hair. "Mama! Stop that!"
This caused Margaret to laugh as the look on her child's face was nothing short of moody. "Come now, Siegfried, you know that Papa always keeps his promises" she said lightly as she brought the brush forwards once more to comb out the last of the tangles in his hair.
"But…" Young Siegfried Schtauffen tried to protest only to have his Mother give him a stern glare, which silenced him immediately.
Margaret breathed a sigh as she replaced the brush back onto the dresser table. She rested her hands gently against Siegfried's face so the boy would look her in the eyes as she spoke softly to him.
"Siegfried, please listen to what I am about to say to you. Your Father is a knight, a man of bravery and courage, one who fights for his country and for those he loves. He fights to protect what he believes in. To do this, certain sacrifices have to be made. I know you are too young to understand this, but understand that he does everything for us. He is a great man… Some day, you too, shall be as great as him, my son…" She brushed aside strands of his blond fringe to place a kiss upon Siegfried's forehead.
As she drew back from her son, Siegfried's eyes seemed to have a strange glint to them. It was as if the child were deep in thought over what she had just said.
"But Mama, what happens if I don't become like Papa? I watched Dieter training with Papa once and Papa was so strict with him. I don't think I can do what Dieter does…" Siegfried said sadly.
He felt his Mother's arms tighten around him as she gave him a reassuring cuddle. "My son, it is your destiny to become as great as your Father. It is your heritage… But fear not, you have years yet before you have to take on the tasks that you see Dieter performing around the manor"
She gave her son another kiss before lowering him back to the ground. Reaching to the side, she pulled on a long cord that was attached to a bell hidden somewhere in the manor. Siegfried often wondered where exactly the bell was for no matter where the servants were, once his Mother or Father pulled on that cord, just about everyone in the manor would hear it without fail.
This time was no exception as within seconds of the bell being rung there came the sound of hurried footsteps from outside in the corridor. The footsteps slowed considerably and came to a complete halt at the open door.
Siegfried looked across the room to find a familiar figure of an ashen haired youth standing by the doorway.
"Lady Margaret, how may I be of service to you?" asked the youth as he bowed curtly before the woman and child.
"Dieter, please escort Siegfried back to his room and ready him for tonight's festivities. I have already asked Hannah to pick out his suit, it should be lying on his bed when you get there" Margaret explained. She moved to give Siegfried a push towards Dieter, but stopped when it appeared the boy was more than willing to go with the young squire.
Dieter bowed low as Siegfried walked passed him and out into the corridor. "As you wish, Lady Margaret" he said politely before taking his leave of her, closing the door behind him.
She waited until she heard their footsteps fade away before she rose from her chair and walked to the window and peered down at the main gates leading into the courtyards and the manor. "Frederick, please be safe and return soon…" she whispered as her eyes set upon the beautiful orange and red sky, and at the sun that was setting far away in the distance…
**************
Dieter tried to stifle his laughter as he trailed behind Siegfried. The young heir to the Schtauffen family was fussing with his hair, running his small hands through it and messing it up to such an extent that the squire didn't know whether to continue laughing at the boy, or to scold him.
"Siegfried, come on! At this rate we'll never get you readied for tonight's festivities!" Dieter urged the boy to walk faster, but Siegfried had another idea in mind. He stopped without warning and Dieter almost tripped over him!
"Dieter, this bores me. Why don't we go some place fun? You're free now are you not since Papa isn't here and you've completed all your chores. We can go to the Crystal Lake by the Black Forest! If we go there now, we can be back before the festivities begin, right?"
Siegfried turned to look at Dieter; his eyes were like those of a puppy dog, big pools of emerald pleading for him to agree with his idea.
The squire frowned though and brought a hand to his chin in thoughtfulness. "I don't know if that is a good idea, Siegfried. We might be cutting it a bit tight if we go that far out into the forest… Besides, what happens if we run into Lord Schtauffen while he's travelling back to the manor? He will be most displeased with us"
Dieter was a good ten years older than Siegfried and, naturally, understood the hazards of making such a dangerous trip outside of the manor. What he feared most, however, was not any wild beasts that lived in the Black Forest, but rather the merciless wrath of his Knight Lord and mentor, Sir Frederick Schtauffen.
"If that happens, I will take responsibility for it! Please, Dieter!! Can't you take me there? Just for a little while? I promise we'll be back in time! Please!!" Now Siegfried begged him and the look on the boy's face was one that Dieter could not deny.
He gave in with a sigh and told the boy to follow him to the 'secret' exit that they used on many occasions whenever they ventured out of the manor without permission.
As they left the building, Dieter stopped to take one last look behind. Something was wrong about this, he could sense it and it caused him to feel uneasy. He tried to call Siegfried back, but the boy was already running ahead of him and by the time he caught up with him, they were far away from the manor and heading straight towards the Crystal Lake…