Thieves
Two men in dress cape attire ride up to near the castle of my brother the sun. He was named that since he was as a god to them. They are splendidly attired in the red capes and shiny black boots and on black horses. They are looking for riches, for eligible girls or women. They prefer young girls since they may be easier to persuade in this case. They would like to marry but other methods could work also. They prefer that they are eligible and that they are rich. Thinking on it, they think that the castle ahead should have some eligible girls for them.
As a matter of fact there is one there. Her brother is out to war then. He is in fact considered a sun god. Her name is Cerella and she is no one's fool usually. But one cannot help what would happen in other cases of handsome men leading some girls on.
"Where shall we go Harold?," asks Wilbur? He asks in a deliciously delicate manner.
"This looks fine really don't you think so Wilbur?," answers Harold. "It looks a very nice castle, very well built. We should be able to meet some young women there. Be sure you are on your best manners then."
"Oh, of course," Wilbur answers him back in a sarcastic and fairly degenerate manner. He rolls his eyes. "I would like to get my hands on something. At least we need somewhere to rest and get something for food and wine."
"None of that," Harold goes on at him, "You will need to behave now or the jig will be up. We will have nowhere to go and it will be your fault."
"Yes, Harold I know you must know best," answered Wilbur without really listening to him at all.
We will find the prettiest girls and those that have money or at least some social standing.
"Where be the castle we have heard of where lives King Grimkin that we have heard of. Does he have a sister?," asks Harold.
"What?," asked the old man.
"King Grimkin?," asks Harold again.
"Oh he has gone off to war again sir, men have gone with him to fight," the man answers very nicely and waits. "What is your reason for coming here," he asks very politely.
"Oh, my good man and patient we are just lovers in the cold dark night, perhaps having some company," Harold answers. "Good day for now," he states with great care. He must not get the natives too angry or involved.
Then the older man points to a castle in the distance. It is very magnificent. "There is the castle right there of King Grimkin," the old man states to him with care.
The old man chuckles to himself. He thinks of how silly the men are. He also doubts as they will get anywhere there. The people are all not as stupid as they may think they are.
"Very good my man we shall be on our way," Wilbur says as he looks about. "Good day,for now," he doffs his hat with the feather and they leave.
"Good bye fare thee well," the old man chuckles and lifts his hat on his almost barren head to them.
Wilbur and Harold exchange glances to confirm they are going on with their plans and are on their way to the castle.
"Alms for the poor?," asks a poor starving skinny woman that is looking for food. She is clad in worn out rags and old brown shoes.
"There we are my fair maiden," Harold smiles as he throws the woman a shiny coin for her trouble. He knows he looks a handsome picture and is about twice as conceited as Wilbur. Wilbur is really bad enough himself.
The girl stops and examines her shiny coin but looks a bit puzzled as the two men ride away. Something seemed a bit strange to her. They were really too happy.
"There's his castle Wilbur," yells Harold at him. "It looks a sight really as if it really needs some work to keep from falling down." Harold laughs as he looks at Wilbur who is sulking on his side. "Want to ransack it now?," he asks Wilbur ".
"I think it would be best if we waited," Wilbur states in a social manner. "Let's just try and get the goods. Then we could sell it all or most of it," he states. "That would really be better for us. There is time for us to try and get on with them to get something from them all. It all sounds like a decent plan to rob them. But what if those plans don't work?"
"Oh, it will work Wilbur. Look at us, look at how handsome we both are. They shall fall into our laps the women as they mostly do. Don't they?," Harold smiled at him. "Look at these capes, fancy clothes and our handsome faces. Don't the women always like us?"
"Alright Harold," Wilbur goes on sulking a bit,"but this must work, we've gotten in a lot of trouble before with this. I don't want to end up in their dungeon and tortured by their ingrates in there."
"Nor do I," Harold says with great feeling. "It's just a perfect plan."
"Hello, fair maiden," Harold says to Cerella hoping to make a good impression. She was at home and picking flowers. They were beautiful white flowers. The castle made a nice picture in back of her with the gray stones. She wore a flowing white dress and was very pretty. She was a cultured barbarian more or less. Only a fool would really decide to pick fights with them. Cerella had a ready temper and she would use it. But she could possibly be fooled by certain people like this. She had really never seen men in such finery and with such fancy city language.
She was quite able to take care of herself, but at this point she looked up startled by the man and was quite beside herself. Cerella looked up at him like a frightened little bird. She was surprised at them and their red velvet capes. They looked quite stunning in the black tights and the boots. Then they had on their hats with feathers on them. Then Harold's black hair was so shiny and he was handsome. The other named Wilbur had light blonde hair and he looked so much like a serious scholar as if he would ponder the heavens. Cerella did not know quite what to make of it all.
In truth, they were both like vultures looking for their next setup. "Where is the king we have heard so much about?," asked Wilbur with a serious expression on his face.
"Oh, he has gone off to war and I am left here for now," Cerella answered him politely.
"We are princes of our own land and we had heard of this country. We are from Dutch land. Do you think that we would be able to stay the night here? We have travelled from far and are very tired," Harold inquired of her in a polite manner and nodding his head to emphasize the words well. "We could pay you well. We have also heard there is a viscious tribe hereabouts that are very dangerous."
"I will ask of my brother's assistant here. He knows of these things and is in charge of them. It is probably fine that you should stay here for the night as you say," Cerella said in a patient manner and looked about for the servants.
"Thank you so much kind lady, we would be very grateful for that," Harold said trying so much to look humble. Harold put on the charm attempting a very dry smile at her.
Cerella turned and went up the stairs to ask of the assistant if they could stay then and they did say it would do. "Let me see them first and I will tell you if I think they can stay, you can't really be too careful," the assistant answered.
"Thank you so much, I will see you later," Cerella answered him back. Cerella was pretty much taken off guard by their attitude. Their wordings were a bit obscure to say the least.
"I suppose it is okay said their scholar or assistant. They might need more to join the army also if they would be interested. It will be fine," he answered her. "The Goths may attack soon," he stated with a worried expression.
Cerella was wondering about all of this. It was a lot to take in. The day was taking a different turn to it.
Then in the sitting room they are taking several expensive objects that they think they can get away with such as emerald decorations and gold objects of interest. They even had a jeweled sword. So they stuffed what they could in their pockets and under the capes.
The next day they were in the garden. The flowers were lovely. It was a beautiful place. Harold then knelt in front of Cerella the princess and asked her for her hand. She was a bit taken aback by it all. She blushed and looked around her. But she was not all that taken aback by it. She did not know what to do. She felt something missing and it was.
"I will have to think on it," Cerella said finally with a thoughtful look and really of how she could get away from it all.
"I shall be happy to wait for you, even forever," Harold said with a strange way about him. He wanted to make a good impression. "I have never seen a fairer maiden," he added to try to win her to himself for all it was worth.
"That can't be true, really," Cerella exclaims but does not really know what to do.
"Oh yes it is," Harold says with a serious look.
Cerella looks around in vain, but she is not really taken in with it. She is mostly done with it all from him. She has seen something of his type before. It was just not ever with such nerve. She was even getting to be quite suspicious.
As they moved farther away after saying their goodbyes, Wilbur snickered behind his hand.
In Morning
Wilbur has a silver platter and is trying to stuff it into his purple drawstring pouch. As they are leaving the servants stare at them in wonder.
"He has more stolen goods than we do," one of the servants says in amazement. The servants look on in wonder.
"Nasty men," says one of the old washer women to anyone listening there in general. She shakes her head as in no, no.
Harold smiles at her in great glee as they leave.
They left quietly in the morning but they meant to come back. That may not be meant to be.
"Thief, thief," yells one of the poor neighborhood women. They have taken all of our jewelry. "Watch out for them," she yells into the cold morning light.
In the town that day:
"Thieves, thieves, pickpockets tell everyone", the women yell in the town as they think of how they have been taken by the thieves. They have taken our things, they are bad men, they steal things, our things. We must post a warning on them in town.
"My vase is gone," cries one of the women.
"Oh, your vase, Marguerite, they've taken all our things that are expensive jewelry and promising things for them to take, all things that are important," she says then in a huff to her. She is beyond consolation at that time. "We will never get them back."