Chapter 4
The Riot
Thom dragged Marianna about London and every time she saw a family walking by, she felt like crying. The rain was falling heavily, adding more to her dreariness. As she trudged along London's muddy streets she came closer and closer to despair. Suddenly, Marianna spotted a huge tower in the distance and she gasped, though this was very hard with a gag still on her. They were at the castle. King John's famous and beautiful castle. The towers were painted a royal blue and there were thousands of windows. The castle's tips reached the clouds and Marianna was in complete awe. The trio stopped before she saw the whole castle at a tiny market. A practically toothless man smiled at them and nodded in acknowledgement to Thom. He spoke in a raspy voice.
"Got sum goods fir me, eh? Well let's see em." Thom approached the man cautiously with a bag full of her belongings. He dumped its contents on the counter. The man eyed each of the wares carefully and smiled.
"Got sum good stuff this time, boys." Thom replied,
"We got something better also, Richard." He pushed Marianna forward with a light shove and said, "The nobles need new servants, this one should do the trick." The merchant laughed evilly and said,
"Finally know what you're doing, eh Thom? Let me see the girl." He beckoned to Marianna and she was nudged unwillingly. The man eyed her up and down and said softly,
"Yes I know a Lord who'd need a servant like ya. How much you sellin' her fir, Thom?" Thom buffed up a bit and said,
"She would be a hard working girl, nice and fit. Probably about 30 pounds, Richard."
"30 pounds?! Now, spare a poor man like misself. How bout 25? Thom shrugged and said,
"I suppose that's good enough." The merchant gave Thom the money and Thom bit the money to make sure it was real. He then said,
"Thank you kindly Richard, now we should get going." He smiled again and nodded at Henry. He left with Sunshine, the only connection to Marianna's past.
Marianna turned to the merchant defiantly and scowled at him. The man shrugged his shoulders and said, "We'll have te go to the heart of London, so I can sell ya fir a better price. Let me see your bindings." He checked the rope around her wrists and secured the cloth around her mouth. Marianna felt bile rise in her throat, but quickly swallowed it down. Richard packed his bags and guided her toward the "heart of London." This man was rougher than Thom and Henry. His sharp nudges sent her sprawling on the muddy ground and every time she fell he would kick her. Bruises began to appear on her body and Marianna clenched her teeth in pain. Her hair was soaked and her clothes were wet through and through. They got closer and closer to the large castle. Before they actually got to the castle, they heard screaming and loud shouts. The two got to the castle and Marianna gasped. There was a riot! Men with pitchforks and torches surrounded in great numbers around the castle. The king's men shouted orders and drew out their swords. Women and children in nearby houses screamed. The men were shouting,
"Kill the King! Kill the king!"
"Stop his blasted taxes on us poor peasants!" The peasants were rioting against the unjust laws of the king. The merchant and her were pushed into the angry crowd. This could be Marianna's chance to escape, but the merchant clutched her arm tightly. A plan forming in her mind, Marianna kicked the merchant's shins. The poor man doubled over in pain and Marianna ran awkwardly away from him. Thank goodness the man didn't bind her legs. Her heart was pounding madly and her ears rang with the words of the peasants. She tried to get the gag off with her teeth, but it was useless. Suddenly a person threw a hard rock at one of the castle's windows. The window shattered and broken glass scattered at her feet. Marianna bent down only to be pushed aside by a running rioter. She quickly rubbed the rope binding her wrists across the glass. The rope strings began to break. She rubbed even harder, until blood escaped from her hands. Finally the rope broke loose and she was free. Marianna quickly worked out the knot that tied her gag. The grimy cloth fell to the floor and she started working her jaw. Marianna massaged her hands and sighed with relief. She wouldn't become a servant or anyone's slave, she could still be a free person.
A shower of black arrows suddenly fell from the sky and all of the men ran away in fear. One of the arrows hit an old man next to her he fell down in anguish. Marianna ran to the man's side and she held his limp hand. The man's eyes were clouded in pain and his voice was barely a whisper,
"Give this to my wife." He handed her a small, golden locket on a fine, gold chain and collapsed to the ground, his last breath escaping in a quick gasp. Marianna grasped the locket tightly and wiped away sad tears. She rose angrily and thought, this is what happens when kings don't take care of their own people. This is what happens when men think they are so powerful! A young man ran up to her and said gasping,
"Run away, girl. The king's army shall take you prisoner. Run away!" Marianna turned frantically from side to side, but her mind couldn't think. She was about to run when she a little girl on the ground, with a pool of blood surrounding her. The girl must have been caught in the riot and shot. Marianna knelt beside her and ripped a part of her dress. The girl was wounded in the shoulder and her young eyes pleaded Marianna to keep her alive. Marianna wrapped the girl's wound tightly and pressed it gently. The little child moaned in pain and Marianna started singing a song to keep the child's mind off the pain. It was a lullaby of her childhood:
Sleep sweet child and close your eyes. Dream dreams of happiness and wish the dreams all your life. Smile upon everything and live your every right. Sing a song for love, sing a song for joy. Sleep away, my little angel. Sleep throughout the darkness of the night. Laugh at jokes and play your games. Eat the grains of hope give yourself the time too great. Sleep sweet child and close your eyes.
The little girl's head fell heavily on Marianna's lap. The child was dead. Marianna hugged the girl one last time and walked away in sorrow. Suddenly, a king's man grabbed her waist and put a knife to her throat. He whispered,
"Don't walk away girl, you are now a prisoner."
Thom dragged Marianna about London and every time she saw a family walking by, she felt like crying. The rain was falling heavily, adding more to her dreariness. As she trudged along London's muddy streets she came closer and closer to despair. Suddenly, Marianna spotted a huge tower in the distance and she gasped, though this was very hard with a gag still on her. They were at the castle. King John's famous and beautiful castle. The towers were painted a royal blue and there were thousands of windows. The castle's tips reached the clouds and Marianna was in complete awe. The trio stopped before she saw the whole castle at a tiny market. A practically toothless man smiled at them and nodded in acknowledgement to Thom. He spoke in a raspy voice.
"Got sum goods fir me, eh? Well let's see em." Thom approached the man cautiously with a bag full of her belongings. He dumped its contents on the counter. The man eyed each of the wares carefully and smiled.
"Got sum good stuff this time, boys." Thom replied,
"We got something better also, Richard." He pushed Marianna forward with a light shove and said, "The nobles need new servants, this one should do the trick." The merchant laughed evilly and said,
"Finally know what you're doing, eh Thom? Let me see the girl." He beckoned to Marianna and she was nudged unwillingly. The man eyed her up and down and said softly,
"Yes I know a Lord who'd need a servant like ya. How much you sellin' her fir, Thom?" Thom buffed up a bit and said,
"She would be a hard working girl, nice and fit. Probably about 30 pounds, Richard."
"30 pounds?! Now, spare a poor man like misself. How bout 25? Thom shrugged and said,
"I suppose that's good enough." The merchant gave Thom the money and Thom bit the money to make sure it was real. He then said,
"Thank you kindly Richard, now we should get going." He smiled again and nodded at Henry. He left with Sunshine, the only connection to Marianna's past.
Marianna turned to the merchant defiantly and scowled at him. The man shrugged his shoulders and said, "We'll have te go to the heart of London, so I can sell ya fir a better price. Let me see your bindings." He checked the rope around her wrists and secured the cloth around her mouth. Marianna felt bile rise in her throat, but quickly swallowed it down. Richard packed his bags and guided her toward the "heart of London." This man was rougher than Thom and Henry. His sharp nudges sent her sprawling on the muddy ground and every time she fell he would kick her. Bruises began to appear on her body and Marianna clenched her teeth in pain. Her hair was soaked and her clothes were wet through and through. They got closer and closer to the large castle. Before they actually got to the castle, they heard screaming and loud shouts. The two got to the castle and Marianna gasped. There was a riot! Men with pitchforks and torches surrounded in great numbers around the castle. The king's men shouted orders and drew out their swords. Women and children in nearby houses screamed. The men were shouting,
"Kill the King! Kill the king!"
"Stop his blasted taxes on us poor peasants!" The peasants were rioting against the unjust laws of the king. The merchant and her were pushed into the angry crowd. This could be Marianna's chance to escape, but the merchant clutched her arm tightly. A plan forming in her mind, Marianna kicked the merchant's shins. The poor man doubled over in pain and Marianna ran awkwardly away from him. Thank goodness the man didn't bind her legs. Her heart was pounding madly and her ears rang with the words of the peasants. She tried to get the gag off with her teeth, but it was useless. Suddenly a person threw a hard rock at one of the castle's windows. The window shattered and broken glass scattered at her feet. Marianna bent down only to be pushed aside by a running rioter. She quickly rubbed the rope binding her wrists across the glass. The rope strings began to break. She rubbed even harder, until blood escaped from her hands. Finally the rope broke loose and she was free. Marianna quickly worked out the knot that tied her gag. The grimy cloth fell to the floor and she started working her jaw. Marianna massaged her hands and sighed with relief. She wouldn't become a servant or anyone's slave, she could still be a free person.
A shower of black arrows suddenly fell from the sky and all of the men ran away in fear. One of the arrows hit an old man next to her he fell down in anguish. Marianna ran to the man's side and she held his limp hand. The man's eyes were clouded in pain and his voice was barely a whisper,
"Give this to my wife." He handed her a small, golden locket on a fine, gold chain and collapsed to the ground, his last breath escaping in a quick gasp. Marianna grasped the locket tightly and wiped away sad tears. She rose angrily and thought, this is what happens when kings don't take care of their own people. This is what happens when men think they are so powerful! A young man ran up to her and said gasping,
"Run away, girl. The king's army shall take you prisoner. Run away!" Marianna turned frantically from side to side, but her mind couldn't think. She was about to run when she a little girl on the ground, with a pool of blood surrounding her. The girl must have been caught in the riot and shot. Marianna knelt beside her and ripped a part of her dress. The girl was wounded in the shoulder and her young eyes pleaded Marianna to keep her alive. Marianna wrapped the girl's wound tightly and pressed it gently. The little child moaned in pain and Marianna started singing a song to keep the child's mind off the pain. It was a lullaby of her childhood:
Sleep sweet child and close your eyes. Dream dreams of happiness and wish the dreams all your life. Smile upon everything and live your every right. Sing a song for love, sing a song for joy. Sleep away, my little angel. Sleep throughout the darkness of the night. Laugh at jokes and play your games. Eat the grains of hope give yourself the time too great. Sleep sweet child and close your eyes.
The little girl's head fell heavily on Marianna's lap. The child was dead. Marianna hugged the girl one last time and walked away in sorrow. Suddenly, a king's man grabbed her waist and put a knife to her throat. He whispered,
"Don't walk away girl, you are now a prisoner."