Disclaimer: I don't own any Sly Cooper characters; they belong to Sucker Punch Productions/Sanzaru Games.
Claimer: I own all of my original characters.
Tis completed! Now it's on to finish the request I'm working on now and start on another about a certain ninja master ;) But anyway, I hope that this way enjoyable and as always, please read, review, and let me know what you think! Thanks!
Chapter 13: Sir Galleth Once More
Nottinghamshire, England 1453 A.D.
I sat silently in the back garden of the castle, looking at the trees and the moonlight pouring through them. It had been an hour since Henry's passing and things had gotten quiet in the castle. The queen was mourning, I was upset about my friends' passing, and I hadn't seen Katherine since Henry's death. I sighed, rubbing my paws together as I looked out over the gardens, just thinking. After our battle with the creature, I was injured, Henry was gone, we had saved Isabel and Katherine, but with Henry's passing, Isabel was a mess. I sat up, groaning and placing a paw over my bandages when a pain shot through my torso. Despite Katherine's warning, I refused to lie in a bed and be catered on. I knew the risks of walking around with my wounds as they are, but I wouldn't feel right if I were to simply do nothing. When the pain subsided, I glanced to my bandages, seeing a spot of blood forming in the center of the cloth and spreading slowly. I would need to return to the princess and see if she would patch the bleeding wound, but I would do it later. For now, I just wanted to sit and clear my mind.
An owl made sound in the distance, eventually coming into view above the trees briefly before diving underneath the cover of the leaves. The large moon hung over the back gardens, reflecting off the pool of water ahead, giving the entire area a soft white glow and a calm scene. I picked up a stone from the dirt, turning it over in my fingers again and again before tossing it into the water ahead, letting the rock ripple the water and distort the images. Sighing again, I rested my elbows on my knees, letting my paws fall between my knees, my fingers loosely locking together. My head hurt, my torso ached dully, and I just hurt all over along with just being exhausted. I needed sleep…but I knew I wouldn't be able to even if I tried. I kicked at the dirt with my feet, ready to get up and leave when I felt a soft paw touch my shoulder. Glancing up, I bowed my head to the princess who smiled softly as she sat next to me on the stone bench I was sitting on. She had a goblet in her paws and a gentle, tired smile on her face.
"Drink this," she said softly as she handed me the goblet, "this will take the pain away, Galleth." I took the goblet from the female sipping the bitter liquid from the cup.
"I thank thee, Lady Katherine," I said to the raccoon sitting daintily next to me, "but thou dost not have to tend to me." she smiled, her palm resting on my cheek as she spoke.
"Tis my wish to be sure that thy health will return. Do drink, Sir Galleth, for it shall help ease thy pain and give thee a chance to rest peacefully," she patted my check softly before leaning forward, placing a soft kiss on my temple.
"Hast thy father allowed thee free from thy chambers in the tower?" I sipped at the goblet again, grimacing at the taste of the liquid inside. Katherine shook her head, returning her paws next to her on the bench.
"No, but I am freed from the tower as long as thee need tending to about thy wounds." I chuckled, looking to the princess with a raised eyebrow.
"And thou art sure that the only reason thou art tending to me is because of your concern for my welfare?" a playful laugh escaped Katherine's soft, crimson lips and she nodded her head.
"I am sure of this, Sir Galleth." She leaned over, resting her head on my chest and clutched my sides with her small paws, sighing contently. I smiled, leaning my head against hers gently, enjoying the moment with the princess.
"Speaking of my father, he asked me to fetch thee…for he wishes to speak with thee in the dining hall." She shifted her head upwards from my chest, looking up sweetly.
"Your father?" she nodded slowly, "Why doth the king wish to speak with me? Hast I done something to upset him?" Katherine shrugged, brushing her hair from her face as she sat up.
"I know not, but I do not think it to be bad…for he hast asked me to retrieve thee instead of a fellow knight. Then again…my father is quite unpredictable…" she trailed off, placing her fingertips to her lips as she stopped speaking, thinking about what her father could be planning.
"He wishes to speak now, My Lady?" she nodded, still curious about what her father needed my presence for.
"Then I shall speak with him." I stood, ready to talk with her father when Katherine stopped me by placing her paws over one of mine.
"Do be careful, Galleth." I smiled, taking her paw in my own and kissing the top of it softly.
"I promise thee, I shall be careful." With another bow of my head, I left the princess to talk with her father.
Straightening my posture, I walked down the hallways of the castle, nervously making my way to the dining hall to meet the king. I didn't know what he needed my presence for and frankly I was nervous. The king had a questionable temper and his sudden wish to speak with me was putting me a bit on edge. The hallways of the castle were eerily empty this time of night; the only light coming from the torches mounted on the walls, which caused distorted shadows everywhere. I inhaled deeply, trying to shake my nerves before reaching the king in the dining hall and still trying to figure out what I was needed for. I had done nothing recently to upset him so there was no reason why I would be in his path to rage…unless he learned of the plan Katherine and I had concocted to run away together. I shuttered at the thought because I knew that if he had learned of our plan, then I wouldn't live to see the sun rise in the morning. My stomach twisted into knots, fearing that he was wanting to talk to me of our plan. I came to a stop at the doors to the dining hall, taking another deep breath before placing my paws on the large wooden doors, pushing them open quietly. I stepped inside silently, shutting the doors behind me as I walked to the dining table in the center of the room; stopping next to the kings' chair.
"Thou requested my presence, Your Majesty?" I asked after carefully going to a knee, bowing my head in the process. The king remained silent, drinking from his goblet as I knelt beside him, waiting for permission to stand again.
"Yes," he said eventually, "do sit, Galleth." I stood, bowing my head again as I followed to where he pointed. I cautiously seated myself at the other end of the table, sitting across from the head chair where the king was seated. My tail flipped nervously behind me, fearing what the king would have to say.
"I do wish to begin, Galleth, with my greatest form of pity…for the death of thou friend, and one of my best knights, Sir Henry, was quite…regrettable," I bowed my head at the king, thanking him for his brief moment of thanks, "but I do need to have a serious conversation with thee." King Hector stood from his chair, goblet in paw, as he strolled to the center of the table, pouring himself another glass of wine as well as a second goblet full.
"As thou knows," Hector said as he sipped at his goblet, "my daughter was engaged to be married yesterday. She would be married and secure the lineage of our family line…but thanks thee, Galleth, she will not be marrying Maxwell. I spoke with Katherine while thee was unconscious and she told me of the plan." I felt my breath hitch and my heart stop with his words. He knew of the plan!
"Sire," I looked to the king, "if thou would just allow me to explain…" he shook his head, grabbing a roll of bread from the center of the table and returned to his seat.
"There is no need to!" he said with a large smile as he seated himself, "Not only did thee save my daughter from and actual dungeon but saved my fortune from that skunk!" he laughed, taking the bread in his mouth.
"The skunk, Sire?" he nodded, waiting for the bread to slide down his throat before speaking again.
"But of course! While thou were sleeping, Katherine told me how thou had overheard Maxwell speaking of his plan of imprisonment and stealing my fortune once he married my daughter. So, thanks to thee, thou hast saved my family line!" he laughed, drinking from his goblet with a laugh. I sighed quietly with relief knowing that he didn't know of our plan to run away.
"Not only that," he said as his face became serious, "but thou, and Sir Henry of course, but thy life in danger to save my wife and my daughter. And because of that, thou almost perished; may Sir Henry's soul rest in peace. But, thou made me realize something Galleth," he stood again, walking to the center of the table and picking up both his goblet and the second he had poured moments ago.
"And what is that, Sire?" I asked cautiously, still wary of how the king would react.
"Thou made me realize how much I threw my wife and daughter to the wind. And with their kidnapping, I realized that not only would my kingdom would be nothing without them…but I myself am nothing without them. So, I wish to thank thee whole heartedly, Sir Galleth." He handed me the other goblet, but my ears perked at his comment.
"Sir, Your Majesty? Sire, I am not longer a knight…for my title was stripped once you learned I had been influencing Katherine to steal." I still lied about that, but I knew it would probably save the maidens life.
"I hast decided to return thy title to thee. For exposing the plans of Maxwell, slaying the beast, and for most importantly… saving my dear wife and daughter. And as for the 'influence' of my daughter to thieving…Katherine told me the truth. I should have known that she would steal…for it is in the Bandicoot line to steal. As for her punishment, tis ended. Katherine is free to roam about the castle once again, unless she steals again, that is. But I do suppose that she will need an honorable, trustworthy knight to escort her around and make sure she is safe from any harm. And after gazing upon thy recent actions to save her from the beast, I am bestowing my faith in thee, Sir Galleth. To look over my daughter, protect her, keep her from harm, and to be her watchful guardian. Dost thou accept these duties?"
"T'would be my greatest pleasure, Your Majesty." I smiled, bowing my head as I knelt to the floor from my chair as I accepted the 'charges' of knighthood.
"Excellent!" the king exclaimed as I stood, slapping the back of my shoulder as he downed his goblet of wine, "Thou shall be fitted for a new suit of armor in the morning. As for now, my daughter needs escorting to her chambers…for it is late."
"I thank thee, Your Majesty." I smiled bowing my head again before I was dismissed by the king. I made my way to the door, exiting quietly before rushing down the halls, carefully due to my wounds, but excitedly as I looked for Katherine, ready to tell her the news.
"Sir Galleth!" Katherine's voice sounded behind me, rather excited. I turned, only to have her arms latch around my neck and her body to swing around from the force of her running, "Oh I couldn't help but listen to thy meeting with my father, Sir Galleth! Tis wonderful news!"
"It is, My Lady, and I must say…I am greatly honored to watch over thee again, Lady Katherine Bandicoot." Her smile grew as her paws touched the sides of my face softly.
"Not as happy and I, Sir Galleth." She giggled brushing her nose against mine, "Oh, things have returned to normal and it's all because of you, Sir Galleth!" she bounced excitedly, clapping her paws a bit as another giggle escaped her lips.
"T'was my pleasure, my beloved princess. Now, as your fathers' orders, I have been told to escort thee to thy chambers for the night." I held out my arm to the raccoon, allowing her to grab on as I escorted her to her chambers. After escorting Katherine to her old chambers, I released her arm and allowed her to stand in the threshold of her chambers. She smiled softly, hugging my softly, staying cautious of my wounds, and sighed happily.
"I plan to go riding in the meadow tomorrow, for I hast spent too much time in the tower." Katherine said after we parted, a playful smile forming on her lips.
"Then I shall meet thee in the meadow in the morning, My Lady." She smiled, taking my paws in her own before her gaze met mine.
"And I would be glad to finishing informing thee of how my father's rule is worse than that of King Softsword." I chuckled at the princess, remember our conversation from many moons ago pertaining to this situation.
"Now My Lady, I must tell thee that words such as those should not pass thy lips." She giggled, squeezing my paws gently.
"Then hast thou figured out a way to keep thee from passing them, my brave Sir Knight?" I chuckled, winking at the raccoon before leaning close to her, whispering as I did so.
"Then shall thee allow me to thee?" she nodded, her eyes fluttering closed as our lips touched again. Katherine's arms wrapped around my neck, pulling her form to mine as my own lightly touched her waist, not wanting to seem too crude.
"Then I shall see thee in the morning, Sir Galleth Cooper." She said softly as we pulled away, her paws pulling away from mine as she backed into her chambers, smiled at me as she did so.
"Yes I shall, Princess Katherine." I bowed my head, returning her smile as the door closed silently. I chuckled again, brushing my fingertips against the grain of the wood before going down the hall, ready to return to my chambers and sleep. I rounded a corner, almost to my sleep quarters when I felt paws firmly grip my shoulders and arms, dragging me down the hall. I struggled against them, finding it futile to fight against the guards…the half metal guards.
"I say!" I said as I struggled against the guards. They had a choppy stride to their step and smelled of the same fire and brimstone smell of the dragon. We rounded another corner and I was face to face with a rather large, solid back, metal knight…and he had my cane!
"Thank you for the cane, Galleth." I growled at the horrid black tyrant ahead of me, making me struggle harder against the guards.
"What should we do with this one?" one of the guards asked, shoving my shoulder forward as he spoke. The black knight in front of my tossed a rather familiar piece of clothing to the guard, one that made me shudder.
"Take him to the circus, I have what I need." And with that, the knight walked away, carrying my cane in his grasp. The guards tugged me forward, taunting me with the horrid, purple cloth of my jester outfit.
I couldn't help it…I did the dragon so why not add the Black Knight? ;) But, I don't plan on making a sequel for this, so if you've read 'For Every Cooper'…you know how the relationship for this, and all the other ancestors, end. ):