The gray walls were endless, they seemed to shoot up towards the sky forever. The only reason they ended was because the high ceiling capped them off before they touched the sky. The stone was hard and had been erected many years ago, most likely even before the elders of the village were children. The walls had seen a lot of the years; heartache, misery, breakdowns, even death. Taylor could see why. If he had to be within those walls for more than a few days he too would have considered cutting his own life short. The cold in the room was enough to kill a man slowly, very slowly. Taylor imagined many a man freezing to death in the cold winters having to stay within the stone walls day in and day out. The Knight shivered and stopped his pacing. He sat down on the hay pile which he would use as a bed for the next two nights.
Taylor leaned his head up against the damp stone wall. He let his mind wander and soon his thoughts were filled with her; the Princess. Time passed, as it usually did, and before long he was sure that night had fallen. “Kintessa must have her dinner now,” he said aloud. His voice echoed off the stone and flew high to the ceiling, breaking the perpetual silence. He did not know if anyone was close by, he had not seen anyone as he was walking to this room, but he couldn’t be too sure he was the only one there.
Taylor looked towards the bars at the start of the room. He caught something with his eyes as he moved his head. Words... writings... in the hard stone. Taylor sat up straight and leaned closer to the wall. The light in the dungeon was not enough to allow him to read the words and there was no window in his cell. The Knight squinted to make out as many words as he could. “He who reads these words shall be granted eternal ... and ....” Taylor sat back and hit his hands on his knees. “Of course! The words I need to know are too shallowly carved to read in this light.”
“He who reads these words shall be granted eternal salvation and redemption.” Taylor looked up at the sound of the voice. It was Prince Henry. The young man stood and bowed to his Prince. “See for yourself,” the Prince offered holding out his candle. Taylor took the light and shone it at the wall.
“He who reads these words shall be granted eternal salvation and redemption...” Taylor mumbled. He turned towards Henry and passed the candle back through the bars. “How did you know that was what it read?”
“I have lived my whole life in this castle,” the boy explained. “If you were a young boy of 8 years and you had a dungeon in your castle I think you would explore as well.”
“Who wrote this?” Taylor questioned.
Prince Henry shrugged. “It has been there for years, longer then I have been alive.”
“Do you think it to be true?” Taylor asked. He looked to the boy for an answer as though the Prince were many years older than he. The boy was only 12, the Knight was 17.
“For you, yes,” The Prince replied with certainty
“You are a good man, Henry,” Taylor told him. “You will treat my sister well.”
“Aye, Sir. That I will.” Prince Henry looked away. “I just wish you will be here to see it.”
“So do I, Henry, but I will not. Will you send for my brothers?”
“Yes, Sir. I will.”
Prince Henry was true to his word and moments later Zachary and Isaac were standing at the bars of Taylor’s cage. The didn’t say a word, they just stood there starring at the man behind the cage, taking note of the strange situation. A man as strong as Taylor did not belong behind the steel bars, a man as strong as Taylor should not be labeled a traitor.
“Will you take care of my horse when I take leave?” Taylor asked breaking the uneasy silence.
“Yes, Sir,” Zachary replied, refusing to make eye contact with the brother he had betrayed.
“She must be taken for a run every morning and if you cannot ride her let her out into the woods. She knows where she is going and she will return before the end of the sunrise. She must be brushed before and after each riding or grazing. She likes breakfast when she returns from the run, lunch before she grazes, and dinner before she sleeps.” Taylor’s voice trailed off at the thought of not being with his horse any longer. “Could you please tell her that I did not desert her. I did not even get the chance to say goodbye-”
“We will, Taylor,” Isaac promised. “We will take good care of her.”
“How can you?” Taylor pressed. “You are 20 years old, Isaac, you will be leaving the house soon.”
“Then Zachary will,” Isaac assured him.
“I am so sorry,” Zachary blurted out. He rose his eyes from the floor, they were red brimmed, his cheeks were tear streaked and more tears were flowing down from his eyes every second. “Taylor I wish I never told!”
Taylor took a deep breath. “Zachary I have already forgiven you. You have to forgive yourself. You were loyal to the King and now you are taking my place in the royal family. You are a good fighter, that I know. You will serve this kingdom and it’s people well.”
“But I betrayed you,” Zachary said, his voice barely above a whisper. “I betrayed my own brother and my own family.”
“No, Zachary,” Taylor urged. “It is I who betrayed the family, you are picking up the pieces and clearing the name which I tarnished with this affair.”
“I do not think I can,” Zachary sobbed.
“You can and you will,” Taylor assured him. “I am sure of it.” Taylor reached out his strong hand and placed it on his younger brother’s shoulder. “You must take care of the family once Isaac is gone. Becoming a Squire does not release you of your duties in your family. You must help the family as well as the Kingdom. Most Knights neglect everything except royal business and royal battle, but not I. Nor will you. Your family is as royal in your own heart as the family that lives in this castle. Do as I have, Zachary, nothing less.”
The young boy nodded and looked up into his brother’s eyes. He felt the weight of Taylor’s strong hand on his shoulder holding him tightly, almost as though that hand had held together not only the kingdom but the family as well. Now it was holding him together for he could not bear to think of what was to come in the next two days. Zachary wanted to crumple under the strength of the hand. He knew now all of which Taylor had done for his family, the royal family, and himself... the weight of it all had been on Taylor’s shoulders and now it was being passed on to his.
“I will not let you down, Sir Taylor. I will not let anyone down.”