The Tavern

Freya stayed silent for long enough that we reached the tavern. As we walked in, she made a gesture to the barkeep, who nodded, and then Freya made her way to a table away from everyone else but in full eyesight of the entranceway. The barkeep came and put two tankards of ale, and two steaming bowls of stew on the table that already had a basket of bread.

Victor took a sip of the ale, making a surprised, pleased sound at the taste. Freya smiled slightly, dipping her bread in her stew and groaning in contentment. "Now this is food." She said. Victor laughed. "Modern food is not up to your tastes?" He asked. He was thinking about the few times he fed her since she had come back to human. She never really seemed to enjoy any of the things she ate.

"You have to admit, this is pretty good," Freya said with a smile. Victor smiled back, taking a hearty mouthful of the stew. "Do I even want to know what meat is in this stew?" he asked. Freya made a face. "Probably not."

Freya glanced around the tavern. "We had a lot of times here. Most good, sometimes bad." Freya said with a small smile. She watched as more people walked in surprised to see some of the knights of Daroque.

"I don't like this." One of the Knight's grumbled taking a seat. "Daroque trusts her. We should as well." One of the other Knight's argued back. Freya looked up with the interest that she hid behind drinking her ale.

"Daroque is also sleeping with her, so maybe he isn't the best judge of character." The first Knight said looking darkly at the others. "We all know that Daroque's recent choices are questionable." The older Knight said. A younger Knight who resembled the older Knight quite a bit narrowed his eyes.

" That's treason." The knight said looking around uneasily. Freya glanced at Victor who was studying his stew quietly. "There's no doubt that the Kingdom was better when the old King and Queen lived." Another Knight said. "Are you saying you approve of Freya's shenanigans?" One of the Knight asked.

"You can't really blame the lass for striking out on her own." The older Knight said. His attention moving to the bowls of stew and bread the barmaid brought. "We don't know how this war will end, but it's no surprise that eventually we will have to choose sides." The Knight said effectively ending the conversation.

Freya's head was spinning at the words of the Knight's. She glanced at Victor who was already watching her from behind the brim of his ale. "Surprised to hear you have fans?" Victor murmured quietly. Freya glared at Victor, before letting out a sigh.

"Guess I shouldn't be surprised some of Daroque's own Knight's had their doubts," Freya murmured. "It's not like that stopped them from obeying Daroque's will." She hissed. Her attention moved to the entrance that was suddenly banged open as a boisterous group of knights clad in shiny dark armor walked in, making all kinds of noise.

"We should leave." She said proceeding to drink out the rest of her mead. Victor raised his eyebrows, glancing over at the group. He drank out his own mead, watching somberly as the group proceeding to hassle some of the poorer-looking customers and to harass the barmaids. Victor put his empty mug down and glowered at the group. "I guess there are bullies everywhere," Victor said cracking his knuckles.

Freya narrowed her eyes at Victor, glowering deeply at him. "Don't even think about it," Freya said, getting up from the table. Of course, she managed to forget that she was no longer the visage of Freya, but was just a girl in soldier-like clothes. So no surprise when one of the guys turned and put his hands on her waist.

Freya curled her lip, and swung a fist at him, surprising him enough to relieve him of one of his daggers, which she flung at one of his friends that approached angrily, an elbow reached another assailant, the fourth guy falling by a thrown dagger. Freya's head whipped around to see Victor, kicking, punching at four other men that seemed to have swarmed him. She stepped forward intending to help him out when two of the guys fell, the remaining two pulled out swords, Victor leaping back from them both pulling out his own, and engaged both of them, twirling and moving. Freya watched him fight enchanted all over again as Victor fought with the strength and fury of someone who had been fighting for years.

Within minutes both his assailants fell. Victor sheathed his sword and put a small coin pouch on the table for the barkeep. "For the mess." He said pulling Freya out the door with him.

Freya waited until she was out of earshot of the tavern before she turned to look at Victor. "Where on earth did you learn swordsmanship?" Freya burst out. Victor glanced at Freya, a slight twinkle in his eye. "You've seen me fight before." He murmured.

"Yes," Freya said. "And I've been wondering since then," Freya said. Victor smiled. "You've seen that the manor house still remains in good condition. My parents were in charge of its keeping. Every summer, and holiday we spent in the manor. While my parents took care of the finer arrangements for keeping a manor up to standards, my sister and I would be either in the library reading about the heroes of old, or in the armory, sword fighting, or learning archery.

My sister Jess loved everything to do with the manor. She was the one who taught me your story, The Legend of the Never Queen. We kept you alive in stories passed down from child to child. Sister to brother. Wilhelm the White was a legendary noble Knight. Our very own King Arthur. We loved the way he was so loyal to a queen that never got her throne. Your disappearance was whispered about for years. Decades even no one quite knew what happened to you." Victor said looking at Freya.

"Wilhelm led your armies in your name, long after you were gone. He and the others that came after left your throne empty. It was a symbol of a corrupt King, who stole the throne from the rightful heir. His own niece. It was a curse all its own." Victor said.

"Maybe it was cursed," Freya murmured. She looked up at the castle that loomed in front of her. After she left the gilded gate, the first time she had never returned. Until now. She looked up higher and saw the sky beginning to darken.

"I always wondered why Evanora chose to curse me the way she did. She gave me a form, much like the one I shed. A hunter, a warrior, is there really much of a difference?" Freya said. "And to think I've lived long enough to see the curse being enacted in all it's the fury." She said, watching as the clouds grew darker and more violent. Where it had been blue sky, suddenly the sky was alive with dark violet clouds streaked with unnatural red lightning.

The Curse had started.