Chapter 4
THE TALE OF THE THREE SISTERS
There were once three women: The Queen, The Baroness and The Princess. They were sisters, bound by blood and, although they did not know it, an ancient prophecy from the mists of time.
They travelled far and wide, stating they were the emissaries of their husbands, who were busy waging war for reasons no one – least of all the men – understood.
Each path the women travelled, every problem they solved, their fame grew and they became a respected trio, loved and adored by the good, honest and pure of heart, but reviled and feared by the sly, evil and conniving of character.
Wherever they journeyed, they righted wrongs and calmed quarrels, ended feuds and reunited families.
The bards told tales of the adventures of The Queen, The Baroness and The Princess.
One evening, tired from a day on the road, the women followed a path lined with pure white stones, hoping for the hospitality of a goodfellow at its end.
The road wound around a hill, a gentle slope leading through dark woodlands, past fallow farmland and into a deserted town, where the gates of a magnificent castle were opened wide.
As the three women rode into the gleaming quadrangle at the heart of this ancient stronghold, silver trumpets pealed through the silent air, announcing their arrival.
Livery-clad servants and grooms scurried forward, taking charge of the horses and beckoning the women through the great golden doors into the sumptuous hall within.
Courtiers, lords and ladies, nobles and ladies-in-waiting smiled in welcome.
The senior Lord Chamberlain swept them to comfortable state rooms, where legions of servants were on hand to help them bathe, relax and dress in the exquisitely crafted silken gowns that awaited.
The armourer arrived and asked permission of The Queen, The Baroness and The Princess to repair and polish their armour.
The blacksmith requested their approval to sharpen their weapons and fire them additional, superior swords, to tend their horses’ hooves and saddles.
The Lord Chamberlain invited them to stay for as long as they desired.
The Queen, The Baroness and The Princess had been on the weary road of adventure for a long time and this was the most hospitable and generous welcome they had ever received.
‘My good people, the honour is ours,’ said The Queen, allowing the servants to carry away their armour and swords.
‘This is a remarkable place,’ added The Baroness with a grateful smile. ‘Such kindness is exemplary.’
‘A welcome that is unprecedented,’ said The Princess, who alone was concerned that with the removal of their armour and weapons, they were vulnerable. As a form of protection, she held back a slender dagger and secreted it in her boot.
‘My good people,’ said The Queen, as the servants prepared to leave. ‘It is remiss of us not to have asked sooner but please would you share the name of your lord and master to enable my sisters and I to thank him personally?’
But as she asked the question, the servants vanished.