Swords with Souls
A Medieval Fantasy Fiction Story
(Adult Content)
By Dan Watt
(Author of the Children of the Myth Machine series)
(Author of the Plagueborn series)
Marry as Many as You Can!
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Sir Oliver wraps a cloth around his sword hand as he rides towards Damp Wind Castle. He’s angry and confused. Neither emotion is common to him. A messenger from Sir Olaf found him and Endellion as they rode from the Sword Maker’s home. “Sir Olaf demands your attendance,” the messenger had said with unwise arrogance. The man’s face was flat with sunken eyes and a long aristocratic nose. Shadowed by a bushy blond mustache were thick lips that reminded him of dew worms rubbing together. This is when he learned about the marriage scheme.
After the messenger departed he and Endellion rode to Kingstown. At the gates they were asked if they were married. Endellion asked why and the guard told them they needed to go to Pimm Tavern. The tavern had been converted into a marriage claim office. The ordeal made him suspicious and he placed his right hand over the pommel of his new sword. His gaze fell on a girl of around eleven who was standing beside what he took to be her mother. He had walked over to her and smiled down at her. “What’s your name?” he had asked. As the girl answered he felt a strong grip on his right wrist. Annoyed he turned to see Endellion shaking her head at him. Feeling a moment of repulsion at himself he let go of the pommel. “Come love,” Endellion said to him. “Let’s make sure we’re married.”
Inside he felt baffled and shaken. There were more women than men inside. He heard a number of the women claim they were married to Sir Oisin. A tall, lean man with long curly brown hair and pale blue eyes stood behind the tavern’s counter. Sounding annoyed he gave each woman a slip of papyrus paper. “You need to have Sir Oisin sign this before two days from now. Or,” he said to some of the women, “You could marry me.”
Before he and Endellion finally reached the counter Endellion had whispered to him, “Let me handle this.”
“Sir Oliver,” the man said jovially.
“We have a list of marriages to claim,” Endellion said.
The man had looked at Sir Oliver.
“Yes,” he said in a gruff tone, “I stand by whatever she proclaims.”
“I, Endellion, Lara and Gwen, and their grandmother Celima are the wives of Sir Oliver,” Endellion said with a mischievous smile.
“You want to marry old Celima?” the man asked him.
“Yes,” he had replied with a sarcastic smile.
“Anyone else?” the man asked writing the names down in a book.
“Perhaps later,” Endellion replied for him. “Also, Madame Swan and Crimnthann are married.”
“Really?” the man asked as he continued writing. “I didn’t think either of them were the marrying type.”
“Any other marriages you wish to claim?”
“Maybe later,” Endellion had said.
He noticed she never mentioned any of the girls in the secret village.
After they left the tavern, she said to him. “Is it wrong to marry your brother?” Before he could answer she continued, “That sword is cursed, brother. I suggest you only wield it in battle.”
A terrible thought had occurred to him then. “Lara called it a soul sword.”
“Yes,” Endellion said.
“Whose soul? Baron Rupert was notorious for seducing girls often young ones.”
“And?” Endellion asked.
“He was murdered.”
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