Interlude. . .

So, after finishing the first season, Glen took me to the beach with the dog.
It was a beautiful morning at 6am.

The sea looked so inviting for a swim, but I saw the Whalers were out and didn't want to get harpooned. . .

 

Glen couldn't walk on the beach with me as he's still waiting for another false-leg to be fitted :(

Pippa had a blast.. .

But he had a flask of tea and we both felt the dog needed an intense walk, so he was happy enough waiting in the car for me.

Before we bumped into 'Old Boaty'!

It was just what the doctor ordered after a heavy week or so of intense screen-shotting and story telling :D
Thank You Glen, I love you so much xxx

Finale - Part 2

After leaving Velsa, Martin's first stop is The Prince's chambers.
"Sethy! I've thought of an excellent prank we can pull, are you game?"
Seth frowns: "I don't know Boatman - you're no fun lately! Besides, I'm going to The Feast"



"Just hear me out! It's called 'Hide The Serf ', and you're going to love it!"
Martin relates Velsa's gambit to the prince who can't ever resist his own wicked instincts to cause mayhem.




"Oh this will be a riot!" Seth chuckles, "Wait til you see the look on Mother's face when she realises her servants no longer answer to her calls!" 


"You're quite sure you know what to do Seth? Go straight for the girl and I will get the mother."
The prince is experiencing a moment of glory: "Listen, Old Boaty, I am the master of stratagems; nothing shall befall my most excellent of schemes!"
Typical Prince Seth - too stupid to remember the plan wasn't even his!

Moments later Velsa and the prince are headed for the hills.

 The first part of her plan has worked and Velsa prays that the rest of it goes the way her and Martin had projected.
With Velsa safely out of harm's reach, Martin heads straight to Praaven Castle Barracks.
"I need you both to accompany me on an urgent quest to save the King!" Martin enthuses.

                                                                                         

 It is the evening of the Feast of Lammas.
Martin should be dressed and seated already, but he's not here for all that.
"Your Highness, please hear me!. . . I . . ."


"If it's about that Velsa business, forget it!" The King interrupts.
"He's obsessed with her! Have some dignity Sir Boatman!" Pipes in the Queen.
Martin bows his head.
"Your Highness, I am here to save your life!"

The King is sure that this is yet another of Martin and Seth's pranks:
"Come on then Boaty, show me what evidence you have gathered for us this time!"
"A letter, written by the hand of your Queen...Sire"
The King beholds the scroll bearing Elsbeth's Royal Stamp and raises his eyebrows with anticipation.
"Well, this is quite a serious allegation you are making Sir Boatman; you had better read out this letter for The Court to bear witness!"


The Queen feels a little queasy at the thought of what is about to unfold. . .



 Martin unties the scroll and reads aloud the introduction:
     "To Our most cherished and beloved Lord Simpson..."
He pauses to look at his old friend and almost feels sorry for the sure fate that is about to await him.
But he wants Velsa more; the sacrifice has to be made!
Martin continues with his narration, each sentence is received with gasps throughout the room.


Apparently Elsbeth is somewhat of a two-faced, power-hungry lunatic!







Her ultimate plan is astounding: Together with her lover, Simpson, the letter suggests how they plan to have both King Marcadius AND Prince Seth bumped off. . .



To make way for the succession of Princess Matilda - with the pair of them acting as Council and Regent Protectors for the young heiress to Praveen's Throne.

 On hearing certain things about himself, which only the Queen could have known, Marcadius knows the letter is genuine and is enraged by it! He knocks over plates and chairs to appease his furious temper.
"IS THIS TRUE?!!" He thunders, "TELL ME WHY ELSBETH!! WHY?"

Elsbeth gives no consideration to her husband's vexed spleen; her anguish at seeing Lord Simpson trying to escape the same fate as hers leaves the Queen broken-hearted with disappointment and despair.

Fortunately he doesn't get far. Martin had instructed the guards to wait at the door and not let anybody leave.

 "To The Tower with her!"
Paying attention now Elsbeth?
Then the King laughs: "I'm sure we will all look forward to seeing what actually falls out of that head of yours when it rolls from the axe!"
 
 "How did you manage to get that letter Boaty?"
This is the moment Martin and Velsa had anticipated above all.
"Well, Your Highness, it was with the help of Velsa; the Queen was forcing her to deliver those scrolls and Velsa knew the Queen hated you and Seth, Sire! She was desperate to save you!"
Marcadius smiles: "Indeed she must be rewarded! Bring her before me, where is she?"
"Well, Sire, I had to take the precaution of protecting her from all of this..."
Then Martin tells the truth: "I love her, Your Highness, so I sent her to Boatman Manor with Prince Seth. I couldn't bear to have lost her if all of this had gone wrong. . ."





"Oh how delightful," utters the Queen "did you hear that? Seth has FINALLY left the castle alone!"
Lord Simpson doesn't care any more but Elsbeth turns back to face her soon-to-be widowed husband:




"If only you had read the letter previous to that one!"
"SHUT UP ELSIE!" Simpson is hoping to somehow pin all of the blame onto her at their upcoming (pointless) trial in a last ditch effort to exempt himself from execution.
But 'Elsie' is past the point of caring.

"It looks like my Matilda is going to rule after you, now that numb-skull son of ours has left the castle alone! Oh I'm so pleased that Lord Simspon paid those assassins in time!" She insanely cackles.
In fact, it couldn't have been any later or it wouldn't have happened at all! Simpson had made the bold decision to visit the docks looking for assassins only just last night! The two law-breaking, vagrants he employed were all too happy to take his gold, despite the shock on their faces when they learnt of their target.
"Just get it done and there will be more of that to come!" Simpson assured them.
The mean marauders realise the sort of money that's at stake and have the castle watched around the clock in anticipation of an opportunity.

 
(Which fortunately for them, came at the beginning of this chapter!)




It's a long ride to Boatman Manor so Seth allows Velsa and the horse to take a breather.
Both had failed to notice they were being followed from the moment they left Praaven.
The assassins close in. . .

Meanwhile. . .


Martin grabs the nearest horse and is out of there.
HURRY MARTIN! HURRY!

"Looks like you've got a fighter there Elgar!"




"Yeah, I like them when they fight. . ."









Unfortunately, the Prince had had too far of a head start and Martin arrives at the scene too late.

Seth is dead and Velsa is gone.
Martin feels destroyed inside now he's lost the only person in the world that ever seemed important to him.


 (Also you forgot to take a weapon with you, you NUMPTY! Yes, that's right, roll your eyes at your own stupidity yet again, Old Boaty!)

The End

(of season 1)

Please let me know what you would like for season 2. I already have the ending mapped out for these guys, would you like to see more from them, or a different medieval story with some of the other characters from Praaven that I have in mind?
Thanks for reading! Stay tuned for more - coming soon.

Season 1 Finale - Part 1

Elsbeth cannot believe what she is hearing! There is no way in all of Christendom that she is going to lose her key-courier! It's highly unconventional but The Queen has to step in:
"Velsa Bennett is NOT for sale!"
The King looks shocked so Elsbeth explains:
"Velsa is the only person here who Princess Matilda likes; she is a vital part of our daughter's upbringing."

King Marcadius turns back to Martin, he understands how sensitive Elsbeth is about their daughter's needs and cannot be bothered with another argument.

"You heard my wife!" he declares, "Ask me again in fifteen years!"

It's the next day before Martin finds the courage to tell his beloved the bad news. . .

"I'm sure we will find a way, perhaps you might
fall out of favour with The Little Princess?"

But Velsa knows the truth: Elsbeth's motives have
nothing to do with that spoiled brat Matilda.

Velsa can't think of any option to untie herself from Queen Elsbeth.

The next day however, this happens:

"I'll be with you in a moment Sethy, I just need a strong word with a dis-obedient..." Elsbeth then turns on her loyal servant.





"HOW DARE YOU TRY AND LEAVE MY SERVICE WITHOUT MY PERMISSION? DO YOU THINK I AM STUPID? I know what's REALLY going on!" she seethes.



"Look at you, as if Lord Boatman could be serious about vermin like you! I saw him slobbering over you in the stables, a man with wrongful lust and a serf I cannot trust! Velsa, you are a disgrace to the nobility, and to this castle!"



Elsbeth can't resist exiting without one last nasty comment, just to keep the girl in her place:

"Ugh, Sir Boatman must have no sense of smell! I need to bathe from just speaking with her." She thinks aloud.






This blatant lie from Elsbeth tips Velsa's tolerance 'over the edge'.

"Perhaps it's time to tell my Martin all about you, you.... you.... evil queen!!"

Velsa needs to ask Martin for some better curse words.

                                                                          

"What do you mean you have a plan?" Martin asks at their next secret liaison. 

Velsa's ambition is pumping through her veins now she's realised there is a way out for her.

"Martin, you can read can't you?"

Martin nods, puzzled. After reassurances that Martin really does love her, and won't turn her in for Treason, no matter what! Velsa hands him the latest letter which Elsbeth ordered to be delivered by Velsa to Lord Simpson.

"You do realise we could both be hung, drawn and quartered for even opening this, right?"
"If I'm right, it won't be us who that  happens to. Please, tell me, what does it say?" replies Velsa.

Martin can't believe the words on the parchment he is reading; they're like little pieces of deceit notching their way into his brain. He repeats them back to Velsa who obviously had no idea. An artist's impression of his visual imagination right now might look something like this:

(Nobody said the artist would be any good)

"But. . .but, I would have to petition Marcadius, and who knows what he could do with the news...? Velsa, are you sure you want to go through with this? Her ladies in waiting will all suffer too, and.. and...!"

Velsa shuts him up mid-sentence:

 "Dash them all! I don't care!"
Elsbeth's ladies-in-waiting are always mean to Velsa because of the affections previously bestowed upon her by the queen. Here they were last week, making fun of the new dress Velsa had made with some of the money from Martin. Hearing that they could suffer too, dissuades Velsa from taking Martin's advice, and fuels her passion to become their equal.

"Just do it exactly like I say and we can pull this off my love!" Velsa reassures her stunned fiance.
Her mind is clear and fixed on the prize; before this week is out, Velsa Bennett is sure that she will be a free woman.

A kiss for luck!

 And he's on his way...

                                                                

Hope you're enjoying my story - stay tuned for part 2 of the finale, coming soon!