Chapter Twenty Seven
The Baroness, Matthew, and Walter could now see the bridge to the Castle in the distance.
‘Please, stop here, Walter,’ The Baroness said. He did so. She then said, ‘This is as far as you go. I have already put enough of your family at risk for you to come with us.’
Walter began to protest, but the Baroness said ‘This is no request but an order. You must do as I say or else I may not be successful in what I’m about to do. I would be too worried about you.’
He reluctantly agreed but said, ‘I’ll stay here but if I see I’m needed I will come.’
The Baroness smiled and got off the wagon. Matthew did the same and touched Walter on the shoulder goodbye. Walter touched him back in response - a big change from when he had first met him, Matthew thought. The Baroness and he then left to go to the Castle.
As they approached the bridge, the Baroness checked to see if he had the Spear ready. Matthew showed her he did. They had been in full view of the Castle’s occupants for at least twenty minutes now but this did not matter. They both knew that if they did not confront the Baron he would kill the prisoners he had and then probably worse. Matthew felt that the Baroness would have liked more of an understanding of the Spear in practice but he was sure she felt confident she could use it adequately to stop her brother and return her Land to peace.
At the gate to the Castle, Eustace was waiting with some men. ‘Seize them!’ he commanded. But the Baroness was ready and began to chant while Matthew pointed the Spear in their direction. Their swords turned into fire and they had to drop them. Eustace then said ‘Use your crossbows. There are only two of them!’
But again the Baroness chanted and Matthew pointed and the arrows also turned into fire and burnt before they reached them. The Baroness then forced the soldiers onto the floor. She and Matthew continued on into the Castle. ‘Go tell your master his sister wishes to speak to him in the main hall, you nasty dog,’ she said to Eustace who was backing away in fear. He ran inside the Castle.
The other soldiers were now staring at her not knowing what to do. Most of them were not bad men but knew nothing else but soldiering and so had to stay at the Castle when the Baron returned. The Baroness began chanting again and gestured for Matthew to wave the Spear all around. She then said to the soldiers ‘Release the prisoners and send them to me.’ They obeyed and went to do this.
The Baroness now seemed very confident with the Spear, thought Matthew. He himself also felt good, all his nerves having disappeared when he saw the Baroness use the Spear to good effect at the bridge. Whatever she did seemed right. Soon, he thought, it would all be over and he would see Hannah again. That would be good. Curt and Tobias would also be free, and also old Johan; it was just a matter of time.
They continued through the courtyard after the gates into the main hall. Matthew could see the damage from the battle last night with the floor and walls looking burnt and rubble everywhere. This must be the result of the Baron’s magic, he thought. Here they waited for the Baron to come and confront them with his magic but they would be ready. Lots of people were now coming into the hall, including released prisoners. He saw Curt, Tobias, and then, to his delight, Hannah. Thank God she was ok, he thought. She looked over at him and then Matthew saw Walter hug her. Matthew had felt that he would disobey the Baroness. Hannah then returned her gaze to him and the Baroness.
Not long now, he thought, and all would be well, he thought as he also saw Johan in the crowd. Then through two doors opposite the one they came through entered Eustace with a sly smile on his face. Behind him were two soldiers alongside the Baron and two behind carrying something.
It was again impossible to see the Baron’s face under his hood. The Baroness began then chanting and directed Matthew to point the Spear at her brother. Matthew did so and felt the power begin to build in the Spear. He wondered what the Baroness had in mind for her brother. He knew she would not hurt him; perhaps she would take away his magic.
As the Baron got closer, Matthew could feel the power grow in the Spear. He then wondered why the Baron was not scared – he knew what the Spear could do. Even Eustace did not seem to be alarmed in any way. But before he could find out the answer to this, the Baroness stopped chanting suddenly and Matthew felt the power leaving the Spear.
Oh my God, he thought, as the rest of the crowd gasped in horror at what they were seeing. The Baron had just ordered the soldiers behind him to empty the sack they were carrying. What was in it fell to the ground: arms, legs, and torso all bloody with the guts hanging out. But the worse thing was the head which rolled towards them. The face was twisted with agony obviously having suffered greatly before its death.
The Baroness fell to her knees in shock and disgust. Matthew could no longer look at it. But who was it and why had the Baron done this? Then, he discovered the answer. ‘Welcome sister. I have awaited your return, as has ... our father.’
Then Matthew understood and his shock and disgust were replaced with anger.
The Baroness got up ‘Point the Spear!’ she commanded to Matthew, her voice now filled with rage.
Matthew looked at her face: she was focused with hatred towards her brother. ‘Point the Spear! As I told you!’ she repeated again.
Matthew obeyed. He shared all her feelings against her brother who was obviously evil and had to be stopped. The Baroness was now chanting what Matthew realised was a death chant and he could feel the Spear gaining power.
But the Baron did not move to escape and stood his ground like he was unafraid. He would soon regret what he did, thought Matthew.
Yet, somewhere in his mind was the thought that what the Baroness was doing was not right in some way; it did not seem a normal part of her personality for her to do this. Did she not say herself that the Spear could only be successfully used if it was done so according to the person’s true nature? Matthew asked himself.
The power was building in the Spear all the time and it would soon be unleashed. Matthew looked at the Baroness who was now completely focused on her brother, her body and face filled with power, while she was chanting. If the power was not used according to the user’s nature then what would happen? Matthew asked himself. He then heard someone repeating something or was it his own mind ‘What seems the right thing to do may not be.’
But surely killing the Baron was the right thing to do, he thought. He had done much evil in the Land and look how he had killed his own father! Furthermore, how could the Baroness’ killing her brother not be in her nature? She was entitled to her revenge, as would anyone be.
The power of the Spear was now getting too much for Matthew who had difficulty holding onto it. He then saw Martha in the crowd next to Hannah. Where did she come from? he asked himself. ‘Matthew stop. This is what he wants,’ she shouted.
Matthew then realised what he was doing was wrong. He looked back at the Baroness and could see her face twisted in hatred. He knew she would not stop if he asked her to – she was beyond reason.
But Matthew was now certain that what she was doing would only suit the Baron.
He then did the only thing he could – he dropped the Spear.
He felt all of its power then disappear: without him holding it, it was useless.
The Baroness collapsed unconscious to the ground. Hannah rushed over to her.
The Baron was furious and ran over to his sister’s body. He then lifted up his arms and pointed them at her. Matthew felt a little panicked.
Curt and Tobias ran towards the Baron. But he moved his arms towards them and two flashes of light went towards them knocking them over.
Then Walter put himself in front of Hannah and the Baroness. ‘Over my dead body you hideous freak,’ he cried out at the Baron.
‘Move or die old man,’ said the Baron who then aimed his arms at Walter.
But before he could unleash his magic, he raised his hands in agony and screamed. The person he had said he would not underestima
te again had beaten him again. But this time there would be no second chance. Matthew had stabbed him in the back – with the Spear of Destiny!
The Baron, however, did not slump to the floor but his now empty robe did. Whatever he had twisted himself into over the years disappeared in a flash of smoke in the air and was now gone. The mood of the hall was one of shock and then relief.
Matthew dropped the Spear and fell down himself, exhausted by the physical and mental tension. But he did not lose consciousness and could see that the Baroness was recovering. He got up and went to her.
‘Thank you, Matthew. I lost myself a little there and without you my brother would have destroyed me with my own hate.’
Hannah then went to Matthew and hugged him. He could not believe how happy he felt.
‘I told you that you should listen to your dreams,’ she said. She then looked like she wanted Matthew to kiss her. He did not hesitate. This was one of the many things the Land had taught him: if you did what you wanted to at the time there would be no regrets later.
The crowd around them then began to cheer. But Hannah and Matthew’s embrace was interrupted by Curt, Tobias, and even Walter, who lifted up Matthew shouting ‘Hail Matthew the Spearmaster, hero of our land!’ The whole crowd clapped and cheered him except Eustace, who was about to escape when he was tripped up by Martha. Two of Curt’s men then lifted him up and held him.
The crowd then quietened down as they remembered the body from the sack – of their previous Baron. The Baroness was putting what was left of his body back in the sack. She was in tears. Some people rushed to help her and Hannah returned to comfort her. A couple of Curt’s men then took his body away and the Baroness’s old servants who had fled the castle when the young Baron returned helped her away.
‘I hope she will be ok. She has suffered a lot,’ said Matthew
‘Time will heal her, youngster,’ said Walter. ‘She has the same good nature as her father and will be a good ruler.’
‘Yes, that she will,’ agreed Curt. ‘But tonight we will both celebrate and mourn for the old Baron.’
‘Where is Martha?’ asked Matthew ‘I wanted to speak to her.’
‘Oh, don’t worry. She’s around somewhere, Spearmaster,’ mocked Hannah. Matthew laughed. Life was good. How could he ever have thought it wasn’t? he wondered briefly.