Planning

They managed to take turns getting a few hours of fitful sleep while the other kept watch. Now a new day dawned and Christine awoke, tired but with renewed determination.

"Good, you're awake," Max said from her bedside. "We can probably make our way to the stables before most of the castle awakens. I'll get us the fastest horses, and we'll-"

"I'm not leaving," Christine stated quietly. "My family needs me... my people need me. Prince Henry is a selfish and evil man; if he becomes king, everyone will surely suffer." She turned away from Max, so he wouldn't see the fear in her eyes. "You go. Flee far away from here. Or you can probably stay employed under Prince Henry, although he will probably make your working conditions harsher. He is too lazy to replace the servants and will probably try to keep as many as possible." In fact, that was part of Christine's plan. She had been thinking a lot the previous night; Prince Henry was too arrogant to even give a servant a second glance. Christine could pose as a maid and hide right under his nose while she tried to find a way to rescue her family. Although she had no idea how she could do it alone... and her only ally was about to leave...

"I'm not going anywhere," Max said. "Not without you." He wrapped his arms around her from behind and gently kissed her neck. He had assumed all noblewomen were weak and frail, and would crumble at the first sign of hardship. Yet here was Christine, who had lost everything, and yet was willing to stay and fight against all odds. She was the most amazing woman he had ever met - not just beautiful, but brave and kind and well.

Christine sighed with relief as she reluctantly pulled away from his embrace. There was no time for that right now. She told Max her idea, and they began to formulate a plan.

"Last night, when you rescued me, how did you manage to disable two armed guards as well Prince Henry himself?" Catherine asked.

"I had the element of surprise, and I'm a pretty good shot." Max's father was the blacksmith, and his mother a cook, so Baron Gerard allowed him to stay in the castle even before he was employed in the stables. He was only a few years older than Christine but a good deal taller. She had watched him grow up, playing by himself - mostly games of throwing stones at targets, or swinging a stick around pretending to be a knight. From years of helping his father at the forge, and now handling the horses and lifting heavy hay bales, Max had grown strong and muscular.

"How did you make those tranquilizer darts and smoke bombs? Can you make more?"

"The darts are basically just thorns from the sleeproses that grow in the garden. Soaking a handful of them in sugar water and then boiling the solution down to a paste increases the potency enough to be effective against humans. I can pretty easily make more, but the smoke bombs require special ingredients from the market," Max explained.

These could have been great assets in defending the castle. "Why hasn't my Father ever heard about these weapons?"

"The highborn rarely speak with us commoners except to order us around or scold us," Max stated indifferently, resigned to the fact that was just the way the world worked.

Although vital to her plan to hide in plain sight, Christine felt societal changes had to be made after really getting to know Max. She blushed, realizing she was personally guilty. In all the years she had known him, they had barely exchanged words before yesterday. "I apologize on behalf of my family," she said solemnly.

Max shrugged. "It's not all that bad. We have learned to use it to our advantage. It's easy for us to overhear things because we are practically invisible to nobles as long was we do our job. That's how I knew to prepare a smoke bomb and some darts to come rescue you; a servant girl overheard Prince Henry talk about overthrowing the baron."

Well, that was something at least; information was definitely power. But was it enough? Could she really raise up a resistance from within these very castle walls? What did she have besides some tranquilizer darts? Some of her father's men probably joined Prince Henry out of fear, but would switch sides if there was actually a chance of winning the castle back. "Does your father still have any weapons? Is he able to make more?"

"Prince Henry probably tried to confiscate everything to supply his own army, but my father should have a few swords hidden away still. He's also recently been testing out a new alloy to make stronger, lighter weapons. Given time, my father could secretly make us a few superior swords if you find someone to wield them."

"This might actually work," Christine thought. "Although it would be advantageous to get outside help as well. Even though Prince Henry has the backing of the church, everyone knows the clergy can be corrupt. If they found out what he tried to do, and that I never married him, some other nobles might be willing to send help."

"Do you know who Merthin is?" Christine was caught off guard by the question, but after a moment of reflection, she shook her head.

"According to Old Thom, your father has been corresponding with him for years, Thom couldn't say about what, but a friend of your father could be useful." Max explained. "He resides at the notary in Oldchester. We could send a message to him via one of the travelling merchants or entertainers. I'll also try to get word out to the surrounding towns and villages." Christine was impressed. Apparently, the commoners had an information system that rivaled the king's royal messengers, and no one knew. "We commoners know we'll never be in a position of influence, so we have to work together," Max continued as if reading her thoughts. "That's the only real power we have."