Dochia's Saddle

We've been together for 15 years.
When I first saw him, the short hair, slim build and stiff attitude easily tricked me into believing my next partner was a boy. She carried on the ruse for years and fooled me as she fooled everyone else, even her riding instructor and the sword master. Looking back I feel somewhat guilty for treating her as a boy: keeping my leather straight and unbending, for a lad must grow strong. I took his sighs of pain as signs of weakness.

Ioannis knew, he must have known. What father would put his only daughter, his only child through these trials?

I'd have never found out, were it not for the greed of Ioannis' neighbor. I still blame myself. If not for my lack of Latin training, I'd have understood the whispered "Defectus seminis" spelled trouble for any of Ioannis' heirs. Lack of male heir, Stan explained later to his friend Niklaus, during one of their rides. They were both educated in Latin, another two languages I can't even remember, mathematics and the law of the land.

I heard the slightest hesitation in his voice and wondered why would he or anyone else be worried. Truly, there was no spare, but Ioannis had his much needed albeit long awaited male heir.

Later, the explanation shed some light on why Ioannis would willingly disguise his only daughter, yet I had my doubts.

When Stan was about 15 we faced our first real battle. I am vain about my beauty, all encrusted in silver with rich embossings on the sides. A sword slash would give me an unsightly scratch. With a 15 year old just-out-of-the-lists squire, this was quite a possibility. I am glad I couldn't tell then Stan wasn't a boy. Nobody could from the way she fought.

Niklaus and his father rode on Ioannnis' side to confront the powerful Lord Tamas. At the time I took the blush on Stan's face the result of the tense situation and fast ride. I couldn't help but notice Stan's beautiful features. "A bit too pretty for a boy, not a shade of beard on his face, he's one of those baby face kinds" I remember thinking.

Tamas prevailed. Stan dealt quite a damage, prompting a raised brow from Niklaus and a hateful scowl from Tamas. The boy didn't have time to bask in the appreciation, as Miklos had a knife at Ioannis' throat.

'Fraternal adoption' yelled Tamas. "And you might live !"

'Over my dead body, I couldn't call this scoundrel my son!' , Ioannis retorted.

Miklos flinched in surprise and his blade drew blood. Stan moved towards Miklos. I could sense he was nervous, his fists on his side tightly clenched. It must have dawned on him why Tamas asked for fraternal adption and the danger this put him in. Still, he turned towards Miklos with a serene face and an almost genuine smile.

'Release him, my father will adopt you. I'll make a good brother to you. You cannot win today and a crime witnessed by Lord Niklaus and Lord Bade will not go unnoticed.'

'He will make a good son, father, you'll see. Adopt him!', Stan turned to his father.

He had the plotting look I've seen many times. I prayed Ioannis would know his son well. He did, as he agreed and Miklos released him.

'Niklaus and Bade will sign a letter to the Prince showing the adoption was forced... We stand a chance it will be annulled.!' Stan whispered when Ioannis was out of Miklos' earshot.

This earned her another raised brow from Niklaus and a hearthy pat on the back from Bade. Stan swayed under the blow and Bade chuckled.

'On days like this I forget you're still a boy, Stan' he said.

A couple of years ago, I was hastily pulled out of my hanging place and thrown on the back of Thunder, Stan's favorite stallion. The boy, as I knew her then, was named for his mother, lady Stana. He jumped on my back, hanged a couple of satchels on my sides and checked the contents of a pouch around his waist. We left in a hurry and Stan never looked back until we passed the edge of the forest. We hid for many weeks and I couldn't help to notice what a skilled hunter he was: light of foot and master of hiding.

Wandering, we arrived on the shore of a beautiful lake. Although I hate water, the view was magnificent. I almost didn't notice when Stan shed off his clothes and went for a dive. My belts nearly unbuckled.

I watched the boy suddenly changed in a beautiful girl swimming in the blue water of the lake and understood, if I rather disagreed with Ioannis' way to protect her. As a daughter she had no rights, as a son she could inherit.

She barely donned her shirt and trousers when Thunder heard someone approaching and snorted. The next moment Stan was with a dirk at the intruder's throat. Surely what she lacked in strength she made up in nimbleness. I was surprised to hear arms clasping and whispered talk.
'Niklaus!' I heard and I left a deep breath.

Then I heard the sniffles and could barely discern "Dochia" and "Ioannis". Her father's name in relation with an unknown female name had me worried. I peeked. In time to see Niklaus's dark eyes staring at Stan as he was seeing her for the first time. It came out of nowhere, the kiss that made me ashamed of my indiscretion.

Before I turned my head I noticed her long curls, almost my color. I am quite vain about the deep brown shade of my leather. Nobody would have guessed how well they would frame her face, covered as they were by the dull cap she usually wore under the mail.

They sat on the log Thunder was tied to. I don't usually eavesdrop but they were so close I couldn't avoid to hear.

'I thought you'd be happy hearing Ioannins is still alive ?' Niklaus asked.

'I am' she said staring at the paper.

Niklaus slowly pried the letter from her hands. Didn't his mom tell him this was rude? Or so I heard about reading another's correspondence. It was just as well, as his face went from a frown to wide eyed and ended with thorough stupefaction.

'The White Knight. The White Knight is your father. Your mother choose right, Dochia is a beautiful name!' was all he could muster.

Dochia is better then Stana, I mused. I am also vain about the names of my partners. My thoughts were interrupted as I heard her:

'Praefectio in filium...'

God help me, more Latin, I gasped.

'My father's son... Yes, I am hunted as the blood of the White Knight by those knowing about it, I am hunted as the rightful heir of the home I grew up in, by Tamas and his cronies... my name is Dochia and I masquerade as a wannabe knight...'

'You are the only true part of my life Niklaus ! I don't know what I'd become without you!' she said clasping her arms tightly around him.

At the time I was happy for her and convinced that true love would solve everything. Sentimental fool I was, an intolerable oversight for a shining with use howdah.

For the last two years I've been Dochia's saddle. I softened towards her while she hardened into the mercenary everyone knows.

I knew Erzbet was trouble the moment I saw her. Niklaus wasn't so perceptive and was ensnared by her charms.

I couldn't see Dochia's face when he announced his bethrotal to Erszbet but I could see her when she bursted into the stables shortly after and propped her forehead against my leather, her tears falling in warm streams across my embossings.

She jumped on my back and didn't stop until she reached the camp of the pretender.

It was probably a good idea she kept both the ruse and the training going.
A rash and unforgiving man, with a tragic story, he must have felt something is amiss. Or it was just that misery asked company.

An opportunity presented itself soon enough: the ruler supporting his opponent was held otherwise engaged in the siege of a long disputed fortess. The pretender gathered his army and set to seize what he thought rightfully his.

I am glad I wasn't there when Niklaus told his father he couldn't honor his family's pact to help the pretender.

I am glad I wasn't there when Niklaus found out about Erzsbet's betrayal.

I am glad my poor Dochia wasn't there to witness Niklaus die trying to save what was left of his honor.

I was there though when Dochia found out of his death. For a moment, in full armor, staying near the prince, their eyes glimmered with the same lethal knowledge.

Nothing remained of Tamas and Miklos, their lands forfeit. The prince made sure Erszbet's traitorous kin all but disappeared.

With each raid Dochia became more precise, more deadly and I am left wondering where her soul has hidden.

Yet I know it is there, for we are still visiting the Red Rose Tavern. She leaves me in the small hideout, together with her armours and weapons. I hear the merriment and the laughter down in the tavern hall. Sometimes I hear her sing... I have hope!

Entry for the February's 2012 contest, "What a character" - 1475 words.