1019. Chapter 1019

After Much Ado About Murder

Episode 8.20

By

UCSBdad

Disclaimer: He who hath no stomach for this fanfic, let him depart, his passport shall be made, But no crowns for convoy will be put in his purse as I make no money from this. Rating: K. Time: See above.

Xanthippe, having been wounded in her shoulder, pulled her horse a few yards away to examine her wounds.

"You bitch! You've marked me." She screamed. "I'll see to it that you're a week in dying and I'll cut off your tits and make pouches from them."

Kate laughed, although not feeling at all cheerful. "First you'll have to defeat me and you haven't done so well so far. I doubt if you can do more than castrate little boys. You're no fighter."

Xanthippe spat. "My man will kill yours and then we'll see who's a fighter."

Kate had reloaded her handgonne, this time using a double charge of powder. Firing at Frankopoulos, she saw him reel in the saddle.

Taking advantage of the distraction, Castle swung his sword at the armored man's leg with all of his strength. He managed to dent the armor and heard a grunt of pain. He leapt back as Frankopoulos swung his sword, just barely missing.

As Kate reloaded, Xanthippe decided to charge. At nearly point blank range, Kate fired at the woman, hitting her horse's head and shooting the Greek woman in the stomach. The horse collapsed, pinning the wounded Xanthippe under him.

Kate reloaded, this time pushing several small shot down the barrel. She rode to the back of Frankopoulos' horse and fired at the horse's left rear hoof which was not covered by armor. The horse screamed in pain and began bucking. Castle drew his dagger and ducked under the plunging horse, stabbing it in the belly, ripping away at the flesh.

The horse collapsed, throwing its rider. Frankopoulos managed to land on his feet, but was staggered. Castle hit his helmeted head with his sword, driving the man to his knees. As he battered the man with his sword, Kate rode up behind him and fired at the back of his helmet. The blow stunned Frankopoulos, allowing Castle to jam the blade of his dagger through the vision slit of the helmet and deep into the man's brain. Frankopoulos collapsed, dead.

"Are you all right?" Kate asked, frightened.

"Yes. You?"

Kate examined herself. "I'm not hurt."

"We should leave. There are horsemen riding out. I'll ride behind you."

"One thing first." Kate said, riding to where Xanthippe lay pinned by her head horse. Kate leaned down and stabbed the woman through her screaming mouth.

Castle got behind her and headed back to his army as fast as they could. Paleologos led a large group of stratiotes out to greet them. Seeing this, the enemy horsemen rode back to their lines.

"Are you all right?"

Castle nodded. "I think the Greeks have an odd way of negotiating." Paleologos blushed, then laughed.

"I believe you're both fine."

Castle's army was arrayed in its usual battle formation: Spearmen and dismounted men at arms in the center, equal numbers of archers and crossbowmen to each side of them and equal numbers of stratiotes on the flanks. Castle took his place in the center of the line.

"What's happening, Paleologos? Do you know?"

"There's a man with a long white beard, wearing an expensive blue robe who appears to be haranguing the enemy army. My guess is that he's the army's Venetian paymaster, telling them to fight or not get paid. I'd guess the army isn't too happy after seeing their leader killed." The Greek shook his head. "What form their unhappiness will take…."

"Horse archers!" Will Fox called as hundreds of men rode out and began trotting towards Castle's army.

"Mostly Turks, I'd guess, with some Pechenegs and Tatars. Perhaps even the occasional Mongol. And every one of them is damned good." Paleologos said.

When the horsemen were four hundred paces from the Istrian army, they began to turn away. As they did so, the archers turned in their saddles and shot their arrows. They kept up a running fight, trotting towards Castle's men, then turning and firing, then riding away only to repeat the whole process.

"They aren't coming any closer." Paleologos said. "Normally, they'd close on us and overwhelm us with arrows. But they're barely coming into range. Many of their arrows are falling short."

"Archers! Crossbowmen!" Castle yelled. "We'll give them dozen arrows and three crossbow bolts per man. Archers! Loose!"

The air was filled with arrows and bolts, most of which fell short. Castle did see a few of the enemy horsemen fall. But not many.

The desultory fight lasted for another five minutes, then the horse archers slowly began to drift back to their own army. As they did so, the Venetian in the blue robe rode out and had what appeared to be a loud conversation with the leader of the horse archers. They paid no attention to him and rode on off the battlefield.

The Venetian spurred his horse and headed for the cataphracts, but before he got there, the heavily armored horsemen began riding away. He then rode to the other side of the army where the other cavalry was. After a long conversation, the mass of horsemen began moving towards Castle's army. They began at a walk and then moved to a canter. Then, about five hundred paces from Castle, they slowed to a walk and then stopped, just out of bow range.

They could hear a lot of yelling but none of Castle's captains could make out what anyone was saying. Even Kate couldn't make out what all the shouting was about. Then, one horseman began to ride away from the battle. Then another, and another and another, until whole groups began riding off. Soon the last of the cavalrymen were out of sight.

The Venetian paymaster looked at his infantry, shook his head and rode off. As he left, the infantry, in good order, marched off the battlefield.

Castle watched with mixed surprise, happiness and suspicion.

"Paleologos, give them an hour, then send your troops out to see what they're doing. This could be a trick."

Meanwhile, a rider came towards Castle. He could see that it was Hamid.

"Sir Richard! Is it true? Did your good lady slay that foul beast, Xanthippe?"

"It is true. She did kill Xanthippe."

Hamid leapt from his horse and ran to Kate, who was still mounted. He bent and kissed her boot.

"Lady Katherine, I am yours. I am your man. I am your slave. I am anything you wish me to be. I thank Allah that you have killed that….thing! Would that I had done the deed myself, but it is enough that she is dead. May I see the body?"

"Hamid, all that I wish is that you be a good man and serve myself, my husband and Istria until such time as you must return to your family and your Sultan."

Hamid dropped to his knees. "My Lady, you are a saint!"

Castle spoke. "As for seeing the body. We'll wait a few hours until we are sure that the Venetian and his army are well and truly gone." Castle stood in hid stirrups. "You can see the dead woman and Frankopoulos, the leader of the army, from here."

Hamid was anxious to see that Xanthippe was truly dead, but was willing to wait.

After an hour, a group of stratiotes came in with a half a dozen ragged looking horse archers in tow. Paleologos talked to his men and then led the horse archers to Castle.

"These men now wish to join our army. One of them is a cousin of one of my men. I think we should accept them. And they have a most interesting tale to tell."

"What kind of tale?" Castle asked.

"How we came to defeat an army that outnumbered ours with hardly any effort at all."

"I'd wish to hear that."

"It seems that Xanthippe was considered a great and powerful witch. One who could not be defeated by anyone and whose lover, Frankopoulos, she had made invincible. Their army had heard the stories of Sir Richard Castle being the Devil incarnate and his wife being an enormously powerful wizard. When both Frankopoulos and Xanthippe were defeated by them, the whole army believed they were doomed should they attack."

Hamid began speaking loudly in Turkish, gesturing to Lady Katherine. When he was done, he turned to Kate.

"Lady Katherine, I have told these men that neither you nor your husband derive your powers from Satan, but from the worship of the one true God. As all men know, God is all powerful and can always defeat the minions of Satan. They are most impressed."

Kate smiled. "Thank you, Hamid. I was never comfortable being thought of as a disciple of the Devil."

Several hours had passed before the stratiotes began to come back. They reported that the Venetian paid army had indeed disbanded and had scattered to the four winds.

Hamid, Castle, Kate and many others rode to see the remains of Xanthippe and Frankopoulos. Hamid leapt from his horse and viciously kicked the corpse of the woman.

"I should like to chop her to pieces so that she cannot be buried." He cried.

"I have a better idea." Castle said. "Bring a cart and put the bodies in them. Tomorrow, we'll take them to Spolato."

"Why?" Kate asked.

"I have a cunning plan." Castle said with a smile.

The next morning, the Company of St. Katherine of England paraded in front of the walls of Spolato. Those with armor had polished it brightly and those without had put on their most colorful clothing. Some had taken strips of cloth and braided them into their horses' manes. Most colorful were Alexis and her female handgonners. They wore silk gowns that had been pilfered from the towns the chevauchee had raided.

More impressive, however, was Sir Richard in his highly polished armor and Lady Katherine in a silk gown of dazzling white.

The citizens of Spolato manned their walls, but not one word was said by them.

The army stopped well out of crossbow range. Several archers brought out two thick poles and pounded them into the ground. Then a cart was brought forth and two bodies were dumped unceremoniously on the ground. A groan went up from the citizens of Spolato when they recognized the two corpses. Hamid came forth with a razor sharp sword and cut off Xanthippe's head with one blow. Then Castle took his own sword and cut off Frankopoulos' head, also with one blow. Then archers stuck the severed heads on the poles.

Castle fearlessly rode up to the walls of Spolato.