CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

A week later, Flynn had left with the men to go visit the tenant farmers. They rode through the countryside, returning to the castle as they jested about his being preoccupied with his bride.

"We hardly see you now!" Rufus laughed as their horses went through the wooded trees. "She's got the fierce Black Knight under her command!"

"Which is a hard feat to be sure!" Karl added, "She must be reminding you who's really Lord of Castle Garcia!" And they laughed more.

Flynn grinned at their teasing. "Hey, when you finally marry your loves, you, too, will be overjoyed with her beautiful eyes that gaze at you like you are the king. Her lovely smiles that are solely just for you. The sweetness of your name on her lips. Along with her softness and gentle words of love that make you feel and believe that you are a good, strong, hard-working man that she respects, trusts, needs, and loves."

Flynn rode for a few moments and wondered at the men not responding, and turned to peer at them. They all had a look of awe on their faces as Bam Bam replied, "That was utterly beautiful." Flynn chuckled as Bam Bam declared, "I'm going to ask Marta to be my wife."

"It's about time!" All three others responded in unison, and laughed heartily as Bam Bam smiled and shook his head.


It was now late afternoon. Lucy and the ladies were working on sewing dresses for Jiya and Allie because Rufus and Karl had asked for their hand in marriage.

"I'm glad that you've all found wonderful men as well," Lucy said, smiling at her friends.

Jiya laughed, "I think Lord Flynn helped sway them to ask us because they've seen how truly happy he is now!" The ladies laughed.

Allie touched Lucy's arm. "Yes, my lady. You're a beautiful couple, and I thank you for your example to Karl!"

"And to Rufus," Jiya added. "I don't think he would have asked me this soon had he not seen the difference in you both."

Marta pulled a needle through a think piece of the dark cinnamon colored dress. "The other day, David told me he's loved me for a long time but didn't think I loved him."

Allie scoffed, "I think he knew, he was just too shy, like you!"

"Marta," Lucy peered at her, setting her sewing in her lap, "do you love him?"

"I do." Marta turned red. "He hasn't asked me to marry him yet, but I believe he will soon."

"I'll tell Karl to get him to hurry on that before Christmas!" Allie laughed with all of them joining in.

"If I may ask, my lady," Jiya grinned, "how is the love-making aspect?"

Lucy went bright red as she peered at Jiya. Then they all giggled, and the three ladies waited expectantly for an informative answer. Lucy cleared her throat. "Well, my mother told me what to expect and how to behave if my husband ever wanted… to be intimate." Lucy shook her head. "But she never mentioned anything about how wondrously good it all feels." She giggled and they all joined her.

"Really?" Marta asked.

Lucy smiled thoughtfully as she recounted, "He's taken me up to the heavens, flown me around, dropped me in soul… deep… bliss… only to catch me, kiss me all over, and do it again." Now they loudly cackled as Jiya and Allie playfully fanned themselves.

"I feel like that when Karl kisses me!" Allie squeaked.

Jiya smiled brightly. "I can't wait to be in Rufus's arms, all night long!"

The ladies giggled even more.


Nicholas and fifty of his men rode hard through the forest toward the direction of Castle Garcia with his new lead guardsman Simmons out in front ready to attack.

"My lady! My lady!" Lucy stood up went to the door as Danny came flying up the stairs.

Seeing he was excited, Lucy asked, "What is it, Danny?"

"There are a lot of men, guards, coming this way!"

"Oh, maybe it's the duke?" Allie suggested.

Danny looked frightened. "No, it's colors I've never seen before! Orange and red!"

Lucy's stomach tightened as Jiya exclaimed, "It's Lord Rittenhouse!"

Danny added, "Paul and I saw them coming over the hill and he went to light the tower signal!"

"Everyone," Lucy ordered, "stay inside and lock all the doors!" Lucy ordered and the women jumped up and moved out at once. "Danny! Tell Anthony to ring the chapel bells! Then come right back inside!" Danny ran off as Lucy ran to the south tower, praying that Flynn was close and would come quickly.

The men continued to good-naturedly joke at Flynn's expense as they rode forward into the late evening. Although he was the brunt of their teasing, he could not wait to be back in his love's arms.

They crested the hill that normally gave way to a clear view of the castle and Flynn's heart froze. There was smoke coming from the north tower. The three others saw it too just as Flynn yelled, "MEN, WE'RE UNDER ATTACK!" and sent Dunamis into a full run, with the men racing close behind him.

Shawlinger had arrived early, and had just set fire to the men's barracks with some oily rags.

"Huell!" Lucy called, running up the circular stairs to the south tower. "Huell, do you have pigeons trained to go to Bellshire and Woodman's?!"

"Aye!"

"Send a message to both at once that we need help! AT ONCE!"

"Aye, my lady!" Huell grabbed the previously written summoning notes in his wooden case and hurried over to the cages. Lucy ran out and back down the stairs as the chapel bells began to toll.

Nicholas' men were nearing the main gate as his lead guardsman shouted, "CIRCLE TO THE SOUTH AS WELL!" Half of the men split off as black smoke from the barracks began to billow upward.

Flynn spotted the pigeons flying out from the south tower and gripped his reins as Nicholas' guards came into view.

Nicholas' men entered the courtyard and were met by some of Flynn's men at the castle, who began fighting them off. Annoyed, Nicholas yelled, "Get inside!" as he dismounted. "Get these doors open, NOW!"

"You heard him!" Simmons shouted at the troop. The men jumped off their horses. Some of the guards fought the men of the castle as others went over and proceeded to breakdown the front door.

Allie screamed when she heard the first bangs as Lucy made it down the stairs. "Quickly!" Lucy cried. "Into the kitchen and grab something to hit them with!" Allie and Marta turned and ran toward the kitchen, where Clara and Jiya were.

Lucy got there, panting as she looked about. "Where's Danny?"

"I don't know!" Jiya answered as she dared a peek out the window. "The barracks are on fire!"

"Oh no!" Marta exclaimed as Clara handed each of them a skillet, knife, and fire iron.

Lucy went over by Jiya and saw the blaze as the banging on the front door continued. Sprinting to the kitchen door she yelled, "Stay here!"

"Lucy! Where are you going?!" Jiya cried, but Lucy had already vanished out the door.

Flynn and the men charged down toward the front gate as they all unsheathed their swords.

Shawlinger went around to the castle's wall, gleefully eager to set it ablaze.

Nicholas' men burst through the front door. He rushed in as Lucy was running by to get to the back door. She skidded to a halt when Nicholas entered with some of his guards and spotted her. "You little bitch!"

Flynn came up behind the attacking guards and started fighting them, along with Rufus, Karl, and Bam Bam. They stabbed and sliced and struck and kicked, as they made their way into the courtyard. Flynn deftly speared one man on his right and pierced one on his left as he urged Dunamis on with focused determination. He had to get to Lucy by any means.

Nicholas charged after Lucy and she made a dash for the stairs. Racing upward, Nicholas went after her as some of the guards went through out the castle and toward the kitchen. Nicholas reached out as he pursued Lucy and grabbed the skirt of her dress making her almost trip.

"Come back here!" he angrily bellowed, but she yanked it free of his grasped and sprinted faster up the stairs.

Karl and Bam Bam held the men off, making a way for Flynn to get through to the courtyard. He raced Dunamis in, jumped off, and began fighting the guards to get to his front door.

Rufus rode to the edge of the courtyard, jumped off his horse, and hastily snuck down into an opening that led to the underground passage. Running down into the coolness of the tunnel, he quickly grabbed another weapon that was in the secret hold. Onward he ran, coming out of the south side exit, where he immediately saw a man lighting an oily rag.

"I'm going to destroy you!" Nicholas shouted as he chased her. Trying to run ever faster to stay out of his reach, Lucy dashed down the hall to their chambers. Just making it to the door, she swung inside and tried to close it, but he beat her to it, shoving it back open. Lucy quickly turned and ran over to her sword that was lying on the window seat.

Flynn swiftly withdrew his blade from a guard's back and moved forward, leaving a trail of dead men in his wake as he broke through into the castle.

"LUCY?!"

"FLYNN!"

The sound of her terrified voice propelled him forward. Another guard tried to stop him as he headed for the stairs and he simply ran him through as he bounded up the stone flight.

The ladies were fighting off the guards that had broken into the kitchen. Jiya had lifted a cast iron pot and whacked it across a guard's head with all her might, and he fell in a heap to the floor. Allie and Clara held off two with fire irons, while Marta snuck up behind one and cracked him soundly on the back of his head with a skillet, knocking the man to the ground. Allie hit the other one in his face with the iron, and Clara finished him off with a couple of whacks to his head with hers.

Flynn rushed up the stairs and suddenly came against Simmons, who sneered and attacked, bringing his sword down, which Flynn skillfully blocked. Pushing ahead, Flynn got closer to him, forcing Simmons to step back. Flynn continued to expertly block every move Simmons made. Seeing that Simmons favored his left side, Flynn switched to attack and started aiming his strikes low to the right, eventually tripping Simmons up enough for Flynn to successfully wound him and push him down the stairs. When Simmons hit the bottom, he was dead, but Flynn had already raced on to the second floor and charge down the hall toward their chambers.

The man was just about to throw the rock that the oily rag was tied around as Rufus shouted, "Hey!" The man faltered and Rufus shot him in the throat with a handheld crossbow. Gurgling blood, the man fell over onto the flaming oily rag and set himself on fire.

Anthony rolled out his barrel of fireworks into the middle of the courtyard and set it on fire. Explosions began to go off everywhere, causing enough distraction for Karl and Bam Bam to fight off the rest of the guards. Moments later, tenants from surrounding farms had arrived with their weapons and began to make short order of the remainder of Lord Rittenhouse's men.

Nicholas stomped over to Lucy as she grabbed her sword and swung around, thinly slicing the flesh across his chest and shocking him. It had cut through his shirt and skin and greatly smarted, but it wasn't enough to stop him. "Whore, I should have killed you when you and your sickly bunch arrived!" Raising his sword, he was ready to get rid of the one he believed was the reason for all his troubles. His sword came down to finish her, but Lucy bravely blocked his blow.

Surprised, Nicholas struck again, and she fiercely deflected. "You animal!" Lucy shouted. "You'll pay for trying to destroy mine and my husband's home!"

"You've got it backwards! That bastard Flynn made me lose my land and I'm killing you both!"

"That was your fault, you ignorant fool!"

"You're going to the grave, ugly bitch!"

Flynn made it to the room as Nicholas brought his sword down again, to attack her. But Lucy angrily repelled his advance as she spotted Flynn, and pronounced with finality, "My husband, the Black Knight, will end you once and for all! May God have mercy on your soul!"

Furious, Nicholas raised his sword to murder her as Flynn briskly stepped up behind him, slung his arm around his neck and smoothly plunged his sword to the hilt in his side.

Nicholas's sword clattered to the stone floor as Flynn extracted his bloodied blade from his side, letting Lord Rittenhouse fall sideways to the floor, dead.

Lucy dropped her sword as she moved around his slumped body and threw her arms around Flynn's neck. Clutching her to him with one strong arm, he held his sword, peering down at the evil man who had finally been stopped.

"Are you alright?" he asked and felt her nod her head and grip him more tightly.

"FLYNN?!" Rufus called from downstairs.

"UP HERE! LUCY AND I ARE FINE!"

"WE STOPPED THEM ALL!" Rufus shouted.

"ALL OUR PEOPLE ARE FINE AND ACCOUNTED FOR!" Karl yelled.

Immense relief flooded Flynn.

He felt Lucy's shaking body against his. "It's alright," he whispered. "It's over." Hugging her close, he kissed her cheek as he lifted her and carried her out of the room.


SOMETIME LATER

A messenger came to announce that Lord Flynn was now the owner of Rittenhouse Castle and the land of Sir Henry Wallace, since he was married to Lady Lucy of Rittenhouse. Flynn immediately told Lucy that it was all hers to do with as she pleases. Lucy promptly decided to sell the castle and keep her stepfather's land. She wanted to use the money that they received to repair and add onto their own home. Flynn let his Lady Lucy do whatever pleased her, because it made him happy to see her happy.

The day after the messenger had come, they all gathered to eat and drink in the great hall for the festivities of the three weddings that had taken place. Bam Bam and Marta, Karl and Allie, and Rufus and Jiya, all merrily wedded and were beside themselves with joy. All danced and had a wonderful time together, even the Logans and the newlyweds, Noah and Rachel, celebrated with them.

Elizabeth and Jack from the orphanage were there, and they each had a new home. Elizabeth would be in Woodman's Village with Karl and Allie. Jack would have a new home near Bellshire with Bam Bam and Marta. Rufus and Jiya would be living near Wayland Marketplace.

Everyone danced with everyone else, and even Flynn dance with little Deborah, and Lucy danced with her brother Felix as their new parents merrily pranced about the hall to the music of the very same minstrels from Flynn's celebration.

Then Flynn and Lucy came together again and danced until they decided to retire to their chambers.


Flynn sweetly kissed her, and they began removing their garments. Flynn was nude first and he helped her finish getting out of her dress.

"Did I mention how handsome you looked tonight?" Lucy saucily said over her shoulder as she went and stood naked on the new, thick, fur rug before the fireplace. She ran her hands through her dark hair, knowing that doing so set Flynn ablaze.

He approached and kneeled before her, kissing her stomach. "You're always beautiful to me." He gazed up at her as he wrapped his arms around her, and she hugged his head to her.

Lucy lifted his face to peer down at him. "I don't want you to be nervous about the baby."

Kissing her belly again, he gave her a large smile that filled her soul. "I'm excited!"

Softly kissing his lips, she confessed, "Well, I guess it's me who's nervous."

Seeing her concern, Flynn sat back and whispered, "Come." She kneeled and he gingerly took her in his arms. "Our child is going to be God-fearing, healthy, intelligent, and valiant just like their beautiful mother." He kissed her. "So, don't worry."

"Garcia, you amaze me." She kissed him. "I'm truly blessed that you are the father of our baby."

"You're blessing me with another child, my Lucy. That makes my heart sing."

He laid back with her, and she nestled her body further into the warmth of his. Looking down at her in the golden fire light, he whispered, "I love you."

She gently pulled him to her.

"And I love you, my Black Knight."


EPILOGUE

Flynn immediately looked over at Lucy and smiled as he adjusted the small bundle in his arms and gasped, "We were just talking about mama and here she is!" He beamed at their three-week-old son.

It was evening, and Lucy had just entered their chamber with a bit of food and drink for them. Flynn was sitting in the large window, speaking softly to their baby.

Lucy smiled at him as she set the tray on the table and crossed over to them. "And what were you telling him?" She wrapped one arm around his shoulder, kissed the top of Flynn's head, and gazed down at their new love.

"We were just discussing that you would be back and that you will sing a lullaby to both of us."

Chuckling, she rubbed his shoulder, "I'll have to make up some new ones to keep you and Little Garcia from getting tired of the same songs."

Flynn replied in a high voice, "But I like those songs, mama! They make me go nighty-night and papa really loves hearing them, too!" Lucy giggled as he added in a normal voice, "Our boy speaks the truth!"

She shook her head. "You're so charming. That's why I love you."

Lucy scooted onto the pillow right beside him and he gazed at his lovely wife. His eyes held hers as his large hand gently caressed over the thick, dark hair of their baby's head. "I was also letting him know that you are what I call beautiful."

She blushed. "My heart is bursting."

"I love you," he whispered to her. They kissed, letting their lips linger a little. "And I love you, my son." He softly pressed his lips to the baby's forehead.

Laying her head against his shoulder, she lovingly traced her finger over their sleepy baby's cheek. Softly, she began to sing her two loves' favorite lullaby:

The hills will still be very green

You'll run and play and laugh and sing

So, close your eyes, to you I tell

Sleep my love, all will be well

I'll softly watch you as you dream

Of roses and lilies, we will glean

So, close your eyes, let my song swell

Sleep my love, all will be well

Don't be alarmed, sleep my love

He'll shield you from harm, sleep my love

Just rest in God's arms, sleep my love

Sleep, my love, sleep

The sun will rise tomorrow

Your heart will forget all sorrow

So, close your eyes, on this do dwell

Sleep my love, and all will be well


WRITER'S YIK YAK CORNER

Hi, y'all!

First off, I'd like to give mad props to my beta, Hontimauris! She did an amazing job with corrections and sentence wording/structure. I have a habit of using a lot of question and exclamation marks and italics and ellipses for days and she reined my fanfic in! …Isn't that amazing?! Thank you, Hontimauris!

So, just wanted to write a little medieval love story with our hearts favorite ship, Garcia Flynn & Lucy Preston! Give it up again for the best ship on the fanfic high seas! WHOOT-WHOOT! **holding both hands in the air as we double high-five**

I thought some medieval tournament action with a mysterious green-eyed knight,

a fiery brunette yelling at another fiery brunette,

a pretty brunette playfully singing Fraulein Maria-esque with children,

a good-looking brunette chasing a beautiful naked brunette around a tree,

a warm and sweet brunette nursing a fevered, yet still mega manly brunette back to health,

an embarrassed brunette finding out a fully female brunette is cramping,

a literally hot brunette forging fiery metal, sleeveless with an exposed hairy chest, dowsing his dark head of amazing hair with a hollowed-out gourd filled with cool well water while an awestruck brunette watched,

a lovely brunette singing a sweet lullaby to a besotted brunette,

all climaxing into Xtreme Top Ramen Canoodling was something that would be fun to read, squeal, feel and swoon over! Hee-hee!

I did my medieval tournament research at the prestigious establishment of Medieval Times Dinner & Tournament. Guys, when I write fanfic, I take it quite seriously and do my best to get accurate information just for you. I also watched some swordplay techniques on YouTube which I implemented in the scene where Flynn teaches his dark-haired petite one to defend and attack.

The scene where Lucy sees Flynn out in the field and goes to kiss him on both of his cheeks was probably the first image I had for this story. The sweetness of it pushed me to fashion a medieval story around it and, here it is!

I don't know where the thought came from to have Flynn chase naked Lucy around a tree. As I began to think it through, I started laughing at the comedy of it and decided to go for it! Think it turned out pretty cute and hope you thought so too!

Regarding Flynn's horse, Dunamis is ancient Greek and is the root of the word dynamite—um hm, see what I did there?

When I was unemployed, I binged six seasons of Forged in Fire on The History Channel. So, I ended up learning a lot about the forging process. Thought it would be interesting to have our hero out in a forge, pounding iron into a petite size sword for his little lady love. Having Lucy watch him work was fun too! Dude knows he's good-lookin' so, why not have him mess with her? This scene always makes me laugh. And Forged in Fire is a pretty good show! I recommend it!

I played out his birthday celebration like it was their wedding reception so that they could have an "official" wedding night where they first make wove. *heehee* awww.

Sleeping Beauty is my fav Disney Princess, thus the hidden woodcutter's cottage! So romantic and secluded and a perfect place for a few days of honeymooning. BTW, Song of Solomon 4:16-5:1 is the passage they quoted and it's from the ESV (Easy to Read) Bible translation.

And of course, I wanted to end with the two brunettes having a wee brunette named Little Garcia. You know she got pregnant the first time, right? And my beta was all like, "It'd be cool if you actually had the lullaby at the end of the story!" I was all, "Woo hoo! I finished my fanfic!" And then she turns around and throws a challenge at me! *SMH* So, I thought up some rhymes and added it at the end—I ain't gonna lie, I had to look up rhymes for well…can't put the word hell in a lullaby now, can I? I never had any intention of writing another song after My Lord Talks to the Animals. But it turned out sweet. Thank you Hontimauris for the idea!

I love Garcia and Lucy and it's so much fun taking them and placing them in a different setting and having them fall in love again and again and again and again!

I hope you've enjoyed our Garcy pair here in medieval times—HUZZAH! Especially now during this weird time of COVID-19 pandemic of 2020, we could all use something to get our mind away from it… at least for a little while.

So, sleep my love, all will be well.

All of you take care and see you soon!