The Rebels of Cordovia Read online

She had already carried five bags into the store and number six would not be any heavier. When she turned toward the stranger, Robin’s eyes widened. She was not prepared for such a tall well-built and nice looking man standing beside her, offering his help. His white shirtsleeves had been rolled up above his elbows. Over his shirt was a sleeveless leather waistcoat that was laced loosely with a leather string across his chest. His broad shoulders gave him the look of a warrior. He also had a small dimple in his chin that was quite charming, to say the least. Instantly she wondered what his views about their king were. He would make a great addition to her group.

  Then she remembered her father’s advice: “Act like other females and let the men help you. Don’t be so independent. You’ll give yourself away.”

  Quickly amending her previous statement, she said, “Actually I do need some help. This is quite heavy.” Robin smiled gratefully. “Thank you. I tend to be too independent for my own good. You are very kind.”

  When she saw the way he was looking at her, Robin was grateful that she had gone to all the work of fixing her hair. She had made a few small braids that lay neatly against her thick dark tresses. And her dress, though not fancy at all, it accentuated her graceful feminine curves. For some reason, the way he was looking at her made her feel beautiful.

  As Daniel picked up the flour, he asked, “Where are you headed?”

  She pointed to the sign that said “Baker’s Shop.”

  “That’s where I’m headed, too,” said Daniel. “Do you have business there?”

  “Actually, my father owns the shop.”

  With a nod, he carried the flour into the store and set it on the floor with the others.

  When Andrew saw him enter, he said, “Thank you, sir, for helping my daughter. I was busy in the back and didn’t realize she had arrived or I would have helped her.”

  Daniel looked at the tall bearded man, noticing he had a cane in his hand but didn’t say a word. He had a look of dignity in his dark brown eyes and that impressed Daniel.

  The baker walked to the cabinet and shook his head. “I don’t get around much like I used to.”

  “I’m glad to help out, sir.”

  “Is there anything I can help you with, young man?”

  “I would like to buy all the bread and pastries you have in stock. I’m on an errand of mercy today.”

  Andrew raised his brow curiously as he eyed Daniel’s attire. “What kind of errand?”

  Daniel knew he didn’t look wealthy enough to buy out his store, so he plopped his money on the cabinet and said, “I can pay for it, sir. Don’t let my clothes fool you. I’m taking all I can to help the needy in your town.”

  Andrew’s eyes widened when he saw the bag of money. Then he quickly said, “Call me Andrew. I’ll have your order out to you in a few minutes. In the meantime, I’ll have more ready by this afternoon if you want more.”

  Daniel nodded with a wide grin. “Thanks, Andrew. I can help load the goods onto my wagon.”

  “I’ll take you up on that offer, young man, and I’ll add a bonus for your generosity.”

  “A bonus?” Daniel chuckled. “What kind of bonus?”

  Andrew looked at Robin Marie and said, “You may use my daughter for the day, to show you around and help distribute the goods. She’s able and knows who needs help since you’re not acquainted with our little town. Is that all right with you, Marie?”

  Daniel looked at her and smiled. “I would appreciate the help.”

  Robin was surprised at her father’s offer but very pleased at the same time. She also noticed how her father had called her by her middle name, which was unusual for him. She knew he was being extra careful.

  After loading all the goods they could into his wagon, Daniel helped Robin upon the seat and they headed down the road. She spoke of the people they were about to see and their condition, mentioning that many could not find jobs. She noticed how Daniel’s heart went out to the people from little statements he made.

  Finally, after explaining what kind of shape their kingdom was in, hoping to get his opinion on the matter, she was delighted when he made his first statement of rebellion.

  With a slight grunt of disapproval, Daniel said, “How can anyone who cares about their country allow the people to be in such terrible condition? Something just has to be done before more deaths occur from illness and lack of food. And what about the self-respect of the people?”

  “That’s exactly how I feel,” said Robin resolutely.

  Daniel turned toward her and looked into her eyes as he gave a curt nod of approval.

  “Where are you from?” Robin asked curiously.

  He smiled. “Over five years ago we moved here from across the sea. My father had heard of the generosity of Cordovia and what a great kingdom it was. After living here for a time, we were surprised how the king had complete control over his people. It didn’t seem right.”

  Robin slowly shook her head. “It wasn’t always this way. My father told me that years ago we had a kind and generous king who ruled over this land. His name was King Edmund. Papa said that he was a righteous man and believed men were equal in the sight of God. The people loved him and trusted him. When he created a group of warriors to defend our country, they called themselves Edmund’s Legionnaires. When he was about sixty years of age, he told his son that he didn’t want a king to rule over our people any longer. He said that one day a wicked man would take over and our rights would be taken away from us. So he wanted judges to rule instead.”

  “Judges? I don’t understand.”

  “He wanted a High Judge, which would be his own son. And then he would have Lesser Judges. No laws could be passed without the approval of all the judges. This would be for the benefit of the people.”

  “I see,” said Daniel. “In other words, the High Judge would be in charge but he would have to discuss the matter with the Lesser Judges before he could pass a law or something of importance.”

  “That’s right,” said Robin with a smile. “When the High Judge retires or passes away, then the people would put in another High Judge by the vote of the people.”

  With enthusiasm, Daniel said, “I like it.”

  Robin laughed. “Me, too. Well, King Edmund taught his son how to be a good and righteous leader, telling him to allow the people their rights and to have a say about the laws of the land. He was preparing him to rule the people as the High Judge. Then he sent his son to far off countries to learn from them… not only the good things but to learn from their mistakes, too. His son was around twenty-five at the time.”

  “What was his name?”

  “Jonathan.”

  “So what happened to him?” asked Daniel.

  “I’ll get to that,” Robin said with a smile. “Just be patient.”

  “All right,” Daniel laughed as he whipped the reins, encouraging the horses onward.

  “Rupert was Jonathan’s devoted friend. In fact, they were inseparable. They did everything together, even planned their future. While Jonathan was gone, Rupert heard about the king’s decision to not have another king. He wasn’t happy about it and felt he would be a better leader than Edmund. So he quickly gained the trust of the king. Without his knowledge, Rupert was gradually poisoning him day by day.”

  “What?” exclaimed Daniel. “I don’t understand. How could he get away with it?”

  “He did it a little at a time. The servants suspected something was not right. After Rupert’s arrival, they noticed how King Edmund’s health began to decline. He became sicker and sicker each day. One of the servants noticed a glass at his bedside every morning, which wasn’t there the night before. When she questioned the king about it, he said it was new medicine that Rupert was giving him so he could feel better. She didn’t believe it for one moment because that small glass smelled funny. She had it analyzed by a friend and found her suspicions to be true. After telling the news to the servants, they told her to tell the king but it was too late. He passed away the
following day. She then told the King’s Legionnaires what she found out and they were shocked. By then Rupert’s men had moved in and taken over. They could do nothing.”

  “He had a following?” asked Daniel with stunned surprise.

  “Yes. He began rounding up followers as soon as Jonathan left. They called themselves Kingmen because they believed a king should rule over their land. Edmund had heard about them but didn’t know that Rupert was the leader of the group. Rupert had promised his followers riches and high positions of great importance. So, needless to say, they quickly backed him up.”

  “Why didn’t the people rebel and defend themselves?” asked Daniel with disgust.

  “They couldn’t. There were too many Kingmen.”

  He lifted a curious brow. “So what happened to the servants?”

  Robin shrugged. “Who knows? The servants and the Legionnaires decided it wasn’t safe to stay within the Palace. So they moved into the villages and hid in disguise among the people. They’re still alive today. If Rupert ever finds out where they are, he’ll hunt them down. Our very own neighbors could be a devoted servant or one of King Edmund’s Legionnaires.”

  “Really? How long ago did this happen?”

  “Around thirty years. Papa wanted me to know the history of Cordovia because no one is allowed to teach the truth.”

  Daniel’s brow creased with anger as he asked, “How about the king’s son? Couldn’t he come back and reclaim his kingdom?”

  Robin shook her head. “Rupert made sure he never returned. He put guards in charge to search all ships that come to port and at the borders.”

  Daniel whipped the reins against the horses and they trotted down the road toward a farmhouse. What he just learned was quite upsetting. Hopefully he could make a difference to this beautiful country. When he saw a young woman and five children standing near her home, he pushed the depressing news from his memory so he could put on a smile. Everything this lovely young lady had told him spurred him on… to try harder to free these people from oppression.

  They delivered all the bread and pastries from the back of the wagon to everyone Robin could think of in town. The grateful faces and kind words of the people were touching to both Robin and Daniel. She noticed the way Daniel acted when he saw the poverty of the people. When she had told him about the history of Cordovia, Robin could see the anger flaming from his eyes. As they headed back to town, she contemplated whether or not to talk to him about joining their little band of men and women.

  Perhaps this was a good time to ask him but she would not divulge whom she was… just invite him to join and say that she knew the leader. How should she go about it?

  Taking a deep breath, she turned toward him and said, “Have you ever thought about joining one of the rebel causes?”

  Daniel jerked his head toward her in surprise and said, “What?”

  “Well,” she began cautiously. “There are a few groups that have joined together to fight this tyranny and…” She hesitated. “It’s all about protecting our rights: freedom, justice, equality. We need to protect our families from persecution. The king has taken our rights away and we need to get it back.”

  He nodded as he watched her speak. Daniel noticed how strong she felt about the subject and he was impressed. Not too many people voiced their opinion because they were afraid of being arrested if someone of authority heard them complaining or slandering the king. She had spunk.

  He had not expected such a refined lady to care about such causes. This made him take notice of what an unusual person she was. He wished all women had this kind of interest in what was happening around them.

  Robin glanced at her lap and smoothed her dress with her hands. Then she took a deep breath and looked into his eyes as she asked, “Have you ever heard of Robin’s Rebels?”

  A smile played at the corners of his lips. “Yes, I have. What about them?”

  “Well, they’re a group of young people who are fighting for a just cause.” She looked at his muscled arms, which held the reins of the horses. “You could be a great asset.”

  Daniel watched her and grinned. He was not one to brag but for some reason he was glad that she noticed his strength.

  “These rebels buy food for the needy and clothes for the children with the money they take from the tax collector,” said Robin.

  “I’ve noticed they seem to stand out from all the other rebel groups,” said Daniel with a nod. “I’ve also heard of another group called the Freemen. They have about fifty men and are growing every day. They are hoping to have one hundred good fighting men by next week.”

  “One hundred?” she asked with surprise.

  “That’s right. The leader has been recruiting a lot of smaller groups.” Daniel tried so hard not to grin as he said, “I hear that he is one person who is difficult to beat.”

  Robin’s eyebrows rose curiously. “He is? What cause are they fighting for?”

  He shrugged, suppressing a smile. “The same as Robin’s group, I suppose. He’s determined to win over every rebel group there is. By the way, I hear this Robin character isn’t much to look at. Kind of scrawny!”

  Robin smiled as she eyed his muscles. “Probably scrawny next to you!”

  She laughed and he grinned from ear to ear. “You think so?”

  “But Robin’s very wiry,” she added. “I understand he’s a good fighter, especially in archery. He’s won many an archery contest.”

  “Really?”

  Daniel thought for a moment. He was known as one of the best archers in the community. That did it. He would challenge the leader to an archery contest for sure. It was important to him to be considered the best. Besides, if this scrawny young man did win, then he definitely wanted him. Hopefully Miles was able to convince the group to accept the contest between both rivals.

  As they rode home, he looked at the lovely woman sitting beside him. He felt an attraction toward her that he had never felt for a woman before. It was much more than her beauty and he knew it. Perhaps it was her spunk as she talked about the rebels’ cause. Or maybe it was the way she helped him as they handed the goods to the families. He loved how she held the children on her lap and spoke with soft reverence.

  One little girl by the name of Amy gave her some wild flowers and kissed her on the cheek. Marie hugged her with such affection and promised to bring her a new dress when she came back. He noticed how she always inquired of the parents if the children had enough clothes because she could round some up if they needed some. This kind of devotion to the people impressed Daniel. She was so compassionate.

  When she turned her head toward him and their eyes met, something passed between them. Instantly he knew this would be one woman he would have a tough time getting off his mind.

  Chapter 3

  It was evening when Polly arrived at Robin’s home, announcing a meeting with Miles once again. She was a short woman with blond hair, and in her mid-twenties. Polly was enthusiastic about their cause and did all she could to donate her time.

  Robin sighed and then told her that she would meet everyone at the barn. She needed to get her disguise on first. She couldn’t allow anyone outside her group to know who she was.

  After putting on her clothes, she looked at herself in the mirror and smiled with humor. Daniel had said she was “scrawny.” That made her laugh. Robin was taller than the average woman and this was an advantage to her. It would be easier to look like a young man without any suspicion. And yes, she was wiry.

  Robin’s little group was fairly new. The first thing they vowed to do was to stop the tax collector every time he came to Charlottesville. That was a good beginning. It would show the king that they meant business. All the other groups of rebels were doing their part in their own villages, as well. The people were giving a message to the king.

  The first time they stopped the tax collector was on his way back to the palace. The only road leaving their town was through the woods, so Robin’s men were prepared. They ha
d put a log in the road and the coach had to stop. As soon as it did, Robin’s men jumped out from their hiding places with bows and arrows aimed at the driver and two guards. Seeing how out numbered the three men were, they quickly dropped their weapons and surrendered.

  The tax collector had thrown out a large bag of money and said, “I give up. Here is the money. That’s all I have. The people didn’t have much on this trip.”

  Robin smiled as she told him to get out of the coach. She knew there was much more. She climbed in and searched everywhere. After a moment, she lifted a small curtain that was draped over the front of the seat for decoration. When she saw a small door, she opened it. The hole was stuffed with bags of money. She grinned. He had tried hiding the door with a drape over the seat.

  The next time the collector came to town, Robin decided to do something different. While they were parked outside the Baker’s Shop to collect his money, Andrew chatted with the man and kept him busy while Polly walked up to the driver and the guards and offered them some ale. It was a hot day and they quickly hopped down and accepted the gift.

  When the powerful sleeping drug in the ale took effect, Robin’s men dragged them into an alleyway and stripped them of their clothing. After putting on the men’s clothes and getting into position, Robin gave the signal that her father could stop talking and give his taxes to the collector.

  The man suspected nothing. He didn’t check the faces of his driver or guards, but just yelled, “To the palace! I’m done for the day.”

  The coach headed out of town and toward the woods.

  The taxman yelled to his men as they entered the forest, “Watch out for thieves this time, men! Be on guard!”

  With a snicker, Merek yelled back, “We sure will, sir. We don’t want to be caught by Robin’s Rebels again.”

  Merek was a hefty man and loved to be a comedian at times. He chuckled as they entered the woods. When they arrived at the designated spot, Robin’s men were standing in the road waiting. She knew all the stops the taxman made in town and had everything planned out perfectly.