Mary, the wife of the Duke of Richmond, still dressed in a costume similar to that of her husband's Privy Councillor, finally walked out of the main castle building with constant encouragement from two valet maids. As Mary took her first step, her eyes suddenly sharpened into the face of one of the sergeants guarding the left side of the gate, and she was terrified that the sergeant would see a different version of herself. However, the sergeant's gaze seemed to be ...... All the while looking at the castle road beyond the gate steps......

In order to give her mistress confidence, the maid Amy had to borrow the dress preferences of the Privy Counsellor of the Duke's Court to explain, "Madam, Miss Isabel wears such a garment every day in her duties for Her Highness, and I have never heard anyone talk about whether she can wear men's clothes. ”

Mary came to the stairs and looked at the guards who were waiting for her on the side of her horses, as well as her own horses, "Well, I know that's true. However, I am the cousin of Her Majesty the Queen, the Duchess, and how shall I explain it if the other nobles and their ladies are to see it? ”

Amy felt that her hostess was now not going to a bloody dueling arena, but was dressed up for a banquet or ball with some nobleman in the north, and might have long forgotten the reason for leaving the castle in a hurry. With a quiet smile on his face, he looked at Mary with respectful eyes, "Madam, today is Sunday Mass, and the nobles and their wives will surely spend the only rest day of the week in their castle. ”

When the two maids and the butler followed the lord's wife down the stairs, Mary remembered the reason for leaving the castle at this time, and hurriedly said to the two maids, "Amy, Kelly, why have I been delayed for so long?" Is Isabelle's duel with someone else over? ”

The two maids shook their heads, and Kelly just smiled and replied, "Madam, you didn't delay for a long time. I don't think the duel is over yet. ”

"Alright, go back. I'm going to take a look at the duel now. Mary stepped on her horse with some impatience, and as she took the whip from one of the guards, she commanded the butler standing on one side, "Arthur, until I return, you will take care of all the affairs of the castle." ”

"Yes, ma'am." The butler replied respectfully as he stood on the stairs.

"Let's go." Mary didn't feel the slightest discomfort in straddle the horse for the first time, and commanded several guards in front of and behind her to ride away.

The three men on the stairs watched the Duchess's procession go away before turning away and walking away towards the main gate. Arthur, the butler, walked up to the maid Amy and asked in a low voice, "Why is Madame wearing a man's costume today?" ”

Amy glanced at the butler, but continued to walk with Kelly, "Because of Miss Isabel, isn't it?" ”

"Yes. However, Madame's status and status are incomparable to that of Miss Isabel. I only hope that Madame will not be dressed like this at the upcoming feast of St. Michael's Day. ”

"Mr. Butler, neither you nor the two of us can change Madame's mind. Therefore, we can only follow Madame's decision. ”

John Neville entered the castle through the north gate of Richmond Castle and did not inquire about the whereabouts of his godmother, Isabel. However, he heard some exciting news from the two servants: at this moment, a duel was taking place near the castle.

John, who was on his horse, leaned down and looked at one of the servants and asked curiously, "Who is the duel?" ”

The servant shook his head, "I don't know, sir, I just heard someone talking about it. ”

"What else did you hear?"

"I heard the two tenant farmers say that the duel was probably taking place on the grass on the west shore of the castle."

"I see, let's go."

After the two servants bowed and left, John immediately turned around and left the castle the way he came. When he came to the castle, he reined in his horse and sat on horseback and thought, "Who would have a duel near the Duke of Richmond's castle?" ”

"Could it be that the godmother is dueling with someone else? Quite possibly, or maybe someone else. ”

"It doesn't matter who duels with whom, go watch it for a while. Anyway, today is a day off, and I don't have to listen to the pastor's lectures. ”

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Sally watched intently as Isabel grappled with Carl in the dueling ring, and when she thought that Isabel was not in danger for the time being, she casually answered the mysterious man's question, "Actually, I have known Miss Isabel for several years. ”

The mysterious man thought for a while and quietly asked, "Madam, is this noble lady merciful or cruel in your opinion?" ”

"Cruel? Sir, why do you think? I don't understand what you mean. ”

"Now, the noble lady is trying to kill the son of a young tenant farmer with her sword in the dueling ring."

Although Sally doesn't know why Isabel is dueling, she is confident that her partner won't want to kill a young man for no reason. Glancing sideways at the mysterious man, he just said calmly, "Sir, whatever it takes for Miss to participate in the duel, I think I just want to tell you that Miss Isabel is definitely a benevolent and magnanimous noble lady. ”

"Maybe. If I had told you the fact that she had killed a man's son a few weeks ago, probably you would not have thought her merciful and magnanimous. The mysterious man cryptically spoke of what had happened in the Fountain Monastery.

The proprietress of the tavern guessed right, this mysterious man was indeed not a subject of the Duke of Richmond. He was the middle-aged longbowman who was one of several thieves who had been shot to death by Isabel and his son had been freed at the Fountain Abbey. Since the last time he and several of his accomplices were released by Isabel, he has continued to steal and rob without repentance.

After nearly two months, he and a few of his surviving accomplices reorganized a new gang of thieves and used the looted treasure, food, clothing, weapons and horses to take many of Yorkshire's homeless people into the gang. As the gang grew, he established his base in a primeval forest south of the village of Ramsgill in the Yorkshire Highlands, following the story of Robin Hood, a medieval hero who rebelled against the oppression of the aristocracy.

Robin Hood united some of the heroes of the Green Forest who robbed the rich and helped the poor, and became chivalrous thieves, in order to rectify the tyrannical nobles, officials, and Catholic clergy. Thus, the middle-aged longbowmen also had several aims: to oppose the dissolution of monasteries and the restoration of the Catholic Church in the north. Stop land enclosures, restore peasants' right to use public land, and reduce land rents.