story 1 part 3

The new day dawned crisp and bright. She woke as the sun was rising behind the trees and gazed at the beautiful colors."a beautiful sunrise for a beautiful new day" she thought. After the colors began to fade, she turned on her side and found her knight still asleep a few feet away, his head resting on a large flat rock. His brown was furrowed in his sleep, as if he were in deep thought. "I wonder what he dreams about" she puzzled as she watched him. The burned side of his face lay against the rock, obscuring it from view. "from this angle he could be quite handsome. I wonder what happened that caused him to carry those scars on his face." Her thoughts wandered to the day before. She wondered whether they had even noticed if she were gone. Secretly she hoped that her captors had lost and the head of the brat king was now posted on the main gate. She focused her gaze once more on the sleeping knight. "But why did he do this? This man in front of me has never lifted a finger to help anyone except for me. Why me? " The knight she knew before yesterday was a hard man who carried out the kings' darkest wishes. Until yesterday she had figured there was nothing more to him than that. But now, as she looked at him, she didn't know what to think. She had placed all her trust in this man that she didn't know. "I hope I did the right thing, but deep down I believe him when he said he would keep me safe. I will trust my gut feelings and see where this path leads me. It cannot be worse than yesterday". She sighed.
At the sound he snapped open his eyes and stared forward into hers. An electric jolt went up her spine and she fought with herself to keep from shivering in front of him. He was up in a moment, having slept fully clothed, muttering apologies for oversleeping. The empty wineskin beside him held the reason why. As she glanced at it she gave him a half smile, full of knowing. She replied "I've only just awoken myself".
They ate a meager breakfast of hard bread and cheese, and washed it down with water from the nearby stream. When he had finished, he looked to her and said bluntly "we should be moving on. If the city has won the war they will come to find you. That pipsqueak of a knight may have told them, if he lived. I should have killed him myself. That would have simplified things. I must be getting soft." He grimaced at the thought, then realized she was there and calmed. "When we get to the next town we will have to change your appearance" he said more softly. "We will color your hair and if you are willing, cut it shorter. They will be looking for a highborn maid with long black hair and green eyes, so we will need to change your description. I, on the other hand, will be much harder to disguise." He said the last sentence with a bitter tone, touching the side of his face as he spoke. He came to quickly. "But I can defend myself. You cannot. This will change. Come this evening and every evening henceforth you will learn how to defend yourself." He ignored the look of shock in her face. "it is the only way. You are no longer a highborn maid to the outside eye. You are now my sister to anyone who asks and, when you are worthy of the title, my squire. Don't forget that." He left no moment for a retort from her. Instead he busied himself with preparing for departure. Things happend so quickly that before she knew it she was being hoisted back into her saddle and starting off on the day's journey. She winced as the saddle sores from yesterday made themselves known. "what just happened here?" she mused. " I have to learn to fight? I've never thought about that. My father would disaprove if he ever knew" she said with a grin. But then she remembered that her father was dead and would never know, her mother as well. She was all that remained of her house. "Someday I will go back and claim my birthright" she told herself. "But for now, I must do as he asks of me. He will keep me safe until that time". She rode on at his side, lost in her thoughts. She did not see him glance at her from time to time with a look that was quite unfamiliar to his former nature.

story 1 part 2

Her eyes adjusted to the darkness and focused on _ standing in front of her. "Quiet", he whispered. He took his hand from her mouth and slumped onto the floor at her feet. His cape was smeared with blood, although he did not seem to have any wounds. A portion of his sleeve was burnt and he was shaking slightly.
"I'm done", he whispered fiercely. "I will not stay here and suffer this monster. Too long have I been his pet, and for what? I have seen enough madness here." He stood up quickly and pulled her to her feet, his large hands on her shoulders. "I could take you away from here. I could keep you safe. With this kingsguard livery no one would challenge me, and if they were fool enough to try I would send them to their gods. You will no longer have to suffer at the hands of that boy they call king". He looked into her eyes. She was trying not to concentrate on the heavy scars on the left side of his face. He saw this in her face and scowled. "Can you bear to look at this night and day? You are such a silly little bird! I offer you freedom and still you balk at my face!" He let go of her roughly and turned to face the window. "I will only ask you once. What is your answer?"

She stood there on the other side of the room, rubbing the shoulders he had grabbed so fiercely. A million thoughts were running through her head. "What should I do?" she thought. "Shall I live my life as an outlaw with this man who vows to keep me safe? True he is very strong, but he is also not a kind man. But he would never hurt me, not like the king." She took a deep breath and crossed to the window where he sat. She sat beside him and took his face in her hands. He stared back at her in bewilderment. "I will not be afraid. I will look beyond the burns and see the person beneath them. I am my father's daughter, and he would not want me to be afraid". She leaned forward and placed a small kiss on his trembling lips. When they parted, she whispered, "I will go with you".

He did not smile, he only nodded, but the sparkle in eyes gave away his feelings. "We must go at once" he replied gruffly. "Pack light-no gowns. Only what you can carry."

She flew around the room collecting the things she needed for the journey. She handed him what little jewels she owned, telling him they could be sold along the way. He nodded gravely. She stepped behind a screen and changed from her fine gown into a plainer homespun frock of light yellow with leaves embroidered on the bodice. She pulled her large cloak on and covered her head with its hood. Once she had finished packing she handed him the small parcel and looked to him for what they should do next. For the first time, she was lightly guarded. Due to the war the guards seemed to have forgotten her. He took her hand and let her out the door, cautiously glancing in all directions for signs of an enemy. As they were sprinting down the stairs, a young knight spotted them and called, "Hey what do you think you're doing with her?" He yanked her arm roughly and replied, " I am taking her to the king's quarters where she is to wait until the fighting is done". He gave the young knight a look that stated he was not to be challenged by his type, and the young knight nodded and went on his way.

They reached the stable yard where he quickly saddled his own horse and one of the finest horses still left in the stables. He helped her onto her horse first and then jumped onto his own. "We ride east, hard and fast. Do not stop for anything, and do not look back. Stay with me at all times." She nodded her understanding, not trusting herself to speak. Her mouth had gone dry and she was white with fear. "Do not be afraid" she thought to herself. "this is the beginning of a new adventure and better times".

With a shout they were off, galloping into the courtyard towards the side gates. "Open the gate!" He screamed at the guard. The guard, seeing his cloak and not noticing the other rider, opened the gates with no question. They slid through and continued their gallop down the east road through the city. Nearby they heard the sounds of fighting, but the bulk of it was still located on the docks at the opposite end of the castle. The city gate was open and deserted, which left them ample opportunity to slip away into the night. They followed the main road for a mile or so before he abruptly turned to a side road, never breaking his gallop. This silent stride seemed to continue for hours. When she could ride no longer she reached her hand out and touched his arm. He looked up in surprise, as if coming out of a daze. Without a word he ceased his gallop and pulled over to the side of the road. They led their horses into the woods so that they could be sheltered from the sight of the road. He stopped at a large tree, tied off his horse and helped her with hers. He pulled some bread and cheese from his saddlebags, along with a flagon of wine. He offered it to her first and she drank greedily. Wine had never tasted so good. She handed the flagon to him and leaned against the tree, staring up at the stars through its braches. They sat in comfortable silence for long moments. After a time had passed she whispered to him without turning her head. "Thank you" she breathed. He made no sound and she didn't know if he was asleep, but it didn't matter. She closed her eyes and smiled as she drifted off to sleep.

to be continued again..

story 1

She sat alone in her room, pondering the events of the day. Outside her window a war raged on, but to her the events below were of another world entirely. She was a prisoner inside the castle walls, even though she resided in a beutifully furnished room with many comforts. Her king was a prepubesant monster whose one joy was inflicting pain on others. She flinched as she remembered the events of the day. She had been brought before the court for an audience with the king. She wore her nicest gown, a silver brocade with flowing iradescant sleeves, and had come to the king with a large false smile planted on her face, for the king liked it when she appeared to be happy. However, when she entered the king's chambers, she knew there was something amiss. The king had not gotten his way about something and was in a foul temper. She was ushered into the room with the announcement "She is here, your Grace". She looked around at the faces in the room for some sign of what was to come, but every face displayed a perfect mask and offered no secrets for her to grasp to.

The king leaned forward. "So, its you " he hissed.
She dropped into her deepest curtsy. "Yes my lord. I have come as you asked".
The king sneered. "my whipping boy is ill today. You will take his place". He laughed, a sound full of malice and hatred.
She gasped. "Your Grace! You cannot mean it! What have I done?".

The king looked at his fingers and replied nonchalantly, "you are the daughter of my enemy. I can do whatever I want to you. And right now you should be whipped, because I say so." He jumped down from his throne, grabbed her by the hair and whispered fiercely, "and you will never tell me what I can and cannot do. You will do as I say and you will like it!" He let her go and called to his court, "let the whipping begin!"

The members of the kingsguard started forward, all save one. He was the favorite of the king, a hard man named _. He was no knight unlike the rest of the kingsguard and refused to be made one. One side of his face was severely scarred from burns he had incurred in childhood. The other was seen to clench tightly upon hearing his king's order. He watched in silence near the throne, hand on his sword hilt.

She backed away from the members of the kingsguard coming near her. She had nowhere to go. The doors were shut behind her and she knew that no member of the court would lift a finger to stop the whipping. She took a deep breath and looked straight ahead. "I'll live through this" she reassured herself. "He needs me alive, for now. I have endured his malice before. It will be no different this time".

She opened her eyes just in time for the first blow, a heavy smack against her right cheek. She fell to her knees from the force of the impact. Another kinsguard kicked her in the stomach and knocked the wind from her lungs. She clutched her stomach and lay on the floor, bracing for the next impact.

The next blow never came, instead she heard the clash of steel above her head. She looked up in bewilderment to see _ driving the kingsguard away from her. "Leave now" he shouted over his shoulder. She grabbed her skirts, forced open the door and ran from the room as fast as her legs could carry her, sobbing all the while. She reached her own room and flung herself inside, bolting the door behind her. She collapsed on the bed and cried herself to sleep.

She awoke to the sound of a warhorn outside her window. At first she did not know what it was, but at the second souding she was fully aware of what was taking place on the ground below. She sat on her bed and stared at the window slit, secretly hoping the rebels would kill the monster king and end his reign of terror. She shuddered. She did not like to think about such dark things, but the events of the morning had left her little choice. She said a silent prayer to no one in particular for guidance on how to survive this life. Downstairs was fire and death, but from her high perch it did not reach her.

She must have fallen asleep again. When she opened her eyes there was a shadow moving in the corner of her room. She opened her mouth to scream, but the shadow slid quickly across the room and put a large hand on her mouth.

to be continued...