Northern_Lights_2017

62 from what I could count, in my sights the entire time as I maneuvered us so my back was to the gate. I started walking us backwards, so I could get closer to the gate and the guards advanced with us, keeping a safe distance. Once I was sure I would be able to escape, I pulled the dagger back and hit the Prince as hard as I could on the back of his head with the pommel and took off running, sheathing my dagger as I did. I ran full out for the forest that surrounded the city. I broke the tree line just as an arrow embedded itself in the trunk of the tree I had just passed. I pushed myself to run faster, quickly scanning the tops above me. I had to find a tree that would be easy to climb. There! I ran towards the tree and launched myself at a low hanging branch and managed to pull myself up, scrambling higher into the foliage, pausing when I was sure I wouldn’t be seen from the ground. Ferrows wasn’t a forest Kingdom but it had enough trees that I knew how to climb them and which branches to put my weight on. I paused, listening to the forest around me and faintly heard the distinct sound of pursuit. I grew still as the sounds grew louder, and moments later the Prince and two guards burst into the small clearing below the tree I was hiding in, pausing to catch their breaths. The Prince leaned forward, placing his hands on his knees. Apparently I hadn’t hit him as hard as I thought. I frowned at the thought, feeling more guilt than anger. “I want her found and brought to me!” the Prince shouted to one of the guards. “Put all available men on this!” “Of course, sire,” the guard responded, placing a fist over his heart and bowing. When he straightened he motioned to the other guard and together they disappeared, leaving only the Prince below. He scanned the area once more, his eyes trailing over every place big enough to hide me, except he never once looked up. After a moment, he turned and followed the guards. I counted to one hundred before I even dared to move and then fifty before I decided that I could jump down. I slowly made my way to the edge of the forest so I could look out towards the city. I needed to get Astrid. I couldn’t leave her. There were two guards at the gate, and as I watched someone approach the city, they moved to intercept the person approaching, apparently to make sure I didn’t try to get back into the city. I sighed—this was going to be harder than I thought. I slipped back into the trees and made my way away from the gate so that I would come up towards the back of the stable. I technically already paid the stable boy, but he would have to put her saddle back on. I just had to stay out of the way until then. I sprinted across the open space between the trees and the stable building, pausing to make sure the guards didn’t notice. When I was sure they weren’t going to move in this direction I moved to where the stable boy was sitting, making sure to keep my face hidden in my hood. The stable boy looked up as I approached, his eyes widening only the slightest bit. “I’m here for my horse,” I stated in Ignavatanese, knowing he wouldn’t understand if I spoke in my own language. He nodded a few times more than necessary but I thought nothing of it as he moved around the stable. I turned to look at the forest surrounding the city watching the braches sway in the breeze. I was too engrossed in that I took no notice as the stable boy changed direction and rushed to the guards. I didn’t notice until it was too late—the guards appeared on either side of me and each grabbed my upper arm, the one on my right reaching down to relieve me of my weapon and the other grabbing for the purses on my belt. The stable boy was too busy counting out the coin purse that he must’ve gotten from the guards to notice the hate-filled glare I sent his way. Of course they would offer a reward. How could I be stupid enough to believe that I could get away? The guard who took my purses whistled as he looked inside. “Where oh where did you get these?” he asked in Ignavatanese, and I clenched my jaw and gave a confused look as if I didn’t understand. He sighed. “Foreigners,” he muttered, “ruin everything. No matter, I’m sure we’ll be able to find the rightful owners.” Then my hands were being bound in front of me before they pulled me along through the city streets towards the palace. I was dragged through the vast marble hallways of the palace, straight through to the Throne Room, which by my calculations sat in the direct center of the first floor. Two guards stood on either side. “Alert the family. We found her,” the one on my right stated, and the corresponding guard bowed and slipped into the room. We waited in silence until the guard returned. “They will see her immediately,” the guard stated and retook his position by the door. The guards nodded and then moved forward, taking me with them through the doors and into the Throne Room. It really was an impressive room, made completely of white marble veined with silver. I was dragged forward to stand just before the steps that led up the dais where the royal family sat, the King in the center on a large throne and his Queen to his left on a slightly smaller throne and the Prince on his right in a throne the same size as the Queen’s. The King had the same blond hair and blue eyes as his son while the Queen had long red hair that fell in waves down her back and grey eyes that seemed to blaze with an inner light. All three of them wore gold crowns. The King’s was the most ostentatious with jewels adorning the gold in small intervals. The Queen’s was more of a tiara than a crown with all the points in the front covered in the diamonds. The Prince wore a simple one. There were no jewels adorning it. It was a simple gold band resting on his blond hair. “This is the girl who got the upper hand over you?” The King spoke in Ignavatanese and I tilted my head as if confused, while Prince looked embarrassed as his father turned his cool gaze to him. “Yes,” the Prince admitted, and the King turned back to me, his eyes narrowing as he studied me for a long moment. I was prepared to tell them who I was, opening my mouth to do just that when the doors behind me burst open and I glanced over my shoulder to see an entourage of well-dressed beings walking in. I snapped my mouth shut as Karveetean reached my ears. They invited them here as well? My anger rose at the implications. I knew that the Queen was pushing for a marriage between the Prince and her niece, Princess Casteana, no relation. The Prince was not the Queen’s son; his mother had been assassinated in a failed attempt to assassinate the King years back.