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 Posted: Tue Feb 20, 2007 6:20 am
Jessie was weeding her garden when they came. A dozen knights rode around her cottage, trampling her precious flowers. She stood up and glared at the one closest to her, but she couldn't see his face, not that it would have made a difference, seeing as he hadn't dismounted from his horse yet. All of them were arrayed in full armor, polished until it hurt to look at them. The knight closest dismounted and walked towards her, stepping on herbs as he did so.
"Stay where you are before you harm anymore of my plants!" She cried out, and she stepped over her plants and worked her way over to him. He removed his helm and bowed elegantly.
"We have come to escort you home and to your betrothed, princess." He said. Jessie put her hands on her hips.
"What kind of joke is this? You come to my home; trample my flowers and herbs, which are my life! I'm not getting married, nor will I ever, so take with you your friends and begone! And don't you dare step on another one of my babies!" She turned around to go back to her weeding when a mail-backed hand grabbed her shoulder and spun her around.
"My lady, tis no joke, you are a princess, and you need to pack up now." He said. Jessie folded her arms across her chest.
"Give me proof." She said, waiting for him to admit he was wrong.
"You have a star-shaped birthmark on your left shoulder." He said. Jessie was stunned.
"You could've peeked through my window." She said, but she didn't believe it herself.
"I've done no such thing my lady." He said, sounding offended. He led Jessie into her house, then said "Pack your things, we shall be waiting in the front." and with that he left. Jessie sat down numbly, her head spinning.
All that she had ever known was here, and she had to leave it all. She didn't have any human friends, but she had her plants. Whether it be tree, herb or flower, they were her friends and family, and these strangers wanted to take it all away from her.
A tear rolled down her cheek. She didn't want to leave behind everything! This was her home, and they had no right to come and try to take it all away from her forever! Oh she'd pack all right, but it would be to run away and hide for however log it took for them to leave.
She began gathering stuff. Food, a cup, clothing, flint, and her homemade soap were packed into a small sack, her quiver slung over her shoulder, bow in hand. She peeked out the window, but she saw no one. She crept out of the house, and when she determined that no one was coming, she ran for the forest.
A strong arm wrapped around her middle and threw her onto a horse, then bound her arms and legs, until she couldn't move an inch. Something hit her on the back of the head, and as she lost consciousness, she saw three horses emerge from the bushes, and then she saw nothing.
* * *
"What were you thinking Ronald? We can't afford for the imperial army to come after us! You don't have any use for her!" Shouted a beefy man, his face red with anger.
"What I do is of no concern to you Jeffreys, but I can assure you that the army won't find us out here." Said the man called Ronald. He was tall, with dark hair tied back, and well muscled, and his face was clean shaven. He was handsome, in a dark way, with his green eyes that seemed to look right through the man called Jeffreys, and he was obviously intimidated by Ronald-all in all, Jessie never wanted to get on the wrong side of him. Jessie tried to raise her head, but cried out as pain lashed through her head. She curled up in a ball, but when she tried covering her head with her hands she discovered that they were bound tightly with cloth.
Her movements drew her captor's notice.
"Shh, she's up." Jeffreys said, and Ronald sat down beside her.
"Princess Jessica, you are no longer royalty. From henceforth, you are to be slave, and nothing more. Do not try to run away, for if I catch you at it, and I can assure you, I will catch you, and if on the off chance you escape, I'll find you. You are mine, forever." He said, then stood up and walked away. Jessie stayed how she was until the pain faded, and she realized that despite her hatred for the man who had ruined her chance of escape, despite the fact that she was now his prisoner, his slave, she felt a small attraction to the man. This ought to be interesting, she found herself thinking, and with that, she drifted off into a painful slumber.
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Posted: Tue Feb 20, 2007 6:21 am
Misty sat on the window ledge, gazing out at the woods dreamily. There was a knock on the door, startling her out of her daydreams. "Come in," she said, and the door opened.
"Miss Misty, your father has finally decided who you shall marry. He has decided on the Lord Regan to be your husband." And with that the man left the room. Misty was furious! Another knock, and her maid, Lillian, walked in.
"I've heard the news miss, so now what do you intend to do? Nothing stupid, I should hope." She said.
"Nothing stupid! I would rather die than marry the man! He is the most horrid man, and father picked him! He is over sixty, and should be dead by now!" Misty shouted, eyes flashing.
"Then run away." Lillian said quietly.
"But to where? Father would find me no matter where I go!" Misty said sadly.
"Go into the woods, and follow the creek, no one would find you then." Lillian said.
"Only if you will come too." Misty replied. Lillian hesitated, and then nodded.
"We'll leave at midnight, so be ready." Lillian said.
* * *
Misty slipped out of bed, wearing the breeches and loose shirt Lillian had given her earlier. She grabbed her small bag, and hurried out of her bedroom. She slowly crept down the stairs, halting at the front door. Should she go? If she left now, there would be no turning back to the rich life she had always known, yet to stay was to be married to a horrid old man, and she was only nineteen.
Misty shivered, and then opened the front door slowly. A hand grabbed her shoulder, and she froze.
"Calm down, it's only me." Lillian whispered. "The horses are over by the edge of the woods." They crept towards the woods, and Misty looked back frequently, with the strange feeling that someone was watching her. At the beginning of the woods Misty halted while Lillian went ahead and brought forward two horses. They mounted, and with one look back, they disappeared into the woods.
A man with gray hair stood in a window, watching them. He turned around. "My Lord, they've gone into the woods." The man said.
"Follow them, and bring them back no matter what it takes." Said a cold, chilling voice.
"Lillian, are you sure that you know where you're going?" Misty asked, Looking around her.
"Of course, all you have to do is follow the creek." She said, pointing at the creek. Misty shivered, rubbing her arms for warmth. An arrow whizzed past her, hitting the tree next to Lillian, Misty screamed, and both her and Lillian’s horses bolted forward, Misty's slightly ahead. She heard a bow twang, and heard Lillian’s cry.
"Lillian!" She cried, turning around. She dismounted, running towards Lillian. An arrow was embedded in her left shoulder, but there was blood on her chest as well-Lillian’s horse must have stepped on her when she fell off.
"Listen, Misty." Lillian said weakly. "Follow the creek, and where it splits, take the right, understood?" Tears filled Misty's eyes as she nodded, knowing Lillian had precious little time left. Lillian slowly pulled off her necklace. "Take this with you." She said her voice faint. Misty took it from her, and with shaking hands fastened it around her neck. Yells drew nearer. "Go now!" Lillian said forcefully, and Misty fled back to her horse, tears blurring her vision. She rode off, and heard Lillian’s scream pierce the air, then nothing
She urged her horse faster, not caring about roots and holes that could make the horse break a leg. The world was dead to her, and she vowed that one day, she would come back and kill those who had killed Lillian.
An arrow caught her in the back, knocking her off her horse, into the creek. The current pulled her under, and she scraped against a rock, driving the arrow's shaft in deeper. She screamed, but no one heard her underwater. She clawed towards the surface, getting one gulp of air before she was dragged back under. She was smashed against rock after rock, her lungs ached for air. A tree bent over into the water, trailing branches and leaves into the water, and she latched onto a branch, slowly pulling herself onto the grassy bank. She took a step forward, and then merciful darkness swallowed her.
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