Chapter 23: A Princess Snared

“Could you tell me what color these berries were?” Saffron asked as she followed the man. They had been walking for a few minutes and still, she did not see any strange fruit. The bells that had lately begun to ring in her mind when she was in danger began to chime lightly now, slowly growing louder the longer she followed the man. She stopped suddenly, ready to bolt when he turned to her.
“Here they are. Those dreadful things!” he declared and pointed to the bush ahead of him. She felt relieved; perhaps her own anxiety had caused the bells. She gave him a small smile and bent to inspect the berries. They were gooseberries.
“Ah yes, these will definitely cause an ill-feeling. You should recover fine; I would just recommend some broth and water. I have some herbs that will help with the stomach pains,” she said and dug around in her bag. When she found what she was looking for, she looked up and the man was gone.
Perhaps he had to be sick and wanted some privacy. She would wait a few moments before heading back to camp. A branch cracked behind her and she turned as a large branch smacked into her head. Her vision went dark as she fell.
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The tent was empty. Again. Elric had a bad feeling this time. She would not have gone out this early to gather herbs. Wulfstan watched the Prince stalk angrily around the tent.
“Would she have left?” Wulfstan ventured. Elric turned furious eyes to him. Would she? Things had gotten better between them. In fact, Elric thought that they had reached a new, deeper facet of their relationship. Maybe he was wrong. She did deserve better than to be stuck in a tent in the middle of a muddy battlefield.
It wouldn’t stop him from looking for her. She could be hurt or worse. He saw the way that other men looked at her as if she were for the taking. The thought of anyone laying hands on her elicited a growl. Wulfstan took a small step back.
“I did not mean to offend, sir,” he said warily. Elric shook his head.
“No offense was taken. Will you help me look for her? She is quite familiar with the Wood near her own home but this is not that.”
Wulfstan nodded. “It would be my pleasure. Shall we leave now?” he asked. Elric nodded, already leaving the tent.
The ground had frozen solid, the mud no longer pliable so there were no tracks to follow. Elric surveyed the area. If she had gone into the forest, she most likely would have gone straight ahead, where there was a small hollow in the trees. He would start there.
Wulfstan followed the prince into the forest, overcome with his own sense of unease. Something was unnerving about this, but he couldn’t place his finger on it. He did not believe that the girl had left of her own volition. He had seen the way that she looked at Elric. It would take a force outside of her to drag her from his side. This grim thought in the forefront of his mind, he pulled his blade from its sheath. Elric did the same and they continued on.
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Saffron blinked a few times, her eyes felt as if they had sand in them. She tried to rub them clear, but her hands were bound behind her back. Panic shot through her body and a spasm of pain jolted through her head. With a groan, she slumped back.
“Wake up, girl. You are no good to us dead,” a voice hissed in her ear.
“She could be,” another, deeper voice drawled.
“We cannot draw out the prince with a corpse.” The icy voice replied. The voices sounded familiar but Saffron couldn’t place them as the pain rippled through her head. She vaguely remembered being struck in the head. She forced her eyes open.
She was bound and placed against the wall of a shallow cave. A small fire was burning near her. Two shapes stood in the shadows facing her. She could not make out their faces.
“She’s awake,” the one said and the other one began walking towards her. She scrambled backward, her spine grinding into the rock behind her.
The man squatted down in front of her. It was the man who had led her here. He smirked at her and reached a hand for her chin.
“You’ve been quite a lot of trouble since you arrived,” he said, his voice now thick with a familiar accent. She glared at him and contemplated biting his hand, but she didn’t want to taste his foul flesh. Instead, she snarled at him and he drew back slightly. The other man laughed from the shadows.
“What do you want with me?” she spat, praying that someone would hear their voices. She knew it was hopeless, but she had to try. She couldn’t die in a cave in the middle of this godforsaken forest.
“Well you see, I was hired to bring you into the forest so my friend here could have a conversation with you.”
“This couldn’t have been done in the camp? Why bring me here? Why hit me? I would have come had I just been asked,” she growled as her temple throbbed. She was sure that she had a bruise blooming across her face.
“I wouldn’t exactly be welcome in the camp,” the voice from the shadows drawled and they stepped into the light. Saffron didn’t recognize the man, ruddy complexion, and black-haired, but there was something about the eyes….
“You don’t recognize me? Pity. Maybe this will help,” the man waved his hand in front of his face and Saffron watched in horror as the ruddy skin melted away, to cool, pale white skin. The shock of blonde hair flowed from the roots as the black melted away.
Kingsley stood before her, a devious smile on his face, the stink of sulfur in the air. He had done dark magic and was rather skilled with it! She gaped at him. His face was no longer open and friendly but now twisted with malice.
“Hello, dear sister.” He said and sat down across from her. “You have caused quite an uproar since your arrival.”
“I don’t know what you mean,” she said, her eyes wide and her heart hammering against her ribcage. He scoffed.
“As if you really do not know the trouble you have caused. Elric was set to marry Mira and get out of the way. My father would have been distracted with the new land negotiations and I could have carried on with my own path. And then you stumbled into our midst and complicated the whole thing. You’ve forced me to get creative,” he said, enjoying the horror that spread across her face. He pulled a small thin blade from his belt.
It was so thin, it looked as if it would break with the slightest touch. Saffron knew that a blade that thin and sharp would leave barely a mark. She swallowed her fear and instead met his eyes, her own burning. She would not cower in front of this twisted boy.
“Although,” he continued and stroked the side of her face with the blade, drawing a few beads of blood, “I could just take you as my bride once I get rid of Elric. I will need someone strong and capable by my side. Those idiot wives of my older brothers thought that a simple poison would get you out of the way, but you outsmarted them,” he said with a chuckle.
“They were furious that you recovered. Ah the looks on their faces, I shall never forget.” He turned his cold smile to her. “So, what do you say, Saffron? Want to join me? I intend on taking the crown and you can be Queen, not some cast-off princess with an idiot soldier for a husband.” His blue eyes bore into hers. Her thoughts whirled quickly, trying to find an escape. She didn’t see any aside from agreeing to go with him and then escaping when she got a chance. Although, he was obviously a skilled practitioner in the dark magics. She was not sure at the depth of his powers.
“Kingsley, we’ve got company,” the other man said from the entrance of the cave. Kingsley turned his head. As he did, Saffron rammed his nose with her forehead. A sickening crunch sounded as their faces collided and he drew back with a cry, his hand against his shattered nose. His blood ran fast and bright down his pale face.
“You bitch!” he screamed and struck her against her already bruised cheek. Stars danced in front of her eyes as she fell to the cavern floor. She heard another roar of anger and the sound of blades crashing. After a few moments, there was only silence.
Strong arms lifted her half-conscious body from the floor and she, dazed, felt herself being carried. She only hoped that it was Elric who held her.