The King

The castle was dark as Lyndsey carefully made her way around her bedchambers. She held her father’s satchel in one hand, packing it with anything she may need. She’d snuck a platter of food up to her room after serving Bartholomew and the Renegades, and quickly wrapped the food in a few of her kerchiefs before adding the bundles to the collection in the satchel. So far she only had food, parchment, a quill and inkpot, and one of her overcoats stashed away, just incase she needed the last few items, along with a small pouch full of gold coins she’d been keeping hidden for an occasion such as this.

Lyndsey was planning to leave the castle. Despite her mother’s insistence, she knew that whether Brian was alive or not, she had to go find help. Surely someone in a nearby kingdom would be able to help them, would be able to help strike up a resistance to bring peace and order back to the kingdom. Lyndsey didn’t know if her journey would be successful, but she did know that she had to try. If she didn’t, who else would?

So once her bag was packed with whatever she felt she would need, Lyndsey quietly crept out of her chamber, into the large dark corridor. She silently bid her mother goodbye in her mind, knowing she’d never really be able to do so. But it made her feel better in doing it, just in case for some reason Lyndsey never returned home. It wasn’t something she liked to think about, but Lyndsey knew very well how high the risk on her life was. If she was caught in the process of her escape, Lyndsey knew it was all over. She’d be thrown down in the dungeons, or worse.

Creeping down each long corridor, Lyndsey had never been as quiet in her entire life as she had in those moments. Turning a corner her heart about leapt out of her chest as she saw two Renegades walking toward her, laughing as they spoke to each other. Falling back into the shadows of the wall, Lyndsey pressed herself as close to the stone as possible, holding her breath as the two men passed. When the coast was clear, she continued down the hall making sure she went both unseen and unheard.

Once she made it outside, Lyndsey knew there was no way she’d be able to make it out through the gates. She’d need to climb a wall in order to get past the boundaries of the castle. So she found one of the lower gardens and, making sure her satchel was securely slung across her body, she dug her fingers and toes into the crevices of the brick wall, slowly but surely making her way up the wall before dropping to the ground on the other side and making her way through the village beyond.

Little known to Lyndsey, the Friar was packed up and leaving his home around the same time, intent on following the river upstream to find the rightful heir to the kingdom’s throne.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Days had passed before Lyndsey found refuge in the next kingdom over. She was tired, she was dirty, and she was hungry. But she still had hope. She had to, or else her entire journey would have been pointless.

Slowly Lyndsey weaved her way through the streets, trying to find her way in the unfamiliar territory toward the castle in hopes to speak with the king. As she glanced around her surroundings, Lyndsey faltered and tripped, toppling into someone nearby.

“Oh, I’m so terribly sorry,” she stuttered, righting herself.

“That’s quite alright,” she heard a slick male voice say, and Lyndsey could feel her stomach turning over at the sound. Looking up, she could see a rather mangy, toothless man smiling down on her, as a few others flanked her on all sides.

“Don’t fret, Miss,” one of them sneered, reaching out to run her finger down her arm.

“Are you lost? I have never seen you around. We could…help you find your way,” a third man nearly growled.

“Please…no,” Lyndsey whimpered. “I am fine to find my own way. I’ll just be going now,” Lyndsey said, her entire body trembling under the gaze of the hounding men .

Trying to step by them, Lyndsey soon found her arm entrapped by one of their hands, pulling her back to them.

“Please, let go,” she whispered, knowing the situation was not going to end well.

But her request was not accepted, and the men only laughed, trying to grope her even more.

“I believe the woman told you to let her go,” Lyndsey heard a commanding voice call from behind. Looking up into her captor’s face, she watched him, his eyes going wide as his grip went slack. She could see the shadows of three rather large men standing behind her.

Finally being let go, Lyndsey still didn’t feel her fear wane, even as the grubby men walked away. For she was now surrounded from behind be another group of men, and who knew if they had only saved her so they could have Lyndsey to themselves?

“Are you alright miss?” she heard another voice ask. Taking a deep, shuddering breath, taking a risk in believing no one here was going to hurt her, Lyndsey turned around anxiously patting down the skirts of her dress.

“I’m quite fine. Thank you,” she answered meekly, and then she looked up at the three them, her heart dropping momentarily in her chest.

But then it began to soar, her heart filing with hope, her eyes filling with tears. For there before her, with two unrecognizable men, was none other than Brian.

As their eyes fell upon each other, both Brian and Lyndsey were in shock. It took naught but seconds to recognize each other.

“Brian?” Lyndsey asked, just to be sure as the tears began to roll down her cheeks.

“It’s me, Lyndsey,” he said quietly with a nod, and Lyndsey cried out as she practically barreled him over with a hug.

“You’re alive…you’re alive!” she sobbed into his chest. Brian instinctively held her to him tightly. He had missed her even more than he had realized.

Lyndsey just continued to hold Brian as her heart filled with a great happiness she hadn’t felt in a very long time.

The rightful king was alive. They would be saved.