Sequel: The Game ›
Status: complete, but revisions are being made
The Pauper Princess
Chapter Twenty-Five
It was late now. The moon was nearly to its vertex and still Ekohl and the prince did not return. Mehta had fallen asleep more than an hour ago. I myself was nodding off, but I was determined to wait. About an hour after midnight, I heard the door of the healer’s house open quietly. Two sets of footsteps stepped lightly through the common room and down the hall. When Ekohl and Jegan entered the room, I saw that they were each wearing a dark cloak and equally dark clothing. Ekohl also carried more dark clothes over his arm. I opened my mouth to ask him what was going on, but he held up a hand to silence me. He leaned into the hall and looked in both directions before he and the prince walked nearer to the bed.
“Siya,” the prince said, gently shaking Mehta’s shoulder. She awoke slowly and looked around groggily. “We have to leave.”
“This was the second attack on your life,” Ekohl explained in a whisper, “and some of the men who attacked us earlier escaped. There are rumors of another ambush tonight.” Mehta
nodded and carefully sat up, understanding that the severity of Ekohl’s tone was a reflection of the situation.
“I’m sorry to cause you discomfort but it’s not safe here,” the prince said. “If we leave now, we can reach the palace before nightfall today.”
“The healer is still asleep in the main room,” Ekohl said after another glance down the hallway. “Here,” Ekohl said as he handed me the clothes he was holding. “Just put them over your clothes. There’s no time to change.” I nodded and pulled a dark green shirt over the white one that the blacksmith had given me. The men gave us their backs, and Mehta uncovered her legs and swung them to the floor. She was wearing only a nightgown, but Ekohl had brought a deep mahogany dress for her.
“There’s a door at the end of this hallway that lets out a few yards from the inn,” Jegan said after a moment. I placed a hand on their shoulders, signaling that they could turn around.
“We’ve already saddled the horses,” Ekohl continued. He kneeled before Mehta and placed one of the cloaks around her shoulders, using a simple brooch to fasten it . He then handed the other cloak to me, but I used the badge Ekohl had given me rather than the attached brooch to hold the sides together.
Though she looked well enough, Mehta had lost a great deal of blood and was still weak. Ekohl carefully picked her up and we stealthily made our way out the back door of the house. I saw three black horses waiting in the alley. They pawed at the ground anxiously, as if they were aware of our unease. I noted that there were no saddlebags. We would be riding straight through the night, and, if we stopped at all, it would only be to allow the horses a brief rest.
Mehta and I, being the two lightest of the four, were to ride together. She wasn’t strong enough at the moment to ride alone, and I knew Jegan would doubt the riding skill of a princess. I quickly mounted the closest horse, thankful now that the blacksmith had thought me a man. Ekohl and the prince carefully situated Mehta sidesaddle in front of me before untying my horse’s reins from the post they had been tied to and handing them to me.
Before mounting his own horse, though, Ekohl took my hand to get my attention. He then reached under his cloak and pulled my missing knives from his belt. “I apologize for not giving them back sooner,” he whispered. “I had hoped you wouldn’t need them, but I can see I was mistaken. They probably would have been useful earlier.” I took the blades from him with a forgiving smile and slid them through my own belt.
Ekohl and the prince untied their own horses and took positions on either side of Mehta and i. We slowly and quietly made our way around the perimeter of the town and emerged in the woods near the main road, where we picked up our pace to a steady gallop.
“Siya,” the prince said, gently shaking Mehta’s shoulder. She awoke slowly and looked around groggily. “We have to leave.”
“This was the second attack on your life,” Ekohl explained in a whisper, “and some of the men who attacked us earlier escaped. There are rumors of another ambush tonight.” Mehta
nodded and carefully sat up, understanding that the severity of Ekohl’s tone was a reflection of the situation.
“I’m sorry to cause you discomfort but it’s not safe here,” the prince said. “If we leave now, we can reach the palace before nightfall today.”
“The healer is still asleep in the main room,” Ekohl said after another glance down the hallway. “Here,” Ekohl said as he handed me the clothes he was holding. “Just put them over your clothes. There’s no time to change.” I nodded and pulled a dark green shirt over the white one that the blacksmith had given me. The men gave us their backs, and Mehta uncovered her legs and swung them to the floor. She was wearing only a nightgown, but Ekohl had brought a deep mahogany dress for her.
“There’s a door at the end of this hallway that lets out a few yards from the inn,” Jegan said after a moment. I placed a hand on their shoulders, signaling that they could turn around.
“We’ve already saddled the horses,” Ekohl continued. He kneeled before Mehta and placed one of the cloaks around her shoulders, using a simple brooch to fasten it . He then handed the other cloak to me, but I used the badge Ekohl had given me rather than the attached brooch to hold the sides together.
Though she looked well enough, Mehta had lost a great deal of blood and was still weak. Ekohl carefully picked her up and we stealthily made our way out the back door of the house. I saw three black horses waiting in the alley. They pawed at the ground anxiously, as if they were aware of our unease. I noted that there were no saddlebags. We would be riding straight through the night, and, if we stopped at all, it would only be to allow the horses a brief rest.
Mehta and I, being the two lightest of the four, were to ride together. She wasn’t strong enough at the moment to ride alone, and I knew Jegan would doubt the riding skill of a princess. I quickly mounted the closest horse, thankful now that the blacksmith had thought me a man. Ekohl and the prince carefully situated Mehta sidesaddle in front of me before untying my horse’s reins from the post they had been tied to and handing them to me.
Before mounting his own horse, though, Ekohl took my hand to get my attention. He then reached under his cloak and pulled my missing knives from his belt. “I apologize for not giving them back sooner,” he whispered. “I had hoped you wouldn’t need them, but I can see I was mistaken. They probably would have been useful earlier.” I took the blades from him with a forgiving smile and slid them through my own belt.
Ekohl and the prince untied their own horses and took positions on either side of Mehta and i. We slowly and quietly made our way around the perimeter of the town and emerged in the woods near the main road, where we picked up our pace to a steady gallop.