Status: In progress but looking for feedback. The Prologue has been trimmed! More chapters coming soon :)
Always Anyways...
Freedom
There was no peace for me in this place. Loud noises startled me, and every touch no matter how kind or how wanted, caused me to flinch. Both Madge and Taggart found it very disheartening, but try as I might I could not help it. Taggart's eyes now dripped with regret as I no longer leaned against his hand, but would jump each time he would reach to caress me. He promised there would be a day that my reactions faded, but I began to fear that I was permanently damaged by the horrors I witnessed. I knew the only way I could ever sooth my soul was to be free of this terrible prison of nightmares.
My wish came sooner then even I had hoped. A mere two nights after Beremud's death, I noticed that Taggart put a few extra logs on my fire, making my chamber wonderfully warm. He smiled at me softly, lingering for a moment at the foot of my bed. There seemed words on his lips, but he did not speak them so I reached my hand out for him instead. He walked over, taking my hand tight and pressing it against his chest. “Jane...my Jane. Remember my encouragements, remember my strength. Tell me what you must do?” I gazed up at him from my bed, “I must lift up my head, lest the crown would fall” He nodded, “Never forget those words as I will never forget you.” These words struck me odd, and before I could speak, he pressed his lips warmly and tenderly against my own. I tasted the dinner's ale on his tongue as it caressed mine, and I felt myself begin to melt from his emotions. But all too quickly he pulled back and was gone outside the door.
It was hours later, that I was awoken to the feeling of someone at my bedside, “Princess...Princess!” They urged me desperately awake. I heard other hushed voices as my blanket was wrapped around me and I was scooped into someone's arms before I fully realized what was happening. In the darkness, my eyes settled on a face I would never have expected. Lord Gannon was holding me tight as men were taking position around him, battle gear on and swords drawn. “Gannon!” I cried out in shock. He smiled sadly as he looked back at me, “Jane, you did not think I could bear watching you suffer under this fate. Tonight we have come to take you home. Your father is waiting.” I did not have the chance to ask anything more for the men seemed to be waiting for a signal, and that signal came. They all burst through the door of my chamber, which was no longer locked. I held tightly to Gannon as he ran with me in his arms but I struggled to look back. Taggart was not there at the doorway, nor anywhere I could see. The men moved along a specifically laid out pathway, counting doorways, steps and windows, which I can only assume came from the direction of Taggart himself. There were no guards or any other impediments, so we moved swiftly. However, when we reached a doorway that they were directed to go through, it was locked. Gannon growled quietly, “Get that door open!” The men struggled with it, and even doubled back down the hallway. “It IS this door, but its locked!” a guard proclaimed to Gannon. Gannon shook his head, “Then force it open!” Try as the men did, the door was thick and would not yield. The men quickly began to doubt the plan, “What if he spoke it wrong? What if he counted wrong?” Gannon shook his head, “Taggart is never wrong, something has changed.” He sniffed the air, and now I could smell it too. It was the growing smell of fire, a part of the manor must be burning. Gannon spun his head around, taking in his surroundings, “We don't have any choice. Either we forge our own way out or lose the Princess. The later is not an option!” He barked at his men. Finally he looked down at me, “Do you know this place? Do you know where to go?” I shook my head, “Gannon I am sorry...Alaric kept me locked in my chamber all day.” He nodded once and grit his teeth, “We need to go down two more floors, head back toward those servant stairs.” He ordered the men finally and we continued to move. I buried my face deeply into Gannon's shoulder, shaking from both the cold, fear and my own anticipation of being free of this prison after all these months.
Our luck ran out at the bottom of the stairs. As we turned into a hallway, there were suddenly a group of Alaric's guards that nearly ran right into us. Shouting and cursing ensued, as chaos broke out. Alaric's men were running from the fire, the smell even stronger on this floor, as my guards were scrambling toward the escape. Gannon shifted back with me as his men surged forward to protect us. He reached for a nearby door, quickly opening it before placing me on my feet to join the fighting. The moment was brief, and I almost had hope we would win this skirmish, however more of Alaric's men came down the hallway. It was clear my guards were backed into a corner and going to be quickly overrun. “Take her! Take the Princess and run!! I will hold them.” Gannon ordered his men. Three of his guards moved toward me, one grabbing me by the waist as the others poured into the room taking stock. Hurriedly they found a windowed door to the inner courtyard gardens and smashed it out. “No....not without Lord Gannon!!” I shouted at them to no avail. They quickly passed me from one man to another and I was passed through the window. “GANNON!!” I shouted desperately at him before I lost sight of his form in the hallway. He looked back only once, before my last man slammed the door to the hallway closed, locking it from the inside. “NO!! NO!! Do not leave him!!” I ordered them but none listened. “GANNON!!” I screamed hysterical as the men dragged me away. I immediately started sobbing because I could not bear the thought of leaving him to a fate worse then mine. All he was doing, every action was to free me.
The men weaved their way through, and suddenly with another smashed doorway, I finally saw the open lands outside once more. The night was lit up by the fire of the manor, and I could see flaming arrows still flying over our heads. My men grumbled at how they were on the East side instead of the South, and immediately started to follow around the manor where there was less light before running into the dark fields. As they carried me, I shivered terribly as I sobbed, wanting nothing more then to see Lord Gannon running up behind us. There was nothing but the flaming manor house behind. Soon I was placed on a horse, and held tightly as my guards tore into the night. We did not have far to go, for soon I saw torches and in their flickering light was a mounted line of knights, nearly an entire regiment full. The horses parted and we were allowed to pass through as cheers rose up among the men. Soon I heard a Captain call the order, and the drums were sounded sending the mounted knights out into the night.
When I looked ahead, I saw more torches and the flags of my father flapping in the chilling night air ahead of us. Between the flags, Lords with shimmering chest plates were mounted on the back of large war horses. I could not see the faces, but soon our horses stopped and I was gently helped down to the ground. “My King, I present your daughter, Princess Jane, untouched and unharmed.” My face turned as shock finally cleared the tears from my eyes and the sobs from my lips. Only now could I see him, only now did I notice the large crown resting atop his helm. My father was indeed among the flags, and slowly dismounting from his horse. “FATHER!” I cried out with nothing but love. I ran to him, my blanket flowing behind me as he opened his arms wide and pulled me tight. “My precious Jane.” he murmured into my hair. I sobbed in his arms, as a battle raged behind us, and a manor house burned to the ground. “Rest now my beloved daughter...you are safe and no harm will come to you again.” He murmured before passing me to a guard, “Get my daughter warm, and see that healers and mages tend to her. Give her anything she requests and guard her with your lives.”
I barely remembered what happened after that. A bright fire was lit in a fur lined tent, and I could hear my sobbing cries over the crackle of the enormous fire. The healers came quickly and made me drink a dark liquid which caused my head to swim. They laid me down among a soft bed of warmed blankets and gentle furs. Mages were weaving spells over me, as they swayed and conjured at the fires. Healers were sorting through tiny bottles, guards were bring endless bundles into my tent, and servant girls fussed over food and drink. All the movement made me dizzy and I found it hard to focus. The flames seemed to call my name, and take the sound of Taggart's voice. I remember reaching out to him, wanting nothing more then for him to wrap me up in his warm arms, take me away and make the world quiet and safe again. It was my last thought before I could no longer keep my eyes open and I drifted into a heavy oppressive sleep.
My wish came sooner then even I had hoped. A mere two nights after Beremud's death, I noticed that Taggart put a few extra logs on my fire, making my chamber wonderfully warm. He smiled at me softly, lingering for a moment at the foot of my bed. There seemed words on his lips, but he did not speak them so I reached my hand out for him instead. He walked over, taking my hand tight and pressing it against his chest. “Jane...my Jane. Remember my encouragements, remember my strength. Tell me what you must do?” I gazed up at him from my bed, “I must lift up my head, lest the crown would fall” He nodded, “Never forget those words as I will never forget you.” These words struck me odd, and before I could speak, he pressed his lips warmly and tenderly against my own. I tasted the dinner's ale on his tongue as it caressed mine, and I felt myself begin to melt from his emotions. But all too quickly he pulled back and was gone outside the door.
It was hours later, that I was awoken to the feeling of someone at my bedside, “Princess...Princess!” They urged me desperately awake. I heard other hushed voices as my blanket was wrapped around me and I was scooped into someone's arms before I fully realized what was happening. In the darkness, my eyes settled on a face I would never have expected. Lord Gannon was holding me tight as men were taking position around him, battle gear on and swords drawn. “Gannon!” I cried out in shock. He smiled sadly as he looked back at me, “Jane, you did not think I could bear watching you suffer under this fate. Tonight we have come to take you home. Your father is waiting.” I did not have the chance to ask anything more for the men seemed to be waiting for a signal, and that signal came. They all burst through the door of my chamber, which was no longer locked. I held tightly to Gannon as he ran with me in his arms but I struggled to look back. Taggart was not there at the doorway, nor anywhere I could see. The men moved along a specifically laid out pathway, counting doorways, steps and windows, which I can only assume came from the direction of Taggart himself. There were no guards or any other impediments, so we moved swiftly. However, when we reached a doorway that they were directed to go through, it was locked. Gannon growled quietly, “Get that door open!” The men struggled with it, and even doubled back down the hallway. “It IS this door, but its locked!” a guard proclaimed to Gannon. Gannon shook his head, “Then force it open!” Try as the men did, the door was thick and would not yield. The men quickly began to doubt the plan, “What if he spoke it wrong? What if he counted wrong?” Gannon shook his head, “Taggart is never wrong, something has changed.” He sniffed the air, and now I could smell it too. It was the growing smell of fire, a part of the manor must be burning. Gannon spun his head around, taking in his surroundings, “We don't have any choice. Either we forge our own way out or lose the Princess. The later is not an option!” He barked at his men. Finally he looked down at me, “Do you know this place? Do you know where to go?” I shook my head, “Gannon I am sorry...Alaric kept me locked in my chamber all day.” He nodded once and grit his teeth, “We need to go down two more floors, head back toward those servant stairs.” He ordered the men finally and we continued to move. I buried my face deeply into Gannon's shoulder, shaking from both the cold, fear and my own anticipation of being free of this prison after all these months.
Our luck ran out at the bottom of the stairs. As we turned into a hallway, there were suddenly a group of Alaric's guards that nearly ran right into us. Shouting and cursing ensued, as chaos broke out. Alaric's men were running from the fire, the smell even stronger on this floor, as my guards were scrambling toward the escape. Gannon shifted back with me as his men surged forward to protect us. He reached for a nearby door, quickly opening it before placing me on my feet to join the fighting. The moment was brief, and I almost had hope we would win this skirmish, however more of Alaric's men came down the hallway. It was clear my guards were backed into a corner and going to be quickly overrun. “Take her! Take the Princess and run!! I will hold them.” Gannon ordered his men. Three of his guards moved toward me, one grabbing me by the waist as the others poured into the room taking stock. Hurriedly they found a windowed door to the inner courtyard gardens and smashed it out. “No....not without Lord Gannon!!” I shouted at them to no avail. They quickly passed me from one man to another and I was passed through the window. “GANNON!!” I shouted desperately at him before I lost sight of his form in the hallway. He looked back only once, before my last man slammed the door to the hallway closed, locking it from the inside. “NO!! NO!! Do not leave him!!” I ordered them but none listened. “GANNON!!” I screamed hysterical as the men dragged me away. I immediately started sobbing because I could not bear the thought of leaving him to a fate worse then mine. All he was doing, every action was to free me.
The men weaved their way through, and suddenly with another smashed doorway, I finally saw the open lands outside once more. The night was lit up by the fire of the manor, and I could see flaming arrows still flying over our heads. My men grumbled at how they were on the East side instead of the South, and immediately started to follow around the manor where there was less light before running into the dark fields. As they carried me, I shivered terribly as I sobbed, wanting nothing more then to see Lord Gannon running up behind us. There was nothing but the flaming manor house behind. Soon I was placed on a horse, and held tightly as my guards tore into the night. We did not have far to go, for soon I saw torches and in their flickering light was a mounted line of knights, nearly an entire regiment full. The horses parted and we were allowed to pass through as cheers rose up among the men. Soon I heard a Captain call the order, and the drums were sounded sending the mounted knights out into the night.
When I looked ahead, I saw more torches and the flags of my father flapping in the chilling night air ahead of us. Between the flags, Lords with shimmering chest plates were mounted on the back of large war horses. I could not see the faces, but soon our horses stopped and I was gently helped down to the ground. “My King, I present your daughter, Princess Jane, untouched and unharmed.” My face turned as shock finally cleared the tears from my eyes and the sobs from my lips. Only now could I see him, only now did I notice the large crown resting atop his helm. My father was indeed among the flags, and slowly dismounting from his horse. “FATHER!” I cried out with nothing but love. I ran to him, my blanket flowing behind me as he opened his arms wide and pulled me tight. “My precious Jane.” he murmured into my hair. I sobbed in his arms, as a battle raged behind us, and a manor house burned to the ground. “Rest now my beloved daughter...you are safe and no harm will come to you again.” He murmured before passing me to a guard, “Get my daughter warm, and see that healers and mages tend to her. Give her anything she requests and guard her with your lives.”
I barely remembered what happened after that. A bright fire was lit in a fur lined tent, and I could hear my sobbing cries over the crackle of the enormous fire. The healers came quickly and made me drink a dark liquid which caused my head to swim. They laid me down among a soft bed of warmed blankets and gentle furs. Mages were weaving spells over me, as they swayed and conjured at the fires. Healers were sorting through tiny bottles, guards were bring endless bundles into my tent, and servant girls fussed over food and drink. All the movement made me dizzy and I found it hard to focus. The flames seemed to call my name, and take the sound of Taggart's voice. I remember reaching out to him, wanting nothing more then for him to wrap me up in his warm arms, take me away and make the world quiet and safe again. It was my last thought before I could no longer keep my eyes open and I drifted into a heavy oppressive sleep.