"I was thinking more on the lines that any other knight you meet in the future, will be an utter disappointment after meeting me." He sighed. I cannot stop myself from frowning and he smirks. That smile of his is daring me to knock that arrogant, self-adoring look, right off his perfect face.
I was so stunned by his overconfident smirk it took me a second longer than normal to respond. "Don't think too much, you don't want to hurt yourself." I snap. Thank heavens, nobody is in the listening range. He was getting more impatient now.
"I don't have time for this. I have been training since birth to kill, he knew the risks." he snapped.
"Wow, how long have you been training to be an arrogant brat?" I shot, even more annoyed.
"You can't speak to me like that." The knight looked at me taken back but he could not help but smirk. I wanted to make that smirk vanish.
"Oh, sorry. Did I hurt your feelings? Let me try that again...how long have you been training to be an arrogant brat, your lordship? Or should I say, Princess?" I may be a nobody but without a doubt, I knew how to make an unforgettable introduction.
I had only just noticed a knight heading towards us. "What's this?" The second knight forced the first to remove his intense gaze from me.
"It's a girl, Draco. You have seen a girl before, your mother is one." The first knight bored his eyes into me. "Josephine is one. Kelly, your younger sister as well." He mocks his friend.
"Ha. Ha." The other mumbles. "You are hilarious Leo-,"
"And I thought Josephine was annoying!" Leo rubbed his forehead. The other knight looked at the overconfident, blue-eyed Leo as if he had eight heads.
"She is." He grumbled.
"No. No. I take it back because I think I just found the most disagreeable one in the entire realm." The arrogant, overconfident knight insulted me. Wow, is that the best he has got?
I threw him a sarcastic smile and curtsied. "A pleasure to meet you."
Suddenly a thick, green mist covered the pitch like smoke surrounding us. Magic! There was a sudden clash of lightning as a thunderous voice bellowed: "This man will not be the last to die. Heed my words: Rumore is no longer safe. I will take my revenge. This is only the beginning."
Chapter Two- The night it all began
After embarrassing myself I was escorted off the pitch, back to the princess's dressing room, and told to wait for her. Caroline burst in a while later. "I can't believe you did that!" Caroline told me seriously. I avoided eye contact. I must have embarrassed her too.
"I am sorry, I won't do it again," I promised.
"Leila, if you are going to work for me, you need to act and look the part. You can't go attracting unwanted attention." She sighed firmly. I nodded.
I thought back to the witch's cackle and message. The king seemed to have taken it lightly, everyone had to be frank. I appeared to be the only one concerned. I wondered whether people threatened the king often.
"I won't do it again," I promised. She gave me a look before sitting in front of a mirror facing her vanity. "I need to get ready for the banquet." I started brushing her hair from beginning to end.
The banquet would take place soon. Traditionally, a banquet was held every evening after a joust to celebrate the victors and tonight was no exception. The constant pitter-patter of the servant's feet echoed down the hallways. Mouth-watering aromas filled the air.
"I hope not. Anyway," she walked towards a finely polished wooden box. She opened it revealing millions of sparkling gems. "Today is a day of celebration." She shuffled the contents around. "Do you mind picking something up for me? I forgot to ask the guards."
I breathed. "Of course..." I nodded. It was not like I had a choice.
She closed her jewellery box. "It's on the left side of town. At the Jewellers, it is a ruby necklace. I asked for it to be specially made," she explained. "You will need to hurry." She handed me a long silk cloak. The shimmering turquoise fabric was like beams of moonlight illuminating the room. I had never seen something so mesmerizing.
"A gift."
"I can't." I shook my head.
"You can and you will," she insisted. Despite my countless protests, the princess did not give in.
"Thank you." I blushed, admiring the beautiful gift.
"You're welcome," she said victoriously. "Now, hurry!" She ushered me to the door. "We don't have long until the banquet begins!" I went out the door, down the stairs, and out the servant's entrance.
The left side of town was surprisingly dark and gloomy. My lungs were used to the clean fresh air and right now I felt as if I was suffocating.
A thick layer of smoke and fog lay across the streets. Shifty characters lurked in the mist. I carried on walking hastily. Vermin were scattered around the vacant streets, this was their domain. Shadows crept along the cold, moss-covered brick walls. The wind played with the dying leaves and rusty joints of wooden doors. The constant creaking kept me on edge.
I hated walking down narrow unknown streets, alone. I felt the lumpy, priceless necklace in the cloak's pocket. I knew perfectly well that people have killed for much less than a ruby. In the distance, I heard low growls and grunts.
Something cracked beneath my feet. I froze stiff with fear. What was that? Relief filled me as I kicked the dirty, rotten, half-eaten carrot off the road. I was being foolish. I took a deep breath.
"Lila! Lila!" somebody shouted. I carried on walking. Who was Lila? Out the blue, an aggressive grip pulled my hand. I tried to break free. The figure pushed all their weight against me and a tough wall. My head swung back against the brick and flint.
I shrieked in pain. "Let go of me!" A trickle of blood ran down my forehead. It was a man, I could tell from his strength and size.
He slammed his sharp nails into my lip and dragged them down to my chin. "Lila..." A stench of gin and sweat filled my nose.
"No. I'm Leila," I shouted. "Who's Lila?"
"Shut up." He spat. His grip tightened on my neck. I couldn't help but cry out in pain. I couldn't breathe. He was going to kill me! I would die at the hands of a stranger. I could not move. A tear escaped my eyes. I felt completely helpless. I just managed a whimper through my dry lips. This cannot be the end. I felt myself begin to go limp. Hold on!
All sudden a silver object slammed down on my attacker's forehead. This single blow knocked him out. His body slumped to the floor. I had never been so relieved to breathe the polluted city air. I stumbled forward. Suddenly a hand reached out to me. On reflex, I shoved them away with all my strength.
"Wow, calm down. I'm not going to hurt you." The voice sounded strangely familiar.
The figure was hidden behind a white spotless cloak that illuminated the night. "Getaway," I warned.
"I won't hurt you," the unidentified figure repeated. I could tell by the sound of the voice that the figure was male. I wanted to believe him. There was this foolish, tiny part of me that wanted to trust him. The only problem was I lost my faith in humanity a long time ago. I glared at him suspiciously.
"I don't know that for sure," I hissed.
"I just saved your life, I'm not about to kill you." His voice was filled with confidence in addition to authority. I narrowed my eyes. He pushed back his hood. His eyes looked like a cascade of stars that brightened the night. "Please, you're hurt. Let me help you."
"I don't need your help." I began walking past him and back towards the castle.
He followed. "It didn't look that way when he had his hand across your throat," he countered.
I looked back at him trying to hide my frustration. "I was completely in control," I lied.
"In control! He almost murdered you!" He shouted after me. I heard his footsteps echo behind me.
I stopped in my tracks and turned directly to face him. "Why do you care?" I investigated. Nobody looks out for a stranger. Nobody gives something for free, everything has a price, even kindness. What was he up to?
He ran his hand through his hair. "I feel responsible if I had gotten there s
ooner..."
"Don't be ridiculous." I rolled my eyes and turned to start walking. He stopped me. His strong grip kept me firmly in place.
"Wait, hang on. You are hurt, you need to rest. Let me buy you something to eat at the Tavern." He insisted. What was with this guy?
"I can't. I'm needed at the castle."
"A few minutes won't make a difference." He sighed getting tired of my excuses. We walked to the tavern in utter silence, I did not wait for him, and I strode straight in and found a table.
I sat down on a sturdy, wooden bench. Beside it was a bulky, burning fire. The wonderful heat kissed my skin. The dim light came from the burning torches. The curved stone walls resembled a cave and the wooden beams attempted to support a balcony above.
The bar was filled with pot-bellied men. Beer and ale overflowed out of their mugs. The sounds of drunkard's heavy chuckles bombarded my ears. The musical sounds of flutes, harps, and drums filled the tavern. It was packed.
My saviour stood at the hand-carved wooden bar. He was speaking to one of the servers. Seeing him in the light was like a slap back to reality. He was extremely good-looking. His thick brown wispy hair, those blue eyes, I recognized them. Then it hit me, I had seen him before.
He sat down across from me. "You!" I stared at him distrustfully. "You're the knight from the joust." My death glare seemed to not affect him.
He did not deny it. "And you're the mysterious girl who ran onto the pitch." I blushed. I felt humiliated. He had seen my cheeks redden. "What were you thinking?"
"I wasn't," I admitted. "I just wasn't about to stand by and watch an innocent man die."
He looked away with a clear look of pain in his eyes. "What happened to Albert was terrible." I wondered whether he knew Albert well.
"You knights talk about honour and sacrifice." I looked around the smoky tavern. "Yet, you compete in games like this, how many lives could he have saved with his skill? There is nothing honourable about the way he died. He died for nothing."
After a long silence, I got up to leave. "Where are you going?" he looked at me.
"I'm not about to have a meal with an arrogant knight," I responded. He looked completely taken back. Nobody ever speaks to him like that.
"You don't even know me."
"I know people like you and you're all the same. Egotistical, pompous, and self-centred." I muttered heading out of the door. He followed me, of course.
"Something tells me you're not a fan of noble blood. Most girls lose consciousness at the very sight of a knight but you-." He looked at me curiously.
"Get over yourself." He followed me out into the street. "Where's the cloak?" I panicked. The ruby necklace!
"It's in the tavern. I will get it for you." He ran back in. The cold wind surrounded me. I heard a crack of thunder in the distance.
Out of nowhere, strangers dressed in dark fabric crawled out from the shadows. The three of them grabbed hold of me. I screamed out but they covered my mouth with a rag. I kicked as hard as I could but they managed to restrain me with a tough rope. They began dragging me back towards some sort of cart. There was a bow and arrow when you needed them? "Where's the ruby? Give it to us."
"Let her go." I watched as the knight drew his sword. Metal clashed against metal. The black-masked men advanced. They traded thrusts and feints. The Knight moved with lightning speed blocking each advance, I could hardly see his sword.
The knight wounded the first attacker on the thigh. There was a piercing scream. Then he slashed the second one across the chest. The third immediately backed off and disappeared into the night. The last ones always run.
"Are you okay?" He rushed towards me, undoing the knots that kept me trapped. "What is it with you and danger?" He stared at me. There was something in his eyes, something that I could not quite place.
I got to my feet. He handed me my cloak and I slipped out the diamond-encrusted, ruby necklace. "They were after this."
"Do you have a death wish?!" He stared at me in disbelief. "You're walking around in the dark, alone with THAT! You're just a girl." I was about to snap at him for calling me 'just a girl' but I think I had insulted him enough already.
"It wasn't like I had a choice. Caroline Da Angelo demanded that I collect it for her," I explained.
"And you listened to her?!" He raised an eyebrow in disbelief. Of course, I listened to her. She was my master's. I had to be at her beck and call. He wouldn't understand what the definition of 'to serve' is. He did not understand that I did not have a choice. He stood very close now. "What is your name?"
"Leila of Bourdet."
Suddenly a man in silver armour charged towards us. He appeared to have come from the palace.
"Leonardo." The stranger paused, his eyes flickering to me. So that was the Knight's name, Leonardo. "The King is waiting for you."
The knight ignored the rider and turned his attention back to me. "Take Leila of Bourdet to the palace; make sure she is taken care of." The stranger nodded.
"I'm afraid this is where I leave you," Leonardo sighed. "I hope next time I save you-"
"Who said there would be a next time?" I asked defiantly.
"Won't there?" he stared amused. "I hope so because I would very much like to see you again." He smiled charmingly. I did not respond.
That smoulder and big blue eyes of his, may work on every other girl but not me. I am not so foolish.
"Your highness, your father demands your presence. Your guests-" The man in silver started to speak but Leonardo silenced him with a look. His guests were at the castle? No, it cannot be! Leonardo Da Angelo. There I go, making a fool of myself again.
That was the night the Prince saved my life. That was the night it all began.
Chapter Three– The Woods
Heat. An unbearable heat that consumed me and aimed to destroy me. I was running, the fire surrounding me. Burning me, devouring me. The wildfire spat viciously sending sparks flying. Smoke filled my lungs. I searched for air. This desperation to survive overwhelmed me. Screams filled the night air. My hands had gone completely black from the ash clouds.
The fire covered the building. I had to escape. I rushed to a crumbling corner. I kicked powerfully into the rotten wooden planks. Again. Another time. Finally, a piece fragmented and broke loose. I clawed my way out of a gap.
I burst out into the winter night air. The moon was hidden behind the ash clouds and the smoke that came from our burning village. "Burn it to the ground." The soldier's voices filled my ear. There were no stars that night, no light. Only darkness.
"Wake up." A voice beckoned me back to reality. My pulse quickened. My heart pounded so powerfully, it threatened to burst out of my rib cage. I jumped up, my lungs filling with air. I gasped for air as if I had been deprived of it for decades.
It was only a nightmare. It was always 'that nightmare' that visited me. It did not matter how many times I dreamt it, it always managed to feel so real. It always managed to surprise me. It always felt like the first time but I know it would never be the last time.
"You were screaming." A curly ginger-haired girl stood in the corner of the room. Her eyes trailing up and down me; alarmed.
It took me a moment to realise where I was. My room in the servant quarters. It was simple. Four dull grey stone walls, a small bed, and an oak wardrobe. No windows. No light.
Guilt filled me. "I am sorry."
"Does it happen often?" she investigated. Yes.
"No," I lied.
She came closer. Now, I could see the countless freckles that decorated her skin and her amber eyes. She was slim, young, and mid-height. "You're that new girl, aren't you? The princess's servant." She looked almost impressed.
I wiped the sweat from my brow. "Yes, I am."
"I am an apprentice. Anna." She extended her hand. I shook it.
"I am Leila."
Caroline's room was so much brighter and stylish than mine. That was a luxury that came with being a princess. "Where is it?" Caroline's
swollen eyes were covered in nets of red veins. There was not a doubt in my mind that she had not slept.
I slipped the ruby necklace into her small palm. I watched her eyes fill with relief and the demented look on her face faded away. She was still wearing last night's ball gown. Why hadn't she changed?
The Golden Year and the Sorceress Page 2
