Richie bumped into Madam Louise as his thoughts got away from him. He oomphed, falling on his behind on the stone floors. Madam Louise placed her hands on her hips and sent him a stern look.
“What are you doing out of your room, young man?” she scolded. The boy smiled up at her and shrugged, ever the picture of innocence. With a sigh, Madam Louise helped him to his feet. “While you’re here, you may as well help me. Come along. We are going to the gardens to find vegetables for tonight’s stew.”
Richie tagged along happily, for once not bothered by his work. He picked the largest, ripest vegetables he could find before heading back inside, helping Madam Louise clean countless rooms and then falling into bed for the night. As he slept, he dreamt of Aston on wild adventures with a beautiful maiden by his side. He knew, somehow, that what he saw was real, and that Aston would he truly free someday soon.
“There is a woman at the beginning
of all great things.”
- Alphonse de Lamartine –
Nine
Jade ran Bella as hard and fast as she could through the mild, fall night. The horse’s frantic breathing did nothing to calm her own pounding heart. Two days had passed since she’d left home, and she regretted the decision more with each passing moment. Night had fallen; the forest’s creatures came alive as moonlight filtered through the treetops. Risking a glance behind her, Jade barely held in her scream.
Racing after her black mare was a pack of wolves, the alpha so close Jade could see the yellow of his eyes. He nipped at Bella’s hind leg and the horse let out a squeal, running faster, pounding her hooves into the hard ground. Jade gripped the reins tighter, wishing she were home in bed instead of in the middle of the forest, running for her life. Bella stumbled and Jade barely caught herself, leaning low over her steed’s back and ushering the horse forward with whispered words.
What am I doing? I don’t belong here! Jade thought, her eyes wide as she looked back again. The wolves were falling behind, some branching off to the sides. They were going to try and surround her. A fierce howl ripped through the night, mixing with the sound of Bella’s frantic panting and the thundering of her hooves against the packed ground. Jade looked around herself, hoping to see something familiar, but it was a wasted effort.
She had no idea where she was. As a lady who’d lived her entire life inside castle walls, the forest was completely foreign to her. Everything looked the same; green trees, their trunks grey in the twilight, worn out paths leading in every direction. She wouldn’t be able to find her way home, even if she wanted to return. Jade wished something would appear to her, some sign telling her where to go. She turned around to look for the wolves that had been chasing her and was surprised at what she found.
The majority of the wolf pack had disappeared. Only one was left, quickly catching up to her as Bella started to tire. Jade took a deep breath before screaming as loud as she could. “Somebody help!” She received no reply, but she hadn’t expected to. As Bella slowed, Jade crashed into a clearing, an almost perfect circle of the forest where all of the trees had been roughly chopped away. She caught sight of a man standing up as the wolf trailing her jumped into the clearing behind her.
She entered the forest again on the opposite side of the clearing and started to slow Bella as she realized the wolf was no longer following her. Jade turned Bella around and went back toward the clearing, forcing her horse into a trot. She stopped at the edge of the trees, staying hidden in the shadows.
The man she had seen was standing about fifteen feet away from the wolf. A silver blade shone in the moonlight in his left hand as he circled the grey creature. The wolf had his mouth slightly open, his teeth bared as he contemplated attacking the man. His decision made, the wolf pounced. Jade screamed but realized her fear was misplaced. The wolf ran straight onto the man’s blade, red staining the ground. It was over as quickly as it had started. The man knelt down, wiping his blade clean on the grass, and then stood, staring off into the forest.
After another moment of gazing into the trees, his head lowered and he turned in her direction. Jade hopped down from Bella and cocked her head to the side, studying the man. The trees thinned over the clearing, leaving an almost perfect circle for the moonlight to filter through. The man before her was tall, muscular, and weary looking. He had a week’s growth of beard on his face and his hair was a tangled mess. His eyes had flashed cobalt blue in the moonlight.
A howl ripped through the quiet of the night and Jade shivered, wondering if the wolves were still after her. She looked at Bella, noticing the way the mare’s eyes widened in fear at the sound. Jade needed someone to look after her, to protect her. Maybe the man before her was the sign she had been waiting for.
With a sigh and a quick straightening of her dress, Jade strode into the clearing.
**
Aston stared at the woman he’d saved as she walked toward him. She was a petite woman, her head stopping just under his chin. She wore a yellow dress that was torn at the hem, probably from riding through the forest. Her hair was partly up and partly down, tangled with sticks and leaves. Aston would have laughed at her appearance were he sure he didn’t look just as haggard. He stood staring at her, waiting for something to happen, for her to speak or to leave.
Neither human spoke, though their horses seemed relaxed. Sterling, tied to a tree at the far end of the clearing, perked his ears at the appearance of the mare. Bella, in turn, whinnied a hello to the grey stallion. When Aston was sure the woman wouldn’t speak first, he decided to introduce himself.
“My lady, may I ask what you are doing in the forest at this time of night?” he began. Better to find out who she was before revealing his identity. If she’d heard of his misdeeds, she would run screaming from the clearing and most likely bring him nothing but trouble.
“You may ask, but that does not guarantee I will answer,” she replied, her tone curt.
“I suppose it doesn’t. Very well, be on your way. I won’t stop you.” Aston sat back down on his stump, wanting nothing more than to be left in peace. Richie would be coming the next day, and he intended to wait on his stump until the boy appeared. Having the woman around would only complicate things.
“I ran away from my life. Satisfied?” the woman answered, walking her horse further into the clearing.
“No. What life?” Aston asked.
The woman rolled her eyes. “If I told you that, I would have to run again.” At Aston’s curious glance, she added, “You would make me go back and I refuse to go. It is better and easier for both of us if you don’t know.”
Aston shrugged and looked away.
“Why are you out here, sir?” she asked, and Aston’s shoulders tensed.
“The same reason you are I suppose; I ran away from my life.” Aston suddenly understood why the woman would not share details with him. If he told her who he was, why he was running, she would turn him in herself.
“Then we are at an understanding. My name is Jade. Thank you for saving me,” she offered, taking a seat on the ground and leaning against the stump Aston still occupied.
“Aston. It’s a pleasure, my lady, I am sure,” he replied. He wanted Jade to leave, firstly because she asked too many questions, and secondly because he wanted to keep her safe. Annoying as she was, she was still a woman. And he was still a knight.
“Why are you sitting here, Aston?” Jade asked.
“I am waiting on news,” he replied. The woman, Jade, was getting more comfortable. She didn’t seem to want to leave. This was just what he needed.
“News of what?”
“News of The Rogue Royal.” Aston didn’t miss the way she sucked in a breath at the name. “Oh yes, he is a very dangerous man. And I am hunting him. Shouldn’t you be getting along to wherever you were going?” He didn’t want to be rude to a woman, but she was being persistent and nosy, two things his life would best avoid right now.
“I am aware of who he is,” Jade announced, and Aston thought
he saw her flinch. “Why are you hunting him?”
“He condemned me. Well, Prince…it’s a long and tiring story. Nothing you should be bothered with.”
“Okay…I suppose I will get some rest while you are being stubborn. Do you have an extra blanket?” Aston almost told Jade no, he did not have a blanket, nor did he enjoy her company. Instead he decided the woman had had a rough enough day and allowed her use of a blanket and his company for the night. He would rid himself of her the next day.
**
As morning dawned, Jade stretched. Her neck and shoulders ached, her back was stiff, and there were tree bark indentions on her cheek.
“Well, that’s the last time I sleep on the ground,” she announced, standing and stretching her arms high over her.
“You won’t be sticking around for long, then,” Aston said, and she whirled around to face him. She’d almost forgotten she had company.
“You do this often?” At Aston’s nod, she frowned. “Don’t you have a home?”
Aston pointed at himself. “Runaway, remember? I used to have a home. Now, I live wherever my journey takes me.”
As romantic and enticing as that sounded, Jade did not want to live in the forest. Unless she had a cabin, a fireplace, a kitchen, and a bed, that is. “Doesn’t it get tiring, sleeping outside and eating…grass?” she asked, looking around herself. No fruit trees, no berry bushes. Nothing but oak trees and pine needles.
“Sterling eats grass. I eat meat,” Aston replied, producing a rabbit from behind his back. The princess gagged at the bloodied animal and closed her eyes.
“How do you eat that?” she questioned, opening one eye to look back at Aston. He’d set the hare on the ground and was starting to skin it. She quickly closed her eye again and turned around. “Where’s Bella?” she added, suddenly noticing her horse was nowhere to be found.
“You went to sleep last night without tying her up. As soon as she heard a wolf howl, she took off,” he answered.
“She what?! How could you let her run away?” Jade snapped, turning around again. This time the rabbit didn’t bother her; she was too furious to pay attention to what Aston was doing.
“Excuse me, what? How could I let her run away? I believe she was your horse, your responsibility; not mine,” he sneered.
“Well, I was sleeping,” she retaliated, folding her arms across her chest and sticking her nose in the air.
“Look here, Princess. I don’t know who you think you are, but I am not your servant,” Aston barked, dropping his knife and the rabbit on the ground and standing. He towered over Jade and she swallowed, his mention of the word ‘princess’ causing her momentary panic.
“What did you call me?” she asked, her voice shaking. Was she really that obvious?
“Princess. It’s what you’re acting like. Stuck up, arrogant, with no responsibility. If I didn’t know any better, I would say you were royalty,” he told her, his face full of disdain.
He didn’t move away from her and Jade felt suddenly egotistical. Stuck up? Arrogant? She’d never seen herself that way. She had always seen herself as kind and thoughtful. Looking back on the short time she’d spent with Aston, she could understand why he saw differently.
Finally finding strength in herself, Jade tore her gaze from his and looked at the ground. She could feel tears burning her eyes, but she refused to let them fall.
“I’m sorry. I know it wasn’t your fault. I was just so tired last night, and there were wolves chasing me. I’ve never been away from home before and I am used to people doing things for me. I shouldn’t have yelled at you like that.” One of the tears she was holding back fell from her eye, but Jade wiped it away quickly. “Bella has been my horse for five years. She was the only part of my life I had left.”
Aston studied her for a moment. Jade could feel his eyes appraising her. She resisted the urge to squirm. It seemed an eternity passed before he moved. He sighed and walked away from her and over to his horse, grabbing his reins. Then he walked back to Jade and handed the reins to her, looking away as her surprised face looked up to meet his.
“What are you doing?” she asked him.
Aston shook his head. “I don’t know. Helping you, I guess. His name is Sterling,” he said, motioning to the horse. “He’ll take you wherever you need to go. Just, don’t go to Fridel. He’s too easily recognized there,” Aston added, almost as an afterthought.
“I can’t take your horse. Besides, I’m not going anywhere,” Jade said, pushing the reins back into Aston’s hand.
“Aren’t going anywhere? You can’t stay here,” Aston said, his voice incredulous.
“Of course I can. I’m a free woman. I can do whatever I like,” Jade responded. “I’m lonely and know nothing about hunting or…killing things,” she choked out, her eyes turning to the rabbit on the ground, half skinned. With a shiver, she looked back up at Aston. “You could teach me to take care of myself. And maybe I could help you out in return, somehow.” At Aston’s incredulous look Jade frowned.
“Help me? Do what? Sew?” Aston laughed as Jade scowled. Sew? The nerve of him!
“No! Maybe I could help you find The Rogue Royal!” Aston stopped laughing at Jade’s words, his eyes narrowing as a dark shadow passed over his face.
“I won’t let you anywhere near him. You might be irritating and loud, but you’re still a woman and as a kni…as a man of honor I will not let harm come to you.” Aston barely caught his tongue, but Jade understood anyway.
“A knight? Why is a knight hiding in the forest?” she questioned, her voice loud.
“And we are back to the questions I will not answer about myself,” he answered, kneeling on the ground and returning to his rabbit.
Jade scoffed and sat on the stump, crossing her legs at the knee. Aston sent her a questioning gaze and she shrugged; she didn’t feel like being ladylike.
“Aston! Aston!” She looked up at the young voice echoing through the trees. Aston winced. A young boy raced into the clearing on the back of a tall white stallion, jumping down and running to Aston. He jumped on the knight’s back and almost caused the knight to fall onto his kill.
“Calm down, Richie, and don’t scream so loud. You’ll get me killed,” Aston laughed, rubbing the boy’s head.
“Guess what, guess what!? I know where the Rogue is going next!” Richie exclaimed, jumping up and down. Jade and Aston both perked up at his words.
“Where?” Aston asked.
Richie grinned. “Nothsbury! Duke Roland sent word! The Rogue plans on killing the king! Oh, and Talbot is bringing an army to try and find you, so be careful!” Richie said.
Aston looked sideways at Jade, likely gauging her reaction to the news, but she pretended to be occupied with the hem of her dress. “Thank you, Richie. You’ve done great. Don’t come back here until I send you a message, okay? I don’t want anyone getting suspicious and following you here.”
“Okay, Aston. Oh! I almost forgot! I took this letter from King Donn too. He hasn’t opened it yet and he will probably know it’s gone. It just arrived today, but I thought it might be important,” Richie said, reaching into his pants pocket and withdrawing the creased envelope. Aston nodded, looking at the scrawled writing across the back of the cream colored parchment. Stretching her neck, Jade saw it was a letter from her father.
“Who’s she?” Richie asked, leaning close and whispering in Aston’s ear. Jade barely heard him.
“Her name is Jade. That’s all I know about her,” Aston answered, standing and going to Sterling. He watched out of the corner of his eye as the boy sauntered over to Jade.
Jade looked down at the boy approaching her. His face was red and freckled, his red hair filthy and matted. He was the most adorable child she had ever seen, strutting over to her with his chest puffed out. He held out a dirty hand to her, which she took in her own, laughing as he leaned down to press sticky lips to the back of her hand. She cringed internally, but quickly shook off the reaction. If she w
as going to travel with Aston, she would have to get used to dirt.
“Hello, Lady Jade. I am Sir Richard,” he said, forcing his voice to sound older, deeper.
Jade laughed on the inside, but tried to remain stoic on the outside. “Well, hello, Sir Richard. It is an honor to meet you,” she said, standing to curtsy to the boy, who bowed low in return.
With the formalities gone, Richie’s face grew into a wide grin, revealing three gaps where teeth were missing. “You are very pretty, Lady Jade,” he said.
“Well, thank you. You are quite handsome,” she replied, grabbing the boy around the middle and pulling him into her lap.
“Are you going to help Aston be free again?” Richie asked.
Jade looked up at the knight, noticing the way he quickly turned his head from them; he’d been eavesdropping. “I hope so, Richard. What happened?” she asked, trusting the child to tell her. She saw Aston flinch but ignored it; she had this powerful urge to help the man, a force within her telling her it was what she was meant to do.
“A bad man got away from him. Prince Talbot blamed everything on Aston, even though it was all Talbot’s fault. He’s a dirty prince,” Richie explained.
“I see. Well, thank you for telling me, Richard.”
“Are you a princess?” Richie whispered, and Jade stilled.
“Why do you say that?” Jade asked the boy. Was she really so obvious? Aston had seemed to believe she wasn’t. Children always were more perceptive than adults though. They saw the world so differently.
“You’re really pretty, your dress is better made than the ones Madam Louise makes, and your eyes are lined with kohl. Madam Louise says only really wealthy women can afford to be all made up,” Richie explained. He leaned in closer to Jade to whisper in her ear. “Plus, I’ve had dreams lately, dreams where Aston meets a beautiful princess and they go on adventures together.”
Knight's End (The Knight Trilogy) Page 6
