Aurelia asked where the commode was and Nico laughed and said, “Outside, princess! Welcome to outskirts!”
They all retreated to their sleeping areas and in no time were all sound asleep and audibly snoring. There is something about the combination of red meat, hearty soup and spiced wine that could sedate even the largest of men.
Aurelia awoke many hours later and it was already pitch black outside. It seemed eerily quiet in the cabin so she decided to peek around the corner to see if the brothers were both still sleeping. When she first looked she saw no sign of them. There was a blanket thrown haphazardly over the couch in a way that looked like it was thrown by someone waking up against his or her will in a hurried fashion. She checked all the areas throughout the cabin and saw no sign of the brothers. She yelled for them once just to give a final check and received no response.
She was horrified to see the kitchen. It was a disaster from their drunken stupor. There was soup spilled all over the counter, a broken glass under the table, one bottle of wine was on its side dripping thick , dark matter on the floor and flies gathering around the remainder of the food that had been left out. Aurelia began to feel a headache slowly approaching from standing up too soon so she ran to the sink to drink some water in attempt to suppress it as best as she could. She splashed extra water over her face and on the back of her neck. The brothers must be out hunting now. She decided that it would be a nice gesture to clean up the kitchen before they came back. She searched for a broom to sweep up the broken glass. She saw what looked like a cupboard near the front door and assumed cleaning supplies might be house there.
When she opened the door, she found shelves and shelves of rocks and animal bones that had been chiseled into weapons. She was fascinated. Some had been made into arrows with what looked like horsehair for the bows. Others were unlike anything she had ever seen. There was one instrument that resembled a back scratcher. It was a long rod with a hook fastened on the end of it that she imagined was used for hunting snakes or gophers or other animals that lived underground.
She started touching and admiring every weapon and painting a picture of how to use each one. When she noticed the broom resting against one of the shelves, she remembered the mess in the kitchen and decided to return to her original task of cleaning the mess. She swept the broken glass, wiped up the soup and the wine and gathered the meat to put into the icebox. When she opened the box, what lay in front of her was the bloodiest collection of meat she had ever seen.
The icebox was filled with everything from rabbit feet to deer eyes. She saw duck liver, squirrel sausage, and horse thighs (which she assumed came from the same horse that sacrificed his mane for the bow). The sight of all the dead meat gave Aurelia initial nausea. She closed the box and took a few deep breaths, then she noticed a clothespin on a dresser in the living room. She ran and grabbed the clothespin, fastened it tightly on her nose and returned to the icebox. She reopened it and this time managed to incorporate the leftover venison neatly with the other dead meat. After cleaning the kitchen, she returned to the cupboard to study the bones. She was holding another interesting piece resembling a medieval cheese grater, when she heard a scream coming from outside of the cabin.
She dropped the weapon and ducked down to the floor. She had one lantern lit so that she could see around the cabin, but she quickly blew that out so that she would not draw any attention. She remained on the floor with her back against the wall, listening to yet another vicious attack. This one was further away than the one she witnessed the night before. She could only hear screams and snarling in the distance until there was a loud crunch, which brought the screams to a sudden halt. Now that she was no longer afraid of the attacks because she knew that there was purpose behind them, she could hear other sounds throughout the forest. The werebears weren’t the only ones hunting. She heard owls screeching and then a loud “EEEEEEEEK!” from a desperate mouse pleading for its life.
She also heard wolves howling and mountain lions growling. What was she thinking trying to survive out here on her own? Once the sun goes down, the forest becomes a non-stop battle for survival. She was very lucky to have been taken in by the brothers and pledged to do anything they asked of her. There was no turning back now. They were a team, now, which meant that she was prepared to fight for them just as quickly as they would fight for her. She continued studying the weapons until daylight was near.
She began to hear shuffling footsteps approaching the cabin. She assumed it was the brothers and was happy to know that they were okay. The shuffling was getting closer and closer until it was right at the front door. She waited a moment and nothing happened. She could hear whatever was on the other side of the door sniffing around and then it started softly scratching at the door. Aurelia was beginning to become a little frightened. Was it one of the brothers asking to be let in? They had never discussed transformation protocol. She remained still, then she heard a low growl. The scratching was more frequent now and after more sniffing, the growling was getting louder. When she heard the howl, she was certain it was not one of the brothers. The scratching was now ferocious and the animal was forcefully slamming into the door. Aurelia was terrified and took refuge in her storage closet.
The howling was excessive at this point and she could hear more animals approaching. Before long, the cabin was surrounded by wolves who were all doing all that they could to get into the cabin. She had never been so scared in her life but tried to remain calm, preparing to use the handful of weapons she brought into the closet with her if she needed to. Then, she heard the most gut wrenching growl of them all.
It was Afonso! She knew it, because she recognized it from before. She heard a second one shortly after which was a little deeper than Afonso’s. She could hear more shuffling and occasional yelps and she knew the brothers were here. She could finally breathe a little easier. After a few minutes of fighting, she could hear all of the wolves being chased away from the cabin until it was completely silent again. Aurelia slowly poked her head out from the closet again and saw daylight beginning to break through the window. She had survived her second night in the forest, all thanks to her new family.
CHAPTER FOUR
Prince Olric was pacing across the room as his military captain was recapping their attack strategy. “We will have the troops move through the mountains. It will take them many nights to reach Vienna. Again, sir, I suggest you stay here at the castle in case an offering of peace is proposed,” said Colonel Ferdinand.
Olric stomped his foot on the ground and demanded, “I am going! There is no way I can wait here, helpless, while my bride is out there enduring God knows what. I must act now. No more waiting around, taking the easy road. It’s time to be a man! Things are going to be different around here, from now on. Mark my words!”
Olric and Ferdinand continued planning their course of action until they were interrupted by King Roland’s abrupt presence. He barged into the room and cast a soul-penetrating stare at his son. “Olric,” he said, “what is this nonsense about you devising a surprise attack on Austria? There are other means of getting Aurelia back, my son. Peaceful ways. Please calm down so that we can discuss more civil ways of going about this.”
Prince Olric had never gone against his father’s wishes, but for the first time in his life, he knew he had to in this situation. “No, father. My mind is made up. Please do not take offense to my actions, but I must do this. Austria has had our kingdom living in fear for centuries, and it’s time to make a change. Can’t you see this?” he asked of his father, challenging him for the first time.
King Roland was still not yet taking his son entirely serious. “Son, I understand that you are concerned for Aurelia. We all are. But is it worth putting the lives of our soldiers, our villagers and ultimately ourselves in danger for an ambushing attack on one of the most powerful countries on our continent?”
Olric was stunned that his father could think this way about a kidnapping. He knew that his parents’ m
arriage was one of politics more so than love, but would he not do the same for Lady Gertrud? He was a little hesitant to hear the truth, but he had to ask anyway, “What if it was mother that they captured? Would you sit back and hope that you could negotiate some sort of bribe to get your wife back or would you take action?”
King Roland rested his hand on Olric’s shoulder to settle him down and said, “You know what I’d do, son. You learn, as a king, that you cannot act on passion. You must act on logic. Your decisions affect your entire kingdom, not just yourself. You know I care for your mother a great deal, as do I care about you, but I would handle the situation the same way I govern. Soon, when you are king, you will understand.”
Prince Olric removed his father’s hand from his shoulder and rested it over his heart. “Do you feel that, father? Do you feel my heart racing? My heart has not raced like this since the first time I saw Aurelia. I respect your diplomacy, but for me, if I am experiencing something this strong, I must act on it. I am truly sorry, but I am going through with this mission.”
Roland was saddened by his son’s comment. Not because he had not loved a woman in the same way that Olric loved Aurelia, but because of what he knew he had to do next. He pulled his hand away to link his wrists behind his back. He slowly turned to walk away, ponder for a moment, then turn back around and tell his son, “Like I said, as a king, you cannot act on passion. Therefore, I am forbidding you to use any government assets. No troops, no weapons, nothing that associates our kingdom with this malicious act.”
Prince Olric argued briefly, showing his father the plans he had already mapped out with Colonel Ferdinand. Roland grabbed the maps and ripped them over and over and threw them into the fire. “Like I said, no resources.”
King Roland dismissed Colonel Ferdinand, apologizing for his time wasted, and told him to alert the troops that their mission was no longer set to move forward. Colonel Ferdinand gave Prince Olric a look of condolence, then returned his attention to King Roland, stood up, nodded, and said, “Yes, sir.” Colonel Ferdinand grabbed his hat and headed for the door.
As he opened the door to leave, Lady Gertrud was standing on the other end of the door, just about to knock. “Good morning, my lady,” Ferdinand greeted, while holding the door for her to enter.
“Good morning, Colonel. I hope all has smoothed over by now,” she said while coughing between every three words or so. The colonel felt a little uneasy but remained poised.
“I was just leaving, madam,” he said as he waited for her to enter the room entirely so he could gently close the door behind him, as he expected that they had many family matters to discuss.
Lady Gertrud entered the room with a rather smug look on her face. She approached Olric to give him a kiss on the cheek and wish him a good morning. “Have you and your father discussed this situation that has been somewhat of a concern to me?” she asked Olric, as she slowly sat down on the bed to rest.
Olric remained quiet, but King Roland interjected, “Yes, I have just informed him that he will not have any governmental support on his reckless mission.”
The Lady gasped with joy. “Oh, thank heavens. I knew you would come around, Olric. It would be madness for our kingdom if you were to start picking fights. We are not equipped to handle that kind of conflict,” she said.
Prince Olric politely disagreed with his mother. “No, mother. I did not come around. Father says I am cut off from all political resources, but I have not abandoned my mission. I will have to form a militia of my own. I know many of our people have been hoping for a war with Austria, and now will be there time to prove it.”
Both King Roland and Lady Gertrud immediately questioned the sanity of their son. King Roland kindly asked him to reconsider, “Please, son, use your knowledge. Access your thoughts in an objective way,” while Lady Gertrud simply yelled.
“What? Have you gone mad? No son of mine is going to put his life on the line for some childish infatuation. We will handle this situation the way we always do, and if Aurelia is not brought back, you will court another suitable woman. You must not lose your purpose in this girl.”
Prince Olric was now fuming. He had never spoken to his mother in a disrespectful manner, but like he said to Colonel Ferdinand, things were going to change. He stood up to his mother and firmly put her in her place. “That’s it! I’ve had it, mother! I will not stand to have you speak of my fiancé this way. Our relationship may be different from you and father’s, but I want it that way. I love her and cannot just replace her. I refuse to marry for reasons other than love. You two many be content with settling in life, but not me. Not anymore.”
King Roland stepped in to say “Olric, what has gotten into you? You do not speak to your mother or me in that tone. Especially in her condition. We are just looking out for you. It is our job as your parents to instill wisdom and sound decision making, which you are clearly going against which is very disrespectful. You should be ashamed of yourself. I believe you owe us an apology.”
Prince Olric looked at both of his parents and for the first time saw disappointment in their faces. “I will apologize for upsetting you,” Olric said, “but I will not take back what I said. If you are cutting me off entirely, I will leave immediately and make a stay in town while I gather my own resources.”
Lady Gertrud looked to King Roland as if to say do something then he just looked at his son and said, “Fine, go on your suicide mission. You want to prove to me that you are a man? Go right ahead.” He then, stormed out of the room.
Lady Gertrud nearly dropped to her knees, but Olric raced over to catch her. “Mother, are you okay?”
The Lady looked at him and pleaded, “Please do not do this, my son. It is not worth it.”
Prince Olric gently let go of his mother and said, “I cannot guarantee anything right now. I must go think. Perhaps you should go get some fresh air outside. I will join you in a minute after I tend to some things.” Prince Olric raced out of the room and down the hall.
As Lady Gertrud started descending down the stairs to escape to the courtyard, she was still in such shock that as she turned the corner, she nearly slammed into Sabina. Both women let out a startled shriek. Sabina was nearly knocked to the ground, but caught herself on the ledge of the stairs. “Oh, my dear! I am so sorry. I was on my way to get some fresh air. I’ve just heard the worst news,” Lady Gertrud said to Sabina.
“Oh! Oh, no! Has something happened to Aurelia? Well, I mean, have you learned something?” Sabina asked as she began helping Lady walk.
“No word on your sister, but my son certainly has a death wish and is set on going to find her. There is no way he will succeed with this crazy idea. Just look what happened to your father when he set out to find your mother!” Immediately after she spoke the words, the Lady threw her hands over her mouth.
Sabina was never as close with her father as Aurelia was, and she was so little when he disappeared that she felt close to nothing when he was mentioned.
“Oh, it’s alright, Madame. You make a valid point. He left two daughters behind on a rather selfish mission. I wish he wouldn’t have, but unfortunately, we only get the one chance at life. Come, now. Let’s get you outside. The fresh air will do you good.”
Lady Gertrud smiled so brightly that Sabina could have sworn she saw every tooth in her mouth. “You are so wonderful, Sabina. I always wished my son could have fallen in love with you and not your sister.”
Because Sabina was still so fixated on keeping up this difficult lie, she didn’t even hear the next words come out of her mouth. “Yes, me too.”
Lady Gertrud was somehow smiling even brighter now. Sabina couldn’t understand why, until she considered that she might have actually spoken the last three words that she thought. Sabina’s cheeks were immediately flushed with crimson red, and she started sweating in that secret area in the small of her back. “I mean, I wish that I could find a love as strong as the one between Aurelia and Olric… not that I wish he loved me. Pshh
, no… way,” Sabina babbled, trying to salvage her dignity.
Lady Gertrud wrapped her arm around Sabina, and was now leading her outside. “Darling, it’s alright to admit that you have feelings for my son. Most girls in the kingdom do. In fact, I’m sure all girls have feelings for my son. But for whatever reason, he is hung up on your sister. So hung up that he is about to risk his entire future for some heroic feat. He can be so stubborn, sometimes; but not like his father or me. He is foolishly stubborn. Sometimes I wish I was the only woman in his life,” she said, then looking into Sabina’s eyes and continuing, “but if there were to be one other woman to share him with, you would be it, sweetie. In a perfect world.”
Sabina was now filled with guilt. This was too much. Keeping such a giant secret was one thing, but now knowing that the man she loved (which was also a secret until just a few seconds ago) was going to attempt a dangerous journey to rescue the woman he loves, whom doesn’t love him. It was all too much.
Sabina did not want Olric putting himself in danger, so she decided that the safest route here would be to join forces with Lady Gertrud in attempts to stop Prince Olric from setting out on such a dangerous mission. Sabina looked up at Lady Gertrud and said, “Yes, you are right. I am in love with your son. I feel terrible, because my sister doesn’t know and, of course, because she is missing.”
Lady Gertrud was glowing now. She leaned in to whisper in Sabina’s ear, “What if you started making yourself a little more available to my son? Perhaps you both could spend more time together, consoling each other on Aurelia’s absence. Then, you could introduce him to new, exciting things that your sister never has before; and before you know it, poof! He’s yours.”
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