When I woke to life and finally managed to open my eyes, I realized that I had been moved into the house. I moved my head slowly and looked around the room where I was lying. It was dark inside and the only light came from gaps in the door. It smelled like the floor was covered in soil, this was probably some kind of basement, I thought.
As I tried to sit up, I discovered that both my hands and feet were bound and I felt a sudden pain in my head. For the first time in my life I felt completely helpless. I couldn't do anything but lie there and wait.
I thought of the others and felt how tears began to flow down my cheeks. Daniel .. Ren, Leon, where are you?
I had no idea how long I was lying there crying, but eventually I lost consciousness again, exhausted and dizzy from the hard blow.
At the same time the others rode on.
Leon had ridden first to keep an eye out, he was shaking, he had been constantly cold and wet for the past few days and a deep sigh left his lips, his thoughts wandered to that sunny day, Evelyn's smile, the happiness in her face when she galloped in the meadow, her soft lips.
He stopped and looked back, the mist was so dense he didn't see the others.
"Sir?!" He was waiting for answers.
"We are right behind you, Leon, but we should stop and wait it out." Mathew was interrupted by a Ren shouting
"She is gone!" He came riding in full gallop, his voice filled of despair "She was right in front of me ... I promise, I-I .. it was like the mist swallowed her .."
Far from the others, I was alone in the dark when the door suddenly opened and I was dazzled by the strong sunlight. I quickly turned my face to protect my eyes. It had been several days, how many I did not know but now and then someone came in with water. In the beginning, they had offered food too, but whenever they removed the gag off my mouth, I screamed for help, the highest my dry throat could manage.
Now the man came forward, straightened me against the wall and loosened a little on the cloth that was stuck between his lips. Suddenly, icy water ran over my face and I did everything to suck in what was stuck in the fabric. When the bottle was empty he strained the cloth again, I moaned in pain, my lips were dry and cracked and my jaw sore.
Without a word he left again.
I had no idea why they were holding me captive, but I got the feeling they were waiting for something.
For the hundredth time I tried to loosen the rope around my wrists, but I could barely move as my hands where tied behind my back and ropes tight around my ankles. My whole body felt the need to move but instead I had to lie in the same position day after day. Open wounds had formed around my wrists where the ropes cut in, my head ached from a lack of food and water and perhaps from the blow I received.
But no one had physically harmed me after that. Except for the torture of not feeding me or even speaking in my presence.
It had been so long that I began to doubt that someone would find me and I was desperately wondering how I could escape, it felt hopeless. I lay there day after day in the dark and often cried myself to sleep.
But this day felt different.
Then, suddenly, a spark of hope ignited as I heard the sound of horses.
Every little cell in my body wanted it to be my knights, but deep down I knew it wasn't them, they were far too smart to openly ride into a strange camp.
Stubbornly, I made another attempt to grab the knot on the rope around my wrists and tried in vain to get it up.
A minute later the door opened and my guard came in. He grabbed my arm and firmly pulled me up on my feet, but since I couldn't walk with ropes around my ankles he threw up my skinny, exhausted body over his shoulder and walked out.
My eyes were unaccustomed to the light, I squinted and wished I could hide my face with my hands.
Out in the yard he dropped me down with a thump and I fell into the dust and gravel. At the same time, I heard a familiar voice.
"Ha ha ha, you were right .. you caught the princess. Good!... gooood!"
A man in a long black cloak with a hood that covered everything except his chin stepped up to me. He kicked me so I turned on my back and I stared madly at him. Then he bent down on his knees and took hold of my chin and turned my face towards him.
"Who would claim you to be a princess"
He laughed when he eyed me.
I was covered in mud after spending all this time on the dirty floor, it was even in my face and hair.
My cheeks were streaked with tears and my eyes were red, I tasted blood from my cracked lips which was completely dry and crisp.
"No one but the king knows that you are alive and soon he will get the terrible news that his knight has deceived him and killed his daughter!" He interrupted himself with a terrible laugh before continuing "You can trust that they will all be beheaded. Then no one can stop us."
I tried to scream, swear and curse him, but the gag stoped me and fear started to grow inside me when I saw the grinning smile underneath the hood.
"It's time"
He nodded at one of his men, who walked toward me with a huge two-bladed ax in his hand. He grabbed my collar and dragged me against a stump, where he sat me down with my head resting against the tree trunk.
I tried desperately to roll away, kick and get off it, but I was stuck in his grasp. My eyes were filled with tears, would my life end like this?! My gaze fixed on the shadow moving on the ground in front of me, I watched him lift his ax high above his head. I felt sick knowing I would never meet my father or learn the faith of my mother. I would never see Daniels smile again or feel Leon's lips against mine.
My body shakes of fear and I closed my eyes hard as the executioner waited for a sign from his leader. The man with the hood gave him a brief nod and the axe dropped.
"Swooosh!"
I heard the sound of an arrow ... and another ... and another.
With a thud, my executioner fell to the ground and the ax landed beside me.
"EVEELYYYN!"
In the corner of my eye I saw the shimmer of the sun glistening against steel. The steel from a knights armor and sword. I recognized Daniel's voice as he screamed my name again.
"Eveeelyyn!"
The tears welled up in my eyes again.
They've found me! Then I hear fast feet approaching, the ropes around my legs and wrists loosen quickly and a couple of strong arms pull me up. My head leans against a familiar chest and gentle fingers remove the fabric from my mouth. As the fabric is pulled away, the parts of skin from my lips comes along with it and I groan in pain.
I look up into Leon's despairing face, our eyes meet and I wrap my arms around his neck and cries.
"Leon! Take her out of here!" Mathew's voice echoes over the sound of steel.
I can't see what goes on around me but Leon lifts me up and runs through the forest with me in his arms threw bushes and jumping over ditches and roots. It doesn't take long before we reach the horses. He realises I'm too weak to ride myself and he lifted me up in the saddle in front of him, riding off with a firm grip around my waist.
A feeling of calmness spread through me, they almost killed me but I was safe now. But I knew they would try again, and again.
Exhausted, I leaned towards him and closed my eyes, tears still flowing uncontrollably.
"I'm sorry." Leon had leaned forward and whispered in my ear. "From now on, I'll never leave your side."
His grip on me hardened and I turned enough to look up at his face.
"It wasn't your fault, there was something strange about that mist." my voice was hoarse and I coughed after I talked.
Leon handed me a water bottle. "Drink, then you must rest."
I took a few sips of water as I sat and looked out over the landscape we rode through.
I felt a couple of gentle fingertips examining the wounds on my wrists and I felt his body shaking with anger. He put my hand to his mouth and kissed the wound lightly.
"You're safe now."
I nodded.
"I called your name .."
He was quiet but I felt his lips rubbing my hair, and I couldn't blame him, there wasn't words enough to explain what we both felt right then. As we both where lost in thoughts the horse's rhythmic gallop and Leon's body heat soothed my exhausted body and I soon fell asleep in his arms.
When I woke up, voices were heard around us, he quickly took off his cloak and wrapped it around me, hiding my face in the hood, mostly to avoid curious looks. We where going to stay at the inn.
"Can you walk?" He looked at me worriedly.
I nodded briefly and he helped me get down from the horse. With a strong arm around my waist he supported me as we entered the house.
Once inside, we were met by a woman with a friendly face.
"My wife is not feeling well, we need a room, food and preferably a hot bath."
Leon removed a leather purse with coins from his belt and gave it to the woman. She nodded and without further questions she showed us to a room. Inside there was a double bed, a small table and a stool, the light was dim but none of us cared about the room's appearance at that time.
A tub was carried by some maids and it was filled with warm water.
As soon as we were alone, I gently took off my dirty clothes and let my broken body sink into the warm water with a sigh of relief.
Leon stood by the window, looking out, as I looked at him, he turned and met my gaze steadily. He walked up to the tub and took a sponge, gently washing away all of the old mud from my face. When he was done he gave me the sponge and then started to wash my tangy and muddy hair. His hands worked systematically through the curls, not a single tangle left when he was done. I leaned back and enjoyed the warm water and the tickling feeling in my hair.
He removed my hair from my neck and suddenly I felt light kisses on my skin. Each time his lips touched me it felt like a fire was rushing through my whole body and my breath was getting faster.
Suddenly he lifts me up from the bath and carries me to the bed. His clothes fall to the floor and my eyes wander over his body, I knew he was toned but also noticed he was full of scars. Our eyes meet and my eyes radiated with happiness which made him laugh gently as he lowered down on top of me.
Our lips meet in a deep passionate kiss, I pressed my body against his, between the kisses I whispered words like
"I love you" and "I can't live without you."
He stopped and looked down at me, with pain in his eyes and I knew what he is thinking. But I smiled at him and pulled his face down to me again to kiss away all the worries of the past and thoughts about the future. Right then and there it was just the two of us, and I had never felt such happiness before.