"Your majesty, don't-", Jatty extended his hand trying to reach her. The inhaled smoke was beginning to blur his vision and sap his strength; he fell to the ground.
"Arne, please, don't...go...back there", Jatty coughed. He didn't have the stamina to get up, but he tried to crawl towards her as he plugged the wound in his belly.
The flames consumed everything around them and grey smoke covered what was already ash and debris. Screams and chaos, people running for their lives and uncertainty. Arne approached him, placing her golden cloak over his body and stroking his head she said, "Survive until I return, Chat."
Jatty tried to move and stop her, he screamed from the bottom of his lungs until he spat blood and passed out. He assumed he would die there and prayed for her to be safe.
His body was hot from the burns he had in both arms and legs, but a refreshing sensation of coolness calmed his feverish condition. <
"Arne!", Jatty shouted waking up.
"Ah!", somebody shouted back.
A girl was running a wet cloth over his arms with her small hands. Her reddish hair, tied in two plaits, was stroking the boy's palms, tickling him. She stepped back at the surprise of the boy, who looked around the room in which he was sleeping five seconds ago. It was too fancy for him, in both status and taste; a squire did not need a bed with satin sheets or three... <
"Your majesty?", the girl asked.
Jatty ignored her as nobody had ever refered to him by that title.
"Your majesty...?" She asked carefully.
He looked at her, "Sorry, are you talking to me?"
"Yes, your majesty", she nodded.
A small chuckle sent a sharp pain down his stomach.
"Be careful, please. The stitches are still fresh", the girl worried.
"Sorry, sorry," he laughed in pain, "but it's just that I find it funny that you call me that. Arne must have asked you to, she is trying to play pranks on me when I'm like this. Where is she, by the way? Is she hurt? I need to go and look after her safety if she's too vulnerable."
When he tried to get out of bed, the short woman pulled him back; she was incredible strong for her petite constitution.
"I apologise for my rudeness, your majesty, but the prince has forbidden you to be anywhere but this bed", her face was red, clearly embarrased for reproducing the stupid order of the prince, but she was determinated to follow it, "I am sorry, really, truly, sorry for his behavior".
"You mean Prince Arson?", Arne's father.
"I mean Prince Caudata, heir of the throne of Alcora", she replied realizing the misunderstanding.
"What is that twat doing in Oltremare? And why is he giving me orders?"
"Oh... well..."
Jatty stopped breathing for a few seconds, in where his skin cooled and his face turned pale.
"Am I not in Oltremare?", the question seemed obvios if he thought of it for just a moment. The room he was in did not followed the minimalistic Green Palace royal style. Also, he knew each an every worker in the castle, and he had never seen the woman in front of him.
"You are in Alcora, in the East Palace, the nearest to Oltremare, though."
"Why?!" Jatty was confussed, how did he go from being on his deathbed to a satin sheet bed?
Lope, which was the name of the woman healing his burns, told him what had happened two days ago.
" 'I was coming back to the castle from...you know...a fun night with some people... And, Rosa, my baby horse, started to feel uneasy. Seconds later, the sky was covered with grey clouds and a terrific burnt scent was brought by the wind. I had just left, but I needed to see that everything was alright as I started to feel anxious as well. When I finally made it, the main square was on fire, with no survivors... It was not fun. I was about to go call for soldiers from the East Palce to come and help put out the flames, but on my way I saw her, with the royal golden clover covering her body, Queen Arne I of Oltremare. She was unconcious and her face was dirty for the ashes, but her long black hair plus the clover make it clear. So, take care of her and don't let her get out of bed! She is the obstinate type. Bye, bye, see you in two days, Lope!' That is what he said, and then he left."
"..."
"..."
"I am not? Me squire" was the best answer Jatty could provide after hearing that he was mistaken for Arne, who was taller, musculer, and whose hair was almost shaved. Had that moron ever seen Arne?
"Yeah, I figured when I closed the wound on your stomach", Lope said, "but I don't know Queen Arne, so I prefered not assume anything", she paused, and hold his hand in a motherly way, "Also...There has been a rumor going around... They say the royal family has been beheaded as soon as they laid hands on them."
The silence filled the room, and Jatty's vision became blurry. He would have cried his eyes out if the door hadn't burst open.
"My dearest beloved beautiful Queen Arne! I heard you are awake after two long days and nights...My heart could not rest knowing your beautiful arms and legs were medium cooked! I could not-", a pillow landed on Caudata's face.
"Cut it out, you clown. Learn to read the room", Lope said.
Caudata glared at her, "You know, Lope, I am royalty!"
"...", she looked at him and threw him a secod pillow, "You want some time alone?", she asked Jatty.
"I just want to go home."
Lope did not agree with his decision on leaving in his condition, but she helped him get out of bed.
"What do you think you are doing?", Caudata approached Jatty, "You are hurt."
Jatty's eyes met his.
"I am not Queen Arne, your majesty. You had mistaked us; I am his squire, Jatty Lar."
"Jatty Lar. Yeah, I know"
"You do?", Lope could read him easly, and she knew he did not know.
"Yeah, of course. I just said his name, Jatty Park"
"Lar", she corrected.
"Lar Park, yeah, I know".
"..."
"... Is he always like this or...?"
"He is intelligent, just not in all fields."
"Well, in any case, you cannot leave!"
Lope and Jatty stared Caudata trying to understand what was going on inside his head.
"You are going to stay here until that bad looking wound of yours heals and your limbs do not look like fried chicken skin."
"But, your majesty, I..."
"No more talking! Rest!" Caudata slamed the door on his way out.
The two left in the room were shocked.
"Oh, no, I have been kidnapped."