Right after Ander took his leave, Ephraim remembered the actual day Rebecca, Eleanor's mother, got cremated. Eleanor was seven years old as of then.
Queen Rebecca's cremation was about to begin. The king's subordinates gathered in the throne chamber and citizens gathered in the inner bailey of the castle, pleading and impelling the king to burn Eleanor along with her mother. That day in the throne chamber, it turned out as a shock that only Ephraim was the one pleading that Eleanor lives, every other person wanted her to be burnt alive.
After the protest, Ephraim went to the king in person to plead on Eleanor's behalf. While he knelt before the king in appeal, the king turned around and looked at him. The king himself was drowning in sorrow which left Ephraim surprised.
King Peruda in melancholy, knelt before Ephraim and held Ephraim's arms, crying to him.
" Ephraim. I am vulnerable. I do not want Eleanor to die, what do I do? How can I agree to the people that my sick daughter be burnt alive? Help me, Ephraim. Help me."
" Cry no more, Your Majesty. There is a way."
" Quickly do whatever you have to do, Ephraim. Eleanor must live."
" I shall meet Constable Joshua immediately, we will make sure to take Eleanor out of the kingdom as soon as possible. Worry no further."
That day, Ephraim and Joshua were to take Eleanor from her mother's bedchamber, where she lay critically ill. She contracted her mother's illness.
It became a war before Ephraim and Joshua could take Eleanor. Queen Esther threatened to expose them and even kill Eleanor herself. They pleaded a million times, but still, Queen Esther disagreed.
If not for the Grand Queen Dowager who met them in the bedchamber and threatened Queen Esther, they wouldn't have left that day with Eleanor.
" You despicable woman. Even hell has no place to contain you. I know that you poisoned the royal concubine to death. I have every proof against you, including the parlourmaid you connived with. You better let Eleanor go, or else." Grand Queen threatened.
King Peruda honored Queen Esther's words, but not more than his mother's words. Therefore, Esther became afraid that truly she would be exposed if she doesn't let go. She had to agree that Eleanor go.
King Peruda later gave the order that Eleanor be burnt alive because he knew that Eleanor was no longer anywhere in the kingdom.
When the people who would burn Eleanor went to pick her from the bedchamber, they realized that she had gone missing. Rumors spread that Constable Joshua was the one who took Eleanor away.
Constable Joshua was a warrior who pledged his loyalty to the king.
For Eleanor to be safe, Joshua agreed that he took Eleanor away. Joshua endured every torture brought upon him by the people who forced him to reveal where Eleanor hid. Despite the pain, Joshua still didn't speak the truth. Therefore, they tied him to a chair in his house and burnt him alive.
Ephraim trusted Eleanor in the hands of Helen. And Helen looked after Eleanor in the Kingdom of Jevins where they escaped to. Many years later, when Eleanor had turned twelve, they returned to Abothorn.
When they returned, Helen now has a husband who claimed that Eleanor was their child they had all along and had decided to come to Abothorn with her.
Eleanor's hair was black when she left Abothorn, but when she returned she now had her real hair color, which was a platinum blonde. She now answered Grace, which everyone knew her for in Abothorn.
*******
Evening by the riverside, Ander was practicing a sword fight with a gorgeous young woman. This young woman' beauty was extremely captivating, she was attractive and desirable. One could barely get their eyes off her mesmerizing appearance, almost like people gets hexed to stare at her beauty.
The young woman's fair skin was as flawless as the snow, and it shone fairer under the brightness of the evening. Her eyes as blue as sapphire, she had a heart-shaped pink lips. Her platinum blonde hair was long, and it reached her buttocks. Furthermore, she was so full of grace.
Fighting was her talent, and avocation. Fighting rehearsal was all she did during her little leisure.
The way they fought with rigor, one might mistake them for enemies because they fought as though they were in a battlefield. However, they practiced meticulously, and avoided inducing any pain on each other.
The beautiful woman had too many fighting skills, she fought more like a skilled warrior. She fought with countless styles, with ease, valor, splendor, and grace.
Eleanor was a young woman who had a very busy childhood. She trained to be a warrior ever since she was five years old. Queen Rebecca made sure she found the light in Eleanor before she passed away.
Ander was a knight, and he was a great combatant. After Rebecca died, Ander began training with Eleanor to keep her talents intact. Moreover, Eleanor had always been stronger than Ander.
In the middle of the fight, Eleanor surrendered him with her sword pointing to his throat, very closer to his skin.
" Incredible." Ander praised.
Eleanor put down her sword. Glad her fighting skills had become more perfect, she smiled at Ander's commendation. Although Eleanor fought incredibly, she breathed like a coward after fighting.
Meanwhile, Ander seemed as though nothing happened. He sneered at the way Eleanor tried to catch her breath. The person who just won the fight has eventually lost her breath, but the loser remained strong.
" It takes only a little display of weakness to make a true warrior a coward. A combatant will not lose his entire breath in a fight. It is something you must learn." Ander said, putting his sword into his back scabbard holster.
" Ander. Do you wish to continue being a knight of Abothorn? Let us escape to Abelak, and fulfill our dreams. You want to be a great warrior, same as me. We can run away together." Eleanor supposed.
Ander locked his gaze on Eleanor's face as she spoke. He so admired Eleanor's beauty. Eleanor happened to be the only woman who captured his heart ever since he was a little child, and he loves her quite a lot. If there was anything he'd put above himself, then it will be the woman standing in front of him. His affection towards Eleanor was as countless as the starts of the night. Even though Eleanor's feeling towards him was indifference, all he still desired in his life was Eleanor's love.
Furthermore, whenever he remembered Matilda's plan with his father, his heart broke in two. His pride shattered, and his emotions lingered in the abyss.
He hoped that one day he would confess his love to Eleanor, but fate landed him in despair. All his life he had loved Eleanor, and the next day would have her going to a foreign land. What if something happens to her, something that would make them part for good.
Thinking about losing Eleanor, his emotions saddened. Unable to contain the pangs in his heart, he hugged Eleanor tightly, not letting himself tear up.
" It is my will that we both escape to Abelak, and become true warriors. But a warrior does not need a kingdom to make him true, he is a true warrior in his heart. And he is whom he is wherever he goes. A true warrior, believes he can fulfill his dreams wherever he finds himself. A true warrior can never be afraid to take the first step." He said to her while holding her in his embrace. Then he looked at her face. " You are a true warrior, Eleanor." He took out a necklace pendant from his pocket, and wore it around her neck as the pendant lay on her chest. If there was a place he desired to be in, then it would be closer to her heart. " Regardless of where you find yourself, no matter how difficult the predicament may be… Just be who you are, and whom you want to be."
" I believe your words are true. However, your words sound baffling to me as well." She said, in a little disorientation. She looked at the pendant she wore and smiled in adoration. " It is beautiful, I like it." She admired.
" That is my little token of friendship. I hope you keep it safe, and..." he frowned playfully at Eleanor in order to make sure Eleanor keeps the pendant. Deep down Ander, he meant the frown on his face. " hope it reminds you of me. Keep me in your heart, Eleanor." He said with a slight smile he wore.
" I will." beaming, she said. He pulled her into his embrace once again. He was certain about missing her.