"Let me in to see her!" Princess Jacqueline screamed. "She's my friend! I should be there!"
The two guards standing at attention didn't move. One just said, "No one can pass. Please wait until King Bardulf comes back down."
Tears rolled down her cheeks as she tried to run as fast as she can between them, but they caught her easily and gently pushed her back. "Please!" she cried. "Just let me through!"
"Princess Jacqueline?" a man said from behind her.
She turned to see a lean male with green eyes and deep brown hair. He had tan skin and wore plain brown riding clothes. "Who are you?"
"The name is Flik. Will you follow me, please?" he gestured behind him with a hand.
The Princess looked back at the guards and the hallway that led to Philippa's bed chambers. "But she's hurt! She's my friend."
A hand touched her shoulder gently and Flik said, "Come. There's something I need to tell you."
When he grabbed her elbow and gently pulled, she went. The guards looked relieved she was no longer going to be screaming in their faces and relaxed their stance.
Jacqueline didn't notice where they were going, only that her friend was hurt, and she wasn't there to help. Flik stopped them outside a door a few minutes later and turned to her. "The scene was gruesome and in bad shape. King Bardulf has brought Philippa here and has a medic working on her wounds."
Jacqueline's eyes lit up at the news, then dulled. "How bad is it?"
The man's expression went grim. "Pretty bad. She'll be lucky if she makes a full recovery."
Tears welled up in her eyes again and the Princess nodded in understanding. Flik opened the door and ushered her inside. On the narrow cot, Philippa lied half naked with bandages cover her mid-section. Beside her, kneeling on the ground, was a female medic putting sour cream on the swollen side of her face. Standing against one wall with his arms crossed, was Bardulf, staring with wild fury at the woman unconscious in bed.
Jacqueline let out a sob which made Bardulf look at her. "We won't know anything until the morrow. She took some really hard hits."
The medic stood and wiped her hands on her skirts then looked at Bardulf. "I will be back in the morning to check on her. Do not try to wake her. She's been through enough for one day."
He nodded, and the female cleaned her supplies and left, bowing to the Princess.
Bardulf left the Princess with Philippa while he went just outside the room to talk to his friend. "Anything?"
"He must have jumped out the window. There was nothing in the halls, not even a spot of blood."
Bardulf sighed. "We're leaving in two days. Prepare on the morrow and rest. We've stayed long enough."
"What about the Princess? Isn't she in danger?"
"No. I'll be sure to keep one man here to watch her, but she's not the target."
"And the alliance?"
"Broken. I won't be taken for granted," the man said darkly. He wiped a hand down his face and sighed. "I want two men here you trust to guard the woman. There is no window, so as long as this door is guarded, there should be no need for one inside."
Flik nodded and left to go find the said guards. Bardulf returned to the room and sat beside the Princess. "Go to bed. I will watch her for the night."
She shook her head. "I cannot sleep. This will only give me nightmares."
"Princess, I don't care if we're wed or not, you will do as I say because it's for your own good. Go to bed," he ordered.
She looked at him. "I'm not a child! I will stay here and help my friend- "
"There is nothing you can do right now. There is nothing you will be able to do if she is attacked again. If I am here, nothing will happen. But you are not a medic. You are not a miracle worker. A princess cannot always save her people and must rely on others for help, especially when offered. Now, do as I say. You may return after morning meal, but no sooner."
Her jaw clenched and her teeth ground together, but she did not protest. Kissing her maid on the brow as gently as she could, Jacqueline left the room. Bardulf closed his eyes in the deafening silence and took a deep breath.
When he opened them, he looked down at the woman beat and bloody on his bed, so vulnerable and yet beautiful, no matter the bruises. He pulled the blanket up to her chin and caressed her uninjured cheek. "You will be safe. I will protect you and so will my people," he whispered even though she couldn't hear him. He leaned down and kissed her bruised lips, just feather light before going to her brow and kissing that.
Four broken ribs, several cuts with sharp object, a concussion, and a swollen throat from choking. Those were her major injuries. Her minor ones were the bruised face, split lip, scraped hands and knees, and her ankle. There was nothing anyone could do anymore. She had to heal on her own. She had to come back on her own. Not even Bardulf, King of Zurus, Alpha of the largest wolf pack on earth, and brutal warrior in battle could do a single thing to help this woman recover from the damage done to her unless she wakes up and allows him.
Dear King of Asaya,
Thank you for your hospitality and generosity. Thank you for the offer of your daughter's hand in marriage. She is a beautiful woman of pride and beauty. She will rule your kingdom well one day.
The alliance the marriage was supposed to finalize to assure my people were provided with necessities is now broken. I do need the resources your kingdom could provide, but I will not do it at the loss of your daughter's spirit and good nature. I will not buy food and warmth with your daughter's body and soul. She is too young for that and will undoubtedly wilt under the strain I will put on her and the loss of her home and family. Let her choose her husband. Let her choose who she believes will not only rule by her side with equal power but will love and cherish her for as long as she shall live. She deserves it.
I have stationed one of my men, Lewry to guard her until I order otherwise. There is a threat I am not sure will go away with me, and I fear for the Princess's life. He is told to report to you of his daily encounters and any suspicions he finds. He will also draft reports and send them to me so I may know what is going on. He is only to be relieved of his duty at night when two guards will stand at attention at your daughter's chamber door to listen for any sign of a struggle from within.
I have taken my leave to see if the threat will follow me since I am better able to fight against it within my own kingdom. If something happens unexpectedly, go to the clock tower. There you will find flares of three colors: red, green, and purple. Use red for enemy army attack, green for any sudden deaths or injuries someone has caused, and purple for the capture of your daughter. They are designed so they can be seen in daylight or at night. Someone in my kingdom will always be on watch for any sign of these. We will be on our way as soon as possible to aid you in any way possible. This is my payment for breaking the alliance.
Please heed my warning and be wary of those around you. Jacqueline, although stubborn and biased, is a very bright person. I in part do this to protect her. If it is me that is the target, then I should hope to draw it away from the Princess and your kingdom. I trust you will watch over her to the best of your ability. She knows of the situation and has always been forewarned to stay with Lewry and to not leave her chambers at night. I have locked her windows and accommodated them with iron bars to ensure no one can get through that way.
May your kingdom prosper, and your family thrive.
Bardulf, King of Zurus of the North
Jacqueline woke up the day Bardulf left with hazy eyes and a bad mood. Philippa still hadn't woken up the previous day and the medic had only said to wait and see. The Princess hated waiting, hated not knowing the inevitable. She had prayed every moment for her maid's recovery. She had cried over her crippled body and washed away blood that still stained her skin. As promised, Bardulf kept a good eye on the woman, ensuring her safety better than Jacqueline could have hoped. For that, she was grateful to him and forever in his debt.
Now, knowing he was gone, and Philippa might be attacked again, Jacqueline hurriedly dressed into a simple dress and pulled her hair back into a tail. She didn't care about looks or manners today – just that her friend was safe and healing. Going to her armoire, she brought out a gilded box mosaic with rubies and emeralds and opened it up. There, tucked inside the velvet interior, was her grandmother's dagger that was handed down every other generation. It was crafted with the strongest metal and honed with a sharp point. The sheath is easily concealed by wrapping it around her thigh under her skirts or on her waist if she wanted to look lethal.
Strapping it to her leg, she ran out of her chambers, down one set of stairs and up another, to Philippa's room where Bardulf had placed her two nights before. When she got there, however, she noticed something was different. The two guards who were usually here, weren't. The door was cracked open. Jacqueline's heart thudded in her chest, fear and an unknown emotion making her breath shallow.
She pushed the door open and found the room clean. None of Bardulf's belongings were there. No medical supplies from the previous night were spread on the floor. Most shocking and disturbing to Jacqueline, there was no Philippa on the cot. She ran over and lifted the blankets that lay smooth and untouched, hoping to find her maid, but instead found the fresh pillow. She spun around and searched the small room, thinking the maid must be hiding in a corner, but found nothing. Jacqueline shook her head in crushing desperation. Where could she be? Where would she go?
"Philippa!"
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