The Witch And The Prince

Ch. 21

* so sorry for the very late update i had gotten writers block and I couldn't  get this chapter down. But I  hope you are ready for the next few ch. And enjoy the twists and turns as much as I liked wrighting them.*

We had just got back to camp from our training. The boys already had a fire going, tents up, and a watch rotation going. "How'd training go?" One of them spoke up. "Same as always. Why?"  They laughed at that. They knew I didn't  need the training, but didn't say anything against their captain. Will had lead them on to believe that he was training me. They new he found his spirit animal but that was it. They were unaware that the training was for him to get more familiar with his spirit animal.   "Because, we know she don't need no more training  than you do." There curiosity has been peeked and want to know what we have been up to. "Everyone can learn something new  no matter how well you've been trained." Will responded coolly "So she's been training you" one spoke with humor evident in his voice. Will scowled and I laughed and moved to my tent. I began to dress for bed. I crawled into my sleeping bag. I drifted to sleep almost instantly. My dreams were riddled by  will's presence.

I felt the same electric shock as usual when will touched me. He softly shook my shoulder. My eyes fluttered open. "What's wrong?" I mumbled out with sleep still packed in my voice. "Nothing." I was confused but still got up. "What's wrong." "Nothing is technically wrong. Aurora you said awhile back you have a bad feeling. I feel it to and each day it gets stronger and stronger the closer we get to the city." "Yea so..."
"The last time you had a bad feeling I ignored it, and I nearly lost half my men. I do not and will not make that same mistake again." " So what do you want to do about it?" "We are fixing to find out the sun is rising and I am going to awaken the men. I am going to give them a choice to go into the lions den or not." I understood he's giving them one chance to save them selves. A luxury neither of us have anymore. After last night I know where I stand. I will not leave his side, I will be whatever he needs me to be.

Will stepped out of the tent and began waking the men. I thew my cloths on and rushed to the center of camp. The men were groggily stumbling to the center of  the camp. Will gave them a few minutes to all gather around an sober up from the sudden early rise. He clears his throat and we all focus on him. " Most of you have all been a part of my guard since I was a boy. Most of you helped me train. This last expedition we have lost more men then we ever have. All that is left is the original guards and you are more than just guards to me. You have become my family. I would never offer this unless it is completely necessary. I feel it is. You are given the option to take you steeds and go to the resistance or fallow me into the lions dens. If you fallow me I can not guarantee your safety. So basically  I am releasing you from duty. If you fallow you do not owe my father or me your allegiance. You are now considered  free men and can do as you wish." Will finished as his eyes landed on me. "That includes you" he whispered just loud enough  for us to hear. I smiled but knew what my choice  was "I am not going any where. You want to over throw your father and give our people the life they had when my father was King. It is my duty as the former princess to help you do that."  

As soon as the words left my lips it was as if the oxygen was sucked right out of the camp. they all turned to me. One of the men spoke "You are not the princes. Your hair is the wrong color." I smiled at his out burst. I stepped to the center all the while my body was changing to its regular form. I also lifted the block I placed on their minds the night we left my home. Their eyes had grew fuzzy from the sudden rush of the memories. "What did you do to us?" another asked.  "the night you found me in that village.  William new who I was. He also new if you had found out you would put me and yourselves in great danger. I told him I could put a block on your minds that would make you forget my original appearance to you, and then I would keep my true form hidden." I announced. "Do not blame him the idea was mine and I pressured him into it. you want to be angry. Be angry with me, but also know that if you would have known who I was his father would have found out by probing your mind, and he would have killed you for not killing me. You know this but yet you are still angry?"

"Well yea we are angry. We have watched him grow from a young boy to a man and he is expecting us to run? What type of men do you think we are?"  One spoke. "I expect you to do what you feel is right. I giving you a option instead of a order. I knew what you would choose  before I even asked but I needed you to know it was no longer orders, but by your own free will." Will spoke.

" I think I  can speak for all of us if you disagree say so...But we are loyal to William and the true princess. I was the royal guard when you were a little girl am one of few that are still alive. I know you are who you say you are. I know how you got that burn on your wrist." I subconsciously covered my left arm. It has a burn mark in the shape of a hand print. I got it escaping. I looked at the man closer. He was older now time had made him a stranger to me, but the harder I staired and the more I picture a younger version of him. His name that I gave him sprang to the front of my mind. "Popper?" I whispered he smiled "I hated that name." He answered with a slight smile. "Oh come now it can't be as bad as the other names she called her guards." Another older man about the same age as poppy hollard. I spotted him and gave him a good stare. His name came to mind "What like Krim?" I said with a smile I instantly began scanning the rest of the men to see if I recognized them too but no.  "Ha! Told you she would remember us." Poppy yelled i glances over at Krim  who now has a slight saddened face "Aurora...you can stop scanning the rest of them their are no more of your old guards left. The king killed them."

"And that is why he has to answer for his crimes." William suddenly spoke "Aurora will stay in descize for  as long as she can through training if we make it that far. We will then make plans to assassinate him or over throw the castle, but I can feel something is stiring and I don't feel theirs plan will work. We have to go in as if it will." We all agreed to the plan and after we all fell into our normal routines that we have come to do since this journey began. Will climbed on Grunther and I swung up behind him. Holding him closer than I ever had before. I had a fear that hung over me that he was going to get ripped from me when we enter the city.