The Missing Regent (A "The False Prince" Fanfic)

FIVE

"Is Harlowe still back there?" Roden asked as I urged Mystic deeper into the woods. He was getting weaker by the second. I needed to get him back to the castle as soon as I could, but I also needed to get Harlowe out of the thieves camp. Things would just get worse for him once they realized that both Roden and I were missing.
I cursed. In trying to reach Roden before the rest of the thieves did, I had momentarily forgotten about Harlowe. And Fink.
"I couldn't find him," I replied. " Fink's also back there," I added. "First, I'll get you back to the castle. Then I'll find a way to get them out.
"I can help Jaron," Roden said.
I could see the border in the distance. "You can barely walk," I retorted as Mystic galloped across the lines right back into Carthya. Libeth was nearby and I headed to the nearest inn.
Roden and I were warmly welcomed and a room was promptly prepared for us. After we had both eaten, there was a knock at the door announcing that the physician had arrived. Roden was sitting up in the bed when an older gentleman entered. By the look of his clothes, he must have been roused from his sleep to come to attend to us.
"Your Majesty," he addressed me bowing towards the floor.
"Captain." He nodded at Roden, who gave one in return.
After setting his bag down, he crossed the floor to where Roden was lying. A second later, he produced a small knife from his side.
"What are you doing?" I asked slightly alarmed just as the physician moved the knife toward Roden's leg.
"There's no hope, your Majesty," the physician replied. "His leg has swelled a great deal already and his pant leg is quite bloody."
"So you're going to just amputate his leg?!" I moved to reach for the knife but the physician noticed before I could grab it.
"Let me explain, your Majesty!" his eyes widening. "I was only going to cut off his pant leg. His leg, although it is in a rather bad condition, will be perfectly salvageable. You guard will still have two perfectly good legs once this injury heals." 
I sighed in relief. "Sorry sir," I apologized. "And I'm going to find another horse for you," I said nodding at Roden. Then I slipped through the door.
I thought that it would be quiet due to the time of night but I was wrong. People were crowding the small threshold of the inn. I descended the stairs with a childish grin on my face. I hadn't had time to wash up so I most likely smelled, my face was covered in dirt and sweat, my boots caked in mud, and best of all, my shirt was so ripped it was like I wasn't even wearing a shirt at all.
"Your Majesty are you all right?" a woman asked me as I reached the bottom of the stairs. As I turned to address her, I recognized her immediately.
"Dawn?" I hesitantly said, raising an eyebrow.
"Your Majesty," she replied curtsying so low her knees almost touched the floor. The last time I had seen Dawn was at the castle gates when she and a few other women attacked Mott and I thinking we were Avenian. We were wearing Avenian clothes so she and the other women had fought with great strength until they realized who I was.
"The last time I saw you I didn't look much better than this," I mumbled to her motioning to my clothes. I knew it was risky insulting the Avenians but it was worth it.
Dawn smiled at the memory. "No your Majesty. But I'll give this to the Avenians," she said, gesturing to my mess of a shirt. "They could sew it."
I looked down at my shirt with a smile. "Where's your daughter?" I asked. I had never gotten the chance to properly thank them for their efforts during the war. "And your husband?"
"Hazel's at home. A young girl was traveling through. Said she was headed toward the castle and that she knew you. She kept mentioning the name Sage and that you were him. It was all so confusing, but I took her in for the night. And Judson died fighting."
I didn't have time to respond because the owner of the inn came up to me. "Your Majesty. Your people are wondering why you are here. We're not in any danger are we?"
"No. Get their attention. I will address them to put them all at ease. I can see your inn is quite full already."
The owner got everyone's attention, though he pretty much had it already, and I addressed them all.
"Fellow Carthyans. We are not in any danger. You all can go home and-" I was interrupted by the sound of hooves. I turned my attention to the door. Hazel ran in followed by an older girl who I immediately recognized as Serena, one of the kitchen girls from the pirates. By the look of their skirts and how wrinkled they were, I knew they had dressed in the middle of the night.
After a quick curtsy and a nod from Dawn, she turned to me. Serena was right behind her. "Your Majesty, there are thieves in town. You must leave now!"
I saw the panic in her eyes and turned to Serena. She had lived with the pirates long enough that she wasn't as frightened as Hazel.
"It's true Sage-I mean Your Majesty. They created quite a fright within the town. Luckily they passed right through although Hazel said they took the road that headed to Drylliad."
I looked from Serena back to Hazel who simply nodded.
There was a loud crash upstairs followed by heavy footsteps. I turned to find Roden standing at the top of the stairs. His leg was all wrapped up and the physician was right behind him.
"I tried to keep him in bed, Your Majesty," he apologized. "But he simply refused to rest!"
I nodded thanks to him. "I wouldn't have expected anything less from him," I continued grinning at Roden who rolled his eyes at me. That's when I noticed his eyes fall on Serena. He gave me a questioning look but I shook my head and mouthed, later. "Can he ride?" I asked the physician.
"If he must Your Majesty."
"Alright. Carthyans! I urge you to all go home. Carthya is not under a threat from those thieves. I keep a standing army for a reason. I will send a messenger with an update after I return to Drylliad. Do not worry. You are all completely safe."
After a chorus of complains and groans, the people began filling out of the inn. Once most of them had left, I turned to Dawn, Hazel, and Serena. "Please, come up to the room. I'm afraid there isn't anywhere else that is private enough to talk."
I turned and headed back upstairs with the three of them trailing behind me.
"You need rest," I told Roden as I put an arm around his shoulder. "I need you to recover very soon. I think I provoked my friends in Avenia."
Roden turned and frowned at my joke, but I could see in his eyes that he had found it funny.
I dismissed the physician promising to send someone to pay him for his service. I waved the owner away, telling him to first board Dawn's horse and then get some sleep. He obeyed and headed back down the stairs following the physician.
"Now," I continued closing the door. "First things first. Serena, how did you get here?"