Blood Born: Assassin Book 2

Blood Born - chapter 6

The last horse in the stall to the right was my magnificent Friesian. My mother began breeding them after she acquired one so many years ago. My own dear Guinevere was the most beautiful. I kissed her soft nose after she finished the crust. She nudged my cheek and let out a soft whinny.

"Don't worry, my own darling. You'll be coming along to Scotland. I cannot bear to leave you behind."

Almost as though she understood what I said, Guinevere bobbed her head up and down.

"Where is she? Search the grounds until Princess Evelyn is found!" Captain Blackstone bellowed from beyond the doors.

I groaned and opened the door to Guinevere's stall, ducking beneath it as the barn doors burst open. Captain Blackstone's boots stomped up and down the cobbled floor.

"I know she's around here somewhere! Find her!"

I rolled my eyes as Guinevere knickered and nibbled at my hair.

"Stop it," I whispered to the mare.

She knickered again.

Captain Blackstone stopped. "Princess."

I sat as quietly as I could.

"I know you're there Princess Evelyn. Please, get up."

I groaned and stood, hay sticking out of my hair.

He shook his head and arched his brows. "Return to the palace."

"I don't need to be told where to go, Captain Blackstone."

"Until your mother and father say otherwise, yes you do. Now back to the castle."

"When I'm queen..."

He raised his hand, cutting me off. "You're not queen today. You're still a princess and I still take orders from your parents. And those orders are to keep you safe and guarded. Please, Princess Evelyn, back to the castle."

"Fine." I kissed Guinevere's nose and walked back through the kitchen.

As I rounded the corner to go up the main staircase, I ran into my mother.

"Evelyn! You're filthy!" she exclaimed as I walked past.

"Yes, I know this. If I wasn't followed around by that man I'd have no issues."

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"I can't even enjoy a morning stroll to see my horse without that him scolding me."

"What did he scold you about?"

"Going two steps without a guard at my side."

"It's for your own safety, sweetheart."

I rolled my eyes and continued up the stairs, followed closely by two guards who were being yelled at by Captain Blackstone.

"You two had one job. One. You had to stay awake and watch her."

"Good day," I grumbled, heading into my receiving chamber.

"Evelyn?" Charlene asked, emerging from my bed chamber.

She groaned at the sight of me.

My dress had mud covering the hem, my feet and legs looked as though I was a peasant, hay stuck up in my hair, and a large bread-crumbed trail of slobber stuck to my face.

"You look dreadful!" she exclaimed.

"I feel it."

"You can't simply wash up in a basin. You need to get a bath."

"Ugh, Charlene, I hate that old thing."

"You should have thought about that before traipsing about outside barefoot. Let's go."

I obediently followed the girl to my father's privy chamber. She knocked on the door and spoke softly to the lad on the other side. He peeked around Charlene and scrunched his face at me before nodding his head. The room filled with steam. Buckets of water lined the floors and a large, wooden tub sat in the center of the room. He barked a few commands and the younger boys began dumping the hot water into the large tub. Within a few minutes, steam rose from inside.

"Out," Charlene ordered everyone.

Obediently they listened, filing out of the room as she began dumping random vials into the water. A sweet and spicy smell wafted up. For once I was eager for a hot bath. I climbed in and rubbed the delicious-smelling water over my body. Charlene took a bucket of water and poured it over my head before pouring something into my hair and scrubbing it.

"Must you be so rough?"

"You are a mess. Yes, I must be." She continued scrubbing before dumping more water on me.

"Here, clean up." She handed me a towel lathered with a fresh shipment of soaps that we'd received a few days prior.

Again, I blindly listened to my lady-in-waiting and scrubbed every inch of my body. I enjoyed how my skin felt and looked after a decent bath. It wouldn't have taken much coaxing from her to get me to use it anyway.

She held up a towel for me to use as I finished.

"Must I get out?" I asked, pouting.

"Yes. You have to dress and prepare for the trip in a few hours."

"Yes. Yes. That."

Somehow the towel was warm, as though it had been heated. I closed my eyes and sighed with contentment.

"Hurry. Let's go before it gets cold."

I nodded and hurried after her.

I pulled on my chemise and gown quickly, opting out of a bodice once again.

"You're going to need to wear one eventually," Charlene muttered.

"Not today," I replied.

She shook her head and pulled the stays of my gown tight, but I could still breathe.

"Evelyn?" James called before entering my room. "Are your things packed?"

"I believe so. Charlene?"

"Yes, Prince James, our things are ready to go."

"Good. A few men shall be up to fetch them."

"Already? I didn't think we were leaving until this evening."

"Our departure time has been moved. I trust that is alright with you?" he asked.

"Yes, of course."

"Good. I will see you in the carriage in just a bit." He turned and retreated back to wherever he came from.

"I wonder why we're leaving so much earlier."

"I don't know," Charlene mumbled, double-checking the trunks and boudoir.

Four men appeared a short time later and removed our belongings. Charlene and I followed to the main entrance where a carriage embellished with the Scottish royal crest waited. Guinevere was hitched to the back as was Charlene's brown gelding.

I descended the stairs toward the carriage when heaviness came over me. I turned and stared at the castle. At my home and realized I was going to miss it terribly.

"Evelyn!" mother called me.

She opened her arms and I ran to her, burying my head in her chest as the tears escaped.

"I shall miss you, mother."

"I know, sweetheart, and I will miss you as well. But it is only for a short while. Before you know it you'll be back with us once again."

Why am I so sad? This is what I want. I want to escape from them. Don't I?

She kissed the top of my forehead before handing me to my father who didn't say a word. He simply held me tight before kissing my forehead as well. James held out his hand for me to take, escorting me to the carriage. I climbed in and watched as my parents and home shrank into the distance.

Farewell for now, England. I shall return!