Hunted Queen

Chapter Fifty Four • Chrushed Dreams

"Prepare an ambush for tonight. Take a dozen of those young bastards with you." He instructed Wright darkly, not letting the light of William's camp out of sight as gave the order. "Make sure as many of them as possible are sleeping, then set it on fire." 

"Set what, and who, on fire?" Wright asked, requesting specifications on his order. Not objecting or questioning it.

"The newcomers part of  their camp." Rowan answered and rolled his shoulders backwards. "I do not want to hear any excuses or promises of you trying to do your best - do it. If it takes every life of those you bring with you." He continued. "Return to me at dawn and let me know how many fell." 

Let me know how much of my nephew's hope you have crushed. 

"I will see you at dawn." Wright replied. 

"If you can... bring my nephew to me." Rowan called after his commander. "Not dead. Not dying. Alive. Or his father. Either of them..." He said darkly. "I wish to speak with them." He added silently to himself. 

"Yes, my king."

-Jade- 

They where closing in on home now, she could feel it. Their surroundings were more peaceful... at ease almost. Despite a war being waged. Despite this serious part of everyone's life, it had not touched this part of their world. The people seemed to be going about their days just as she figured they always did and always had. Although, their faces were not completely free of worry, but compared to the villages and people she had passed through on her journey home, William's and her people were far happier and most important of it all, spared from the horrible consequences of war, than Rowan's. 

On top of it all, Jade was getting increasingly bigger but experienced little to no nausea at this stage of her pregnancy. She had no clue of how far along she was by now, but she was sure Elizabeth would know by just looking at her when they reunited. If the woman had not been counting each and every day since she had noticed that Jade's monthly bleeding had stopped. 

"Does someone recognize that lad walking behind us?" Ove asked over his shoulder, speaking to his passengers, interrupting Jade's thoughts. He seemed like he wanted to make sure that it did not appear as if he was speaking to them... and of whoever was following them... Not wanting whoever it was to know what he was doing. 

Eirir grabbed Brother Richard by the arm before the monk could turn around and ruin Ove's attempt of staying unnoticed and unsuspicious. Jade pretended to adjust herself, trying to find a new and more comfortable position to sit in all the while trying to catch a glance of this lad Ove's was referring to. Avoiding getting up on her swollen feet at all costs. Her eyes shot two glances in the direction behind the cart, following the road until they found him. 

A man, quite young looking even when only glancing at him, walked on the road, far behind them. He carried no possessions of any sort from what she could tell, not even a shoulder bag. Strange She thought as her eyes glanced over him for the third and last time. Each boot determined as it met the ground beneath it, but the rest of his  body revealed how exhausted he was. 

She sat down, not having made herself any more comfortable than before. "Never seen him before." She informed Ove and leaned back against the wooden railing of the cart. 

"Why would we recognize him?" Eirir pondered after he had glanced at the young man after Jade. "Neither of us are from around here." He added. 

None of you are. Jade kept her thoughts to herself. "You are right." She agreed softly. "None of us are..." 

Ove and  Brother Richard stayed silent for a moment, clearly noticing her lie but ignoring it since Eirir still did not know who she truly was. 

"No, but family and friends can travel as well, can they not?" Ove spoke and seemed to aiming his words at Eirir, referring to his still missing family. 

"Aye... I did not think of that... Right you are." The farmer sighed and rubbed his forehead while falling into a spiral of his own thoughts. Jade had noticed that he often did this. Sometimes, he  suddenly turned dead silent while thinking or speaking of his missing family. More times than she could count on one hand, it had come to the point where he did not speak for hours. However, whenever this happened, Brother Richard seemed took it upon himself to soothe the farmer's pain and did not leave the poor soul alone until he had spoken more than five words. 

After not having crossed paths with his family, Eirir had decided to come with them. After a lot of convincing from the monk. Living on hope that just maybe his family had heard of this new queen's promise of protection and offer of a better life. 

"Whoever he is..." Jade began and eyed the young man again, only moving her head to look at him. "Do not let him up in this cart... I have had enough of surprises for one life." She said. As she blinked, fractions of everything she had endured up until now flashed before her. 

Eirir shot her a strange look, appearing to deem her behavior rude and words brazen. Jade could easily tell from the look of him that he did not think this was her decision to make, but when Ove agreed with her in a low mutter, the annoyance in his face faded somewhat. Eirir was not at fault for thinking that she overstepped, or took advantage of Ove's kindness in letting her go with him... but he did not know what Ove knew. And she intended to keep it that way until she was safe behind her own walls. 

Days later, she recognized the road they were travelling down. Last time she had traveled in this direction had been astride Dimma and her wounded husband in a carriage... and it had been freezing. Now it was a scorching hot day with little shade, her entire body covered in a hue of sweat since the  robes were unbearably hot. 

The young man whom Ove had noticed days earlier, had not tried to make contact with them, nor had he managed to keep up with them. Leaving all of them to assume that he was a simple traveler just like them. Something Jade was completely fine with... a part of her felt bad for telling the others not to engage with him, but she could not be too careful. Not when she was so close to the end of this nightmare. 

Jade let out a heavy breath when she finally could see it. Tears blurred her vision as she watched castle Eldhen coming into view. It stood steadfast and strong on the rock plateau just like when she had first laid her eyes on it. Her home seemed untouched and it warmed her heart that something in her life had not been defiled by Rowan and his war. 

"Is this it?" Eirir asked, not seeming too impressed at the sight. Just longing for their journey to be over. "Is this that castle Eldhen you-" 

"It is." Jade's voice broke as she said the words. "I cannot believe it, but it is." 

I am home. I am finally home. 

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Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed this chapter!

Sorry that I did not post an extra chapter last week! Work has me so exhausted at the end of the days - at least these last two weeks. But know that I would like to publish two chapters/ week in a perfect world! 

Lots of Love! 

Jenny