Guardians

Unexpected

Gabrielle sat in the carriage waiting anxiously to see a beautiful castle in the distance. But the further into the forest the carriage went, the darker and colder it got. A uncomfortable chill ran up Gabby's spine. And she could tell that something wasn't right.

"Where are we?" Gabby asked
But there was no answer from the driver of the carriage. Suddenly the carriage starred to go faster....and faster. And then it came to a sudden stop. Gabby swore as her head smashed into the carriage.

Gabby looked through the carriage window and her eyes nearly fell to the floor. She tried to scream but her voice was caught in her throat and her bones were frozen into place. Standing outside the carriage door, only a few feet away was the man from the abandoned house.

In a desperate attempt to escape the man she had now come to fear, she quickly turned and unlocked the other carriage door. But before she had take two steps there were hands restraining her, pulling her back to her doom. Fear washed over Gabby once more and she fell into darkness.

Gabby awoke in a wet, dark dungeon, apparently underground. She was lying on the floor, but she made no effort to get up as there was nowhere else to sit.

It was as if he was waiting for her, the man who had captured her twice now came to her cell door. Gabby had just only noticed but his eyes were blood red and filled with hate, although for who and why Gabby did not know.

"Worry not of the discomfort you are in, you will not be here long..." he said in his deep voice that made Gabby tremble. Gabby was almost relieved to hear that until he finished his sentence.
"....you die in the morning"

As his footsteps retreated Gabby's heart sank in her chest, she didn't even cry. She was alone in some dungeon, in some other world, there were no cops to be called and there would definitely be no Knights in shining armor coming to save her. So she just sat silently in a corner with her foot up to her chest, hugging them tightly awaiting her faith.

It was almost midnight when Gabby woke up from a sleep she didn't know she had even taken. The moon was was high in the sky now, and a barred window has been opened on her cell to finally let dome light in.

That's when Gabby noticed that she was not alone in her cell. On the other side of the wall with hands and feet in chains was a man, a teenager to be exact, who appeared to be just about her age.

He was shirtless, wearing nothing but a ragged trousers. She briefly thought he was dead. But why would they chain a dead man? She thought.

He proved to be alive as she noticed how his six pack rose and fell slowly. She couldn't help but notice how well built he was, and a part of her desperately wanted to go over and touch him.

His head was hanging low and his black hair fell to cover his face, so she had no idea whether he was asleep or awake.

She got up and started to make her way over to him slowly, with muscles tensed trying not to make a sound. But before she got there he raised his head. Gabby stopped in her tracks immediately and her mouth hung open. Shock registered in her brain as recognition sunk in. There was no mistaking the brown eyes of her cellmate. She was lost for words, the only thing she managed to get out was "Steffan?"

With only a moments hesitation Gabby quickly retreated away from her unexpected cellmate. She shook her head violently.
"No no no... this can't be happening, not again" she kept on repeating the same line over and over as if to convince herself it was all just a bad dream.
This must be another trick, she thought to herself. Her brain was running wild with all the sudden activity it was starting to give her a headache. But it all stopped when he spoke.

"Princess Gabrielle"
Her tensed muscles relaxed and she looked at the man in chains across from her. There was something about his voice, something familiar, but she didn't know what it was.
"Come let me show you the truth" he said

Gabby found herself walking towards him unable to stop herself. When she was mere inches away from him she instinctively placed her hand on his bare chest where his heart was and closed her eyes.

When she reopened her eyes she fell back gasping for air. She had seen something, something that erased all the doubt she had about him, and she knew then and there she had found her one true guardian.

But there was still the matter of their scheduled execution in the morning. Steffan calmed her and told her not to worry, and she trusted him.

At the first break of dawn their cell door was open and they were both violently dragged out of their cells by men fully concealed in black. They were taken to a clearing with nothing but a huge stage, which was no doubt for their execution.

Gabby glanced around but the Lord of the underworld, which was who Steffan explained he was, but he was nowhere to be seen. It seemed he was too busy to even watch them executed, or he just didn't care.

Steffan's entire plan relied on the Lord being there. And he was not, what was going to happen to them both now. Could the plan still work or would they both perish?

Two guards dragged steffan up onto the platform and placed him on his knees, and placed his head in the position to be chopped off. Gabby's heart began to race as she saw no way of escape for either of them. As the executioner raised his axe, Steffan closed his eyes. By now Gabby was sweating all over, and her muscles were tensed. Just a fraction of a second before the axe came down, Steffans eyes shot open, but instead of the regular brown, now they were golden.

Almost instantly a pair of huge dark wings burst out of Steffans back knocking over everyone on the platform. Then with a strength she never knew was possible he easily broke out of the chains. Without a moments hesitation he was by her side in a split second and took out the guards around her. The next thing she knew, her feet were no longer on solid ground but instead she was being carried bridal style in his arms, flying away from their would be deaths.