Remember Me

Chapter 23

            Wait for it, she thought. She turned around to face him, pretending she hadn’t heard.

            ‘’What was that, again?’’ He chuckled at her teasing, taking the opportunity to nibble on her lower lip. She pulled out of his grasp and pecked him on the cheek, patting his shoulder.

‘’Cuddling later, working now.’’ She took a wooden brush from the night table and brushed his stray hair into place. He grinned, shaking his head. ‘’I can’t believe I’ve been ordered by a woman.’’

            ‘’Your wife,’’ she corrected. ‘’Come now, I sense the troops aren’t bringing any good news.’’ He nodded and they went out, locking the doors twice. The King’s chamber was the only locked room in the main part of the castle. Rosalie mastered moving through countless confusing hallways and chambers just to get down to the Great Hall. Too bad she’ll have to leave.

            As they walked, Rosalie stopped by the window to look at the crowd gathering outside. The men seemed to be mad and disappointed, but why?’’

            ‘’Alex? Look.’’ He slowed his pace and joined her, giving her a dazed look. Instead of the morning training routine, they rebelled. He grasped her hand and they stormed down the stairs into the Great Hall. Two guards at the sides opened the doors, revealing angry knights and several women. The men bowed, but the women stayed put, their stare hollow.

            Rosalie sat in her throne besides Alexander, feeling a tad uncomfortable. One of the knights stepped forward, the leader of the troop.

            ‘’We have done what you asked, your Highness. However, we’ve only found thirteen women in the woods. Some of them need a healer.’’ Alexander flinched, he had expected a larger number.

            ‘’Are you sure you passed the whole territory, even the villages?’’

            ‘’Yes,’’ he replied without hesitation. ‘’We found around thirty bodies down the waterfall and around the villages, most frozen to death. Some were bitten, the others starved.’’

            ‘’Children?’’

            ‘’None found,’’ he shook his head. ‘’The winter was rough and years passed. People died of age or went to other Kingdoms.’’

            ‘’There is no excuse.’’ Rose spoke, her tone low and dangerous. Bubbles of anger seeped from her, she blamed herself for escaping the group and going to Vilburn by herself. She could’ve brought them to safety, build a new village. A part of her was surprised the women didn’t find any solution besides survival in the wilderness.

            ‘’Does anyone want to share their story? Speak freely, without fear.’’

            Women exchanged glances, neither one was too interested in Rosalie’s offer.

            ‘’Please, we need to know what happened. We only mean to help.’’ Her pleading voice echoed. A red headed woman stepped forward, disheveled.

            ‘’When the knights left us in the woods, we wanted to build our own village. Some disagreed, leaving on their own but most stayed. Little by little, we found food and water and learned how to build a shelter but one night, plenty of men came and stole everything we had. They killed the ones who tried to fight,’’ she whimpered.

            ‘’It’s alright. You’re safe now,’’ Alexander promised but she didn’t pay any attention. She was too focused on her painful memories.