One way journey

"Bring in the tea" said Queen Margaret to her maid as she woke up in her palace bedroom. She had woken up early because today was the day when she attended the problems of her people in the kingdom. Each month people across the kingdom where welcomed by the queen in Buckingham palace to present their problems with hope that she could solve them. All people in her kingdom loved her and knew that she had an outstanding intelligence.

Margaret got dressed with the simplest of her dresses not to attract too much attention and went into the palace ball hall to find her people being held back by her guards at the door.

"They may come in" she tells the guards as she sits down in her throne. As people started to come in she put a kind smile on her face and started answering questions about taxes and attending to problems with crops and harvest.

"Greetings my queen" said the first one "my name is Elaine D'lure" she bows and then stands up again. She was a very pretty and young girl, maybe 25 years old, nearly the same age as the queen, she had long blond hair covered with a blanket and beautiful light grey eyes. In her left hand she carried a basket with a gift for the queen, which she hands over and then bows again.

"Hello Elaine, what is your request?" Said Margaret with a smile on her face.

"Well, my queen, I don't know if you have been informed but, the village, it was overrun, they came in tall horses and full armour and took over" she said rather distressed. "I couldn't let that happen and told everyone to come with me to ask for your help but they were all afraid, when the invaders found out that I was going they let me go but told me never to come near the village again, I —" she breaks off but controls herself "I risked everything in coming here, please help us!"

"Now, now, do not be so desperate, I promise to help, we will stop those bastards and they won't come near the kingdom ever again" said Margaret, sounding so confident it was hard to believe.

"Thank you, my queen" Elaine bows again "but how will you accomplish that?" Her face reflected she was a little hopeless but then her hopes were restored when she heard her queen say:

"I will have all day to think about it, and tomorrow—" she leans closer to Elaine. "Tomorrow you must meet me in the back garden of the palace, tell the guards I told you to wait there, I will go with you and together we will stop those raiders." The Queen said with a smile on her face "though you must not talk about our agreement, I'm not meant to escape the castle. But anyways, some fresh air will do me no harm."

"Of course, thank you, thank you so much, I will do what you say" Elaine bows, her face filling up with hopes and joy, anyways she was still wondering how would her queen be able to help her village, the raiders were strong men and were very skilled with the sword, it seemed useless, but she had faith in her queen.

The long waiting line became shorter and shorter as time went by, and Queen Margaret still didn't forget her agreement with that girl, Elaine, she was indeed beautiful, those light gray eyes and golden hair. Margaret herself was very beautiful but Elaine, she was different, she had a kind heart and that is what made her even more pretty. Margaret wished she could learn from her, and there would be plenty of time for that in their way to the village. She always tried being as kind as possible but Elaine, it came natural for her, the way she cared so much for her people.

All this she thought on her way to her bedrooms, to get dressed and have dinner. She had, still, to think about how she would help the girl, she needed to come up with a strategy that would help them both to get rid of the invaders.

The next day she woke up with a headache, not a very good way to start the day, anyways she payed it no mind and starting packing up her belongings. She had been longing to leave the palace walls for quite a long time, she had many times wished to go on her own little adventure, and here she was, about to part to the village with a girl she barely knew. She took, again, the simplest of her dresses and in a bag she put a black cloak, a dagger and a book to entertain herself. She threw the bag out the window of her room and went downstairs to have breakfast, there she took a smaller bag with her and went collecting pieces of her breakfast to take in the journey very discrete not to attract attention or give away her plan, When she finished she went into the next room, opened the window and jumped out to find her bag in the floor. Everything was going according to her plan, she just had to find Elaine who should be in the back garden, and there she was. Margaret fished in her bag for the cloak, put it on and run towards Elaine.