Mynera felt a shadow fall over her from behind, then a hand patted her back. Despite the soothing gesture, she felt no gratitude. It only served to make her feel worse, like a weakling who couldn't handle the sight of blood.
But she held her tongue, kept her self-loathing thoughts to herself. Then she doubled over again, drowning cute little wildflowers with the contents of her stomach until was nothing was left but her hollow dread. Tears continued to stream past her eyes, her nose running from the force of her retching. The most unladylike she'd ever felt and probably ever looked.
"That is absolutely disgusting," came Queen Madeline's voice from behind her.
Mynera had to agree. She closed her mouth in an effort to stifle the vomit, but it didn't work. Her nausea only doubled, bile shooting up her throat without warning. She hunched over again, vomiting until there was nothing left.
"Will she ever stop?" Exasperation laced Queen Madeline's voice, strengthened with a heavy sigh.
"We cannot really blame her," Mynera heard Hale say, right above her. He was the one who was stroking her back and holding her hair from her face. "Can you imagine what she is feeling? Her father was killed right in front of her eyes by men trying to take the Kingdom."
Oh, Hale. Bless your heart. Mynera knew he was trying to be nice by sympathizing but that was not what she needed to hear right now.
Mustering all the strength she had, Mynera wiped her mouth and eyes, staggering to her feet. "I'm fine," she muttered. "I just ..."
"It's okay," Hale said. His eyes were soft.
She looked away from it, hating how powerless she felt. "I ... I don't know what came over me. I just ... after seeing that child just lying there in the streets, I couldn't ... " Anger surged within her, without warning. "They're killing innocent citizens!"
"Yes, no doubt Lord Gavin wants his army to have some fun."
That was Saenar but Mynera had to look up, just to make sure. His words were cold, his voice distant. Unfeeling. She couldn't believe her ears, but there he stood, leaning against a tree, his features masked by the shadows. The rift between them seemed even wider than ever.
"That's his idea of fun?" Mynera asked, incredulous.
His eyes shifted to hers, dark. "You would be surprised what some people do for entertainment."
Screams still blazed in the air. After walking for so long in that underground dungeon, a part of her had hoped that the bloodbath would have died down when they were out. Those hopes had only fallen on deaf ears, she knew now. Those screams will never go away.
Mynera closed her eyes, taking a deep, shuddering breath. Because she knew the screams would follow her into her nightmares, she focused on it. Instead of trying to block it out, she let the sound wash over her, let it spark the anger simmering deep within her. That anger was what she needed to continue. Without it, the anguish would take over.
Slowly, she opened her eyes, taking a good look around her. She could see nothing but trees, in such thick clusters that she couldn't see past their small clearing. They were tall enough that is seemed impossible to scale its height. We must be in a nearby forest, Mynera thought.
"Where exactly are we?" she asked.
"We're in Musk Forest," Hale answered. He was still standing close to her, his hands on his hips. Save for the tendrils of blond hair sticking to the back of his neck, he looked quite fine. "This forest lies at the back entrance of the city. It was the quickest place of cover from that small little house we had come from."
"What are we going to do now?" Queen Madeline asked. Mynera noticed that she had positioned herself far from her, looking quite uncomfortable despite the cock of her chin.
It was likely the queen was only trying to stay away from the puddle of vomit lying nearby. Mynera herself was trying her best to ignore it, despite the taste that still lingered on the back of her tongue.
Saenar answered her, his gaze on the dark ground before him, "There is a man, a friend of my father's, who can help us."
Mynera studied him. A shadow hid his face, hid whatever emotion was lurking underneath the surface. The composed response sparked both irritation and envy in her. Here he was thinking of the best plan to get away from this place, and she could do nothing but throw up at the sight of blood. Shoving those annoying feelings aside, she asked, "Who is that?"
"His name is Lord Ingstad. He lives in a manor to the west of here, just on the outskirts of Cyrello. Closer to Moed."
"How far is he from here?"
"About four to six weeks walk on foot."
"You must jest," Queen Madeline gasped. "You expect me to walk in these horrible commoner clothes for six weeks?" She scoffed and Mynera resisted the urge to roll her eyes.
A rush of indecent words came to the tip of Mynera's tongue. Her hands curled into fists at her side as she glared at the queen. Truly, those words shouldn't bother her. She was fast growing used to the queen's selfish nature. Nothing like this should surprise her any longer. But, considering the situation, there was little Mynera could ignore. There was little that could slip past her already weakened defenses without her wanting to retaliate with full force.
But, Queen Madeline was the Queen of the Nations. Mynera struggled to hold on to her respect. She only rolled her eyes.
"Do not roll your eyes at me!" the queen screeched.
Mynera looked to the side, her annoyance mounting. Well, the queen was an observant one, at least
"Your Grace," Hale quickly jumped in, clearly sensing the animosity smoldering in the air. He was facing the queen now, his tone patient. "It doesn't seem like we have a choice."
"There is always another option," she snipped. "Why do we have to walk? Can we simply not take a few horses to get there? That will surely cut down some of that time."
"How do you propose we get horses when we have no money?" Mynera asked her. It was an effort to keep her tone leveled. "Did you get the chance to fetch your coin purse when the castle was attacked?"
"Oh, do not get smart with me. Just because we are no longer in the castle, does not mean I am no longer your queen."
Mynera mocked a curtsy. By now, she was too fed up with the queen's attitude to even care about keeping her manners. Margot's teaching was fading to the back of her mind by the second
Under the pale shafts of sunlight sifting through the foliage overhead, Mynera saw the queen's face go red with anger. Fortunately, Saenar cleared his throat loudly right as the queen opened her mouth to respond. Or perhaps to scream in fury, instead. With the queen, there was really no telling, nor was there any telling what might happen if she dared to do something so foolish.
She would land their heads on a platter, that was what would happen.
"The only way we can get a horse right now, Your Grace," Saenar interjected, "is to steal it."
"Which is a very unfeasible plan," Hale added. "We have neither weapons nor do we know anywhere we could steal from."
"There are bound to be some horses somewhere," Queen Madeline muttered.
"We don't have the time to go searching for one," Mynera said. "Right now, we need to leave this place before they find us and cut our heads off."
"Well said, Mynera," Saenar said dryly. He launched himself off the trunk of the tree. "Here's how we need to continue from now on. We will not tell anyone our names, nor will we use our titles." Before Madeline could say anything, he plowed on, "Instead, we'll just stay far from any company and will not interact with anyone. We need to lay low. Once Lord Gavin finds out that the queen, the prince, and his ... fiancée is not dead, he's going to send out orders to find us."
Mynera ignored the hesitation to refer to her as his fiancee. After all, they hadn't gotten the chance to finish their wedding. "Why would he want us?"
"To tie up loose ends. He can't sit comfortably on the throne knowing that there will be people out there trying to get him off it. He'll try to kill us or at the very least capture us."
Hale put his fingers to his chin in thought, frowning at Saenar. "Are you completely sure that Lord Ingstad will welcome us then? If there will be people looking out for us, how do you know we can trust him?"
"We don't," Saenar responded in a grim tone. "But he's my father's friend and the only place I can think of to go right now. We have no other choice. My father didn't have many friends."
"I don't like that." Mynera couldn't help the admission, couldn't ignore the nagging feeling she got from the hazy plan. "Something doesn't feel right."
For the first time since they started talking, Saenar faced her fully. His eyes were nothing but dark pools. "What's going to happen, Mynera?"
"We should head to Arcadia." She ignored his tone, hoping he would be swayed by the urgency in her voice. "They will take us in and shelter us. I know it. There's too much uncertainty with Lord Ingstad."
"Arcadia only accepts females, Mynera," Hale said. "They'll take neither me nor Saenar in."
"They might make an exception..."
"Then that is just as uncertain as Lord Ingstad." Saenar stared her down, as if daring her to continue arguing with him. She would have too, but she knew he was right. Heading to Arcadia was just as uncertain an option as going to Lord Ingstad. But there was a troublesome feeling she couldn't shake.
"Fine," she conceded. "We'll go to Lord Ingstad."
With that said, Saenar turned away from her, heading into the thick of the forest. Queen Madeline was mumbling under her breath as she followed behind him. Mynera stayed there for a moment, watching them, sighing. And then, deciding there was no use lingering here, she trailed after him as well, with Hale on her heels.
Mynera stared into Saenar's back as she walked from behind, taking in the broad span of his shoulders. With the way they moved, the tension within them, she could tell that he was holding on to his bravado. She could only just imagine the pain he must that must be trembling underneath it all, begging to be released. Tears for this father, for his homeland, for the life that had been ripped away from him.
His home in flames, his father dead, not knowing what had become of his love. There were so many reasons for him to be despairing. And yet here he was, trying to lead them to safety. The least she could do was put her trust in him, even if he irritated her in ways no one else could.
As she stared, she couldn't help admiring the strong set of those shoulders, as well. The way he took charge made him even more attractive than he already was, despite the horrendous conditions they were in.
Mynera looked around her, with nothing but the rustle of dry leaves crunching under their feet. If this forest was indeed located close to the city, then somewhere around here must be a cleared path traversed often by those who lived nearby. They needed to steer clear of that path. There was a high chance Lord Gavin's men already took control of that route. The cover of the trees was perfect for now. But, when they got out, how were they to travel in clothes that made them more fitting tending to pigs?
"Hold on one moment," Saenar said suddenly, coming to a stop. He tilted his head upwards. Mynera followed his gaze.
"What are you looking at?" she asked.
"Do you see that?" he said, pointing his finger to the sky.
They all looked where he was pointing. Then she saw it--and gritted her teeth. "Smoke."
Saenar nodded. "There must be a camp nearby."
Hale came to stand by her side. She glanced at him, catching sight of his deep frown. "Why would they make a fire when it's broad daylight?"
"For food, more than likely. They must be roasting something over a spit." Saenar turned to face them. "We can check to see if they have any horses."
"But, the attack on the castle is still underway," Hale said. "Who could that be?"
"I don't know," Saenar replied. He, too, looked slightly confused. "But if we are fortunate enough, we might be able to find food and water, as well as horses."
"And maybe even a change of clothing," Mynera added. "We can't continue our journey wearing these clothes. We'll be spotted immediately."
"You're right," Saenar agreed with a nod. "We need to change soon. Let us hope that they have that too."
"So you mean to rob them?" Madeline asked. She sounded a little surprised. "You have no weapons."
"I can't make any decisions until we determine whether or not this camp has what we need and how many people are there."
"Then let us continue then," she said, a tad bit eager. "We won't know just standing around right here."
With that order from the queen, they continued on their way. Mynera kept an eye on that stream of smoke, and not long after, they came upon a wide clearing. Saenar hid behind the trunk of a large tree, while Mynera and Hale sank behind a bush. Queen Madeline stayed behind.
Saenar was right. There was a crackling fire sitting in the very center of the clearing, two skinned rabbits roasting on a spit. There were three red enemies sitting on fallen logs surrounding the fire. Two of those men were in the middle of a spirited conversation while the other poked the fire with a large stick, looking bored. Two lar tents were position on either side of the clearing, with a third set up on opposite their hiding spots. The tents were large, each with enough space to accommodate at least ten men at once. Tethered to posts behind the farthest ten were ten horses.
"Dang it, I'm starving!" one of the red enemies sporting a bushy beard shouted suddenly. "Ya not done with 'em rabbits yet?"
"Just hold ya' horses," the one poking the fire said. He lifted his face and Mynera saw a long scar running from above his left eye to his cheek. "It soon be done, just wait!"
"Dat's all we've been doin' since we came out 'ere," the other one said. He was a fat one. "Waitin' for Lord Gavin, waiting for dem other scouts to come back from patrol and now we waitin' for dem damned rabbits! I'm sick o' all this waitin'!"
"We ain't got no choice," Scar-Face said. "Dey said dey needed us to stay and watch dem horses round back while dey make sure ain't nobody escapin' from the city while dey attack."
"Oh, shut ya trap!" Bushy Beard said. He spat on the dry ground, his features distorted with anger. "Ya want to be in on the action too, so don't go actin' as if ya' don't."
"We doin' important work."
"If ya call sittin' an' watchin' two rabbits get cooked important work, den we doin' just fine!"
They continued to argue about wanting to leave and wanting to eat the rabbits at the same time. Ahead of Mynera of her, Saenar began to retreat. She inched away from the bush, hurrying behind him. The red enemies were completely oblivious to being watched.
"Looks like some sort of patrol camp," Hale said softly once they were a safe distance away.
Saenar nodded. "We caught them at a right time. It's just the three of them. If for some reason we catch their attention, we still may be able to escape before the others returns."
Hale twisted his head around to look at the camp still visible through the trees. His hair shone golden under the sunlight. "We have no idea when that would be, however."
"We've got to take that chance." A look of concentration came over Saenar's face. Mynera knew what that meant: he was thinking of a plan. She waited for him to be finished, grateful for the fact that Queen Madeline was silent.
Saenar lifted his head and Mynera stood at attention, ready. "Here's the plan," he said, turning to Hale, "you cause a distraction on the other side of this camp. While they're looking, I'll sneak around the back, release the horses, and lead them back to right here. Do not let them see you, however, and wait until I give the signal."
Hale nodded, his brows furrowed with determination. "What about the change of clothing, though? And food and water."
"I'll have to come back for those. You keep distracting them and make sure they don't turn around. I'll slip into their tents to see if I can find anything."
"What do I do?" Mynera interjected. Both men were facing each other, focused solely on each other and the plan that was brewing between them. Mynera stepped closer, not wanting to be ignored.
Saenar didn't even look at her. "You stay here and keep yourself as quiet as possible. You can keep the horses until I get back."
"Madeline can keep the horse," she said simply. "I'm going with you."
Saenar ignored her. He nodded with Hale and they both turned in the direction of the camp.
Mynera grabbed unto his arm. "You're really not serious about leaving me here, are you? I can help."
"You can help by staying put and out of the way. Let us do the work." He pried her fingers off his arm.
Mynera stared into his retreating back, shocked. Hale already skirted to the side, disappearing behind the trees within a second. Surely, he did not expect her to sit back and allow them to do it all, did he? Did he not see that it would be much smarter to have her come with him, to have two sets of eyes and hands instead of one?
Glancing over at Madeline, Mynera saw that the queen was more than content to let them take care of everything. She sat rather awkwardly on a flat rock. She positioned her skirt around her legs, her back straight and her golden hair swept over one shoulder.
But she was the queen. And Mynera sure as hell wasn't about to follow in her footsteps. She swiveled on her heels.
"Where are you going?" Madeline asked from behind, stopping Mynera in her tracks.
Mynera didn't bother to turn. "I'm going to go help. Stay here."
"He said you were to stay here and keep the horses."
"The horses will be quite fine, I'm sure." Mynera left before the queen could say anything else.
Like a stalking cat, she crept close the bush she'd hidden behind earlier. Saenar was a little way in front of her and so she hid behind a tree, keeping her eyes on the other side of the camp. The conversation from the red enemies still echoed through the air, completely unaware of the eyes that were on them.
Suddenly, loud whacking sounds came from the other side of the camp. Mynera tensed, gripping her dress. That must be Hale. How did he manage to reach all the way over there so quickly?
Bushy Beard, Scar Face, and Fatty all looked up towards the sound. As soon as he did, Saenar began creeping his way to the campsite. Mynera quickly moved in to take his vacated spot.
"Wazzat?" Fatty asked.
"I dunno." Bushy Bear poked him with a stick. "Go check."
"Why I gotta check? Why don't you go check?"
"Hey, you the one who asked wazzat. I'm just tellin' ya to go see. It's probably a bird, anyhow."
Fatty looked reluctant but still, he stood and slowly made his way over to the noise.
"Whozere?" he called.
Meanwhile, Saenar had successfully reached the back of the tents. He quickly began untying the ropes connected to the posts, releasing the horses. One of the horses whinnied. As if on cue, both Mynera and Saenar froze and the three red enemies' looked around at the sound.
Mynera kept her eyes on the busy bearded enemy, watching as his eyes narrowed. He seemed to be the smartest of the three. This is not good.
He jabbed the scarred man in his thigh and jerked his chin in the direction of the tent. A silent order for him to check what was going on. Scar Face stood, still holding on to his stick, and made his way toward the tent. Saenar was still busy releasing the horses, unaware of the fact that one of them was approaching.
Thinking quickly, Mynera grabbed a rock and hurled it at Scar Face. It collided into the side of his head.
"What the--!" he exclaimed.
Bushy Beard came running. "What is it?"
"Somethin' hit me in me head." His hand moved, revealing a small cut the rock had caused. "With that." He pointed on the rock.
Bushy Beard instantly reached a hand to his side, but there was nothing there but empty space. He must have carried a sword before, and Mynera breathed a silent sigh of relief that he did not carry it with him. But his suspicion didn't diminish. He glanced in Mynera's direction and she shrank lower behind the bush.
Bushy Beard's hand reached around behind him and pulled out a dangerous looking dagger. Slowly, he began inching his way towards where she hid, his beady eyes darting back and forth, as if trying to spot the culprit. Mynera held her breath, knowing that if she lingered a second longer, she would be caught.
As he came closer, Mynera ducked behind a tree, hooked her foot on the rough bark, and boosted herself up on a branch. It was just in time, because the moment she landed on the branch, Bushy Beard appeared below her with his knife. He studied the area around him, looking behind the tall shrubs. She prayed he was too dumb to glance up.
Mynera glanced back at the camp to see that Saenar was disappearing with four horses. Hale was still causing a distraction but this time the sound was moving around. It was making Fatty really confused.
"Hey, whaz goin' on?" Fatty exclaimed, drawing Bushy Beard's attention. Bushy Beard instantly forgot about his pursuit and pushed the dagger back into his waist, running over to Fatty.
Out of the corner of her eye, Mynera saw Saenar reappear at the camp. He peaked around the tent. Scar Face had his back to him, nursing the wound that had blood running down his temple. Saenar quickly slipped into the tent from behind.
"What the blazes is goin' on here?" Bushy Beard demanded to no one in particular. Rage exploded on his face and Mynera swallowed. Hale was doing a splendid job confusing them, Fatty still trying to understand where to go, but Mynera doubted that was going to last long. Saenar didn't have much more time.
"Someone's playing with us," Scar Face shouted angrily, pressing his hand to his wound.
Oh, be quiet, Scar Face.
Bushy Beard marched over to the other side of the camp, whipping his dagger back out. "Ya better show ya selves," he bellowed, "or you'll be in some trouble!"
The noise stopped instantly. The suddenness of it all drew the attention of the three red enemies, giving Saenar the opportunity to slip away undetected, his arms filled with cloth-wrapped items. He escaped from the camp once again.
Mynera took this as her cue to leave. As silently as she could, she descended the tree and made her way back to Madeline.