On the way to Ledeberg, Ralf could sense Elysia's uneasiness. She kept fidgeting in her saddle and sighing every five minutes. Ralf urged his horse to speed up until he was even with his sister's horse.
"Everything all right?"
Elysia glanced at her brother and released yet another sigh. "I'm fine. It's just been so long, you know?"
"You think things might be different?" Ralf prodded. He knew Elysia was best friends with Phillip but that they had parted on bad terms. He also knew that Elysia probably didn't want to talk about such things around her new guardian. He tried to be discreet and not mention Phillip's name.
"I know things will be," Elysia replied softly. Her mind seemed far away and Ralf decided he wouldn't prod his sister any further. He allowed his horse to slow until he was back behind his sister.
Taking a shorter route to reach Ledeberg, the group decided to cut through a very small, almost nonexistent village called Hinton. As they rode through they passed only a few homes, if you could call them that. This was one of Lyra's poorest villages, second to Ledeberg's financial insecurity.
Shortly upon their arrival into Hinton, Ralf's eye caught sight of movement to his right. A boy, probably only six years old with bright blond hair was running at him excitedly. A woman, Ralf assumed the boy's mother, was hurrying after the boy, attempting to get him to stop.
When the boy finally got to Ralf, he jumped around and smiled up at the Prince.
Ralf smiled back at him and stopped his horse.
"Forgive me, Your Majesty!" The woman said frantically when she caught up to her son. She grabbed his arm and struggled to pull him back from the Prince's horse.
Ralf laughed and began dismounting his horse. "It's no problem."
When the boy realized Ralf was dismounting, his eyes widened and his cheeks practically burst.
Once Ralf was off his horse, he took a few clumsy steps towards the boy and then knelt down so that he was eye level with the blond-haired kid. "What might your name be?" he asked.
The boy's brown eyes glimmered with excitement. "Camry!" he answered.
Ralf stuck his hand out and shook the boy's hand. "Very nice to meet you, Camry. My name is Ralf."
Camry giggled. "I know who you are. You're the Prince!"
"What gave me away?" Ralf asked, laughing as he met the mother's eyes. She looked half worried that her son might say something foolish, and half amazed that Ralf was bothering to talk to him.
"I know all about you!" Camry exclaimed. "You live at the castle and you have a dragon. And that's your dragon's mark," he pointed to the mark on Ralf's right hand.
Ralf positioned his hand so the boy could get a better look. After Camry was done oohing and ahhing over the mark, he looked down at Ralf's leg.
"What's wrong with your leg?" He asked. "Why do you limp?"
"Camry!" His mother exclaimed, clearly embarrassed and furious with her son. "Where are your manners? That is no way to speak to a person, let alone a royal." She turned to look at Ralf, her eyes fearful. "Please, Your Majesty, forgive me, he's just a boy. Still learning. I try to teach him manners."
Ralf waved her off. "There is absolutely no need to apologize. I admire his curiosity." Addressing the boy now, he answered, "I was born with a crippled leg."
"What's crippled mean?"
"Someone who is crippled has a hard time walking and getting around normally like other people. We have to work twice as hard just to walk the same distance. I was born like this so I don't know anything else. But my leg doesn't keep me from doing everything I want to do." Ralf's voice was calm as he tried his best to explain the foreign concept to this wide-eyed boy.
"But you don't need to walk," Camry objected.
Ralf laughed. "I don't?"
The boy shook his head. "No, you can fly. With your dragon. And you can do magic!"
Again Ralf laughed. He was genuinely enjoying talking to this little boy.
Suddenly the boy seemed to have an idea. "Could you do magic right now!"
"Camry--" his mother interjected.
"--It's quite alright." He assured the mother. "I suppose I could show you a little magic. What would you like to see?"
The boy thought about it for a while. Ralf finally noticed he had drawn a crowd. Almost the entire village (about fifteen people) had formed a semicircle around the boy and his mother. Princess Karolina had also dismounted her horse and was standing watching curiously from behind Ralf. Even Elysia, who welcomed the distraction, had joined in.
The boy's stomach growled aloud and this seemed to give Camry an idea. "Can you make a cake appear?"
Ralf laughed and patted the boys' shoulder. "I'm afraid that's something I can't do. But oh how I wish I had that ability. I would definitely weigh a lot more." For a brief moment Ralf felt a flicker of insecurity about his weight. He was stalk thin and gawky. Not exactly prince material, certainly not like his older brother, Henry.
The Prince looked up to the sky for some encouragement, anything to distract him from the beginnings of self loathing. He took notice of a tree with its long branches hanging high above his head. Several juicy apples dangled from the limbs of the tree, too high for anyone to reach.
Once Camry's stomach grumbled again, Ralf immediately had an idea.
"I can't make a cake appear, but how does an apple sound?"
"Not as good as cake," he admitted honestly, much to the embarrassment of his mother. "Although right now I could eat anything."
Ralf smiled and pointed up at the tree's branches above them. He focused his mind and honed in on the juiciest apple he could see. Using his magic, he plucked the apple from the tree and slowly levitated it down towards them.
With a glance at Camry, Ralf could tell the boy was impressed. The child's mouth was wide open in awe as he watched the apple float towards him.
"Hold out your hand," Ralf encouraged the boy.
Camry did as asked and laughed when the apple plopped down onto his open palm.
The crowd around them clapped, clearly impressed by the display of magic.
Suddenly, once the clapping died down, Camry seemed disappointed.
"What's wrong?" Ralf asked, a little worried at Camry's expression. He had thought that levitation would surely impress the boy.
"I don't like the skin."
The Prince released a breath of relief, glad that something so simple as the peel had disappointed Camry rather than his magic.
"Well let's see if we can't fix that," Ralf said, once again focusing his magical energy on the apple. In his mind he envisioned peeling the apple with a knife. As he did so, the apple peel slowly fell away as if an invisible person were performing the task.
Camry was ecstatic as he watched the apple peel before his very eyes and in his very hands. Once the peel was off the apple and cast aside, the boy wasted no time in biting into it.
Again the crowd was impressed and the people began murmuring amongst themselves. None of them had ever seen magic before and they had never dreamed of having a performance from the most powerful dragon bond ever known.
Once the boy finished the apple, he looked up at Ralf with admiring eyes. "Thank you, your Majesty."
Ralf ruffled the boy's hair, "No problem. Thanks for talking with me."
Despite his desire to stay and talk with the villagers, Ralf knew it was time to get over to Ledeberg before darkness settled in.
As he headed back to his horse, he knew his sister, Shade, and Princess Karolina were right behind him, ready to leave as well. He didn't notice, however, that one of the villagers was following behind him as well.
It wasn't until Ralf was on his horse that he finally noticed the man standing below him.
"Forgive me, Your Majesty. I know you are busy and need to continue your journey."
"I have time for a quick conversation," Ralf said, allowing the man to speak his mind.
"I am concerned about your travels to Ledeberg." The man said honestly, though his eyes refused to look at Ralf's. He seemed afraid for the young Prince.
"Why do you say that?"
The man shuffled his feet, as if he feared telling the truth. "Some of the men there. They came from neighboring kingdoms, many of them are immigrants and do not have a Lyran birth certificate. With the new wall built and the decree that only proof of citizenship or signed documentation from an official can get you through to the other kingdoms...well...many of those men are angry."
An unsettling feeling began tingling within Ralf. He knew the wall was bound to build some anxiety and maybe even distrust amongst the people, but he was unsure of the degree of anger it had aroused. "I should hope these people would understand the need for such a wall."
Again the man looked hesitant to speak. However, he finally continued, "There's been some talk. I visited Ledeberg a few days back and many of the men were thinking and saying some terrible things. I just...I think you should be careful, Your Highness. Perhaps it would be best if you avoided the Ledeberg area. I'm not saying anything's gonna happen, but...I'm not saying something won't either. I hope and pray that no one would be foolish and selfish enough to take their anger out on ya, but I just wanted to warn ya in case."
Ralf tried his best to muster an encouraging smile for the man. "I appreciate your honesty and warning. However, I believe that skipping Ledeberg might do more harm than good. If I fear them, then that means I am in the wrong and they have reason to be mad. I need to continue on and see every village. It's only fair. But I greatly appreciate your concern. You are truly a loyal Lyran citizen."
The man suddenly smiled. "Thank you, Your Highness. I do my best."
"I'm sure you do," Ralf agreed. "Now I best be heading off again. I'll be sure to keep my eyes and ears open for anything suspicious."
With that, Ralf and the rest of the group headed out again on the road to Ledeberg. Ralf made sure to relay the villager's warning to his sister and her guardian. Though he hoped no one would try anything, he couldn't risk the possibility.
Once they reached Ledeberg, the people seemed friendly enough. A couple villagers turned their heads in protest from Ralf and his sister, but most of them seemed happy to have them.
After Ralf and Elysia made the announcement about the need for soldiers, Ralf pulled his sister aside. He could tell that she wanted to stay and seek out Phillip. They still had another village to visit before they headed back to the castle for the night. However, on the ride to Ledeberg Ralf could sense Princess Karolina's unease in the saddle.
The foreign Princess was not accustomed to riding a horse for so long and she refused to ride any other way but side saddle as ladies were expected to ride in Copia.
Looking over at her now, Ralf could see her face was pained as she tried to hide her discomfort.
"I know you want to stay in Ledeberg a bit longer. But I don't know how much longer Princess Karolina can take riding side saddle and accompanying us to all these different villages."
"Are you suggesting we all head back home?" Elysia asked, worried she already knew the answer.
"I don't think it would be wise for us to split up. However, I also know how stubborn you are. I can't force you to do anything. I need to take Princess Karolina back and get her off this horse. You know what the villager warned us about. It would be smart for you and Shade to come with us."
Elysia pleaded with her eyes. "Please, Ralf. I need to see him."
Ralf sighed, knowing there was no arguing with Elysia once her mind was set on something. Although she seemed compliant enough now, Ralf knew how quickly her mood could change. "Then stay here. I believe Shade will be able to protect you if need be. If you have time you can go to the next village and then head back. Otherwise, don't worry about it. Just try to head back before the hour's end."
Elysia pulled her brother in for a hug. "Thanks, Ralf." she glanced at Princess Karolina. "Good luck with her. And safe travels home."
"Thanks, you too. I'll be waiting for you at the castle gate. I don't think I'll be able to sleep well until I know you're home safe."
Elysia hugged her brother once more before she bid him farewell. Shade seemed reluctant to stay, as if he too agreed that there was more safety in numbers as Ralf thought. However, he also knew he couldn't drag the Princess home either. Especially if Ralf was okay with the idea of her staying.
Ralf got on his horse and trotted over to where Princess Karolina and her horse were. Ralf hadn't talked to the Princess all day. The memory of her exiting Henry's bedroom was too fresh in his mind.
He cleared his throat awkwardly before he spoke. "I told Elysia we were going to go back to the castle. It's been a long day with a lot of traveling and I can tell you would love to get off your horse."
Princess Karolina seemed somewhat excited Ralf was speaking to her and somewhat embarrassed he had noticed her pain. "I don't want to be a bother."
Ralf waved her off. "It's no bother. To be honest, I'm a bit socially drained from all the speeches. I wouldn't mind kicking back and relaxing for a bit. Now that I think of it, some of Sirey's apple pie sounds like a good eat right now."
With the thought of food, Ralf's stomach rumbled. They had eaten the food from the picnic basket hours ago.
After a half hour of riding in silence, Ralf's mind stirred with worry. He hoped that Elysia was heading back to the castle by now. Although there were no troubles so far, he knew that thieves lurked these woods after sundown.
Looking up at the sky, the sun was struggling to stay awake and the moon was almost wide awake. Pretty soon, he would need to light their way through use of his magic.
Princess Karolina released a yawn and then glanced nervously at Ralf. Her horse was riding evenly with Ralf's and the tension was suddenly thick between them.
"Ralf?" Princess Karolina's words stirred Ralf from his thoughts.
"Yes?" he replied, half hopeful she wouldn't say anything more. He wasn't sure how well his voice would respond. He was nervous already, just thinking about what the conversation would turn to.
It took the Princess a minute before she responded. "It wasn't like what you thought it was." her voice was soft, almost trembling.
Ralf frowned to himself. "What wasn't?"
"I know what you must have thought when I came out of Henry's room."
Butterflies swarmed Ralf's stomach. This was definitely not something he wanted to talk about at the moment. "Your English has really improved," he said, doing anything he could to change the conversation.
Princess Karolina looked at Ralf, her eyes sad, as if she knew what his avoidance meant.
"We just talked," she explained. "Honestly, he was upset about stuff and he needed someone to confide in. I fell asleep on the bed by myself and when I woke up he was gone. I left as soon as I woke up and then that's when I ran into you. We didn't do anything--"
"--Please," Ralf interjected. "You don't have to explain yourself. It's fine. You two are engaged."
"But it's not what you think."
"It doesn't matter what I think."
Princess Karolina looked away and then back again. "Yes it does." Her voice was a whisper in the woods.
Suddenly Ralf's confusion turned into frustration. "Why? Why does it matter what I think? Henry is going to be your husband. I am his brother. I barely know you. What I think about you doesn't matter."
"And what do you think about me, Ralf?"
"It doesn't matter. I'm...confused...I don't know, one minute...and the next..." Ralf felt completely ridiculous as he stammered in an attempt to understand his own feelings. When he first met Princess Karolina she had been this bratty, mean, selfish princess. Then, after she apologized and had gotten her hands dirty helping clean dragons, Ralf saw a glimmer of hope in her. But then his feelings of friendship turned cold when he saw her with Henry and when he ran into her as she exited his bedroom, wearing the same clothes she had worn the night before.
Again, Princess Karolina broke the silence. "I wasn't sure how I felt at first. But I saw you with that boy today. I saw how kind you were to him. He admired you so much. You have a kind heart, Ralf. I admire your kindness and honesty. And now, my feelings for you--"
"--Shhhh!" Ralf hissed, suddenly his senses triggered by some foreign noise.
"No, I need to tell you how I fe--"
"Please!" Ralf whispered through clenched teeth. "There's something out there."
Princess Karolina seemed to realize the shift in Ralf's demeanor and quieted herself. She looked around anxiously, glancing left and right.
Using his senses, Ralf strained to hear what he had heard before. A disturbance in the woods. The snapping of a branch.
"We're not alone," Ralf whispered, looking over his shoulder at the dark forest behind him.
Suddenly the sound of running horses could be heard behind them.
"Run!" Ralf shouted. The Princess wasted no time. She signaled for her horse to run and Ralf waited behind to see what they were up against.
There were two men on horses behind them, their faces red with anger.
Suddenly Ralf heard a scream. "Karolina!" he yelled, urging his horse forward toward the sound.
He found the Princess on the ground, her horse had tripped on a rope that had been pulled tight between two trees.
Karolina clutched her leg, her face clearly pained. There were leaves in her hair and her dress was torn. "My leg!" she cried.
Ralf looked around quickly to take in his attackers. There were four now, two behind him and two in front. They must have known they would be coming down this path and tied the rope to catch them off guard.
"What is the meaning of this?" Ralf asked loudly, as the men approaching came to a stop. They now encircled him and the fallen Princess.
"Three years!" the man hollered. "Three years I've lived here, making a living off of trade. Suddenly you build a wall without our say and now I can't trade any more. How am I supposed to put food on the table?"
The men around him shouted in agreement.
Quickly, Ralf struggled to find the right words to say. "We can talk this through, there's no reason to fight."
"King Alan said plenty when he built that wall. We have no say in this kingdom. Our livelihood is ruined because of you."
Knowing there was no reasoning with these men, Ralf knew a fight was inevitable. The fact that Princess Karolina couldn't move made her an easy target. There was no way Ralf would let her be harmed. He positioned himself defensively in front of her.
"I'm not looking for a fight but you seem to leave me no choice." Ralf said.
"Looks like it," the man agreed, eager to get the fight on. He was thirsty for blood and revenge even though such things would not change his circumstances. He wanted someone to pay and who better than the King's son?
"King Alan won't be so high and mighty when his precious dragon-bond dies."
As if on cue, the men unsheathed their swords and lunged forward on their horses.
Ralf channeled his magical energy and sent a ball of wind toward the man closest, sending him off his horses and catapulting into a nearby tree.
Then the Prince turned to his next attacker. Static electricity was a new concept to Ralf but he was good enough at it that he sent a powerful shock through his enemy's body, knocking him unconscious.
Just as he sent the shock wave, another man had made a hefty advancement on Ralf. As he raised his sword above his head, the man cried out in anger.
Ralf was able to shield himself with the energy around him just in time as the sword came swinging down towards his head. The sword stopped mid-swing and seemed to be stuck there as if Ralf were holding up an invisible shield.
But Ralf had two men to worry about and sweat dripped down his forehead as he concentrated his energy on defending against two swordsmen. Just as one took a swing and he blocked it, the other sent an attack of his own.
He was blocking swords left and right with his magic. Finally, once their attacks slowed, Ralf was allowed a moment to make an advance of his own. He sent the two swords flying backwards until they made contact and embedded into a tree.
Then Ralf channeled his energy and sent one man catapulting backward while the other he hit over the head with the hilt of his own sword. The man was unconscious and so Ralf walked slowly over to the man he had catapulted.
He was groaning on the ground, clutching his side in pain. "I wish I could kill you." he said, spitting out blood.
"Why?" Ralf was still baffled by the attack, wondering how they could be so upset as to attempt murder. "What do you gain from my death?"
The man spit at Ralf's feet. "The satisfaction of killing someone who thinks they can control everyone else."
Ralf shook his head in confusion. "You don't know me at all. I suggest you leave this kingdom if you're so unhappy with it. But first you'll need the signature of a high official before you try to leave Lyra. A true Lyran wouldn't attempt to murder another. You have no place in this kingdom with thoughts like that."
"Are you going to kill me?" he laughed.
"No," Ralf said, shaking his head. "I'm not a murderer, not like you. I believe in second chances. So even though you tried to kill me, I'm not going to do the same to you. Instead, I'll leave you here, tied to a tree and begging to be let free."
As the man frowned, Ralf used his magic to pull the roots of the tree up from the ground. He focused on the roots and wrapped them around the man until he was literally tied to a tree by its roots.
As for the other men, Ralf gave them a simple holding spell. Their hands were tied behind their backs with the magical energy Ralf produced. No matter how hard they tugged, they could not break free.
After the attackers were subdued and taken care of, Ralf made his way back to the Princess. Her cheeks were brown with dirt, there were leaves in her hair, and tears stained her cheeks.
"Are you okay?" Ralf asked, bending down so that he was eye level with the Princess.
She looked up at him, the fear in her eyes was fading as she looked into his.
"Are you hurt?" he asked again.
Finally, she was able to speak. Her body trembled and Ralf couldn't help but notice how scared and helpless she looked.
"It's just my leg," she said, looking down at it. "When my horse fell, I landed on it. I don't think it's broken, but...it hurts."
Ralf crept closer to her. He needed to take a look at her leg but he wasn't about to do so without her permission. "May I?"
She nodded and then sat up a little straighter. Slowly, Ralf lifted the hem of her dress up slightly to get a better look at her leg. For whatever reason his hand was trembling and he had to take a deep breath in to calm himself.
Princess Karolina peered over to see her leg as well. Ralf could see that her leg was still bent in an odd position. She must not have moved a muscle after she fell.
"Can you try moving it?"
Karolina nodded and slowly moved her leg to a more natural position. Ralf adjusted the hem of her dress to get a look at the bump on her leg. Her leg was swollen and red and already it was beginning to bruise.
"You're going to have a nasty bruise and a bit of a limp," Ralf commented. "But other than that I think you're fine."
Princess Karolina looked at Ralf in a way that made him blush. "Thank you," she said.
Ralf laughed nervously. "I'm sure a doctor could do you better."
"No," she said, shaking her head. "I mean for saving my life. I don't know how I'll ever repay you."
"Please, there's no need to thank me. If it weren't for me, those men wouldn't have attacked you."
Suddenly, much to Ralf's surprise, the Princess reached out and set her hand upon Ralf's. "Royalty is always a target, no matter the reason. Some people just want someone to blame."
"I only wish they wouldn't let their anger turn into violence." Instinctively, Ralf's thumb stroked the top of Karolina's hand as he spoke.
After a moment of silence, Ralf finally realized what he was doing. He stood up abruptly and offered his hand to Karolina. "We should head back. There might be others."
Princess Karolina almost looked disappointed to leave. But she grabbed Ralf's hand and grunted with the effort it took to stand. Ralf allowed her to lean on him for support. Ironically her limp was on the same side as Ralf's.
"My horse," the Princess said, remembering how the horse had taken off in fear after being tripped by the rope.
"You can ride with me."
It took a while for Ralf to help Karolina onto his horse and then position himself on behind her. Despite her attempts to ride side-saddle, Karolina was forced to result in sitting normally on account of her injured leg and sore bottom.
Ralf took the pace slow, careful to make sure Karolina didn't jostle much.
The entire way home Ralf was focused in on his senses, jerking his head at every sound. It wasn't until the castle was in sight that Ralf finally let his mind ease just a little bit.
"Do you think Elysia will be okay traveling home?" Princess Karolina asked.
The worry in her voice showed just how much of a friend Karolina considered Elysia to be. The two had grown closer with each passing day and Karolina truly worried for her friend's safety.
Ralf scolded himself for not thinking the same question himself. He should have made Elysia ride home with them when he had the chance. Now he left her with the mercy of the woods. He only hoped her guardian would be able to protect her against whatever lurked within the darkness of the woods.