Selene was woken by the sound of a sharpening stone over metal. It took her a minute to regain her vision. When she sat up she felt as if someone had placed her head in a vice. The pain was almost unbearable, and the noise...the noise was chiseling away at her consciousness. She felt dizzy and nearly vomited just as she heard him speak.
“Dreadfully sorry about your head, darling, but I had no choice. You were bumbling through the underbrush like a retarded sow. Gods be gracious, I should have left you there. I suppose I have a soft spot for foolish little girls, though.” The voice was calm and soothing, fatherly even.
The man was sitting across from her in the small; what was it around her, a cave? There was no light except that which crept in from the moon. She could not seem to focus very well in the darkness. He was a featureless shadow amongst shadows.
“I am no girl. I am a woman grown.”
She did not know if she could remain alert, her head felt as though she had fallen from a tower, a very tall tower.
“Well, had I known that I would have left you for the wolves and crows,” his voice had the hint of a smile on it. “Here we are though, veiling ourselves away in this fissure of the mountain. Here, drink this. I am sure your head hurts something fierce.” He handed her a small piece of dipped wood with an almost paste like substance on top of it.
Selene looked at it for a long moment.
“It is a solid.”
“Lick it then,” he said with a shrug.
She frowned and licked the paste. It tasted like nothing she had ever tried, and nearly caused her to vomit once again. She spat and rubbed her mouth with her sleeve, but the taste would not go away. The man laughed and she threw the wood down, shooting him her meanest scowl, though it was lost in the darkness for no one to see.
“It is a little mixture I came up with, dulls the pain, but tastes something horrible. Dreadfully sorry, my dear, I suppose I could have warned you, but where is the fun in that?” He clapped his hands and stood up. His head nearly scraped the top of the small cave. He moved closer and squatted down in front of her. She was finally able to look upon his face. It took her by surprise, for the man in front of her was not the least bit hideous or frightening. He had olive skin and light brown hair that hung just atop his bright blue eyes. His teeth were the whitest teeth she had ever seen, and his smile could have won the hearts of a thousand maidens. In an instant, all of her anxiety flooded away and she felt completely safe and content with this stranger sitting in front of her.
“Do you have a name, child?”
She tried to smile. “My name is Selene. I work at the Inn of Stones, and you are?” It was odd, for she knew that she should be trying to escape, that she should feel some apprehension at being in a cave with a complete stranger who had just recently rendered her unconscious.
He returned the smile. “Seros, of Ovum.” He executed a subtle bow of his head. “Now tell me, why were you blundering through the forest with a small host of men and dogs chasing you?”
This Seros seemed friendly enough, but she was not sure if she could trust him. There was nary a man in the empire that she had ever met worth a strand of honor, and this one was much too beautiful to be the exception. Still, something told her that she could trust him, something more than just his handsome face and flawless smile.
“There was a knight and… he wanted to, well he tried to –”
He cut in. “Rape you? Kill you? Plunder your bones and steal your virtue?”
“Something like that. He visited a friend of mine the night before,” her words caught in her throat. “I never saw her again,” she said with a shudder. They would have mopped me up from the floor.
His face was wrapped in compassion. “So you fought free and ran. Good for you. Tell me, this knight, what was his namesake?”
She bit her lower lip. “Sir Veran Meyser is his name, a Westerlay knight, I think.”
“Ah, yes, the Butcher, but he is not from Westerlay. No, I am afraid that he resides in a much worse place. It is certainly best that you got away from his paws.”
“You know about the Butcher?” It was a stupid question, for every person in the empire knew about the Butcher. Word travels fast amongst commoners, and no words travel quite as fast as those of carnage and death.
“That I do, Selene. He’s a rabid dog, let loose by a rabid king. If I were you, I would find somewhere far away to call home and never think of that inn again.”
“Gladly,” she would love nothing more, but where would she go? And more importantly, how would she get there? She knew little about where she was or what free cities were near, much less how to survive apart from any civilized, or at least partially civilized, city or town..
Seros moved away from her and back to the cave wall were a small pack leaned against the choppy stone wall. He opened it and pulled out a few apples and tossed her one. “Eat. They are mushy, but still good.”
The apple was the first food she’d had since she broke her fast earlier the previous morning. It was indeed mushy, but it might as well have been from a fresh bushel. She did not complain.
“What were you doing in the forest, if I might ask?”
He had a small dagger and was cutting another apple into pieces before popping them into his mouth. “I often move through the woods during the night. It is safer for a lone traveler than the long road—or any other road for that matter—especially now that the Silent King has loosed the empire’s knights on the people.”
“The roads have never been so busy.” Selene found herself cutting in. “The inn has been bustling for the last fortnight, we nearly ran out of food more than once.”
“Nothing like a little fear to get people out and moving, aye? The good knights of the Vint and the rest of the realm out hunting one man, hah! Tell me, my darling, how much damage can one man do? Not so much I would think, but then again, what do I know?”
Selene raised an eyebrow at the stranger. “King Maras is right to fear the Lost Prince. He has never been defeated in a fight, even when they were unfair for him. I have heard he is the fastest man alive, and he even killed Sir Fenley not a moon’s turn ago.” Talking about the great prince always got her excited. She took a breath, and noticed the large smile across his face.
“The Lost Prince, that what they are calling him now? I have yet to hear that one. I must confess that it is not surprising, for I stick to the woods and leave the humble gossipers to their own. So tell me, how is it that you know so much about this prince who has been lost.”
She frowned at the question. “Well, he is no longer lost—nor was he, I think, only on a hiatus perhaps. And I know as much as anyone else. Everyone in the realm knows about him. The Silent King would see his head dangle from the Black Bridge, but the Prince is cunning, too cunning for the likes of him.” Selene took pride in defending the Lost Prince’s honor, though she was not sure why.
“I see,” Seros said with a grin as he popped another piece of apple into his mouth. “And what do you plan to do now, darling, now that you are free from the Butcher, and the Inn of Stones?”
Selene had so many dreams of what she would do if she was ever free, but now that she was, she felt lost. “I.. I don’t know…”
Seros nodded as if it was exactly the response he had expected. “Listen, dear, I am heading north to Adremia and Garr. You are more than welcome to accompany me to either, or both, if you would like, and from there make your own way.”
She had heard of Adremia before, the City of Mirrors it was called, though she was not sure why—she assumed that the city was made of mirrors, but never had the courage to ask. Either way, she was sure that it would be perfect. “If you would have me,” she said with a smile, “but how far is Adremia?”
“Four days as the crow flies, which those of us without wings will not be doing. I would venture a fortnight afoot, less if we can come across some mounts.”
A fortnight was not a terribly long time. Once, Grest had made her sleep in the cleaning pot for a whole week for dropping a tray. She had to admit, she had never walked for a week though, much less a fortnight. She looked down at her bare feet and frowned. Her soles would be shredded after the first league, no doubt.
“Worry not, child. I will find you some shoes, but you must rest. We have but a few hours until first light, at which time we will need to set off. The cave here is safe enough, I promise.” He stood and moved to the mouth of the small cave. “I would start no fires and be quiet though, just in case.” With one last smile he vanished into the night, leaving Selene alone in the cold, dark cave.
The night sky was calm and clear, inky black and dotted with stars. Selene sat back against the cave wall and tried to shiver away the cold. Part of her still wondered if she could trust this man, this Seros. If he had wanted me dead, he could have killed me while I slept. She told herself over and again. It still did not make much sense though, his rescue of her. How far had they traveled? she wondered. It could not have been far, for he must have carried her, but he was not very large himself. In the small cave he looked to be about six and one, if the gods were gracious. He was muscled, she had noticed that much, but not overly so. Perhaps he was a laborer when he was not traveling.
She thought about the Butcher and how she had barely escaped his grasp. It still made her skin crawl and her head spin when she thought about what nearly taken place. The Butcher would have turned her into slop and scattered her across the room. Such was the world she lived in, this terrible place that they called the civilized kingdom.
Trying to shake the memory, she thought about those few things she remembered from her childhood. They were dull, and she figured much was missing from them, but they were there nonetheless. She remembered a woman with dark auburn hair and beautiful brown eyes. The most beautiful eyes she had ever seen. Yet she knew that what she could remember was but a glimpse of how beautiful they truly were. She did not know if she sat there for a minute or an hour before she finally drifted off to sleep, but she did not wake until she heard the sound of Seros shuffling through his bag.
“Pleasant morning, child. May I interest you in a tart?”
She sat up and wiped the sleep from her eyes. “How long did I sleep?” She looked out of the cave and noticed that the sun was still creeping over the trees. First light had just passed.
“The entire night, I’m afraid.” He held a tart out to her and wrapped it with his smile. “Eat, please, we have a long way to go today.”
Once the sleep had drifted away from her mind, she realized that she was indeed famished. She took the tart from Seros and began to eat. “Thank you.”
“And these.” He pushed a small pair of boots closer to her and went back to packing his bag. “It was the best I could do, under the circumstances. I hope they fit well enough at least.”
She finished the last bite of the tart and shrugged on one of the boots. “It fits perfect. Where did you find these?”
“There are always treasures to find, one only has to know where to look.” His white teeth glistened in the rising sun and she could not help but allow her eyes to linger at him for a bit longer than she should have.
“There is nothing here but old Seros, my dear, that I promise you.” He shrugged the bag over his shoulder and nodded at her, not a trace of evil present on his face. “Come, we head north, through the Mayberry and Fell fields. It will not be such a hard trip, and then over the second mountain range lays Adremia and all of its wonder.”
She pulled herself up and followed him out of the mouth of the cave. “Are you sure that the knights cannot track us here? Surely they will be out searching for me. I fear I wounded the Butcher’s pride, along with his eye.”
He smiled over his shoulder as they walked. “The Butcher has enough pride to do with a jest from a young girl. He was probably drunk anyways, gallant fool of a knight.”
“You talk as if you know the man personally,” she said curiously.
“Aye, I know many men and many men know me. There is but so many types of men in this world, my dear. It is safe to assume that I know him because I do. I have known his kind my entire life.” It was obvious, the feelings Seros felt about such men, but Selene wondered if there was more to his statement than she knew.
Was he talking in riddles? she thought. “And you…are you a noble, or are you lowborn like me?”
“If I was a sir, I am sure that I would have made mighty sure you knew it by now, wouldn’t you guess?” He chuckled to himself. “No, my dear, I am no sir, I am but Seros. A humble traveling man in look of honest work and a life I can call my own, that is all.”
“You do this often then?” She did not know where she gathered the courage to question the man so, for he was the only person in the world that cared enough about her to save her life.
“Travel?” He slipped a quiet laugh. “That I do. I could claim that I know this land better than any, but I would be lying. There are always the crows to compete with,” he finished with a wink and a smile.
They must have walked for hours in silence after that. Every once in a while, Seros would stop and tell her to get down. He would close his eyes and stand completely still and move his head around in a weird way. One time, Selene’s arm went to sleep and she tried to move it as to find a better position, but when she looked up she saw him staring at her. His eyes were so intense that she dared not move another muscle. She had even forgotten to breathe and did not realize it until her lungs burned. And finally, he relaxed and began walking again. “Let’s go, my dear,” he said over his shoulder.
The sun was nearly atop the trees again when Seros finally stopped. He handed her a skinned pouch full of water and she drank graciously. “We are moving too slowly,” he said. “I fear we will not make camp until after dark.”
“Is it wise to travel at night?” The prospect of moving in the dark did not appeal to her. She had a hard enough time avoiding a spill in the light, much less in the shadows.
“If it keeps us alive, yes,” he answered. “I would not sleep in the foliage naked to the stars; no, my dear, not in these woods. There is far too much that goes bump in the night.”
Selene nodded in agreement and they set off once again. Her feet had swollen and she knew of at least four blisters that would be the size of grapes when they stopped. Her legs were dreadfully tired, and each step was sure to be her last. At least twice she had caught herself falling asleep whilst walking, and if not for Seros, she would have ran straight into a tree.
“Best not to dance with the trees, my dear,” was all that he said before starting off again.
Time fluttered by, and step after step Selene lost more and more of the night. She woke to Seros ruffling through his bag, the sun warm on her face. She stretched the sleep away from her body. Her legs were stiff and sore from walking, and her feet were swollen and red.
“I wrapped your feet after we stopped. I would have done it while you were awake, but you were fighting something fierce to not be so. Anyways, it should keep most the swelling down, and hopefully keep the blisters at bay.”
She nodded at him. “How far did we go?”
“Not far enough. We will need to pick up the pace today. I dusted the trail last night after we stopped, but I ponder that they may pick it up again before half day.”
Selene sat up, alert and anxious, at his comment about them being tracked. “You mean they are following us, the Butcher and his men?”
“Calm, my dear. They are not half as clever as old Seros, and they know even less about these woods than a paltry hen. They stumble through the underbrush with dogs and horses, taking beaten paths and old goat trails. We carve right through the mountains and to Haxley. We will steer far clear of Castle Bondary, and soon be on our way to Adremia. Do not fret; we are soon to be rid of them.” He had a confidence about his words that did prove to calm her nerves. She had trusted him thus far and not had any problems, what would it hurt to trust him a little more?
“Do you have anything else to eat?” She did not like to ask, but the prospect of walking the day away on an empty stomach was not tempting.
He only nodded and broke off a large piece of dry, salted meat and handed it to her. “If it comes to when we are no longer being tracked, I will catch us a proper meal and roast it over a fire, but for now we must suck dry meat and pray to the Moon Gods for better days.”
Selene ha to admit, she did not know the Moon Gods, but his cheerfulness rubbed off on her nonetheless. He was always upbeat, always friendly. She had never met anyone like this Seros. “Where are you from originally, if you do not mind me asking?”
"I do not mind at all. I am southern born, from the southern coast of Ovum. As far away and different a place from here as can be. I don’t miss the old lands though. I find the whispering woods and cool air in the north a slight comfort. Besides, my business is better suited for the north, in the kingdom, as it were.”
“I have always wanted to visit the south. They say the beaches near Tristos are where the gods themselves go to bathe. Are they truly so beautiful?”
“Aye, crystal clear water and white sandy beaches blanket the southern coast. It is lovely, if you fancy that sort of thing.” A smile danced across his face as he thought about his home.
They had been walking for nearly two days and Selene was beginning to question her decision to follow this comely traveler. She could no longer feel her feet, and her legs were on fire with every muscle begging to stop. Seros must have noticed her faltering, because he stopped just after night’s first and nestled her up under a tree.
“Wait here,” he said before he disappeared into dark forest.
Hey everyone, thank you so much for stopping by and checking out the story. I will be posting a new chapter every Tuesday and Friday until the entire novel is on Wattpad. However, I would like to let everyone know that The Lost Prince is on Amazon. I am giving the book away for free on here, but if you loved the novel and feel like purchasing a copy, or gifting it to someone else, I cannot express how honored I would be.