Abducted [W&W Book 3]

Chapter 1

Author's Note: I'm going with a more variable schedule for this final book. I aim to release 3+ chapters per week, probably on Tuesdays.

Thanks for reading!

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A girl stood in the kitchen of the great castle of Wildwood.  She was kneading bread flour and humming to herself softly.

"Are you nearly done, Ildri?"

"I am, chef," Ildri turned and went back to her humming.

Ildri had been working in the kitchen under the chef, Missus Allendale for almost as long as she could remember.  She liked it there.  It was a comfortable and safe place, and the job gave Ildri a nice sense of purpose and pride.  Chef was a kind woman and like his father before him, Lord Wildwood was a just lord.

Ildri had no desire to ever leave.  She knew that the world outside the castle was an uncertain and frightening place.  There was disease, hunger and violence.  Threat of rebellion and rumours of wars slipped through the air.  It was the world where Ildri had been left all alone.

She did not like being alone.

While it was true that plenty of bad things had happened outside of and even at Wildwood, Ildri had absolutely no intention of wasting her life moping about the past.  She would keep her eyes straight ahead on the glorious future that she knew was coming.  Everything was going perfect.

Ildri was going to get married.

Ildri had a boyfriend named Saul.  He made no secret of the fact that he fancied her and the thought gave Ildri happy little bubbles of pleasure.  She had first met Saul after he came to Wildwood to work with the horses.  She had immediately noticed how handsome he was in his quiet sort of way.  Ildri had quickly understood that he was shy and so she had gone out of her way to talk to him.  It had been worth it as he was always kind and liked to listen while she talked.  For almost a year they had spent much of their free time together.

She felt certain that her parents would have approved of Saul and been happy about how things had turned out for their daughter.  Saul would make a wonderful husband.  He was everything she wanted, and she knew that he would continue to climb in standing over time, even perhaps one day becoming the stable master when Mister Allendale retired.  Then the two of them could stay at Wildwood forever, just as Ildri wanted to.  She loved Wildwood.  Wildwood was her home and her safety.  It was perfect that her ideal man had come to Wildwood of his own volition.

Not that Saul had exactly asked her to marry him yet, but Ildri knew that it was coming.  It would just be a matter of time until he got around to asking her.  She had waited patiently—or as patiently as she could manage.  She had not helped him out even once by broaching the subject.

And finally, her patience had been rewarded.  He had asked her to meet him that very night, to talk and she had a very good feeling about it.  In a few scant hours Ildri would be engaged, and all her dreams would come true.

"Ildri, please quit daydreaming and put the bread in the oven to bake.  It won't be ready in time for supper at this rate," chef said in the same tone she always used when she thought Ildri was moving too slowly.

"Yes, chef," Ildri agreed patiently.  Chef just had no idea how important the day was.  Ildri had not mentioned it because Chef never quite seemed to approve of her relationship with Saul.  Chef did not say why, but Ildri was quite sure that it was because chef worried that it would affect Ildri's work.  She supposed chef was right.  She had never daydreamed so much before Saul, probably.  It was no matter.  Chef would adore Saul once she got to know him as well as Ildri did.