The Exiled King | ✔

Chapter 2 - Lady Lirya

"What are you talking about?!" Jason demanded angrily, "I don't know anything about Lady Lirya Thro-"

He trailed off and his eyes widened in realisation.

Jason looked at Lirya, who would not meet his eye, "Lir... ya?"

She couldn't look him in the eye.

She's a noble? Jason thought in disbelief.

And the young lady of the house, too!

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you... I just- I liked how you didn't treat me differently," She whispered, looking away.

She's made a fool of me, He thought, mentally reprimanding himself, I would never have brought her out here if I had known!

"Was it all a game to you?!" Jason cried, ceasing his struggle and hanging limply in the guards' arms, "Was it fun to see how long you could keep it a secret from me?! What a fool I must have looked like!"

Her head snapped up and she looked at him with wide, hurt eyes.

"No! It wasn't like that at all!" She defended.

The hurt in her eyes and the desperation in her voice cooled Jason's anger and instead brought up unpleasant feelings of guilt.

My words are the reason for that expression on her face, He realised.

Gods, it's like she has no idea what the world is like!

A rumour came to mind—of a lord who cherished his only daughter so much that he kept her inside his castle and never let her leave. A girl that grew up in a gilded cage... well, a rumour was just a rumour. There was no truth to it, right?

He turned to the captain of the guard—a tall and well-muscled man well into his fifties with hair greying at the temples and a receding hairline, who Jason recalled fondly had helped him settle in when he'd first arrived as a squire at the castle—and explained carefully, "Look, Sir Reylous... I know this looks bad, but I really didn't kidnap her. I didn't even know it was her! We just... bumped into each other and I asked for her help to carry the new training swords."

Sir Reylous frowned and growled, "And I suppose the lady just happened to be dressed in boys' clothes? I thought you were better than that. I thought you were a good kid!"

"She was! I thought she was a new hire!" Jason retorted angrily.

Why won't they believe me?! He thought.

Why isn't she saying anything?!

One of the guards who'd been standing protectively between Jason and Lirya as if he could do anything with both of his arms pinned, stepped forward and slapped Jason hard across the cheek.

There was a sharp pain, then a cold numbness that faded into a dull throbbing ache and the force threw Jason's head to the side. Dimly, he heard Lirya's scream and incoherent rambling.

Sir Reylous turned to Lirya and knelt in front of her and asked her quietly, "My lady, please tell me truthfully—did that boy take you out of the castle?"

She sniffled and whispered, "Y-Yeah."

What in the Abyss?! Jason thought in sheer disbelief, If she puts it like that, it sounds like I really did kidnap her!

Sir Reylous stood up and said decisively, "The lady has spoken! The boy is guilty and will be brought to Lord Throeyns for judgement."

"Wait! No, it's not true- tell them, Lir- Lady Lirya!" Jason cried, struggling against the guards that held him.

For all of his effort, he was only rewarded with a harsh punch to the jaw and a warning to be silent or he'd be hit again.

Abyss, it hurts!

He realized with a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach that there was no point in protesting, for the guards had already made up their minds in their heads—to them, Jason was a kidnapper. Lirya's affirmation had only added fuel to the fire, though Jason had a suspicion that she had not intended it to be so.

He'd plead his case to the lord, he decided. It was his only chance.

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They were marched back to the castle, Jason pulled along roughly and Lirya protectively surrounded by the guards, with Sir Reylous in the lead. They walked through the castle and eventually the guards halted in front of a large door at the end of the corridor.

The door was massive in size and built out of sturdy pine wood—an abundance within the Throeyns lands. It was decorated with the Throeyns emblem—two neydeer facing inwards. Their antlers joined at the centre of the door where the handles were.

Neydeer were magical creatures. Much like regular deer, neydeer had large antlers upon their heads. However, their pelt was more thick and shaggy and a mossy green colour. It was often said that their furs were actually grass and that theory was backed up by the colourful flowers that tended to grow on the more mature neydeer. They were rare creatures, whose pelts allowed them to blend in seamlessly to the forests that they lived in. Neydeer were also notoriously picky about the forests they dwelt in, living only in the elven forests and roaming in the Ahyeld—meaning 'shield' in the old language—forest within Throeyns territory. The Ahyeld was an ancient forest—however, unnamed and unexplored until well into the Golden Age—so large that the name was derived from the way it shielded Throeyns castle and the inner kingdom from the first Demon War.

Two guards stood outside the doors and greeted the group.

"Please inform Lord Throeyns that we have his daughter unharmed and the kidnapper with us," Sir Reylous said.

They immediately fixed glares of distaste at Jason, who could only scowl at them in return, his cheek still throbbing from his previous attempt to defend himself.

It's all a misunderstanding, you meatheads. This is abuse, He thought sullenly.

"I will inform the Lord immediately," One of the guards said, bowing his head in deference to his captain and Lirya.

The guard left, pushing open the large doors enough to enter. Moments later, he returned and gestured for them to enter the antechamber.

The antechamber was spacious and had doors leading to the Lord's private suite and office. A second set of doors, lighter and made of plain wood, separated the Lord's office from the visitors. Few servants lingered in the halls, but one stood ready to open the doors the moment the Lord commanded it.

"Come in," Lord Throeyns' rich voice sounded from within.

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Edited: July 15th 2021, August 29th 2021... 30/08/2025

Dedicated to @Dimples6979. Thank you so much for reading, voting and commenting on this book! ^_^