War of Faeries

Chapter 25

I woke up to someone banging on my door. I groaned as I pushed myself out of my bed. The sun wasn't even up yet and someone decided to disturb me. I open the door and squint at the person outside my door, the only problem was there was no one there.

"Seriously?" I mutter. I close the door and climb back into bed.

I couldn't have gotten more than two hours of sleep at most. I had just closed my eyes and started to drift off to sleep when the banging began again. I glare at my door, maybe the person on the other side will feel my glare and leave me alone. I however got no such luck.

"What do you want?" I growl as I throw open the door.

"Making sure you are okay. There was a jail break. Several high threats escaped, we wanted to make sure you were in your room." It was Matthew.

"I am fine." I mutter before closing the door.

I climb back into bed and fall asleep.

     ****

"What are you doing here still?" I question once I see Matthew standing outside my door.

"I told you I came here to make sure you were safe. Did you think I would leave just because you told me you were fine?" he questions grabbing my arm as I was walking away.

I glare down at his hand on my wrist hoping he would drop it, no such luck. "Yes, I thought you would leave." I answer him.

"I think you'll find you are going to have to try much harder than that to get rid of me." he gives me one of his smirks, and I roll my eyes at him.

"Next time I'll remember that." He lets go of me and follows me down the hall.

"Is this where you tell me you aren't going to leave me still?" I ask stopping in front of the dinning room.

"I told you, my job doesn't stop just because you tell me you are fine." he mutters.

"I-" my sentence is cut off as Henry walks down the hall towards us glaring.

"Valarie, you joining us for breakfast? Or are you going to waste this guards time?"

"I was just waiting for you. I had a few questions about the competition." I tell him as I follow him into the dinning room.

****

Matthew was standing there outside of the dinning room once I was done with breakfast. The thought of him standing there waiting for me brought a smile to my face, I couldn't quite explain why though.

"Miss me?" He asks me noticing my smile.

"Nope." I tell him leading the way. Although I had no idea where I was heading.

"You will one day."

"I doubt that." I shoot back at him.

****

I was sitting at the table in another meeting. As the princess I had to attend, but I didn't care about what they were saying. I was the one that caused the jail break, even though some of the prisoners I freed decided to free the others. It may not have gone as I had expected but it worked the way I wanted.

"The safety of the Princess is our main concern. She is the closest to the dungeon, what if one of the prisoners had found her?" The statement was made by an older gentleman who thought women were helpless.

I fought back my sigh, and the eye roll because Jeremy was watching me, and he would undoubtedly kick me underneath the table if I did. It had become some what of a routine in the past few days.

"If you want to protect the other princes and princess you should add more guards. One guard is not sufficient enough for such a large area." I speak up, if I had to attend these meetings I should at least say something.

"How do you know how many guards there were on watch?" the older gentlemen asks. "I thought you were in your room while all this was happening."

"I have been in the dungeon before. Every time I have been in there I have only seen one guard on duty."

"How many times have you been down there?" he questions.

"Enough to know that it is not uncommon for one guard to be on duty."

"Princess Valarie is right, it is my fault this happened. I am in charge of making sure the dungeon is properly guarded. I let my men to be over worked and understaffed down there. I will add more guards." Henry says drawing all attention to him, and his failures.

"Do you have the man power for something like that?" the same man interrogates him.

"As of right now no, but I will have more guards on staff within the week. I have already sent word to the training camp about sending me more guards."

"In the mean time what are you going to do?" I am about to tell this man off. He acts like this is affecting his well being.

Jeremy kicks me and I glare at him, but I keep my mouth shut. I had already drawn enough attention to myself I didn't need to attract any more.

"I have the guards working night shifts in their groups." Henry answers confidently.

"And this isn't over working them?" this time it was Jeremy who asked the question. Out of the fifty or so people in the room only one person has been asking any questions at all.

Henry gives Jeremy a grateful look before answering his question, "No this is not over working them. I was able to create a schedule where guards who had an easier day time shift would work the night shift. Each night it rotates like their day shifts rotates."

"What is being done about the prisoners that escaped?" I looked around to find who asked the question, and my eyes land on Elenore. She smirks at me before everyone else looks at her.

The only reason she way here was because her father is one of the governors of a surrounding city. She was supposed to sit in on this meeting and not say a word. Guess she threw that rule out the window as soon as she say the opportunity to talk to Henry again.

"I will be rounding up several of the guards who are being sent from the training camp and have them search the surrounding towns."

"So what you are saying is there has been no action taken to capture the loose prisoners?" she shakes her head like this is the worst thing she has ever heard.

"Jeremy and I have had a small group of guards assigned to watch us searching the town. I can personally verify that an effort to find this criminals has been put forth." I speak over Henry.

"You have had the Princess-" it was the old man again, I really was debating lunging at him and strangling him right in the middle of this meeting.

"No one has made me do anything. I have had to go into town several times, and I thought my guards could help search the towns I have visited."

"It is not wise for you-"

"Do not tell me what to do." I glare at him, "You know nothing about me, and nothing about how this palace is ran. You can sit in these meetings and question everyone on everything, but at the end of the day no one gives a shit about what you think."

Henry and Jeremy both hide their smirks as I retake my seat.