FD: Birth of a Wishing Heart

8. Hansel and Gretel

Hansel put the wood above the princess, along with the tarp around it that was usually used to keep it in place. "Don't speak until I tell you we're safe." He warned. Hansel went down the path to his home, making sure that the wood was in a safe position at all times to not harm the princess.

Guinniverre had heard of the legends saying that the Rhioninians were protected by fairies. Plenty of supernatural stories had surrounded the kingdom before it had fallen and helped the princess's mind with a sense of curiosity and hope. She was convinced Hansel must have been sent by a fairy, or perhaps he was a guardian angel. It was hard to tell, but the fact was he had saved her life and risked his own for no apparent reason.

It was a long ride of silence and bumps. It reminded her of before the invasion. Everything was fine, she was learning how to speak and do things. She was frequently in her mother's lap, or with a servant reading a story to her. It started slowly with her father having to leave frequently for discussions, and now it had evolved to the kingdom in ruins and her parents dead. She began to cry quietly again. As she mourned those she missed for a split second she was roaming the battlefield again. Even worse, she felt she was being stared down by her father's lifeless face. She'd do anything for one of her mother's lullabies right now, her warm embrace, even to pet her soft cat! It was a hard truth. A truth that was confusing since Hansel was from the land that won against them.

She was with an enemy going to enemy territory. Would she be turned in? Fear began to overcome her as she thought of escape plans. Did she even have a chance? She held the carved bark, her only promise of safety. She looked over at the darkness around her with only small shreds of light coming through. With each bump, she feared the wood would fall and she'd be crushed. She waited and soon enough she began to hear more noise as they approached a road and the ride became smoother. After some turns, it stopped. There were no noises from the wheels but rather far away chatter and horses. She heard some steps approach her and a figure lean into the wood.

"Give me a few minutes. No one can see us," Hansel whispered before he left. There was a clinking of chain and then a loud boom! Chains could only mean one thing. He had betrayed her, and now she'd be a prisoner of war! Of course, he was poor and wanted to turn her in for a heavy sum of money! Guinniverre's anxiety began to rise. There was another boom. "I'm throwing the wood into storage, in the back is a hole to pull logs from the inside. You should be able to crawl through it. No one will see you that way. When I start to take the ones on top of you, I need you to get inside as fast as you can." Her panic softened. Okay, he did have a plan to avoid others seeing her. She did as he was told but was startled when the door behind her shut leaving her in complete darkness.

Once again panic rose in Guinniverre, unable to tell where the door was. She crawled past wood in confusion hoping she wasn't making too much noise. Then some light poured in. A reassuring voice began guiding her.

"Guinniverre, this way..." Finally, with all the outside doors locked, Guinniverre fell to the ground shaking in tears. Hansel held her close rocking her softly, which made her crying quieter. "Guinniverre, I promise I will protect you, but right now we don't have much time." Guinniverre stood up, struggling to remain calm. "I'll comfort you, I promise." He took the bark he had carved and held it to her heart. He kneeled to face her and kissed her forehead. "I promise." He repeated.

Guinniverre looked at him, eye to eye. She was trying to observe him but his mess of hair was in the way. She could barely tell his expression. How was she supposed to trust him if she couldn't see him! She took a deep breath and wiped her cheeks before she took a pearl hair holder from one of her hair rolls to tie up his hair. Hansel was startled and nearly protested before remembering her mourning state. He let out a light smile. "Grazie, I'm going to have to take these off soon but I'll keep them on as long as I can." The princess stared at him intently. He had looked so strong and mysterious before but now that she could see his face he seemed so much more vulnerable. His eyes seemed oversized and gave away his feelings. They shone with a sense of sadness and truthfulness. All doubts of him being the enemy instantly faded. He showed mercy because he felt bad for her. Her race and ancestors meant nothing to him.