𝘚𝘦𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘵𝘴, 𝘓𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘓𝘪𝘦𝘴

The Truth (part 1)

"Kam." Wymond said when they were alone on a hunt that morning after receiving the letter from Hilda. "What now?"

He shook his head and moved around a tree, raised his bow and shot a pheasant to the ground as it took off.

"I do not know." Kamden said as he bent down to receive the game to be taken back to the castle for the Kings supper.

"Well," Wymond said, "it sounds like a man that is down there, and the creature is just a myth, like the girls said."

"So if we know what is there..." Kamden said, stopping and looking at Wymond.

"Then do we just leave?" He said, quietening his voice.

"We will have to talk to Lena and if we can, Hilda."

Wymond nodded and turned away, pulling back the bowstring and releasing the arrow. It met its target and fell to the dry earth.

***

"Eat." I said. "You will feel better."

Ferox had struggled downstairs and was sitting in the kitchen where food had been prepared before I told the chef to take the day off.

"Where is everyone?" Ferox asked me.

"I thought you would like some peace today - help you rest." I said. Really, I wanted the house to be quite so there was no excuse for him not to tell me anything. "How did you get hurt like that?"

He reached across the table and gripped my hands in his. "If I tell you, promise me you will forgive us."

I furrowed my eyebrows. "Forgive whom?"

"Me. Your Father. The other Captains and leaders."

I nodded, still confused.

"Tell me you promise to forgive us."

I took a deep breath. What was I going to forgive them for? "I promise." I whispered.

His grip on my hands tightened and he spoke.

***

"You have heard the myth? The one about the creature and the Princess?"

Hilda nodded. Good, at least he didn't have to explain that.

Ferox paused a moment longer before he continued. "After - or during - the last battle, we captured one of the children of the girl the myth was based off: Trystan is his name. His sister, Queen Leoma of Oxbourne, immediately surrendered when she found out we had taken him. We believe they have something that our town needs."

Hilda looked into his eyes and spoke in a quite voice. "What is it? What is it our town needs? Why have we captured Trystan? What was the point-"

He held up his hand to stop her. "One question at a time, my love. I do not know what it is - only the King knows and he has told me that I will know when the time is right. I had a part in capturing Trystan, in the hope that his age would be a weakness - he was 14 when we took him you see - but he has just grown stronger and more determined to reveal nothing."

"He was 14?" Hilda shouted. "He is my age. How can you go down there, every day, with the knowledge of that? He is so young, he should not be here."

She was standing, staring at him, fire behind her eyes. There was no pity for Ferox anymore, just hatred. Hatred for her Father. Hatred for the town.

"Please." Ferox attempted but Hilda just swiped her arms in front of her face, as is she was fending off his words.

"No!" She said determinedly. "What can the town need to badly that we are keeping a young prince in our dungeons who is obviously never giving up what he knows?"

Ferox began to rise from his chair but the pain in his chest, whether they were from the wounds or in his heart, he wasn't sure, but they stopped him. It was too late. Hilda was gone from the room and he was too weak to follow.

There came a sudden knock on the door. He heard Hilda sigh in disbelief as she turned the knob.

"Father!" She said, surprised.

"Hilda." His voice was stiff. "Is Ferox awake?"

"No." She lied. Why would she lie? "He is resting. Harlow, could you bring my Father back later when Ferox has had some more rest?"

"Of course ma'am." Harlow replied.

"Father." She sounded serious. "I do not know what happened yesterday but I want to hear it from you. I want to know the truth and I want to be able to protect the town when-" she stopped abruptly.

"When I die." The King finished.

She made a noise in agreement.

He ordered Harlow to take them both back to the castle and Hilda came rushing back inside.

"Why did you lie?" Ferox whispered, aware the door was still open.

"So you didn't have to face him just yet." She whispered back. "I will see you later."

There was no kiss goodbye or even a hint of a smile as she left the house.

"Shit." He muttered. "Now what?"

***

"Hilda!" Lenas voice came from the stables across the courtyard.

"Lena." I said, running into her arms.

"How's has it been." She breathed, covering her mouth behind her hand.

"Bad enough." I breathed back. "Listen, I am about to find something out."

"I am about to see the boys." She let me go and I looked into her wild eyes.

"How? Where?"

She shook her head and I knew to trust her.