The Ash Tree

Chapter 6

Chapter 6

I had ran from the forge, in mid-day. I grabbed whatever I needed that I could carry from home and started toward Ashton. It took me nine days, I had walked/ran three. There I stood, facing the castle. Alice is in there.

I walked toward the guards.

"Halt! Who goes there?" A guard asked, pointing a spear at my throat.

"I am Ward, Oliver Ward, here to see Lady Nash."

The guards did not lower their spears, but their faces saddened. They spoke to one another quietly before one of them went through the doors.

"Stay here." The other guard said. I waited, my heart pounding. Not long after the guard came back.

"Follow me." He ordered turning around and walked through the doors again. Quickly I followed thinking only of Alice. I am sure the castle was magnificent, but my eyes were only searching for a sight more beautiful.

The guard stopped in front of two dark wooden doors. He knocked twice and a voice, which did not belong to Alice, told us to enter. The room was wide, filled with books and scrolls and a large wooden table in the middle and a window behind it. A man sat at the table with his eyes closed and he had his hands clasped together as is he was praying.

"Lord Burch." The guard kneeled. I followed his example. Where is Alice?

"Rise." He ordered. I stood and saw my lord before me. His eyes seemed saddened and almost angered. "Leave us." He told the guard. When we were alone he spoke. "I am told you knew of my...betrothed." His voice was like a blade. Wait, he said betrothed. So they are not married.

"Yes, she was my dearest friend when I was only a child — my lord." It is... difficult for me to talk to the man who is going to marry the girl I love. "If you would not mind, my lord, I wish to speak with her." His face saddened.

"I am sorry, but you have traveled here for nothing. Al- Lady Nash has ran away about three or four months ago. Our wedding day was last month." His face was blank, as if he did not care.

My heart sunk. Alice had not arrived, she is still out there somewhere. Then I processed what he said, she ran away, she did not want to marry him.

"Wh— My Lord, if you do not mind me asking, do you know why she ran away?"

He sighed and turned around to look out the window. "She did not feel as I did. She said her heart belonged to another. I know not who but I do know it was to that bastard who made her that blasted necklace. She never took it off." I tried my hardest not to smile, I do not think I did a good job. "When I asked about it she told me-" he stopped mid-sentence and turned around. My smile dropped immediately when I saw his threatening expression.

"She told me an old friend made her than necklace." I felt a mixture of happiness and fear. He looked at me as if he was predicting how good my head would look on a spear.

"Why have you come to see Alice? What is it you wanted to tell her?" His voice was hard and full of anger.

"That I had found her." I spoke standing my ground. And was not going to lose her again.  "And if I may ask, if you love her, why are you not looking for her? Why don't you have guards trying to find her?"

"I cannot afford to spend resources on someone who does not want to be found." This angered me.

"She could be in danger, or hurt. It is dangerous for a young lady to be out there by herself!"

"Then she shouldn't have left!" He yelled.

"You should not have forced her to marry you!"

"I loved her, it that -" he was cut off from the door opening.

"Lord Burch," A maiden curtsied before rising. "My apologies, I did not mean to disturb you, but Lady Rose and her daughter are here."

Lord Burch fixed himself before sitting back down in his chair.

" Send for her, but rid him from my sight first, I wish to never see of him again."

"As you wish my lord. Follow me." I left the room shaking with anger. The maiden was older and shorter than I with pale white skin, black hair and dark brown eyes.

"You knew Lady Nash?" She asked quietly.

"Yes, and I wish I knew what happened to her!" I yelled frustrated. I should have gone with her. The maiden became silent. "Do you know what happened to her?" I stopped walking.

"I know where she is." She whispered. I grabbed her shoulders. "Please I beseech you, tell me." She opened her mouth, but she starred behind me a closed it. I looked behind me and saw the doors close.

"Not here. Not with ears around us." She grabbed my arm and pull me out of the castle. She looked around at the fog filled air and smiled.

"When you walk down the main road make a right at the path where the fog gets thicker. There is an open field with a single tree by a lake. There she is waiting for me to bring her supplies."

"So follow the fog, until I reach a tree in an open field and hear water in the distance." I asked my mind racing with excitement.

"Yes now hurry! Go!" She laughed.

"Thank you, I am forever in your debt!" I yelled as I ran toward the road, searching for my bride to be.

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Only one or two chapters left. That's why I rewrote this chapter, so I can end it quicker. This project is due in two weeks. I need to finish this story before Monday and please, please write reviews. I need them for my project. Thank you.