To Save a Kingdom

Chapter 16

(Picture of Jared)

We hurried inside to report what we had seen. The fields were empty. The workers had left. I wondered when they had left and why nobody noticed them leave? Surely someone had to have noticed.

We burst into the dining room interrupting Joseph's animated tale.

"The workers are gone." I said and three pairs of eyes looked at me in surprise. "The fields are empty."

"What?" Joseph asked standing up from his chair. He rushed over to the window to look down below. "Where would they have gone?" he asked turning back to us.

"King Theo must have pulled them away when he found out we escaped." Jared said.

Theo must be angry that our alliance was over. When we escaped the dungeon that must have broken all ties. He ended his support now it was up to us to keep the crops going if we didn't want to starve when winter came.

Liddy sat with her hands in her lap looking down at the floor. Her dark hair was piled on top of her head in a bun. Joseph went to stand behind her putting his hands protectively on her small shoulders. I could tell he was trying to think of a way that we could tend all the crops and keep them going. If all of us worked together alongside the few workers that still lived here we could probably make it.

I walked over to the window to look at the small plants they were just popping out of the soil. Small green spots dotted the rich dirt. Just a short while ago the ground had been dead and dry. Even if the workers were gone they had at least gotten us this far. We had paid the price to get just this far. The king would be angry though that we had left. Our agreement was for a marriage even if one never took place.

Jared came to stand next to me overlooking the field. "You should get some rest. We'll talk about this later." He insisted as though he were my mother. I tried not to glare at him and make a scene in front of my family.

"I feel fine." I said with a sweet smile. I was lying. All I wanted to do was go lay down and sleep. Being up on my feet was exhausting.

Jared saw straight through my lie like I knew he would but he didn't throw me over his shoulder and haul me upstairs.

"Maybe the workers will return." Mother suggested.

"No they won't." It was Liddy who spoke.

"Why not Liddy?" Joseph asked sitting next to her.

"I have seen this before."

We all stared at her waiting for her to continue.

"I was a young girl at the time. A neighboring kingdom was attacked. A few days before the attack there were workers out tending to the crops and then they were gone. A few days after they left the kingdom was attacked and there was a large war. It was Theo who attacked the kingdom."

"War?!" mother gasped.