Red,Black,White

Henry

HOPE YOU LIKE THIS CHAPTER! OVER THERE IS A PICTURE OF HENRY->

"Hey! Ana! Have you done my laundry yet?" A dwarf cried out to Ana, who was in the backroom with her arms full of soapy laundry.

"I'm doing it now!" She called back, rolling her eyes. "Or you could do it!" She said as an afterthought, only half joking. After a month, a person could get really sick of doing laundry.

"But where would the fun be in that?" She looked up to see a dashing youth standing the doorway, laughing at her. She reached a soapy hand out to him, dirty water dripping onto the floor.

"Come on, you lazy thing, and help me!" He laughingly came up to her, dancing in and out of her reach. He stopped laughing when she poured the laundry over his head, rendering him sopping wet and stunned. He slowly wiped the soap from his eyes and looked at her silently. She couldn't help it; she burst out in laughter, great, gut wrenching laughs that hurt her stomach. She felt dampness all over her, she shrieked as wet hands grasped her from behind, soaking her in turn.

"Put me down, you idiot!" She screamed as he picked her up, hands grasped tightly around her stomach. He laughed, planted a delicate kiss on her luscious red lips (who knew forest life could be so good for your looks) and set her down carefully.

" I believe that we've made an utter mess of, well, everything." The man's deep voice rumbled.

Ana smiled at him, lovingly gazing at his handsome features. "I know."

"What happened in here?" A similarly deep voice bellowed from the doorway. They turned to face a stout dwarf, a stern look on his rough features. He glowered at first the youth, then Ana.

"It was Henry!" Ana shrieked, and then made her escape through the uninhabited doorway. She ran a bit into the wood, and then slowed to a walk as she quietly laughed to herself. Of the many changes brought about from her rather hurried departure from the castle life was Henry. A friend of the dwarves, Henry was more than the king would ever be to her. He made her FEEL, for a change. He made her laugh; he made her fall in love with him. Ana wished she could stay forever, just live her life away from the madness and murder, but deep down she knew that that wasn't an option. She sighed, her happy mood suddenly turned somber. She jumped as she heard a loud twig snap, her head instinctively turning to the noise. Nothing in the forest was foolhardy enough to make a sound next to a potential predator. She crept toward the bush, footsteps light as air. She heard a muffled curse, and a blurred shape streaked away into the dark trees. Ana frowned, shivering. Who had been spying on her, and for what purpose? She ran back to the dwarf’s house, seeing shadows following her at every turn.

When she got back to the dwarves humble abode, she raced inside, slamming the door behind her. As soon as she entered the dining room, red faced and out of breath, the dwarves surrounded her, worry evident on their faces.

"What is it, Ana?" The shortest and stoutest of the dwarves asked her. She bent over, panting and gasping for breath.

"In- woods-someone-following me-don't know who-ran back here." Henry ran up to her, cradling her and lightly touching her cheek.

" Are you all right? Did you see who it was? It doesn't matter, I'm getting you to your room." He started to pull Ana's arm, but she resisted, sharply yanking her arm from him.

"No! You know what this means, don't you? My time here is up. I have to face her. It's the only way!" Henry, a slightly hurt expression on his face, started to shake his head.

"You can't-"

"Yes I can!" She exploded, breathing heavily. "I can't put you in danger, I just can't. Okay? I have loved this life, but I can't hide forever. I'm going tomorrow."

"No, you aren't! I can't lose you!" Henry exploded, face red. "I'm not going to lose you! I can't!" Stunned, Ana simply nodded. "If you go at all, I'm going with you. You'll have more chance with me there."

"Why, because you're a man?" Ana retorted, still slightly shocked at his outburst.

"No, because I know how to use a sword! Now-"

"No, just stop," Ana said, face steely. " I get it. Because I can't fight as well as you, you're going to risk both of our lives instead of just mine? Yeah, I understand you perfectly. " With that, she turned on her heel and stormed away.

"Wait, Ana!" He cried out after her, but she was already in her room, most likely sulking. The dwarves murmured sympathy, one saying, "at least if you go with her she'll be safer. Plenty more time for arguments after. For now, just get some rest and you'll go in the morning." They patted his shoulder and walked away, leaving him to go back to his lonely house next door. He walked out, with a feeling that he wouldn't be leaving in the morning with Ana. His feeling was right.