Realms United

CHAPTER FOUR - Bridget

I knew I couldn't be the only woman who wanted to fight. I knew there had to be someone else in the Kingdom, or at least anywhere beyond The castle walls. My father made it incredibly difficult for me to even leave the castle, so there had to be a better reason than me being in danger. I knew my father cared about my well-being, but he only cared to the extent when it came to extremes. Hence me going outside of the castle wouldn't be an extreme. He knew it would take a lot of courage for someone to try and hurt me. It wouldn't take long for him to have them hunted down either, it just wasn't worth it.

He had to be hiding something bigger from me.

So I waited until the sun fell. My father may have pulled some of the guards from their post outside of my room door, but I knew that sometimes there is still one there every so often. They are used to my normal sneaking around that castle at night though, which gave me an idea. I know someone important. Someone who knows me. And someone who can get me outside of the castle. The only question was, if they were up to it.

He had to be. It was the only way.

I opened the big double doors that closed off of my room, and there I saw him. One of my fathers knights. Holding his post. I shook my head.

"Does my father relieve you from this post often? I know you aren't always outside of my door."

"And why might that information be important to you, M'lady? Planning to sneak out into the darkness of night?" He let out the tiniest chuckle. "Perhaps for a prince The King may not approve of? Especially at this hour."

I hated being called 'M'lady.' It always felt far too fancy. I was okay with people calling me Bridget. I would rather be called my name than a title. Truthfully that's all it meant. Calling me by a mere title only meant that I was nothing but that title. At least if I was to be called 'Bridget.' It would show that I am a human being with a name. Not some thing, or some princess. Just a person. A person with meaning.

But I'm nothing more than some fancy title.

"Please call me by my name. Which is Bridget. I'm unaware if my father tells any of you my name."

"By The King's orders I cannot call you anything formal. As to prevent feelings from developing."

So my father makes them call me fancy titles to prevent me from developing feelings. Which I suppose makes sense because if a knight slid their way into my heart, which if that led to marriage it would mean they would inherit what my father had. Meaning a knight could play my heart like a fiddle for a simple power trip.

How very sweet of my father.

"I see." I took a deep breath. "Well I will be exiting my quarters tonight."

"And for what need?" He questioned.

"To see a friend." I emphasized on the word friend. I knew that some of my fathers guards are hard headed and play strictly by my fathers stupid rules, but there are some who would bend the rules enough for me to have fun. Which I am thankful for them sparing me a night of misery and actually allowed me to sneak out from my quarters.

"Boyfriend." He seemed to correct me.

"And what if he was a she?" I questioned him this time. I didn't think of the meaning behind those words either, I didn't process what I had said either.

"Then I would recommend seeing her behind The King's back for as long as possible."

A suggestion from one of my fathers royal guards. Suggesting me to do something behind his back. And this guard knows I could rat his words out in an instant and remove him from his post permanently, and perhaps even lose his head for such words but something felt comforting within the words he told me. It showed me that maybe my feelings aren't completely invalid. Or at least unseen.