Spirit of the Light

Chapter Seven

The carriage ride was long. Bumps jostled her from side to side. She was dreading the one and a half days she had left couped up with him. They had been mostly silent. She slept for most of the hours. They stopped overnight by a cavern right before Derach Forest, not much talk between the two of them. Her guards remained situated outside her room, and Coulson's outside of his.

Claire had decided against joining them on their journey to Dusk. She was quite persistent on remaining in Ohren for time away from castle life, as she put it. At least, that is what Coulson told Seraph. She found it to be quite peculiar, but she supposed the lady was an interesting creation.

She looked over to the man seated across from her in this claustrophobic carriage. His hair unkept, slightly overgrowing and draping over his eyes. She watched silently as his chest rose and fell with his breathing. She was getting hot and definitely needed to be out of this suffocating carriage.

"Can we take a moment to stop now?" Seraph gazed out at Derach Forest around her. "We've been travelling for hours on end."

Coulson looked up from the book he was engrossed with. Then looked around outside. "Stopping may be risky, princess," He studied the sky outside. "I suppose it's almost time for supper. We can stop soon." He gave his attention back to the book.

"I want out. Now." This time he closed the book.

"Princess, it's a long journey, I know." His words were as smooth as honey. With a sticky calmness to it. It irritated her. "But we must remain in the carriage for as long as we can. The forest is dangerous for royals."

A joke. A very pampered, joke. That's what he was. A prince who enjoys the indoors like a pampered puppy. She wondered what his father thought of this soft to-be king.

Coulson sat up straight. His eyes were piercing into her. Studying her as if she was an undiscovered creature. A mystery. "I take that you don't like being kept in small spaces? Why," it was more of a statement than a question. As if he was piecing together a puzzle in his head.

Conversation. That's obviously all this was. She gave into it, despite her desire to remain unknown to him. It would keep her occupied for the journey she concluded. "I am a princess who has been kept in her castle for as long as I can remember. Why do you think I hate small spaces?"

"Well why don't you tell me. I want to know you. Let me know you. We should learn about each other if we are to spend our lives together."

She felt her defences building up around her.  "I-..." before she could spew out her remark, a banging sounded from outside the doors, the carriage coming to a sudden halt.

Coulson moved from across from her to the seat directly beside her, his body shielding her from the side where the noise sounded from.

She didn't let her guard down for a second and felt for the dagger she kept strapped to her ankle beneath her skirts. Her ears listened in the sudden silence. Then the sounds of swords fighting and men howling awoke. Their guards were fighting, however, it sounded as if they were fighting against each other, the familiar metal of Ohren swords ringing in the air.

"Stay here. I want to go check on everything." The prince began lifting from his seat after a moment, slowly reaching for the door.

"No. We should wait." She looked out the window, pulling the prince back down by his coat. The blue capes of Dusk falling to the floor.

"Allow me. I must see if all is safe."

Before he could try leave again, she saw it. An arrow flying towards the window. Towards their heads.

"Coulson!" She was already diving for him, pulling him to the ground with her. A thump to the hard-wooded floor.

"We're under attack. Keep down." Her heart sped up. What was she to do?

She pulled her dagger out from its strap, holding it securely by her side. Coulson's eyes darted to it.

"You have a dagger?" He squeaked.

"We are travelling across a forest." He still looked at her in horror. "Of course I have a dagger," she said through clenched teeth.

Disbelief covered his face. Seraph focused on her surroundings.

Someone was after them, her guards, and they had to escape. She focused on the latter first. They needed a way out, and fast.

The door fell open in a sudden swing, and before Coulson could blink, she was already beyond him, tumbling over his body, readying her knife at the throat of the person on the other side of the door. Her arm already enclosed around their neck, knife in place. One slit and they would be gone.

A familiar scent invaded her senses.

"Kilian?" She lowered the knife, arm still tensed. "What are you doing here?"

"I... came to...look after..." she realised she still had a death grip on his throat and released him, throwing him back in front of her so he could compose himself. "M'lady, I came to check on you during your journey, the queen sent me." He looked at his princess. "Are you hurt?" Concern was plastered all over his face.

Her heart warmed. Oh, to have her old friend with her. "You mean to tell me you've been following us all this time?"

"Yes." He puffed up his chest at the word. "I made a vow to protect the royal family and I will keep my word. For you especially, my princess." His eyes darted to Coulson, whom was looking over at them in confusion.

"What happened?" Coulson demanded. His voice cracked.

"Ohren guards. People who would do anything for a gold coin and a warm meal and traitors of the crown it seems. I snuck in amongst our guards, in hopes to follow along undetected but...." Kilian diverted his attention to the guards who now scattered the floor, an arrow through each of their heads. "Something is wrong. The Ohren guards signalled at each other with a nod, then before I could comprehend, they were already going for the Dusk men. I tried to stop them." Then Seraph saw his hands finally. Covered in blood. Blood of Ohren. Her guards. Her people.

Seraph felt her stomach rise to her throat. They were coming for her. For Coulson.

They were quiet for a moment. This happened too fast. Much too swiftly. Who ordered them to attack?

"Where do we go now?" She looked to Kilian, then to Coulson.

Coulson took a step closer, recomposing himself after the sudden scare. "We journey on and continue. Kilian, accompany us?" He requested politely. Kilian simply nodded. "We must make our way to Dusk. It may be quicker if we take the horses and leave the carriage, it will only slow us down."

She looked to Kilian, for affirmation. For guidance. In response, he began walking to the horses. "The princess rides between us, me at the rear, you to the front. Both of you, cover your faces with these cloaks," he walked over to them with brown, worn cloaks for the both of them; a disguise. "We are about a day's ride from Dusk, if we begin now and don't stop in between, we can probably make it there by sunrise."

Seraph took the cloak and donned it, hiding her face within the hood. Coulson followed.

She was still too stunned, shocked. Too shocked to even think. So, she continued on, shoving her thoughts aside, her questions. This wasn't a time for questions.

Before reaching her horse, she walked to the carriage, pulling out her satchel, something she packed with a few more books from her home library. Books on ancient legends. Books on her ancestry. She would need them.

Having everything she needed, she made her way to the horses. Picking out the white mare. The men followed suit, going to their horses, Kilian remaining with his horse he followed them with. And they set off, journeying on the path toward Dusk.