I hadn't been expecting the request that the king and princess had brought to me. It wasn't something that a father would ask. Evening a loathing sister wouldn't stoop as low as these royals had. But, they did.
And I didn't know what to do next.
I wondered if I should even go through with it. If I didn't they would most likely have my head. But, if I did, and the kingdoms people found out, they could still have my head for treason. After all, it would be a royal's word against that of a lowly huntsman. Who would they be more willing to believe without a second thought? The answer was very clear.
I sighed as I threw myself on the rickety bed that I had made many years before, listening as it groaned under the pressure of my weight. I didn't understand why they wanted me. They could have found any number of more than willing souls to see out their wishes. Why had they asked me? I was not a very well-known huntsman in any of the kingdoms, for reasons such as this. I didn't get the pleasure out of performing various tasks, usually involving tracking or disposing of someone, that others in my profession did. I preferred working for the villagers, those who couldn't fend or provide for themselves and their families. The orphans, the homeless, the widows, these were the people I used my talents for. I didn't do it for the money, I did it to help people who were helpless.
So, why did they ask me perform a heartless task? I didn't understand. I didn't want too. All I wanted was out of this mess that I had somehow gotten into. But, I knew that there was no way to get out of it other than to deny the king, which would land me in prison, and very likely the executioners hut in the future.
I laid awake that night, sleep evading me. It seemed to be dodging me quite a lot lately. This time though, I welcomed it. I knew that there was no other way that I would be able to sleep. The task at hand, the meeting in the dawning hours with the king and his daughter, my own guilt over agreeing to it, all of the impending decisions had made my head heavy.
I watched out my window as the sun rose above the tree tips, wondering how so much beauty could show itself on such a horrible day. Having waited as long as I could, I finally made my way out of bed, running a hand through my hair, letting it fall down my face, palm scratched by the shadowing of hair appearing on my face. I pulled on my books, and quickly walked out the door, not bothering to close it behind me.
If an animal wanted to get it, today would be the day I would let it.
As I approached the castle yards, I pushed any doubt to the back of my mind. I couldn't risk my life. Not for my own sake, but for those I helped. I couldn't leave them. After all, I was the only help that they received. I shut down any emotions I had as a guard let me in and led me to the library. I walked swiftly, purposefully, determinedly.
When the guard opened the door, I nodded my head in a curt acknowledgement of thanks. I didn't turn to the room until the door was completely closed behind me, and the guard's footsteps could no longer be heard. When I finally faced the king, he was already standing, waiting impatiently for me to acknowledge him as was custom. But, I was never one for customs.
"I will do as you ask," I started, walking towards him, my eyes never flinching. "But, only on one condition."
His eyebrow lifted, surprised that I of all people would give a king terms to go by. "And what would that be?"
"I won't kill the princess. I refuse to hurt a defenseless person, especially one that is innocent of any wrongdoing."
"And how do you know that she is innocent, as you claim?"
"Because, you are a king of flash. You live off of the talk of the town, and you love to be at the center of it. You crave the public's eye. You would not be one to spare your family humiliation by excecuting your own blood in private." I sneered at him, surprising myself at my audacity. "No, you'd rather have the humiliation of executing her in public, like a common criminal. The high you would get off of the attention from that would last you a lifetime."
His glare could have melted me to a puddle of a person, if he had the power. He sighed, giving in. "Fine, you do not have to kill the princess. But, you must make sure that no one ever sees her face again. Any word of her being alive, and your head will be the one on the stake."
I gave a short nod. "I understand."
"You better hurry, she will be heading for her walk any minute, I'll have one of the guards show you to the path she takes most regularly. She must be gone by the announcement dinner tonight."
"It will be done."
He jerked his head towards the door I had come in through. "Go."
The meeting had been over just as soon as it had begun. Once I was out the door, I let out a sigh of relief. I hadn't actually thought that I would be walking out of the castle that day, much less that the king would agree to my condition. I wondered if he would go through with letting me keep the girl alive. I prayed that he would.
We stopped at the opening of a worn, narrow path in the middle of a thick wall of trees. It looked out of place, as if it actually was supposed to be hidden in the side of the castle walls, or perhaps the side of a cave. The guard looked annoyed, as if he had done this a million times. "Follow this all the way down, until you come to the clearing. Hide in the trees. She usually stays until after dusk, so you can grab her after the sun sets. She'll be less aware then."
"Alright." I started walking towards the path, when the guard put a hand on my shoulder. "Was there something else?"
"Just...not everyone in the castle feels the same as the king and Princess Vivian. I, for one, agree with you, and I'm sure others will too. Lara doesn't deserve her father's wrath."
"Then, why does he want her dead?"
"Did you ever see the late Queen Adelaid?" I shook my head. "Well, Lara is a spitting image of her mother. All the way down to the way they laugh. Her kindness outshines her beauty, which is not something you hear of everyday, especially of someone with her beauty."
"She sounds like a great girl."
He nodded. "The king was never tender hearted and, as you said, hates to have his people love someone over him. They way that the people admire Lara....They will never look at the king the way they do his youngest daughter."
"That doesn't explain why her sister wants her dead."
The guard laughed. "Princess Vivian is just like her father. She wants all eyes on her, or all of the men's eyes. And, like I said, Princess Vivian is beautiful, but Lara's beauty is something that cannot be compared." We heard footsteps closing in. "We have wasted time. You must hurry."
I nodded. "Thank you, my friend. I shall keep the princess safe, you have my word."
"I know."
I watched as he walked away before I made my day down the path, the bare branches scratching my arms through the thin fabric of my top. Once I got to the clearing, I stopped to examine the area for a moment. I could see why the young princess favored this place. The serenity was almost overcoming. Surveying the bordering trees, I found a dark patch of forest, the bushes coming up out of the ground higher than anywhere else.
Moving behind it, I sat on my hunches, waiting. I didn't know what this princess looked like, sounded like. All that I knew about her was what the guard had told me briefly before I darted down the path. As I heard footsteps and breaking twigs, I hunched lower. As the person got closer, a quiet humming was added to the mix. Now, that she was here, I just had to bid my time until the sun set.
