The Lost Princess

Chapter 2 || Grow To Be Our Savior

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Peering over the wall, just enough to spy the beauty below, I watched her move like a restless mouse, scurrying to each end of the stone barrier that confined her. After two-and-twenty years of planning and dreaming, the day had finally arrived. The Princess. Feasting mine eyes upon her for the first time filled me with wonder. 'Twas surely her—garbed in a flowing gown of powder blue with intricate gold trimmings, unlike aught I had ever beheld. The fabric draped elegantly over her soft curves, while her fiery red hair mirrored her spirited nature. Her emerald green eyes sparkled up at me, prompting me to duck for a moment. I smiled, thinking, "Patience, princess, for we have come for thee."

I imagined her porcelain skin, unblemished by sun or toil, a clear indication that she had seen little of the world beyond these walls. A wave of anticipation washed over me, my calloused hands tingling with the thought of her nearness. Zounds, I'm downright giddy, my heart pounding like a war drum in my chest.

As I observed her interaction with an older guard, someone she seemed familiar with, I had to wonder if this was our informant. Three years past, we received word that a guard in the palace was willing to smuggle information about the princess. We did our best to ensure anonymity in each exchange for protection. If 'twere discovered, certain death would follow the guard. Only Aster truly interacted with him, and I wouldn't chance putting him in the line of fire if this were to go awry.

The guard insisted that the princess would not only listen to our plans but also fight alongside us to bring Eralibaen into the light. The jolt of exhilaration I felt upon reading those words, which I knew to be true, was unlike aught I had ever experienced before. Yet, as I thought of the woman below, a pang of sadness struck me, realizing that the fate of Eralibaen rested upon the shoulders of such a small creature.

A gentle breeze carried the faintest hint of lavender to my nostrils, no doubt from the royal gardens. 'Twas a scent as foreign to me as the silk of her gown, reminding me of the vast gulf between her world and mine. How people as wretched as the queen and king could have a daughter as beautiful, with a heart as pure, was a wonderment. Perhaps, like a rose growing from a heap of dung, she had bloomed despite her surroundings, not because of them.

The sound of the bell, signaling the change of guard, had not yet rung out, and I found myself drifting to thoughts of my mother. "The day has finally come, Mother," I mused silently. Mine eyes closed with a sigh, and I welcomed the memory of my last night with her, as vivid as if 'twere yesterday.

She had been toiling at the castle, serving as one of the queen's ladies maids. I was being tucked into bed, the soft light of a tallow candle casting dancing shadows in our humble abode. The scent of the burning wick mingled with the earthy aroma of our thatched roof, so different from the lavender fragrance that no doubt perfumed the princess's chambers. Mother had once mused about the Queen's fondness of such scents.

Mother had promised she would return this night, so I lay awake, fighting the urge to succumb to slumber. Usually, I would already be lost in dreams, secure in the knowledge that I would awaken to her preparing our meager meal to break our fast. A bit of bread and cheese, nothing more. Yet even now, my mouth waters at the thought. Though our fare 'twas simple, my mother's touch made it all the more delicious. I wondered briefly what delicacies the princess might enjoy each morn, her plate likely laden with exotic fruits and sweetmeats beyond my imagining.

Da was long gone, passed during the Crusades. Though my memory of him had long since faded, the feeling of him and the need to make him proud could never leave me. In the flickering candlelight, I could almost see his strong silhouette, smell the leather of his armor, hear the clinking of his sword as he prepared to leave for the last time. The thought of him, a brave soldier fighting for a cause greater than himself, steeled my resolve for the task that lay ahead.