The Lost Princess

Chapter 2 || Grow To Be Our Savior

< < < < - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - > > > >

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 in her years on this earth. 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.

Aiden's foot momentarily slipped, but he quickly recovered, shooting me a look as if finding our current state less than ideal. If any were to see us now, two grown men squatted and clinging to the side of the wall like overgrown squirrels, I could imagine a great chuckle would befall them. Though there were enough footholes to have no worry of death, our undignified posture was a far cry from the noble rebels we fancied ourselves to be. I shifted slightly, trying to ease the ache in my muscles from our long vigil.

"Ya know, when ya volunteered me for this mission, ya did forget to mention that we would be stuck like this for hours," Aiden grumbled filled by a chuckle, but I could hear the slight strain in his words. We had tucked ourselves in fairly quickly and early this morn to secure the spot during the first shift, and the long wait had taken its toll.

"Aye, but are ye not yet accustomed to being stuck with me? This isn't our first, and by my prediction, it will not be our last," I replied, a wry smile tugging at my lips. The familiar banter eased some of the tension coiled in my gut.

As I observed her interaction with an older guard, someone she seemed familiar with, I couldn't help but 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. Though we have supporters of the People's Queen in every corner of the Kingdom, none had been able to draw close to her.

We took great pains to ensure anonymity in each exchange, for if 'twere discovered, certain death would follow not only the guard but all who had managed to infiltrate the palace walls.

Only Aster truly interacted with our palace contact, his keen eyes and swift mind making him the ideal choice for such a delicate task. I wouldn't chance putting him in the line of fire if this were to go awry, hence his position now as the watchful eyes of our operation. From his vantage point, he could see all without being seen, much like the shadows we had lived in for so long.

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, the smell associated with the royal court. Though '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.