The Evil Hour

04: The Evil Hour

.:. Asher’s POV .:.

Her questions and answers were still processing through my mind when I heard a scream. She heard it too, it was so quiet you would have to be deaf not too. But, I knew that scream. It was my mothers! My mother was in danger, but were was my father? If she was in danger then so was he! I was never a good tracker, but Lady Angelica had already taken off running.

I ran after her until she started to slow down. It took me a moment to realise why. There was a clearing up ahead, and the trees were becoming thinner. I observed the scene before me, and it made me want to throw up.

It seemed to be a group of thugs. They seemed to be preying on my mother and father. Not only that, but they had my mother by the neck. Angelica took off running. What was this girl thinking, she didn’t have a weapon, let alone know how to use one?!

I watched from the trees as the man that had my mother by the neck dropped onto the ground, dead. I saw that my father was still engrossed in a battle and there were five other men. I sprinted out into the clearing and charged at the man closest to me.

We fought for what seemed like ages. He eventually went down, did he really think that he could beat a King’s guard? I looked over to see my father was a bit bruised, but fine. His opponent, not so fine. He was also not so alive...

My thoughts then drifted to Angelica. She was probably dead by now. I looked over and saw her take down the first man easily. She then moved onto the second man and killed him also. She turned to face what looked like the tougher opponents, she moved to the one on her right and attacked. She gracefully dodged his blows as he narrowly avoided hers. She was so graceful in the way she moved. Like she was born to fight.No one could win against her, even if the odds were not in her advantage.

This all came crumbling down as he slasher her thigh. She went down onto her knees. She was going to die. But then she killed him. I watched as his body fell limp. I saw the last remaining thug charge silently behind her. Surely she wouldn’t hear him, but somehow she did. And he too fell to his death on the grass in the clearing.

I looked over to my mother to see her fine. I looked over to see Angelica, she was not fine. She had cuts and bruises all over her face and arms. She was also losing a lot of blood from the cut on her thigh. It amazed me how a women, not just any women, that women, fought like that.

She looked over at me and I saw the light fade out of her eyes, and then her body joined the many lying limp in the clearing. I rushed over to her side. I checked her pulse, slow and faint. But still there, still alive.

“Son, thank you for aiding us in combat with those men.” My father said. I wasn’t sure if he had seen Angelica fight or not from what he said.

“Father, it is not me you should be thanking. It is this girl that is your savior.” I answered him.

“How did she learn to fight like that? I am grateful, without her I would be dead.” My mother spoke for the first time.

Looking over to my parents I told them, “Follow me to were Sophie and I have set up camp.” With that said I picked up Angelica, she weighed nothing in my arms, and walked towards camp and Sophie.

........

Once backat camp, my sister and mother tended to Angelica’s wounds whilst my father pulled me aside to speak to me privately. The first thing he said to me was not what I was expecting.

“Asher do you know who that is?” He spoke so seriously and had such respect and compassion in his voice that I couldn’t believe who he was referring too.

“Yes, that is Lady Angelica.” I replied still confused. My father looked puzzled by my answer but a light seemed to dawn in his eyes.

“Asher, Asher, Asher. That is most certainly not Lady Angelica. That is someone far more important, someone that can save us all.” His eyes now showed amusement. I didn’t really understand what was so funny about the current situation.

“If she is not Lady Angelica, then who is she?” I voiced my question. My fathers reply was very unexpected.

“I am not surprised that you don’t know for not many people have ever had the chance to meet her. But I have, once. When I was waiting for you in the palace grounds I saw a young girl sitting in the gardens reading a book. I walked out into the gardens wanting to know who she was. I hid in one of the near by bushes until her mother an father came out into the garden. Do you know what they called her?” My father questioned me after telling me his tale.

“No father, if she isn’t a lady what was she doing in the castle gardens?” I was still quite confused. What would this girl be doing in the palace gardens if she wasn’t a lady?

“That young lady that saved our families lives is Princess Katanya of the Northern Kingdom. Heiress of the throne. Soon to be Queen. Royal commander.” My father answered me.

This girl. Was the Princess of the Northern Kingdom? I had met, well kidnapped the soon to be Queen? Oh heavens. It explains a lot. Her knowledge about the King and Queen. Her fighting ability. And her tracking ability.

“S-s-s-he’s t-t-the P-p-p-princess?” I was in a state of shock and disbelief. How? Who? What? Why? My father nodded.

“She kept her identity from you for a reason Asher. You must not let her know that you know who she is, or what she is capable of. Do you understand me? No one must know. For her safety, and yours.” I nodded to my father. I didn’t think that my mind or mouth could form the words in a response to my father.

My mother came over to me and told me that she was resting. My mother was a well known healer. Second best in all the kingdom. The first being the royal family’s doctor. She cleaned my cuts and did the same to my father.

It seemed like hours had passed before she woke up. She sat up rubbing sleep from her eyes and wincing when she moved her leg.

“Careful there. Your leg will take time to heal itself. You need to rest. Lay down.” I gently pushed her back down from her sitting position and placed her blanket back over her.

“I would like to say thank you for saving my mother from those awful men. I owe you a great gratitude and I will repay you for it one day.” I told her honestly. I wanted her to know that what she had done was something that meant a lot to me and my family.

She nodded her head and before she drifted back to sleep she said, “Why are you being so nice to me?” Well you did just save my family’s life, put your life at risk for them, oh and your the - no my Princess.

Instead I answered her sleeping form by saying, “If only you knew ...”

......

A/N: So this is the new chapter. It is more of a filler chapter, but please let me know what you think! Thanks for reading and I hope that you have enjoyed reading my book so far! Remember to Vote, Comment & Love! ~ Owlet.