Runaway Royalty

Chapter 5

Chapter 5

-Princeton-

I led us out of our previous camp's area and sent two scouts out ahead of us. Sin went as well, but to find a place in the river for everyone to wash later on. If she found a waterfall, it would be perfect. I know not to keep my hopes up though.  

I tried to distract myself so I would not miss Sin's presence. It didn't help much. It didn't exactly relax me either, when the scouts came back but she did not. "Do you know where Sin went?" I asked them. They shook their heads, droplets of sweat flying from their hair. I sighed and muttered, "If she's not back in an hour's time then I'll send out a small search party." They nodded and then nudged their horse's sides to get them to trot away.

I ran my hand through my hair while I stressed over the situation. Could she swim? What if she fell in and drowned? What if she got stolen and will be sold as a slave? What if she ran away?  

Many unpleasant thoughts ran through my mind. "Damn it," I cursed as the sky darkened, "Claw, Dag!" I watched as my best search-and-find men made their way through the group to me. "Yes, sir?" They asked in unison. "I need you to track Sin. Or do whatever it takes to find her. We'll be right here when the moon is directly over-head, and that is when I want you back. Whether you have her or not," I said to them, my throat closing at the thought of them coming back without her. I would not care to live without her. "Yes, Princeton," They replied and rode off in the direction which Sin had gone earlier, towards the river.

I sighed and Thorn said, "She'll be okay, Prince." I shrugged, "No one knows that for sure." 

"Princeton?" Lion said. "Yes, Lion?" I replied. "What's Sin like in bed?" He asked, smiling devilishly. I rolled my eyes. "Even if I knew I would not tell you, Lion." I said. The others chuckled and joined in on teasing me about my affections for Sin.  

"I'm really not in the mood for teasing," I said. They all shrugged and left me alone after seeing how angry I was becoming. "Let's set up a temporary camp, alright?" They all grumbled and set up make-shift tents and laid out their bedrolls. I gathered timber for fires. 

Claw and Dag came back on their horses. I watched as they neared, I couldn't see Sin among them. When they were closer I saw they were battered and exhausted looking. Their horses were worn out. I met them, "Report?" I asked. "She's being held hostage at enemy camp, North-east from here, about 5 kilometers. It looks like the camp belongs to Zantha."

"I need a strategy for attacking a group much larger than us..?" I glanced at Claw and Dag for confirmation on how big the opposing force was. They nodded, Claw pressed his lips together firmly and glanced at Dag. Dag nodded and then Claw looked at me, "Sir?" "Yes?" "They seem to know her. She spoke fluently in their language and she seemed pretty angry. There was a man in particular. He slapped her after she spat at him and, we assume, cursed at him. Then he pulled her to her feet and kissed her, and then threw her to the ground. She cursed some in our tongue and struggled to stand up again or her own, but once she did she got in his face. She yelled at him a while before he just laughed at her and then she kicked him where the sun don't shine and he cursed back and fell to the ground. Then Sin walked away shoving anyone who tried to stop her with her shoulders..." Claw trailed off. I stood there a moment, everyone else was silent as well. I would murder the man who touched my Sin so. "Interesting..." I finally said.  

Claw nodded and Dag stared at the ground. "Dag? Do you have something to add?" I asked. "I know her history, sir." He said after a few moments, glancing up at me as he muttered those words. "Alright. Everyone get ready for battle. Get your wounds dressed by the healer, you know the drill." They all nodded and walked away.  

I grabbed Dag's shoulder as he turned to walk away, "Not you..." Dag followed me as I walked a half kilo-meter from camp, still in sight, just out of ear-shot. "Tell me her history, please." I said. Dag nodded, and began. "She helped me once, and I'm surprised she doesn't remember me. We hail from Zantha, sir." I nodded, anger trying to come to a boil in me, but I calmed it quickly. "I was a stable boy, and she had escaped from the palace, running away from that 'particular man' as Claw said. That man was the one she was arranged to marry." "The Palace? Was she a Nobel?" I asked in surprise, maybe this could work. "No sir," He said solemnly. I sighed in relief a new plan beginning to form in my mind, and then he said, "She was greater than a Nobel. She is the lost Princess of Zantha." I cursed and paced a few moments before telling him to continue. This meant it wasn't so bad loving her since she was royalty, but Zanthanian royalty? My father would never allow it! 

"Well sir, she ran away and the guards came to me, since I tracked the slaves and animals whenever the slaves escaped or we went hunting. I followed her and then lost her trail. She was hiding in a tree! But Prince Lamar, that man I mentioned earlier? He got angry with me for losing her trail and slapped me. Then Princess Alexandra dropped down from a tree and stood up for me. She told Lamar what an ass he was basically and punched him a lot. Then he caught a punch coming from each hand of her hands, and then tried to kiss her. My master, Theodore, a stickler for rules Theo was," He trailed off in memory a moment before continuing, "Well Theo knocked Lamar over the head with the hilt of his sword, then said 'we have rules, Prince Lamar' and Lamar fell on top of Princess Alexandra as he lost consciousness. I pulled Prince Lamar off her and she checked his pulse before thanking me and running off again."  

"Thank you for telling me," I said, still unable to get over the fact that she was a Princess, just like I was a Prince. The Gods were a little forgiving after all.

-Sin-

Never have I been so angry in my entire life. I watched as the people from the country I once called home laughed at me and spit at the ground near where I lay, bound and gagged. I glared at each and every one of them who dare come near me. I will escape, and kill them all. I only left because I wanted to be free of that damn arranged marriage!

I continued to loosen the ropes that bound me without drawing attention to myself. Damn! Lamar knotted it tight! I looked on silently as the camp ate their dinner, my mouth watering against my will. I hadn't eaten since morning, and I get hungry quickly. I may have to resort to calling on animals. My energy was pretty sapped at the moment, and calling on animals would definitely come close to killing me. A slave came up to me and said in a heavy accent, "Food," and untied my gag to shove bread in my mouth. Dirty bread. But when you're hungry and don't know when you'll be fed next, every morsel is something you will take greedily. I watched the slave hurry away after he tied my gag.

Darkness fell quickly and the camp began to light up fires. The night was sticky, and as I observed the camp I got one hand free of my bindings. I then relaxed my body and heightened my senses as I focused on everything. I could hear every heartbeat, every movement, every breath. I heard a pack of wolves howl nearby and I reached out to them. Come help, I urged the wolves, please! I flinched at the desperation that seeped into my thoughts.

"Hello my Darling," I heard Lamar croon. I sighed impatiently and he tsked, "Well that kind of attitude cannot be tolerated!" I opened my eyes to look up at him and saw that he was holding a whip. "Sir, she does not look well...." Someone said as I began to lose my vision. My body was chilled; I knew this was the consequence of calling on animals. I heard wolves howling and smiled before unconsciousness took me.

I heard snarls, then people yelling. Swords rang and screeched as they met in what I groggily assumed was a battle. I tried to open my eyes, but they denied me. I could only listen to what was going on. The smell of blood laid heavy in the air and I heard Princeton roar, "For Sin!"