Huntsman

Chapter 16

"You let her get away!" The queen was furious. Her jaw was clenched, her hands having curled into fists.

"We were ambushed," Abram said as he rubbed the lump on the back of his head and glanced to the other guard. His was certainly much worse, though he didn't feel at all sorry.

"By who?" Her glare pierced through his own, his eyes averting her gaze.

Glancing at the rider, Abram hoped neither he nor the queen could hear his thumping heart. "I never saw."

She turned her back to them, putting her fingers to her brow. "I cannot believe this."

"Your majesty," the rider started, "it must be the rebel alliance. They'll do anything for her-"

"Shut up! I know who they are and I know very well it was them. I just don't know how they knew where she would be."

"Perhaps Abram here leaked a little information. He does seem to have a soft spot for the rebels," the rider said with a sneer.

Abram was about to object, but he didn't have to. "No," the queen said, "he didn't know a thing about it." She stared out the long, floor-length window, her left arm crossed over her torso and her right hand resting on her chest. "I will find out who the rat is. I will not tolerate disloyalty."

"Disloyalty is intolerable, your majesty," the rider echoed.

"Go. Both of you. I will not inflict punishment this time."

After waiting for the rider to act first, Abram followed him once he'd turned to leave. They left her to herself, and he did not take a full breath until he was walking down the hallway alone. He felt his knees shaking beneath his armor, his heart seeming to pound a thousand times per minute. After he was able to slow his heart, he went to the training field, busying himself with mindless tasks as he thought of everything that had happened.

Days passed, and every time Abram encountered someone of greater authority, he felt his muscles go tense. Every second he was worrying someone would discover he had let the girl go, even though it was not his idea. He hadn't seen the guard who rescued her since returning to the castle, nor had he come across Elijah for quite some time. One evening, he decided to ask about him and was told the man had taken his leave of duties. The queen had granted him release from her services, which shocked Abram. Perhaps since he had served her so well she had decided to bestow a little favor.

The news discouraged him, a heat burning inside of him. Though the man had helped him a few times, there was no changing the lust for revenge within his heart. His father was gone because of that man. Now, he blamed Elijah for whatever was going on with the girl and the fact that no one seemed to be telling him anything. What worried him the most was that he'd been told his mother would be escorted to safety, and that by a complete stranger. There was no telling whether any of this was legitimate or not, and whether they could be trusted.

Rebels... What rebels? he thought. Then, he remembered the old woman, and the things she'd said. He thought of the defiance of the girl, and the constant secrecy of the queen. Something had been going on all along, and Abram felt he wasn't a Huntsman simply for the pleasure of Her Majesty. There was a deeper meaning, a mission he was a part of without even knowing it. One thing he knew, if these rebels sought to fight against the queen, then he favored them more so than his current company.

One night—though he was not sure which night since the days had all blended together—while sleeping, Abram felt a hand across his arm, gently shaking him. When he opened his eyes, the hand moved to cover his mouth, the action causing him to jolt and grasp for the arm that restrained him.

"Get up!" A hoarse voice said to him. "It's time to go!"