In the Shadow of the Night

The Queen Awaits

I squinted my eyes at the rising sun. Soon light would start to pour over the mountains and light every house. It was time to get back. I put my pack, filled with stolen goods, on my back and ran back to the orphanage. I climbed up the vines and squeezed through the tiny window.

I dropped the bag on the floor and Tristan awakened with a start, his hand feels around for his glasses and he puts them on. "What... who... oh it's you" he sighs and lays back down. "You'd think you would show a bit more gratitude to the one who brings you all your books" I said with sarcasm dripping from my voice.

He shot up and reached for my pack but I was way quicker and pulled it away. "Say the magic words" I sung and he sighs "You Aislin are the most amazing human in existence" He recited as he had to do this almost every week. I smile and give him the books I found and a piece of bread I got from the baker.

The baker and his wife are kind people and they always kept the leftover bread for me. I quickly eat my own piece before someone would find it and take it away. Tristan and I had shared a room since we where baby's and we acted like brother and sister. He had a year over me and loved to rub it in my face. The hope of being adopted had left us fairly quickly, no one ever got adopted. Everyone is just scraping by and they do not want another set of mouths to feed.

We went downstairs together and got our breakfast, which is the same unrecognisable goo as usual. We retreat to our room again tired of the little kids whining for more food. From our room we left through the window. Tristan carrying a new book under his arm and me carrying my dagger. We walked up to the shore and sat by our usual tree. The silence is lovely and so much better than all the noise in the orphanage. I breath in the morning air and feel the sun beams warm my face.

Suddenly the silence is broken by two carriages filled with Kingdom knights. They never came to our town and curiosity took the best from us. We follow them quickly and saw the horses stop at the orphanage. What the heck do they want there? "Come on" I whispered to Tristan and together we sneaked up to the house close enough to hear what is going on.

"Where looking for the girl Aislin" he shouts and I see them through the window. I looked at Tristan and see my own fear mirrored in his eyes. What would they ever need from me? I heard a scream as our caretaker Maera of the house is dragged outside by her hairs. I sneaked up a little closer and gestured to Tristan to stay put which he of course doesn't. We huddled together behind the well and we heard what they said. "Where is Aislin, woman" the biggest knight says as he moves his sword around.

I peered over the well and my eyes meet the ones of Maera. "I honestly don't know" she said but he hits her in the face. I tensed up and would have jumped out if it hadn't been for Tristan holding me down. "You swore you would keep the princess in your sight at all times wench" he shouts at her and I see her tremble. It didn't make sense, it was forbidden to speak of the lost princess by penalty of death, so why did this guy mention her.

I peered up just as the guy raises his sword and brings it down in Maera's stomach "NO" I shouted and I covered up my mouth as I realised my mistake. "Aislin RUN" she shouted as she collapsed unto the dirt. I grab Tristan's hand and together we run like our life's depend on it, which they probably do.

"Ais... I... can't.." He gasped after a while but we can already see the forest line "Come on just a little bit longer" I say and we put out last energy into it. We slid underneath the roots of a tree and watch the first patrol of knights ride right past us. We lie there completely motionless as we catch our breaths.

My head was filled with questions and anger. Finally we emerged and I started walking around with my hands in my hair. "I'm gonna kill them" I shouted "I'm going to gut them like a fish and kill them." Tristan snickered "what!" I shouted at him, he gave me his look and I prepare for his lecture "Technically speaking if you gut them they are already dead so you cannot kill them again" He said and I gave him a threatening look.