Bow to the King

Chapter Twenty-Four

Tristan breathed in calmly as he studied the map one of the knights had brought along. All ten of them crowded around the parchment, studying it thoughtfully. His leg was bound and was not causing him much trouble, apart from the occasional stab of pain.

"We should be about here," Samuel said, tapping a point on the map. They were deep in the forest now, but still the map showed a great expanse that they had not yet travelled. It seemed as if the woods would never end.

"We are keeping up a steady pace, but we never seem to gain any ground on Eliad," Tristan muttered. "And we do not know where they are planning to stop."

"Probably at the clearing up ahead," a knight, William, stated nonchalantly. Everyone looked up from the map to stare at him in amazement. "What?" He asked in confusion.

"What clearing?"

"You know... the one a few hours north from here," William responded, staring at them blankly.

"There is a clearing ahead of us?" Tristan repeated, shocked.

"Yes... you do not know it?"

"Of course we do not know it! None of us have ever travelled this far into the forest," one of the knights answered in amazement.

"How do you know of the clearing?" Samuel asked with one raised eyebrow.

"I used to travel through the woods regularly when I was young," William responded.

"Why on earth would you do something so dangerous?" Another knight chucked.

"I... do not want to say," William muttered. Tristan raised an eyebrow.

"Tell us!" A knight begged.

"My mother went missing - she was taken hostage, but at the time I did not know it," William sighed. Tristan's eyebrows both shot up. "I thought if I searched through the woods then I could find her. When I found out she had been killed, I stopped looking. But I got to know the forest surroundings pretty well. I know it was dangerous, but... I wanted to find her," William mumbled. Tristan smiled and patted his shoulder in comradeship.

"Do not be ashamed. That was brave of you, travelling through the woods alone was courageous. I am sure your mother would be proud of you now. Sometimes the people with the hardest pasts are the ones who turn out to be the most noble and brave," Tristan told him sympathetically.

"You mean like Rose; the girl we are finding?" A knight questioned.

"Aye, exactly like Rose," Tristan breathed. The knights stared at him curiously.

"Do you care for the girl, Your Highness?" One man asked. Tristan blinked and cleared his throat awkwardly. The news would come out sooner or later, he might as well tell them now.

"Yes, I care for her. I am in love with her," he admitted.

The knights had mixed expressions - some amazed and some surprised. Samuel sat, almost bored, as if Tristan had just told them the obvious and stated the sky was blue. Tristan quirked a smile at Samuel and turned back to his knights.

"Not many people know about me and Rose. When we return, you are to keep it between yourselves. My father needs to hear it from me first, and not from the gossip among people," Tristan said sternly.

"Of course, Your Highness," a knight stated; the others echoing their agreement.

"The King was angry to learn you had left without consulting him," a knight warned slowly.