Royal Love

Chapter 25

(Henry's Point of View)

   When I stepped off the ship and on to the dock the sun was just rising. I would arrive at the castle before they ate breakfast. I walked to the village and to the kind man's house who had let me borrow a horse the last time I was here.

   I knocked on his door and heard steps stumbling about In the house. When the man opened the door he seemed to blink shock away. "Your highness. To what do I owe the pleasure?"

   "I would like to borrow a horse again please."

   "Oh yes." He stepped outside and shut the door behind him. I followed the man to his stables where he saddled up the same horse he had lent me before. "May I ask how long you will need him?"

   "I'm not sure but like before I will pay you."

   The man nodded as I swung up into the saddle. I set the horse to a gallop and we were off to the castle. As I rode I thought about the expression that would be on Sarah's face when she saw me. I grinned to myself. When I was in front of the castle doors I swung off of the horse and handed the reins to the servant that stood by the doors.

   I entered the foyer. "Would you like an introduction Sir?" the servant asked.

   "No,no. Are they in the dinning hall?"

   "Yes Sir."

   I walked down the hall and into the dinning hall. When I entered everyone fell silent. I swept the room for Sarah but she wasn't there.

   "Henry?" Elizabeth stood up and looked at me. "What are you doing here? Isn't your mother ill?"

   "No not anymore she isn't. I decided to come back for Sarah. Where is she?" Everyone tried to avoided looking at me. "What? What is it? Is she hurt?"

   Her father stood up. "She left. Last night she argued with me. I told her to get out and leave the castle. I told her not to come back and she left."

   I took a step toward him. "She left? She left!" This wasn't happening. "You mean to tell me Sarah, the love of my life is gone?"

   Sarah's father rolled his eyes. "She is hardly the love of your life."

   I found myself crossing the room to stand in front of him. "She is the love of my life! She has always been the love of my life since the first time I saw her! I love her and now she is gone! All because of you and your plan to marry her to some random person! I have no idea where she is now, and all thanks to you!"

   A small voice spoke up from behind me. "I might know where she is."

   I turned around to see it was Elizabeth who spoke. "Where? Where is she?" I whispered the words but she heard them.

   "Last night I saw her heading to the stables. She was going to get on a ship to France to see you. She said she was going to cut through the woods. I heard that her horse was missing this morning."

   Lady Weller gasped. "At night? Her horse? I heard her horse was found running across the grounds this morning."

   I was already out the door and heading for the foyer. Once outside I took the reins from the servant and swung in to the saddle. We raced to the docks faster than we had to the castle.

   The docks were crowded but I reached the ticket booth and pushed that man who had been buying a couple of tickets away. "Have you seen a woman buy tickets to board a ship to France?"

   The ticket seller didn't look happy at the fact that I wasn't buying tickets but answered anyway. "Of course I have."

   "She would have had dark brown hair, that would probably be wet from the rain. She would have rode in on horseback. She has grey eyes, and cream colored skin." I said frantically.

   The man regarded me curiously before answering. "No. I haven't seen a woman of that description."

   I brought my fists down on the desk and walked back to my horse. I held the reins and thought. Elizabeth said she rode through the woods. If it had been raining she wouldn't have been able to navigate through the woods at night.

   Once again I swung in to the saddle and raced into the woods. "Sarah?" I called. I headed for the castle knowing she would be around it. "Sarah?" I shouted again.

   I slowed the horse to a trot. The woods were a mess after a storm so big. I had left France a couple of weeks ago but with the storm we had to stop. The damage done here was terrible. I surveyed the ground but there was fog everywhere.

   I thought I heard a voice but I must of been imagining it. "Sarah!" If she had been out all night in the rain she may be ill. "SARAH!" The name echoed around me. I thought I saw something move. I slid off my horse and pulled him along by the reins.

   I approached the spot where I saw the movement. "Sarah?" I whispered. When there was more movement I tied my horse up and ran over. I sank to my knees and rolled her over. Her clothes and hair were soaked and she had a terrible fever. "Sarah." I breathed the words as I picked her up.

   "He doesn't love me." She seemed to be mumbling.

   I carried her in my lap as I rode back to the castle.