Royal

Ashes, Ashes

Pete grabs my hand and helps me over the fallen log. I curse as I scrape my other hand on the bark. Running away sucks. With my feet back on the ground, we continue through the dense brush. I have no idea where we are going considering the closest other kingdom was a three-day carriage ride on foot it could take a week, if not longer.

There they do not know my face lucky enough but they do know my name. "What if I change my name?" I blurt out randomly. Peters' eyebrows quirk up.

"What name would you prefer?" He asks and I shrug.

"Do you think it is acceptable to keep my primary name? I could change it to Patrick Tree." I joke and Peter chuckles.

"That is a ridiculous name. Perhaps Patrick Johnston? Johnston is a common second name."

"Yeah, that is very true. It could work. Hopefully not too obvious."

"Don't worry dear if no one knows your face they will not question your name. We simply need a town accepting of us."

"Perhaps when we make it to a town we should buy a boat," I say on a whim and Peter stops a moment.

"A boat?" He says quietly and then I almost smack myself for how stupid I am. Of course, Peter doesn't want to live on a boat. His father was a captain who disowned him.

"I did not mean to offend I simply have a blabbering mouth of nonsense." Peter smiles softly.

"My dear Patrick I would love to own a boat. We could sail the world, but we would be poor unable to work as our home be the sea. We need a home possibly a farm or jobs in the town. We could become sailors but dear you are much too pure for that kind of work."

"Pure? How so! I could be a sailor you never know." I huff and Peter laughs and grabs my hand again as we continue walking.

"Patrick sailing is hours under the hot sun doing manual physical labor. You are so pale you would adorn the coloring of a lobster in the first day. You are much more suited to perhaps baking or being a merchant. You could run a small grocery store perhaps." I remain silent trying not to be mad about Peters complete lack of confidence in my ability. But perhaps he is correct I haven't done physical labor a day in my life.

I have no skills for a job in the town. Perhaps I could become a gardener I much enjoyed up keeping the garden at the castle. I ponder possible careers in my head as Peter and I continue walking. He takes my hand and pulls me along as I get lost inside my own head. I picture us owning a small farm together,  a few cows and a crop not too big but large enough for us to have our own food as well as extra to sell. As well as chickens so we could have fresh eggs for breakfast every day.

I smile thinking about that perfect life that we could make for ourselves. Much different than any life we could have had in the castle. My thoughts get interrupted when Peter suddenly pulls me down. I get confused for a moment until I hear the yelling in the distance. 

Peter holds close to me a hand to his lips as he surveys around us. The tall grass and a fallen tree are keeping us mostly hidden from the outside but I know that if anyone were to wonder close enough it be more than easy to find us. 

A sound of a twig snapping on the other side of the fallen tree makes me jump. Peter smacks a hand over my mouth and pins me down with his other arm. His eyes are wide as he remains more still than stone. 

Then he leans down and looks me in the eyes. Fear and sadness are mixed in them and I feel my heart beat faster as he pulls away his hand. I can hear the shouts and footsteps drawing nearer. Peter gives me a sad smile and my mind races trying to catch up with what he is thinking. He leans down and gives me a quick peck on the lips. Nothing more that a fleeting movement and then suddenly his weight on me is gone.

I stare at him in shock as he stands yells loudly and takes off ahead hollering the whole way. I hear the men yelling the barking of dogs and footsteps thundering after him. I lay in shock for a few moments my heart racing and tears gathering in my eyes as the weight of what just happened fully hits me. 

I sit up and the men and Peter are gone. I cannot hear anything except the birds in the trees and the wind blowing through the grass. I go to take a breath and it won't come. I choke on the air and I fall back onto the forest floor. My heart feels like it has been ripped from my chest as I curl up on the dirty forest floor. 

I then realize that I cannot stay there. I must catch up to Peter and see if I can save him, follow them and help him escape when the time is right. That thought is what draws me to my feet as I run in the direction they took Peter. I find his bag on the ground after five minutes, there is many footprints trampled through the tall grass. I continue through the forest following the prints in the dirt and grass. I run as fast as I can tumbling over sticks and rocks scraping my hands and knees as I fall and pick myself back up again. Eventually, I can hear something. The chatting of men and the yips of dogs. I feel a small sense of relief wave over me but also fear. I stop running and carefully begin walking around avoiding snapping twigs or stepping onto dry leaves. 

The men are all scattered around in the trees. I can hear them talking and one, in particular, is extra loud. When I get closer I can hear his words. "Where is the king?" He yells and a shiver of fear runs down my spine. 

I find a tree and debate if I can climb up it to try and see better without being spotted. I place my foot in a groove in the bark and hoist myself up into the tree. I don't make it very far maybe six feet from the ground but the extra few inches give me a better view. My breath catches when I see Peter. His hands are bound and his nose bloody. I feel a surge of rage boil under my skin. 

How dare they touch Peter.

The man next to him is demanding answers holding a large blade in his hands. 

"What makes you think that I know," Peter says looking at the man through his bangs the man grins before winding back and punching Peter in the jaw. I stifle a cry when he falls to the ground from the force of the blow. 

"Listen here kid. We know you were with him when he escaped the castle. I dont know how you managed to slip out under everyones noses but we found you now tell us where is the king?" 

"Id rather die." Peter says blood trickles from his mouth and tears slide silently down my face.

"I can arrange that." The man says before landing another kick to Peter's gut.