A Royal Fate

Chapter 2: An Unlikely Ally

An Unlikely Ally

As soon as I entered the city, the hustle and bustle closed in on me like a vice. I had to keep a close eye on Snowshoe in case she panicked, but I made it to a tavern without incident and I steered her into the stable. A boy came up and offered to take her for me, but I had learned long before that things often went missing if you didn't stable your horse yourself. I politely declined the boy's services, and walked Snowshoe into one of the stalls. I took off her saddle and rubbed her down with a brush I had in my pack.

"You've more than earned it girl." I whispered in her ear, "It's not easy running away from home, but we needed to get away." Snowshoe tossed her head as if she agreed, and I smiled at her and gave her a small rub on the ears before I picked up my bags and entered the main building. As soon as I walked into the room, I nearly gagged on the smoke that hung just below the low ceiling. As I walked over to the counter, I could feel the eyes of every boy on my back. I knew that I was beautiful in most men's eyes, with my slim figure, long blond hair, sizable chest, and round hazel eyes, but it still made me uncomfortable to have so many paying attention to me at one time. The bartender lanced at me for a second, but only nodded at my request for a room. He rattled off a quick list of rooms to choose from, and how much they would cost. I picked a small room with a breakfast option the next morning, and he guided me up the stairs to the end of the hall.

I entered the room and he gave me a key before leaving. I looked around and liked that it was simple but functional. There was a small bed against the wall with three windows, and there was a dresser to my left for me to store my belongings. I turned and saw that the room had a wood movable wall that screened in a small bath. All and all it was the ideal room for my stay, but I didn't want any uninvited guests during the night so I walked over and used my key to lock the door. I knew that at least one boy in the tavern was probably thinking of sneaking in and having his way with me, but I wasn't about to give him the chance. I dressed in my nightgown and climbed into bed, knowing the morning wake-up call I had ordered was going to come far earlier than I was used to.

I woke up into darkness, and wondered why I had awoke when the sun hadn't even started to light the sky. I was about to fall back asleep when I heard a small sound near my dresser. I was immediately awake and listened to see if the intruder was near my bed. A second sound indicated that the person was at the wall in front of the dresser, and I could hear small clinking sounds coming from the lock. I realized the intruder was here to rob me, not harm me, and from what I could tell in the dark, the person was a young man, probably no more than my age. I picked up the scabbard I had brought into bed with me and crept out to sneak up on my would-be thief. The young man was too engrossed in picking the lock that I was right behind him before he sensed my presence. He turned to see who was behind him, but I quickly grabbed his shirt and pressed him against the wall.

"If you want to live through the next ten seconds," I hissed through my teeth, "you'll tell me why you are in my room, and how you got in here."

He seemed to think very fast for a boy, but his answer still had a bit of arrogance that told me he knew I was female and probably outmatched. "You really think I'm scared of a girl? I could toss you on the bed and be on my way without a second thought."

I let a bit of a smile enter my voice, "Not when I have a blued-steel dagger in your crotch. If I had wanted to I could have gutted you before you even knew what had happened."

I let him down from his lofty position in my grip and he dusted himself off before speaking, "You know, I bet you would be a pretty good partner if you wanted to be part of my little band."

I was about to throw him a sharp retort, when I heard a shouting outside the window. I ran over to the window and looked out to see royal guards entering the tavern. I ran back to the young man as I gathered my belongings and asked the one question I had never thought I would ask, "Can you get me out of here? I need to sneak past the guards or I'll be in big trouble."