The Trio of Trouble

Chapter Fourteen, Grayston Castle

Chapter Fourteen

Grayston Castle

     "J-Jack...?" 

     My head jolted up, and my eyes adjusted to the light shade of the tree canopied forest. I was propped up against a tree, my hands and feet bond together with thick, scratchy rope. Jacos was beside me, staring thoughtlessly at the ground and Marco was on the ground, blinking in the morning light, his face pale. Around us the armored guards where sleeping peacefully, scattered throughout our small wooded campsite. Serena was across from us, her back turned, her hair a dark mess around her head. 

 "Marco, are you alright?" I struggled to turn my body towards him.

 "M-My head really hurts...." Marco's voice was hoarse and sickly. 

 "Well, I'm afraid that's normal." I so badly wanted to comfort him. I stressed against my ropes more, though I knew it was just a waste in strength. 

 "W-What happened....?" 

 "It's Prince Cipher and his men. They ambushed us." 

    Marco groaned quietly. "What are we gonna do?" 

 "I.....I don't know Marco." 

      Silence. 

 "J-Jack?" Marco whimpered. 

 "Yes?" 

 "They're going to kill us, aren't they?" 

     I closed my eyes, biting my lip. I had been asking myself that this whole time. I knew it must be true, we were going to the castle to be executed I was sure of it. We were literally walking to our own doom. The thought of standing at the gallows or at the chopping block with a crowd of people watching in earnest to see me lose my life made me sick to my stomach. Thinking about Jacos and Marco beside me  made me feel even sicker. 

 "I..I don't know." I lied. 

     I knew. And I knew that Marco knew too, but that didn't change the way I couldn't force myself to say it. 

**************

       It took us three days to reach our destination; a massive kingdom I had heard of, Grayston.

 "This, is what a real empire looks like." Cipher proclaimed with a proud smile, gesturing to the hill the giant castle sat upon.  

    I let out a breath, in awe of the buildings shier size. It looked like a mountain on top of the hill. I could see the bricks that made it up from the miles away we stood, they had to be at least two of me. Spires and towers seemed to touch the clouds, reaching as high as they could into the heavens like hands. Blood red banners fluttered in the wind, catching in the sun brightly, telling everyone where they were. I could hear the bustle of the kingdom faintly through the air, the clanking of armor and shouts of merchants. It surelly was one of the greatest kingdoms in the Asiligad. 

 "Any thoughts?" Cipher smirked, catching my awful stare. 

    I clamped my mouth closed quickly and jerked my head away, instead gazing at the clouded sky. I could feel Cipher's eyes on the back of my head, making the hair on my back rise. I took a heavy breath, twisting my hands in the ropes. Cipher muttered something and moved away. Though I tried to deny it, I swear I heard a sort of sadness in his tone. 

    When we reached the castle, evening was coming. The sky was slowly turning a light pink, and clouds looked even more brooding and blue. Marco, Serena, Jacos and I where completely surrounded by guards at that point, and I could barley see out from the men's silver armor. I could hear the noises of the market as we passed through; a man was trying to sell bread, an old woman was offering jewelry, and I could hear two young children giggling as they zipped past our group.