Forever and Ever After (book1)

Chapter 2

EDITED

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Chapter 2

A few days later, Isobel was walking back from the Black Market with a smile on her face and a skip in her step. The jewels she had stolen had been sold for a large amount of money; she even got a few copper pieces for the leather wallet. The ring however remained around her neck; no-one seemed willing to pay enough for it.

She heard a horse approach as she got closer to her little hide out. She was hoping to get there before anyone saw her, but it couldn't be helped as people would be using the path to get to the market on the other side of the forest. She ducked behind a tree to wait for the rider to go by.

A hooded man rode on a sad looking mule, at a single look Isobel dismissed the idea of him having anything worth stealing off him so slunk deeper into shadows and carried on her way to her hide out where no-one would spot her.

Inside the golden light bouncing off the glittering gold and sparkling rocks, she couldn't help but feel safe. She took down a simple gold necklace with a small golden heart with a pink gem in the centre similar to the one that was set in the ring. She pulled it from the hanging root and tried it on to see if it matched with the ring. She had no mirror inside the tree instead looked down at the glowing pendant she could tell that the necklace was beautiful, but as she slipped the ring onto her middle finger she couldn't make up her mind if it suited her or not.

She put the necklace back and took a deep breath as she stepped out of the gloom and into the bright afternoon sunlight.

What she didn't notice in time was the poorly hidden net or the hooded man standing in the shadows leaning against a tree.

When she noticed him she had already stepped onto the net and the pulley system was triggered as she was flung into the air.

"Well, well, my thief and hero is a woman," the Prince sneered as he stepped out of the shadows and threw his hood back.

"You must feel real crummy about that," Isobel sneered back as she struggled to regain balance in the net to look down upon him.

"Actually, I know how determined a woman can be when she has her mind set on something. But I will say you impressed me with you sword skills."

"Well if you are so impressed then let me down," she cried and shook the ropes like doing so would loosen the ties and let her down. "I can show you what I can really do with a sword."

The Prince looked up with a smile that seemed to stretch from one ear to the other. "I think I'll keep you up there. It will keep criminals like you off the road and while you are up there you won't be causing any harm."

Isobel chuckled nervously and looked around her for someone to help her out of the horrid situation. "What will it take to get you to let me down?" she growled as she realised she was stuck on her own. "I've already sold your gems."

"Fine, you can go by them back, I need that ring back; it was my Mothers."

"Then what do I use for food money?" she demanded hoping he was the sort of royalty who had a heart and was compassionate to just let her down and leave it at that.

But the Prince had other ideas. He marched over to the fallen tree and went inside.

"Get out of there," she cried and tried helplessly to reach for him but had to turn around and wait anxiously for him to come back out.

When he did, he held the necklace she had recently taken off in his hands. "Do you know how much this is?" he asked as he turned the pendent over in his hand to inspect the back.