A Diamond Among Men

Chapter 6: Recue Robin

The sky was a burning orange among the darkness when Snow White and the men got the horses ready and rode off towards the castle.

The castle itself was grand, build with stone and was covered in century-old moss. Along the walls, guards stood by their post, weapons in hand as the lanterns crackled with life.

They huddled behind the trees, dressed in dark clothes and hood. Each of the men was armed with their bow. Ahead of them, two guards were pacing. Snow turned to the others.

"Ready?" She said. William spoke on their behalf.

"Good luck." Snow nodded.

'Meet me by the cells." Snow stepped out and ran over to the guards, who straightened up and raised their spears.

"Stop! Please!" Snow said, raising her palms. "It's me, Princess Amanda." The guard's eyes widened and instantly dropped to their knees.

"Forgive us, your highness, we did not recognize you." Said the first guard. Snow wanted to snicker, but she ended up crying. "Robin and his men, they kidnapped me, and forced me if I didn't run away with them, they would kill me!"

"What audacity!" Cried the second guard. The first guard rose and extended his hand. "Come with us your highness, we will take you to safety." He said. Snow sighed with relief. "Thank you!" The two guards took her in. Without them looking, Snow glanced over her shoulder at the still trees where her companions would be hiding.

Inside, Snow looked around to see the courtyard was empty. Other than a massive tree in the middle and a few plants growing around it. In the corner, however, there was a bench and beside the bench were two planks of wood. Getting an idea, She pretended to trip and let out a loud wince and the two stupid guards jumped to her rescue.

"What happened your highness?" They said in unison, Snow limped her leg,

"I think I twisted my ankle, could you two take me over to that bench, please?"

"Yes, your highness. They helped her to her the bench, and once she sat down they asked.

"Is there anything else you need your highness?"

"Just a glass of water and tone of you find my uncle and announce my presence would be nice. "

"Of course your highness." Once they turned around to fill their duties, Snow to the opportunity to grab the planks and to hit the guards on the back of their head with a loud smack. The soldiers crumbled to the floor unconscious, and snow ran out of the courtyard. She sneaked inside, and with the help of the shadows, she managed to sneak through the palace towards the side of the castle where prisoners were kept. She was walking down one of the corridors when the nearby study door burst open. She ducked behind a pillar and watched two men come out. She didn't recognize the first one but quickly determined he was German, but it was the second one she recognized. Her uncle King John. The dark-haired man was short in comparison to the german, but he had a deeper voice and he was speaking in a worried tone.

"I know I have exhausted your resources already, Klaus, but you need to find her before Helen does."

"I know your majesty, my men are doing our best, perhaps you should interview that Robin fellow. There were many sightings that the princess was with your prisoner.Maybe he knows where to find her." Her uncle's face darkened.

"Yes, if that scoundrel touched or harmed my niece, he will hang before morning!" Snow heart softened with sympathy. Such worry she put her uncle through. Klaus spoke again.

"I must admire your devotion to the princess, your majesty, after all, she is your niece, but why are you doing this if you despised her father so?" Snow froze. The mention of her father brought up an image of his dead body in a casket. King John sighed.

"Madias was always the last obstacle in my search for power, and it pleased me to see him gone, but at the same time, his child needed a father." Snow's heart stopped. She could hardly believe her ears, much less stop the river of tears from flowing. The killer behind her father's death was her uncle all these years. She felt like a fool to feel sympathy for him and wanted very much to make him suffer, but she had a job to do. She peeked behind the pillar to see down the corridor there was a set of stairs that would lead to the dungeon where the prisoners were held.

Suddenly a loud clamour was heard from the other side of the castle.

"What in the world?" Her uncle exclaimed. At that moment, one of the servants rushed over to the two men. "There is an intruder in the castle! guards!" Snow bit her tongue. She wanted to kick herself. Why did she leave them unconscious, for them to be discovered?

"I suspect this intruder is one of Robin's men, and they intend to rescue him." Her uncle said.

"Then we must find them then," Klaus said.

"Indeed. Klaus, see to it that more soldiers are to guard Robin's cell."

"Yes, sir."

"That man is not escaping the gallows tonight!"

Once the servant girl and Klaus left, Snow slipped out of her hiding spot and tried to sneak past her uncle towards the stairs at the end of the hall. She had only taken three steps before she felt a slight prick at the back of her hood. "Do not move, if you treasure your life!" Said her uncle. Snow stopped.

"Turn around."Her uncle started. Snow reached for the hilt of her sword. "And reveal yourself." Snow spun around, raised her sword. The two swords clanked. Her uncle's eyes squinted in the dim light.

"Who are you to dare break into my castle?" With her left hand, Snow pulled back the hood, receiving a startled gasp from the king.

"Amanda?" The king said with wide eyes. John let out a sigh of relief and lowered his sword, and stepped towards her for a hug. "Oh thank the heavens you are alright!" Snow, however, raised the sword to his chin, and King John froze.

"Drop your sword Uncle." Snow ordered.

"Amana-" Snow raised her voice.

"I said drop your sword!" The sword clanked as it hit the marble floor. Using her feet, she kicked the sword far into the corner.

"Why are you doing this?" Snow scoffed.

"You are really going to ask me that after what I have heard?" Her uncle's face paled.

"You killed my father!" Snow said. "And you had the audacity to go to his funeral and to grieve!" Snow sniffed. Her eyes were glossy. Her voice lowered to a faint whisper. "The worse thing is, you made me believe I could trust you, and that everything would be alright." She looked at him in the eye, blazing. "When you were the one to blame!" The king stared at her with pain.

"So, this is how ends? You killing me?" All Snow had to do was to press the sword into his neck and he would be dead, but she remembered why she was here. She released him.

"You are not my priority right now." She said.

"Don't tell me you are rescuing that rat."

"That rat is a gentleman, you are the one who is the rat."

"He is a thief, Amanda. I don't know how he managed to influence you, but he will be hanged in the morning." Snow picked up both swords and used them to pin her uncle to the wall.

"Nor if I have anything to say about it. " Snow sprinted down the hall, clamoured down the stairs into the dungeon, where she bumped into the head guard. Realizing she was weaponless, Snow backed up. The guard charged but as quickly as he came, he was stabbed from the back and fell to her feet. Behind the guard stood Robin."Good riddance."

"Robin! You're free!" Behind him, William, Smith and Kai stepped out.

"Thanks to you." Said Smith. Suddenly the sound of yelling and thumping of soldier boots were heard.

"Why don't we say thanks after we escape this place?"

"Agreed." The men said in unison. They all went over to the broken window.

"Jon throw the rope!" Ordered William. A rope fell and Robin grabbed it. One by one they were pulled out. Snow stepped out to see Jon, Nathaniel and his twin Daniel waiting for them on the other side with their horses. They all hopped on and rode off into the night towards thir camp in the Sherwood forest, escaping the guards for good.