The Princess of Blue Star Castle

Chapter 2

"Your majesty, we looked everywhere until dawn for your daughter. We must return now if we are to make any headway to catch her and bring her back to the castle," Captain Leynard said, explaining all that had happened in the middle of the night.

"Do what you must, Captain Leynard, but don't take a whole army. Take double what you had and bring her back. I don't know why she's left, nor why she has the star but you must bring both her and the star back. Though it pains me to say so, even if you find her dead I wish her body back here."

"We leave at once your majesty, we shall bring her back," Captain Leynard declared with a quick bow before leaving.

Though the words seemed promising, when the king had mentioned her dead, it almost seemed as though he wished it. Captain Leynard left the throne room and gathered thirty fresh men to join him in the search for Princess Aveline. No matter where she was he wouldn't let anything nor anyone stand in his way to bring her back. Despite his own words saying he would kill her, he never meant it, he could never see her dead. Nor would he let the king do any harm to her. He would do all he could do to protect the young woman, even if it meant losing his own head in the process. Defying the king was one thing, but taking the life of the young princess was another. He'd rather have his own head lopped off than see the princess dead or harmed in any way. Stealing the star is the greatest crime anyone could commit in this kingdom. Regardless, I'll see to it she is protected and safe at all costs.

Ivy knew it was risky to be alone and seemingly vulnerable, but she was still a princess and being clean was something she had become accustomed to. Regardless of being nude out in the open, her fears could now leave with her clothes back on. As she stood by Midnight Flower, having nearly finished redressing, the sound of hoof beats alerted her. Peering over her horse's saddle, she saw a fire red horse without a saddle or rider. A wild horse? Ivy approached the creature still barefoot, wondering if the horse would run as she was a stranger to it but the horse also walked toward her, sniffing her hand. The horse was tame and a closer look showed it was broken in to be ridden, but where was the owner? She pat its head gently, the stallion enjoyed the tenderness she showed. Something about the fire horse was unique, almost as if it were aflame. But it was just an ordinary horse and there was no such thing as a flaming horse, at least not outside of myths, legends, or children's stories.

Ivy turned back to Midnight Flower, put her boots on and walked back to the red horse. The stallion turned, walking back into the forest as if it had come from there. Ivy drew her sword and followed, weary it could be a trap set upon her by someone who could have been watching, or waiting for her. The horse walked a good hundred yards or so before stopping. A small camp was set up, a tent-now in rags, a fire pit, the red horse's saddle on a low tree limb, everything any good camper would set up. Ivy, now intrigued, looked over the camper's belongings. A sword unsheathed lay on the ground covered in dirt, broken arrows and the carcass of a Balakar lay nearby. The stench of the dead creature was too much, but Ivy bore it as she searched for the missing camper, the owner of the horse. The stallion stood by a deep pit as if asking Ivy to look in.

Ivy walked to the edge of the pit and peered in, but it was too dark to see anything, and it seemed very deep. After whistling for her horse, Ivy grabbed a rope and tied one end to the saddle. Lowering herself into the pit, Ivy groped in the dark, trying to find anyone or anything. Finally, fifteen or twenty feet away from where she entered, she found him. The motionless body of the missing rider. Tying the other end around him and herself, she called to Midnight Flower who pulled both of them up. The man was heavy but Ivy managed to keep him upright. Still, it was difficult and she struggled every few feet up the slope. She wondered how long he could have been there if he was unconscious. She could feel his light breathing as they went up, grateful he was still alive, but at the same time concerned that someone had an unlucky encounter on this side of the river. Maybe that was why the balakar came to her, they figured this man was dead so they sought her out to have more fun.