"Are you sure you want to hear what I have to say? Because nothing about it is pretty. In fact it's probably the closest thing to a horror story you'll ever hear." August didn't want to have to be the person to break it to Izzy that her father was a corrupt leader responsible for the deaths of thousands of innocent woodland men and women but it didn't seem like she had a choice.
Izzy felt herself hesitate for a moment before nodding. She needed all of the information to be out on the table.
August took a deep breath in, studying the princesses face for a moment before beginning.
"Since I can first remember, the Aldham soldiers have been the sworn enemies of all of those living here in Sennewick and beyond. They come at night. Raiding houses, looting full villages, as if they are searching for something they will never find. It used to happen very rarely. Maybe a man or two a year would disappear with his home destroyed. But within the last few years it began happening much more frequently. I've known entire villages to be uprooted by the guard. So when they stormed Sennewick last spring, my father did everything he could to protect his family. Unfortunately, it cost him his life." She paused, realizing the density of her words.
The princess had backed into a corner. She was nervously rolling her fingers. It was a lot to take in, even if she didn't believe it, these were serious accusations of the royal line.
"Izzy are you okay?" August asked finally, noticing the blank eyes on the girl.
"I just don't know what to believe anymore, honestly," Izzy managed. She fully believed the death of Augusts father was a tragedy, but she had a hard time believing her father was to blame. Her father, and the entire Edwards line for that matter, had been known for their fairness and loyalty to the people below them. Never would he send out the guards to murder innocents. It just didn't add up.
"My father would never hurt another person. He loves the people around him whole heartedly. You're a liar!"
August briskly stepped forward, feeling the anger rise in her once more. "You be careful who you start dropping names towards before that mouth of yours gets you killed!"
She didn't mean for her words to come out so harshly but it was going to come out one way or another. In fact, she wished that she was lying about it all. Life would be so much easier in Sennewick and in Ostshore in general if the Aldham royals weren't blood thirsty killers. But it was going to take more than words to convince the princess and August could see in her eyes that despite it all, she was scared to.
Being ripped from the ones she loved was a feeling that unfortunately August could relate to. And her biggest weakness was people who were seemingly just as broken as herself. She let her tone soften, taking a step back to try to relieve some of the tension in the room.
"I know it's a lot. But you have to believe that just because you grew up in Aldham doesn't mean that your kingdom is almighty." It wasn't going to be easy convincing the princess of the truth, but someone was going to have to tell her. She knew that the world outside of the palace gates was a lot messier than the princess could probably ever understand. So reluctantly, she reached for the sleeve of her shirt, "Look, if you really don't believe me."
August lifted her left sleeve up past her elbow, exposing her shoulder. A large black gash made its way down her arm, long and deep. It twisted it's way, carving a deep path that seemed to hold more truth to it than any words could tell. Izzy knew right away what it was from before August could even speak.
"Aldham steal." August interjected. Knowing that the princess probably had seen many of injuries just like it before. "Known for many things but mostly it's ability to leave permanent marks." August quickly covered her arm back up. "One of the guard members had come at my father and I jumped in the way. I'm lucky I didn't lose the whole arm considering."
"What happened?" The princess whispered, her eyes wide from the shock.
"Well I'm still here aren't I?" she muttered. Except for her mother, no one had ever fully seen her scar. She wouldn't let them.
"What about your father?" Izzy asked.
August grew silent, letting the emptiness of the air around her speak in her place.
Izzy couldn't believe it. August was right, the dark mark was a clear sign of the royal guards attack. Usually it was only seen on those kept in the dungeons below the palace, on men and women who had deserved the punishment. But to see it on this seemingly innocent girl was outrageous.
"I'm.. I'm so sorry they did that to you." Izzy felt her voice crack as tears slowly formed in her eyes. She didn't want to believe that her father was behind the harm of many. If this had been a secret from her she couldn't help but wonder what else her family was hiding from her.
She stepped forward, wrapping her arms around Augusts' shoulders and squeezing tightly. No one deserved to be punished like she had, especially by those who promised to protect people.
"I hope you know that I'm not like that. I'm not my father." Izzy whispered into the warm neck of her capture. "I'm not going to hurt you."
August said nothing, feeling the embrace of the princess. She believed that somehow she was indeed different than her father, but still not enough to risk her finding out her secret. It was bad enough that she hadn't entirely told the truth. Yes, the royal guard was responsible for her fathers death and the mark on her shoulder.
So as the princess of Aldham held the woodland girl in the middle of the forest, August kept one eye towards the door. She knew they would be coming soon. Because the royal guard wasn't our hunting civilians at random, oh no.
They were hunting.
Hunting for creatures that were rumored to not exist.
Hunting for Rhyles.
They were hunting for August.
