Lost in the Hills

Chapter 10 (Return)

"If those bastards come back with any more bad news someone is getting executed!"

"Your highness..."

"Yes? Icar?"

"We found her."

The kings eyes widened as he sat up from his throne and saw his daughter brought in with cuffs on her hands and being restrained.

"My daughter! It's so lovely to have you back! I've missed you a great deal, you know that?" He said as he lifted her chin to meet his gaze. She gritted her teeth.

"Your highness, were we mistaken when we heard your daughter has returned from her busy trip?" 

"You were not! Here she is!" The king gestured to the guards to hide the cuffs and he moved away from blocking her view from the three suitors. 

She raised her chin high and didn't speak a word. The braid still in her hair from earlier, wearing her dirty white blouse, her brown corset, brown boots and leather brown pants. Various grass stains, leaves and twigs were prominent in her clothing.

"Your highness, princess."

"Good evening."

"Hello your grace."

She sneered at the men, her teeth still gritted, not only from disgust of being back, but also from the pain she felt in her wrists given how tight the restraints were behind her back. 

"We are pleased to make your acquaintance-" the men looked up after having bowed down to her and noticed her sloppy appearance. 

She moved quickly to try and get away from the guards but they held her back. The chain from the cuffs jingled and she winced with pain. 

"Your highness are you alright?" One of the men asked.

"Yes, yes she's fine," the king said, turning to face them. She shook her head ferociously trying to get them to help her. The king quickly turned back around and she froze. "She's just tired from her long trip. And very worn out. The maids will clean her up and we can all meet up for breakfast in the great hall tomorrow, how does that sound?"

"Lovely..." One of the suitors said. All three of them knew something wasn't right, but they figured they'd talk to her about it soon.

Once the suitors walked away the king turned toward his daughter. "Now, now, now. Tsk, tsk. We can't have you running away again now can we?" She grimaced at him.

"Your highness, she did not run away this time." Ravere said cautiously.

"Oh?"

"She was kidnapped, by a man not from here." Icar said in a low voice.

"Oh was she? Of course my perfect daughter wouldn't run away from her papa! She loves him too much. Isn't that right my dear?"

"Yes. Father." She tensed her fists in the cuffs making them jingle again. 

She was taken to her room, not the dungeon, and was ordered to be cleaned up by the maids. 

"Hazel?"

"Princess! I thought you made it out! I didn't know you were kidnapped along the way!"

"No Hazel, I wasn't kidnapped, I met someone."

"Oooh! A lass met a lad eh? Cheeky!"

"I think I love him Hazel. They're going to have him killed. He's going to come rescue me, I told him of the passage, I told him you could help. Can I trust you Hazel?"