An Unusual Fairytale

Chapter 4: You Should Not Have Entered

He rode down the long dirt road that was surrounded by woods, until the sun reached the middle of the sky. He stopped at a small watering hole off to the side to give his horse a drink.

"Do not give me that look." He said making his horse snort again. "I will find her, make her see we are destined to be together, and then we shall be married and I will return to save our kingdom, with her by my side as my wife and our kingdom's new queen." He declared.

His horse just snortted again and shook it's head. He splashed his horse with water making his horse shake water off it's mane into his face, then he whinnied in humor. He was about to splash the stallion again when he heard the same humming that took his breath away days ago. So, he stood, wiped the water from his face, and followed it into a small village filled with female peasants doing their daily chores. They looked to be more impoverished than his kingdom. There were no kind smiles, just a shadow of sorrow cast upon each of their faces. Until they laid eyes upon him, then their facial expressions changed drastically.

"Their men must be off hunting." He said to his horse.

Some women glared at him and others looked frightened. He was glad he had chosen to walk beside his horse. He would hate to be up so high that they would be afraid of him.

"There you are!" He shouted when he saw her long blonde hair just a shade lighter than his own. "I have been searching for you, lovely maiden." He said as he approached her.

"Oh no." She said in fear. "You should not have followed me." She whispered.

"But we are meant to be, my love!" He shouted hoping he could get her to understand.

Her eyes widened. "You must flee! Leave here now and do not return!" She said pushing him towards his horse to mount it. "Go! Go now!"

"Leave? I cannot. I have just found you."

"Go." She pleaded with her eyes, frantically looking around for something.

"I am in love with you. I know you feel it too! Your giggle, the biting of your lip, your concern for my well-being." He said placing his hand on his chest. "It was in the air!" He boasted joyfully. "I know you must have felt it as well!" She shoved him towards his horse again.

"Look at the air around you! What is missing?!"

"Nothing is missing now that I have found you!" He exclaimed.

"You must flee before the guards come!"

As soon as she said it horses galloped toward the pair with knights on them. They had metal helmets on their heads and daggers in their hands. Their bodies were shielded in silver armor. They dismounted from their horses and grabbed Prince Mason. It was the second time he was shoved into a stone wall that day. His horse tried to snap at them, but was quickly restrained.

The maiden looked worried and scared. "No." She whispered into the cool air.

"Amelia! Did you bring this thing into our village?!" One of them yelled, the voice muffled by the helmet, as two others held him.

"Thing? What am I? A germ? A mutt?"

"You would be wise not to speak." The maiden he now knew as Amelia whispered. His horse started braying loudly and tramping around.

"Control that horse!" The others, holding the horse, roped and tied it's legs upon command.

"You are a mutt and will be treated as such!" The same one yelled.

"Excuse me sir. But I am a prince! If anything, I would be a pure bred!"

"Silence!" Another one yelled.

"Some time in the dungeon will teach you respect!"

"No!" Amelia shouted. The leader turned to her. "Please. He simply followed me. I am sorry, but he has a kingdom to return to. Allow him to flee. I promise he shall not return."

"I will return as many times as I must for you my love!" He shouted. She closed her eyes and groaned. One of the guards held a dagger to his throat.

"He is not well! He is a madman! Listen to him speak!" Amelia pleaded with the guards. "He does not know that which he speaks and yet he opens his trap! Release him! He must return to his kingdom at once! I beg of you. Show him mercy."

"The queen has no mercy for his kind. Throw him in the dungeon with the others!"

"No!" Amelia fell to her knees and sobbed as they dragged him away. "No."

"It is for your own good Amelia. He cannot be trusted, and you should not have fallen for his tricks." The leader said showing no sympathy.

"They were not tricks." Amelia sobbed. "He was kind."

"They are not kind! They are beasts in human form!" The leader shouted as one of the guards climbed on a horse and rode away, leaving Amelia in a fit of guilt and sorrow. "Things with claws, razor sharp teeth, and lies! They will cut you to pieces if you allow them to do so! If you fall for their tricks it will be the end of you! This should teach you not to run around with their kind! They cannot be trusted!" The leader yelled then walked away leaving Amelia sobbing on the ground beside his tied up horse. She quickly pulled out a dagger and cut the rope.

"Go." The horse got up. "Run! Run to your kingdom! Bring back help!" She shouted as the horse galloped off at full speed to return to it's kingdom on the other side of the hill. "Please."