Royalty From Afar (Royalty Series #1)

Prologue

"Aella, lets go!" Arthur panically said. We are now running in the middle of this dark forest. He grabbed my arm and we run as fast as we could.

We were chased by the King's men. I saw a cave where we can hide for awhile. This won't take too long. We hid in the dark part of the cave where the men cannot see us. I saw Arthur opened his bag. There are not-so-many foods that are enough for us two, water, and some herbs. Also, he brought some lamp.

He opened the second zipper in it and I saw some daggers and knives.

"Saw your favorite things?" He asks me with a smile.

"Whats with the smile? You actually look like uhhh what you call that— clown?" I saw his face disappointed. I laugh at my tiniest voice so that no one can hear us.

"You know how to use this things, am I right?"

"Yeah" he took out the daggers from his bag and handed out to me. I smiled and thank him.

After that, he gave me some healing herbs. This herb from the name itself it heals. It heals the slightest wounds but not the deeper one. Especially the deepest. This herb is similar to pain reliever.

Not too long, we hear loud footsteps from outside.

"Where are they?!"

"Keep searching you fools!"

"Bastards, lets go and stop talking!"

The large rumbling of horses in the ground. We took a peek and we saw more than twenty men riding their horses. Some are holding swords and some are holding bows and arrows. They look around for awhile and saw no one. After that, they left the place without any marks.

Arthur and I set a plan to get out in this cave safely. I look around and I see no one. I hide in the nearest bush. He followed me and he also hide.  We clearly see no one so we run without any destination.

They say that 'not all the time is yours'. Arthur stops from running and he looks like he notices something. I stop running either.

"Arthur, why did we stop?" I ask him.

He didn't answer me. Yet he silenced me with his index finger. Saying that I should be quiet.
It looks like someone ambush us. Without further ado, two men appear. As expected they  were hiding in the trees.

I remember the dagger Arthur gave me. I took out of it and carefully sway it on my hands. The  two men attack us like we were wild boars. I can't clearly see the face of these two. Pfft. Whatever.

The man is holding a knife and I don't know what exactly he's expression is. I only know is their voice. Unlike them I clearly see the face of Arthur because he's like me.

He's going to stab me right on my leg but sadly he missed it. So I took  my chance to stab him directly to his abdomen. I easily get the knife from him and throw it away. He steps backward knowing that the knife is far behind him. Before he could get it, I jump then kick his head and punch him on the face. Leaving him with no worries, I stab his heart. I make sure he's dead. Gladly, he is.

I look at Arthur and I see his handsome face smiling. I smiled back and I notice that my heart is beating fast. Knowing that this is not the right time to feel this.

When we hear the stomp and rumbling of horses, we ran away.

After awhile, I get exhausted from running.

I noticed something like someone is hiding from us. Guess right, twelve more men appear on us with their horses. We attack on them with our force. My arm felt like it's aching and I saw the blood dripping from it. Good thing I ate the herbs so its slowly healing.

After killing those twelve men I felt really exhausted. The effect of the herbs are slowly disappearing. Same situation in Arthur.

Another troop of men came to our direction. We can't run anymore, the legs of Arthur were soaking in blood. Also in my arms and waist were dripping in blood.

"Escaping us little fools?" Looks like their captain said it. All of their face is so blur. I can only judge their expression by hearing their voice. Unlike Arthur he can see their face clearly.

"Isn't it obvious?" I answered back.

"Ohhh, looks like the daughter of someone has gotten some nerves to talk back."  He said it like he's shock.

They start attacking us. We gave them the strength we only have. Our daggers is full of blood. 

I saw the man holding the bow and arrow. He pointed the direction to Arthur and almost shoot him. But before the arrow landed on Arthur, I ran to Arthur and pushed him. The idea of a counter attack crosses on my mind. I found a large-sized pebble that's enough to kill a person, so I throw it back to the man who almost killed Arthur. It stuck in his forehead and the blood was splurted from it.

Suddenly, an annoying voice captured my attention.

"Got a deep wound m'lady." Someone said.

"Oh shut up." But damn, its getting deeper.

"Aella!" Arthur shouted.

But before I shouted back at Arthur, I stab the man I was talking to. I felt someone stabbing my back. Suddenly, my head spins and I feel dizzy.

Arthur ran away to me. He killed the man who stabbed my back. I look around and I saw the dead bodies. He hugged me tight so that my body can't be out of balance. He killed the people who chased us. The remaining ones.

I thought we can go back home. I thought we can live our life peacefully. I thought we can escape from this crucial environment. I thought it's the end.

But it's a no.

I see a familiar face hiding in the top of the tree holding a bow and two arrows. He pointed the first arrow at Arthur. I wanted to save him but I can't, my body is too weak.

"Arthur" I call him in a whisper tone.

••••••

The arrow is now in his back. Blood and sweat is dripping all over our body. Seconds passed then the second arrow is now in my waist. We both fell on the ground. Bathing in our own blood.

"I know this would happen." Arthur said to me.

"I'm sorry." I suddenly felt a tiny piece of water fell from my eye. I cried.

I look at the surroundings and I see the clear faces in each men. So this is it.

"Don't be." He smiled while wiping my tears away.

"The curse is now gone." He smiled widely.

"I'm proud of you, Darling" he said. He hug me tightly as much as he can.

"I love you and I always be." He closed his eyes after saying his last words to me.

I tried to wake him up but he didn't respond. I tried everything I can from his breathing to his heart that stops beating. I cried, its too late. He didn't even get a chance to hear the words he wants to hear. Also the words I want to say to him.

"I love you too." Then I slowly close my eyes. Joining him to end the pain we struggle for a long time.

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