Knight's End (The Knight Trilogy) (8 page)

Jade laughed aloud as she realized she hadn’t gotten dressed after Matilda had helped her
out of her dress. She was
dressed in nothing but undergarments.
The princess
went to her wardrobe and pulled out a simple yellow dress, slipping it over her head and reveling in the fact no corset was needed.

She
tried to look composed as she made her way through the palace,
forcing herself
not to bolt from the castle. She entered the throne room cautiously, smiling when she saw that her mother had chosen to accompany her father that day.
Normally the queen spent her days in the library or the gardens.

“Hello, Mother, Father.” Jade curtsied as she reached the silver thrones, smiling at her mother. She then turned her eyes to her father. “I was going to take Bella for a ride. Is that alright?” King Aric never had a problem with Jade riding her black mare, but she made a point to always let her father know where she was. There were dangerous people out there, and
it made her feel safer if her father knew where she was.

“Of course,
c
hild. Be back by supper, though. We wouldn’t want you to miss your big celebration.” Aric’s grin spread across his weathered face. It had been a rough couple of days, with Duke Aeron being brutally murdered in the palace and his son, Jacob being rushed to Adion. 
It showed on the king’s face that he hadn’t been sleeping. It was barely concealed beneath his excitement.

“Yes, Father. Good day, Mother.” Jade curtsied once more and forced herself to stroll out of the throne room at a normal pace. Once outside, she didn’t hold back, racing across the grounds, laughing as her skirt flowed around her. She was finally free, for the first time in her life. She could go where she wanted,
do
what she wanted. She could go for days without bathing or brushing her hair, let her clothes get dirty and not immediately change.

As Jade neared the stables she slowed, switching back to her
p
rincess persona as she ordered Sebastian, their old stable hand, to saddle
her beautiful little jennet
for her. She found her foot tapping impatiently as she waited for the man, who seemed to be taking his time with Bella that afternoon. As soon as the horse
was rea
dy, Jade hurriedly mounted
, forcing herself to ride sidesaddle until they left the gates.

She directed Bella to the castle, sneaking her way around to the back. S
he leapt down, grabbing her bag
before climbing back onto the horse. Using a rope she’d
taken
from the stable, Jade secured the leather bag to Bella’s saddle, giving it a tug to make sure it would stay in place. She used the extra large skirt she wore to cover the bag and smiled. She always had been a sneaky little princess.

“Come on, Bella
. Let’s go and find an adventure!” Jade urged the horse into a steady gallop as soon as the castle gates were behind her, and soon even the town itself began to disappear. She felt a little bit guilty, leaving her father to deal with Jacob on his own, but the man deserved it. A woman deserved to pick her own husband; a woman deserved love.

Jade had every intention of finding it, somewhere out in the world.

“Listen to the musn’ts child. Listen to the don’ts.
Listen to the shoudln’ts, the impossible, the
won’ts. 
Listen to the never h
aves, then listen close to me….
Anything can happen, child. Anything can be.”
- Shel Silverstein -

Richie
had been thoroughly scolded for leaving Madam Louise’s side in the market place. She swatted the boy on the behind several times on the way back to the palace, but Richie knew she had just been worried.
He
couldn’t blame her for her actions.

As they reached the palace gates,
he
stole a glance at the worn path through the trees, wishing he could disappear in the forest and stay with Aston. They would have grand adventures together, racing through villages, saving damsels, and reading every book they found along the way.
But he had a job to do now.

Madam Louise sent
him
to his room as soon as they entered the palace. Richie decided
to take the long way to his chambers
, passing by the
throne room
on the way.
King Donn was there, speaking with someone from the city whom Richie didn’t know
, though he could not make out what they were saying. With a si
gh, he continued to his room
, wishing he could do more to help Aston.

“This stinks,”
h
e muttered, kicking the door to his room closed. He winced as the sound echoed through the corridor; when no one came to scold him, Richie relaxed again.  He made his way to his bed, plopping down on its soft surface and resting his elbows on
his knees. He leaned forwards, placing his face in his palms, and swung his legs back and forth.

I have to
find
a way to help Aston,
he thought. It would do him no good sitting around in his room. As much as he disliked the idea of disobeying Madam Louise twice in one day, he knew he had to
leave to investigate
. Richie stood again, tiptoeing to his door. He would have to be sneaky and sly, like Aston when he went on his missions.
The boy
grinned, making a game out of the job and turning it into an adventure.

Richie crept down the hallway on his toes, listening for guards and bandits as he made his way through the castle,
he thought, narrating his adventure.
If the guards saw him he would be locked in the dungeon, but he had to save the damsel from the ferocious beast.
H
e was halfway down the hallway now, his face grim.

As he heard approaching footsteps, he crushed himself to the wall, sucking in his stomach and being as still as possible. As soon as the sound was gone, he resumed his mission.

He was almost caught by a dungeon troll, but managed to escape! He slowed his steps as he neared the throne room, listening for the King’s even breathing to suggest he was asleep.
Due to living in the palace his entire life, Richie knew King Donn took a nap every afternoon, while the sun was at its highest position in the sky.
The boy
snuck into the room, leaving the doors open just a crack so as not to arouse suspicion.

True to his schedule, King Donn was asleep on his cha
ir. Richie wasn’t sure why the k
ing wouldn’t return to his room to nap, but he pushed the thought aside as he crept soundlessly down the carpet, stopping in front of the throne.

“If I were a clue, where would I hide?”
h
e
asked himself, keeping his voice low. The king was holding an envelope in his hand, but Richie didn’t dare try and take it. The rest of the room was clean. He searched around and under all three thrones, looked at all of the columns, and even checked under the rug. Nothing useful was hidden there.

The boy
jumped as the door he’d left partially open started to swing inwards. He leapt behind Prince Talbot’s throne and made himself as small as possible, his heart racing at the prospect of being caught.

King Donn shifted in his throne, h
is head falling forwards toward
his chest. He jerked awake, shaking his head to clear the last of the drowsiness from his mind. Looking up, he noticed T
albot walking toward
him. The k
ing cleared his throat before speaking.

“Talbot, son. What news do you bring?”

Talbot bowed his head at his father before taking a seat in his own throne.
“No word, Father. Aston is nowhere to be found. The guard has their best hounds after him now, but we fear he may have crossed the river. If that is true, we won’t find his trail.” T
he prince’s
voice was thick with anger.

Richie cowered behind the throne, silently praying that he wouldn’t be caught.

“I am sure they will find him, Talbot. A traitor like that is bound to make a mistake. He’s probably still running, leaving this place as far behind as he possibly can. The coward.”

“Yes, Father. I am sure you are right. Any word from King Aric? Does he know where the Rogue will strike next?”

Behind the throne, Richie raised his head, his interest peaked. This was th
e lead he had been waiting for!

“Nothing from King Aric. However, Duke Roland of
Northsbury
sends word that his king has been targeted. They wish for assistance.”

“Do you plan on off
ering them help, Father?” the prince
aske
d, his tone hopeful.

“I wasn’t going to. What do I care of a country so far from our own?” King Donn answered, dismissing t
he idea with a wave of his hand, which Richie could just see around the side of Talbot’s throne.

“Let me go, Father.” Silence. Then,
Talbot elaborated. “If you were a knight who let a deranged murderer get away and then ran away to avoid your sentence, what would you do?”
Another moment of silence followed, and the prince sighed.
“Aston will be going after the Rogue, Father. He’ll think that bringing the Rogue here will help clear his name of all wrongdoings.”

This time,
the king answered quickly
. “You’re
absolutely right, Talbot! Go, s
on. Take as many men with you as you think you might need. Bring Aston back here, alive. I want to speak with him.”

Talbot didn’t answer, and soon Richie heard the sound of his quickly retreating footsteps. He
waited until King Donn fell
asleep again, his gentle snores
filling the room, before he emerged from his hiding place. Donn had set the envelope on a small table beside his throne and
the boy
snatched it, tucking it
into the waistband of his breeches
and pulling his shirt down to conceal it.

As
h
e made his way back to his room, his smile grew larger and larger. Not only could he tell Aston where the Rogue would be
next, but he could warn him about Talbot’s army too. It was more than he could ask for! Richie would be the greatest spy Aston had ever seen. In five days time he would
be with the knight
again, telling him all the wonderful news. His mentor would find the Rogue, bring him back, and
live happily as a knight again!

Richie bumped into Madam Louise as his thoughts got away from him. He oomphed, falling on his behind on the stone floors. Madam Louise placed her hands on her hips and sent him a stern look.

“What are you doing out of your room, young man?” she scolded.
The boy
smiled up at her and shrugged, ever the picture of innocence. With a sigh, Madam Louise helped him to his feet
. “While you’re here, you may
as well help me. Come along. We are going to the gardens to find vegetables for tonight’s stew.”

Richie tagged along happily, for once not bothered by his work. He picked the largest, ripest vegetables he could find before heading back inside, helping Madam Louise clean countless rooms
and then
falling into bed
for the
night. As he slept, he dreamt of Aston on wild adventures with a beautiful maiden by his side. He knew, somehow, that what he saw was real, and that Aston would he
truly
free someday soon.

“There is a woman at the beginning
of all great things.”
- Alphonse de Lamartine –

Jade ran Bella as hard and fast as she could through the mild, fall night. The
horse’s frantic breathing did
nothing to calm her own pounding heart. Two days had passed since she
’d
left home
,
and she regretted the decision more with each passing moment. Night had fallen; the forest’s creatures came alive as moonlight filtered through the treetops. Risking a glance behind her, Jade barely held in her scream.

Racing after her black mare was a pack of wolves, the alpha so close Jade could see the yellow of his eyes. He nipped at Bella’s hind leg and the horse let out a squeal, running faster, pounding her hooves into the hard ground. Jade gripped the reins tighter, wishing she were home in bed instead of in the middle of the forest, running for her life. Bella stumbled and Jade barely caught herself, leaning low over her steed’s back and ushering the horse forward with whispered words.

What am I doing? I don’t belong here!
Jade thought, her eyes wide as she looked back again. T
he wolves were falling behind, some branching off to the sides. They were going to try and surround her. A fierce howl ripped through the night, mixing with the sound of Bella’s frantic panting and the thundering of her hooves against the packed ground. Jade looked around herself, hoping to see something familiar, but it was a wasted effort.