Chapter 7
The Evernean Forest
Lara
My eyes opened with the sun shyly peeking out behind the tree branches. I must have eventually fallen asleep again, after my nightmare.
I watched Alcott and his men saddling up their horses, and contemplated who exactly they were, and where they came from. Judging by their accents alone, I doubted they were Evernean, but their clothes bore no symbols or clues as to who they were and they didn’t appear to be carrying anything of importance, like merchant goods, to indicate the reason or destination for their journey.
Perhaps my only chance to get away would be to gain some of their trust. I could understand why they were suspicious of me. I’d hardly provided a clear story about who I was and what I was doing when I encountered them. But at that moment I’d been unprepared and taken by surprise and inappropriately dressed. In fact, I still sort of was.
The only thing I knew for certain was that they had managed to cause a lot of trouble in my life in a very short time and that I wanted to get away from them as soon as possible. Lance would explode if he found out I was missing, and that would be only if Rhen or Cordelia or any of them were still alive.
I walked over to where Alcott was returning his sword to its scabbard. For a moment, a jewel at the hilt caught my eye before my gaze shifted back to him. “I have a favour to ask you.” My voice came out hoarse and groggy.
“Yes?” He didn’t look like he was eager to do me any sort of favour.
“I need clothes.”
He looked slightly surprised at my request, but not completely unwilling.
“I hate to tell you, madam, but I’m afraid we don’t carry fancy dresses with us.”
“I don’t need dresses. I’ll wear whatever you have.”
It wouldn’t be the first time I wore men’s clothes. Alcott didn’t seem entirely convinced.
“I’ll see what I can get you.”
I stood waiting as he walked over to Conner’s mare and pulled a few things out of one of the bags. He made his way back to me and handed over the clothes and shoes. I mumbled a small thank you before turning around and scanning the area for bushes, hoping to find one I could dress behind. There were a few not too far off and I started making my way in that direction, before a voice came up behind me.
“Where are you going?”
I rolled my eyes. Turning around, clothes in my arms, I scowled at him.
“I’m getting dressed,” I stated.
“Where?” He crossed his arms.
“Over there.” I gestured to where I was heading, and Alcott shook his head.
“I’m coming with you.”
My eyes widened. “You most certainly are not!”
But Alcott was already walking. “If you think this is how you’re getting away, then you have another think coming.”
I didn’t have any choice but to follow him, though I did so while stomping my feet as loudly as I could manage, just to show how upset I was with this situation.
I got dressed behind the bush, the morning air forming goosebumps on my skin while my eyes stayed on Alcott, like a bird of prey, making sure he didn’t turn around. The clothes were mostly the same as theirs. A loose white shirt, some riding breeches and a pair of riding boots. I pulled the jacket over my shirt and brushed my fingers through my hair. The material hung a little loose, but most of it fitted well enough.
Alcott’s eyes widened a little as I reached him, but I ignored his foolish face and walked back to the rest of the group. I tossed the torn shift into the ashes of the fire before noticing everyone’s eyes were on me.
“What?” I looked down at my attire before realising most of them had probably never seen a woman prancing around in men’s clothes. Where I came from, we didn’t have the luxury of choosing what we wanted to wear. A lot of the women wore dresses, but sometimes we had to make do with what we had. Especially in my case. I could hardly rob someone and fight them off in a bunch of skirts. It would be illogical. Feeling more comfortable, I placed my hands on my hips and eyed the lot of them.
“You’ve never seen a lady in trousers before?” Raising an eyebrow, I took a moment to look each of them in the eye. The fact that I felt a little more like myself again gave me a reassuring confidence.
I heard someone clear their throat before they looked away and went about their business. Relaxing a little, I let my shoulders drop and made my way towards Alcott’s horse.
Not having to struggle with the likes of a skimpy sleeping gown, I swung myself up with little effort, meeting the questioning gaze of Alcott. At least I seriously doubted they would even believe me now if I told them I was a princess. So there would be little chance of them keeping me for ransom. Alcott got on behind me before taking the reins.
“Can you at least tell me where we’re going?” I asked a while into our ride. Although the clothes were more comfortable, I still had to share a horse with Alcott, which most certainly wasn’t.
“I’m afraid not,” he replied nonchalantly and I rolled my eyes.
“Well, I’m thirsty. When are we stopping for water?”
“Soon.”
I was annoyed with his vagueness and decided that maybe it would be easier to gain the trust of his men first. They seemed important to him. If all of them took a liking to me, perhaps they would simply let me go.
When the afternoon sun was at its peak, we stopped at a small town. I had never been in this part of Everness, but the people appeared to be a middle class of merchants and traders: not wealthy enough to be aristocratic, but not poor enough to be peasants. My stomach rumbled as we dismounted and Alcott’s men spread out.
“May I have a look around or would you like to bind me with ropes?” I asked Alcott, who was busy putting on a jacket.
“You may go anywhere you like.” My heart dared to leap for a moment. “As long as Brutus keeps an eye on you.” My shoulders sagged.
“Fine,” I replied, attempting not to show any emotion. “Where are you going?” He was already starting to walk away before he turned around to face me. Holding my hands behind my back, I swayed back and forth a little, smiling ever so charmingly.
“Don’t try anything.” He disappeared into the small cluster of people in the street.
“Well then.” I looked at Brutus, who didn’t appear all too eager to babysit me. “I guess it’s just you and me, big guy.” I slapped him on the shoulder before walking past, knowing he would be following behind. The village wasn’t that big and finding the market didn’t take me too long. I had an idea — the only problem was I didn’t have any money on me.
I started scanning the people who walked past. Their faces, clothes and any belongings they might carry with them. Poverty was easy to spot and therefore so was the lack of it. It took a while and every face I scanned earned a no in my mind. But then, my eyes fell on a middle-aged man, clearly a merchant or in business of some sort. His clothes were nice, his hands smooth and his face without a hint of hardship. And a lovely little sack of coins peeked out from his coat pocket.
I looked in front of me to avoid suspicion, though keeping him in my peripheral vision. Brutus continued behind me. When I reached the man, instead of walking around him, I bumped into his shoulder before sliding my hand into his coat pocket and pulling out the small bag of coins.
“Sorry, I’m so sorry.” I pretended to apologise, but he barely looked at me and I grinned devilishly. I crossed my arms while clutching the small bag between my fingers. We walked for a few more feet before I turned back to Brutus. “I need you to get me a cloak.” I gestured to my attire, which was in dire need of concealing. He hesitated. “People are looking at me suspiciously.” Which wasn’t even a lie, although Brutus didn’t look entirely convinced. I could hardly blame him.
“Please,” I begged. I simply needed a few minutes for him to walk to the horses and back. Brutus didn’t move. “Come on, what could I possibly do? I can’t run far enough without you being able to catch me, but I can start screaming and telling everyone that you kidnapped me.”
He swallowed and for a moment my conscience ticked at the thought of me manipulating him. But I pushed it back where all my guilty feelings lay lost and forgotten. Brutus gestured with his head, suggesting I follow him.
“Oh it’s all right,” I said with my most innocent voice. “I can wait here.” I stood with my hands behind my back until the crowd swallowed him, before running back to one of the market stands we had passed.
The man behind the table looked friendly and, as could be expected, very eager for business. He proceeded to show me all the different kinds of daggers and pocketknives he had available. I settled on one with a slightly decorated hilt before paying the man with the coin I had stolen. I thanked the vendor and slid the dagger into my sleeve.
Brutus came back with a cloak, which I wrapped around myself, and we started making our way back.
Alcott and the others were waiting for us when we arrived. “I found a tavern where we could stay for the night,” he said. We followed him to a building around the corner with a sign swinging above the door: Pint Grove. As if that made any sense.
The chatter from inside the tavern was loud, with a fire in the corner warming up the place. I stood a few feet away as Alcott talked to the owner. “And another room for me and my wife.” My eyes widened in their direction. His wife? What exactly did this man think he was up to?
Alcott’s men each went in their own direction. Brutus and Alastor were already comfortable at the bar, with a drink or two, and Conner and Jack went outside, I assumed to stable the horses.
Alcott took me by the elbow and led me upstairs. I didn’t feel like starting a fight yet, so I followed without hassle. We walked down a small corridor and he opened one of the doors with the key given to him by the owner.
The moment the door closed behind us, I whirled around. “Your wife? What exactly do you think you’re doing? I am not sharing a room with you.”
“It’s for your own protection.” He started taking off his weapons and placing them on a small table. I noticed the sword with a jewel at the hilt again. The craftsmanship really was something. And with the thief’s mind I possessed, I could only imagine what something like that would be worth. What appeared to be the dagger I tried to steal, and a hunting knife or two, accompanied the sword. The man was well equipped.
“What protection? I don’t need you to protect me. After all, I am your hostage.”
“You’re a woman... actually, a girl, practically. You’re not safe in here alone. Even if you locked your door, you might not be the only one with a key. Who knows who might have come to visit you!”
I crossed my arms in annoyance. “How dare you insult me like that? And I will have you know that I’m perfectly capable of defending myself.” He had no idea just how capable I could be.
There were cups and a bottle of ale on a cabinet. Alcott started pouring himself a cup. “It was not an insult and normally I would have left, but since you’re proving to be more stubborn than a mare in heat, I might stay just to annoy you.” He sat down on a chair at the small table, grinning like a fool. I merely gawked, flabbergasted. He might just have been the most repulsive male I had ever had the misfortune to meet in my entire life. Which was saying a lot.
“So first you kidnap me and now you want to protect my honour? Well, aren’t you just a hero.”
Alcott took a sip of his drink and then his emerald eyes met mine, burning with certain intensity.
“My men are soldiers who have been trained their whole lives to protect themselves and others. They are prepared for any kind of attack, and suddenly a woman appears out of nowhere in the middle of the night in only her shift and manages to steal a dagger from one of my most trusted men without him even waking. Do you have any idea what that would take? Seems a bit suspicious, doesn’t it?”
“No. It only proves that I don’t need you to protect me and that you are simply the most paranoid person in Everness. I am not a threat to you and I demand you let me go at once.”
He might have had a point, but I wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction of agreeing with him. But he had admitted something — they were soldiers, then. The question was, what kind of soldiers? They could be a team of scouts, sent out to inform Prince Cai. Alcott put his cup down before walking over to me.
“I’m going to ask you one last time: who are you and what were you doing stealing daggers off strangers in the middle of the night?”
I was surprised by how much I wanted to hurt him then. To shove him away from me. Was it because his eyes were boring into my own in a way that almost made my skin crawl? And not in a bad way. I lifted my chin, keeping my plan in mind.
“I’ve told you once and I will tell you again — I’m nobody important,” I stated. “I’m just the daughter of an aristocrat who was travelling through the woods to meet up with her family in their summer home. We were attacked by bandits who tried to kidnap me, but I escaped and got lost. That’s when I stumbled upon you and your men.”
“So why didn’t you ask for help?”
“How was I to know that you weren’t just as bad as the bandits? That you wouldn’t keep me for ransom? I thought I could watch you for a while to see if I could trust you.”
Not my best work, but better than nothing.
“Is that really true?” he asked.
“Yes.”
Alcott’s smirk was unnerving. “I don’t believe you.”
My mouth fell slightly open when a knock came at the door. Alcott opened it, said something that resembled thanks and turned towards me. In his hands was a bundle of clothes, which he tossed to me. “Get dressed. I’ll be back soon.” And then he closed the door behind him. I stood in silence for a few seconds before unfolding the clothes.
Alcott didn’t lock the door, but I didn’t leave the room.
The windows couldn’t open and I had a feeling that I wouldn’t be able to get past all of them downstairs. At least not while they were awake or sober. That being said, any good thief knew that patience was more than a virtue. It was a trick all on its own, for the longer you waited, the more rewarding it became.
I pretended to fall asleep on the bed, though I didn’t dare get under the covers. I would rather sleep on the forest floor. When Alcott returned he took a blanket and made himself comfortable on the floor, next to the bed. I listened to his breathing until it became even and I knew he had fallen asleep. I reached under the pillow, pulled out the dagger I had got from the market and clutched it tightly.
I placed one foot on the floor and then the other before standing up slowly, though no matter how quiet I tried to be, the bed still made an awful squeaking noise, and I cringed.
Alcott didn’t move. I studied him carefully to see if his breathing pattern changed. He had a lock of blond hair resting over his forehead. There were no movements underneath his eyelids. Letting out a small sigh of relief, I stepped over his body. The door was so close, I could smell my freedom.
I was halfway through taking my next step when a hand wrapped around my ankle and pulled me to the floor. A sound of surprise escaped me and I toppled over, my joints protesting at the impact on the wooden floorboards.
I turned, ready to swing a blow, but Alcott was above me, reaching to pin me down.
“What do you think you’re doing?”
I kicked at his leg and pulled his wrist, causing him to lose balance and making it all the easier for me to roll him over and press my dagger to his throat.
“Getting out of here, obviously.”
He managed to push my arm away and pull us both into a standing position, holding both my hands and my knife behind my back.
“I hardly think so.”
“Let me go,” I pushed out in a cold voice.
“Or what?” he responded, his eyes daring me.
I tilted my head and smirked, before kneeing him and making a beeline towards the door. The tavern was still busy, despite the late hour. I stumbled down the wooden stairs and turned to see Alcott run out of the room behind me.
I pushed past tables and bodies, and without meaning to, I bumped into someone, causing me to tumble back. “Rhen?” I looked up at him in confusion.
“You’re alive?”
“There you are.” Alcott’s voice came from behind me. He picked me up from the floor while I struggled to get out of his grasp.
“Get your hands off her!” Rhen made his way to Alcott and one or two of my other guards jumped in. He had just managed to pull Alcott away from me when there was a shout from the other side of the tavern.
“Get your hands off him!” And in a moment, Jack and Alastor were upon us. A fight broke out, causing a rise in voices throughout the whole tavern, until something fell out of Rhen’s pocket.
Alcott bent down to pick it up and, without thinking twice, I tried to wrench it out of his hands, but his grip was too tight.
“Give it! That’s mine.”
“Where did you get it?”
“That’s none of your business!”
The fight broke off and then it was only Alcott and me pulling the necklace back and forth between us.
“Did you steal it?”
Well . . .
“It was a gift.”
“From who?” he persisted.
“Why does it matter?” I looked at him like he was insane.
“Because I gave that necklace as an engagement present to the woman I’m supposed to marry!”
At the same time the words left his mouth, both Rhen and Jack said, “Your Highness, please.”
Silence fell and we were left gawking at each other.
“Your Highness?” I looked at Alcott, or whatever his name was.
“Cai, actually.” He let the necklace go. “Heir to the throne of Norrandale.”
I managed to mutter out, “Eloisa, Princess of Everness.”
Cai’s face turned a fierce shade of red and he swallowed hard. Next to him, Jack and Alastor dipped into a bow.
“Your Highness,” Jack said.
My throat had gone dry with shock and I was frozen. Well, who would have seen that coming?
“I—” Forming words would be more difficult than I’d thought.
Cai’s eyes slowly took me in. His expression was somewhat horrified as he remembered everything he had done to the woman he now knew he was going to marry.
“Your Highness, I must speak with you.” Rhen drew my attention away from the prince.
“Of course,” I said, slightly dazed, turning to follow him. “Of course.”
“We’ve been looking for you.” Rhen stated the obvious as we stepped outside the tavern.
“Well, congratulations! You found me.”
Rhen frowned. “How did you even end up here, with Prince Cai no less?”
I sighed, brushing my fingers through my hair. “Well, after I managed to get away from the bandit, I got a little lost in the woods and I stumbled upon the lot of them. They lied about who they were and I lied about who I was and well, you know, now we’re here.”
“And you’re still lying to him about who you are.”
I scowled. “It’s not like I have a choice. I’m doing what I have to and it’s not like you’re doing so very well either. You literally only had one job and that was to guard me. Does Lance even know?”
“Of course Prince Lance doesn’t know,” he replied. “You’ve seen how easily he can turn. It wouldn’t exactly be difficult for him to convince the kingdom that we lost the real princess and that it was an act of treason. He could have hanged us. So we decided to keep looking until we got to the manor house.”
“I can’t believe you’re all alive. Is Cordelia all right?”
“Yes, she’s fine. Just a bit startled. We were really lucky to make it out alive.”
“Still, we’re going to have to tell Lance something. It would seem rather suspicious for us to arrive at Woodsbrook Manor together.”
“We’re simply going to tell the prince that our two parties managed to cross paths on our way to Woodsbrook and that will be the end of it.”
“Do we stay here for the night?” I asked him.
“It’s too dangerous to travel now. Perhaps you can share a room with Cordelia and then we’ll leave at dawn.”
“That sounds good.” I was relieved at the thought of no longer having to share a room with Cai. I wasn’t even sure how I was going to look him in the eye again after everything that had happened.
Rhen must have seen my expression because he said, “Don’t worry. All will be fine, you’ll see.”
I wanted to agree but I had a hard time believing it.