The Black Rose

Chapter 4

That night, William took the leather sack out of his coat pocket. He always counted the money before giving it to Elizabeth, as she could never be caught with so much money in her hands. The king, as always, would be furious.

This time, however, was different. Along with the money, the sack contained a folded piece of parchment, very similar to the one Elizabeth had found. Only, this one was addressed to William. Curiously, he unfolded the parchment to read,

"Tonight I will take her with me. Be ready with two horses. "  

~F

He smiled, and quickly threw the letter into the hot coals of his dead fire. Surely, within minutes, the letter would be nothing but dust.

Shrugging on his dark cloak, William rushed into the night, hoping not to be late.

~~~

Vivienne sat on the window seat staring up at the glittering night sky. She had just sent her hand-maid away, and now twirled her freshly braided hair in her fingers. It wasn't rare for Vivienne to accidentally fall asleep while gazing out the window. Oftentimes she would wake up just as the sun rose, and would watch as its orange light crept onto the trees surrounding her home.

Just as she began getting comfortable, a quiet, yet urgent, knock sounded at the door.

"One moment please," she answered while quickly moving to grab her shawl. Once covered, she opened the door to reveal one of the head knights.

"Sir Charles, is there something wrong?"

"Your Majesty, we must leave at once. There is little time. Grab your warmest cloak and come with us."

"What do you mean? Where must I go? And who else is with you?" She questioned the trustful knight while leaning her head out of the door. As she peered down the hallway, she saw no one. The sound of stone scraping against stone pulled her back into the room. When she turned to look, a hole had opened up in her wall. Out came a man, who barely fit in the tunnel. He was rugged, muscular, and very familiar.

"F-Fred--"

"Shh, my name is Eric for the time being. I can't risk anyone on the king's side to hear my real name," he interrupted with a tenderness in his tone.

"But you-- Aren't you-- They said you were dead," Vivienne stuttered. Tears welled in her eyes, the shock of seeing her lost love shaking her very core.

"Don't cry my dear. I know it is a bit of a surprise, but I promise to explain everything later. We need to leave now if we're ever to get out."

Vivienne nodded her head and rushed to grab her cloak. Within minutes the three of them were rushing out of the secret tunnel in the queen's room. As expected, William had two horses saddled and ready to ride. The couple mounted their horses and with the help of Sir Charles opening the gate, rode off together into the glittering night.

~~~

Everyone had heard the news by noon the next day. The queen had been kidnapped. Elizabeth had known that something was wrong when her mother was late to tutor her. She had rushed to her mother's room, only to find it empty. Her bed was made, as if it hadn't been touched the whole night. Her room was spotless, all except for a cushion that had fallen from the window seat. Elizabeth had run to the nearest guard, frantically explaining that her mother was gone. Her father was enraged, so she had made sure to stay far away when he heard the news.

Now, she sat in the stable with William. Half of the king's guard had been searching for hours. She knew her father would not rest until his queen was found. She would be out there looking too, if not for William. He refused to let her search, saying "it's too dangerous" or "I'm sure she's alright". Elizabeth knew he was just trying to protect her. She needed to be alive, to kill the king and succeed his throne. After becoming barren due to a riding accident, Vivienne hadn't been able to produce any more heirs.

Elizabeth was aware of how important it was for her to stay safe, but at the same time she couldn't sit idle. Her mother was the only family she had, other than William. She itched to help search.

"I know this sounds heartless, but you mustn't worry. Your father will find her soon enough. You must continue your plan for completing the assignment."

Elizabeth sighed, and leapt to her feet. "How could you say that? I've just had one of my parents taken from me. How could you even think that I'd be able to plan how to rid the other?"

William lowered his head. "Apologies, your Highness. I shouldn't be so careless with my words. It's just important that you don't delay. We don't want Eric bringing a mob here to finish the job himself."

Elizabeth scoffed in reply. "I doubt anyone would be that stupid or reckless to attack the king like that. His guards would surely have no problem fighting them off, no matter how big the mob."

"Of course, your Highness. It's just something to keep in mind."

"I'll do my best William. But I make no promises about making progress." Using those words as a farewell, Elizabeth stormed out of the stables.

As she rounded the corner, Elizabeth noticed two of her father's closest guards entering William's shack. Against her good judgment, she snuck close, making sure to keep out of their sight. Somehow, they managed to force the door open without making a sound. Elizabeth crept closer, hoping to get some sort of view. Why would they want to be in William's house, and without his permission?

The guards tore the place apart. Drawers with clothing were strewn about. The small table and chair were flipped for seemingly no reason. Elizabeth cautiously peered through the small window, and watched as the two stopped at the fireplace. One bent down to inspect a small, singed corner of paper. Looking to his partner, they mumbled a few words then left the shack.

Waiting until the guards were out of sight, Elizabeth ran into the now-disfigured home. Why would her father's guards do this? What were they looking for? She quickly turned to the fireplace to find the same singed paper in the ash. Slipping it into the bodice of her dress, Elizabeth ran back to the stables. There William stood, a little stunned by her distraught look.

"William, I don't know why, but there were two guards that just tore your home apart. They found this note in your fireplace, then left right after." Pausing to catch her breath, Elizabeth pulled the piece of parchment to hand to William.

He quickly snatched it away. Worry filled his eyes. "How could I have been so reckless," he muttered.

"What is it? The note is barely legible. I don't think anyone could make out what it said. Only the signature is unharmed." Elizabeth peered over William's shoulder trying to see what else the note could say.

"That doesn't matter. The signature may be more than enough for me to be in serious trouble." He ran a hand through his grey streaked hair and began to pace.

"Who's signature is it William?"

"Someone I was hired to kill in my assassin days, long before I handed the Dark Phoenix title to you. The king would be furious to find out that his death was only faked."

"The king? Who would my father want assassinated?"

William sighed, then sat down on a worn, wooden stool. "His older brother."