Princess Ebs And The Tale Of Love

Chapter 6: The Princess And The Hero

"God, it's cold." Shuddered the head guard. He had been standing in front of the golden gate all night. It was mind numbing work, but it had to be done for the sake of the Anghara family.

Then, he heard a horses neigh.
"Horse, north east, in the trees men!" Cried the head guard. All the guards at the tower walls ran to the north east side, and joined up, their spears towards the distant trees.
"Be on the ready, men." Said the head guard.

And then a grey horse came galloping out of the trees, on its back... it couldn't be.
"I say!" Gasped the head guard. "It's the Princess!"
The rest of the guards lowered their spears in confusion.

"To the guard at the gate, Blue!" Said Ebs, pointing. Blue neighed, and galloped up to him.

"Good heavens, princess, what on earth happened to you!?" Asked the head guard, helping her off the horse.
The princess was covered in black soot marks, her dress dirty and ripped at the bottom. Rope burns lined her wrists and ankles.
"J-Jacob..." she stammered, nearly falling over, the head guard holding onto her. "H-he kidnapped me... a-a man... the intruder... he saved me."
"Jacob Gate kidnapped you!?" Bellowed the head guard. "And you say the intruder saved you?"
"He wasn't an intruder," said ebs breathlessly. "It was all a misunderstanding, he was chasing a thief onto these grounds by mistake. Then he came and saved me when Jacob kidnapped me."
The head guard helped her to the ground.
"Where have you been, your highness?" He asked.
"Blue will show you... He's Harry's horse, the man you've been hunting. Jacob took me to an underground lava chamber. He tried to melt me alive..."
"GOOD GRIEF!" Shrieked the head guard.
"We have to help Harry, he's still in there with Jacob. Blue!"
Blue looked at Ebs.
"Show these men where Harry is!"
Blue neighed, and turned to face the direction they came from.
"Will you be alright here, your highness?" Asked the head guard, helping her over to the tower wall.
"I'm just exhausted, I'm not injured. Go and save Harry."
"MEN, BE AT THE READY FOR BATTLE," yelled the head guard to his men, who all turned in the same direction. "AND FOLLOW THAT HORSE!"
Blue neighed, and shot off towards the trees, with all the guards in tow.
Ebs watched them go.
"Hold on Harry, hold on..."

The guards rushed through the trees, yelling battle cries.
The second in command guard caught up to the head guard.
"Is this necessary, sir!?" He yelled.
The head guard looked daggers at him.
"You're still out of your blasted mind! Jacob has committed an act of violence against the Anghara Family, and must be punished for his crimes!"
The other guard fell silent.
"Yes sir!"
"Much better, Mr-"
The head guard was suddenly cut short, as the second in command was shot in the back by an arrow.
The head guard stopped, whipped around to see nobody. He looked back at the guard, and he fell to the ground. There was a trip wire.
"IT'S A TRAP, MEN!" He bellowed, but all around him, he watched his men get caught up in ropes, get shot with arrows, and pulled up by their legs into trees.

Blue stopped and looked back. He had cleared the traps. The head guard looked to the horse.
"Go, Blue!" He yelled. "Bring back your master!"
Blue neighed, turned and shot off towards the tunnel.
"Ow..." groaned the second in command on the floor.
"You're wearing steel armour, man!" The head guard said. "It didn't even penetrate your skin!"

Harry fell to his knees. The air was thick with soot and heat. The lava pool seemed to be rising, and Harry could barely breath.
He coughed up blood, and tried to suck in the thick dirty air.
"At least..." he gasped, "I died a hero..."

Then, he heard the distant neighing of his oldest, and closest friend. Through the exit, like an Angel sent from heaven, Blue galloped into view, backlit by the moonlight.

A tear rolled down Harry's cheek, as blue galloped up to him and stopped beside him.
Harry sucked in all the air he could, and wearily hoisted himself up onto blue. He fell limp on the saddle, his head falling against the fur of Blues neck.
"Get me home blue..." Harry said breathlessly, "get me home..."
Blue neighed solemnly, and took off through the exit.

The head guard had been cutting free his men with his hidden knife, and pulling arrows out of the steel armour they were wearing.
"Look at us," he said timidly. "Made to look like fools..." he humphed at the air.
"At least we aren't dead." Said the second in command, putting a hand on the head guards shoulder.
"Look there!" Said one of the men. "It's the horse!"
Blue galloped out of the trees.
"Good grief, it's the intruder I saw yesterday afternoon!" Said another guards.
Blue stopped at the head guard.
He observed a battered, soot covered Harry. His burns and bruises told his tale. He really had fought to save the princess.
"This man was not an intruder." Said the head guard.
Harry snorted awake, coughing up smoke and more soot.
"Goodness, he lives!" Said the second in command.
"Jacob... he's still in there..." said Harry in a raspy voice.
"Where exactly?" asked the head guard.
"Keep going forward, you'll find a tunnel. Go down it, you'll find him." Said Harry with his last ounce of energy.
Blue neighed, and took off past the guards towards the tower.

The guards looked from one to another.

"ONWARDS MEN!" Yelled the head guard, and they all began running forward into the trees once more.

Ebs awaited nervously at the tower wall. She knew, if her bedroom intruder had survived, she was going to marry him.
A neigh broke the silence, and blue galloped out of the trees, with a conscious Harry on his back.

The princess's excitement was so great, she was able to stand once more.
"Oh my! My handsome saviour!" She cried, running up to blue, who trotted to a stop.
"The one and only..." said Harry in his raspy voice.
Ebs helped him off his horse, and dragged him over to the wall, blue nudging him with his nose to help.
"Are you alright?" She asked.
"It was a heavy beating, but I should be fine. I just need rest." He coughed.
"Oh, you can't rest until I kiss you!" Cried ebs, and with that, she leant forward, and kissed him. Her touch seared it's way from his lips to his toes. And Harry embraced her lovingly, for in one night, she was his.

A commotion made them break their lip lock and look over at the trees, and blue to neigh in amusement.

The head guard and second in command emerged, pulling along a rough looking Jacob.
"I knew you were no good!" Said the head guard. "I said it myself, to Mr Anghara no less! Bet he wishes he'd listened to me now!"
Jacob groaned.
"This is a lifetime in prison, if not a public execution!" Added the second in command, as all of the guards began to appear from the trees.
Ebs looked back at Harry, who went to open his mouth, but Ebs put her finger to his lips.
"Don't worry, hero. I'll go with the lifetime in prison option."
Harry smiled.
"Are you both alright?" Wheezed the head guard, pulling Jacob to a stop.
"We're quite alright, kind sir." Said the Princess, smiling at the head guard. "Now, if you wouldn't mind, would you care to take Mr Cage to the cells? You can take one of the tower horses."
The head guard nodded his head feverishly.
"Absolutely, ma'am! Right away, ma'am!" He said, turning to his guards.
"Right men! You've all done excellent work on this night! I just need you for one last trip to the holding cells with our new friend here, Jacob Cage!"
The men hurrahed, and they all ran off to get Jacob onto one of the tower horses.

Blue sat down next to the new couple.
"Bit ironic his names cage... and he's going to spend his life behind bars." Chuckled Harry.
Ebs giggled. "I should've seen it coming."
Then Harry said something that made the Princess not only stop, but gasp.

"When's the wedding then, your highness?"

THE END