I woke up in the carriage, the King read papers and the Prince glanced at me from the corner of his eyes whilst pretending to look out the window. The back of my skull throbbed and my hair felt wet, from what I assumed was blood. I lifted my bound hands to my head, in a pathetic attempt to stop the throbbing, it didn't work, not one bit.
"Good, you're awake. I have to tell you my dear, that was a very poor attempt on my life."
"I'm sorry to disappoint you." I replied with as much sarcasm as I could master. I saw the prince trying to prevent a grin from climbing onto his face. I was amazed at how different the Prince was to his father, especially when they could be seen as related within a extremely hated bloodline doesn't seem to hold the same hatred and contempt his father and the men before him had felt for those like me.
The king leant forward, the light that shone through the windows of the carriage highlight his ghastly scar, "I suggest you hold your tongue before I have the Captain cut it out."
"Go ahead, I'll just return the favour."
His jaw tightened. I didn't break eye contact with him, I needed him to think I was serious even though I had no idea if I could actually kill a person or even physically injure them. I knew that at times I really wished I could kill the King, but I didn't know if I actually had to the guts to do it.
"Stop the carriage!"
A familiar voice echoed outside, this wasn't going to end cleanly. The carriage pulled to a hasty stop, the King turned around, as he did so I pounced forward, banging his head on the inside of the carriage. Someone tackled me through the door of the carriage, smashing it to pieces and forcing a yelp from me as I landed on the hard forest floor with someone on top of me. I kicked them off and rolled on to my feet, he tried to stand up as fast as I did but he only stumbled more, I spun and kicked him square in the chest, forcing him back to the ground. Then it clicked. Shit. I just knocked the Prince on his ass.
"'Protect the Prince!"
I turned to see three guards running towards me, swords drawn. Shit. Again. A man in a blue sash jumped off his horse and intervened along with his own men. Thank you Patrick! But my celebrating began too soon, a dagger was pushed against my neck by someone behind me. I could not catch a break! I elbowed them as hard as I could with my hands still bound, my assailant loosened his grip on the dagger so I knocked it out of their hand. I spun and hit them in the head as hard as I could with my hands clenched together, knocking them to the ground. I picked up the dagger and cut my hands loose, my wrists were a raw red from the rope. I looked my assailant and guess who it was, the bloody Prince again. Ok, I needed to knock some sense into this guy.
I held the dagger to his throat, "Stand up slowly and don't try anything, or I'll cut your throat wide open."
He did as I said.
"I suggest you let us go or you'll lose a Prince!" I yelled at the guards. They stopped and dropped their weapons, Patrick looked at me and raised an eyebrow, I shrugged and turned back to the guards.
"You are going to let us mount the horses and leave, or we'll kill him."
"No you won't." The King stepped out from the carriage, his arrogance seeping from him like body odour.
"How do you know?"
"Because you said it yourself, your fight is with me and not him."
Shit.
"True, but he is my only ticket out of here. Because I might not kill him, doesn't mean they won't." I nodded towards Patrick and his men. The King looked at them, his jaw clenched.
"Let them go."
Yes! He might be able to see what I am like but he has no idea about Patrick. Actually, I don't either. "Ok my Prince, start walking."
We walked to the horses, because there wasn't enough Patrick unhooked the horses from the carriage. One of his men bound the Prince's wrists while I hopped onto one of the horses, Patrick helped the Prince onto the back of my horse and handed me the end of the rope that the Prince was tied to. Once everyone was saddled and took hold of the King's horses, we headed off towards the mountains.
