Sky Blue • Prince William

• Chapter 3 •

3rd Person's PoV

At Duke Hammond's castle, the Duke himself stood in the courtyard in front of the man that had just returned from the Queen's palace. "She killed my brave Iain with just the palm of her hand and then she drew a dagger from her side with no blood. She cannot he killed." The man spoke and the Duke looked downwards.

He looked back up when the man continued speaking. "But there is more. The Princesses are alive." The man told him. Duke Hammond had a sharp intake of breath before he turned to his closest soldier. "Where is my son?" He questioned.

~~~

The Queen's men were travelling down the road, carrying supplies in a carriage. William was in a tree and nocked the arrow and drew it before letting it loose. It hit the ground right in front of the lead men and exploded.

The men's horses threw them off their back in fear of the explosion. That was the signal for the attack to start. A flaming tree fell down on top of a wagon as William's men attacked them from both sides. Then William himself jumped out of the tree and onto the top of the carriage.

He kicked a soldier off and then pushed another one off. Then he grabbed an arrow, nocked it, and drew it back before letting it loose. He was at a high point and there was fighting all around so he was in the best position to shoot the soldiers, which he continued to do.

Then he jumped to the ground and shot a soldier running towards him. He ran and ducked underneath the flaming tree to get to where most of the fighting was. He already had an arrow nocked and drew, but didn't have time to let loose as a soldier came running to him.

So he slashed the soldier with the arrow, turned around and stabbed the soldier coming up behind him with the arrow, turning around and hit the first soldier in the head with his bow before shooting the last soldier through the heart, ending the battle.

~~~

William rode through the gates to his castle with his men behind him to the courtyard where his father was waiting for him. William came to a stop and looked quite pleased with himself as he looked at his father.

"We have word of the Princesses. Ravenna has kept them, all these years." Duke Hammond told his son, whose expression completely changed. He looked shocked and confused. He gulped and glanced downwards before looking back up at his father.

"They live?" William questioned. "They escaped the castle, into the Dark Forest." The man who originally brought the news told him. William couldn't believe what he was hearing.

For ten years he thought they were dead. He mourned their deaths, but never got over them. He always blamed himself. He should've done more, he should've stayed and fought, not abandoned them. He should've saved them. Everything he thought he knew came crashing down around him.

If they were alive then they had been prisoners for the last ten years. While he was at home, comfy in his castle, they were in cells. While he was learning how to fight, surrounded by loved ones, they were isolated.

William had always felt guilty for abandoning them and leaving them there to die. Now knowing that they were alive, he knew he couldn't do that again. He couldn't lose them again. "I'm going after them." He spoke before turning his horse around and starting to leave.

"We don't know if they survived. William!" Duke Hammond shouted at his son. William turned around to face his father. "What?" He questioned him. "You ventured beyond the castle walls again, disobeying my orders. We're all that's left, don't you understand? I cannot afford to lose any more of my men." The Duke told his son.

"I'm going alone." William argued. "I will not lose my only son." Duke Hammond spoke, looking his son in the eyes. "You don't know the Dark Forest." He tried to reason with his son.

"Then I'll find someone who does. I will not abandon them a second time." William told his father before turning around and riding away, through the gates and out of the castle courtyard. Duke Hammond watched his son ride off, sighing to himself.