The Tale of a Princess Fallen from Grace

Chapter Fourteen

"All shall be revealed in good time my dear. You shall be taken back to the castle now; I would not want you to miss breakfast. And remember, do not bother telling anyone. We will not be stopped." Algernon vowed as he sauntered over to his horse.

Rose wondered whether they were all sleeping rough, as each horse had two luggage bags strapped to them. Most of the guards followed Algernon's lead and mounted their horses, apart from two large men who pulled Rose to her feet by her elbows and marched her over to a fine stallion waiting patiently behind them. Before she had a chance to rebel Algernon nodded from his high horse and the same scratchy, musty smelling bag was pulled over Rose's head.

"Hey!" Rose snapped before letting out a cry of indignation as she was roughly manhandled and found herself thrown over a horse once again.

She vaguely heard retreating footsteps and laughter before someone mounted the horse behind her and they turned around before trotting forwards. She already felt weak and woozy, and the swinging movements of the horse was not helping her gurgling stomach.

Anxiety for Romi's wellbeing clouded her mind, and she let a few tears slip as she wondered where she was being taken, and if she would ever see Romi and her family again. The tears ran upwards into her hairline, but she did not bother to wipe them away.

She guessed there was another guard with them as she could hear a low murmur of voices, but could not make out what they were saying. The saddle dug into her stomach and she felt very embarrassed about the position she was in. She shivered as she knew she was very vulnerable and they could have been making the journey to her death place, even though she hoped Algernon needed her alive. She did not think he was with them though - what if his men had different plans for her?

She kept quiet and dozed in and out of consciousness as they made their way across the wasteland. Rose was sure the bag over her head was an old hay sack, as it had a claustrophobic pungent earthy smell. Her eyes snapped open when she heard the guards passing a water bottle around, reminding her of her dry throat and deep need for water. She was used to snapping her fingers and getting what she wanted, but now she could not ask for even a swig of water.

A little while later Rose began to hear some metal clanging, dogs barking and distant hustle and bustle, suggesting they were near a town. Hope bloomed within her as she wondered if she was being returned to society, and there was the possibility that someone would spot her and alert the authorities.

"Right then Princess this is as far as we are to take you." A guard with a gruff voiced revealed as the horse came to a stop and she was pulled off onto her feet.

The sudden change made her feel dizzy and she fell hard onto the concrete road cutting her palms. She winced at the sudden pain but pulled herself together. Once she was sure she would not feint, she pulled the bag from her head, making her squint at the bright light.

"The castle is a mile that way." The second guard explained, although Rose could not identify them, as they were both wearing masks.

She nodded from the floor and looked around at her surroundings. She had fallen next to a little stream, which looked very appealing, and they seemed to be on the edge of a Forest. Rose could hear the town waking up on the other side of the thick trees, so she was not too worried about being dumped in the middle of nowhere. She was grateful she was no longer being manhandled and rocking side to side on that horse. It was the most unpleasant and stressful journey she had been on, and she had spent a week on a boat during terrible stormy seas whilst heavily pregnant.

"Remember, keep your trap shut and be prepared for your tasks. Algernon will be in touch soon." The first one explained before they both turned and cantered back down the hill.