1. Departure

28.1K 797 65
                                    

Hello dear friends, thank you so much for all the support on the first book I hope you enjoy this one as well!

Much love 🌟

And do feel free to comment on any spelling errors as my native language isn't English.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The young Princess got up onto her horse with the help of a servant. Her linen beige cloak covered her as she pulled it around her tightly. Not many people knew about the Lyrian Princess and the Walzenorian King but if word got out that she'd be crossing the borders, they would definitely be a target for ambushes. The war had raged on until recently leaving cities and villages that had been involved in poverty and violence.

She'd sat upon a black horse and looked to her side to see her brother, Parcival. He shot her a reassuring look. Although they were only going to be riding for about a day, the risk of danger was all too real.

They'd soon begun their journey. Behind and in front of the royal siblings, were Walzenorian Knights, for their safety. It must have been about 10 of them. Only two of them were on horses and the rest went on foot resulting in a slow pace.

Unbeknownst to the princess she was being watched by two piercing blue eyes. The young King which was her bonded couldn't let her leave. Not alone, not without him. In disguise, as a knight he'd disobeyed her wishes and was now right behind her.

Not only did he not like the idea of her leaving him, but the fact that she could come in contact with other men was acing him. Another worry of his was that she'd refuse to come back to his country Walzenor. He loved her more than anything, and if it must be he'd drag her back with him.

His steps were in Union with the other soldiers as he walked behind her never once looking away.

Not only was he insecure and distrustful of her future plans but he would also never forgive himself if anything happened to her. Since he'd found out the truth of his father's murder it had turned his world upside down.

Regret for hurting his little Alice was always present, but he had yet to find a way to make it up to her.

The midday sun shone down on them as they walked through fields and over hills, spotted with lone trees. Alice inhaled deeply. She felt so free. Since her arrival in King Theodore's castle a few months ago, this was the first time she'd left it.

So much had changed in those few months. She'd become a different person. She'd ended a war with the help of her bonded but she had also taken a life. It haunted her but she couldn't forget it, as it came back to her every night in her dreams.

a couple of hours had passed and Parcival had a question that he was burning to get an answer to. Afraid of her answer he had waited patiently until they departed but now he needed to know.

The path they'd been riding on had turned wider as they left a forest and were now traveling between two short but steep hills, Parcival moved his stallion next to that of Alices. she smiled at him, thoughtlessly, thinking joyously of the reunion with her family. The young Princess quickly saw the serious look on her brother's face. "Ali," he looked over his shoulders before continuing quietly.
Even though the knights surrounding them were no longer their enemies, he didn't think fondly of them knowing of his question. "What's wrong?" his sister asked concerned.

Parcival sighs before asking away, "Will you return to the King?" Alice hadn't expected this question coming from her brother. She'd thought that shed made pretty clear that shed return to her bonded. Her eyebrows narrowed. "Yes, he is my bonded."

Unpleased with the answer Parcival averted his gaze trying to think of a way to argue. "Do you not remember the things he's done to you?" His inability to understand the way she so naively answered made him raise his voice as he spoke. This caught the King's attention. Alice shushed her older brother and tilted her head not wanting the Walzernorian knights to think wrongely of the situation.

With a lower voice, Alice spoke, "I've told you, he's my bonded and I will return to him. Not only do I love him but we cant starting another war if I weren't to return. It would be selfish." She argued annoyed at her sibling.

Because of the lower tone the King could no longer understand their conversation even though he was walking right behind the two. He formed his hands into a fist as his heart started pounding with rage. He should have known that her brother was never fond of him, but he had trusted in Alice and her making her own decision. The right decision. The decision to come back to him. Where she belonged he thought.

The fact that they were now whispering unnerved him. Was she actually planning on staying in Lyria? If she wasn't planning on it she wouldn't have to lower her voice in front of his soldiers right?

"Alice, I know he's your bonded but maybe that is a thing that the Walzenorian people are doing right." Confused she asked her brother what he meant. "I mean, the way they believe in the bond. They don't think of their bonded as the other half, they think of them as a part of their fate, right? So what if you and the crims-," Alice shot her brother an angry look as he said those last words.

Parcival corrected himself, "Sorry, maybe you and King Theodore were meant to figure out who murdered his father and that was it."

Alice was irritated because Parcival had started such a touchy topic but concentrated on keeping her voice down. "We both know that the bond is more than tha-,"

A swishing sound made her stop in her tracks. As quickly as shed heard the noise rushing past her Parcivals stallion neighed out loudly as an arrow had hit the back of the horses thigh making it panic and rear up, throwing Parcival of its back.

Alice had only begun to comprehend what had happened when Theodore ran to the side of her horse and pulled her off it by the waist. "WE'RE UNDER ATTACK!" Another soldier had shouted as they all unsheaved their swords.

The Crimson QueenWhere stories live. Discover now