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  • The Last Princess of Lorrea Ch. 10

The Last Princess of Lorrea Ch. 10

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Two days had passed since Caspian set out in the middle of the night to secure his kingdom. During those days, Elena spent most of her time planning their wedding and exploring the castle and it's grounds. She ventured out and about without fear of running into Caspian, as Henry had explained in his letter that he was no longer allowed to reside within the castle walls without direct invitation from Henry or herself.

Elena tried to keep the wedding on a small scale, but it seemed that the staff in charge of the event would hear nothing of it, everything had to be grand and over the top. Even her wedding gown, the part that she thought that she'd have the most input, was quickly becoming the most extravagant dress she'd ever worn. Weighed down by layers upon layers of the finest hand woven lace and confined tightly within the whale-bone corset, Elena felt quite claustrophobic.

One evening, Elena was sitting at the window of her bedroom, reading a book of poetry that she found on one of the shelves in Henry's study. After finishing a very complex verse, she looked out the window, pondering it's meaning. However, before long her thoughts drifted elsewhere, to Henry and his books. Elena wondered if he had read the book of poetry clutched in her hands, or was it merely an act, to impress those who by some chance read the spine while standing in Henry's study.

Elena sighed, the uncertainty of her pending marriage weighing deeply on her mind. She had barely eaten in the last few days, a fact that the seamstress who was making her wedding dress, had chalked up to wedding nerves. Along with the loss of appetite, there was the lack of sleep- Elena hadn't slept well since the last time she was in Henry's arms. Such conflicting emotions were driving her to feel extremely jumpy and on edge, and when Elena saw shifting, dark shadows in the castle grounds, she thought at first it was just her overactive imagination.

However, as she squinted and focused more on the dark shapes, she realised that they were actually the figures of two tall men. Elena followed their progress from her window high above them, until they came to an abrupt halt before the flickering flames of a wall mounted torch.

One of the men removed his cloak, revealing him to be one of Henry's soldiers -the one with the scar on his face. Elena's stomach clenched as it always did when she saw him, the captain who tried to choke her. The other figure, taller than the soldier, remained hidden, as he drew out from within the folds of his cloak a leather pouch and handed it to the captain. Elena watched as the captain emptied the pouch into his hand, revealing numerous golden coins that glittered in the flickering torchlight. He returned the money to the pouch quickly and tucked it safely into the folds of his clothing before nodding curtly to the taller figure. He walked away, the other man stood as still as a statue, watching his quick departure. Elena sat on the window's edge, her skin prickling uncomfortably for reasons she could not fathom, as she stared out at the hooded figure below. The tall man lifted his gaze, and it seemed to Elena that he was looking directly at her. Even though she couldn't see his face, she felt a shiver go down her spine as he continued to stare in her direction.

A sudden flash of lightning, illuminated the castle grounds and threw the man's face into sharp relief. Elena gasped as Caspian's cruel features were revealed briefly, before they were swallowed by the previous darkness of the night.

The book Elena was holding clattered to the floor, her shaking hands grasped the sharps edges of the window as she peered out into the night, her hair billowing around her. Elena searched the grounds quickly, her heart pounding painfully against her chest, but she couldn't find Caspian, hooded or otherwise, anywhere below.

Elena closed her eyes as she leaned against the cool stone wall and tried to calm herself. Maybe it wasn't Caspian, she told herself. Maybe her mind was playing tricks on her- after all, it was very late and she was under an unusual amount of emotional stress.

Elena tried in vain to dismiss what she saw, but there was no way around it. Lord Caspian, was standing just moments ago, down in the castle grounds, staring at her. Henry had promised her in his letter, that Caspian and his infatuation had been dealt with in a proper manner and Elena could rest easily, for he was no longer allowed within the grounds without their permission. Yet there he stood, defiantly, within the castle grounds.

Her heart pounding, Elena started to pace before the fireplace, trying to gather her thoughts- but it felt as though her mind was one large sieve- her thoughts slipping right through even though she tried desperately to hold them together.

A knock on the door broke into Elena's reverie. It was around the usual time when one of Henry's men would inform her that the guards were changing, that a fresh eyed soldier would be shortly taking up the post for the remainder of the evening. She walked over to the door and opened it, thinking to alert the soldier on the other side of the of the infamous trespasser. When she did open the door however, she hastily stifled a gasp, for the soldier that stood before her was the same scar-faced man who just minutes earlier had been conversing with Caspian.

"Good evening Princess," he said silkily, his casual manner causing her hair to stand on end.

"Good - Good evening Captain," she stammered, gripping the door handle tightly for support.

"Is everything alright Princess? You seem a little pale." he said, his bright eyes sweeping her enticing figure.

"No... I mean yes, all is well. Are you to be my guard this evening?" she asked, hoping that he would contradict her.

"In a way Princess," he said with a slight chuckle. Elena could swear that she heard the slight jingling of coins as he laughed, but he quickly adopted a somber appearance, quelling the laughter that brought on the tinkling of coins within his cloak. "King Henry sent word, Princess, that you are to join him at once at the Castle of Grayveren."

Elena raised her eyebrows in surprise and held out her hand, her palm open. The captain looked from her face to her hand and back again, a confused look on his face.

"Well?" Elena asked, her hand still outstretched.

"I beg your pardon Princess, but I don't understand."

"Where is the letter? I want to read these directives myself," she said, injecting a little haughtiness into her tone for good measure.

"The King sent word by way of rider, there was no letter," he said, avoiding her gaze by feigning a respectful bow.

"I'm sorry Captain, I mean no disrespect, but I question such a directive when in fact I have received contrary instructions from the King himself about leaving the protection of this castle," Elena said, folding her arms over her chest.

A fleeting look of annoyance showed on the captain's face, however as quickly as it appeared it was gone. He stepped forward causing Elena to take a step back. "I'm sorry Princess, but I must insist. I have my orders and disobeying a direct order from the King would mean my certain death."

Elena noticed his hand travel to the sword strapped to his belt. She was sure that it was not meant to be a threat and he may not have even been aware that he had even done it, but Elena's eyes noticed the movement nonetheless and it was clear that he was not going to take 'no' for an answer.

"Alright Captain, I'll accompany you to the Castle of Grayveren, per the King's request. However you must permit me a few minutes to prepare myself for the journey."

The captain frowned but shrugged his shoulders, as long as she was cooperating- what did a few extra minutes mean? "I'll be right outside Princess. Please be ready in five minutes," he said, stepping back into the hall, allowing her to close the heavy door.

Immediately, Elena's mind went into a full blown panic. All her instincts were screaming at her that something was not right, that leaving with this man was dangerous and smelled of a trap. Henry's words echoed in her mind, that she was safer in the castle than anywhere else - he said explicitly that his journey was not safe.

She looked around the room again, thinking that maybe Henry had left a sword or something that could help her, however the only thing she saw was that sculpture of the archer. That was no match against a professional soldier wielding a sword.

A sharp knock on the door. "Princess," the captain's muffled voice called through the oak. "Is everything alright? Are you ready to leave?"

"Just a minute Captain," Elena called back, as she hurried to the closet and pulled on one of Henry's travelling cloaks, the black material was heavy, with a warm lining and a fur-lined hood. She wished that she had more practical footwear, but all she had were short leather boots, designed for fashion and not for comfort.

"Princess," he called through the door. "I must insist that we depart at once, my orders are considered quite urgent!"

"Alright Captain, I'm coming, please have patience" she said, as she pulled the door open. He stood back, allowing her to walk in front of him, his hand on his hilt again.

They walked at a brisk pace, their footsteps echoing loudly on the flagstone. Elena looked around, noticing the conspicuous lack of servants - she had hoped to encounter someone, anyone, that could help her. However, the castle was eerily empty - the only person who would realise that she had gone would be Catherine, when she came to help her prepare in the morning, and by then it would be too late - she would be long gone.

"Over here Princess," the captain directed her to a single horse, which was pawing the ground nervously, it's breath billowing out in steamy clouds against the cold night.

Elena stopped short. "Captain," she said haughtily. "Where is my steed? Where is the rest of the guard?" she asked, looking around.

"They left earlier to secure the road ahead Princess," he explained as he tightened the straps on the saddle. "It is safest if you ride with me."

Elena felt herself being cornered, escape plans that she envisioned dashed by the fact the she would not be in control of her own horse.

"I'm sorry Captain, but it is improper for me to ride with you. I am the king's fiancée and I am certain he would not allow this," she said, folding her arms over her chest.

"The King's order is to bring you to his side, no matter what," he said, a slight edge in his tone as he stepped towards her. "I interpret riding with me as such."

Elena couldn't see any point in further arguing with him, as she needed him to believe that she was coming willingly and that she didn't suspect him of any wrongdoing. She stepped towards the large horse and flinched as she felt the captain place his rough hands on her hip. "I'm just going to lift you Princess, do not worry," he said, as he lifted her easily and sat her side-saddle on the horse. He placed his foot in the stirrup and heaved his other foot over the horse, settling himself behind her on the saddle.

Elena blushed slightly as she felt him pressed so closely against her, his sweaty scent slightly nauseating. She repressed a shudder as he looped an arm around her waist to hold her in place as he directed the horse towards the castle gate with his other hand holding the reins.

"Ready Princess?" he asked from behind her.

"Yes," she replied, her voice strained and tense.

The captain nudged the horse sharply with his heels, causing the horse to whinny and take off like a lightning bolt, Elena gripping the captain's arm in sheer terror. It was one thing to ride at breakneck speed on a horse- she was no stranger to that, but it was another matter entirely to ride at such speeds on a muddy path at night, while sitting side-saddle!

An hour later the captain had slowed his horse to a steady canter, which in turn allowed Elena's heartbeat to slow too. They were traveling through much denser forest, ducking occasionally as a low hanging branch whipped over their heads. Elena was becoming significantly more nervous, traveling in the darkness of night with the captain as her only company.

"Captain, where are the rest of the men? It doesn't seem safe to travel like this - I'm sure the King would agree with me," Elena said.

Elena felt the captain's arm tighten around her waist, causing her heartbeat to quicken.

"Do not worry Princess, as I said, the men are up ahead, securing our path. Try to relax, maybe even try to get some sleep? It is a long journey."

Now that the horse had slowed, she was able to think clearly - the only thoughts racing through her mind earlier were that they were both going to be knocked off the horse by a branch or that the horse would stumble by putting it's hoof in a rabbit hole - at the time she was just hoping not to be killed.

Now as she leaned back against the captain, feigning sleep, her mind was wide awake and buzzing. It had become obvious to her that he was not following any orders from Henry. They were not on one of the main paths, Elena had no idea where they were - the cloudy night obscuring the stars so that even if she wanted, she couldn't have used them to navigate. She needed to get away, to escape somehow, but she couldn't come up with a plan, running away was not an option. Elena's thoughts were interrupted when she noticed that the captain's hand that was previously on her hip was ever so slowly sliding up her stomach. Still feigning sleep, she hoped that he was just adjusting his grip or shifting slightly, but as his thumb rubbed the underside of her breast she started to panic. The captains breathing became more audible as his hand moved upward to cup her breast gently. Elena couldn't take it anymore, her heart was beating so hard she was surprised that he didn't feel it. She jerked suddenly, falling sideways, causing the captain to use both of his hands to steady her and prevent her from falling off the horse. "Whoa there, easy Princess," he said, pulling her back into position, holding her tightly against him again.

"I must have fallen asleep Captain. Please, we must stop - it is too dangerous to ride like this," she pleaded.

"I am a trained soldier Princess and have fought in many battles, this does not rank as a dangerous activity in my eyes, believe me."

As Elena felt his arm pull her tighter against him, an idea struck her. "Captain, please, we must stop - I need to relieve myself" she said, blushing slightly even though he couldn't see her face.

"We're almost there, Princess, just wait a little longer."

"I'm sorry Captain but I must insist - the combination of the horse's movements and your strong arm pressing against my stomach is more than I can stand- Please, I beg of you to stop!" Elena pleaded, her hand clutching his thigh in desperation for good measure.

The captain groaned loudly and pulled hard on the horse's reins. "Alright, but be quick about it - it's not wise to dismount a horse in the forest at night" he said, jumping down from the horse. He held out his hand, helping the princess to slide off the horse. Elena didn't know if it was on purpose, but the captain had not stepped back when he helped her off the horse, so that when she did dismount, she had to slide down against him, practically rubbing her whole front against his, before her feet reached the floor.

"I beg your pardon Captain, but I can't do this with you standing over me like this," Elena said, crossing her arms over her chest.

"I've seen worse things Princess. Besides, my orders are not to leave your side."

"Well could you at least walk a few meters in front of me and turn around? I'll just be on the other side of the horse, alright?"

"Fine, just hurry. He will begin to wonder where we are," the captain mumbled before walking forwards and turning around.

Elena walked quickly around the other side of the horse. "When you say 'he' you mean the King, yes?" she asked, running her hands over the horse's neck to calm it's twitching, it was imperative that the horse not alert the captain to her next move.

"Umm, yes of course, the King," responded the captain.

Elena, praying with every fiber of her being not to upset the horse or make too much noise, placed her foot in the stirrup and gracefully and silently heaved herself onto the saddle. The horse tossed it's head a little, but was mercifully quiet. Elena leaned down and found what she was searching for. She upended the wineskin which had been attached to the horse's saddle, allowing the liquid to spill a little on the forest floor, the accompanying splashing sound adding the finishing touch.

"Just a few more moments Captain and I'll be finished," she said softly, as she placed the wineskin back in place and grasped the leather reins in her hands, praying for the courage to continue. She chanced a look over at the captain, who stood irresolute with his back turned, not aware at all that Elena now sat astride his horse.

Just as the captain started to turn around, Elena kicked the horse hard, crying loudly to the horse and to the night at large "Hya! Onward!" before clinging on for dear life as the muscular warhorse broke into a furious gallop that nearly unseated her.

Elena chanced a look back and saw the captain running after her, which proved absolutely futile. He was quickly swallowed by the distance and trees she put between them. Exhilarated by her successful escape, Elena urged the horse on, bending low as lethal branches flew over her head.

Soon Elena came to realise her predicament. She had escaped, but she was utterly lost- she had no idea which forest she was in and the sky was overcast so celestial navigation was out of the question. The advantage of the horse was that she was able to put a good distance between herself and the captain, but the horse was also easy to track- a long trail of broken branches and muddy hoofprints gouged into the earth.

Elena glanced up at the trees. Her old custom of tree dwelling wouldn't help her - the branches were too bare and the trunks too wet to scale. Truthfully, she couldn't bare to give up the companionship of the horse. She had spent so much time by herself in the forest of Lorrea that she couldn't bear to force such solitude on herself once more. And then it hit her.

A branch, square in the chest.

Elena had been so preoccupied with the tree crowns that she failed to notice the thick branch that her horse had ducked under. It knocked her clean off the horse, which continued it's frenzied galloping, disappearing completely from sight. Elena crashed to the ground, rolling countless times before coming to a stop, her cloak covered in mud.

Gasping, Elena pushed herself up on her hands and knees. She could barely breathe, she was completely winded. Eyes tearing in pain, she forced herself to stand up and start walking. Elena calculated that she had at least a twenty minute head start, but as soon as the captain would notice her footprints in addition to the horse hoofs, he would pick up the pace despite being weighed down by his armour. Elena started to run, but quickly slowed to a walk as her left side seared in pain with every laboured breath she took. She suspected that she may have broken a rib- if she was lucky it may only be a nasty bruise, but nonetheless it was an enormous impediment.

She wished that she could howl at the injustice of it all, but not only could she not draw a deep breath, any noise may even alert the captain - or anything or anyone else lurking in the forest. She shivered at that thought, realising how utterly defenseless she was. Resigned to her situation, she trudged on, slipping and sliding in the mud. After an hour of walking, a light rain started to fall, which in turn proceeded to develop into torrential downpour. Henry's travel cloak became waterlogged, slowing Elena's progress. She made the quick decision to discard the cloak and set out, battling the elements in her thin dress, but at least a few pounds lighter.

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