Royal Rescue

"Keep your head low and don't draw attention to yourself." Soren hissed under his breath. "I don't feel like risking death fighting over the bounty on your head." He planted his palm to her back, propelling her a few steps forward and it took all her strength to not fall on her face.

Malia glared at him from under her hood, "The deal was for me to be unharmed, remember?" She glowered.

"Are you harmed?" Soren asked in annoyance, "Keep walking." He glanced around, his serious blue eyes scanning the surrounding buildings.

"How much further until the bay?" She asked, "My brother has a ship waiting there for me." Malia explained, hope building in her chest at the thought of being reunited with her brother.

The warrior slid close, leering over her, "Hush, someone might hear you." He muttered.

Malia shifted to look around the empty street in confusion, "Who? There is no one around."

Concern crossed his face for a fleeting moment, his eyes narrowing in suspicion, "We have to move. Now." He said urgently as he caught her hand to half drag her along after him.

"It is near midnight...surely there cannot be too many people out..." She protested through each draw of breath as she tried to stop from tripping on her long gown.

"Shh!" Soren told her as he slowed.

"Stop trying to hush me. You are being paranoid for no reason!" Malia snapped in outrage. "You forget who I am, Warrior!" She pulled her arm free.

"Ah yes the useless princess who couldn't secure a marriage to save her kingdom from ruin." He muttered with a mirthless laugh.

Shame washed over her, had news already spread of her failure?

"If I am such a failure then it does not matter if I return home then." She stepped away.

"Sorry Princess, those are not my orders." Soren said with a shake of his head. "You are coming with me, whether you like it or not." He reached out to grab her.

"Don't touch me. I'm not spending one more moment with you. I am the PRINCESS!" She snapped, squeaking as he shifted forward and covered his hand over her mouth.

"You'll be a dead princess if you keep it up." Soren scowled at her.

She ripped his hand down from her face. "Do not touch me!" She ordered, her voice carrying over the quiet streets.

"Aye, you are a thorn in my side." He glowered in exasperation. "Hush. Woman." He warned.

"DO NOT THREATEN YOUR PRINCESS! HOW DARE YOU!" She shouted, before defiantly slapping his hand away when he went to cover her mouth again.

The thunderous rumble of soldiers boots upon the cobblestone roads reached her ears, and her heart couldn't help but stop in fear at the sound of it.

"Well now they know where we are, idiot." Soren glowered as he shifted close.

"Put me down!" She protested as he threw her over his shoulder as if she was a sack of potatoes.

"Shut up, you are going to get us both killed." He told her as he started to run.

His broad shoulder dug into her stomach, and she held tightly to his leather armour to stop from bouncing with each step.

"Soren...I'm...going to be sick." She grumbled as a mix of food from the feast and wine threatened to come back up.

"Hold it in." He said with a grunt as he repositioned her on his shoulder, the sudden move making her nauseous.

It was barely a dozen steps later that she lost the will to hold in the contents of her stomach and very ungracefully threw up all down his back and legs.

"I'm asking your brother for double the payment." Soren muttered in disgust.

"I'm not even sorry." Malia said with a huff, even as waves of guilt and embarrassment flooded over her.

He cussed loudly, but before she could scold him, the air whooshed around her as he tossed her from his shoulder. Rolling when she hit the ground, Malia couldn't smother her startled cry as pain rippled over her arms and elbows.

The clang of steel cut through her fog of pain, and Malia twisted on the spot to see Soren crossing swords with a Carrington Knight.

Thank the heavens that the moon was full and bright this night, making it easy for her to see the broad warrior.

He was skilled, which is why her brother sent him to rescue her, but as she watched him dodge the rage filled swipes from the Carrington Knight, Malia couldn't help but tremble in fear.

What if Soren died?

What would King Carrington do to her once she was returned to him?

The thought alone filled her with an unspeakable terror, it would be less petrifying to gaze into Death's pitch-black face and slap it, than to even imagine what the king would do to a disgraced coward of a princess that she was.

A strident thud sounded just after the final clang of swords echoed over the still night, and she dared not utter a whisper of breath until she knew that Soren was the victor.

"Get up woman, we have to move."

She had never felt so relieved to hear his impudent commands. "You're alive." She mumbled as he grabbed her arm and hauled her to her feet.

"It is insulting that you even thought otherwise." Soren muttered with an overly cocky scoff. "Come, we must get out of the city while we still can." He explained as he started to pull her along again, his hand holding tight to hers.

"Stay quiet." He whispered and she tried to carefully avoid walking through a puddle of waste.

"It's not me, it's the gown." She whispered in return, annoyed that he thought she could control the sound of her dress sloshing through muck. Bunching the fabric in her hands, she tried to lift the hem of it off the ground as much as possible, her shoes were soaked and to say that the smell was offensive didn't even begin to describe it well enough.

It was as if someone had consumed a wagon load of sour cheese and rotten eggs, before dying and laying bloated for a week.

Soren halted in front of her, stopping so abruptly that she had no time to react as she collided into his vomit covered back.

"What is wrong?" She whispered in alarm.

"Guards, they've sealed off the gates." He muttered in dismay as she leant around him, peering across the courtyard towards the city gates.

Almost a dozen men were standing around burning pyres, watching...waiting for her.

"Is there another way?" She asked him in dismay, "You cannot take them all on." She added.

"Oh, so now you wish for my help to escape. Why shouldn't I just leave you and find my own way out?" He asked as he turned slightly to face her, his eyes brightly catching in the moonlight.

She thought of a thousand different ways to command him to bring her safely back home.

That he was obligated to help his princess.

"We've come this far together." She said meekly with a helpless shrug.

"Uh huh." He shifted to move her back into the alley.

"What are you doing?" She asked in horror as he pulled his dagger from his side, the silver blade flashing in the soft light. Catching a hold of her skirts, she tried to pull free as he cut through the layers of material. "This is indecent! I command you to stop." She whispered frantically as she tried to push him away.

"If you alert the soldiers to us, I'll cut you down myself." Soren threatened, and she fell quiet as he reduced the length of her gown to her knees. "This next part I need you to do exactly what I say." He said seriously, keeping his deep voice hushed as he tucked the knife away.

"What do you want me to do? Be a walking laughingstock in my current state of undress? Oh sure, lets distract a bunch of knights by flashing them a princess' legs!" She questioned in disapproval.

"I will laugh at the audacity of your comment when I have the opportunity to do so, but what I need you to do, is wait here. I'll draw their attention and then I want you to run straight to the gates. You should be thin enough to fit through them." Soren explained.

"What about you?" She asked in shock, "You cannot surely take them all on your own." She added in disbelief.

"Don't worry about me, I want you out the gates and then keep on running until you reach the dock by the river. I have a friend waiting for me there." Soren told her as he shifted away. "Tell me what you need to do?" He demanded as he unslung the bow from his shoulder.

Her mind went blank at the question, and panic began to flood over her.

What if she couldn't fit through the gates? Or if soldiers caught hold of her?

The air around her began to feel thick, as if she couldn't draw another breath and her lungs were trying to squeeze life from the last breath she took.

"Malia. Focus." He scowled as he smacked her royal brow with the top of the bow, the pain drawing her back to the present.

Inhaling deeply, she looked up at him, "Run to the gates, crawl through and keep running until I reach the dock by the river." She said with more confidence than she felt.

"Good. Don't look back and don't bother about me." Soren said seriously before he slunk out of the alleyway, keeping to the shadows.

Malia moved to the edge of the alley, watching as the soldiers frantically tried to figure out where Soren was, their shouts becoming alarmed as the warrior started to pick off those who panicked first.

"Start to run Princess!" Soren told her as he ran past, circling around to the back of the soldiers.

Taking a breath, she tried to calm her racing heart as she forced herself to take a step, planting one terrified foot in front of the other, she hurried across the open courtyard.

"There she is! Grab her!" One soldier shouted, his voice sounding close.

"Don't look back!" Soren's voice echoed loudly over the top of the battle that was clashing behind her.

It felt more than wrong to leave him behind, but she knew Soren would be beyond furious if she tried to help.

The iron bars were cold, and she pushed her way through the narrow slot, needing to wiggle and twist to try and get through. Her hips were too wide, and pain bit into her sides as she tried to push herself free.

"Get moving!" Soren's shout was followed by a solid boot to her rump, and it propelled her through the bars, making her topple onto her head before her body flipped over her.

A string of curses left her lips as she twisted to glare at the smirking idiot.

How he had the time to be smug in the midst of battle, she would never know, but she certainly planned on smacking the smirk off his face the next time she could!

Picking herself up, Malia looked over the land before her, easily seeing the glimmer of the river in the moon light...and in the near distance was the bay where her brother was waiting.

Home never felt closer.

A rejuvenated sense of hope filled her chest and with her newfound energy she ran as fast as she could towards the river, making her way towards the dock, hoping that whoever Soren had arranged to be there was waiting.

Slowing as she reached the creaking timber dock, Malia hesitantly looked around unsure if there were Carrington Knights around.

"Princess Malia!" A man approached and she took a step back, ready to run if needed.

"Soren sent me, don't fret. The boat awaits you, M'lady." The man explained as he bowed.

"Are we to wait for Soren?" She asked as she looked back towards the castle gates.

"No, he'll catch up with us down river." The man explained, "Best to put as much distance between you and the kingdom as possible." He added.

Malia nodded, "So be it." She said in exhaustion before following the man down the dock to a small boat.

Wobbling into it, she settled against the hard bench, holding on tightly as the boat wobbled due to the man climbing in and sitting across from her. Angst gripped her chest as she looked for the broad warrior, hoping that he would make it out alive.

"Rest, M'lady, you have been through enough." The man said in reassurance as he offered a wool blanket to her before taking up the oars to row them downstream.

She'd just have to trust that Soren knew what he was doing, exhaustion set in as her heart began to calm, and she tucked against the side of the boat, trying to get some sort of rest.

"Lousy princess, wake up!" Soren's voice startled her from her slumber, and she bolted upright from her position.

"Idiot ruffian! I have a handful of slaps I need to place on your infuriating face!" She scolded him as she unsteadily stood up in the boat, realising they were docked at the bay.

"You have to catch me first Princess." He explained with a smirk as he offered his hand to her, helping her out of the boat and onto the dock. "Are you ready to go home? Your brother has sent a boat with men to take us out to the ship." He added as he pointed down the long dock towards the soldiers that were waiting.

Tears flooded her eyes at the sight of her family's crest and the familiar blue tunics that her army wore.

"I am more than ready." Malia said in relief, as she started that way, more than eager to leave already.

"Princess." The soldiers bowed at her approach, and she carefully stepped down into the bigger rowboat that was to take them out to where their ship was anchored.

"I shall see to it that my brother rewards you well." She told Soren as he sunk down next to her.

"I'd appreciate it." He said with a smirk as the soldiers started to row and she happily relaxed into the broad man.

"Thank you...For saving me." Malia managed to say after a long pause, enjoying the sight of the Carrington Kingdom far off in the distance.

"Don't thank me yet." He whispered and she straightened in confusion. "What's going on?" He asked the soldiers.

"The king has a message for you." One solider pointed to the ship behind her and she turned on the spot, seeing her brother standing on the ships bow.

"Malia!" Soren shifted, and she stared at the arrow that had pierced through his hand, stopping inches from her chest. A string of curses left his lips, and she gasped as he shoved her off the boat and into the frigid waters.

"Swim back to shore." The command was barely audible as she broke the surface, gasping for air.

"What about you?" She called out, pushing off the boat as the soldiers tried to grab her.

"Doubting me again?" He asked loudly as he broke the shaft off the arrow while drawing his sword. "You should know better." He added with that smug smirk.

She exhaled on a half laugh, before turning towards the shore and making her way towards it, trying to not drown as the waves broke upon her. Crawling up onto the shore, she knelt on the rough sand in shock.

Her brother just tried to kill her?!

Bursting into tears, she covered her face in shame, was she that much of a disgrace? That she was better off dead?

"Aye, princess, do you honestly think we have time to sulk about? We have two kingdoms coming after us?!" Soren asked in annoyance as he stomped up next to her.

"Do you hear yourself? What is the point of running?" She snapped in exasperation.

"Well, I plan on living, and you need to repay the debt of saving your royal behind. I have friends in the mountains who can help us." He explained as he looked eastward while binding his hand in a strip of cloth.

"Repay you? I'm a disgraced princess how can I manage that?" Malia asked in confusion as she pushed to her feet while he started up the beach.

"I don't know, give me a couple of sons, and we'll call it even." Soren called back to her.

Heat spread across her face, "Honestly, if you think I am lowering myself..." She started to say as she trailed after him.

"Hurry up woman, I'll add a few daughters to the list if I have to carry you again." He said loudly.

She smothered a laugh of outrage, even as she knew he was half serious about it.

Looking towards the snow-capped mountains in the east, she had to admit that she was going to have plenty of time to consider it.

To be continued...