An Unfortunate Beginning

by Natasha Brown

  “Pepper! What are you doing here?”

  This was the last thing I’d expected. Here I was, worrying about her sitting in a dungeon, and the whole time she’d been sitting in some frilly tea parlor.

  “Oh, well, I’m waiting to speak to the king. Who’s your friend?”

  Red stepped forward with his hand outstretched and Pepper beamed at him as she shook it. “The name’s Red. I take it you’re Pepper?”

  “Yes, that’s me. Nice to meet you, Red, Nim’s told me all about you.”

  Pepper adjusted her bodice. She looked different than usual. She was wearing a shiny red dress with a poufy skirt that made a funny noise when she moved. Her hair was braided down her back and the black mess of makeup that usually ringed her eyes had been cleaned off. Had she raided a costume shop before coming here? While I stared at her, I tried to remember what I was going to say.

  “Nim? You okay?”

  “Uh-huh.” I swallowed and stared at the fireplace before speaking. “Why did you come to talk to the king, Pepper?”

  She walked back to the chair she had been sitting in when we got here and sat down. She folded her hands in her lap and said, “It’s fun acting like a lady, even if it is only an act.”

  “Pepper!”

  “Ugh, fine, you’re such a granny. Well, I came to speak to the king about organizing a rescue party to save the princess. This story needs someone to take it by the pages and lead it in the right direction.”

  Red looked at me like he thought she was crazy, and I shrugged in response.

  “We should get out of here, Pepper. It’s not safe.”

  “You’re just saying that because you want to go home.”

  “Well, yeah, I came here to take you home, but that’s not what I’m talking about. Red, tell her how irrational she’s being.”

  Pepper’s eyebrow shot up and she jumped from her seat. Red stepped in between us and said, “What I think Nim’s trying to say is you don’t understand the situation. The king’s very unstable right now. The princess may already be dead because of my father’s actions. King Richard tried to rescue her ages ago and Slag swore he would kill her if anyone tried it again. There is nothing you can say to him to convince him that sending a rescue party will end up in anything other than his precious daughter’s death. He will send you to the dungeons for even speaking of it.”

  Poor guy was without his dad, and here Pepper was trying to help, but all she was doing was stirring up trouble. She shouldn’t have even come here. She was only making things worse. Nim turned to her. “Your intention was great and all, but what were you thinking – you’d just walk up and tell the king all he needs to do is send some people in to grab his daughter? Were you going to offer your awesome drawing skills to take the bad guys down? Did you have a plan coming here or were you just going to believe everything would be okay, because, trust me, it doesn’t work that way. Just ask Red, he’ll tell you – his dad was captured by Slag.”

  Instantly, I regretted what I said. Pepper’s eyes welled up and her cheek quivered. “Sorry, Red and no, that wasn’t my plan…”

  There I went again, making a mess of things. Maybe I should have just shut up and let her be.

  After staring into the glowing embers of the fire for a minute, she said, “I thought that if Malick was able to rescue Red and if we could get enough people to band together, we could free the princess. Maybe I wasn’t thinking – I’m not very good at it.” Pepper threw something small into the flames, which sent up a spray of sparks.

  I rubbed my temple as I tried to think my way out of this. I had made my only friend feel bad about herself, which hadn’t been my intention. Fan-freaking-tastic.

  For the umpteenth time that day, I thrust my hands in my pockets and felt the smooth shape of the stone. Even though it was cold, rubbing my thumb over its ridges helped calm me. As I stared at Pepper sniffling at the fireplace and Red looking miserable, I made a choice. I knew what it was like being left without a mom or dad. Somehow, I felt responsible for the predicament Red was in. He was a nice guy and he deserved to have Malick back.

  “So obviously we can’t do this with the king’s help. Do you know anyone who could help, Red? Any strong friends?” I asked.

  Pepper’s eyes widened and she wiped away her tears.

  “You need your dad back and the kingdom needs the princess back. I can’t promise this’ll work, but if we can get a few more people, I might have a plan.”

  Red tilted his head and stared at me. “We’re just kids. What makes you think we’ll be able to save my dad and the princess when the king can’t?”

  “Because Slag won’t expect us to. You said it yourself – we’re just kids. We aren’t a threat. C’mon, we need to get out of here before they come to take you to your meeting with the king.”

  Pepper wiped away a tear and smirked. “Slag can eat it. We’re gonna show him just how tough a group of kids can be.”

  Chapter 14 - The Plan

  “I may know a few people who’re foolish enough to help us. Come with me.”

  Red ushered us into the hall and back through the passageways without anyone seeing. I was glad he knew where he was going, because it was just one big maze to me. If I were responsible for leading us out of there, I’d probably take us straight to the king’s chamber or the dungeons, knowing my luck. While we walked along a corridor, we heard men’s voices echoing nearby.

  “We aren’t allowed here! Quick, hide!” Red jumped behind a long, narrow curtain.

  Pepper and I tried to join him, but there wasn’t enough room, so I looked around for another hiding place and saw a door. “C’mon, Pepper.”

  I jumped across the hall and yanked open the door. Both of us rushed inside just as two guards came around the corner. Gently as I could, I eased the door shut and stood with my ear against the wood, listening to their voices. They were deep in conversation and must have stopped just outside, because I heard them clearly. “He said to retrieve the orders and post them at the barracks.”

  “I don’t want to be the one to do it. He was my commanding officer.”

  Bookshelves lined the walls and a large desk sat in the center of the room. Papers littered its surface and a large tapestry with a crest hung above it on the wall. As I scanned the space, I heard a voice say, “You go in and get it.”

  “Quick – hide!” I said to Pepper.

  She rushed around to the other side of a padded sofa and dropped out of view. At least she was taken care of, but that left me. I ran to the desk and as I moved the chair out of the way, a paper caught my eye. It had Malick’s name on it.

  NOTICE

  Malick Borden and all living relatives are hereby traitors.

  If they step foot in Revel Green, they will be held prisoner until the day they so perish.

  A fancy signature and a stamp with a shield on it marked the bottom of the page. Without thinking, I snatched the notice and thrust myself under the desk just as the door handle rattled and the guards came in.

  “The king said it was on his desk.” The voice got closer so I tucked myself into a tight ball and held my breath.

  “Don’t see it. It’s not there. Nothing with Malick’s name on it.”

  “Well, that’s a relief. Maybe we shouldn’t tell him right away – give him some more time to think about it. He might change his mind.”

  “Not likely. C’mon, let’s go.”

  “Right. Think it’s meal time yet? I’m hungry.”

  “You’re always hungry, George…” The door shut and their voices grew faint.

  I peeked out from under the desk and before I got up, I slipped the paper into one of my pockets. No one needed to know about it. If I could give Red an extra hour, an extra day – whatever he needed to get out of here – then I’d done my best. If we could rescue the princess, none of it would matter (hopefully).

  “Nim?”

  I crawled out and found Pepper waiting near the door.

  “That was close
.”

  “Sure was,” I said just as Red burst inside.

  “Let’s get out of here before anyone else comes along,” he said breathlessly.

  We followed him out and picked up the pace, jogging through the hallways. Soon, the familiar noises of the kitchen met us as we wound our way down the final stairwell. When Nellie saw us, she pointed a flour covered finger at Pepper and waved. She wiped her hands on her apron and called out to Red, “I’ll bring by some sweeties for you soon, Red. You take care of yourself, you hear?”

  “Thanks Nellie,” he said while we filed out the back door.

  I breathed in the cold air outside and shivered. “Well, that worked out better than I expected.”

  “You mean you went in without a plan?” Pepper fired at me.

  Clearly she was still bent out of shape about what I’d said earlier. Something my mom told me before she got sick floated through my mind. She said women appreciate men who’ll admit when they’re wrong.

  “I’m glad you’re okay, Pepper.”

  Hey, it’s hard admitting you’re wrong. Baby steps.

  “Let’s get moving – time’s wasting.”

  Red started walking away, his long legs outpacing us. Pepper and I had to jog to catch up, which seemed hard for her because her skirt was so long. We were led out from the castle battlements and down to the town below. Red darted along side streets until he stopped at a faded green door and knocked twice. It creaked open and a face peered out at us.

  “Hey, Gabe – the guys here?”

  The blonde boy in the doorway who looked a couple years younger than me edged out and gave Pepper a thorough once-over. Then he did the same to me. His eyes narrowed as he stared at the black leather poking out from beneath my jacket.

  “What’s going on, Red?”

  “Just invite us in, Gabe, I want to talk to everyone. Your mom at the shop, I hope?”

  Gabe nodded and swung open the door as Red waved us in behind him. I tried to ignore the boy’s stares, and wondered if I’d made a bad choice sticking around. Maybe my plan would only land us in more trouble, getting us or the princess killed. We walked through the home and out a back door as I tried to think of some silver linings. I had on a pair of shoes that fit, my friend was safe (for now) and –

  “Hello, gorgeous.”

  And I was going to be sick.

  I recognized him at once. It was the boy from earlier today who had chased me. He hadn’t noticed me yet because he was too busy admiring Pepper. He swept his blonde hair from his eyes and smirked at her. Standing beside him was another boy who appeared to be a couple years older than us, maybe sixteen. His brown hair was cropped close to his head and he was thicker set. When he noticed us, he asked Red, “Oy, who invited the girl?”

  “I did, Rodrick. These are some friends, so be nice. They’re here to help us. This is Nim and Pepper.”

  He straightened up and adjusted his clothing. “I’m Rodrick, and that’s my little brother.” He pointed at Gabe, who was leaning against the frame of the back door, watching us.

  “Hey, I’m Elam – it’s nice to meet you Pepper,” the other guy said, thrusting his hands in his pockets and flexing his pecks (not very subtly). He appeared to be around the same age as Rodrick – older than us, and he seemed to be aware of it, too. I didn’t like the attention he was giving Pepper. What a sleezeball. Who would buy an act like that?

  Pepper’s cheeks flushed and she tucked a stray hair behind her ear. Elam turned to me and added, “Hey.”

  He did a double take and thrust his pointer finger into my chest. “This is the trash that was walkin’ round earlier wearing Slag’s uniform. You brain damaged, or a traitor?”

  I fought the urge to shrink down, which is hard for a guy my size. Instead, I pulled my shoulders back as Red stepped forward and pushed Elam away from me. “Take it easy, Elam. He’s a friend of mine. Like I said, he’s here to help, so play nice.”

  “So, who is this guy? He looks strange.” Rodrick asked and crossed his arms. “How’s he going to help us?”

  “Nim was there when our dads tried to rescue me. He helped.” Red turned to me and explained. “Gabe, Rodrick and Elam are the sons of the other soldiers that were captured with my dad.”

  If I wasn’t guilty enough already, now I felt like a thousand pound weight had been placed on my shoulders. It wasn’t just Red’s family I’d ruined, it was those of the other boys, too. Well, I didn’t really care about Elam.

  “That was a week ago, though. He didn’t come back with you. Where’s he been? Hiding in the bushes?” Gabe asked suspiciously.

  I stared at the ground as I felt their eyes on me. My humiliation was revisited for the third time that day. I knew what they were thinking. I was a coward. Who could trust a coward? Just put a Kick Me sign on my back and get it over with.

  I took a deep breath and spoke. “I snuck off when I saw there was trouble, and I’m not proud of it. I’ve been looking for my friend Pepper, which is why I came to the city. I know what it’s like to lose a parent and I want to help. I think we should end all of this – rescue your dads and the princess all at once.”

  The crew of guys looked at each other and seemed to be having a silent conversation.

  “He is brain damaged. Why are you with this kid, Pepper?” Elam scoffed.

  Rodrick stepped forward and said, “Don’t mind Gabe or Elam. They suffer from foot in mouth disease – can’t help what they say. It sounds crazy, but I’m curious. If you’ve got a plan, then let’s hear it.”

  No pressure. They stared at me like I was a dancing goat in a clown costume, ready for a show.

  I scratched my head and cleared my throat. “Well, like I told Red and Pepper, Slag or his army won’t expect some kids to be a threat. I walked past the guard tower down the road and talked my way out of the situation with the soldiers there – said I was looking for a girl who escaped. They weren’t the sharpest tools in the shed. I don’t think it’ll be a challenge to get past them and up to the castle.”

  “Oookay, so you think we can just walk up to the castle?” Gabe asked with a scowl.

  “In uniform, it won’t be any trouble at all.” I held my breath and turned to Red. “Any way we can get ahold of some more uniforms?” My plan hinged on being able to walk up to the castle in disguise.

  He returned a sneaky smirk and said, “My dad’s a general. I know for a fact they’ve detained Slag’s soldiers before and they store their uniforms in the armory. I can get us in, no problem.”

  “Assuming we can get ahold of those uniforms, then what? How do we get past the guard tower at the Elder Tree? And then how do we get anywhere near the princess? You don’t expect to bring her along, do you?” Rodrick pointed at Pepper, who frowned and fired off at him. “You have something against girls? Don’t think I can fend for myself?” She paused a moment and smiled sweetly. “I’ll forgive your stupidity, being you’re only a boy and I’ll assume you haven’t been properly educated. You need me to come along. Girls can go places boys can’t.”

  Elam interjected. “I wouldn’t think of leaving you behind. Don’t lump me in with Rodrick.”

  Pepper launched back in. “If Nimrod told the guards he was looking for me, then I can be your prisoner. Plus, I got past the gate already all by myself – I ran circles around the idiots there. Now that I’ve met you, I’m starting to wonder if it’s a genetic thing around here.”

  Rodrick stood speechless, clearly unsure of what had just happened.

  I thought it best to smooth things over. She certainly had a point, but her brutal honesty could cause trouble. I may have been larger than all the guys, but I didn’t want it to come down to protecting myself or Pepper if they got mad (my mom’s gentle giant to the end). “Pepper has a point. She’s our perfect cover to get past the guard gate – we can say she escaped the castle and her duties when Braylon assigned her maid duty to the princess. She is our key to everything. If we can get up to the castle, which I don’t doubt we c
an, then we only need to escort her inside. From there, we need to get her a servant uniform from the maid’s quarters, and probably one more for the princess. If the princess is kept in the tower, then hopefully not many people will know what she looks like. They won’t expect her as a maid.”

  Pepper inched next to me, clutched my hand in hers and gave it a squeeze. Her voice brushed past my ear. “Thanks, Nim – you’re a good friend.”

  I pinched my lips shut and tried not to grin like a total buffoon, which I failed at miserably.

  “Yeah, but what about our dads?” Gabe asked.

  “Well, we’ll have to split up. Two of us can go with Pepper up to the tower while the others head to the barracks and dungeons to search for your dads. Red should be in that team since he’s familiar with the layout and knows his way around.”

  Red nodded in agreement as the others seemed to consider the plan.

  “I can go with Pepper. I’ll protect her with my body,” Elam piped up and winked at her. There was no way I’d let Pepper out of my sight with this jerk.

  “Actually, I think it would be best to have Rodrick with us because he’s older. I wouldn’t imagine they have too many new recruits in the castle,” I said and looked at Elam, who shrugged.

  For the youngest one, Gabe was persistent and was definitely starting to get on my nerves. “But what about escape? Assuming we get the princess and our dads, what next? How do we get out of there without getting captured or killed?”

  “Why can’t we walk out of there like we walk in? Cause a diversion – let out all the prisoners. Malick and the others may still be in Slag’s uniforms. The girls will look like servants and we can move out while the alarm is raised,” I answered.

  Rodrick made a fist and ground it into his palm. “I’ve been wanting to hit Slag where it hurts. Don’t know about you guys, but I’m game. If we don’t try something then Red may wind up on his own, not to mention the rest of us. Mom’s doing everything she can to find work, but if the princess is executed, it’s all over. Period.”