The Princess Fugitive

by Melanie Cellier

  After both men had warmed up, Hartmann stood up and requested them to assume fighting position in front of him. They each saluted the judges before settling into a crouch. They were positioned directly in front of Ava and she could almost have reached out her hand and touched Hans’ shoulder. For a brief moment there was a lull as everyone held their collective breath in anticipation of the initial clash. Into this pause, Konrad spoke. His words were so quiet that Ava doubted even the judges heard him. He spoke to Hans but they were clearly for Ava’s benefit as well.

  “You should never have come back,” he said. “You should have stayed in the forest, where you were safe. Don’t think I haven’t seen the way you two look at each other. If I can’t kill her, I’ll just have to kill you instead.”

  The last word was barely out of his mouth when he surged forward and the first clang of their blades rang through the great chamber.

  Chapter 28

  Konrad attacked with ferocity and skill, thrusting and lunging at great speed. He was clearly hoping that Hans had been thrown off balance by his words and that he could use that advantage to end the trial quickly. Hans, however, appeared entirely unperturbed. He parried Konrad with equal skill and speed, dancing just out of reach or meeting his blade with strength and precision.

  Konrad seemed infuriated at his inability to land a blow and increased the intensity of his attack. No matter how fast he moved, though, Hans was always there, ready to block him. Ava could tell from Hans’ expression that he was busy assessing his opponent, looking for patterns and noting any weaknesses for later use. They had agreed the day before that he would remain on the defensive at first, attempting to exhaust and frustrate Konrad.

  At first their plan seemed to be working but after several minutes of hard fighting, Konrad backed off, circling Hans and attempting to lure him into an attack. Hans refused to take the bait but Konrad remained on the defensive anyway. He was a master strategist himself and had no doubt recognised the danger of tiring himself out.

  Several more minutes passed with only the most desultory of engagements between the combatants and Ava began to wonder when the first ten-minute bout would finish. Before the gavel sounded, however, Hans moved forward in a lightening quick attack. Konrad, who had clearly not expected it, only just managed to parry him, stepping hurriedly backwards.

  Now that Hans had gone on the offensive, he didn’t let up. His attacks came thick and fast and it was soon apparent that he was the more skilled swordsman. Ava saw the realisation flash in Konrad’s eyes and couldn’t help the surge of satisfaction that rushed through her.

  Despite Hans’ superiority, Konrad managed to hold him off, his parries becoming wilder and wilder. It was an even better beginning to the trials than Ava had hoped.

  But just as she was thinking that Konrad couldn’t last much longer, the bang of the gavel rang through the courtroom-turned-arena.

  Hans instantly fell back, breathing heavily and Ava felt a crushing disappointment. He had been so close to defeating Konrad!

  Hurrying back to the rail dividing him from Ava, he accepted a waterskin from her and tipped his head back to gulp down some water. Watching him, she felt a sharp pang and wished she were giving him a victory drink. Even with his superior skill, it was hard to send him back into danger a second time.

  All too soon, the gavel sounded and he whirled back around, sword already raised, ready to fight again.

  Konrad seemed to have rethought his strategy during the brief break and he began on the offensive once again. He was obviously still thrown, however, because his first attack went completely wide. He only just managed to swing his blade back far enough to catch Hans a glancing blow along the arm. Konrad’s sword ripped Hans’ sleeve but it didn’t have anything like the force it needed to disable him. Ava suspected he had only managed to cut him at all because Hans wasn’t expecting such a wild and useless thrust.

  As the match continued, Konrad seemed to settle and his attacks returned to their previous level of accuracy. He kept the bout moving at a steady pace, neither retreating into defence nor attacking with particular speed. Ava wasn’t really sure what he was trying to accomplish but she was soon distracted from speculating on his strategy by Hans.

  Hans had shown no sign of tiring in the first ten-minute bout and had returned to the fight with apparent energy. But as the minutes passed, he started to flag, shaking his head as if fatigued and even losing his footing and slipping at one point. He managed to pull himself back up just in time but Ava could see a flash of fear in his eyes. Her heart responded with a rush of fear of its own and she had to remind herself to breath.

  It was now entirely apparent that the momentum of the match had switched. Konrad began to drive his attacks harder and Hans was barely keeping up with his defence. Ava couldn’t understand why Hans had tired so quickly but she was too busy watching him, her heart in her eyes, to consider reasons and strategies. She had forgotten about their broader aim in the Trials. All she could think of was Hans and her terror that he might be killed.

  As she watched, he slipped again and this time Konrad was ready. He lunged forward, aiming for Hans’ heart but at the last minute, Hans was able to wrench himself around, causing the sword to plunge deep into his shoulder.

  Time slowed. Hans fell and blood blossomed on the floor around him. Ava screamed. And Konrad pulled out his sword, raising it to strike again. Before plunging it back into Hans, however, he paused, glancing back to see if Ava was watching. He clearly wanted to be sure she saw the killing blow.

  But his pause cost him. Before he could bring his arm back down, the gavel fell, the sound ringing through the shocked silence of the room.

  “Princess Ava’s champion has been disabled. Victory in the strength trial goes to Prince Konrad.”

  Ava felt a distant gratitude to Hartmann, who must have been poised to intervene, but the majority of her mind was focused on Hans. She hardly even registered that they had lost the first trial. All she could see was the pool of blood that seemed to grow larger every second.

  Konrad had fallen back a step, disappointment in his face. But as he stood there, watching his downed opponent, his expression transformed into one of satisfaction. After a moment, he turned on his heel and strode out of the room. As he left, he gestured to Clarisse and she exited with him, presumably on the way to their own rest chamber.

  Before Ava could force her frozen limbs to function, Aldric, Mathilde and Evelyn had leapt to their feet and hurried down to kneel at Hans’ side. His face was white and he didn’t respond to their presence.

  Mathilde produced a bandage from somewhere and pressed it to his wound. Somehow she maintained the pressure while Aldric and Evelyn lifted him up and carried him out of the arena. No one from the audience moved to assist them and Ava wanted to scream her frustration at them all. The saner part of her mind knew it wasn’t their fault, however. They were as bound by the rules of the Trials as she was. Accepting assistance outside of her team meant forfeiting the Trials.

  As they passed her seat, she leapt over the railing herself and rushed to help Aldric and Evelyn with their load. Sarah was trailing behind them, her face white. She didn’t attempt to assist them and Ava was simply glad the other girl had maintained consciousness.

  As soon as they were inside the rest chamber, Ava leaped forward and dragged one of the tables away from the wall. Aldric and Evelyn laid Hans on it while Aldric barked orders to Mathilde who pulled more bandages and various implements out of his medical bag. Evelyn had taken over the job of applying pressure to the existing bandage which was already soaked through with blood.

  Sarah had taken up a position at the far end of the room and was averting her eyes from the proceedings. Ava knew she should also get out of the way but she couldn’t bear to leave Hans’ side. She stood next to his head, brushing his hair back with her hands and whispering reassurances to him. His eyes were closed and he gave no sign of having heard her.

  She was aware of the f
lurry of movement from Aldric and Mathilde but she kept her eyes averted, unable to bear the sight of Hans’ wound. Her mind had stalled, playing the same scene over and over again. Konrad looking back at her, his sword raised, while Hans bled at his feet. How had everything changed so quickly?

  “I can’t get the bleeding to stop,” muttered Aldric and there was a desperate edge to his voice that made Ava shiver.

  “We have to take him to hospital,” she said. “Otherwise he’s going to die!”

  “We can’t do that, you know we can’t,” said Evelyn and her voice was gentler than Ava had ever heard it. “He wouldn’t want you to throw away your chance to win the Trials, not even for his life.”

  “I can’t let him die!” Ava focused her eyes on Evelyn.

  “Aldric may still be able to save him,” said Evelyn although there was more fear than hope in her voice. “But either way, you can’t throw away your kingdom for one life, however important he is to you. Think of all the other lives that will be lost if Konrad becomes king.”

  In a deep part of her mind, Ava knew that Evelyn was right and that this was what it meant to be a ruler. She couldn’t put her own desires above the good of her people. This was true love. If she hadn’t been so heartbroken, she would have laughed at her naivety of the night before – thinking that she had no more to learn about love.

  I didn’t realise it could hurt so much, she thought.

  Hans’ eyelids fluttered and she looked down at him with desperate hope.

  “We can’t leave.” His words were slow and disjointed. “You must go on.”

  “I know, Hans,” said Ava, letting her tears fall onto his face. He smiled up at her even as his eyes unfocused and he slipped back into unconsciousness.

  Dimly Ava heard the distant sound of a slamming door and of running footsteps. But she was too focused on the pale face in front of her to even wonder who it was. Only when the door of their own room was violently thrust open, did she start and look around. A figure rushed into the room and then slammed the door behind them, leaning against it and taking deep gulps of air.

  It took Ava a full second to register who it was.

  Princess Clarisse.

  All four of the girls in the room were staring at her, their mouths open. Only Aldric ignored her, too focused on his attempts to treat Hans’ wound.

  But it was to Aldric that Clarisse spoke and her words jerked him out of his abstraction.

  “You can’t stop the bleeding, can you?”

  Aldric stared at her.

  “How do you know that?” he asked, his voice hard. “It doesn’t make any sense. It’s a clean wound, it should be simple enough.”

  “Poison,” said Clarisse and Ava recoiled from the word.

  “When Hartmann called the break, my husband could see that he was losing. He was desperate and he’d brought something with him, just in case. He wiped the tip of the blade in poison and then cut Hans’ arm on his first thrust. After that it was just a matter of waiting him out.”

  The second bout suddenly made sense and if Konrad had been in the room at that moment, Ava would happily have run him through herself.

  “But that’s cheating, surely!” Sarah sounded horrified.

  “If it can be proved, certainly,” said Clarisse. “The rules stated that only one weapon was allowed. As I said, he was desperate.”

  “Forget that,” said Aldric brusquely, cutting them off. “Do you know which poison he used? Do you know how to counter it?”

  “I... I think so.” She pushed off from the door and approached the table in the middle of the room.

  Before she could say anymore, however, the door opened again. Clarisse fell back, her hand rising as if to ward off a blow but it was only the clerk who had shown them to the room. He looked around at them all with wide eyes and then swallowed visibly.

  “I’m sorry,” he said. “But it’s time for the compassion trial.”

  Ava’s eyes flew to Aldric’s and he returned her look grimly.

  “I can go,” he said, “we’ve already lost one trial. But if I do, Hans will almost certainly die.”

  “No,” said Ava, shaking her head emphatically. “You stay with Hans. I’ll go. I’ll work it out somehow.” Her doubt was evident in her voice.

  “Are you sure?” he asked. “He might die, anyway, I can’t guarantee anything.”

  “But you have to try. I’ll just have to do my best.”

  “I’ll go,” said a resolute voice from Aldric’s side.

  “Mathilde!” said Aldric but she gave him a stern look.

  “We’ve already agreed this should be the safest trial. And I may not be a doctor but I know a whole lot more than Ava. I’ve been an apprentice nurse for almost a year now.”

  Reluctantly Aldric nodded. “She’s your best hope,” he said to Ava.

  “You don’t need her here, to help with Hans?” asked Ava.

  “No, I’ll be alright. Evelyn and the princess will assist me.”

  The clerk cleared his throat.

  “I’m sorry,” he said again, “but you really need to come now.”

  Mathilde ran to the jug of water on the table and poured some of it over her hands, washing off the blood. Wiping them clean on a cloth, she rushed back to stand next to the clerk.

  “I’m ready,” she said.

  “Your Highness.” He sounded even more reluctant than before. “I’m afraid that as the royal competitor, you have to come too.”

  Ava nodded unwillingly and let go of Hans, bending down to brush a light kiss against his forehead.

  “Don’t you dare die,” she whispered to him and then, louder, to the rest of the group, “I’ll be back soon.”

  Chapter 29

  Konrad was already there, sitting alone in his section of seating and looking stonier than usual. Ava wondered if he knew where his wife was and guessed from the studied blankness of his gaze that he did. It was all she could do to restrain herself from shouting “cheater” in his face.

  But, just as with the treason, no good would come of accusing him without proof. She had to trust that Aldric would be able to save Hans and that when he did, his testimony and that of Clarisse would be enough to have the first trial overturned and Konrad disqualified.

  Most of the crowd looked relieved to see Ava appear and many curious glances were cast at Mathilde. She looked terrified but determined and Ava felt a rush of gratitude towards her.

  “Are you sure about this?” she whispered to the Arcadian.

  “I am,” she said with certainty.

  They had no sooner taken their seats than Gumarich stood to his feet.

  “What greater test of compassion can there be,” he said, “than the care we show to those who are weakest among us. To the sick.”

  Ava felt momentary relief and cast a grateful glance towards Lord Adelmar. He had not lead her astray.

  “In order to demonstrate this important virtue, the competitors will be required to participate in a plague simulation. Would the competitors please join me on the floor?”

  A table had been positioned in the middle of the courtroom and a single chair had been placed on each side of it.

  Ava stood and in a loud voice announced, “For my champion, I name Mathilde of Arcadia.”

  There was a murmur of voices and the rustle of craning necks as Mathilde stepped down onto the floor. Konrad eyed her with distaste but didn’t attempt to protest.

  Gumarich gestured for them each to take one of the chairs while he stood at the head of the table. Ava clenched both her fists in her lap. Her worries were only compounding and she could hardly think straight between the tension she felt for Mathilde and the nightmare that was waiting in the room she had just left.

  While Gumarich cleared his throat, she allowed herself to dwell for one moment on Hans and to wonder if he was still alive. But she was exercising every iota of her iron self-control to remain in her seat and thinking about him didn’t help, so she refocused on the trial in
front of her.

  “In order that the participants not be influenced by each other,” Gumarich was saying, “they will write down their initial answers on paper. I will then ask them further questions verbally as directed by the previously prepared parameters of the exercise.”

  For a wild moment Ava wondered if Mathilde could write. Then she remembered that trainee nurses were required to both prepare and read medical reports on their patients.

  “We will now begin. You are the ruling monarch of Rangmere.” Gumarich read from a sheet of paper. “Reports have been brought to you of multiple new cases of plague in the Green District of Rangmeros. What do you do?”

  Even though it was an imaginary scenario, it was close enough to reality that Ava couldn’t help but wince. The Green District was densely populated and the merchants who lived there were quick to demand assistance from their monarch while at the same time deeply resistant to new regulations. It was the sort of situation that every ruler dreaded.

  “You will now have five minutes to complete your initial response on the paper in front of you. This response, and your subsequent verbal responses, will be assigned a score which will determine the winner of the trial. Your time starts now.”

  Gumarich stepped back from the table and consulted a large pocket watch that he held in his hand. There was silence from the watching crowd and Ava could imagine the pressure of all those watching eyes.

  She tried to think about what answer she would have given but it was impossible to concentrate. Her thoughts kept circling back to Hans. So she instead focused on Konrad’s face as he deliberated over his answer.

  She knew what his actual response would be. At the first report of plague, he would send a squad of soldiers to the infected households with orders to kill all the inhabitants and burn the house to the ground. But he wasn’t stupid. He knew this was the compassion trial and, as little as he knew about that particular attribute, he knew enough to know it would be something other than his first instinctive response.