He looked around, feeling the wind blow across his face, and heard an eerie silence. Looking up, he saw the Blue Mountains silhouetted against the morning sky.
***
The king paced back and forth across the throne room, looking up each time someone entered. The sound of his steps echoed through the quiet chamber. It had been hours since the search party began, and all the preliminary reports were negative. No one had seen her, heard from her, or knew anything about where she might be. In a kingdom overflowing with visitors, how could anyone miss her? The pacing didn’t help much, but it did keep his mind occupied.
“Father, you’re going to wear your legs out,” Braden joked as he entered the room.
He shot his son a harsh look, and immediately regretted it.
“Braden, come sit down for a moment.” He motioned to the throne. “What do you see?”
Braden rubbed the back of his neck, knowing he had said the wrong thing. “I see the throne room, stained glass, and our portrait.” His words stilled as he looked at the picture of himself and Madeline.
“If I don’t pace, son, I see that portrait. And when I look at it, my mind wanders to dark places. There are too many possibilities, too many risks, for me to relax. No son, this isn’t one of her games. This is serious.”
“I understand,” Braden said, nodding.
With one glance at his son, he knew that it was true. “You’re going to make a great king someday,” he said, giving Braden a sad smile.
“I’ve been taught by the best.”
Their moment broke as someone cleared his throat. At the entrance to the throne room, Prince Paulsen stood, framed by the massive arch doorway. King Theodore heard Braden groan under his breath.
“Prince Paulsen, please come in,” he welcomed him.
Prince Paulsen strode toward them, his black boots hardly making a sound. His sword gleamed at his side, and his shirt looked as crisp and smooth as it had at the ball. A crooked smile played at the edge of his lips, growing bigger with each step. His eyes twinkled with delight.
The king felt Braden stiffen beside him.
“Your Majesty,” Prince Paulsen said with flourish. “Your Highness,” he added with a nod to Braden.
King Theodore smiled in greeting.
Prince Paulsen coughed to clear his throat again. “I was wondering if I might have a word with you, about your daughter.”
His heart skipped a beat, and he looked up sharply. “Madeline? Have you heard any news?” he asked.
“Er…no, Your Majesty, no news yet,” Prince Paulsen floundered. He hesitated, looking around at the guards lining the outer edge of the room. “If I might suggest, how would you feel about my men joining the search for your princess?”
“Absolutely! I’m honored to have your men join mine.”
“On one condition, of course,” Prince Paulsen continued. “Since I am offering my protection, I ask to remain here until their return…”
The king nodded in approval.
“And… when we return her, I thought we could arrange another ball for her return and betrothal,” he looked up expectantly as he finished, “to me.”
King Theodore rubbed his chin, understanding the implications of the deal. He met eyes with Prince Paulsen and saw his undisguised greed.
“If you bring back my daughter, there’s nothing that I could deny you, even her hand.”
Prince Paulsen spun around and ran out of the hall. King Theodore heard the uprising of commotion as the prince whistled to his men.
“Father,” Braden exclaimed from behind him. “What are you doing?”
“He’ll bring her home.”
“But, what he’s asking for in return. Is that fair?”
He looked at Braden with a tight-lipped smile. “Greed can be a powerful motivator for some. He can bring her back safely, and that’s all I want. That’s the end of the discussion.” King Theodore stood and walked out of the hall.
CHAPTER NINE
The princess woke with a throbbing head. Pound, pound, pound. Each breath she took made it worse. She squinted. Her cheek itched from the dirt that stuck to her dried tears. She shifted, realizing that rough twine bound her arms. Her fingers and toes tingled from the rope’s tightness. Everything seemed blanketed in a cloud of gray. Barely any light was coming through to the ground.
Mumbling sounded behind her, and she could smell meat being cooked over a fire to her right. The warmth of the flames didn’t reach her, but she heard it crackling and figured she was being kept on the outside of their camp. Close enough if she was needed, but not too close to get in the way.
Madeline winced from the pain in her legs and head. She had never been hit before in her life and was sure she didn’t want to be hit ever again.
Closing her eyes, she tried to remain still as she thought up a plan. She’d already escaped a ball full of suitors, a tournament with the whole kingdom watching, and an armed castle with her own personal knight champion. This couldn’t be much harder.
The edges of her mouth curled into a smile. When she made it out of here, she’d be free.
Feigning unconsciousness, she overheard snippets of her captors’ conversation. For the most part, it was a jumble of grunts, moans, and mumbles, but when they raised their voices, she heard them loud and clear.
“It was her, I tell you. I saw the clothes. It was the same blue she was wearing at the tourney,” one man said.
“She never goes beyond the castle walls. Why would she be near the forest?” another asked, not too interested.
“I don’t know, but that’s her dress,” the first man defended himself.
“Is the meat done? Hey, stop that!” another roared. “I just sharpened it.”
“Look. We can get her,” the first one whined. “Think about it…”
“Mmm…” the second responded, seemingly more interested.
“Think of the ransom or reward. Did you see the diamonds on it? With just one of those we’d be rich.”
“Rich don’t matter if you can’t spend it. The king would have our heads. If we got caught, we’d be dead men,” the second man countered.
Laughter roared through the air.
“That old fool couldn’t catch me. But if he did, it’s just more reward for you.” More laughter followed. “I’m going to get her.”
“Suit yourself.”
Madeline bit her lip harder, hoping she had heard wrong. Her stomach turned just thinking about it. Their laughter did little to calm her. There was no way to warn the girl she had traded dresses with. There was nothing she could do but hope they didn’t follow through.
The shuffling she heard in the distance came at her more loudly. She held her breath, forcing herself to remain still, and heard her heart pounding hard in her chest. Each second seemed to last an eternity. The pointed end of a stick bit into her ribs. In agony, she managed to control her emotions and hide the pain. A putrid smell encircled her. With closed eyes, she imagined a large man with a scraggly beard and crooked, rotten teeth poking at her.
“Hey, Mason,” he yelled, “How hard did you hit her?” There was more grumbling as he walked away.
Madeline exhaled slowly and relaxed, relieved that they hadn’t tried harder to wake her up. She had heard stories about forest bandits. One of her favorite childhood games, knights and bandits, highlighted their thievery and cruelty. Now they didn’t seem so innocent.
She needed to think. Here she was, entangled in their ropes and subject to their plan. She needed to get out of here before they forced her awake.
It seemed like forever to her, lying still with her eyes closed. Without something to keep her mind busy, time froze. Even in her room, she always had other activities to pass the time. Thoughts flowed through her mind, but nothing soothed her for long. She sang songs to herself, counted to one hundred, counted in different languages, did anything she could to keep her mind off an itch on her neck that had started to bother her. She knew her only hope was to remai
n still for as long as possible. Unfortunately, that itch didn’t understand and kept getting worse as the time passed.
Madeline shivered. The air chilled around her, her breath clouded, and the ground began to freeze. The crackling of the fire became clearer above the bantering of the bandits, and she crinkled her nose at the obvious smell of stale ale. By the stench, she assumed they’d spilled more than they drank. Laughter and belches rang through the air, growing louder as time passed.
She rethought her plan, knowing the time to act was soon. The plan seemed simple. Simple worked for her. Wait until they were all asleep, untie her legs and arms, and run as fast as she could back toward her home. Once she was back on familiar ground, she could re-evaluate her next move.
The noise got louder and louder as the night went on. The men laughed as they swore, using words she had never even heard before.
She still didn’t feel safe enough to open her eyes, so she had to imagine what was going on by the sounds. She cringed every time metal hit metal. She heard trees shake and bushes bend. The noise escalated until there was an eruption of laughter, and then the camp finally fell silent.
After a while, all she could hear was the crackling of the fire, a few snores, and some heavy breathing. Her chance had come. Madeline opened her eyes and looked around. Under the darkness of night, the trees seemed overbearing. Bushes and branches crinkled under a whistling breeze.
In a pile by the fire, their weapons gleamed. The orange flames reflected off sharpened edges and cast horrific shadows. Behind the weapons, she saw the bandits, fast asleep.
Now that it was time and she saw her captors and their weapons, her heart throbbed with fear.
Rubbing her legs together, she loosened the restraints. “Almost, just a little more,” she whispered, biting her lower lip as the pain burned through her torn skin. “Just a little more.”
She ripped her legs free and began to work on her arms. The knots cut her and no matter how hard she rubbed them together, they refused to give way. She would have to run with her arms bound.
CHAPTER TEN
Daniel stopped. After riding all night, both he and his horse needed rest. The light from the morning sun reflected brilliantly off the snowcapped mountains. Transfixed, Daniel watched in awe. Seven different shades of blue shone over the mountaintops, and a multiplicity of greens popped out from the hillsides.
He found himself at a crossroads. The exiled lands of the east were uncharted. The forest sprawled ahead of him, and the mountain loomed to his left. No clear direction presented itself. He led his horse to a stream, letting him rest beneath the shade of the pines, as he thought. A breeze blew through his fingertips, cooling his sweat-dampened hair.
He was stuck. Nothing marked the path that Princess Madeline had taken: no footprints, no broken sticks, no horse tracks. There were no indications that he was any closer to saving her. Dust scattered dust around him as he kicked the ground.
“If only there was a way to see ahead. Then I could decide,” he said to himself. His words registered and he jumped. “Of course! I just need a better vantage point.” He ran across the small stream, over scattered rocks, to the base of the mountainside. About fifty feet above him, a small ledge jutted out.
The rocks scraped his forearms and ripped his pants, but he continued climbing. His muscles ached and sweat dripped from his forehead as he pulled himself onto the narrow ledge. The morning light shone on him, stronger above the tree cover. Unfortunately, the new view did not give him any more clues to the princess’s whereabouts. Time passed, and the only thing that changed seemed to be the direction the trees swayed.
Daniel felt like screaming. He had made it this far following the lead from the village, but there was nowhere else to go. This was a dead end. There were no signs of her, and, realistically, he doubted she could have made it this far without help or a horse.
“I am her champion!” he yelled into the sea of trees. “Madeline! Where are you! I’m here for you!” Nothing but the wind answered his calls.
After one last gust of wind, he resigned himself to the truth. He wouldn’t find her here. Without a trace to follow, he was wasting time. He slid down the steep hill, landing in an unceremonious heap at the base. With legs as bruised as his ego, he prepared to head back to the castle. Maybe they had had better luck.
He hiked back to where he’d tied his horse, and looked around, startled. His horse was gone. He double-checked his spot, noting the streambed lined with hoof prints, the periodic rocks he had jumped, and the full forest in front of him. He kicked the ground in frustration. Now he had lost his horse too. Could matters get any worse?
Invisible eyes weighed on him. His knight training kicked in; his hands strayed to the sword hilt nonchalantly, hiding his readiness. If someone attacked, he would be prepared. To his dismay, nothing happened.
The wind tickled his neck and the rustling trees teased his ears. A sudden wave of lightheadedness rolled over him, knocking him to his knees. Trying to regain his balance, Daniel leaned against the tree, letting go of his sword. Beneath his reach, something warm nuzzled him. Daniel froze. The emptiness around him turned into a crowd. Surrounding him, a group of green-robed men stood, holding the reins to his horse and pointing wands.
Fear filled every inch of his body. He desperately tried to free his sword, but his arm refused to listen to him. He looked closer at their wands and their green robes and recognized them. He knew that he couldn’t win. The wizards had found him.
“Please,” Daniel begged, “please help me. I need to find the princess.”
The wizards convened together, leaving Daniel in silence. He waited as they decided what to do next. A gust of wind blew through the trees around them, and some of the men started to nod, as if they had heard some sort of answer. Daniel sat still on the ground. The men all gathered together, whispering and looking over at him. One of the men stepped forward.
“We will help you,” he said, turning to disappear into the thick forest.
A young boy, trying to appear older and useful, grabbed the reins of Daniel’s horse. His small hands hid inside the long sleeves of his robe.
Daniel found himself following through the forest. Wizards surrounded him, enclosing him in a circle of green. His fear disappeared into hope. He didn’t know exactly what they knew, or what they could do to help, but they seemed willing to try. That was good enough for him.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Walking into the depths of the Blue Mountains excited Daniel’s senses. The hairs on the back of his arms stood up straight and a slight hum filled the air as the trees, rocks, and air seemed to come alive. Slivers of light blinded him as he looked up through the trees. His eyes swept around him with a sense of awe.
The tallest of the robed men raised his arm to halt the group. Daniel’s horse gave a little snort at their abrupt stop.
It was odd—he should have been alarmed, but he wasn’t. A strange sense of security enveloped him, like he was wrapped in a wool blanket. He closed his eyes, settling into that feeling.
Daniel had no way to determine exactly where in the Blue Mountains they were. The tutors did not teach about the exiled territories. Besides a quick explanation of their treason and banishment, the wizards weren’t mentioned.
Judging by the hours they had walked, he figured they were somewhere up in the middle of the mountain. The trees started to thin and large outcroppings of rocks appeared more frequently. When they stopped in front of an oppressive rock wall, Daniel questioned their position. The cliffs of the Blue Mountains stretched hundreds of feet above. Even the most experienced of climbers shrank at their reputation. Out of options, Daniel would do whatever it took.
The robed men left his side and gathered in a circle. Leaning together, their faces disappeared beneath their hoods and created a living wall of green. Daniel’s eyes widened as he watched.
For one short moment, the green in their robes shone with absolute brilliance. Daniel rubbed his eyes, but wh
en he looked back, the robes had faded. He brushed the thought away. It was one of the many mysteries of the wizards.
When he looked back at the gray cliffs, his jaw dropped. An opening in the rock wall grew larger by the second.
“Whoa,” he said to calm his horse, and himself, holding the reins a bit tighter.
The wizards ushered Daniel forward. He felt their wands press into his back when he stopped mid-step. A sparkling cave of wonder stood before him, not at all like the empty, damp cavern he had expected.
“Don’t let appearances fool you,” the youngest wizard whispered, running past him.
Daniel couldn’t help but stare. The sides of the cave glimmered in trailing waterfalls. Small pools gathered at the base of the walls, collecting the water into a reflection of light and color. The further he walked inside, the more awestruck he grew.
Ornately carved homes lined what appeared to be the back of the cave, and trails of moss and broken cobblestones marked a path below him. He continued to walk in silence, looking about him. The intricate stonework revealed speckles of pinks, purples, and blues. He couldn’t speak; his eyes and mind were transfixed by its beauty.
“Who are you?” he finally asked, finding his voice.
“I’m surprised you have to ask.” The tall man smiled and pulled back his hood to reveal his face. A foot taller than the other men, the wizard offered a gentle smile. Carrying himself with the confidence of experience, his look was kind, but also demanded respect.
“You’re the wizards of Soron,” Daniel said timidly, looking behind at the growing bevy of people peeking around the man who spoke. He was surprised at the large number of women and children among them.
“I am Elias, leader of the exiled.” Elias looked more closely at him and winked. “You may have heard about us.” He continued walking deeper into the cave.
“We’re really not all that different from you and your villagers in Soron, despite what you may have heard. We enjoy a simple life.” Elias waved a stable boy over to take his horse.
The Escape of Princess Madeline Page 6