Her own way

Chapter 31

Sam took Josh through the woods to a secluded spot far from the edges of the villages and away from any prying ears. They sat around a small camp fire with a few of Sam's men. Sam explained how they had been watching for several days and trying to find an opportunity to speak to Josh. He gave a brief overview of the events that led to the disappearance of Princess Katrina, and spoke a little of how they had heard of Kate and the attack on her family before she too vanished into thin air. In return, Josh told Sam about how he and his cousin Lucas had found a terrified girl chained to a wall in an abandoned area of the city. Josh spoke of how he cared for the girl, helped her to get back on her feet and working in the castle until that horrid day when she was taken away and thrown into the dungeons.

"My King heard of this, he also heard of your bravery and courage in trying to get her back." Sam nodded at Josh, a small gesture of respect.

"It wasn't enough. I could have tried harder, done something differently. I couldn't stop it from happening." Josh grumbled, his words reflecting just how much the situation was affecting him.

"No you couldn't," Sam agreed. "But you suffered for trying and word of that alone has spread throughout the kingdoms. Prince Joshua, the whole world will soon know about you taking a stand against your father and they will support you."

"If words like that reach my father then I'll be dead before I get the chance to be king myself. It wouldn't be the first time he tried it." Josh spoke with such bitterness that Sam couldn't help but look at him with concern. There had been many rumours about King Raphael and his abusive ways but no one had been willing to speak of it out loud, so for the prince to even hint of what was happening begs the question of just how much damage has been caused under the rule of King Raphael.

The men spoke for several hours, discussing a wide variety of plans for rescuing Kate from the dungeons. Each plan was looking to be a success until Josh pointed out different problems that would cause them to fail. Eventually Josh noticed just how late it was and began saying his farewells, promising to return in two days time to discuss other possible plans. Walking back through the woods was not as easy in the growing darkness but luckily for Josh, he was able to move quickly and managed to avoid tripping over any random tree roots. It was as if he had gained some form of night vision with the way he sped through the trees. As soon as Josh reached the villages lying on the outskirts of the castle, he slowed momentarily in order to avoid suspicion from any locals. It was a bit more difficult to reach the castle but with his knowledge of short cuts it didn't take quite as long as it could have. Once inside the castle, Josh allowed himself a moment to look out of the windows, taking in the state of the streets he had just been passing through. The fading glow of sunlight cast an ugly shadow on the run down buildings and showed just how many homes had some form of light, be it candles or a warm fire. It also told Josh that he had his work cut out for him fixing all his fathers wrongs when he took his place as king. If he had the chance.

Down in the dungeons, the situation was not as pleasant. An eerie silence gave the corridors a haunted feeling, the occasional whimper could be heard echoing from one end to the other. Curled up in the dark corner of a cell, Kate sat shivering. The day may have been sunny and warm but none of that penetrated the cold stone walls of the lower castle, the air was biting and the straw lining the floor did little to take away the chill. With each day and night that passed, Kate was becoming more and more confused. Her daytimes were filled with torment; hearing the spooky noises from other prisoners and small mumblings of the guards outside her cell, seeing the bare four walls of the cells, and feeling the ever present cold air that refused to warm. Her nights were plagued with dreams. Dreams of her time with Josh, of her parents Hannah and Jacob, of her brothers and sister Peter, Ethan and Ellen. Dreams of another lady who felt so familiar for some inexplicable reason, a different family and a girl named Katrina. Nightmares of fire and armed soldiers. None of it made any sense to her, especially the lady and the fire. The lady was a complete mystery, Kate felt that she should know her but her mind was blank when ever she tried to identify her, and the only fire Kate could think of was the one located in a fireplace or stove, not cutting through houses and a castle as if it were a knife cutting through a juicy piece of fruit. The situation was really starting to get to Kate, so much that it was getting difficult for her to identify precisely when the cold dark reality ended and the confusing combination of dreams and nightmares began. The only thought that offered her any hope was Josh, he would come for her - she was certain of it, although the longer she was trapped in the dungeons, the quicker her hope was starting to dim.

~~~AN~~~ Not a particularly good update but I wanted to get something written. Not too long until the end now, maybe two or three more chaps to go. Wow I never thought I'd say that! Okay so comments, messages etc welcome.. how else am I gonna make this better :-)