The Prince's Escape

Chapter 29 || Fear & Desperation

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We fought. Side by side we fought and killed. There was blood and bodies everywhere, but they didn't stop coming. The army stationed just outside of Ramila must have arrived. I climbed over the fallen, and continued, refusing to allow my attention or adrenaline flatter. The new numb routine of fighting for life by killing. Someone bumped into my back and I turned to strike, only to find Travis at my flank. He gave me a curt nod, and he protected my back and I his. 

"Where are they coming from?!" Conrad called in astonishment. They were filling the streets. Then, something amazing happened. Hot steaming tar began falling from an unknown source and landed on the soldiers preparing to continue the assault on our small numbers. I looked up and spotted a woman holding a pot. I can't believe it. They're joining in the fight. I smiled as I realized there were others in the windows of their homes throwing objects at the soldiers, and even more tossing burning hot liquids. 

"Fall back," I heard a guard scream. 

"Push forward," I announced after the last pot had toppled onto the street. We need to get to the castle, Ember will be inside by now. She's going to need more hands. I shouldn't have let her go without me, I shake the thought. Running with my sword in hand, my stomach begins to twist as I smell smoke. Francesa's got a sick enjoyment of fires. All my worries go straight to the stable girl. We are so close to the entrance of the castle and that's when it occurs to me we haven't seen any guards. It's a trap. "Stop," I call to my men, who are racing ahead of me. There are so few of us left. We need to focus. "Conrad & Travis follow me. The rest of you make yourself scarce. Travis will signal you when you are needed."

Sticking close to the walls, we move swiftly till we are close to the location of the fire. Still no sign of soldiers. Using the thatch, I begin climbing to the top of a house to get a look at what is happening. The fire is burning higher and higher. What is she trying to do?  There are soldiers four deep creating a perfect circle of defense around the court. Francesa is standing beside the fire with a smirk on her face. Her eyes turn to something besides the flames, and that's when I see her. Ember. Her armor has been stripped, leaving her in a simple powder blue dress. She has no protection. But that's not the only thing that stops my breathing. Around her waist are thick ropes. She is tied to a wooden pst surrounded by branch. They are going to burn her alive! 

I need a plan, and I need one now! That's when it hits me. I know what I have to do! Racing down the house, I tell Conrad and Travis. 

Conrad hesitates, "Are you sure?"

"There's no time. Conrad, didn't you hear me. They have Ember!"

"I know. It's just-" I stop him. "I need you to do this." I was asking him to let me, the King, the one he is a sworn to lay down his life for, go into obvious death without him. A request that would be impossible to follow for any knight. "I'll wait for your signal," I tell him.

He nods at last, and I head towards the smoke. Placing my weapon away, I lift my hands up in surrender, as I'm taken by the guards. 

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The ropes around my hands dig into my wrist as I continue to fight against them, the ones on my waist, making it difficult to twist out of the binds, but I'm not stopping. That bitch needs to go! She gives me sickly smirk as she glances at me. I know she only created the first unnecessarily large fire to frighten me, and it did to some extent, but I'm not going to show her that. "Ember, right?" She asks, but I only glare. "I thought this would be the most fitting. Watching your flame be turned to ashes and embers."

"You're clever," I spit. 

"I wonder where or where your prince may be? Perhaps he's dead!" She cackled at her own deranged joke. Suddenly there is commotion mixed with the guards, and I can make out a blonde head among at the steel covered ones. Oh no, please tell me that's not you. 

His hands are up in surrender. His armor is covered in blood, and it's almost hard to even make out his face covered with all grime. If it wasn't for those blue eyes locking with mine as he made his excruciatingly slow walk towards me, I wouldn't have been able to make him out at all. He must have fought so hard. The men? They are all dead. Conrad. Travis. James. I searched his eyes for any sense of what was happening, but I already knew. We lost. I'm going to die and he will soon follow. For some reason, I gain comfort in that. I won't be alone. We will be together.

"At last, the guest of honor has arrived. Are you ready for a show?"

"Please," he begs. Falling to his knees. I see the pain in his movements. "You already taken my father, killed all of my men, destroyed my kingdom, and take my crown. Leave the stable girl alone. She's done nothing but be loyal. If I tell her she will stop fighting. It's me you should kill, she was taking my order. She could be a useful fighter. She's a healer," he pleads my case for life, but all it did was make me want to cry. How the mighty have fallen, and now he's just trying to save me. That seems to be our relationship though: A series of trying to save each other. I want to cry listening to him. Each word. I hear the fear and desperation in his voice. Neither sounds belong to him. They can't. He is not fear, he is courage. He is not desperation, he is confidence.

Francesa seems to like this version of Luca. She struts over to him, her fingers hovering just over his shoulders. "I wish I could give you the one thing you ask of me, my sweet, but I can't. You see, she would kill me in my sleep the second she got the chance. Now, let's watch as-" a guard runs in just then, with an arrow in his back, as he falls to the ground. I'm too shocked, to notice Luca is standing over the limp body of Francesa, a sword sticking out of her back. Luca races up the branches to me. His forehead instantly finds mine, and he lets out a quick breath of relief. His sword cuts through my binds, and I fall forwards at the unexpected release. 

"I've got you, my little spark." I shake my head at his words, but allow him to support my weight. We turned to the men, wearing the colors of Ramila.

"Your princess is dead, your king was murdered. I wish for no further bloodshed. You are a strong people but are sorely lacking order. Until a King is appointed, I will oversee your Kingdom from afar, but it is up to you to keep law and peace. Go back to your Kingdom, now!" He orders still supporting my weight. I'm going to begin climbing down, but he picks me up bridal style and carries me down.

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