Chapter 9

"Please," Ely pleaded to Alex.  "May I ride alone?"

He gave her a wry glance from atop his horse, eyes flicking down her form.  They had all dismounted, taking a break to stretch and relieve themselves before continuing on to the castle.  It had to be well passed midnight. Judging by the placement of the moon, they had a couple of hours left to ride.

It wasn't safe for her to ride with him any longer. Alex was becoming too overwhelmed with conflicting emotions. He quickly went from fury back to wide eyed lust remembering the princess' every curve, creamy porcelain skin, the shadow of pert nipples and her blazing emerald eyes.   It made the tightness in his pants worse. 

"Alright," he grumbled, snapping his fingers to another guard to give the Princess a horse.

Alex watched the princess as she expertly mounted while all the other soldiers did the same. With a whip on the reigns, his horse began to move forward. He kept a careful watch on  Elyena as she urged her stead into a trot.  A heavy sinking twist of guilt settled lower and lower in Alex's gut with each trudge forward.  His father, the preacher in Alex's hometown, would be ashamed of what he was doing to this poor woman.  The rightful Princess of Kildare at that!  All his teachings, morals, and discipline were kicked out the door when Alex agreed to this mission.

"Alex," he commented after a long silence, eyes barely flicking in her direction.

"What?" she replied, flinching and quirking an eyebrow.

"My name," softened brown eyes gazed at her, "is Alex."

With a sigh, she confessed, "Elyena O'Donnell of Kildare."

They rode in silence under the moonlight.  With a sideways glance, Alex caught a view of Elyena's profile.  The way her loose tendrils billowed in time with the horses hooves, the slight curve of her lips as if lost in a fond memory caused Alex's gut to tighten.  Her brazen attitude, this woman's boldness.  Many features on this princess reminded him of someone long gone from his life.  The muscle in his heart ached with guilt.

Perhaps it was not too late to save her? Especially from this man who wanted her.  Recalling his past beloved one, Alex asked her, "Tell me Princess, why does Killian desire you in a different way than most men?"

Ely shot him a sideways glance, lips pressing together into a thin line.   She inhaled, lips parting to answer when another voice cut in through the darkness.

"Well now, this," the voice chimed, "will not do.  Here I am riding non stop to hopefully stumble across the person my employer wishes me to collect and here she is being abducted by others."  Finally emerging from the darkness of the trees, he clicked his tongue, shaking his head. "I simply cannot stand by and allow this to happen."

A man donned in black hardened leather armor and a black mask covering his eyes stood with his arms crossed over his chest. His long black hair was kept back with a leather tie. He appeared to be completely unarmed but his hand shifted suspiciously to his belt.

"I must declare that her Highness shall be coming with me.  Please give the usurper my regards as well as those of my employer."

"I am not going anywhere with you," Elyena spat, impressing Alex with her boldness.  His brows rose and lips quirked.

The masked man stopped a few yards in front of the guards. Ignoring their drawn swords and flanking of the princess, he pulled down his mask. His face was youthful with a twinkle of laughter in his violet eyes.  Alex heard Elyena's soft gasp, watched her brows furrowed.

"Where are my manners," he bowed his head, a grin spread across his full lips when he stood upright.  Elyena stiffened, shoulders squared at the chauvinistic action.   "Dear Princess, you are old enough to decide things on your own. My Lady, would you care to go with these men to the tyrant King or," he extended his hand in obnoxious faux chivalry.  "Would you ride with me to the safety of my employer?"

Alex scoffed. 

Ely narrowed her eyes, keeping them trained straight ahead as this man led his horse closer and closer. 

"Princess," Alex whispered. He was silenced by her glance of pure annoyance.  She waved him off.  Alex huffed and rolled his eyes.

Ely turned her head as if bored, answering the newcomers question calmly but with obvious bitterness. "I have no idea why this King wants me let alone your employer. Why can you not leave me be? I was still considered a child to society when Killian forcefully took over my family's kingdom. My Unc-"

The masked man's horse trotted closer quickly, interrupting her words.  Elyena's horse reared back from the surprise approach. She was nearly tossed her off.  If not for her fast reaction, quickly tightening her thighs on the saddle and her fingers around the reigns, she likely would have been. 

Alex watched with caution. His keen eyes observed her every move, ready to interfere and come to her aid.

When her horse settled down, Ely leaned forward over its neck, patting its cheek.  "Shh, shh, it is alright...there you go," she  whispered.   Her peaceful demeanor darkened as she gave a cold glare at the masked stranger.

"Due to circumstances, I did not have a choice," Ely chuckled in sarcasm, waving a hand at Alex and the guards.

"And no, Sir," with an edge in her voice she continued, "I do not wish to be hauled like chattel to the tyrant King who murdered my family and overtook my lands, condemning them to ruin. Nor do I wish to visit your employer, for you have not identified who your employer is. For all I know, you are also a pawn of Killian coming to ensure the job was done!" Now fuming with rage, Ely yelled at the stranger and the guards surrounding her. "NO! I will NOT be taken!"

In one swift and skillful move, she grabbed a dagger she must have slipped into the shaft of her boot before they left the cottage.  Reaching back , she hurled it with all her strength at the nearest guard. The dagger landed perfecting in the center of his chest with a sickening squalsh piercing his heart. With a hard kick of her heels and a loud, demanding command, Ely's horse took off in a gallop soaring away from any of the men trying to capture her.  She had the transport without the extra rider and she knew the way. 

The guards watched with wide eyes as their colleague slumped over, slipping from his horse and falling to the ground. They glanced between Alex, the newcomer, and the princess.

Alex kicked hard at his own horse, storming past the remaining men who were closing in on the newcomer to catch up to her. Killian wouldn't care about Alex's fate at this point -- not over the princess escaping. He rode hard and fast, leaning forward against the horse to gain speed.  Soon his horse began to steadily catch up with the princess.

"Princess, stop!"

Elyena kicked and encouraged her horse to push on.

He groaned as he drove his horse harder, hoping to finally close the gap between them so he could get to the fleeing Princess. Coming alongside her, Alex lunged for the reins but missed.

She pressed her body down low on the horses back, willing her stead to go faster. Alex's harsh voice pushed his own horse as he gained on them.

"Stop the horse, Elyena!" Alex pleaded, grabbing for the reins and touched the leathers for a second. However, it moved from his grasp.

Ely glanced over her shoulder, observing Alex's position right in time for him to make another attempt.  She guided the horse to the right away from his advances.  Zig-zagging a path to make it impossible, Alex couldn't predict where she would deflect.

Failing again, Alex followed her horses pattern reaching out again trying to grab around her waist. He managed to catch hold of her dress but struggled with keeping his grip, nearly falling from his mount. In the heat of the struggle, Ely's horse jerked away then reared back again, this time successfully bucking her to the ground.

She lost her grip on the reigns and tumbled off the horse. Her small bundle of clothing  strapped to her back had cushioned the base of her neck for the hard fall, but she tumbled and rolled hard onto the ground.

Seeing her fall, Alex whirled his horse around dismounting near where she lay motionless. 

Ely groaned, trying to move but her face twisted clearly showing she was in searing pain. Her eyes fluttered open for a mere few seconds as Alex knelt beside her, a hand gently touched her face.

"Do not resist, Elyena," Alex commanded.  "It is not wise for you to move." Soon Alex saw they were joined by the other guards who flanked in a protective circle.

The masked intruder dismounted to intervene and capture her himself. He came out of the woods scowling, quickly approaching them on foot.

Alex got up and seethed toward the mysterious stranger.  He pulled out his bow, nocked an arrow then let it fly to meet its mark.  The impact knocked the masked intruder backwards to the ground with a thud.

Going back to Ely, he checked if she was conscious.  His heart sunk.  She wasn't responding.  Cradling the Princess, Alex passed her to a guard as if she was a baby, holding pressure on the back and neck.  He mounted his own horse, and then with arms open, he took Ely back.

What will the King do to Alex now?

"To Kildare!" Alex shouted, kicking his horse into motion galloping .  Time was of the utmost importance to get Elyena to the castle physician.

Alex led the band toward Kildare Castle. Just as the first rays of dawn broke over the horizon, their lifeless prize cradled firmly in Alex's arms. The other guards on duty and a handful of citizens around the castle already awake, did not seem too shocked to see a limp civilian in custody. It was all too common. They saw prisoners brought in regularly.  The guards and Alex dismounted once they stood outside the castle's doors. Alex carefully held the unconscious Elyena. He climbed to stairway, through the entry hall barely noticing the mosaics and paintings, focused on taking her to the throne room.

With each trudged step, Alex's heart grew heavier and heavier with guilt. 

What had he done?