Alliar

I stomped through the camp site a little angry, at what I wasn't sure. I was frustrated with this situation, with the feelings rushing through me and with my forced predicament. But, mostly, I was extremely annoyed by my lack of control over my life.

Control was never something I had a lot of being a princess, I was told what to do, where to stand, what to say and how to dress. But I could say no. Now, however I had no control over anything really and the idea annoyed me immensely.

"Stop pouting." Jonathan ordered as he rolled his eyes at me and took a seat in one of the sleeping bags set up.

"I'm not pouting!" I said rather loudly earning me a chorus of groans and curses from the men around me, already trying to sleep as the sun set. "Sorry," I quickly apologised for my rudeness.

"Shut up and sleep Little Miss."

"And if I say no?" I folded my arms across my chest.

"Demetri get me my dagger, she wants to die!" He called out.

Die. Death. No I didn't want that. I bit down my pride and decided sleep would help pass the time despite the fact that I wasn't at all tried, or perhaps I was over tired?

I walked towards Jonathan as he reclined back on the make shift bed and sat myself down beside. "You have your dagger in your belt."

"I do. But you did as I said now didn't you." He smirked as he looked up at me.

I narrowed my eyes at him, showing him my discontent.

Jonathan reached up and gripped my chin hard. "Don't glare at me."

I pulled my chin away and out of his reach. My pride struggled to stay down and remain dormant.

Sighing deeply, I moved my body to lay down on the ground, pulling the thin blanket over me and trying to sleep.

Night fell quicker than I remembered, and the forest in which we slumbered in was soon black with only the light of the stars to guide your dreams. The cold breeze set a small frost over the ground and each breath I took created a strong mist in the air.

I bit down on my bottom lip trying to stop the chattering of my teeth as my body shock from the cold.

We must be further North than I first thought.

"Will you shut up already?!" Jonathan scolded me as turned again in his sleep.

"It's cold!" I yelled in whisper.

"Yes it is, deal with it."

"I am trying!"

I wrapped my arms further around me and hugged myself closer.

"Oh for the sake of the gods." He cursed and sat up. His hands gripped my waist and pulled me towards him until I was cuddled against his chest. His fingers ran down my dress as he pulled the strings of my corset until it fell from me making me a lot more exposed.

"What are you doing?" I frowned. I was cold as it was and he was attempting to take my clothes off?

"Shut up."

I rolled my eyes at him and waited silently. Jonathan's body soon warmed my back as he pressed himself against me, the heat of another person was a welcomes relief fro the bitter cold.

"If you even think about reaching for the dagger, I will drive it through your throat." He warned me.

"I'm too cold to move." I informed him in an attempt to give him piece of mind while he slept although I knew from my previous exposure to the man; he was too light a sleeper for me to gain the upper hand.

I stayed quiet, listening to the wind call through the branches of the trees, waiting for sleep to take me. I wasn't cold any longer thanks to my prison guard beside me but it was still difficult to drift off into the unknown.

I thought for a moment, it was fear of closing my eyes, of letting my guard down - after all, it was only last night that I had closed my eyes, believing it would be the final time I did so, waiting for the cut of the cold steel to slice my throat.

It was quiet. I frowned as my eyes darted from star to star.

It was never this quiet at night.

"How far north are we?" I asked quietly.

"Shut up and sleep." Jonathan hissed in my ear.

"How far north are we?" I repeated the question with a little more pressure in my voice.

"Don't worry about that." He waved off my question again.

I rolled my eyes and decided to ask my question from a different angle. "What about the nighting gales?" I asked him. "Do they still sing this far north?"

For this time of year, their annoying call should be at least echoing in the distance.

Jonathan froze, his entire body stiffened as he processed what I had just said. What could make all of the birds stop their song? A disturbance of some kind?

"Are you asleep?" I frowned waiting for my answer.

"Be quiet." He spoke quickly. His arms released me as he slowly jumped up to his feet. Jonathan reached down and pulled me up along side him, his fingers pressing against my lips, signalling fro me to be quiet.

"Climb up the tree." He ordered me as he left, slowly walking around the camp he started to wake everyone up.

I didn't bother waiting for further instruction and did as I was told, starting to climb up the tree.

I gripped the limb of the tree and tried to pull myself up. Swinging my leg up in hopes I could reach.

"This was a lot easier when I was younger." I muttered to myself.

"Hurry up!" Jonathan whispered as he stopped beside me.

"I'm trying!"

I looked around briefly to see all of the soldiers were already climbing up trees around us and the once crowded campsite was just about empty.

Jonathan grabbed a hold of my butt and pushed me up the tree. I quickly grabbed a hold of the branch and pulled myself up further until I was perched on the first branch. I continued to climb further up the tree while Jonathan followed me up with ease.

Sitting down, I hugged the thick tree branch and looked down below. It was quiet for a few minutes. No one dared to move or make a sound as we waited. I wasn't sure what we were waiting for but I didn't dare try to speak.

Sounds of twigs snapping and leaves rustling caught my attention. Below us, men passed in the darkness of night. I peered down at the men passing through. Their bulky armour was loud and disturbing as they stomped through the forest, the light from the stars and the dim flame of the torches they carried flickered off their armour.

I leaned forward a little to get a better look at the symbol they wore on their breastplate. It was a hound. These were the same soldiers that attacked Jonathan at the lake. They wore Edward Throne's crest - the man I was supposedly betrothed too. But, I still didn't understand what they were doing here? Why they were sneaking around through my Stepfather's kingdom.

Jonathan's arm wrapped around my waist as I almost fell forward. He pulled me back and held me while we waited for the knights to pass.

As the last of the men walked under us, I looked back at Jonathan. His face was darkly shadowed in the night-light making him look as menacing as ever.

"You're welcome." I nudged his arm. Thanks to my 'irritating' mouth and lack of sleep, we were still alive; I should at least get some credit for that.

"You just saved yourself another day, I suggest you get some sleep and think about what you're going to do to keep yourself alive tomorrow."

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I woke in the early horse of the morning to the sound of birds chirping and the loud annoying sound of people rushing about.

I groaned and slowly opened my eyes. Looking around I saw that everyone was up and moving about, horses were on the move and each person was set in their task. I looked down, noticing that the only reason I was hanging from a tree or falling to my death at the moment was the fact that I had been tied to the tree branch to stop me.

"Move it Little Miss or you're getting left in the tree." Nicolai called up to me as he busily wondered past below me.

I took a deep breath and rolled my eyes as I started to untie the rope.

"Get out of the dman tree." Jonathan yelled at me as I pulled the last of the rope.

"I'm getting there!" I snapped at him. "Just give me a second."

Jonathan walked under the tree, his arm reaching out and grabbing a hold of my foot before he pulled, making me fall. I screamed as I fell backwards off the branch only to find myself being caught just before I hit the ground.

"Hold your tongue or I'll cut it out." He threatened before he continued to drop me.

I landed in heap pile with a loud thud. My butt already beginning to bruise.

Pouting and groaning I rolled over onto my stomach and pushed my body up until I was kneeling on the floor attempting to regain some composure.

"Hey Little Miss, give me a hand with these sleeping bags." Nicolai asked me as he threw a sleeping bag at me, expecting me to fold it.

I rolled my eyes and took a deep breath. This was a rather rude awakening. I hated mornings, majority of time I was awoken at dawn by Sister Clairea and if I didn't fall out of bed with minutes, she would return with an ice-cold bucket of water and drench me in it. This week however I guess my mornings have been a lot more relaxed, the only thing I had to worry about was keeping my life for day.

I pulled the sleeping back closer towards me and started folding it inwards, struggling a little to keep it in the right position.

Jonathan started walking back towards me and I shuddered at the sight.

"Get up." He demanded as he walked past me.

I frowned a little confused and stood up, taking a few steps towards him. "Why? Where are we going?"

"To a Convent."

I paused. My feet freezing, were they stood. Oh for the love of the gods please tell me he isn't going to leave me there.

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So a little shorter today but I didn't have anything else to add to Alliar's chapter.

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