Allair

Chin up, head held high and my posture straight. I paid no attention to the eyes on me. I ignored the questions in their eyes, the judgement that swirled as I walked right past them. My clothes were dark, muddy and tore in more places than I cared to acknowledge. My hair had come loose and floated behind me in an array for curls and tangles. But still I didn't care. My necklace was on show for all to see, my families crest containing the blue jewel that seemed to almost glow in the light of the full moon. The heavy chest, cradled in my arms.

Threats.

Witches.

Ancient Curses.

And evil Kings.

I had had enough.

The war camp spread in two, creating a path for the woman with death in her eyes. None of them even tried to stopped me. None of them even dared to question me.

The last few soldiers parted, to reveal the King glaring down the line.

I glared right back.

My Pride had been in hiding long enough. And I was done pretending.

The sun was rising over the camp and more forces had arrived. Gabriel, the Lord of Rohan was standing by the horses and Demetri was already staring at me. His eyes widened ever so slightly and his lips parted.

I didn't care anymore.

I approached Jonathan, and dumped his precious chest at his feet. My eyes never once leaving his.

I didn't back down.

"Your war is over." I kept my voice stern and with that deathly edge I had been taught long ago. "Time to go home."

I walked past him then, not daring myself to look back.

Jonathan didn't call after me.

***

Two weeks in silence.

We were only a few days out from the Northern boarders and I was sick of the silent treatment.

Jonathan had ignored me since I 'made-a-scene' that night. I had been left at the back of the company under the watchful eye of Nicolai and another Shadow knight who remained mute the entire trip back. Jonathan clutched his mother's chest close and glared at me every time I caught his eyes.

My clothes were drenched and I was starving. My rations had been restricted as punishment for my actions and because apparently 'food was better spent on warriors than little girls throwing a tantrum' or at least that's how the King put it. I don't know why he was so pissy, I was the one who actually went into the castle and got his chest back - or at least that's what I've been made to say since I could hardly tell everyone that witches helped me get it without expecting to keep my tongue.

And so I kept my mouth firmly shut, listening to Nicolai ramble on about jokes and funny tales that he heard from a friend of friend.

I let my temper boil.

Dawn came sooner than I had expected. A light snow had started falling making my lips turn blue and my fingers start to ache. I watch my breath turn to smoke in front of me with each cold breath that filled my lungs. The soldiers made camp and I rolled out my sleeping bag. I had been kicked out of the tent that I once shared with the King and made to sleep on the damp snow.

But sleep never came.

The stars took over the sky and I stared at the patterns in the sky, making shapes out of the bright stars just like I used to when I was young. I would see dragons and wolves, while my brother saw things like a pot and sword.

I sighed and rolled over again, trying to sleep.

Nicolai snored loudly next to me.

I rolled my eyes and jumped to my feet. Maybe a walk would clear my head enough for me to get some sleep.

I wondered through the woods using the moon light and the soft glow of the torches to guide me.

I sat down on a large rock and took a few moments to catch my breath. Owls called out in the night, wolves howled and leaves crunched under foot -

Crunched under foot?!

I spun around and screamed.

"Demetri." I calmed myself with the view of a friendly face. "You scared me."

"Sorry." He apologised, but something was lacking in his voice.

I shook off my fear and faced him. "Did you have a nice trip?"

Demetri kept himself in the shadows. "It was very productive." Was all he said.

"Well I'm glad." I forced a smile.

"Did you know where I went?"

I was a little shocked by the question, but still, I played along. "No..."

"Well, you see, the King got word that there was a missing Princess in the West. You may know her, the Princess Allair?"

I did not like where this conversation was going.

I played dumb. "I have heard of her. Never meet her myself." It was technically a truth, I mean I could hardly meet myself, right?

Demetri nodded as he took another step towards me. "That's surprising."

I took step backwards, trying to put some distance between myself and the Shadow knight.

"I wondered down to the Kingdom of Leece and I asked around about the welfare of their missing Princess. It seems no one knows where she is. Lost in the raid." He paused for a moment. "But then I came across something very interesting."

This was not good.

"Do you know what that is Little Miss?"

I didn't dare answer him.

"I found a portrait of the Princess."

I felt sick.

"And she looked exactly like you."

He knew.

"Do you have something to tell me, Allair?" The way with which he said my name made my hands start to tremble.

I opened my mouth preparing to... I didn't know what I was going to do. Defend myself? Lie? Attempt to convince him that he was seeing things that were actually there?

So instead, I ran.

Fast as I have ever moved in my life, I spun around and bolted through the trees hoping to loose the Shadow knight and my impending doom far behind me.

Demetri was faster than I gave him credit for. His hand wrapped firmly around my arm and he yanked me hard.

"Don't be an idiot." Demetri held onto me until I steadied myself. "He has an army and a pack of hounds at his disposal, he will hunt you down before you make it ten miles."

"Let me go!" I screamed out.

He held me tighter. "Relax. I'm your only ally here."

"Ally?" I yanked on my arm trying to free myself. "Allies don't drag their friends through the woods."

"Do you want my help or do you want to die the second Jonathan finds out who you are?"

My eyes widened. "You're going to tell him?"

"No. Gods, give me some credit Princess. But I'm not the only one who knows who you are. Our traders are already arriving back North. People are talking. By the time the army reaches the Northern boarder, he will know who you really are."

My mouth went dry. My heart thumped so loudly that I could hear its echo pulsing through each inch of my body. My ears blocked and my muscles tensed. The reality of dying was again starting to push itself in my mind.

Would he honour his promise? Would the Reaper King grant me mercy after I lied and betrayed him. The daughter of the man he hated with all his being.

My hands twitched as I thought of the pain he would put me through. Of the tortures his monstrous mind could concoct. I thought about the torture I had seen him inflict that day I peered through my window. Was that what was waiting for me now?

"He's going to kill me." I whispered, more to myself than to Demetri.

He nodded. "And not nicely." Demetri confirmed my suspicions. "I can get you out." He offered.

I shook my head. "How?"

Demetri didn't seem to convinced of his plan as he began to speak. "You're going to get on a horse, and you're going to ride to the River Rohan and the Lord will help you disappear."

"Gabriel? How the hell is he going to help me disappear?!" I was fuming.

"We haven't gotten that far yet."

"Well that's reassuring."

I can't disappear. I'd never see my family again. And Jonathan, he would find me.

"Just play along for a little while longer. And then you're going to tell Jonathan that you're passing by a cemetery that your grandparents are buried at. You are going to ask to visit and when he says yes, you're going to get on a horse with Nicolai and go to the cemetery in the next town over."

"But - " Demetri silenced me.

"Then you're going to give Nicolai a tonic making him fall asleep. You will have a few hours head start before Jonathan comes looking for you."

I blinked a few times trying to digest everything. "I c-can't..."

Was this really my only option?

"Yes you can. And you will if you want to survive."

"I can't do that kind of thing. I'm not like that-"

"You're not the kind of girl who can lie and manipulate her way out a deathly situation?" Demetri looked at me square in the eyes.

Was that what he thought of me? Is that what he thought I was doing all this time? Just manipulating my way through life so I could survive another day?

... well it was accurate.

I felt sick. I had thought I made friends here. I had thought for a moment - however brief - that I had built something here. That I had friends. That I had people who cared about me.

Clearly I had myself fooled. Even the people I called friends, were people I had manipulated and gotten attached to.

Maybe I had been too harsh on Jonathan, maybe I was just as much a monster as he was.

***

I watched everything play out with critical eyes.

Demetri gave me the 'signal' for the fifth time, this time he gave me a soft glare - a warning not to back out.

I rolled my eyes and tightened my grip on the stick I was holding. I had managed to buy myself another day to say my goodbyes and get my affairs in order. Demetri wasn't exactly happy about it but he had agreed to give me time.

I pulled back the door to the tent and walked through. Jonathan sat on the edge of the stretcher bed with his back hunched over and his head in his hands. I took the time to study him for a moment. He looked tired and stressed.

Jonathan looked up at me as the curtain behind me feel.

"Decided to show your face again?"

"I haven't been hiding Jonathan."

He shook his head. "These past couple of weeks without you talking have been a god send. Do you know how truely annoying your voice is?"

Translation: I missed listening to you talk.

"I missed your riveting conversations as well." I titled my head a little to the side and gave him an unapologetic smile.

I took a step closer, running my finger along the table set out with a map. There was the large Griffen statue to represent Jonathan's forces now camped in the forrest, but there was another one. A very small Griffen ornament just off to the side. "Another secret force that's meeting up with us?" I asked him as I picked up the tiny ornament.

"No." Jonathan stood up from the stretcher and walked towards me. With a stern look on his face he grabbed a hold of the ornament and placed it back on the map. "It's a small convey. Mostly traders but they gather information from the Western kingdoms and report back."

Information? Western kingdoms? Were these the men Demetri were talking about? The ones that knew who I was and who would no doubt tell the King. I glanced back down at the map. They were barely a day out from camp. I didn't have a lot of time at all.

"Are you waiting on a particular piece of information?" I tried to poke around.

Jonathan shrugged and avoided the question. "What do you want Miss?"

"What makes you think I want something?"

Jonathan shook his head. "Because you always do."

"I do not."

"So you don't want anything?"

I rolled my lips and bit down nervously. "Well, this time is the exception, but I'm saying in general."

"Sure." Jonathan rolled his eyes. "What do you want Little Miss?"

I took a deep breath. Her it goes. I spoke just as I had rehearsed with Demetri. "Well, I was wondering if I could take a horse to the graveyard in the town over? My grandmother was buried there and I never got to visit her grave."

Jonathan went to speak, the shape of his lips immediately going to protest, but then he stopped short.

"Please." I pressed.

He took a deep breath, his head dropping slightly. "We are camping here until the traders arrive tonight. Be back by then."

I smiled, surprised by his response.

My smile faulted a little with a sad realisation. He trusted me. He trusted me enough to get on a horse, to go see a mock grave and return to him. And I was about to break that trust in two. Guilt consumed me within seconds.

I forced myself to smile again. "I will be." I lied.

"Good. Take Nicolai or Demetri with you."

I nodded my response. I reached up and kissed Jonathan's cheek. "Thank you."

He nodded in response. "You better get going."

I made to walk out of the tent. My hands were shaking and I felt sick to the stomach. It was so cold today but yet a light sweat had taken hold. I looked over my left shoulder and stole one last glance at the man who had once been my capture but had then become my saviour.

But now he was my doom.

With a heavy heart I felt him behind. My King, my lover, my downfall.

I found Demetri waiting for me outside. He had two horses saddled up and was giving Nicolai orders and directions. I stared at the bright smile on the young Shadow knight in training's face. I prayed he wouldn't hate me for what I was about to do.

I touched the necklace hanging around my neck - the symbol of my home, hanging close to my heart with its bright blue crystal pulsing hard. It weighed heavy now.

"Ready?" Demetri asked me as he keeled down before me, lacing his fingers together to give me a bit of a boost.

I took one last deep breath. "Yes."

"Good luck Little Miss." Demetri gave me a soft smile. His eyes were fierce, conveying his goodbye. "I'll miss you."

"I'll see you around Shadow knight." I used his boost and mounted the horse.

With a light kick the horse took off at a hard gallop, Nicolai hot on my heels.

I tried to keep up the pace, not wanting to give Nicolai time to talk. I don't think I could handle his conversation right now.

With the sun high in the sky, we came to a stop by the old cemetery and tied the horses to a near by tree. "Do you want me to stay here? Give you some privacy?" Nicolai asked me.

I nodded my head yes. I faked a sip out of my water skin. "Want some?" I handed it out to Nicolai. The young Shadow knight looked back at his horse and where his own water skin should have been hanging, but thanks to Demetri, it was missing.

"Yeah sure." He gave one of those smiles that stopped my heart. "Idiot me must have left mine back at camp." Nicolai took the water skin laced with the sedative and drained it.

I waited a few minutes. Nicolai began blinking more than usual and his head began to look heavy. "I'm sorry." I whispered to him as he dropped to his knees. I caught his head and laid him down on the ground.

I let a few tears slip before I stole the pack from Nicolai's horse and latched it onto mine. I used a low lining tree limb and mounted the horse. I looked up at the sky and saw the sun begin to set in the west. I angled myself towards the sun and pushed the horse as hard as I could.

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Please vote and comment. Hey guys thank you all for being so patient. Here is an update, I have been slowly working on it in between assessments. But here it is!!

So what do you think will happen?? Will she make it home?

I have started writing the next update already so hopefully it won't be too far away!