James

I am awoken to the sharp rasp of a knock on my door. Groggily, I turn over my sheets and get up. I turn aside and rub my eyes, looking at my alarm clock. It is 4:27.
Who would be calling me now?
And then it hits me. It is a rebel attack.

Hastening with pace, I quickly put on a black vest top with ends.
I furrow underneath my bed to grab my knife (I always keep it with me, you never know could happen) and prepare myself to open the door.

To my surprise, it isn't a guard telling me to go down the secret passage or a rebel ready to kill me. Instead it is Odessa, looking paltry as she stares at me.

"What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be in bed?"

She looks like a squalid rag doll. Her eyes are red and swollen, has she been crying?
And her clothes, well, she looks like she was just after a rummage in the bins.

"Look James, I need your help...I-I..." and next thing I know, she falls forward fainting.

Catching her swiftly, I glance down and notice a deep gash on her right arm. Dry blood is incrusted around a small inkling of a cut, from my knowledge of combat training it looks like bullet wound.
What the hell was Odessa doing to get herself shot?! Could it have been Father? No, of course it couldn't have been him. He's not that stupid or vicious.

As I land a hand on her back, I feel rigid bumps and wetness.

Grimacing, I lift up her vest top.
There are deep shreds of skin deep cut, all diagonal. There are sharply inflicted and fresh. Blood stains her top and her back, trailing down as it won't stop tinkling.

My stomach rolls as nausea comes and I could feel bile rise up my throat.
No, I need to be here for Odessa I say as I turn away.

"I better ought for a doctor..." I murmur to myself but I stop.
Getting Doctor Clarkson would mean Odessa would have to tell the absolute truth or make up an outrageous lie, and neither of those are an option.

Slowly, I place Odessa's frail body on my bed. I hear her whimper and I can only coo "Don't worry, I'll be back soon"

Alexander is probably asleep in the servant head quarters which is near the kitchen. I have to be quick but quiet so no one would catch me.
I feel like an idiot for leaving her alone but I need to get her help.

As I rush past the hallway and down the stairs, I pick up the pace.
Pondering to myself, I am near the kitchen when I hear voices in the parlour.

"We need an alliance with the Westerns, that would be excellent, or even the Goolians, they do have a good army and if we have them under our wing we would definitely win the war...."

I have to stop and be nosy, just for a second. This sounds important.

"Look ...., not yet. I don't think he's prepared. Besides, with his display on the report, I don't think he's on our side'

I hitch my breath as I listen. Are they on about me? With agony and disbelief I want to continue on listening, but I continue on. I need to forget about that and get Alexander. Moving with great speed, I finally make it to the kitchen and towards the solid oak door.

Jamming the door open, I rush down the eerily dark stairs towards the servant sleeping quarters.
The only trouble now is that I didn't know which room is Alexander's.

I don't want to wake everyone up, as rumours will spread and then everyone would know what Odessa was up to.

Nearly tripping as I try to find my way in the dark corridor, I am hopeless until I bump into an object and crash to the floor.
"What the..-"
I look up. Holding a lantern is Xavier, wearing blue and red stripped pyjamas. He looks mortified to see me.
"Ah Mast- James, what are you doing here?"

I just let it all out. "Odessa is badly injured and I need Alexander, he knows how to clean wounds.."

"Wounds? How bad are they?"
I just need to get Alexander so I huff and ask impatiently "Which room is he in?"

Xavier doesn't hesitant and straight away runs up the corridor and knocks on the left door.

It is a few brief moments until Alexander, yawning and rubbing his eyes, opens his door.
"What seems to be the issue?" he asks with his rich English accent.

"Odessa, she's injured. Could you please help me?" I interject, fumbling my hands as I tell him.
Without questioning me, he grabs his dressing gown and a first aid kit.

"Hurry!" I puff as I run. He follows me, not daring to ask anything else.

We make it up the stairs and into the kitchen with ease, until Alexander retrieves two wet clothes and a dry towel. He makes me carry a bowl and we continue on, hoping the voices are gone. Once we make it back to my room, Odessa is whimpering in agony as she lies down on my bed.

Alexander is taken aback by the damage. Blood stains my bed sheets as we both prep her upwards.
"Odessa what happened?" His face slowly turns frozen, his features stiff.

He cares about Odessa dearly. He has been her butler since the day we were born. To even see her this way must hurt him. He is closer to her than anyone in the entire palace, including me.

She groans as we prop pillows up against her.
"Alexander is my fault. I snuck out to go hunting and I got attacked...." she tries to say in puffy short breaths.

I stare. "Hunting?! Odessa have you gone mad?!" but Alexander stares at me, warning me to lower my voice. He is right. If anyone catches us we are doomed.

He coos her as he touches her wound gingerly.

"She'll need stitches. I don't have anything to numb you though..."

"It's okay, just do your best" Odessa smiles, even though she is in grave agony.

He nods. "James, get some boiling water. We should have antiseptic in the kit but I need water too"
Immediately I make my way and head towards the bathroom and start prepping.

Alexander pulls out a needle and thread and I stand close by the sink, waiting for the water to get hot.

Next thing I know Xavier strides in with an amber bottle in his hand.

"You shouldn't be here" I hiss, closing the door behind him.
Too many people can alarm the guards. Especially since this is all happening in my bedroom.

"I just came to give Odessa this to help her injuries" He stutters.

Odessa groans as Xavier positions her head as she slowly gulps down the liquid. "Sorry for intruding"

"Not a problem Xavier, any help is appreciated" Alexander implies as he starts working on Odessa's arm. "Make her hold onto this" he orders and passes Xavier a wet cloth.

He puts the cloth into her mouth and immediately I can see the grief in her eyes.
She clutches hard on the pillows and bites down on the towel. I swear she could even tear the towel apart with her teeth with the pain.

Her muffled screams sound through the room, escaping into every single nook and cranny.
I am getting anxious that a guard will come in any second.

It is 6:54 when Alexander is completely finished with Odessa.

"The stitches are okay but the cleaning was intense. I'm afraid you will have scaring and I say it won't heal quickly..."

Odessa looks her, her fiery red hair shining against her pale complexion.
"It's okay Alexander, thank you so much" she says in a small voice.

"Thank you James" she brushes a tear and quickly jerks to Xavier.
"Thank you too Xavier, that drink was good"

There is a brief pause until she pleads, "Please don't tell anyone what happened okay?"

I blurt out, "But Odessa, why did you go to the forest? Out of all places?"

She doesn't look at me as she says with remorse,

"Well, I just wanted to feel alive, that's all"

Alexander, as graceful as always, gets up. "We better bring you back to your room"

With no furthermore questions, she tries to lift herself slowly off the bed but it's no use.

Xavier and Alexander cling by her side as they creep out of the room.
I can only watch at her crippled state.
"I'll come to you in the morning as soon as I can" I smile at her.

Soon I am left alone in my spacious room, which now feels confining, dark and gloomy.

Taking in a shaky breath, I start stripping off my bloody bed sheets. The cerise stained covers brings colour against my grey walls as I bare not to think of Odessa's state.

I should have been there for her. None of this would have happened if Mother didn't open her mouth about marriage or Father didn't snap at her.

But marriage is such a sensitive topic for such young adolescents.

The voices in the parlour make me shiver as I dress my bed in new ivory coloured sheets.

I know as king, I should be focussing on marriage, but isn't it all a bit too soon?
What would Gerard think of all this..

I stop halfway through placing a cover on my pillow.

Gerard.

A cold breeze brushes against me as I try to ignore the iron ore pang cutting deep within my heart.

'Not today James...you need to sleep'
I brace myself as I put my hands behind my head and breathe in slowly.

Next thing I know, Xavier comes in, his pale green eyes filled with remorse.

'I'm so sorry about this, I didn't know it would happen'
The tables have turned as I try to calm him down. 'Take it easy Xavier, none of this is your fault, none of us knew this would happen'

I am caught in the moment as he gazes at me, his thick glasses covering up the deep heaving glint of dolour present in his face..

"That's the thing James, I did see her leave. She was up passing the library, I was putting back a book and she passed me. I was gullible enough to think she was studying History-'

I cut him off. 'You mean to tell me, you knew this whole time she was gone?!"

"Yes but I didn't know she would go off -"

I snap at him. "How could you?! If you have told me I would have known straight away and none of this would have happened!"

I can only clench my fists and hold back more remarks I want to say.

Staring at the tall skinny man in front of me I can only mutter, "You are dismissed Xavier, go back to your room"

He is hesitant, wanting to say more but my stern look of disapproval holds him back.

Soon he leaves me alone to a piercing sound of remorse.

I can only leave myself occupied by the wringing of hands as the darkness creeps in.

Hey guys so this is Chapter eight!
So enjoy!! xxx