“Well, to be honest, I was aiming for his head.” I laughed, shrugging off the mistake. “Given my skill set, I was fortunate to have hit him at all.” We laughed together at the surprising humor.
“In all seriousness, Peter,” I sobered and looked directly into his deep green eyes, “thank you. If I make it back to the palace in one piece, I promise you shall be greatly rewarded.” I bowed my head in respect, but he bowed even lower, causing me to stand up confused.
“I shall receive no such reward other than the honor of protecting my kingdom and my princess.” He rose slowly with his hand still placed honorably over his heart. “Unfortunately, it would seem that our enemy has connected that I am aware of your identity. Furthermore, he believes this to be a weakness in your hiding.”
I shifted uncomfortably at the thought. It was true, though; if he couldn’t find me, he could easily follow Peter if he got too close to the mill.
“Does that mean you won’t be able to come near the mill anymore?” I looked to him worriedly as I imagined another attack commencing without him nearby.
“For the most part, yes,” he said sadly and my heart sank at his words. “But now that I know whom we are up against, I can send troops to hunt for him. I can command a manhunt for a foreign threat without the need to bring your name into the mix. We should be able to apprehend him within a few days, so you’ll be safe.” He offered me a reassuring smile as we commenced our walk back into town.
“Do you really think you’ll be able to find him?” I couldn’t hide the hopefulness in my voice. “If he was out of the way, then perhaps I could find a way back into the castle without risking being slain by King Garrett.” I grinned optimistically at the idea. I was getting anxious to be rid of the dreadful king after all he’d put me through.
“At the very least, we will be able to keep you safe with him gone.” He looked amused by my change of mood. “Unfortunately, I cannot say it would be wise to return to the castle with King Garrett still residing there.” His handsome features expressed apprehensive worry. “We already know there was at least one infiltration in the castle with your dear assassin. Therefore, if there are anymore residing in Isalla, what would prevent King Garrett from simply killing you before you ever reach the queen?”
I considered his words as we stepped over a fallen log. He was right, of course. Isalla wouldn’t be safe unless King Garrett was gone.
“I agree. We need to create a public display of removal that draws the attention of the Ashbourne kingdom. With them being our strongest ally bordering Drancos, I doubt King Garrett would wish to invoke their involvement.” My mind began to spin into action, finally feeling cleared enough to form a plan. “The only dilemma is providing a legal and just reason to request that he leaves on such short notice. Anything less than a formal decree would go unnoticed by Ashbourne. Without the official documentation, the king could easily murder the queen and I without any forewarning that he was unwelcome. Then, he could simply twist any tale he desires about how we were slain by a rogue assassin. Essentially, in order to ensure the support of our allies, we will need to make a show of things.”
“That is an excellent plan princess.” Peter gave me a look of admiration as he nodded in approval. My heart fluttered at his compliment for some reason. “How do you propose we find a legal reason for removal?” He looked genuinely interested in my answer, and I felt a tad ashamed for not having any further thoughts on the matter.
“I don’t know,” I admitted flatly, ducking under a low branch. “The kingdom of Drancos has always been good to Isalla until now. They are one of our most reliable trade partners, so that makes it difficult to withdraw our hospitality.” I looked to the ground as we walked, feeling a wave of defeat wash over me.
“There will be a way.” He offered a friendly smile, stepping slightly in front of the path to face me. I stopped in my tracks as he blocked my route. “Any princess who can survive two confrontations with an assassin, hide in plain sight from a tyrannical king, and rescue a captain of the guard from certain death should be more than capable of saving her whole kingdom on a casual afternoon.” He dramatically enacted all my finest moments with a cheesy grin on his face.
“Oh please.” I pushed past him with a laugh. “Don’t you know that rescuing the kingdom is the first lesson taught in princess school? Honestly, the knights are merely there for decoration at this point.” My tease earned a follow-up laugh as he stepped up onto a fallen log.
“I expected nothing less of you, my princess.” He gave a flourished bow from atop the log as if it were his stage. “My only desire is to someday amount to a fraction of your glory.” I let loose another laugh. His boyish sense of humor was somehow funnier considering his rank. How did a captain manage to be so lighthearted, yet still focus with severity when a threat arrived?
“My dear captain, only a few can amount to being as great as I.” I climbed onto the log with him, upstaging his moment. He hopped off onto the forest floor with a leafy crunch and stepped back to permit me of my moment. “One must train for years to establish the grace of a royal, but the skills of a mill maid warrior are so exclusive, I fear no one shall ever approach my talents.” I gave a slight flaunting twirl, but quickly lost my footing on the uneven wood. My boot slipped out from under me, and I braced for impact with the cold ground; however, my fall was cut short by a pair of warm arms.
“Careful, now, Your Highness…” Peter’s arms wrapped around me. His left arm had caught under the bend of my knees and his right braced my back. He held me in a perfect bridal carry with his eyes nearly level with mine.Those perfect green eyes…
“Arabella,” I spoke softly, but with a confidence that held his comforting gaze.
“Pardon, Your Highness?” He scrunched his handsome features into confusion.
“Call me Arabella,” I whispered and his eyes widened softly in surprise. “You have only referred to me as ‘princess’ or ‘your highness,’ but I would like you to call me Arabella from now on.”
“Are you certain?” His eyes gazed deep into mine. He still held me close, and I could sense the slightest increase of his heartbeat upon the question.
“Quite certain.” A smile graced my lips in approval. “I have missed the sound of my own name lately, and I feel I can trust it to you for the time being. Will you accept it?” This time my eyes gazed into his to search for affirmation.
“Absolutely, Arabella.” His face lit up when he said the name, and I couldn’t help but beam a smile at the sound of his voice. He set me down gently, waiting to ensure that my feet were firmly on the ground before removing his arm from my back. I instantly missed the warmth his touch had provided. He never broke eye contact as he released his grip, and we both stood in the forest in comfortable silence for a few moments. The peaceful quiet broke after what felt like an eternity when Peter extended his arm to me.
“Shall we continue?” His voice sounded tender and gentle, but his eyes looked like they longed to say something more as I accepted his arm and followed his lead.
“Thank you, Peter.” My voice came out quiet, but he didn’t have any trouble hearing me. We were both too wrapped up in each other’s presence to notice anything else. Arm in arm, we made our way back to the edge of the forest where the creek met the mill. Not wanting to risk being seen by any of the mill workers, we decided to part ways.
“Will this be the last time I see you for a while?” I already knew the answer, but I asked it anyway. Something inside me yearned for him to say no. I pushed the feeling down as far as it would go, but the saddened look on his face sent it back to the surface.
“I am afraid so.” His words were brave, but I could sense a small hint of disappointment.
Did he want to see me again?I caught the question as it flooded into my brain and shoved it aside to deal with later. What was I thinking? I had far more important things to think about than a handsome captain, although he wasveryhandsome. I snapped my attention back into the conversation.
“Oh, I nearly forgot.” I pulled his uniform jacket off my shoulders and handed it back to him. “You’ll be needing this.” He took the jacket from my hands, his fingers lingering over mine for a brief moment.
“I suppose I will. But if I take it, then what will you have to remember me by?” He gave a small smirk and I smiled back.