Fight for the Enemy
beginning of chapter two
Brandon was going out to the stables to meet and talk with somebody, whena messenger came round the corner in a rush. He instantly slowed when he saw Brandon, and halted.
“Ah, Brandon. I have a messege for you…. Rather urgent…”
“Well, out with it then Coll. I have someplace to be.”
Coll swallowed. He stepped closer and said in a hushed voice, “Her Majesty, Queen Liliane, wants to know if you know where the princess is. And,” he said before Brandon could interupt. “if not then you are to come with me. No excuses, she said, the Queen did.”
Brandon hesitated, thinking of the vital information he needed at the meeting he needed to attend at the stables. He glaced back at Coll, who was so anxious to escort him back that he was bouncing on the soles of his feet. That motion decided him. Cool was the best messenger in the castle and had the patience to wait for a mule to walk the length of the stable yard and back. If he was like this, then the situation must be very dire and, Coll would have to be under a very high amount of pressure.
“Very well. Where are we going?” Coll’s release of breathe was very audible. The messenger began walking, very quickly, back the direction from whence he came.
“Princess Alora’s rooms. She can’t be found.”
Brandon started running. “When was she last seen? And where?”
The messenger had to push to keep up with Brandon’s running pace. “ Her maids, Tavia and Temia, saw her last. When they helped her dress for bed. They tucked her in, then went to their pallets in the foyer. When they went to wake her, her bed was empty, and her robe and slippers gone. It doesn’t look like there had been a struggle.”
As they approached the turn that would lead them to Alora’s rooms, they slowed and trotting they turned the corner. There were gaurds galore, and the sight that shocked him the most, was that Queen Liliane was in charge of it all, tears streaming down her face, but still looking ferocious as could be. King Dawson was standing, shoulders hunched, talking to the head of castle guard.
Coll melted into the crowd around Liliane, awaiting his next job. Brandon was able to slip in unnoticed, and went to the King. “Your Majesty. What happened? Is there anything I can do to help?” The Captain looked at him. His hard brown eyes narrowed at Brandon.
“Who are you, and what do you think you can do to help?” The Captains voice was as hard as his eyes. Brandon looked at him, noting the hard muscles that made Brandon think that the well-worn sword at the Captains hip was not needed.
“Captain Viscole, this is Brandon Learner. He is Alora’s tutor, after her coming-of-age ceremony. He spends a great deal of time with her. He might have ideas about where she is.” Dawson said while Viscole and Brandon sized each other up. Brandon hoped that the man would not be at the ceremony, but because he was Captain, he would be. Brandon knew he would be a good fighter. “Brandon. Any idea?”
The king’s voice held a note of despairation. Brandon drew his eyes away from the glaring Captain. ‘I know she often sneaks to her garden at night. Has her garden been searched?”
“Of course.” Captain Viscole answered gruffly. “But we couldn’t get to her private garden. Usually when she goes there at night, the gardeners find the door propped open with something. Today the prop was in the path, but the door was closed. We figured if she was in there, she would be out by now. The gardeners said it was probably the wind that blew the prop out onto the path.”
Or by a man who kicked the first thing he could reach outside of her garden. She hadn’t used the prop the night before. “She told me where an extra key was in her room.” Brandon said thoughtfully. “Has anyone thought to use that?” He glaced at the capt. Before looking towards the foyer of Alora’s suite. He had never been in her rooms. He wondered if it would be designed how she would like, or if Liliane had redesigned it, as well.
“No. We did not know of it. Please go see if you can find the key, Brandon. Captain,” he said as the man moved to join Brandon, “Please stay.” It was an order, politely stated as a suggestion.
“Yes, Your Majesty.” Brandon bowed, deeply and quickly.He turned away stiffle and walked to Alora's room, trying to remain unnoticed by Liliane. He was stopped when he tried to go past the foyer into Alora's bedroom.
"Do you have permission to go farther then this? I was tols no one was to go into her bedroom." This man too sized him up, considering the difference of visible muscle if he had to take him down.
"I have express permission, given by King Dawsome, himself, to look for a key to the Princess' private garden." Brandon looked coldly at the guard. "Surely you must have seen me with Captain Viscole and the King, discussing this very matter? If not, then your observation skills are somewhat lacking. Please move, gaurd." Brandon knew that he had just earned the great dislike of this man. He was not usually so cold to the men who protected the Royal family. Indeed, he had gained many a friend in the castle and city guards. But this day was going to be hard. And that did not mix well with the fact he barely slept after what had happened with Alora. And now, the peice centeral to his mission of five months, was no where to be found. If she remained unfound, he was sure he'd be in a very large amout of trouble with his father, not to mention pain.
The gaurd scowled at him, but moved aside and let him pass. As he did, Brandon could swear he heard the gaurd mutter, "Noble b*****d." A wall went up in Brandon's mind. For that name, noble b*****d, was indeed what he was. he wanted to punch the man, but tried to swallow his anger, and curled his fists instead.
He thought back to when Alora told him about the key.
"I have another key to my garden. It looks the same as my little gold one, but silver. And the hole is not heart-shaped as my gold one is. It is shaped much like a sheild. I think it must have been meant for a male to carry.... But I keep it in my jewelry box. The black one, with hearts embossed on it. It's behind the mirrior, so you'd have to pop out the mirrior. I don't know how that box was constucted, but it seems a miricle of tiny constuction." he remembered laughing then, and Alora smiling and whacking him on the arm. "It's true. There's a little compartment behind the mirrior, maybe the size and depth of a child's hand. I keep the little silver key there." He remembered that she wanted him to have it.
Brandon swallowed, and went towards a large make-up table with jewlry boxes. He scanned them, and found the black one, and pulled it out. He stared, and traced over the intircate embossed hearts. He opened the box, carefully as if he was handling delicate glass. The box was almost empty, only containing a few small gold rings with small, semi-presious stones, and a folded piece of parchment.
Brandon frowned, his attention drawn to the little note that had his name printed clearly in Alora’s handwriting. He picked it up, and unfolded it. He let out a heavy sigh and began to read;
Brandon -
I don’t exactly know how you would have found this. All I knoe, is that I would never have the courage to hand it to myself. I’ve contemplated sliding it under your door, slipping it in one of your books when you are teching me. That kind of thing. I am honestly not sure how I want you to find this, but I know I want you to know, before my comning-of-age ceremony. When I told you about the key, I wrote this note. I knew that somehow, you’d need them at the same time. How right was I? I’m smiling right now, in case you were wondering.
The reason I wouldn’t have enough courage is the content of this note. Of what I am going to tell you. I’m going to tell you… I’m telling you that I love you. I want to be with you. You remember all the love stories, and poems you showed me? And how I was so annoyed about the weakness of women who fell hopelessly in love.? I’ve turned into one of those women. I would do anything for you, I love you so much. I do all the same things those foolish. Women do. Weakness of the knees, heart beating too fast, butterflies in the stomach… all of that.
Take the note, it says Mother and Father on it, and give it to them. Tell them you have no idea what is says, which will be ture because you will not read it. Then take the silver key from behind the mirrior, and go to my garden. The pink roses out side the gate, and pick one and place it on the middle of the path in fron t of the door.
Brandon, I love you.
-Alora
beginning of chapter two
Brandon was going out to the stables to meet and talk with somebody, whena messenger came round the corner in a rush. He instantly slowed when he saw Brandon, and halted.
“Ah, Brandon. I have a messege for you…. Rather urgent…”
“Well, out with it then Coll. I have someplace to be.”
Coll swallowed. He stepped closer and said in a hushed voice, “Her Majesty, Queen Liliane, wants to know if you know where the princess is. And,” he said before Brandon could interupt. “if not then you are to come with me. No excuses, she said, the Queen did.”
Brandon hesitated, thinking of the vital information he needed at the meeting he needed to attend at the stables. He glaced back at Coll, who was so anxious to escort him back that he was bouncing on the soles of his feet. That motion decided him. Cool was the best messenger in the castle and had the patience to wait for a mule to walk the length of the stable yard and back. If he was like this, then the situation must be very dire and, Coll would have to be under a very high amount of pressure.
“Very well. Where are we going?” Coll’s release of breathe was very audible. The messenger began walking, very quickly, back the direction from whence he came.
“Princess Alora’s rooms. She can’t be found.”
Brandon started running. “When was she last seen? And where?”
The messenger had to push to keep up with Brandon’s running pace. “ Her maids, Tavia and Temia, saw her last. When they helped her dress for bed. They tucked her in, then went to their pallets in the foyer. When they went to wake her, her bed was empty, and her robe and slippers gone. It doesn’t look like there had been a struggle.”
As they approached the turn that would lead them to Alora’s rooms, they slowed and trotting they turned the corner. There were gaurds galore, and the sight that shocked him the most, was that Queen Liliane was in charge of it all, tears streaming down her face, but still looking ferocious as could be. King Dawson was standing, shoulders hunched, talking to the head of castle guard.
Coll melted into the crowd around Liliane, awaiting his next job. Brandon was able to slip in unnoticed, and went to the King. “Your Majesty. What happened? Is there anything I can do to help?” The Captain looked at him. His hard brown eyes narrowed at Brandon.
“Who are you, and what do you think you can do to help?” The Captains voice was as hard as his eyes. Brandon looked at him, noting the hard muscles that made Brandon think that the well-worn sword at the Captains hip was not needed.
“Captain Viscole, this is Brandon Learner. He is Alora’s tutor, after her coming-of-age ceremony. He spends a great deal of time with her. He might have ideas about where she is.” Dawson said while Viscole and Brandon sized each other up. Brandon hoped that the man would not be at the ceremony, but because he was Captain, he would be. Brandon knew he would be a good fighter. “Brandon. Any idea?”
The king’s voice held a note of despairation. Brandon drew his eyes away from the glaring Captain. ‘I know she often sneaks to her garden at night. Has her garden been searched?”
“Of course.” Captain Viscole answered gruffly. “But we couldn’t get to her private garden. Usually when she goes there at night, the gardeners find the door propped open with something. Today the prop was in the path, but the door was closed. We figured if she was in there, she would be out by now. The gardeners said it was probably the wind that blew the prop out onto the path.”
Or by a man who kicked the first thing he could reach outside of her garden. She hadn’t used the prop the night before. “She told me where an extra key was in her room.” Brandon said thoughtfully. “Has anyone thought to use that?” He glaced at the capt. Before looking towards the foyer of Alora’s suite. He had never been in her rooms. He wondered if it would be designed how she would like, or if Liliane had redesigned it, as well.
“No. We did not know of it. Please go see if you can find the key, Brandon. Captain,” he said as the man moved to join Brandon, “Please stay.” It was an order, politely stated as a suggestion.
“Yes, Your Majesty.” Brandon bowed, deeply and quickly.He turned away stiffle and walked to Alora's room, trying to remain unnoticed by Liliane. He was stopped when he tried to go past the foyer into Alora's bedroom.
"Do you have permission to go farther then this? I was tols no one was to go into her bedroom." This man too sized him up, considering the difference of visible muscle if he had to take him down.
"I have express permission, given by King Dawsome, himself, to look for a key to the Princess' private garden." Brandon looked coldly at the guard. "Surely you must have seen me with Captain Viscole and the King, discussing this very matter? If not, then your observation skills are somewhat lacking. Please move, gaurd." Brandon knew that he had just earned the great dislike of this man. He was not usually so cold to the men who protected the Royal family. Indeed, he had gained many a friend in the castle and city guards. But this day was going to be hard. And that did not mix well with the fact he barely slept after what had happened with Alora. And now, the peice centeral to his mission of five months, was no where to be found. If she remained unfound, he was sure he'd be in a very large amout of trouble with his father, not to mention pain.
The gaurd scowled at him, but moved aside and let him pass. As he did, Brandon could swear he heard the gaurd mutter, "Noble b*****d." A wall went up in Brandon's mind. For that name, noble b*****d, was indeed what he was. he wanted to punch the man, but tried to swallow his anger, and curled his fists instead.
He thought back to when Alora told him about the key.
"I have another key to my garden. It looks the same as my little gold one, but silver. And the hole is not heart-shaped as my gold one is. It is shaped much like a sheild. I think it must have been meant for a male to carry.... But I keep it in my jewelry box. The black one, with hearts embossed on it. It's behind the mirrior, so you'd have to pop out the mirrior. I don't know how that box was constucted, but it seems a miricle of tiny constuction." he remembered laughing then, and Alora smiling and whacking him on the arm. "It's true. There's a little compartment behind the mirrior, maybe the size and depth of a child's hand. I keep the little silver key there." He remembered that she wanted him to have it.
Brandon swallowed, and went towards a large make-up table with jewlry boxes. He scanned them, and found the black one, and pulled it out. He stared, and traced over the intircate embossed hearts. He opened the box, carefully as if he was handling delicate glass. The box was almost empty, only containing a few small gold rings with small, semi-presious stones, and a folded piece of parchment.
Brandon frowned, his attention drawn to the little note that had his name printed clearly in Alora’s handwriting. He picked it up, and unfolded it. He let out a heavy sigh and began to read;
Brandon -
I don’t exactly know how you would have found this. All I knoe, is that I would never have the courage to hand it to myself. I’ve contemplated sliding it under your door, slipping it in one of your books when you are teching me. That kind of thing. I am honestly not sure how I want you to find this, but I know I want you to know, before my comning-of-age ceremony. When I told you about the key, I wrote this note. I knew that somehow, you’d need them at the same time. How right was I? I’m smiling right now, in case you were wondering.
The reason I wouldn’t have enough courage is the content of this note. Of what I am going to tell you. I’m going to tell you… I’m telling you that I love you. I want to be with you. You remember all the love stories, and poems you showed me? And how I was so annoyed about the weakness of women who fell hopelessly in love.? I’ve turned into one of those women. I would do anything for you, I love you so much. I do all the same things those foolish. Women do. Weakness of the knees, heart beating too fast, butterflies in the stomach… all of that.
Take the note, it says Mother and Father on it, and give it to them. Tell them you have no idea what is says, which will be ture because you will not read it. Then take the silver key from behind the mirrior, and go to my garden. The pink roses out side the gate, and pick one and place it on the middle of the path in fron t of the door.
Brandon, I love you.
-Alora
