All Hail the King

Alaan felt as though she was awake, but not awake. She could hear whispers, but she could not make out what was being said or who was saying what. Until that moment she had been in a haze She could remember nothing but the pain and the feeling of falling unable to return to her feet. Now she felt shut in her own body, unable to move or speak. Panic swelled in her as she struggled to break free, but as she began to feel the tips of her fingers, she felt the cloud of unconscious wash over her again.

“She has not eaten in days,”

“She should come around today, make her some soup for when she does”.

“yes, ma,”

The voices had come back again; they were clearer than before but she could not recognize them. Alaan attempted to open her eyes but it was as though she had never done it before and was apprehensive of the light that danced at the edge of her eyelids. As she attempted to move, she felt a sharp pain in her chest and let out a groan. Before she could move any further, she felt warm firm hands on her shoulders pulling her back down to rest.

“Your wound is still fresh, you should not move too quickly.” A soft voice spoke above Alaan while covering her in a blanket. The voice belonged to a dark-haired girl. She looked to be Alaan’s age and wore old clothing that reminded Alaan of the people who lived in the countryside beyond the city walls. It would not be long before Alaan’s eyes grew heavy and sleep again overtook her.

The next time Alaan awoke, the room was brighter than she had remembered and she could hear children playing close by. There was no one in the room where she lay, and she had felt stronger now than she had in days. The room was small with a small chair beside the bed a table with old books in the corner. The warmth of the day crept through the only window in the room and brought with it the scent of grass. Alaan gingerly pushed herself off the bed, being careful not to agitate her wound. She found they had stripped her of her clothing and she was now wearing a pale nightgown.

As she opened the door of the room, the surprised face of the girl from before met her.

“Your up! you must be starved, let me get you something. You can sit over there if you like.” the girl said, pointing to a table with four chairs around it. The girl rushed over to a pot that was sitting in the fire.

Alaan remained standing and watched as the girl fill a bowl with soup and brought it to the table. The girl then stepped aside and waited.

“your not hungry my queen,”

Alaan eyed the girl suspiciously, then the bowl, and then back at the girl.

“oh, right” the girl exclaimed, grabbing a spear spoon and dipping it in the bowl, then bringing it to her lips.

“it’s bland but perfectly safe,”

Alaan slowly walked to the table and sat before the bowl. The scent was off-putting, but she could feel knots forming in her stomach. She had contemplated turning down the meal for a second, but her hunger proved to be the stronger will. Before she knew it, she was in her third bowl and the girl in the corner looked on with glee. Upon finishing her third bowl, Alaan turned her attention to the very attentive girl reaching for the empty bowl.

“I’ve had enough,” Alaan said, looking up at her.

“Yes, my Queen,” She responded, taking the bowl into her hands.

“Who are you?’” Alaan asked in a stern voice.

“Minerva, My Queen,”

“Minerva? you are one of my servant girls?”

“Yes, my queen,”

Alaan let out a sigh and relaxed the fight she had been holding under the table.

“How did I end up here?”

I found you in the ally; you were wounded and your tower was on fire. I thought it safest to bring you here.”

“Where is here?”

“My home, my father and mother are good with herbs and such.”

“Why”

“Why?”

“Why here, why not call for the court physician? Alaan shifted in her seat, unconsciously reaching up to her now pulsing wound.”

“ you told me not to, you said they were trying to kill you and that we needed to leave the city immediately. I sneaked us on a wagon before the guards shut the gates. Don’t you remember my Queen?”

“Hmm,” Alaan responded, nodding her head, signaling to Minerva that she may leave, which she does. When Minerva returns, she stands in the corner, uncertain of how to proceed. Alaan too is unsure of what to do next. Alaan is certain that by now they will have realized she is not dead and would have already begun the search for her. She is now certain that she cannot trust her allies, and she is not in a position to fight.

“How long have we been here?”

“five days.” 

“And no one has come?”

“No, my Queen,”

“How long before I can travel?”

“in you condition not for many weeks, my queen,”

“is Isere anyway to make me heal more quickly?”

“ah, your body is already working as fast as it can. Perhaps some patience, my Queen.” Minerva responded nervously.

“I cannot stay here. If I do, I risk death. Your family may have taken me in out of the goodness of their heart, but should I be found here there fate will be the same as mine.”

“What should I do?” Minerva asked, taking a step towards the table.

“I need supplies and a guide to Ezra. The sooner the better.”

“yes, My Queen.”

“and clothes, something that won’t make me stand out.”

“yes my Queen.”

Minerva disappeared immediately, and only occasionally ducked inside to check on Alaan as the day passed to evening. When Minerva’s parents arrived, they were polite and displayed similar mannerisms as Minerva. Alaan retired to the small room after a soup dinner and was awakened before sunrise the next day. Minerva’s parents were visibly anxious and moved hurriedly but quietly around the small house. Minerva brought in a plain dress and put Allan’s hair in a plain style.

“we will have to leave before the sunrises so few people will see us.”

:” you are coming with me?” Alaan asked upon noticing that Minerva was also dressed.

“Yes, my Queen”

“why”

“ do you know the way to Ezra, my Queen?”

“You could not find a guide then”

“I did not ask,” Minerva responded, Fastening the stings of Alaan’s garment.

and why’s that?

“We ask for a guide to Ezra, people will want to know why. The only people who have any business crossing the border are treaders what reason would we give them.”

“And your parents?”

“They disagree, they feel this is not their business, not my business.”

“Then why?”

“When I was a child I took ill, my father brought me to the king to beg for an audience with the court physician. The king was magnanimous, and the court physician saved my life. My father stayed in the capital as the physician’s attendant. He took what he learned there and built a house and provided for his family, helped the village. They don’t agree, but they understand.”

When it was time to go, both women were given a satchel. They brought with them as much food and water as they could carry and medicine for Alaan. Minerva hugged her tearful parents, and the two left quietly in the stillness of the dark morning.

.*********************************************************************

“You’re the Nobleman’s keeper,”

“Am I?”

“I saw you came with him,”

The man glanced in her direction, then back to the tavern keeper. Undeterred Alaan continued.

“We heard you were going to Ezra,”

“we?’

“I am traveling with my cousin. We heard there is work there.” The man continued with his business with little regard for the woman.

“We’ve heard the road ahead is dangerous. Will you allow us to join your company?”

“Our company is full.” He replied, trusting a load onto a cart.

“We can care for ourselves along the way, we will be no trouble.”

“Our company is full,”

“Perhaps word with the nobleman. Maybe he will be more understanding.”

The man stopped his task and looked at Alaan in silence, expressionless. Upon realizing the futility of the situation, Alaan retreated to the table where she had left Minerva.

“Well?” Minerva inquired when she returned. “will we join them.?”

“We must think of something else.”

“My queen” Minerva started before Alaan steered her down.

“Cousin, This is as far as I have ever gone. If we cannot find a guide to Ezra here, we will lose our way. Perhaps we should go to Ganale instead.”

“Ganale is an enemy state. I cannot be sure that we will be safe there. Ezra is closest and we are far more likely to blend in there than in Ganale.”

“then what should we do?”

“We will go with them,”

“I thought they said no,”

“they did,”

“I don’t get it.”

“Did you get the food?” Alan asked, watching as the nobleman and his company depart.

“I did”

“ Let’s go.”

Alaan rose to her feet with Minerva on her heels. The two hurried ten paces behind the nobleman’s company, stopping when they stopped and moving when they moved. The heat of the sun bore down on them, and often throughout the day they would lag behind the company that had kept a consistent pace since it had left the watering hole.

As it got dark, the company stopped to set up camp for the night. Since they could not join the company, Alaan and Minerva resigned to set up their own camp not far away. They had drunk almost all the water they had during the day. and so Alaan decided they would drink no more until the next day. Minerva made a small fire, and the two huddled around it as they nibbled on the food they had brought with them.

The sound of rustling in the trees stirred Alaan from her sleep. Panicked that they would be left behind, she shook Minerva and grabbed their belongings, hurriedly rushing toward the company’s camp. As the two reached the first tent they could hear movement behind them and an anxious feeling began to grow in the pit of Alaan’s stomach. Upon entering the campsite, Minerva unwittingly knocked over a pile of cookware that soon summoned listless attendants. The first to meet them was an old maid who immediately chastised them for their thoughtless actions. Before either of them could explain themselves, a band of bandits emerged from the shadows behind them. The attendants who had wondered out began to scream, stirring the others to immediate action. Alaan pulled Minerva behind her upon seeing one of the bandits raise his sword to cut them down. She grabbed a pot from the ground to ward off the blade before sweeping the man from his feet and relieving him of his sword. The bandits moved swiftly and methodically, executing the attendants who had been caught off guard. Alaan wasted no time, quickly dragging Minerva into the forest.

“Run, do not look back” Alaan shouted, pushing an unwilling Minerva towards the darkness.

“behind you” Minerva shouted back as another bandit rushed towards them, blade at the ready.

“Run” Alaan Raised her sword fearlessly and undaunted. She could feel the excitement of the moment rushing through her veins as she charged the towering bandit. Her speed and agility aided her in landing multiple successful blows, but he was stronger and a single well-timed swing grounded her. Alaan lost hold of her sword and quickly attempted to compose herself for the inevitable second blow. She grabbed for her sword and was rising to her feet when a rock emerged from the shadows, hitting the bandit in the head. Alaan instantly struck him down in his moment of distraction.

Minerva emerged from the darkness to render aid to Alaan, who was now on her feet.

Are you alright? Are you hurt? Minerva asked, looking Alaan up and down.

“I told you to run” Alaan rebuked Minerva grabbing her injured side and quickly started again towards the darkness. The confrontation continued behind them and the screams promoted Minerva to glance back at the campsite as they hastened away.

“Here!” A voice shouted from the camp, “here!”

Minerva took hold of Alaan’s free hand and pulled her behind a tree. The two watched breathlessly, surveying the danger that lay behind them.

Just then the nobleman was thrusted to the ground by a bandit, and the beastly man brought his blade down upon him. The nobleman’s fate seemed certain until his keeper effortlessly dispatched of the bandit and pulled him to his feet. Unfortunately, more bandits began to arrive, forcing the nobleman’s keeper to again leave his charge unprotected. The nobleman soon became ensnared by a bandit as he attempted to escape through the trees. Before the bandit could introduce the nobleman to his sword, a force came from the darkness, putting an end to him. The nobleman drenched in sweat and trembling scurried to his feet to see two women moving quickly into the darkness. The nobleman followed suit, looking back intermittently to the dim glow that was the campsite until it was nothing but darkness. They ran for as long as their feet could carry them and only stopped when the brush became too thick to feel their way through.

The three moved in silence as dawn broke.

“Maybe we should stop,” Minerva finally spoke as they continued walking.

“and why would we do that,” Alaan responded without looking back.

“Because” Minerva answered halting her movement, forcing Alaan and the nobleman to stop as well.

“We don’t know where we are going,”

“Anywhere that is not back there is where I want to be,”

“We are lost, there is nothing but trees for miles. How is a slow death out here any better than a quick one back there.?

Alan took a quick step towards Minerva, gritting her teeth as she stared her down. Recognizing her misstep, Minerva immediately attempted to correct her error.

“I just think, we should stop for a moment, get our bearings and then continue. If we were still being followed, they probably would have caught up with us by now”

“Fine” Alaan agreed “we will rest over there” she pointed to a towering tree ahead of them as she moved towards it.

“This way” A voice called out from behind them, prompting a reflexive jump as Alaan and Minerva prepared to run. The voice belonged to the keeper, and they swiftly calmed their anxieties upon this realization.