Princess Lily

Chapter 12

Dear James,

Everyday I think of you. How are you? You must be busy with your state affairs and all those riots at Pacem. Be careful please. The autumns harvest isn't much. Barely anything is growing on our lands. Papa keeps going on his odd trips and I'm worried about him. These trips take money and we had to sell the last of our cattle. In short, money is scarce and we barely have enough to pass by. The Breuer family has left to find work in one of the cities in Fortius as trade is booming on your side of the border. I miss them but the good news is that Gertrude’s husband, Donald, is happy working for us. Gertrude’s children are perfect angels and Kyle has formed a friendship with her eldest daughter.

I watch the days go by and it seems as if it's been ages since I last saw you. After all, you did come in spring...it that seems so long ago. Jade is growing into big strong cat and even tries to put on races against me and papas horse. Of course she can never keep up. Stormcloud STILL isn't trained. The Baron must have treated him very badly and these days it seems as if Stormcloud will kick anything in site. I'm so worried. I doubt that I'll ever be able to ride him. I must go now. Mama is calling me to come help with the dishes. In case you're interested, Helaine is engaged to some man named Alfred. He's a business man in Fortius and quite rich, richer than most nobles. But I think he is absolutely horrid. He's a big beefy man with the most annoying attitude. He’s always judging me for helping the servants and eyeing the dirt stains on my clothes like I’ve done something horrible. They'll be married soon. The date isn't set yet.

Well good-bye for now. I miss you.

Love,

Lily.

Prince James sat back contently in his grand study, leaning back in his chair behind and put the letter down.

"I miss you to Lily," he whispered into the night.

"Lily! Letter for you!" called Duchess Luci.

Lily rushed out of the kitchen. She grabbed the letter from her mother and ran into her room.

Luci shook her head. "So much excitement over a letter!" she exclaimed.

Lily ripped open the letter and read only to find out that it wasn't a letter from James but a letter from one of the village girls inviting her to some tea party. Lily threw the letter to the side.

How come he isn't sending me any letters? Lily asked herself.  I have sent him tons since spring and he has not sent me one back!'

"Lily! Look what we made!” Kyle rushed in with Gertrude’s two sons, showing her small boats the boys had made. “We’re going to go try floating them in the lake!”

Lily forced a smile.

"That is wonderful!" she said.

“Will you come with us please?” the three boys looked at her pleadingly because everything was always so much more fun when Lily was around.

 "I think I am going to go and-um-check on Stormcloud." Lily  said  vaguely, walking by the boys.

She walked down and into the stables where her horse snorted and whinnied upon noticing her arrival. But try as she might, even spending time with her favorite horse wasn’t doing much to cheer her. She missed James. She missed her father as well, who was always ready to take her on the next adventure. If he’d  been around, she might have had something worth while to keep her melancholy mood at bay.

“Come home soon Papa,” Lily murmured forlornly as she patted Stormcloud forlornly. It was then that she noticed that her horse seemed to have a higher temperature than normal and looked sickly around the eyes.  

*    *    *

"Come on. Just a little further,"  urged Duke Max.

 He helped a mysterious dark-green cloaked figure hide behind a tree. They were on the outskirts of Pacem hiding from the Soldiers of Fortius. Duke Max also had a cloak made of fine navy wool over his head to protect his identity.

"They went that way!" called a soldier.

 A handful of soldiers garbed in the Fortius uniform ran after them, searching the woods and getting closer to their hiding spot.

"We need to keep moving," muttered Duke Max.

He helped the man to his feet and both ran off towards the border of Pacem. 

"We just have to pass the bridge and we're out of Pacem," Duke Max said determinedly. "They won't be able to enter Leal with out permission."

Duke Max and the mysterious man had just stepped onto the rickety bridge, hundreds of feet above the rushing river below, when a soldier shot the mysterious cloaked man in the leg. He fell with a cry of pain but Duke Max helped him up.

"Come on… a little farther," said Duke Max helping him up.

Another shot whizzed by Duke Max’s ear and he cursed. This wasn’t going to work. He glanced down below the wooden bridge at the water rushing furiously in the river below them. Another shot barely missed Duke Max’s arm. They were going to die if this kept up. 

“Can you swim?" Duke Max sharply asked his cloaked companion.

He nodded. "I can but my leg—."

"I'll help you,” Duke Max, cut in before grabbing the young man fiercely around the waist.

The soldiers stood stunned momentarily, watching the two cloaked figures hurtling towards the water from such a great height. A splash signified they’d fallen into the river.

The soldiers cursed and raised their rifles, shooting blindly into the water.

Duke  Max, pumping his legs and simultaneously keeping on arm around his comrade, swam under the water, holding his breath until   he thought  his lugs were going to explode. Finally, he intermittently began coming up for air, hearing gun shots ringing close by but not close enough to harm him. Luckily, the soldiers would stay focused on the spot he’d disappeared.

Finally, they made it to the other side, climbing over the bank and gasping for breath.

"We're safe," gasped Duke Max as his companion sputtered and coughed. "They can't  touch us in Leal without the King’s permission."

Both companions refused to address the unspoken question: Would the King of Leal give permission to Fortius soldiers to hunt down Pacem rebels crossing over into his territory?

*    *    *

"Mama!" Lily exclaimed running to her mother who sat sewing in her rocking chair. Lily flung herself beside her mothers feet and put her head in her mother’s lap.

"Honey what is it?" asked Luci worriedly.

Lily looked up at her sadly.

"Stormcloud is sick!" said Lily sadly.

Luci patted her daughter’s head consolingly.  "Your father will be here soon and-"

"Luci! Lily! Helaine?! Anyone here?!"

They heard a voice.

"Papa!" exclaimed Lily and ran towards her father. She hugged him and started to cry.

"I didn't save Stormcloud for him to die Papa! Do something!"

After hearing the whole story of the horse’s ailment, Duke Max calmed his favorite daughter down and assured her he'd do something.

Going to the village, he learnt that there were no concoctions for horses and they only had medicines for humans.

Duke Max bought those and rode of.

Baron Rothberg had been in town and watched Duke Max ride off with medicinal supplies for what looked to be a gun shot wound.  

He immediately began directing off orders to one of his cronies,

"I want you to go see what that Duke's up to."

A big muscle man nodded and rode of.

"Lets just see who's hurt now shall we?" asked Baron Rothberg evilly, he’d had his doubts for awhile regarding Duke Max’s mysterious trips.

And it was not lost on the Baron that Duke Max seemed to be at odds with his uncle over Leal’s silence on the matter when it came to the conflict between Pacem and Fortius.

Duke Max entered a small cabin that he and his family had not used for years. There, on a small bed, lay Colonel Alexei Novikov, leader of the Pacem rebel movement  and a wanted outlaw of Fortius.

There was a thousand crown reward for him, dead or alive.

"Alexei I'm sorry but this is all they had and all I could afford," the Duke said, heaving a great sigh.

"It's O.K." said Alexei, trying to sit up but wincing in pain. "You've been more than kind to me. I’ve burdened you greatly."

"Alexei you’re my friend and Pacem’s only hope," said Duke Max. He poured some medicine into a glass and gave it to him.

"Ugh. This stuff tastes awful," he said making a face. “I’d rather take a bullet to my other leg than drink any more of this.”

Duke Max laughed at his friends joke. “ You might want to rethink that statement. I'll go get some food."

Unknown to Duke Max, Baron Rothberg’s crony was creeping around the cabin, trying to get a look inside. When he finally succeeded in spotting the outlaw laying on a bed, Duke Max trying to treat his wound, he grinned and rode of to tell his master.