My Broken Knight

Chapter 4: A Threat

-William-

“I can’t believe you are home,” Luke said, as we all sat down around a table.

Drinks were served. A very curvy woman smiled at me, as she poured the ale into my cup, but I barely noticed it. I only saw one woman, and she was it for me. I took a sip of the liquid that quickly warmed me all the through my body. Drinking beer and ale were the best things to do in the north to stay warm, but it did not mean I enjoyed it very much. It was either that or freezing to death. So, I did what was necessary.

“So?” Luke asked.

“So?”

“Tell us, how was it fighting for the king? Is it really true the men up there in the cold lands are eating humans?”

“Are they really as big as bears?” someone else asked.

“Did you get to kill some?”

I felt bad memories flashing before my eyes, and I groaned as I looked down at my hands, seeing them covered with blood. It was only for a second, but it was enough to make my heart beat faster and feel the sweat start to cover the palms. How I had changed …

“Will?”

I looked up at Luke, who was studying me like the rest.

“It was … cold,” I answered.

Everyone looked puzzled. The only one who seemed to understand my vague answer was Tom. He knew the horrors that were a part of going to war. He knew what it did to the men. How those who died cried out for their mothers, and the ones that returned weren’t the same as the ones that had left.

“Cold?” Luke asked. “That’s it?”

Tom coughed a little, getting everyone’s attention.

“I believe William needs some time before giving us all the details. He just returned today, after all.”

The men seemed to understand, and I thanked Tom silently with my eyes. He just nodded at me, understanding in what condition I found myself in. I did not wish to speak about what I had seen. I was barely keeping myself together as I was.

“Where will you be staying?” Luke then asked, seeming sad.

The rest turned sad as well, knowing my father had left this world.

“With Tom,” I told him. “He offered me a place, after I returned finding out that … well …”

Everyone understood. My father and I had never really been close. It always felt like we were living in two separate worlds, but that did not mean I did not grieve him or needed to see him healthy and well, as I returned home.

“He will be missed,” Luke said. “Your father was a good man.”

I could only nod. I couldn’t really say anything about the man because I barely knew anything about him. All he ever really cared about, after my mother died, was cutting and shaping wood. I drank what was left in my cup before finally asking what I really wanted to know,

“Where is Vanessa? Did she return to live with her aunt?”

Everyone seemed to change from calm to rather tense. What in the world? Why was everyone looking at me so strangely? No one could really meet my eyes, yet they kept glancing at me worried. I turned to look at first Luke, who avoided my eyes like the rest, then at Tom, who coughed again, but this time in an uncomfortable way.

“What is it?” I asked, sensing the change in the mood.

“Well,” Tom said and coughed again. “Things change, as you know. Especially after seven years, a lot of things can … happen, and-“

“Tom, I just spent those seven years on an ice block staring into the eyes of Flesh Eaters that was ready to cut me up and eat me. I don’t got time for people that cannot just speak the truth as it is,” I told him.

Everyone looked at me almost scared and then glanced at Tom. I knew my words were said in a harsh tone, but if they had expected the same kind and gentle William who had left, they were going to be very disappointed.

“Okay then,” Tom said in a low voice. “Vanessa … She is married.”

-Grace-

“I will do it! I swear I will do it!” I said.

I had tried making a run for it and had failed. Now I was trapped in my room, but I had placed myself in the window looking down at the ground from the third floor. It was very windy up here, and I was almost blown back and into the room again, but I had grabbed the edges tightly, as I looked over my shoulder.

“Please, princess, do not do this! What won’t the king do to me, if I failed to stop you from jumping?” the scared maid asked.

I felt bad for her. Tears were running down her cheeks, she was truly scared for both of our lives. If she was the one who was taking care of me, and I jumped, she would be punished, and it would not be a gentle punishment.

“Then go get my father, or I will throw myself out of this window!”

“Please, princess! Just come back inside. I-I will make you some tea!”

“I don’t want tea!” I screamed.

She jumped at the loud sound echoing in the room, and once again I felt bad for her, but I had to do something. There was no way I would marry King Hector and let that disgusting old man touch me. My father had to see I was serious. That was why I needed him here.

“I want you to go tell my father that I will jump!” I said.

“Princess … your heart!”

“Damned be my heart! Get the king!” I screamed.

She kept crying, unable to understand anything I was saying. I rolled my eyes and groaned. My threat would not work if I went and got him myself. That would just be laughable.

“You hear me?!”

She did not. She was just crying into her hands, as she refused to look at me anymore.

“Get the king!”

Just then, heavy footsteps echoed in the hallway outside, shortly before my doors flung open and my angry-looking father, who had now shaved and gotten his hair cut short again, looked at me.

“Grace!” his voice echoed in the room. “Get down from there immediately!”

“Not until you cancel this engagement!” I yelled back.

“Grace, this is not a joke! This is your life. Step away!”

“No!” I screamed. “Not until you promise me not to marry me to that old king!”

“Grace, I am your father, and I am telling you to get down from there!”

“No! I would rather die than marry him!”

“Grace, have you lost your mind?” he asked.

I shook my head and turned my attention to the ground before me … or maybe I had, but how could I marry that old man? I did not love him. I would never love him. I knew my future marriage would most likely be without love in the beginning, but I had hoped dearly, I could come to love my future husband. Now I knew that was an impossible thing to happen. I had met the old man only once, and he was a dirty pig! I would never love such a person.

“Either you cancel his engagement, or I jump!” I said, looking over my shoulder.

My father had been followed by his many trusted advisors. He had most likely been in a meeting, but I did not care. They should all see to what extremes I would go to, just to not marry the old pig.

“Grace, I will give you until the count of three to get down from there, or you will be severely punished!”

“You are already punishing me,” I whispered.

“Grace!”

“I’ll do it!”

“One!”

“Cancel the engagement!”

“Two!”

“Cancel it!”

“My patience is running thin over here, Grace!”

“Cancel it!”

“Three!”

I didn’t know what I was doing, before my hands, without my permission, let go of the sides. I felt myself starting to fall forward, and just as my feet were about to leave the edge as well, I felt a hand grab me and pull me into the room.

Damn that lord Edward. He had been smart, as my father and I argued, going around without me noticing. He caught me and brought me back into my room and made me face my punishment.