Chapter 3

Planning ensues from here, the Foresters and the Hunters become one, the Knights. They grow in popularity, their name spreads throughout the kingdom, especially that of the two leaders, Gwen and Tate. They become widely known and their good deeds are quickly shared. They steal from the rich and distribute their stealings to the poor. They fight the queen's army in her many attempts to steal more from the people using taxes as an excuse. They help all people and they are soon considered heroes.

Word of the Knights reaches the palace and Madeline’s ears, at first, she ignores the news thinking that the Knights will eventually lose to her army, but as they continue to grow she becomes warier. Once she discovers the names of the leaders she is filled with surprise which quickly turns to anger. Madeline begins to harden her heart, she is set on keeping her kingdom and will never let it fall in the hands of a girl, especially one who has always tried to defy her. She sends more of her soldiers out, she banns the Knights’ names from being spoken, she increases taxes again. She begins to take caution whenever she goes out of the castle.  A fear and a desire begin to grow inside of her, ones that cannot be quenched.

Lexis has grown now, she is a beautiful 13-year-old who spends her time reading in the palace library and learning archery. Her mother has kept her hidden from the public all these years never allowing her to interact with those outside the palace. But Lexis is not the most obedient girl, and whenever she can she persuades her maid to let her sneak out of the palace to the town. She hates being locked up in the castle preferring the bright colors and amazing smells that were only found in town.

Her memories of Gwen still seared into her mind, she has never stopped hoping that she would someday see Gwen again. Madeline knew Lexis’ wishes to see her sister, and so she kept the news of her a secret. She would not allow Gwen to take her daughter from her.

To make sure that this would not happen she meets with her general and other nobles to plan a trap to capture Gwen. It is a simple one truly, Madeline let it be known that she, along with a large party, would be heading to her country palace, although, in fact it will be a heavily armed party. Instead of nobles in the carriages, the most deadly assassins and bounty hunters were in the carriages.

Gwen and Tate heard the news and they quickly began to plan an ambush, not knowing that it was a trap.

On the day, the carriages set out of the castle and headed into the forest. Gwen and Tate along with other Knights members follow the carriages well into the forest, and when Gwen sees that they are far enough into the forest she gives the signal and moves into action. From the trees and bushes, dozens of the Knights appear and begin their attack. Once the doors of the carriages fly open and out come all the bounty hunters and assassins Gwen realizes that it is a trap. She calls to her people to fall back and retreat. She looks all around for Tate making sure that he is retreating but she finds him struggling with one of the assassins with swords in both of his hands. She rushes to his side and helps him fight the assassins off only to be replaced with tons of other people all who seem to be aiming for her.

“It’s a trap!” Gwen yells at Tate as she defends her self. “I can see that!” Tate responds busy with his own battle. The two begin to struggle as more people appear.

“We can’t hold them off for long!” Tate shouts his strength to diminish. Gwen agrees and the two begin to slowly head to the forest, fighting through the mob as hard as they can. Once they are close to the trees Tate breaks away but quickly turns around to make sure Gwen is with him. Gwen looks at him, as she struggles to keep fighting, and then she mouths Go, I’ll be fine, come find me soon then she turns away and charges into the mob. Tate stands frozen in place but hidden from the battle and although he detests himself for it, he turns and heads into the forest trusting that Gwen will truly be alright.

Gwen continues fighting with all that she can, even though she knows that she cannot hold out for long, and she is right. Someone is able to sneak up on her and with the end of their sword hits her on the head knocking her out. She swears under her breath frustrated that she seems to always be knocked out.

When Gwen wakes up later she is not surprised to be in a dark and moldy dungeon cell. She sits up her head pounding as she takes in her surroundings. Then she leans back on the wall and waits knowing that Madeline will eventually come to her. She smiles to herself never having thought that Madeline would ever be able to catch her, she underestimated her.

Gwen’s right not long after, she hears the quiet footstep of Madeline approaching.

“Gwen, my dear,” Madeline says standing in front of the cell. Gwen looks up at her, she notices that Madeline has barely aged, she still looks young and beautiful.

“Hello Madeline,” Gwen spits, Madeline tuts and shakes her head, “Gwen, deary is that really a way to greet your queen?”

“It is when I do not see you as my queen,” Gwen responds her words hard as stone.

“Well I am queen so you should address me as such,” Madeline says anger beginning to form in her voice.

“You do not deserve that title or the throne!” Gwen exclaims anger begins to take a hold of her, anger and disgust.

“No matter if I don’t deserve it I am the queen now, and to be honest with you it was oh so simple to get here.”

“What do you mean?” Gwen asks something in Madeline's tone and demeanor making her suspicious and worried.

“Oh nothing my dear, let's just say that your father did not expect to leave this world so soon,”

“What are you trying to say, spit it out!” Gwen yells growing frustrated.

“Did you not find your father's death strange, the way he suddenly became sick and then passed away?” Gwen says nothing realization slowly dawning on her, “ What did you do?!” She exclaims.

“Nothing much, just a little poison in his wine and poof, he’s dead. It was... rather easy,”

“You monster!” Gwen yells springing up and charging at the bars of the cell, straight at Madeline, “how could you! My father loved you!”

“His love was simply not enough for me, and I thought the crown sounded much better, and without you around to stop me I was able to take the throne,” Madeline says confidence and satisfaction oozing from her. Gwen shouts in anger and throws her hand through the bars reaching for Madeline, but she steps back away from her reach. The two stare at each other, seeing the anger in each other's eyes, then Madeline smirks and turns away. Before she leaves though she turns and looks at Gwen, and although she will never admit it, for one slight moment she felt guilty, but then she pushed the feeling away and left.

Gwen falls to her knees her hands clutching the cold bars. A sob comes out of her followed quickly by tears. Gwen scoots to the back of the cell curling herself up and crying. She cries in anger that Madeline was able to get away with her father's murder. She cries in mourning that Madeline took her father from her and that she was not able to see him. She sits and cries for hours, and when her tears finally dry up, she is filled with hate and a new desire to end Madeline, not just her reign but also her life. Gwen sets her mind determined to avenge her father.

Then Gwen hears another pair of barely audible footsteps. She stands and approaches the bars of the cell. Then around the corner, a small figure appears dressed in black.

“Who are you?” Gwen asks her voice quiet, the figure freezes and looks around for the voice it finds Gwen. It lifts its face which is hidden under the cloak it wears and looks at Gwen. Gwen gasps shocked to discover the face of her beloved sister, Lexis.

“Lexis?” Gwen whisperers. Lexis looks at Gwen confused, she approaches the cell stares into Gwen’s face trying to figure out who the very familiar person is. “Lexis, it's me, Gwen,” Gwen says reaching under her shirt and pulling out the locket that she cherished. Lexis examined the locket and then tears formed in her eyes as she realized she was looking at her sister. Lexis reached out and grasped Gwen’s hands, tears beginning to fall. Gwen began to cry once again as she examines her sister making sure that she was alright and taking in her growth.

“Oh gosh, Lexis,” Gwen manages to say, “I missed you so much.”

“I missed you too Gwen” Lexis replies, her tears starting to dry, “I can’t believe that I am seeing you again. Where have you been?”

“Oh I’ve been around, I… I live in the forest,”

“In the forest, that is so close. Why did you not come to visit me?”

“I… I couldn’t Lexis, I was not allowed to, if I stepped one foot in here I would have been killed,”

“What do you mean? Why?”

“Lexis, did no one ever tell you?”

“Tell me what?”

“I was banished, our father exiled me,”

“What? No that does not make sense, father loved you,”

“Yes, but he loved you and your mother more, he thought he was protecting you,” Gwen says.

“Protecting me how? I was crushed when you left, I felt alone, and I missed you,”

“I’m so sorry Lexis. It’s just that father stopped believing me, he thought that I had tried to kill your mother. Which I never attempted, I promise, but she for her own reasons made it look like I had. She made father believe that I was responsible. She was the one who forced me to leave,” Gwen says letting the information sink in. She watched Lexis’ face trying to understand what she had just heard.

“Mother was the one that caused you to leave,” Lexis asks, Gwen nods. Many emotions cross Lexis’ face but eventually, she settles on anger. “How could she?! She never told about any of this, and she lied to me every time I asked her about you!”

“Calm down Lexis,” Gwen says tightening her grip on Lexis’ hands, “at least you know now.” Lexis took some deep breathes to calm herself.

“I love you Lexis,” Gwen says, “ I love you too Gwen,”

“Alright then, you need to go now, hurry,” Gwen says making her voice authoritative so that Lexis understands that she must go. Lexis nods and squeezes Gwen’s hand one last time before turning away and disappearing into the darkness. Gwen stays where she is staring at the spot where Lexis vanished, and she thinks maybe I shouldn’t have told you.