The Knight & The Dove: Chapter IV

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Chapter IV Ana's freedom seems ripped away once more.

-Chapter IV

The rest was short-lived. In the middle of the night, a loud metallic clang and a sickening, sinking sound with cracking interrupted the princess’ sweet dreams of freedom, followed by what sounded like an inhuman roar of pain. Her eyes flying open, Ana scrambled up, disoriented from sleep and unsheathing her scimitars. “Baredo!” She called worriedly. His spear lay nearby, covered in blood and the head broken off, the staff bent. Beside it was his torn and bloody shirt. A roar of anger once more interrupted Ana’s quick survey of her surroundings. “BAREDO! Where are you?!” Ana called fearfully, not understanding what was happening.

“ANA!!!” She heard him call out, “RUN!” He stumbled into view, a huge bloody mess. His chest and one leg were torn up, and a knife still protruded from his waist. One bloody ear had been ripped halfway up a slight amount. He leapt at her, pushing her out of the way of a flying javelin. Baredo ended up rolling onto his back, Ana beside him, and a Surionian Knight leapt out, leaving Baredo no time to react before the knight’s blade sunk straight through his stomach.

Ana’s eyes widened, and she screamed in fury, “NO!” She turned on the knight, slashing at the joint between his helm and chest plate, rewarded with the dull thud of his head falling off and hitting the forest floor. As more came, she stood protectively over her bloodied werewolf, “By order of the royal family, you are not to hurt this man further!” She snarled, getting as close to a growl as human vocal cords could. What was up with these men?! Attacking a princess and her escort? She gripped her blades tighter.

“The Queen orders that we kill your kidnapper and bring you home immediately! You have no say!” The captain growled right back, a hefty werecreature of a catlike race, covered by heavy armor. It took the seasoned knights only seconds to disarm Ana and render her helpless. Baredo lay, having not made a sound even when he was stabbed with the sword blade. His eyes were glazed with fear- not for himself, but for Ana- fear that she’d be taken to suffer cruelty and imprisonment once more.

“DOES THIS LOOK LIKE A KIDNAPPING TO YOU?!” Ana yelled, desperate to protect her beloved companion, “To me it looks like a bunch of soldiers attacking a helpless man! You disgust me!” She spat at her captor. He grabbed her by the collar of her crimson shirt.

“I really don’t care, Princess. I’m tired, hungry, cold, and I want to go home. I don’t give a rat’s a*s about you.” He let go and she was forced up onto a knight’s horse. The captain walked up to Baredo, pulling out his blade, and Baredo only cringed, not making a sound, “I’ll let you suffer, dog-man.” He thrust the blade into Baredo’s right shoulder, and left it there. Baredo couldn’t move other than turning his head, which he did, toward Ana, and whispered, “A… Ana…”

Tears blurred her vision, and when the knight sitting on the saddle behind her wrapped his arm around her neck to hold her while he hands were bound, she bit down hard, and when he let go and fumbled for a moment, she tumbled off, them scrambled to Baredo’s side. She wanted to help him, but she didn’t have her choker, and her hand hovered over the spot the sword pinned Baredo, but the knights were already coming to get her again.

“No,” she whispered, hugging him tight, blood, wounds and all. Baredo wrapped his unpinned arm around her weakly.

“It’s okay, Ana… It’ll be all right, you’ll get your freedom… I promise…” Baredo spoke softly, barely audible. He kissed her cheek just as the knights pulled her away and bound her.

“Don’t make a promise you can’t keep,” she whispered, and was forced back up on the horse again. Ana kept her eyes on Baredo over the shoulder of the knight as long as she could, until he was out of sight, and her tears still poured down. It’d be a long ride back to the castle, and then, she’d have to deal with Raiden. The knights never gave her freedom, except to eat, and even then, she hardly touched her food until they forced it into her mouth and made her eat it. Upon arrival back at the castle, Ana wore out her own voice, yelling to see her father, but she doubted he even knew she was back. A guard came to her the next day, telling her Raiden was coming. Ana kept a strong expression- she’d done this before- she could do it now. All she really thought of was Baredo, and his promise, which she couldn’t help but believe wouldn’t come true.

“ANA!” Raiden called the moment she came in sight. She was almost Ana’s reflection, only taller, meaner, and darker-skinned. Ana schooled her expression, hoping it looked neutral.

“Mother,” she responded monotonously, like it was a curse. Raiden stepped in, grabbing Ana’s shoulders.

“What do you think you were doing?!”

“Getting away from you! Going somewhere where people aren’t plunged into war everyday by some whim of their queen!” Ana growled. Raiden slapped her across the face. Not a warning, little slap, but a full-on bruising strike.

“Don’t you EVER talk to me that way!” Ana, who had fallen, forced herself to stagger to her feet, weak from the blow, lack of sleep, and even further severely weakened from lack of food.

“They killed him…” Ana whispered, “Your men left him to DIE.”

“Who in Brahn’s name are you talking about?” Raiden growled angrily.

“Baredo!” Ana snapped, looking her mother straight in the eye for the first time in years. “He looked after me, he defended me, and… They just LEFT him there…” Ana paced a moment, but then collapsed dizzily, holding her head. Raiden looked to a guard, ordering him to bring something for Ana to eat.

“I’m not hungry…”

“Silence girl!” Raiden commanded. Upon the guard’s return with food, Ana grudgingly took a bite.

“Where’s Father?” With her daughter’s question, Raiden lowered her head, “He… passed away suddenly… Yesterday night…” She held back tears, she’d loved her husband more than life.

“W-what…?” Tears welled up in Ana’s eyes when she looked up in shock. Raiden left her room, crying as well. Ana pushed the food away, and curled up on her bed, sobbing. Why is all this happening? First Baredo… Now Father…Now I’m all alone…

-Taiylor Wallace

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