before taking his hand. He helped her up and then she brushed off her dress. The floor was clean and her dress hardly had a spot of dirt, but she dusted it off anyway. The redness in her face was gone and the fury in her eyes dissipated into simple annoyance.
“Thank you,” she said stiffly. Conner took a step back as she collected herself. She took a deep breath and looked directly into his eyes. “I mean it. Thank you for all you have done for me.”
Conner simply nodded, unsure about her sincerity. Her voice was cold and her tone was not full of any feeling. But her lower lip was quivering and her eyes were filling with tears. Conner was a simple peasant boy who lived his life to hunt for food and wander the forests of the kingdom. There was nothing more to his life. The princess lived her life for the kingdom. She had all she could ever desire and more. She lived a life of wealth and prosperity, being trained in the ways of the noble and kingly, so that one day she could serve the kingdom as the wife of a leader of the kingdom. And yet, she stood here, in front of him, a beautiful young woman, barely into womanhood, about to break down into tears. He didn’t know why, but his instincts told him to act. They were the same instincts that saved his life in the forest. They were the instincts that would change lives forever and change the direction of their kingdom. If he would have known what would come out of this one small act in the coming years, he would have turned and ran. But he didn’t. He could only act as he felt would be right. He stepped forward, pulling her into him, her face buried in his chest. She sobbed uncontrollably, shaking as she did when they were nearly frozen in the cave.
Chapter Five
Lord Neffenmark’s castle was on the cold southern slopes of the White Mountains. They were far enough south that they didn’t get the horrendous winters that plagued the kingdom of Thell to the north, but they were high enough into the mountains that it was cold more than Knight Captain Brace Hawkden liked. He was used to the more temperate climate that the sea provided the capital city of South Karmon. Even with a thick wool cloak pulled tightly around his body, he still shivered in the biting nighttime winds. Brace hated this ride for more reasons than the climate. Although they were at the base of the mountains, they were still at a higher elevation than the city, which caused his horse to suffer more than he liked. He was in hurry and had pushed his mount as hard as he could, but he would need the horse for the ride back. Normally, he would make this trip over the course of two long days, or if he wasn’t in a hurry he would take three easy days. But time was of the essence and he had to speak with Neffenmark as soon as possible. Therefore, risking the health of one of his favorite riding horses, he made the trip with only brief stops for water.
The stars were out in full force, giving him just enough light to travel by. Brace didn’t take the route that went through the small village that the castle overlooked. Rather, he took a carefully hidden path cut into the mountain behind the castle. Halfway up the steep and dangerous path, he stopped his horse and dismounted. It was too treacherous to ride any further. He would have to lead his horse from this point forward.
A few moments later, a man appeared from the darkness and blocked the path.
“It’s Sir Hawkden,” Brace said to the man.
“Yes,” the man replied. “We’ve been watching you for some time. Lord Neffenmark wasn’t expecting you so soon.”
He snapped back at the man, “Does it matter?”
“What?”
Brace sneered at the man and replied, “I am the Knight Captain of the Knights of Karmon. I serve the kingdom of Karmon with my life. I come as I please.”
“Yes, sire, of course.”
Brace continued up the path, pushing past
“Thank you,” she said stiffly. Conner took a step back as she collected herself. She took a deep breath and looked directly into his eyes. “I mean it. Thank you for all you have done for me.”
Conner simply nodded, unsure about her sincerity. Her voice was cold and her tone was not full of any feeling. But her lower lip was quivering and her eyes were filling with tears. Conner was a simple peasant boy who lived his life to hunt for food and wander the forests of the kingdom. There was nothing more to his life. The princess lived her life for the kingdom. She had all she could ever desire and more. She lived a life of wealth and prosperity, being trained in the ways of the noble and kingly, so that one day she could serve the kingdom as the wife of a leader of the kingdom. And yet, she stood here, in front of him, a beautiful young woman, barely into womanhood, about to break down into tears. He didn’t know why, but his instincts told him to act. They were the same instincts that saved his life in the forest. They were the instincts that would change lives forever and change the direction of their kingdom. If he would have known what would come out of this one small act in the coming years, he would have turned and ran. But he didn’t. He could only act as he felt would be right. He stepped forward, pulling her into him, her face buried in his chest. She sobbed uncontrollably, shaking as she did when they were nearly frozen in the cave.
Chapter Five
Lord Neffenmark’s castle was on the cold southern slopes of the White Mountains. They were far enough south that they didn’t get the horrendous winters that plagued the kingdom of Thell to the north, but they were high enough into the mountains that it was cold more than Knight Captain Brace Hawkden liked. He was used to the more temperate climate that the sea provided the capital city of South Karmon. Even with a thick wool cloak pulled tightly around his body, he still shivered in the biting nighttime winds. Brace hated this ride for more reasons than the climate. Although they were at the base of the mountains, they were still at a higher elevation than the city, which caused his horse to suffer more than he liked. He was in hurry and had pushed his mount as hard as he could, but he would need the horse for the ride back. Normally, he would make this trip over the course of two long days, or if he wasn’t in a hurry he would take three easy days. But time was of the essence and he had to speak with Neffenmark as soon as possible. Therefore, risking the health of one of his favorite riding horses, he made the trip with only brief stops for water.
The stars were out in full force, giving him just enough light to travel by. Brace didn’t take the route that went through the small village that the castle overlooked. Rather, he took a carefully hidden path cut into the mountain behind the castle. Halfway up the steep and dangerous path, he stopped his horse and dismounted. It was too treacherous to ride any further. He would have to lead his horse from this point forward.
A few moments later, a man appeared from the darkness and blocked the path.
“It’s Sir Hawkden,” Brace said to the man.
“Yes,” the man replied. “We’ve been watching you for some time. Lord Neffenmark wasn’t expecting you so soon.”
He snapped back at the man, “Does it matter?”
“What?”
Brace sneered at the man and replied, “I am the Knight Captain of the Knights of Karmon. I serve the kingdom of Karmon with my life. I come as I please.”
“Yes, sire, of course.”
Brace continued up the path, pushing past
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