The Strange With in the Forest

The Meeting

Amelia could not stop crying as the soldier picked her up from the ground. All she could do was stare at her dead loved ones. She could not even bury them. While she was being carried, her tears just fell.

"You stop your crying. I hate women who cry. I feel like beating them more to shut up." Amelia later learned that Brisque was the name of the soldier who carried her that day.

She held back her tears. She knows this is for her good. "Be careful with her Brisque. We do not want the witch who knows the cure to this plague to die." The prince warned the soldier carrying her.

"She does not weigh anything. Besides, I love carrying naked girls." Brisque responded with a big grin.

"Hand her over." The prince commanded the big guy.

"My Lord, I cannot oblige and let you carry out this menial task," Brisque responded while carrying her.

"I will hold her. I have to make sure she is safe. This girl might hold the secret of the plague and how to cure it. Put her on my horse. The prince commanded.

"Yes My Lord," Brisque responded as she put her above the horse like a sack of rice.

Amelia was not wearing anything underneath the cape the prince had handed her. She was holding the piece of cloth tightly, afraid to expose her body again to the crowd. The prince had noticed her discomfort so he asked Brisque to take her down from the horse. The big man obliged but cursed at her when she wiggled and almost got dropped.

"Be careful." The prince told the soldier with a condescending tone.

"Pardon me, My Lord," Brisque responded while bowing to the prince. The soldier then gave her a quick sharp glance that made her tremble.

"Where are her clothes?" The prince asked the villagers.

One of the villagers stood up and handed the prince her tattered clothes. "This won't do. Bring me something decent. Something she can wear in front of His Majesty, the King." He asked the villagers.

"My Lord, we do not have something that grand. And why should a witch be given an audience with the King?" another villager asked.

"I do not have to answer to a person such as yourself, don't I?" The prince asked the villager while looking down at him.

The villagers looked away and then one of the women said, "I have clothes for my daughter. She died a few days ago because of the plague. I guess that would be useless. I did not finish sewing it though."

"Bring it here," the prince commanded as he turned towards the young girl.

The girl is looking at the ground. Holding her hands on her chest as she held tightly to the piece of cloth, making sure it would not fall. "What is your name?" he asked her.

There was no response. She still looked down at the ground. Her gold curly hair is being blown by the wind but she pays no heed. The prince walked towards the little girl, put his hand above her head, and patted it. The crowd gasped. Never had it known in the entire kingdom that any of the members of the Royal Family would touch anybody who was an ordinary person.

The prince ignored the reaction of the crowd. "What is your name, little one?" The prince asked.

"Amelia," came the short response. The girl's tears started to flow again.

"Alright Amelia, my name is Prince Talon. I am a little older than you, so you have to obey what I have to say," the prince said in a comforting tone.

"Okay. But please don't hurt me." Amelia pleaded to the prince.

"I will not do that. First, you have to stop crying. We cannot talk if you keep on crying." The prince was comforting her. This time he bends so they could be speaking at the same eye level.

"But my father just died. My mother is too. My big brothers and my little sister too. Who will protect me now? Nobody will protect me now. My brothers said they would protect me if someone hurt me. Who will protect me now?" Amelia said while sobbing. Her tears flowed heavily as if it was endless.

The prince sighed. "I will be here to protect you. I promise"

"But you are a prince, you are supposed to protect the princess," she responded. This time, she made eye contact with the prince.

"I will also be protecting the kingdom and the people in it," he said with a smile.

"Then, why did you not protect my father?" she innocently asked.

"I am sorry," was all the prince could answer to her. "Where is the dress?" He suddenly shouted. He was caught in a question he did not want to take responsibility for. The lady came running with the clothes and handed them to the prince.

The prince gave it to Amelia. "Amelia, I want you to wear this dress. The road to the palace will take at least three days. I want you to be fully clothed so you will not get sick."

Amelia nodded. She went behind the bush, where people could not see her body while she was wearing the clothes. She could see the prince talking to the villagers. She wanted to run away but she had nowhere to go. The forest was all she had ever known all her life. The only option she has right now is to trust the prince who rescued her. He is just like the books they read in their little cottage.

She finished wearing the clothes given to her. Amelia then picked up the cape of the prince that was on the ground while she wore her clothes. She then went back to where the prince was. When the prince heard her tiny steps, he turned around and smiled at the little girl. This is his way of ensuring the little girl.

"Let us go," the prince commanded his army. He then mounted his horse and offered his hand to the little girl.

Amelia hesitated to take the hand of the prince. She just looked at it and shook her head. "I do not know how to ride a horse," she confessed.

Prince Talon jumped off his horse and told Amelia, " it will be fine. I will hold you. Remember, I told you to trust me. I will not let any harm come to you. I will be like your big brother," the prince was reassuring her.

"But my big brothers are dead," Amelia sobbed again.

"I am sorry about that. I will be here to protect you in place of your big brothers," the prince was speaking with Amelia at eye level. This act disgusts a lot of villagers, who can only stare at the shoes of these royals. All the villagers can do now is just look at each other, as if telling each other that they are angry and disgusted, but there is nothing they can do.

"Can we bury my family?" Amelia tried pleading with the prince again.

"I am sorry we could not do that. I was tasked to take you to the palace," the prince explained.

Amelia could not comprehend what the prince was saying. She was too young to understand it. All she could comprehend was that she could not say her final goodbyes to her family.

The prince lifted her. When she was seated, the prince once again mounted his horse. He gave final instructions to the village chief and left the village. The company rode off. They had to ride for three days to the palace.

Exactly three days ago, as soon as the sun rose, Prince Talon, along with a cavalry, left the palace as instructed by the king.

"His Majesty, King Raegan," the guard at the entrance of the practice garden announced. The practice park is located between the barracks and the armory. It can fit almost a hundred soldiers practicing swordsmanship. This is where Prince Talon would be seen early in the morning. His routine starts with sparring sessions with some soldiers. The arrival of the king, means that there is something urgent that cannot wait.

Everyone bowed down when they saw the king followed by one of his most trusted advisers, the adviser of the coin, Lord Erus. Brisque, a commander of a cavalry, is also with the king. This could mean an early mission.

"I can see that you are having an early morning practice. I am glad that, as the Crown Prince and future leader of the Army, you are getting yourself familiar with these activities," the king complimented the young prince.

"Thank you, Your Highness. Your words are very kind," the prince, still kneeling and looking down on the ground, responded to his father.

"Stand up and follow me, I have an important task for you," the king instructed. "I want you to go somewhere.'

"Yes, Your Majesty," Prince Talon responded. He then got up then put his sword in its scabbard. He owns a longsword with a hilt bearing the family crest on one side. On the other hand, it shows his name written in an ancient language only known to the royal family. The hilt is made of platinum, plated with gold. It is heavier compared to other swords. He was also trained with this sword for as long as he can remember.

He then followed the king, who entered the mess hall in the barracks. The rest of the soldiers left after the royal guards entered the area. As soon as they got inside the hall, the king peeked into the cauldron containing the soup and smelled it. "Still smells delicious. I also used to eat this when I was still training with the army. Do you also like it Prince Talon?" The king asked the prince.

"Yes, Father. I quite like it," the prince responded, with a smile.

The king walked towards his son and ruffled his hair. He feels proud of his son. For generations, their family trains with the soldiers. They eat and sleep with them. This way, they understand what their army is going through. Although as royals they are given responsibility at such a young age, they were not given better treatment while still in training.

As the crown prince, he had to learn about his people first, the strategy of war, and economics. His ancestors believed that understanding the needs of the people was important. This is the reason why the kingdom invests in innovations. They invest in research, not only in medicine but in weaponry as well.

As the future king, the burden on Talon is far greater than his 2 younger brothers. "I have an important task for you and I want you to do it swiftly. As you know, a plague has struck in the northern part of the kingdom. We need to save our people. That part of the kingdom are our farmers. They are the primary source of food in our kingdom," the king was explaining to Talon what he already knew.

"What is the task, Father?" the prince asked his father.

"In that part of the kingdom lived a man along with his family in isolation. Inside the great forest. I want you to pick him up, along with his family, and bring them here." the king instructed.

"Bring them as soon as possible. I received a raven last night asking for plea. The people in the North are getting restless. Pablo is one of our researchers. He lives in the middle of the forest with his family to research plants that can be used for medicine," his father was explaining to him.

"You mean the family of wizards and witches?" the prince innocently asked.

There is a rumor in their land that the family, who spoke a different language unknown to them lives in the middle of the forest. The wife's eyes have different colors and they have special powers. Those eyes can heal or curse you. Nobody knows where the family came from.

The king laughed at the statement of his son. "Pablo is a friend of mine. I met him when he and his wife were fleeing their country. We were looking for medicine for your mother who was extremely sick, and Pablo gave me the concoction I needed. It saved your mother's life. "

"But why do they have to live in the forest when we owe them so much?" the prince asked his father, since he could not convince himself.

"Pablo was afraid that people would drive them away. They had been constantly hounded by people because of his skill as an herbalist and his wife's eyes always attracted attention. They prefer to live a quiet life in the forest," the king explained to his son without hesitation. "We are also in communication as he keeps on sending me ravens. Now the people of the North are hounding them and we need to bring them here for safety. I am sending with you Brisque and some of the guardsmen. We have already selected the fastest of the cavalry to help you bring the family back."

"Your Majesty, if I may," Brisque asked the king for permission to speak. The king nodded and the biggest man in the room started speaking again, "it will take us three moons to reach the north. Even the fastest of the cavalry will take that long. We need to hurry and make sure that we leave soon. I have already asked my men to prepare everything needed for the trip."

"Good, good," the king exclaimed. "I want the whole family safe. We need the knowledge that they have to save our people. So, General, I will allow you to leave as soon as possible. You, young man, will be the one in charge of the whole operation. If anything happens, it will be your head on the platter."

"I understand, Your Majesty," the prince kneeled once again to acknowledge the task given to him. He always missed addressing him as father. Time, he had to call him with honor. This is the price he had to pay for being born into royalty. While he would casually call the king, father, from time to time, Prince Talon knew that it would be inappropriate to do so.

The king walked past the prince, who was still kneeling. He put his hand on his shoulder and gave him a nod. The prince knows that it is the king's way of encouraging him. When the king was at the door, he gave the prince another glance and walked away. Prince Talon then stood on the floor. He then turned to Brisque. He is one of the trusted men of his father but someone who does not like him and he does not like him back.

Brisque is ruthless and definitely one of the most hardheaded ones. He is not easy to deal with and when he was still training with him, before he moved to the soldiers' barracks, Brisque would hurl him around to make sure he understood the pain. He will be moving back to the palace when he turns 16, which will be in 8 months, and will be given more responsibility than running errands for his father. The prince knew that Brisque coming with him meant that his father wanted to make sure he came home, not only alive but the task delivered.

"We are getting all our provisions for the trip ready, My Lord. There would only be a few members of the cavalry that will be going with you to ensure the secrecy of this mission," Brisque was explaining to the prince.

"Get my horse ready," he told one of the soldiers. "We are riding as soon as everything is prepared."

"Yes My Lord," Brisque responded. He may be bigger than the prince and a general, but the prince still outranked him. He knew the prince had grown since those days when he used to haul him around like a sack of rice.

The prince then walked out of the mess hall. He walked towards the courtyard and waited for his horse to be brought. He could hear Brisque issuing commands in the background. It did not take long for the soldiers who would accompany him to be assembled. He might be tall for his age, but these soldiers would tower him not only in height but in experience as well.

"My Lord, I and Rence would be riding beside you. We had already assigned soldiers their position," Brisque was giving the prince instructions as the prince was mounting his horse.

The company exited the courtyard and passed through the castle gate. They moved swiftly as they rode towards the north. They passed by markets and villages. They stopped by an inn where they decided to stay the night. The prince is not wearing his royal garb, so people would not easily recognize him. They asked for a few rooms where they could spend the night. They also ordered food and ale.

The prince, along with the soldiers, settled on adjacent tables and started eating their meals.They were silently eating when one of the guests of the inn approached their table. "So soldiers nowadays are getting fat aren't they? You are becoming lousy because of peace."

Brisque stabbed the table with the dagger he was using to carve the huge piece of meat on the table. The room became silent. Prince Talon continued to eat his food and drink his ale, ignoring everyone in the room. He had been with soldiers outside the castle walls and some drunken guest would sometimes pick a fight with them. This would happen very seldom as people know that it is better not to start a fight with soldiers.

The other soldiers were ignoring him as well. Although Brisque stopped eating, he just looked at the man and had not done anything yet. The rest of the people in their party decided to just ignore him altogether. Other people in the pub were yelling insults and asking the man to shut up. The man could not be bothered though and continued to hurl insults at the soldiers.

"These soldiers are safe from the plague. They are protected by the castle walls," he continued.

Some soldiers also stopped eating and gave the man a death stare. Looking at how the soldiers were starting to get agitated, the drunk man continued, "No soldier is worse than those who hide behind the castle walls and pretend like they are protecting the kingdom."

This time, it was the prince who got agitated. Most of their citizens were unaware of the raids they had been doing on the borders to ensure that no enemy could pass through the borders. Even at this time, these soldiers are out and about to ensure the safety of the man who might have the remedy to the plague. This man had no idea what the soldiers had to go through.

It was the prince who got irritated by the man's banter. He stood up and pushed the man against the wall. He then used his right arm to pin him against the wall. The man was in pain when Brisque stood and put his hand on the prince's shoulder. When the prince looked up to Brisque, the general was shaking his head. The prince then let go of the man. As soon as he was released, the man slumped on the floor. The general then took off his broad-brimmed hat, and some people recognized him. "It was the general," some people exclaimed. The owner of the bar had just arrived and he was mortified about what he had seen.

"I apologize for the commotion in general. Why did you not inform us you were coming? We could have reserved the best room for you. Also, we have new women in town who can warm up your bed," the owner, Cracus, tried to humor the general.

"I am here for some errand," was the only response. "Time for my bed." Brisque then turned away from the owner and gave the crowd a death stare. He then kicked the man on the floor multiple times, before they crossed the courtyard to stay in their room.

Patrol duties were then assigned. Two soldiers would have to stay awake every hour until morning. They have 6 more hours until the sun rises and they have to leave the inn before that happens. They called it a night. The prince went to his room. He was wondering what kind of a man this Pablo was. Based on the account of his father, this is the man who saved his mother. When had his mother ever been sick?

His mother is beautiful. She is a daughter of the duke. They were betrothed to ensure the support of the duke to the king. He will be marrying a beauty one day. He had already eyed someone. There is no need for love, all he needs is power to be one of the most powerful. He was left with these thoughts when he fell asleep and was woken up by Brisque. It was time to continue their journey.

They mounted their horses and continued their journey. The journey to the north was not an easy one. They had to go through thick forest and several steep mountains. On their second night, they need to camp out and sleep under the trees. Brisque teased him that they were not able to bring the tent where he could sleep. He was too exhausted to respond to his banter. While the soldiers were all singing, he decided to call it a night and slept under a tree.

He was the one who woke up first the next day. He saw dark enveloping the area. The smell was so pungent he woke up the others. They immediately mounted their horses and rode towards where the smoke was coming from. Two riders went up ahead to investigate what was happening, while the rest of them rode as fast as they could. When they could see one of the villages located near the border, the two riders were sent earlier. "The villagers burned the forest. They dragged the family out and killed the father."

When the prince heard the news, he rode harder and faster. It was when he arrived that he saw the little girl whose eyes had different colors. The girl whose tears drowned her eyes. The girl who feared for her life.