Forbidden Love

" I said no, Laura and it is final", the king said with a sigh while rubbing the bridge between his eyes. " Please Father, I have not been out the gates for God knows how long, you would not believe how bored I am" Laura pleaded. " Then find other ways to entertain yourself and leave me be", he replied growing more and more annoyed. "If I may your Majesty, perhaps it will do the princess some good to be outside for some time" Finnigan, the king's advisor said. Laura had never liked him, there was a way he looked at her that was unnerving, she hated it, although it seemed like he was finally being useful. " Yes Father, you see even Finnigan thinks it is a good idea", she said practically bouncing on the balls of her feet. King Walter sighed heavily before saying"Very well, you may go, but you will be back by noon, am I understood?" " Yes Father, thank you" she cried happily, running over to place a kiss on his cheek. "Yes,yes" he said waving her off. " Take three guards with you and one of your handmaids" "Yes Father I will, see you at noon" she said skipping away filled with joy. The King looked at Finnigan saying"I know it is hard for her to stay all day inside the gates, she is young and agile and will want to explore but it is safest inside the gates till this war with Khael is over" "Yes my lord, you are right to be wary, she is afterall your only child but it will all be alright" Finnigan replied bowing slightly. "Come then" he said standing up "what news do we have from the warfront" " Much has happened, my lord" he replied following the king out of the throne room. * * * * * * * "It is truly beautiful today, is it not, Yara?"Laura asked her handmaid. "Yes princess it is,"she replied dutifully. Eldoria was beautiful all year round but when the snow came, it was simply breathtaking. The way the snow formed a blanket over the trees and ground, the way it formed ice sheets on the bare tree branches.Soon the snow would be gone and the ice would melt away giving way eventually for spring. Laura had every intention of enjoying the snowy landscape before it was all gone. "Be careful, princess" one of the guards called out. "Yes, I am being careful", she replied rolling her eyes. She grew up playing in these fields, she could remember clearly one afternoon in spring when she and her mother had come here for a picnic, it had been a wonderful day. Thinking about her mother always brought tears to her eyes, she missed her terribly. As she was about turning around to speak to one of the guards, something was thrown over her head obscuring her vision and she heard the sounds of a sword fight. " Princess" one of the guards shouted before she heard a groan and a heavy thud. Had he fallen? She heard muffled screaming by her side and thought that sounded like Yara. She was being dragged away by what appeared to be a very strong man. She was still struggling to free herself when her feet left the ground and she was flung across a horse saddle. A horse? How could they have come so close on horseback without them noticing. Who were this people and why was she being kidn*pped? "Tie them up and blindfold them" a deep voice commanded. Her guards were alive then and Yara, they were safe. The horse she was on was mounted and they rode off. They kept a brisk pace, riding for what felt like a long time, she could not really tell, she just knew that everywhere hurt. Such terrible people, she only prayed her father would be looking for her by now and she would soon be rid of them. * * * * * * * * * * The brisk pace they had kept turned into a snail's crawl and soon enough they stopped. "Dismount, set up camp, we will rest here," said the same voice from earlier. He is the leader then, Laura thought. Strong hands roughly grabbed her and settled her on the ground. "Haven't you ever heard of gentle, you brute," she demanded angrily.The bag that was over her head was removed and after she managed to put her hair in a somewhat arranged fashion, she lifted her head and looked up at her captor and met startling icy green eyes. Shock took hold briefly before she regained the use of her tongue and asked" Who are you and how dare you kidnap the princess of Eldoria?" Laughter sounded around her and she finally registered the men around her, they were wearing chainmail shirts and leather trousers, the colours on their clothes were the black and swirling patterns of Khael. The rival kingdom had sent men to capture her, she realized. " I can see the recognition in your eyes, I assume you know who we are" the man said. "You can make things simple by following me now or I will have you tied up and forcibly carried" "I will follow but do not mistake my compliance for defeat, I will escape you", she declared in anger. "By all means please try, at least that would be entertaining" he countered arrogantly. "Now if you are done with this childish behavior, this way," he pointed and started walking. Laura looked around in dismay, the sun was setting, she realized, they had ridden for a full day and she did not recognize the terrain. " I must be really far from home," she muttered unhappily.She was led to a tent that had been erected in the centre of the camp and the man ushered her in. "Yara," she gushed happily at seeing her maid sitting on a pallet in the corner of the tent. "My princess," she replied standing up to hug her. "Your evening meal will be brought to you shortly, do not leave this tent", he said and left. "Princess,what is happening" Yara asked in fear, " Who are these men?" "They have been sent by our rival kingdom, that no good king Edward" Laura replied with disdain. "What will become of us then", she asked. " I expect we will be taken to him or else we would have been dead by now" " Oh no," Yara gasped. "No matter, father would have sent his best men by now since it is well past noon. They are no doubt looking for us even we speak,so fear not, dear Yara" she assured her maid. " Yes, my princess"