Waking up, Helen found that wherever she was, it was very dark, chilly, and she was tired to…a chair? No, she’d played Hero and Thieves with her siblings enough as a child to know how it felt to be tied to a large array of things. She pushed her back into whatever it was that she was tied to. It was long, like a pole but it seemed to be carved. Hmm…maybe… She tried to stand and see how much she could move around. She grinned. I’m tied to a bedpost? Gods, this should be easy enough to break out of, at least I hope it’s easy.
She slid back down, feeling light headed and tired all of a sudden. She started to look around the room for something to free herself with but it was very dark in here. That would cause complications. She kept looking, though, curious to know which assassin that, as she suspected, her horribly jealous sister had hired to kill her this time.
Her sister, Bethany, was spoiled rotten and selfish. She always adored Tristan and had always hated Helen but only because she would be marrying Tristan very soon, too soon for Bethany to hope that Helen would die so that Bethany, being the second oldest and only other legitimate daughter that was in their family, could marry Tristan herself. As far as Helen was concerned, her sister was no threat. She was too stupid to just have Helen killed off completely. Instead, Beth wanted to gloat about it to Helen’s face.
Helen smiled wryly when she saw a glint of maybe silver across the room. That meant that there was a good chance her sister’s assassin choice had been kind enough to leave something sharp within her reach. Now…how do I get it?
A door opened flooding the room with light revealing that she was indeed tied to a bedpost. She recognized the poor furniture and peeling paint. She was being held at the Jaen Inn. Her only question, was why.
She saw councilman Judai, from Tristan’s council. And I thought I was confused before… she then said aloud, “Councilman Judai? What’s going on? What are you doing here? Why am I tied to a bedpost?” She asked, now worried and confused.
“We, rather, the other council members believe that hits wedding is…not in Prince Tristan’s best interests.” His smile and eyes said that he just didn’t want her to get her hands anywhere near a way to upset his work.
“That choice was made over ten years ago. You know as well as I do that it cannot be undone now. We’d have to change laws, the treaty would be broken, war would reek havoc on the lands! It’s too late for this!”
“I am sorry, you’ve wasted a decade.” His smile was cold and he wasn’t holding back with the venom in his voice. His face was between youth and age. His dark eyes were cruel as they bore down on her. His bald head was covered with incoming liver spots and his white robes did nothing to make him look less sadistic.
“You shouldn’t be sorry.” She said coldly. “Because, unlike you, who is wasting your time now, I’ve not wasted a moment of my life.” At least, not that she was going to admit it if she had.
“You sound as if you want the wedding to take place. Has the grand Princess Helena fallen for the Brave Prince Tristan?” He asked with a mocking smile.
“I want peace and no man will own my heart as long as I can help it.” Too bad she had lost the ability to stop it years back. She had had about enough of all this. She started to wonder what screaming would do for her position.
“Refuse to sign the treaty.” He said darkly, his eyes cruel and icy.
“Let me think about that for a minute, now.” She looked up, her head cocked to the side, one eye closed, her mouth twisted in a smart-alecky smile as she let out a “Hmmm.” and said, “Uh…No.”
“Fine. We’ll just frame the Barloanians like we planned in the first place.” He said shrilly.
“Wait a second now, frame the Barloanians? Why? What good could that cause?” She said, now slightly confused once again.
“Yes. When Tristan finds his bride-to-be’s mangled body on their border, he shall become enraged and start a war!” He smiled. “Of course,” His smile faded into a mock frown as he took out a knife. “You’ll have to die.” He came toward her and instinctively, she lifted her legs, after jumping up and kicked her boot heels into his face. She felt something give and he cried out before slumping to the floor. She saw blood coming from his face. She grimaced. The bone in his nose had apparently rammed up into his brain. A dreadful way to go. She decided to beg the Gods’ forgiveness later and for now, focus on getting out of here. She eventually managed to get free, but it took some time.
The process took about a half an hour. Once she was finally loose, she ran out and tried to remember how to get to the palace from here. She had to think pretty hard. She barely recalled the hotel’s relative location but she was pretty sure that she needed to head north. She found a horse but then decided against it. She needed to sneak away into the night, should any men Judai gathered decide to pursue her.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Tristan sent search parties out to find Helen when she didn’t show up for dinner that night. He currently paced his room, worried sick about the fate of his dearest childhood friend. The large bed had been untouched since the day before only slightly disorganized from a spot on the edge of the black quilt where Tristan sat all night long. The white walls were covered with family portraits and of paintings of his friends and close comrades. The newest one was one of his baby sister, Gwyn’s most recent daughter.
Then, on the bedside table was a small portrait of his immediate family and one of Helen. Gods…she’s beautiful. He thought. To himself. He went to the dresser and grabbed the dagger she bought him for his sixteenth birthday. It had a gem in the hilt.
“Sir?” came Chris’s voice. Tristan looked up from his picture of Helen. “She’s been spotted.”
“Where?” He demanded instantly.
“Not far from Jaen’s Inn, My Lord.” Chris said pointing in the general direction that the Inn lay in.
“How…? That’s almost fifty miles from here. No way could she have gotten so far so fast.” Tristan was tying on his sword belt as he spoke. He was ready to go within a couple minutes and went out of his room, ready to go find Helen.
Reaching the stables, Tristan grabbed his horse, mounted, and rode off, having to know that Helen was alright. He’d never forgive himself if something, anything, had happened to her. Especially since, he still hadn’t had the guts to tell her the truth about so much…
“Tristan!” Called Michael, Helen’s only older sibling and her only other full blooded sibling other than Bethany. Michael’s voice had pulled him out of his state of thought as he looked to Michael, waiting for him to speak expectantly. Michael stopped his horse by Tristan’s horse, as he said, “Any luck finding her yet?”
“I wish. I feel horrible about all of this.” Tristan said looking away from Michael.
“Why?” Michael asked, looking over at Tristan slightly confused by this.
“This is my fault. She was mad at me when she ran off. I swear if something has happened to her, I’ll never be able to forgive myself.” He felt like crying but he refused to cry. His male pride wouldn’t let him.
“Michael waited a while, just staring at Tristan as he thought. Then he said, “You love her, don’t you?”
Tristan took on a sarcastic tone. “No, really? I didn’t know that the fact that when she smiles, my worries are gone and I feel happy, or the fact that when she laughs, my world is right, or that when I’m losing every drop of common sense and rational thought I have, it’s because I’m terrified to lose her, meant that I love her.”
“Being a smartass is not the way to handle this.” He grinned. “Have you told her?”
“I’m too big a coward to just tell her, Michael. I’ll need a miracle to tell her.”
“What makes you say that?” Mike asked slightly confused. “You’re not a coward. No one has an easy time with love.”
“No scratch that. I’m an idiot. Don’t say otherwise- you know it’s the truth. Face me with a war and I’ll laugh, smile, and charge in. Yet, if you put the woman who holds the key to my heart in front of me, and tell me to admit my love her for her, to her face, I’ll run like the God’s are out to kill me.”
Mike smiled. “Don’t beat yourself up over this. Everyone is afraid to admit they’re in love.” Tristan looked over at Mike. Mike was three years older and three years wiser than Tristan. His dark brown hair reminded him of Helen. Mike wasn’t very aged but behind that young handsome face and those brilliant turquoise eyes, there was experience that Tristan didn’t have and that he would just have to trust.
“But why? If love is so wonderfully amazing, why are we afraid to admit it?”
“Because, Tristan, love can kill a man from the inside out. We don’t understand it. Man tends to fear that of which he does not understand.” Mike said with a knowing look in his eyes.
“Should I tell her?” Tristan asked, having a feeling that he already knew the answer.
“Uh…yes! That’s a stupid question if I’ve ever heard one.”
“Okay, but, how do I tell her? Helen…is…not easily won over and she’ll probably never forgive me.”
“Then ask forgiveness and give her time!” There was a silence before Mike grinned saying, “Gods… ‘Should I tell her?’…. What kind of question is that?”
“Shut up, Michael.”
“Make me!” Mike said riding off. Tristan only laughed and went after him.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Helen walked through the edge of the forest as hoof beats reached her ears. She looked around and had to smile. Tristan was chasing Michael on horseback like two brothers might. It was always a happy thought for her to know that her brother got along so well with Tristan, seeing as it had been hard for Helen to get along with Tristan’s little brother Ted but easy to get along with Gwyn.
“Tristan!” He stopped his horse as did Michael and when they saw her, they leapt off their horses and ran to her. Michael reached her first and embraced her tightly. She only let him. He kissed her head.
“Thank the Gods. You’re safe!” She smiled a bit and gently pulled away only to be hugged again by Tristan. She hugged him back and nuzzled him gently.
Tristan kissed her cheek as he said softly, “I’ve been worried half to death about you. Are you alright? Are you hurt at all?”
Helen pulled away enough to look him in the face. She kissed his forehead after standing up on her tiptoe. “Thank you, Tristan.”
“What for?” He asked as he gently caressed her cheek with one hand while he softly stroked it with his thumb, a slight smile on his face as he did.
“For coming to my rescue. I didn’t think you’d come, much less care.” She admitted.
He kissed the top of her head and held her close, wrapping his arms around her. “I’, sorry. I should have told you that I was alive at the first moment I had the chance. Can you ever forgive me?”
Helen nodded and welcomed his comfort with a soft sigh. “I forgive you.”
“Good, because…you mean a lot to me, Helen. I’d be devastated to lose you.” He said burying his face in her soft sweet smelling hair…
She chuckled. “I know that. I mean after all, we’re friends.” She hugged him again. Tristan gave Michael a look that told him ‘ Maybe it just wasn’t meant to be. ‘ Michael sighed and shook his head.
“Come on you two.” Michael said softly. “We should be heading back about now.” Helen nodded and walked over to Michael’s horse before climbing on. Michael then whispered to Tristan. “I hope the rumors about you two are false.”
“Rumors? What rumors?”
“That you two were never meant to be.” With that, he mounted his horse and rode away with Helen.
Helen seemed to avoid Tristan from that day. She would eat quickly at dinner, lunch, and breakfast and then leave immediately afterward. At night, she would go right to sleep, even though she used to normally read before going to bed, and no matter how tired she was, if Tristan was still asleep, she’d force herself from the bed and get up, dress, and leave. If he was awake and in the room, she’d pretend to be asleep until he left.
One day, Helen started to go to the Hidden Gardens but stopped as the memory of her capture came to her mind. She then thought softly to herself, “How did the councilmen’s goons know I was out in the forest? How did he know I was in the Hidden Gardens? How did he know I used the secret escape?”
She headed back to Tristan’s private study when she bumped into Tristan. She paused to stare at him for a moment before she started to walk away. Tristan grabbed her arm, gently. “Helen.” He started softly. “Why are you avoiding me? No hellos, no nothing. What’s been wrong with you?”
“Nothing’s wrong! I have to go.” She pulled from him and started to leave.
“That’s a bold faced lie! Helen! We’ve been friends since birth but for once, I don’t know what’s bothering you!”
She turned to him and snapped, “Then stop trying to figure me out! I don’t need you trying to protect me.” She walked to the private study without another word, leaving Tristan in total shock and confusion. He almost felt like he could die. The woman of his dreams…seemed to all of a sudden…hate him?
She slid back down, feeling light headed and tired all of a sudden. She started to look around the room for something to free herself with but it was very dark in here. That would cause complications. She kept looking, though, curious to know which assassin that, as she suspected, her horribly jealous sister had hired to kill her this time.
Her sister, Bethany, was spoiled rotten and selfish. She always adored Tristan and had always hated Helen but only because she would be marrying Tristan very soon, too soon for Bethany to hope that Helen would die so that Bethany, being the second oldest and only other legitimate daughter that was in their family, could marry Tristan herself. As far as Helen was concerned, her sister was no threat. She was too stupid to just have Helen killed off completely. Instead, Beth wanted to gloat about it to Helen’s face.
Helen smiled wryly when she saw a glint of maybe silver across the room. That meant that there was a good chance her sister’s assassin choice had been kind enough to leave something sharp within her reach. Now…how do I get it?
A door opened flooding the room with light revealing that she was indeed tied to a bedpost. She recognized the poor furniture and peeling paint. She was being held at the Jaen Inn. Her only question, was why.
She saw councilman Judai, from Tristan’s council. And I thought I was confused before… she then said aloud, “Councilman Judai? What’s going on? What are you doing here? Why am I tied to a bedpost?” She asked, now worried and confused.
“We, rather, the other council members believe that hits wedding is…not in Prince Tristan’s best interests.” His smile and eyes said that he just didn’t want her to get her hands anywhere near a way to upset his work.
“That choice was made over ten years ago. You know as well as I do that it cannot be undone now. We’d have to change laws, the treaty would be broken, war would reek havoc on the lands! It’s too late for this!”
“I am sorry, you’ve wasted a decade.” His smile was cold and he wasn’t holding back with the venom in his voice. His face was between youth and age. His dark eyes were cruel as they bore down on her. His bald head was covered with incoming liver spots and his white robes did nothing to make him look less sadistic.
“You shouldn’t be sorry.” She said coldly. “Because, unlike you, who is wasting your time now, I’ve not wasted a moment of my life.” At least, not that she was going to admit it if she had.
“You sound as if you want the wedding to take place. Has the grand Princess Helena fallen for the Brave Prince Tristan?” He asked with a mocking smile.
“I want peace and no man will own my heart as long as I can help it.” Too bad she had lost the ability to stop it years back. She had had about enough of all this. She started to wonder what screaming would do for her position.
“Refuse to sign the treaty.” He said darkly, his eyes cruel and icy.
“Let me think about that for a minute, now.” She looked up, her head cocked to the side, one eye closed, her mouth twisted in a smart-alecky smile as she let out a “Hmmm.” and said, “Uh…No.”
“Fine. We’ll just frame the Barloanians like we planned in the first place.” He said shrilly.
“Wait a second now, frame the Barloanians? Why? What good could that cause?” She said, now slightly confused once again.
“Yes. When Tristan finds his bride-to-be’s mangled body on their border, he shall become enraged and start a war!” He smiled. “Of course,” His smile faded into a mock frown as he took out a knife. “You’ll have to die.” He came toward her and instinctively, she lifted her legs, after jumping up and kicked her boot heels into his face. She felt something give and he cried out before slumping to the floor. She saw blood coming from his face. She grimaced. The bone in his nose had apparently rammed up into his brain. A dreadful way to go. She decided to beg the Gods’ forgiveness later and for now, focus on getting out of here. She eventually managed to get free, but it took some time.
The process took about a half an hour. Once she was finally loose, she ran out and tried to remember how to get to the palace from here. She had to think pretty hard. She barely recalled the hotel’s relative location but she was pretty sure that she needed to head north. She found a horse but then decided against it. She needed to sneak away into the night, should any men Judai gathered decide to pursue her.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Tristan sent search parties out to find Helen when she didn’t show up for dinner that night. He currently paced his room, worried sick about the fate of his dearest childhood friend. The large bed had been untouched since the day before only slightly disorganized from a spot on the edge of the black quilt where Tristan sat all night long. The white walls were covered with family portraits and of paintings of his friends and close comrades. The newest one was one of his baby sister, Gwyn’s most recent daughter.
Then, on the bedside table was a small portrait of his immediate family and one of Helen. Gods…she’s beautiful. He thought. To himself. He went to the dresser and grabbed the dagger she bought him for his sixteenth birthday. It had a gem in the hilt.
“Sir?” came Chris’s voice. Tristan looked up from his picture of Helen. “She’s been spotted.”
“Where?” He demanded instantly.
“Not far from Jaen’s Inn, My Lord.” Chris said pointing in the general direction that the Inn lay in.
“How…? That’s almost fifty miles from here. No way could she have gotten so far so fast.” Tristan was tying on his sword belt as he spoke. He was ready to go within a couple minutes and went out of his room, ready to go find Helen.
Reaching the stables, Tristan grabbed his horse, mounted, and rode off, having to know that Helen was alright. He’d never forgive himself if something, anything, had happened to her. Especially since, he still hadn’t had the guts to tell her the truth about so much…
“Tristan!” Called Michael, Helen’s only older sibling and her only other full blooded sibling other than Bethany. Michael’s voice had pulled him out of his state of thought as he looked to Michael, waiting for him to speak expectantly. Michael stopped his horse by Tristan’s horse, as he said, “Any luck finding her yet?”
“I wish. I feel horrible about all of this.” Tristan said looking away from Michael.
“Why?” Michael asked, looking over at Tristan slightly confused by this.
“This is my fault. She was mad at me when she ran off. I swear if something has happened to her, I’ll never be able to forgive myself.” He felt like crying but he refused to cry. His male pride wouldn’t let him.
“Michael waited a while, just staring at Tristan as he thought. Then he said, “You love her, don’t you?”
Tristan took on a sarcastic tone. “No, really? I didn’t know that the fact that when she smiles, my worries are gone and I feel happy, or the fact that when she laughs, my world is right, or that when I’m losing every drop of common sense and rational thought I have, it’s because I’m terrified to lose her, meant that I love her.”
“Being a smartass is not the way to handle this.” He grinned. “Have you told her?”
“I’m too big a coward to just tell her, Michael. I’ll need a miracle to tell her.”
“What makes you say that?” Mike asked slightly confused. “You’re not a coward. No one has an easy time with love.”
“No scratch that. I’m an idiot. Don’t say otherwise- you know it’s the truth. Face me with a war and I’ll laugh, smile, and charge in. Yet, if you put the woman who holds the key to my heart in front of me, and tell me to admit my love her for her, to her face, I’ll run like the God’s are out to kill me.”
Mike smiled. “Don’t beat yourself up over this. Everyone is afraid to admit they’re in love.” Tristan looked over at Mike. Mike was three years older and three years wiser than Tristan. His dark brown hair reminded him of Helen. Mike wasn’t very aged but behind that young handsome face and those brilliant turquoise eyes, there was experience that Tristan didn’t have and that he would just have to trust.
“But why? If love is so wonderfully amazing, why are we afraid to admit it?”
“Because, Tristan, love can kill a man from the inside out. We don’t understand it. Man tends to fear that of which he does not understand.” Mike said with a knowing look in his eyes.
“Should I tell her?” Tristan asked, having a feeling that he already knew the answer.
“Uh…yes! That’s a stupid question if I’ve ever heard one.”
“Okay, but, how do I tell her? Helen…is…not easily won over and she’ll probably never forgive me.”
“Then ask forgiveness and give her time!” There was a silence before Mike grinned saying, “Gods… ‘Should I tell her?’…. What kind of question is that?”
“Shut up, Michael.”
“Make me!” Mike said riding off. Tristan only laughed and went after him.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Helen walked through the edge of the forest as hoof beats reached her ears. She looked around and had to smile. Tristan was chasing Michael on horseback like two brothers might. It was always a happy thought for her to know that her brother got along so well with Tristan, seeing as it had been hard for Helen to get along with Tristan’s little brother Ted but easy to get along with Gwyn.
“Tristan!” He stopped his horse as did Michael and when they saw her, they leapt off their horses and ran to her. Michael reached her first and embraced her tightly. She only let him. He kissed her head.
“Thank the Gods. You’re safe!” She smiled a bit and gently pulled away only to be hugged again by Tristan. She hugged him back and nuzzled him gently.
Tristan kissed her cheek as he said softly, “I’ve been worried half to death about you. Are you alright? Are you hurt at all?”
Helen pulled away enough to look him in the face. She kissed his forehead after standing up on her tiptoe. “Thank you, Tristan.”
“What for?” He asked as he gently caressed her cheek with one hand while he softly stroked it with his thumb, a slight smile on his face as he did.
“For coming to my rescue. I didn’t think you’d come, much less care.” She admitted.
He kissed the top of her head and held her close, wrapping his arms around her. “I’, sorry. I should have told you that I was alive at the first moment I had the chance. Can you ever forgive me?”
Helen nodded and welcomed his comfort with a soft sigh. “I forgive you.”
“Good, because…you mean a lot to me, Helen. I’d be devastated to lose you.” He said burying his face in her soft sweet smelling hair…
She chuckled. “I know that. I mean after all, we’re friends.” She hugged him again. Tristan gave Michael a look that told him ‘ Maybe it just wasn’t meant to be. ‘ Michael sighed and shook his head.
“Come on you two.” Michael said softly. “We should be heading back about now.” Helen nodded and walked over to Michael’s horse before climbing on. Michael then whispered to Tristan. “I hope the rumors about you two are false.”
“Rumors? What rumors?”
“That you two were never meant to be.” With that, he mounted his horse and rode away with Helen.
Helen seemed to avoid Tristan from that day. She would eat quickly at dinner, lunch, and breakfast and then leave immediately afterward. At night, she would go right to sleep, even though she used to normally read before going to bed, and no matter how tired she was, if Tristan was still asleep, she’d force herself from the bed and get up, dress, and leave. If he was awake and in the room, she’d pretend to be asleep until he left.
One day, Helen started to go to the Hidden Gardens but stopped as the memory of her capture came to her mind. She then thought softly to herself, “How did the councilmen’s goons know I was out in the forest? How did he know I was in the Hidden Gardens? How did he know I used the secret escape?”
She headed back to Tristan’s private study when she bumped into Tristan. She paused to stare at him for a moment before she started to walk away. Tristan grabbed her arm, gently. “Helen.” He started softly. “Why are you avoiding me? No hellos, no nothing. What’s been wrong with you?”
“Nothing’s wrong! I have to go.” She pulled from him and started to leave.
“That’s a bold faced lie! Helen! We’ve been friends since birth but for once, I don’t know what’s bothering you!”
She turned to him and snapped, “Then stop trying to figure me out! I don’t need you trying to protect me.” She walked to the private study without another word, leaving Tristan in total shock and confusion. He almost felt like he could die. The woman of his dreams…seemed to all of a sudden…hate him?
