CHAPTER ELEVEN

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Half of the guards left Brenda and turned to face Bryan.

Brenda stopped asking herself questions and brought out another arrow.

She would ask Bryan the questions later.

Brenda shot the arrow and it pierced through another guard's arm.

She kept shooting arrows and a few punches were also exchanged until she was able to bring all the guards down.

Bryan also took down his opponents in less than a minute and went to meet princess Brenda.

"How did you know I was here?"

"I'm sorry but there's no time for questions your your highness,we have to get out of this place"Bryan said, interrupting her.

"No,I have to save my brother"She said.

"Where is he?"

"He's somewhere here but I don't...wait a minute,how did you know I'm...You know my secret?"

"I'll answer your questions later but we have to get out of here quickly your highness"

"I have to save my brother before I leave"She said"He has to be here somewhere"

"Strangers who usually come here are kept in the palace dungeon so if king Shane is here..."

"He should be in the palace dungeon"She completed.

"We just have to find where it is your highness" He said and they began to search round the palace,taking down any guard that stood in their way together

"I think I found it" Brenda said to Bryan minutes later and he walked closer to her so she could show him "But how do we get in?" She asked.

There were three fearsome guards guarding the dungeon

"Can you distract them?" Bryan asked and She nodded.

She brought out an arrow and threw it at one of the guards

"What's that?"The first guard asked the other two

"I don't know what it is but I'm sure it came from that direction" The second guard said, pointing in the direction he thought the arrow came from

"You two check it out, I'll stay here"The first guard said

"They're coming over here, I'll take on that guard over there" She pointed at the first guard and began to walk towards him

The second and third guard saw Brenda and tried to go after her but before they were able to take another step,Bryan grabbed the both of them

"Hey, catch"Brenda said and shot the first guard two arrows at a time,he fell on his knees, groaning in pain

She went closer to him and took the dungeon keys from him

She walked into the dark dungeon hall,there were several rooms lining both the right and left side of the dungeon

Most of the rooms were filled with people

"Brenda"She heard someone call her name from one of the dungeon rooms

She took a few steps backwards and walked to a room by her left.

The voice seemed to have come from the room

Her eyes widened and she rushed to open the door when she saw Shane

"Brenda!' Shane said and hugged her after she opened the door "I've missed you so much"

"Me too but we have to get out of here quickly"She said

"Okay,but we have to help these people"Shane said "They were among the people taken captive during the war twelve years ago"

"Really?"

"Yes. And I think I found our mother too"

"Where is she?" She asked

"She's somewhere in this palace"

"We have to get out of here, lots of guards are coming this way"Bryan rushed in and said

The prisoners in the dungeon were beginning to bang the doors begging to be released

"What about these people?" Brenda asked

"We'll come back for them later come on let's go" Shane said and held Brenda's hand"You too Derek" He pulled Derek out of the dungeon

"We'll come back for you later, it's a promise" Shane said to the people in the dungeon before leaving with Brenda, Bryan and Shane

They were able to get out of the palace successfully and getting out of Griffin Empire was easy as they were able to blend in with the people

They soon found themselves in the jungle

"How did you know I was locked up in a dungeon in Griffin Empire?" Shane asked while they were walking through the jungle

"Our mother told me" She answered

"Queen Eleanor?How?"Derek asked

"I... usually have these dreams.... it' more like a message or revelation,I don't really know how it works"

Derek arched his brow

"How were you able to get into Griffin Empire without getting caught?" Shane asked Brenda and didn't wait for her to respond to his question before asking another one"And...I didn't know you were skilled in archery"

"Well, it's all thanks to him" Brenda smiled and turned to look at Bryan

"How did you get to know Bryan?" Shane asked

"You know him?"

"Yes, I've seen him a couple of times when I was still a prince. So,back to the question...How did you get to know how him?"

"He was supposed to stay with you for three months, remember?"

"Oh, that's right,I forgot but...wait a minute,if he is here helping you now and he recognizes you,that means he knows you are pretending to be king" Shane said and she nodded

"How did you find out?" Shane asked Bryan

"Your sister stood as king while you were away?" Derek asked before Bryan could speak

"Yes"Shane answered.

"Wow,being a twin has advantages,I wish I had a twin sibling"Derek said

"Nice wish but siblings can be annoying at times,Brenda is an evidence" Shane said

"Hey" Brenda frowned at Shane

He shrugged but later smiled at her and wrapped his arm around her shoulder

"Shane,you said you found our mother,right?" She asked

"It's getting really dark"Derek said

"We should find a shelter"Bryan said

"I know a place" Shane smiled and took them to the cave he stayed the first day he embarked on his journey of going to find their mother

They all walked in

Derek and Shane were the first to sit

Brenda went to sit beside Shane while Bryan sat beside Derek

"We're not going home tonight,are we?" Brenda asked

Shane shook his head

"We have to figure out a plan on how to rescue our mother and those people before we return to our kingdom"Shane said "Plus, it's easier to go to Griffin Empire from here"

"Of course"Brenda nodded "That reminds me,how did you find our mother"

"I'm not really sure but I think she's the one responsible for cooking prisoners food and since I happened to be a prisoner..."

"Yeah..."

"When I tasted the prisoners food,it tasted like our mother's"

"Have you seen her?"

"Yes but I wasn't able to see her face properly and I don't think she recognizes me"

"Shane got in trouble because of her"Derek said

"He did?"

"Come see for yourself" Derek said and Brenda faced Shane"Come on,show her" He urged

Shane sighed and pulled his cloth down to his waist, revealing his bruised back

"What...who did this to you?"She asked touching the bruises on his back "Does it hurt?"

"Yes, I'm fine"Shane said"Derek already helped me in treating it"He wore his cloth back"I don't know why he insisted on you seeing it"

"She's your sister"

"It's going to be a cold night, I'll get woods for us to make fire"Shane said and stood

"I'll help"Derek said and they both left the cave

"I'll be outside,your highness"Bryan said to Brenda and was about to walk out of the cave but Brenda called him back

"Wait"She said

"My name is Brenda. Um..of course you know my name,my um... brother and his friend have been mentioning my name or maybe you um...The point is,you now know I'm the princess, there's no need to call me your highness since I'm a princess and only kings deserve that much respect"She smiled awkwardly

There was a long and awkward silence between the both of them until Bryan walked out of the cave and sat on a fallen log of wood that was a few steps away from the cave

Brenda sat down alone in the cave expecting Shane and Derek's return

Bryan sat down thinking about would happen after they return to their kingdom

He would never get to see princess Brenda again and even if he could,he wouldn't be close to her

' it's better if I hide my feelings away from her' He muttered to himself

"How did you find out?"He heard a voice behind him

He looked back and saw princess Brenda walking towards him

She sat beside him

"Find out what?Your..."He wanted to say your highness but he stopped when he remembered what princess Brenda told him in the cave

"How did you find out I was pretending to be king?"

"I found out on the day a feast was hosted in the palace"

"How?"

"You drank so much that day and got yourself drunk. You almost fell on the way to your room so I had to carry you to your room"

'Bryan carried me to my room? In his arms?' She muttered in her head

"After I laid you on the bed,I loosened your collar so you would be able to sleep properly and that's when I saw your necklace"

"Oh" She muttered "Yeah, it's not so hard figuring I was the princess after seeing the necklace"She said quietly

"Your hair also"

"Should've cut my hair short"She said to herself

He chuckled

"But..."She faced him "Why did you lie to me when I asked you to explain what happened the night I got drunk at the feast?Why didn't you tell me you found out I was the princess and was pretending to be king?"

' Because I love you and I want to keep seeing you forever' He would have loved to say that but he couldn't

"I didn't want you to know"He said instead

"Why?"

TBC...