chapter 26

His shoulders was broad and adorable. Not massive but moderate for his stature. He has an attractive masculine physique.

She forgot about everything else and was drooling at this grand work of nature standing right before her.

She imagined how it would feel like to be in his embraced. She didn't know if it would be like that of lord Zane. Breath taking.

She would feel so tiny and awkward, if Francis have his arms around her. She thought.

Well she had nothing to remove and she didn't have a change of clothing either. Francis helped her into the water.

***

Some men where in the woods. They wore black clothing. Sur-coat and the masked their faces revealing only their eyes. Five of them.

Ken felt they had company. He perceived danger. He started pacing back and forth on the dock. He was looking everywhere except the water where princess Eleanor and Francis were swimming.

Francis made the princess's body to rest on his arms. She lay straight with her face buried in the water. He urged her to throw her hands one after the other in a stroke.

"Then let your feet's keeps kicking the water"

She removed her face and breathe. " Don't let me go"

"I wouldn't dared. I still wished to live and have more adventures with you. Only my life cannot compensate yours. The king would definitely hunt down my entire generation".

" You are a clown".

"Yes! I am Eleanor, the is no limits to what a person can be around you".

They were moving slowing in the shallow water.

Meanwhile. Ken instincts was becoming stronger. He was certain that they had company. He unsheathed his sword. Damian too. He quenched his smiles like emperor Cassius, at once. They were at alert.

"Get the princess out of the water". Ken said

Damian went to asked the princess to leave the water.

"Why?" she screamed. She was now standing in the water. Francis was behind her.

"We are not sure my princess but I think we have company".

"I don't think so". she said. She wanted to turned but she drifted. Francis held her in place.

"Let's continue with the training" she told Francis.

"I shall be out once I'm done" she raised her tone.

"As you wished my princess" Damian courtesy and went to meet with Ken.

"The princess has refused to leave the water"

Ken heaved frustrated. He took a stone and aimed at the direction he suspected. All the directions. Nothing leaps out. still he was troubled.

Francis had placed princess Eleanor on his arms again.

"My Eleanor stroke like you are in trouble". This got the princess laughing. "Kicked that thing off your legs. It getting close" he said scared.

The princess forged ahead to out sail the thing. She was more frightened.

"That was great!" Francis complimented her.

"What was that?" The princess asked. She swam to the shoreline

"Nothing" he said with a blank expression. "I just wanted you to go faster"

"You suck"

He smiled staring at her with passion. Their eyes locked. He pulled her back into the water.

The spies already tiptoed to a tree near the dock. Few metres away from where ken and Damian where but they didn't notice.

"Damian! Ken yelled before he could dodged. His arm was already jerking on the floor. His right hand was cut off from the shoulder.

Ken was able to stand his feet and defend himself. This three spies seems well skilled

"My princess leave the water!... Get out of the water princess..." Ken screamed.

Francis and princess Eleanor were hugging each other in the water.

When they saw Ken fighting. They immediately wade to the shore beside the dock.

One of the masked man went for the princess. Francis shoved her out of the way and struck him into the water with his leg.

Still holding unto the dock line he somersaulted into the dock and pulled the princess with him. The princess was now in-between Ken and Francis. They protected her with their lives.

Francis had no sword. No matter how hard he attempted to grabbed his scabbard, the masked man wouldn't let him.

He had to defend with his hands. Suddenly he was able to freed his sword from the scabbard.

Their attackers seems very strong. Ken avoid, attacked and he thrust into the breast of his opponent.

The one from the water came out more furious. He cut the ropes that held the dock in place.

Ken skid and slipped. One of his legs left the dock making him sat with outstretched kegs. Francis covered in. He thrust the already injured opponent on the same spot and he fell off.

The dock was unstable, it was shifting to and forth. Ken held firm to the robe but they where still flushing into the river. Francis loose his balance and was now teetering at the edge of the dock.

One of the masked man fell back into water.

Princess Eleanor was struggling to get Ken to his feet. She held Francis trousers to keep him still. Their opponent lost his balance too. He was adjusting to the situation.

Princess Eleanor screamed. She seems weak and blank. The warrior princess was lost. The little girl in her surface.

Damian who they thought was long gone wasn't. He had lost so much blood but he managed to carry his sword in the left hand and position it upright.

Ken buried his sword in the dock to steady it. He then kicked the opponent and he fell on Damian's sword. It penetrated through his stomach.

The one in the water resurface again and Francis balance his weight on his head. Francis returned to the dock immediately and stood firm inviting him to come over.

Ken advanced to the land with the princess.

Francis poised, swing the sword left, right and he thrust. The opponent squad. Francis sword went above him. He stabbed Francis on the left thigh.

Ken and princess Eleanor was already in the carriage. The princess ordered him to wait for Francis. She was drained and frightened. Never has she been like this.

"What is happening to me?" She kept saying in her heart.

"who are this people attacking me?" This kept flooding through her mind.

Before she could come out of her thought. Two masked men where attacking the carriage she was in. Ken stood his ground with them. She ran into the woods

While she was running she heard a screamed. She turned around. Ken was stabbed but she didn't know where. She ran again. Not knowing where she was headed. Her legs hurts.

Meanwhile Francis attacked more fiercely now. Their sword clanged and jarred. His opponent sword fell. He tried to escape. Francis ran after him.

Eleanor was tired. One of the masked man who fought with Ken caught up with her. He held her wrist and dragged her along.

She screamed. She called lord Zane in her head to come for her rescued.

Francis slit the throat of the masked man he was pursing. He ran to Ken when he saw him lying on the roadside. He was bleeding.

Ken was stabbed in the rib. Francis fasten his tunic around him. He had forgotten that he was also stabbed in the thigh.

lord Zane came. The masked man shaded Eleanor from him ready to fight. Another one came and met up with them. It was now two masked men against lord Zane.

He snapped his fingers and their swords came out of their hands. His eyes was on Eleanor if she had any injury. She had none but her tears was making him fumed with anger for this crazy masked men who could even think of hurting his love.

The men took to their heels. "let them go" Eleanor said. "I need to get my knights home. They have be injured. I fear, one is death".

Even though lord Zane was concerned about her. He was mad at her. The masked men were out of sight.

The tree hid them. Princess Eleanor and lord Zane were under the river birch tree.

When Eleanor lifted her gazed to looked at lord Zane. He was staring dangers into her soul.

"Who is he?". He asked her in a tone that made her nerves collapsed.

"Who?" . She asked innocently.

"I saw the way you looked at him when he took off his tunic. The way you hugged me in the water. The way you behave differently around him. His that the Francis your maid talked about?".

She now knew it was jealousy that was in the air. She didn't want to anger him the more. He just save her life. She didn't know where the men would have taken her to.

She wore a pleading look. "He is just a friend".

"just a friend". This anger lord Zane the more. The thought of sharing his woman with another crippled him.

"Just a friend you said and you were throwing yourself at him like a cheap…." He paused. He was not going to used any vague word against her.

He looked at her. Her heart began to throbbed with the way he was staring at her. She didn't know if she loved him or Francis.

"Do you loved him?" he asked. The sky was getting dark. She needed to go. Her knights may died if she delay any further.

"lord Zane please I must go…"

"I asked do you loved him". He crossed the distance between them.

She jerked and took a deep breath. She turned to back him.

"I don't know" she looked away. She started crying again. He was hurts seeing her like that.

They heard someone calling her from a distance.

"Eleanor…. Eleanor…. Eleanor. Where are you".

"He now calls you by name". lord Zane asked behind her. "what do you have with him".

"Nothing" she responded. "Nothing. Please don't hurt him". She turned to lord Zane and was pleading on Francis behalf. She held his hands.

He was disappointed in her. He withdrew his hands from her and disappeared.

Francis met up with her. He looked around. "Were you talking to someone". She looked at him and shook her head "no".

He took her to the carriage and they drove off.

***

King Ephraim was with general Frederick in an open field outside the palace. They were discussing the way forward for their kingdom.

How to reinforced their security sector because of the recent happenings. To prepared ahead for any other invasion. More able body lads were recruited into the knight school.

General Frederick was seeking for the king's opinion on how to go about the whole process. He wanted the king to tell him what he thinks could be done to helped reinforced their security for their protection.

Since the last attacked, they still felt reluctant about improving their security until yesterday when they heard two nobles were attacked in their homes.

"How did these people sneaked into their city". They kept asking until they concluded that the must be an insider. The were going to get prepared now for any other surprises.

The king and the general were walking side by side. The king stopped and looked at the general.

"I must thanked you for your loyalty and commitment to the matters concerning this kingdom and the royal family most especially".

"My king you don't have to thank me. I pledged a lifetime of loyalty to served you and the kingdom.

Beside it is my home. My kingdom. If I don't do it for myself. I do it for my children and children yet unborn.

If a man failed to fight and protect his land, then he and his generations to come shall be a slave in another man's land".

The king nodded to his saying. Knights were following them from behind. The evening sky was calm and tender. King Ephraim kept looking at the direction where the sun was setting.

What was in his mind was his princess. She has not returned since morning that she went out with some boy the Duke introduced to him as his grandson. He tried to focused on what the general was asking of him instead.

"I need the knights to undergo another training. Also the female should not be excluded. Let it be a general exercised. That every soul in Golden Hill kingdom, from the ages of forty five down to the age of seven years old child. Both male and female shall learn the art of sword"

With this pronunciation. The general was dazed. He never expected this. But it sounded good to him.

"As you have spoken my king. I shall send the herald to drummed it in every clan what the king has declared".

A man came running to the king

" Your majesty. Send men to the princess. she is in danger".

" How did you know?. The king said but didn't object "immediately!".

General Frederick ordered some knights.

When they were about leaving. King Ephraim commanded the man to go with them.

His blood pressure was high. What could have happened to her. He was so worried.

The knights met with the princess carriage along the path.

Trees hedged the pathway. Well trimmed grasses flooded the ground leaving trails of horses and carriages.

The knights gave way for the carriage and drove behind, back to the palace.

Eleanor was tired but thankful to lord Zane. If she was taken away it would have make the king dead worried. She was also thankful to Francis.

Francis was the coachman who drove them home. Ken was severely wounded that he was unconscious.

Eleanor rode with Francis while they carried Ken inside the carriage. Sadly Damian was gone.

King Ephraim was waiting patiently for his daughter and some nobles were with him.

Some knights mounted the arrow slit while others surrounded the king.

They princess finally arrived.

"Father!" Princess Eleanor ran to him. They hugged.

They king took an overviewed of his daughter. Her body was covered in dirt, her baby pink gown was a mess. The dirt changed the colour. It was still wet and sticky to her skin. Her hair was ruffled and slightly sopping. Her skin red.

He hugged her again. Not minding the dirt. Still in her embraced he spoke with a shaky emotional tone.

"My child, I would die if any thing had happened to you". He stroke her hair.

"That boy who took you fishing". He released from their embraced and was looking around. He raised his tone. His hands was already strangling Francis in the air.

"Where is he?". He asked furious.

The carriage was mounted by another coachman who took Ken away to be treated.

Francis was some metres behind them he heard the king. He knelt when the king sighted him.

The knight who stood behind Francis position, incase the king gives an order. The air was tensed.

"Father! He didn't do nothing wrong. We were attacked by some unknown persons. I'm positive they are not even from our kingdom. He fought to defend me father". The princess pleaded on his behalf

King Ephraim's temper began to subside.

"Please listen to me father. He has done nothing wrong". Her voice was mild.

Her father listened to her. He held his daughter hands and walked away. They passed the queens as they entered the palace.

The news of the princess attacked had escalated. Her father released her to her chambers and went to his.

Princess Eleanor didn't understand why she couldn't fight or why she felt so weak. Instead of her to grabbed something and killed someone, she was wailing like a frightened kitten.

Beatrice helped her out of her dress. She wrapped herself in a white towel and went to the bathtub. The tub was red bricks and square. It was large.

Jasmine flower was sprinkled in it. There was smoke fuming out of the water. She deep her big toe first. She didn't want to get cooked.

"My princess... The water is body temperature" Beatrice said from behind as she came with herbs to add in the water.

The princess dropped the towel and descended into the tub. She couldn't stopped thinking about what happened at the river.

The dread in her eyes returned at the thought that she would have been somewhere by now receiving ill treatment or maybe dead.

"lord Zane I can never thank you enough" she thought.

"Francis too" she smiled. "He defended me wholeheartedly". She was kicking the water. She remembered the precious moments they spent together. she could never forget in a hurry.

"Bastards" she cursed, they interrupted her first dating experience. Perhaps she could have gotten a kiss like she read in those romance novels.

"Do you loved him". She remembered lord Zane asked. Well she didn't know like she earlier told him. She like them both but was not sure if she loved any just yet.

Beatrice was behind her. She was observing her every moment in the tub.

Eleanor always bathed in her tub but never as she attempted to swim. She was too occupied with the state affair and with her father that she forgot about her self.

The little things that made life worth while. If it was not for Beatrice who has been keeping her occupied during some of her free periods. Her life would have been a serious political jargon.

She let herself float in the water. Then she started stroking and kicking and smiling.

Princess Eleanor made herself stood in the water. She imagined Francis arm around her. The warm it gave and the tight gripped which protected her from harm.

She started hitting and splashing the water everywhere and giggling to herself.

Beatrice was watching her. Gently she grabbed the sponge and sat on the edge of the tub with her leg wriggling in the water.

"My princess... You are in love"

She turned immediately. "No I'm not". Then she paused. "Why is that?".

Princess Eleanor didn't see her as a maid but a friend whom she could discussed with. And Beatrice didn't seem bothered by the difference.

Beatrice smiled. " I see the way you smile. The way you move and looked at the water. How happy you are by just playing in it. I have never seen you enjoyed a bathe or stayed this long. You always hurried in and out".

She couldn't stop smiling. Beatrice was right after all. She has never wished to keep her father waiting or to be late in attending important meetings nor matters concerning the kingdom or pertaining to building her for tomorrow's leadership.

"Have you ever be in love?". She asked Beatrice.

"yes my princess". Beatrice answer after counting the high ceilings.

"How does it feel and with whom are you in love with".

She swim to where Beatrice was. Beatrice motion for her to turned around. She started washing her hair.

"I feel like I'm the most beautiful thing on the whole universe. Always happy and wanting to be in his arms". She was silent. The smile tarries on their faces.

"My princess.. he is your knight, Ken".

The smiles on princess Eleanor's face died down. Ken was badly injured. He was currently battling with his life.

The princess was surprised and sorry. She turned to looked at Beatrice with a sad countenance.

"I'm sorry Beatrice, he is in this condition because of me".

" Is not your fault. I went to where he is receiving treatment. The doctor said, he shall be fine that the wound was not that deep but he has lost so much blood".

Eleanor looked at her for a while. Beatrice was pained but behaved. " I'm glad that he could protect you".

"I owed him alot". The princess said.

"My princess please turned let me washed your hair. You are making me feel nervous".

"How did you guys meet". Eleanor paused and heaved. "Pardon me but he doesn't seems lovable. He is mean and too forward. So he can actually love"

" Yes he can. Even more than you can imagined. I was hurt the day you fought him and almost suffocated him. Today my breath almost left me but I'm grateful the doctor assured that he shall recovered in time".

Eleanor felt the sadness in her tone.

"I'm sorry Beatrice I never meant harm to befall him".

It interesting how a princess could be so free with a maid that she would apologize without thinking.

"Stop saying that. I'm only a maid around here. Your maid... my princess".

" Every one deserves to be treated right. It doesn't matter the status. When you are wrong you are wrong. No one is too high to make a mistake".