Chapter 12 - Morghen

They ambushed us an hour before the sun set.

We entered the forest on edge at first. The hair stood up on the back of my neck when we went in, and I kept glancing behind my shoulder. After an hour, I relaxed. It was warmer here, somehow, even in the frigid Navhëlm mid-winter.

It was cool and quiet, and most of the soldiers soon got used to the unnaturally still air. Most of them slackened and started chatting among themselves, while a handful remained diligent. I should have reprimanded and warned them to keep a lookout. Maybe then we could have avoided what happened next.

An arrow cleared the treeline and pierced the chest of a soldier next to me. He slumped, eyes rolling back in his head, sliding off his horse.

A cry went up as my instincts kicked in. I drew my sword and shouted, 'AMBUSH! To your places, protect the carriages!'

Their training took effect a second longer than I'd have liked, but they drew their weapons and surrounded the carriages. My priority was keeping the Prince safe, so I placed myself before the door of Prince Adeno's carriage and banged on the door. 'Don't come out until I say, Your Highness!'

Then I readied myself.

More arrows flew towards us and bandits burst from the trees. Their clothes were black and dull green, blending in perfectly with the foliage. All carried weapons of some sort, mismatched as if the bandits had taken them off previous victims.

Two of the bandits rushed me. The first clutched a rusty spear while the second wielded a sword in one hand and a short hunting knife in the other. They swung, one high and the other low, aiming for my head and knees.

I ducked beneath the first swing and parried the second, twisting the spear out of the bandit's grip and closing the distance between us so I could stab him in the chest.

The second bandit circled me, wary. She adjusted her grip on the knife and darted forward. I parried the blow from her knife and let the sword bite into my armour. The blade was rusting, ill-maintained, and I knew it wouldn't hold its edge. It barely grazed my skin.

The bandit tried to pull back but I pivoted and slammed the pommel of my sword against her skull. She dropped like a sack of potatoes.

My soldiers were keeping the rest of the bandits at bay. A few bodies littered the ground, and I was relieved to see Soneran armour on only two of them.

An arrow whistled through the air and sank into the side of the carriage behind the Prince's. The arrowhead was tarred; fire began to spread. The horses pulling it screamed in fear, pulling free from their reins.

They whinnied in fright, eyes rolling and spit foaming at their mouths, and rushed away. The carriage teetered and bounced behind them. Leather and wood snapped. The horses broke free from the carriage, which crashed against a huge tree.

There were diplomats in there and—the Princess!

I glanced at them, torn between my duty to the Prince and his new wife.

'Morghen!'

Prince Adenos kicked the door open and leapt out, his sword drawn. He followed my gaze, saw the overturned carriage, and paled.

'Your Highness, it's not safe!'

'I can handle myself. Go!'

I nodded and dashed over. Two of our diplomats were pulling a dazed girl from the wreckage. At first, I thought it was Princess Mirea, but when I neared, I realised it was the maid.

The fire was spreading, the smoke filling my nose. 'Is she still inside?' I shouted.

The maid looked at me blearily. I grabbed her shoulders. 'Where is the Princess?'

'I-Idynn,' she said, her eyes snapping open. 'She's still inside!'

I ripped the door open. Lying in the corner of the carriage, dangerously close to the flames, was the princess. When I crawled in, my gloves crunched. The windows were broken and shards of glass were embedded in the thick fabric. I ripped them off gingerly, grabbed the princess, and carried her out.

Her head lolled against my chest. Her hair had come loose and hung in damp strands over her face. A thin stream of blood trickled down her face.

I propped her up against a nearby tree. The two diplomats and her maid hovered anxiously nearby.

Shooting an urgent glance behind me, I saw the Prince engaged in a fight with one of the bandits. His stance was relaxed, almost arrogant, and his sword flashed as it tore through them.

A moan dragged my attention back to the Princess. She was coming to, slouched against the tree.

'S-Safine?' She said weakly.

'Here.' The maid all but shoved me aside as she moved to crouch in front of the princess. 'I'm here, Your Highness.'

The Princess nodded. Her eyes took in the maid, the diplomats, and I. She lifted a hand to wipe away the blood and tried to rise. That wasn't a good idea. I tried to take her arm so she wouldn't fall forward, then her eyes rolled back in her head and she passed out.

The bandits were retreating. They'd lost too many of their own, clearly expecting a merchant convoy with hired guards and not a troop of trained soldiers. We only lost two of our own.

I gave the order to settle in the clearing for the night. The sun had just about set anyway, and it was unwise to travel in the forest while it was dark.

Tents were set up, the soldiers tending to their wounds while rations were distributed. Those who were unharmed dragged the bodies away. The dead soldiers were wrapped up; their bodies would be returned to their families when we came home.

The diplomats were shaken but they still complained about the tough food. Everyone else was too exhausted to make noise.

The Princess was asleep in a small but private tent, her maid and cat with her.

I tore into my own portion of bread and dried meat outside the Prince's tent. I'd just about polished it off when a rustle of fabric told me that Prince Adenos had opened the flap of his tent. I turned around. 'Your Highness?'

'Morghen.' He looked tired and his voice was hoarse. I knew he hadn't been sleeping well, but maybe the exhaustion had finally caught up with him at last. I should not have let him fight. He said, 'Where is the Princess?'

I told him, and he closed his eyes, his shoulders sagging. He passed a hand over his face wearily. 'Could you see that her wounds are treated? Do it yourself if you have to, you're not as… abrasive.'

I ached and was sore from the journey, but I could do that easily. I shot him a grin. 'Of course, Your Highness. But only because you think I have a charming personality.'

' 'Not abrasive' is a long way from charming,' he huffed and ducked back into his tent.

I finished my rations and went to the Princess's tent. She and her maid were talking in hushed tones, and they looked up, guarded, when I lifted the flap.

I held up the medicine kit. 'His Highness said to look at your wounds.'

They relaxed just slightly. The maid bent to whisper something in the Princess's ear, glared at me, and left.

I sat cross-legged on the dirt.

The Princess watched me. She didn't have Prince Adenos's imposing silence; she was just quiet, like she was trying to make herself as small as possible. Strange body language for a princess.She cradled her elbows, hugging herself tight. Her hair was a mess around her shoulders but she either did not notice or did not care.

I wanted to say something reassuring to her, but all I had were jokes. The Prince never responded well to those—actually, he never responded at all—so I doubted it would lighten her mood.

So we sat in silence. I took out clean bandages and some healing salve. 'My Lady, may I look at your wounds?'

She nodded and held out her arm. I brought the lantern closer.

Tiny shards of glass were embedded in her arm. Clearly, she had flung her arm up to protect her face when the carriage toppled. The blood had dried in streams around the cuts, some of it smudged. The maid had likely attempted to clean it, too.

I squinted and began the slow and tedious task of removing the pieces. I felt her gaze, curious and searching, on me the whole time. If I wasn't so preoccupied, I might have blushed.

Then, as I had picked the last shard free and was wetting a towel with my waterskin, she gasped and said, 'You're that guard—Shen!'