Forums » Fantasy Roleplay » The Whims of Power (Closed)

Gwendolyn sat up with her heart racing as she heard the urgency in Eryk's voice. Her eyes were wide with fear. "What do we do?" She whispered intensely as she threw her legs over the side of the bed. She simultaneously took the ribbon out of her hair, and rushed to the table. Gwendolyn picked up the crown and placed it gently on her head and then picked up the dagger. All the while never loosing eye contact with Eryk. "I won't break any rules now. I promise. What are the rules?" Her voice shaky and meek.

Time was in short supply as Oliver turned away from his Primary and tossed the extra arrows back on to the blanket and rolled it up again. "We hide. There is a false back to the wardrobe, push it until it budges. It will swing inward for you." On the other side was a barren room, no larger than a double bed. He extinguished the candle he had lit while the princess slept, and put the sword back in his sheath. He stood at the top of the steps, listening as the sounds of conversation grew nearer, and finally the bolted door rattled. Click. First lock open, Oliver noted as he slipped his helmet over his head and raised the bow to aim down the steps. "Are you in?" He asked in whisper.

She did exactly as she was told. Gwendolyn went to the wardrobe and pushed. It didn't budge the first time but she tried again and it moved slightly. She was in. "Yes" she whispered back. "Hurry up!"

Click. The second lock. Oliver lowered the bow and backed up, keeping his eyes on the stairs, to grab the heavy shield laying on the ground. Click. The third lock. He made his way back to the wardrobe, only the light of the moon lighting the room now, and passed his equipment in before entering himself. The sound of the wooden beam hissing as it was slid out of place made his neck hairs stand on end. They were inside. As the lower door swung open, Oliver push the false back into place. To anyone outside, it would appear as a half-filled wardrobe. Small holes in the roof and walls permitted rays of moonlight to cast a dim glow in the room. "Stay quiet," he whispered. Footsteps sounded as a trio of men made their way up the stairs.

Gwendolyn watched carefully as Eryk made his way to the closet. As he shut them in the wardrobe she carefully walked toward him and held his shield arm. She figured he would not be too thrilled that she was there because he had to protect her but this was what she needed right now. Her only wish was that he wasn't in so much armor, maybe then she could feel him breathe. They had been in that position before. She had broken into the King's quarters, she was looking for something but she couldn't remember what. Eryk was furiously whispering at her explaining how this is completely illegal and wrong. She ignored him for the most part until the King walked in. Then she hid behind him a lot like she was doing now. She felt safe with him. She always had.

"I told ya she ain't here," said one of the men. He was short, and slightly overweight. "That guard was spittin' lies." He was quickly silenced by a much taller, slender man.

"He told us how to get in, didn't he?" The third man shook his head at the tall man's response. Oliver recognized the last one as one of the blacksmiths the royal guards frequented when official orders were overflowing. He was as short as his temper, and well muscled from the grueling work of the forge.

"If th'two of ya would shut up," the blacksmith snapped, "maybe we can see why that door was locked, unless ye dimwits got a better idea." He pushed up his sleeves, something Oliver saw every time the man received a difficult order, and began looking around. The torch made shadows dance around the room, mocking their futile effort to find the Princess. Frustrated with the emptiness of the place, he began to lose his temper. He shouted profanities as he knocked the table over, threw the chair against the wall, and even kicked the tall man in his shin. Oliver took advantage of the tantrum and changed his position. He shifted his weight and grabbed the bow and an arrow. One crack in the wall lay hidden in the shadow of the wardrobe on the other side. He peered through here with his bow ready. Should the man's attention turn on them, Oliver would have the first strike.

But their luck held up. "Come on," the blacksmith muttered as he cooled down, "we have other places to search." The tall and short men followed, neither saying a word in fear of causing his temper to flare again. Moments later the door made a soft thud as it swung closed.

Gwendolyn flinched every time the men yelled or lashed out at the room. She was apparently holding her breath for the whole encounter because when the door swung closed she was gasping for air. She then made her way to the back corner and slid down the wall. She laid her head in her hands and just stayed still. She prepared a speech in her mind in case Eryk tried to move her. Her largest points in the matter included No and I simply won't. She just didn't think she could handle any more. She had to constantly remind herself to breathe and to not cry. Gwendolyn knew she couldn't cry again for if she did she wouldn't stop. She closed her eyes and thought about the castle. About her mom and dad and how they really did love her. They always wanted the best for her. She remembered her mother's hugs. Time always stopped when she was in the embrace of her mother.

"Stay here," Oliver whispered to the princess as he sneaked out into the room. The torchlight slowly faded with the voices of the men as they drew farther and farther away. The royal guard crept down the steps at a turtle's pace, careful to make no noise in case anyone else was about. The downstairs was empty. Oliver gave a sigh of relief before standing up straight and re-locking the door. The wooden beam was hefted up and slid back into place before he returned to the top level. "We are clear, Princess," he said as he knocked against the hidden door, "hand me the gear if you will."

She got up as he did and went over to the door. She watched him walk down the stairs through the crack in the door. When she heard the all clear she picked up the stuff and tossed them forcefully at Eryk. "How many times have I told you?" She said angrily as she picked up her dress and stepped out of the wardrobe. "Do Not Call Me Princess." She rolled her eyes and walked over to the bed and sat down.

It was clear Oliver chose to ignore her remarks, and wasted no time re-organizing his gear. The blanket was rolled open on the table as it had been before, the bow was placed by the side, with the arrows next to it. He tore off another piece of the bread and handed it to Gwen before tearing a bit off for himself. "Keep your strength up," was all he said. He seemed more concerned now, as he wracked his brain to figure out how they know where to find them. He was silent for a few moments, the perplexed look plastered on his face. "Someone betrayed us," he stated dryly at last.

She grabbed the bread and placed it in her mouth and then studied her friend. "Hey, we are gonna be okay, those guys are gone. They don't think we are here anymore. So we are good right?" She would have nudged him but his armor probably would have hurt. Gwen reached up and messed up his hair a little bit and forced a smile "We are going to be okay" She grabbed the knife again and played with it in her hand a little bit. "Our parents should be looking for us. Do you think we could find them and they can help us back?" Gwendolyn didn't like asking for help but they needed to get back to the castle.

"I'm not worried about them," he responded as he picked up his helmet and slid in on. "Only four people know about this place, and I'm one of them. The others are friends of mine in the royal guard. One of them betrayed us." As the time kept passing by, the faint streaks of the morning sun began turning the horizon purple. The sky where they could see would begin its slow metamorphosis into morning colors. "If one of them betrayed us, then things are worse than we think. We don't leave here until the signal comes. The King and Queen would never be able to get out of the castle gates with something like this going on, they aren't going to just help us back." The guard shook his head and moved to stand by the stairs where he could prevent any intruders from entering.

"I didn't mean they would come here. I just mean if we could get a message for them and your dad too. Maybe they would be able to make a path or something. I don't know. You're the expert." She offered another smile. "You said only three other people know about it. Did you recognize any of the guys in here earlier? Maybe we could get a message to the other one or something?" She looked around and admired the morning sky. "What's the signal?" She had so many questions, she probably should have paid attention to the tutor.
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"I am the expert, Gwendolyn. That is why I said we are staying here until the signal is given. Unless you want them to kill you, now is not the time for your antics." His tone was taut and demeanor tense. His eyes, though shrouded behind the slits of his visor, watched the stairs intently. "If they are alive, they'll come," was his last answer. Too many questions with too few answers, for both him and her.

"Oh don't you Gwendolyn me mister. I am not just your assignment and you know that. I was just trying to help." She pursed her lips and the rest of her face hardened in return. She glared at him for a while and she shook her head at the guard that stood at the stairs.