Legend of the Stone Page 2

  The mare carries me deeper and deeper into the woods. Just when I think we may be safe, we enter a clearing. I slow the mare’s pace and glance around. I don’t remember this spot on any of my journeys, I am lost at the worst possible time. In desperate need of cover, I seek for any good spot to lie low. As I start to urge the horse west toward what I hope is the sea, a glint of silver catches my eye.

  I pull the reins, spurring on the mare, and we head to the spot where I spotted a glimmer of something.

  I hesitated a moment too long and the guards enter the clearing just as I ride up to a giant rock impaled with a sword. I only have a few moments to decide, keep riding or jump off the horse and scale that rock.

  I go with the latter and jump off my mare, excited to see a weapon. I scramble up the rock just as guards close in on my location and my horse runs off into the forest. So I tug on the sword and it seems to be stuck. I should have chosen the horse.

  I raise my eyes to see the line of royal soldiers laughing at me. My anger boils just under the surface as I give one mightier tug. The sword slips free from the rock. My feet wobble on the slick surface of the rock, but recover my balance and point the newly freed sword at the guards.

  The sight of them all kneeling with their heads bowed cuts off any speech I had been about to make.

  The guard on the end stands. “At last, our Princess is home.”

  My mouth gapes open as I stare down the line at the kneeling guards, then my vision returns to the one standing, seeming as he is their leader. He is tall, and his armor clad arms are folded over his chest. His strong jaw is clenched tightly while there is just a hint of a shadow on his face and a wary look in his cobalt eyes. The brown mop on his head is a mess, shaggier than the rest of his men. It’s in need of a good trimming.

  As I stand there with a dumbfounded expression on my face, a smile breaks across his pouty lips.

  He bows. “Your majesty, it is not safe for you out here. If it were any guards other than us, you would have been tied and dragged back to your uncle, their king.”

  With the sword still in my hand, I lower my arm only a little. “Whatever do you mean? I have no crimes to pay for. Why would they do such? What do you mean their king?”

  He steps a few paces closer, stopping when he notices the sword rising higher with each of his steps.

  “This place is not safe. We should not be talking in the open. King Phillip has many ears wandering these woods,” he replies.

  “Why should I believe any of your words? This could be a trick to lure me back to the king you claim wants me. I am a butcher, no one special. I was making my way home when you gave chase. If you have no proof, I will be on my way.”

  With care and minding the sword, I hop down lightly from my position on the boulder, but my eyes never leave the guards. My landing is graceful, which I am grateful for, so I give them a little bow and back toward the cover of the trees once again.

  My feet have barely crossed into the tree row, when the guards stand. Tension fills my body as I prepare to run, then I notice that the leader steps in front of them, blocking their path to me.

  I can make out his words as he tells his men, “We can not force her to believe us. I will try and reason with her once again. She is our lost princess, but we cannot make her go with us. If she refuses, we will head back to the castle and inform King Phillip she was not who he is seeking. Grey, please take my sword. I will go to her weaponless and armorless; maybe that will gain a little trust.”

  He hands a beautiful blond man his sword, and the blond nods as he accepts it. I am frozen where I stand, watching as the lead guard sheds his armor and shirt included.

  When he turns to me, I have to refrain from wiping the drool I can feel forming on my bottom lip. He was hiding a muscular body under all that armor. It was a shame, really. His broad chest glistens in the sunshine as he makes his way to where I am still rooted in my spot. The pit of my stomach starts to flutter as I have to fight the urge to run into him arms. What is wrong with me?

  It is amazing to watch as he approaches swiftly for a man of his enormous size, stopping a mere few steps from me. Once again he bows, but only halfway. His cobalt blue eyes meet mine with a piercing stare as he starts to speak. The pit of my stomach flutters as I have to fight, once again, the urge to run into his arms.

  “I have come to you unarmed to prove that I mean you no harm. There is only one thing I can show you that, if you are indeed the lost princess, you will recognize,” he finishes.

  My eyes betray me and follow his movements as he hooks a thumb on the waist of his pants. He starts to pull them lower, and I raise my free hand quickly. “Stop. I don’t know what you think you will prove to me this way. I do not want to see any more.”

  That is a lie. He is a beautifully built man, and my head is screaming at me for not allowing him to continue. I would love to devour every inch of him with my eyes. Unfortunately, this is not the place nor the time.

  His laugh snaps the focus of my eyes back to his.

  “Why are you laughing at me?” I glare.

  “M’lady, do not worry. I was simply going to show you the tattoo that is present on my hip,” he replies.

  My lips form an “O” shape, causing him to once again chuckle.

  “Should I continue? Or will you take me at me word?” he asks, tucking his thumb in his pants again.

  I nod for him to continue, and so he does. When I see it, my blood runs cold and my hand fumbles for the pendant that is still safely tucked under my shirt.

  “Well I have seen that symbol before, but your tattoo proves nothing. I am just a butcher, not your long lost princess. I am sorry, but that is the truth.”

  “Then tell me, how were you able to pull that sword from the stone?” he counters, pointing at the boulder I was just atop.

  “Luck,” I reply, shrugging me shoulders.

  “Do you have no knowledge of that stone or the sword you are carrying?” he asks in disbelief.

  My mind flickers to the stories Gabrielle would tell me as a child but that’s all they were, so I shake my head no.

  “As I’ve stated twice before, I am a butcher, nothing more. I don’t have time for games or stories. If you will excuse me, I must get home before my family starts to worry. You have lost me my horse and the supplies she was carrying. Now, if this sword is so special, you are welcome to keep it. I have no use for it in my shop, not what I would use in my work,” I tell him as I extend it toward him.

  He steps back quickly, as if the blade is cursed.

  “Your Majesty, that is more than an ordinary sword, one I am not worthy of handling. It is your birthright, as only the true heir to the throne is able to wield it. You keep ahold of it. If you insist on returning home, please let me send two of my best knights to escort you.”

  “No, I will manage on my own. Thank you... I do not know your name,” I say.

  “Lance, of house of Lancelot, and you are?”

  “Alexa, the butcher. If it were under any different circumstances I would say it was a pleasure to meet you.”

  Lance glances over his shoulder; he must have made a signal to them behind his back as two of his men start toward us.

  He looks back to me. “I know you said no guards, but once the king knows that the sword has been pulled from the stone, he will double his efforts to find and kill you. You stand between him and the power he has amassed. Grey and Beck are loyal to the heir and her claim to the throne. If you wish it, they will show you their tattoos as well. But know they reside in the same place as mine.” He winks.

  My cheeks flush a little as the two knights reach us. They both bow to me and once they stand up, their gazes returns to Lance.

  “Grey and Beck, this is Alexa, the butcher. Will you two take her back to her home safely?” he questions them. “Also, tell her family I will replace her horse and any supplies it was carrying. You two are to stay, keeping her safe until we have a plan in place.”

  Grey, t
he beautiful blond, replies as his icy blue eyes bore into me, “On my honor, Lance. Beck and I will guard her with our lives.”

  The second knight looks from me to Lance to Grey. “Ever the dramatic Grey, aren’t you? Of course we will escort this beautiful, um, butcher did you say? Home.”

  I focus my attention on Beck, letting my gaze roam over him. His hair is even more unruly than Lance’s; it has just a hint of curls at the ends. His face is a heart shape, with those amazing cheekbones and those baby blue eyes of his looking like the heavens themselves. As he tries to smile at me sweetly, I can see a hint of the ornery streak he is hiding behind it. This one I will have to watch; he appears to be a smooth talker.

  “I told you, Lance, I can manage by myself. How will I explain bringing two royal knights home with me? Plus, I do not have a place for them to stay. My house is already full and there is no room at the butcher shop. So, if you do not mind, I will be on my way,” I say with a wave and turn on my heels.

  I carefully navigate the forest, watching for fallen tree limbs and roots. The last thing I want to do is fall flat on my face in front of these gorgeous men. I am not far from them when I hear the sound of feet clapping on the ground behind me.

  A pang of sadness filters through my heart that my horse ran off. I wish Warstorm was here to carry me over this rough terrain. Distancing myself from these men is the best course of action to take first, and then I will plan on how to find my way home.

  Looking over my shoulder, out of the corner of my eye I spot Beck and Grey following me. I ignore them and continue on my way. It is a long way home from the village I was in. I told Merina it was a bad idea for me to travel looking for the spices our mother was in need of. Merina had made the last few treks for supplies, so she argued to let me go instead of her, wanting me to get out of our little village and experience more than my boring life. I never traveled too far from home. I didn’t feel comfortable leaving my family behind, so I went to work in our village with Madeline in her butcher shop. I didn’t have a need or a desire to travel. Merina and I had a few adventures and near misses going to the dungeon, but that was just for fun. It was more her kind of thing than mine; I was happy simply cutting animals to pieces with Madeline. Now I am heading home, not only empty-handed but horseless. Guess that will teach my parents not to listen to Merina.

  Lost in my thoughts of home I almost walk right into the stream, but two sets of arms wrap around me and save me from falling in. Standing either side of me are Beck and Grey, my saviors. I nod in thanks and they remove their hands, Grey’s fingers lingering a little longer then Beck’s.

  “Follow me. I will show you the correct place to cross, Your Majesty,” Grey informs me. As his words leave his lips, I get that fuzzy feeling in my stomach again.

  “Please, don’t call me that. My name is Alexa. If you really are here to keep me safe, do not call me Your Majesty. Where are your horses? Supplies?”

  His lips tip into a smile and a dimple appears on one cheek. “You are very wise, m’lady. I will remember to call you Alexa. We have no need for too many supplies, we were taught to live off the land. As for our horses, they are to return to the farm for a much needed rest.”

  He continues on to a narrow area of the stream that has a few giant boulders across it as if they are a walkway.

  Stopping, he turns back to Beck and me. “Alexa, I will cross first. You will follow my steps then Beck will come across. I do not want you on either side alone. Before you argue, I insist on this for your safety, not to boss you around. Beck and I gave Lance our word that we would protect you with our lives. It is not something I take lightly, we would not promise it if we didn’t mean it.”

  I try to reply, but he just raises a hand and shakes his head no. He turns back to the boulder and carefully places his steps as he crosses.

  “Okay, Alexa. Your turn,” he calls.

  I nod and then glance back at Beck, he gives me a thumbs up and I start my trek over these slippery rocks. I make it to the last one, when my right leg slips, and as I am about to plunge into the cold water, Grey’s hands grip my arms tightly. My sword clatters on the shore as he pulls me right on top of him. It takes a moment for me to register that he saved me and where I lay. As I look into his icy blue eyes and see his face crinkle into a smile, nervous energy washes over me and I scramble off of him.

  Ungracefully I stand and retrieve my fallen blade from the ground.

  “Thank you,” I mutter as I dust myself off.

  Beck navigates the boulders with ease, his movements so swift it is as if he is walking on air. Having gone before him, I had crashed through like a herd of elephants. I don’t know why for the life of me they would think that such a clumsy woman like me could be their princess. I don’t think there is a graceful bone in my body.

  “Are you two ready to push forward? Or do you need a rest?” I ask as their eyes scan the area.

  Beck with his silky voice answers, “We are ready, if you are.”

  Grey jumps ahead of me, deciding he needs to lead. With the spill I had, I can see why he doesn’t trust me. I take each step with care, not wanting to make a fool of myself again.

  We walk in silence, and I notice that Grey scans the area before he takes his next step. Lance was correct in telling me that Grey was one of his best knights. As I watch him, my nerves ease only slightly. That is, until we get to the outskirts of the town we have to cross. I am closer to my home than I realized. I don’t voice my opinion, but I would rather go around not through. This is where my whole world was turned upside down and scattered. Even though it was fifteen years ago, I can still remember what my mother whispered carefully to me as if it was yesterday.

  Not realizing that my feet stopped just at the edge of town, Beck plows into me, cursing as he hits his nose on my head.

  I turn around to see his pinching the bridge of nose, his eyes tearing up. “Bloody hell, why did you stop?” His voice is gruff as it boils with anger.

  “You are the one who hit me, do you see me yelling at you? Why weren’t you watching where you were going?” I retort, my voice full of sass.

  “Alexa, forgive me. I didn’t mean to raise my voice. I was scanning the forest when I hit you,” Beck replies.

  “I am grateful that you are doing your job, but please don’t yell at me because you weren’t paying attention.” I scowl him.

  Grey walks back to where I am standing, concern filling his eyes. “Alexa, why the pause? Are you all right?”

  “Yes, I have not been in this village since I was a little girl. That is not a tale I wish to dredge up right now. Let us walk quickly through this town, my home is just on the other side of the forest. I would like to see my family before dark.”

  Stepping around Grey, my pace is faster than in the forest, with no obstacles to dodge. Grey and Beck almost have to sprint to get caught up.

  The forest comes into sight, and my breathing lightens, until I spot it off to my left. Tears filling my vision, I fall to my knees as they start to spill. My childhood home still stands in ruins. It is a heap of burnt timbers, with a roof that has collapsed. I hate myself for looking weak in front of my escorts, but this is the first time I have seen my old home since the night I ran, and my emotions are high. I want to dig into the rubble, to see if my parents' remains were left as well, but I think better of it, not sure if it is something I truly wish to know. I am already upset just looking at this pile of timber and ashes, my heart couldn’t take it if I found that they were still in there.

  Lies untold

  Alexa

  A hand squeezes my shoulder, awakening me from my breakdown. I wipe the snot and tears away from my face as gracefully as I can.

  Ignoring my guards, I climb to my feet and turn and walk away from the burnt wreckage that was my childhood home. I knew I would face this truth some day, but I never thought that it would break me the way it did. Or that I would be so overcome with emotion.

  A glance over my shoulder reveals Grey a
nd Beck are walking silently behind me, both of their faces wearing puzzled expressions. Shrugging it off, I carefully trek closer to the place I’ve called home for the past fifteen years.

  With each step I take, flashes of the night I ran for my life all those years ago fill my head. The men chasing me, Merina helping me to the village safely, and meeting Madeline. She hid me from the guards and took me to a home where I was safe.

  Beck walks up beside me. “Lost in your own head, Alexa?”

  I sigh. “Yes, that village and even this forest hold a lot of memories of my past. A night I have not reflected on in years. Some things I have to work through I have put off; emotions are not my strong suit.”

  His ornery smile tugs at his lips as he speaks. “I have ears if you need someone to listen.”

  I return the smile, but only a little. “Thanks.”

  Grey approaches on my other side. “Let us quicken our pace, the sun is starting to set. I do not want to be in this forest after sunset. Unless either of you can see in the dark.”

  “Not I,” I reply, as I walk faster.

  Grey takes the lead, and Beck trails behind us. My eyes trail down Grey’s body, mesmerized, from his broad shoulders to his firm behind. We are in the heart of the forest when a snap of a twig to the left of us sets all of us on edge. I raise my sword, preparing for a fight, when I hear a giggle.

  “Merina, stop hiding and join us,” I call to my adopted sister.

  She materializes right next to me. “Oh, sister. You spoil all my fun.”

  I turn to see Beck closing in on us, his sword drawn.

  “No need, Beck, this fiery redhead is my sister, Merina,” I explain.

  “Witch,” he whispers.

  “Oh handsome, you have no idea,” she replies with a wink.

  Merina turns back to me. “Where did you get these lovely knights from? Royal ones no less. Handsome even.”

  I roll my eyes and level her with a narrow-eyed look. “Sister, that is a story for when we arrive home. Are you strong enough to fade us to the house?”