As You Wish
Chapter Twelve
Hell hath no furry like a woman scorned.
The cell in which she had been placed was small. So small that sitting up straight was an impossible task and she found herself having to slump over as much as she could to keep the top of her head from scrapping against the stone roof.
The length of the cold confines was long enough to allow her body to stretch out in its fullness to rest and the width wide enough to stretch out her arms, but the stone walls and floor gave her no comfort and the only vision through the metal bars was that of black darkness.
Alise was not far, just next to her Yvette had assumed from the sounds of the woman's crying, and though Yvette had tried to speak with her to cease her tears, the woman refused to talk and her urge to cry her own self grew stronger.
The fingers on her hand were twisted and black and blue with swelling from the break Jon had given to them, but the pain from that was subsiding, being replaced by an ache from the crouching she was having to do in her prison.
Jon had brought the two of them to a castle that seemed in appearance to be deserted, until a man, dressed in monks clothing, greeted them just outside the castle gates, and after a few moments of whispered words Jon continued on to a small door that seemed to lead into a hillside.
Two other men, their appearance haggard and dirty, joined Jon as he came to a final stop and roughly pulled the two girls from the back of the wagon practically dragging the two of them through the wooden door and into a cold damp room lit only by a candle sticking from the stone wall.
A narrow passageway slopped down into the ground where their journey continued on till a large opening appeared and Yvette and Alise were shoved their few last feet to the center of the room. The horrid smell of death filled Yvette's nose and she strained against the ropes that binded her, needing so badly to cover her nose and mouth as she felt the bile inching its way up her throat. No words had been exchanged amongst the group, and both Yvette and Alise were untied and thrown into the cells that awaited them, locked behind the bars where they sat, left alone to wonder of their fate.
"To whom do the men belong?"
Yvette was startled at first by the soft spoken voice, and moved closer to the bars, straining through the darkness to see anything she possibly could.
"The man who took us, Jon, he is but part of the Larks. The others are not known. You are the Princess I assume?"
"Yes." came yet again the soft voice, and Yvette could hear her tears as she began to speak again.
"I can assume why they have taken me, but why you? Whom exactly are you?"
Yvette sighed, resting her forehead against the cold metal bars, and fought back her tears as she could only guess an answer.
"Our likeness is remarkable I am sure you have taken notice. I can only guess that I was mistaken for you and that is why the Larks captured me. Their mistake was quickly noted, and I have been drug on their journey to capture you. My name is Yvette."
The moments of silence was enough to shatter Yvette's ears, and she swallowed, trying to relieve the dryness of her mouth as a tear streaked down her cheek to her chin where it dropped, splattering on the concrete floor below her.
"What title do you hold Yvette?"
She smiled, feeling a slight comfort from the voice that spoke to her, and wiped away another tear before it could escape her eyes.
"A mere commoner." She laughed. "I hold no title but that of a commoner, and yet I have been mistaken for a jewel."
The soft laugh that filled her ears quickly turned to hitched breaths of tears, and Yvette wanted so badly to be able to reach out a comfort the young girl who could not have been no more but one year older from her own age.
"You must stop your crying dear Princess. We cannot show our weakness and I promise to you that I will do everything in my power to get us out of here."
"The Prince will come for us surely." Alise sniffed, attempting to dry her eyes and focus on the surroundings beyond her metal bars. "My father will help this country greatly. Once he knows of my kidnapping he will have your King send the Knights for us."
Yvette leaned back against the stone wall puling her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms tightly around them resting her cheek against her knee. The Larks had left no man alive, she was sure, and if the King of France had been traveling with his daughter then he was sure to have been killed in the slaying as well, and Yvette feared this knowledge was unknown to the Princess. She only hoped the Princess was right and that for once the sorry man they referred to as the King would help out to find them.
The sun was begining to rise just above the tips of the mountain tops filling the sky with brilliant hues as the world around them began to break, and Joshua closed his eyes taking in a deep breath of the fresh spring morning surrounding him. He longed to be able to wake in the mornings and ride Gulliver, his faithful horse through all his journeys, through the fields and meadows, enjoying the peace that everyone else in their countryside was allowed to enjoy, while the sun shone down upon him symbolising beautiful days. Those longings however would never be gained as long as the Larks walked the earth making his life a living hell.
His eyes traveled from the rising of the sun and journeyed over to the man whom sat across from him with hands tied and Justin standing over him ready to plunge his sword into any body part that dared to move. They had traveled only a short distance from Camelot when they stumbled upon a strayed Lark and within seconds Lance had captured the man leaving an ugly slash across his chest as a warning to not try to escape.
Joshua had been impressed over how Lance had moved with his sword, proving Justin true with his words, however he couldn't hide his laughter from the shock and jealousy upon Justins face as they had watched Lance in action, and Justin became angry, quickly taking over the scene before them.
Exhaustion was begining to rear in him as he pushed himself to his feet, stretching his tired muscles, and picked up his sword sliding it back into its leather holder on his side as he moved to stand in front of the Lark looking down upon him with disgust.
"You and your men are brave to have set up camp just outside the palace gates. Why have you taken my people?"
The man answered with a spit upon Joshuas face, and grinned a toothless grin as Joshua used the back of his hand to wipe away the foul saliva. Lance, who had been sitting on the ground using the tree for support watching the filthy man since the moment Joshua had ordered them to stop to allow their horses water, quickly jumped to his feet, swiftly moving the sword over his shoulder from where it rested strapped to his back, and placed the tip to the throat of the sneering man.
"Tell us to where they have taken them and tell it to us now, or you will be returned to your people in little pieces one at a time in small bags."
His voice was low and stern and even Justin couldn't help but tremble as the new Knight made his threats to the man. Sensing the man was about to answer him much the way he had Joshua, Lance swiftly moved the tip of the sword to the mans face slowly dragging the it along the mans cheek leaving behind a trail of deep red blood, and moved the sword to point at the mans chest as he squatted down in front of him making him eye level with the Lark.
"You WILL take us to the two ladies whom you've captured, without harm and in a quick manner. If but one hair has been harmed upon either ladies then you and your men will suffer long slow deaths."
A grin tugged at Joshuas lips as the confidence the Lark held slipped away and in its place fear rose as the man slowly nodded his head watching Lance rise to his feet.
"Knights, gather your things, our new friend has agreed to lead us on our journey."
Lance announced, turning away to gather his horse as Justin nudged the man to his feet helping him upon his horse, and jumping up behind him turning to Joshua as he settled, dropping his voice so that only the two of them could hear his words.
"You allow the new one to lead now, but once we reach the Larks I shall not follow his barked orders."
With a chuckle Joshua watched as Justin rode away taking the lead of the line and shook his head giving his horse a kick of his feels to get him started.
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