I couldn’t sleep. I guess I’ll go for a walk and clear my head, I thought. I sat up and looked over to see Andy sleeping soundly. I got up and peeked in to see how Libby and Lana were doing. Libby was still unconscious and Lana was snoring. For some reason, the thought that Lana snored made me snicker.

The spot I wanted to walk to was, like everything around here, closer than I thought. I really was little when I left. When I came through the trees, I was overcome with a sense of nostalgia and comfort. It was a cliff that overlooked a large forest with a river running through it that you could hear from where I stood. Under the moonlight, it really was beautiful. I sat there for a while, staring out into the distance.

Suddenly, I heard a twig snap and panicked because I neglected to bring my bow or a knife. I jumped and turned around. “Luke?”

I ran over to her and embraced her. “Jesus, Lib, I was worried. You were unconscious for days.”

“Why are you here? Where am I?” she asked. She was obviously shocked, but it looked like she was at the very least glad to be there.

“I’ll explain it all. Here, come sit with me.” I motioned to where I was sitting by the edge of the cliff. We sat down and started unloading all the details of what happened and what our memories were from before.

Libby was the princess of Amoria, and her father was the King, who wasn’t much of a father and was too much of a King. She was treated as a princess all her life, for she always had maids swarming her and attended many balls and gatherings. She only attended one ball while she was… present… and it was exhausting for her.

“Well, we better get back and get some sleep. I think now I’ll finally be able to get some sleep.” I helped her up and started to walk back.

“Wait, Luke, about what you said… before we came here… I-” A load crash and screaming cut her off and we rushed back to the cottage.

“Let go of me!” I heard Lana yell. We burst through the treeline to see Lana fending off against armored knights while they struggled to keep her under control. She already knocked one out, if he wasn’t dead. Andy was hanging limp in the hands of another knight. The cottage was ransacked. I knew we needed to not be seen, but it was too late.

Lana saw us and screamed, “Run! Luke, run!”

I knew there was no point in running. I could see the knights getting in their little hostage formation.

A tall, thin, sleazy looking guy with a handlebar mustache walked out from behind a couple of the knights. He was wearing something fancy, but I couldn’t care less.

“Who are you?” I yelled. I was furious, but without my bow, which I saw on the porch broken in half, I couldn’t put up a fight.

“We are the royal guard,” the man answered, “and if you don’t hand over the princess, your friends here will meet an unfortunate accident.” I looked over Lana, who was just overpowered and put in an armlock from behind. Swords were drawn and put on the necks of Andy and Lana.

I’d already lost, but I was determined to find a way. The guards were likely trained rigorously and were of high skill. After all, they are assigned to protect the royal family. What can somebody like me do to people like them? Especially when I have to do it in a split second, or else Andy and Lana will die.

I had no other choice. “I’ll accept your conditions, but release them first. Me and the princess will halve the distance between us and you will release those two. Deal?”

“Wait, Luke, they’ll kill you. You’ll be hung on a stage for entertainment,” Libby whispered to me.

“Don’t worry, they won’t do anything immediately, and I’ll think of something,” I whispered back.

“I accept your proposition,” the man said. I pulled Libby and, like agreed, halved the distance between us.

“Now, you release them,” I commanded. It took all I had to keep from erupting.

The man smirked and said, “Go ahead, release them, all we need is the princess and somebody to take the fall.”

Once they did that, I walked straight into them and was knocked out on the spot.

                                   -------------------------------

Apparently, in the time I was unconscious, my father had made important decisions regarding the kingdom that he must inform me about. This wasn’t anything unusual. He did these things to prepare me to be the Queen and to rule. I knocked on the door to his quarters and announced myself.

“Come in,” said my father.

I opened the door and walked through. A maid followed me in, but my father commanded her rather gravely to leave. She did so, and that left only me and my father in the room. It made me nervous like it never did before. He sat in a velvet chair by the fireplace. If it was night and the fire was lit, it would be the perfect bad guy scene.

“Take a seat.” I sat in the chair opposite him. Though not as lavish, it was quite comfortable.

“Libby, I have come to a decision. I have found somebody fit to rule this kingdom in my stead. You will marry him and become the Queen. However, you will not have authority. Do you understand?” What? My father would never do this! How could he have changed so much in a few short days? And he’s never referred to me as “Libby”. It’s always been “daughter” or “my daughter”. Just what is happening? I thought.

“Yes, I understand, Dad.”

“Good, you may leave now.” That was the last red flag! I’ve never in my life called him “Dad”!

There was something I wanted to try, as well, disregarding his current behavior. “May I ask something of you?”

“What is it?” he replied.

“May I go punish my abductor a little before the public execution? I need to take out my anger.”

“You may do so.”