Post by Kahlan on Apr 28, 2010 9:39:01 GMT -5
Rachel walked into the room and found Kahlan, against the window, looking outside. Seeing her mistress like this made her smile.
"It's a beautiful day, as you like them, mistress. I guess I should prepare your stuff for a hunt!"
Kahlan looked at her most devoted servant and smiled back to her.
"You know me well, Rachel."
Kahlan loved hunting. She enjoyed every sunny day in Galea to do her favorite activity. Some people thought that this passion was anormal coming from a princess, but she didn't care. On the contrary, thanks to it, she was able to be like a normal person.
She dressed up with her favorite clothes, red corset, black pants and black boots where she could put her precious daggers. Her father, King Tobias, offered them to her when she turned 18 and she never left them since that day.
Once ready, she said to Rachel.
"I'll ask my father if he wants to come with me."
"And...I'll make sure you'll have something to eat in your bag, in case you don't come back before the end of the day." Added her servant.
"Thank you Rachel."
"Have a wonderful day, my lady."
Kahlan smiled to Rachel and went to the great hall.
She found her father in a meeting with his counsil. King Tobias looked up and saw her daughter. He made a quick excuse, came closer to Kahlan, took her hands and said.
"Nice day for a hunt, my dear?"
"Yes. And I wish you could come with me but..." She glanced at the counsilors and added. "You seem already busy."
"I'm sorry Kal. This is an important meeting and it may take all day. I'll come with you next time, okay?"
"You already said that the last time."
"Honey..."
"I know father." She said before Tobias could add something.
"You're the King and you have a lot of responsabilities. I understand, don't worry. I'm just sad to see that they doesn't seem to want to give you some free time."
King Tobias smiled and kissed Kahlan's forehead.
"I love you, darling."
"I love you too father."
"Take some guards with you and be careful. You'll tell me everything at the dinner."
Kahlan smiled to her father and left the great hall.
She found four guards to come with her, went to the stables to get horses and she left the castle toward the forest.
....................................
When she came home at the end of the afternoon, she found the castle quite calm. Even the guards who hadve followed her all the day found it to be anormal. There was always someone here and about, a servant, a guard, or people of the court. But right now, it was silent.
Suddenly worried, Kahlan walked fastly toward her father’s room. The door was half-open. She pushed it to look inside.
“Father?” She said slowly.
Then she saw him, lying on the floor, a sword planted in his heart.
“Oh my god.”
She ran toward King Tobias, knelt down and put her father’s head on her knees.
“Father! No!” She said, starting to cry. She didn’t understand anything. Who in this world would like to kill him, an honest and very kind man. Kahlan continued crying and repeating “No, no” when suddenly someone put his hand on her shoulder. She abruptly turned her head, grabbing a dagger. Rachel quickly withdrew her hand from her mistress, but Kahlan lowered her weapon when she recognized her servant.
"Rachel" She murmured between two sobs.
"Lady Kahlan, you have to leave now! They're coming for you!" Rachel implored.
"Who? Who did this to my father? Answer me!"
"It's Marek, mistress. He took all over the castle after he killed your father, the King. He said he wanted to see you dead when you'll be back. Please mistress, you have to leave before they find you."
Marek. Kahlan never thought she would hear that name again. The last time she saw the ex chief cousilor of the King was the day he asked King Tobias to become Kahlan's husband. Marek was so furious to see that both Tobias and Kahlan refused, that he left the castle. She never liked this man. Being the chief cousilor was not enough for him, she always knew that. He wanted to be King. And as his proposition has been rejected, he had decided to take the power...by force.
Kahlan heard her servant insist.
"Mistress please, you have to go!"
"Where?"
"There's a boat leaving Galea soon. You must take it."
"No! I can't leave my people to that tyrant."
"Marek will kill you, mistress. You won't help your people if you're dead."
Kahlan knew that Rachel was right. She held her father strongly in her arms for the last time, kissed his forehead and rose up. Rachel put a mantle on her shoulder and showed the way.
"Quick, mistress. This way."
The servant leaved the room and started to run, but she was suddenly stopped by an arrow that landed directly in her heart. Frightened, Kahlan watched , with her eyes wide open, Rachel fall as the guards appeared in front of her. The guard who just killed Kahlan's servant screamed.
"It's her! Size her!"
Kahlan ran in the opposite direction where the guards were coming from. She was trying to sow them, when other guards appeared in front of her. She took another corridor jut before they could reach her. Here, she moved a part of the wall to get into a secret room. The wall closed itself at the same moment the guards arrived. They passed the corridor without noticing anything. Kahlan took her breath. That secret room just saved her life. She discovered it when she was younger. Here, she could sometimes listen to the meeting her father was having with his cousil in the great hall.
She opened a little window to see what was going on in the great hall. She was not surprised to find Marek, perambulating, a hand on his chin. A guard came before him and bowed.
"Princess Kahlan is in the castle, Sir. My guards are looking for her right now."
Marek stopped walking and looked at him.
"Good. Make sure that princess Kahlan quickly joins her dear father. After that, there will be no more spines in my foot."
"Yes, Sir."
The guard bowed again and left the great hall. Marek got closer to the royal throne and sat down slowly. He stroked the armrests and smiled, savoring his victory.
Kahlan closed the little window, made sure that no one was in the corridor, and ran toward the stables. There, she found one of the guards who had followed her in the forest. She didn't know if she could trust him, but her fear fainted when he handed the reins of a horse.
"Run, princess."
At this moment, other men appeared in the stables. The loyal guard took his sword and ran toward them, screaming. Kalhan jumped in the horse and left the stables. A guard tried to stop her but she she gave him a violent kick .
As she left the castle, a guard went into the great hall, running.
"Sir, the princess escaped the castle."
Marek, slowly got up and came closer to the guard.
"She...escaped?"
"Yes Sir, she took a horse."
"Well, this are not the news I was waiting for..."
He stabbed the guard, and turned around to face another one.
"Take your men and find that bitch. I don't want to see you back without her head, or you'll suffer the same fate than the King. Am I enough clear?
"Yes, Sir."
"Then bring her back to me...NOW!"
The guard bowed and left the great hall, leaving Marek alone.
Kahlan arrived at the port, a hood hiding her face. She went on the boat and asked a sailor.
"Where is this boat going?"
"To Basra, M'dam."
"Thank you."
She already heard about Basra, but not a lot. But she didn't have a choice. She paid the sailor and went to the cabins. When Marek's men arrived near the boat, one of them saw Kahlan disappearing from the deck. He moved to catch her, but another man stopped him.
"No. There's too many witnesses. Marek doesn't want to make all this public for now. Fortunately, Basra has a beautiful forest where we could do our job properly."
He smiled and he and the nine other guards went on the boat.
Kahlan found a place, away from the crowd. She sat down and took one of her dagger. She put it against her forehead, closed her eyes, and she left herself being carried away by her childhood memories.
A few moments later, the boat slowly left the of Galea, leading his passengers to Basra.
The journey only begins for Kahlan, Princess of Galea.
"It's a beautiful day, as you like them, mistress. I guess I should prepare your stuff for a hunt!"
Kahlan looked at her most devoted servant and smiled back to her.
"You know me well, Rachel."
Kahlan loved hunting. She enjoyed every sunny day in Galea to do her favorite activity. Some people thought that this passion was anormal coming from a princess, but she didn't care. On the contrary, thanks to it, she was able to be like a normal person.
She dressed up with her favorite clothes, red corset, black pants and black boots where she could put her precious daggers. Her father, King Tobias, offered them to her when she turned 18 and she never left them since that day.
Once ready, she said to Rachel.
"I'll ask my father if he wants to come with me."
"And...I'll make sure you'll have something to eat in your bag, in case you don't come back before the end of the day." Added her servant.
"Thank you Rachel."
"Have a wonderful day, my lady."
Kahlan smiled to Rachel and went to the great hall.
She found her father in a meeting with his counsil. King Tobias looked up and saw her daughter. He made a quick excuse, came closer to Kahlan, took her hands and said.
"Nice day for a hunt, my dear?"
"Yes. And I wish you could come with me but..." She glanced at the counsilors and added. "You seem already busy."
"I'm sorry Kal. This is an important meeting and it may take all day. I'll come with you next time, okay?"
"You already said that the last time."
"Honey..."
"I know father." She said before Tobias could add something.
"You're the King and you have a lot of responsabilities. I understand, don't worry. I'm just sad to see that they doesn't seem to want to give you some free time."
King Tobias smiled and kissed Kahlan's forehead.
"I love you, darling."
"I love you too father."
"Take some guards with you and be careful. You'll tell me everything at the dinner."
Kahlan smiled to her father and left the great hall.
She found four guards to come with her, went to the stables to get horses and she left the castle toward the forest.
....................................
When she came home at the end of the afternoon, she found the castle quite calm. Even the guards who hadve followed her all the day found it to be anormal. There was always someone here and about, a servant, a guard, or people of the court. But right now, it was silent.
Suddenly worried, Kahlan walked fastly toward her father’s room. The door was half-open. She pushed it to look inside.
“Father?” She said slowly.
Then she saw him, lying on the floor, a sword planted in his heart.
“Oh my god.”
She ran toward King Tobias, knelt down and put her father’s head on her knees.
“Father! No!” She said, starting to cry. She didn’t understand anything. Who in this world would like to kill him, an honest and very kind man. Kahlan continued crying and repeating “No, no” when suddenly someone put his hand on her shoulder. She abruptly turned her head, grabbing a dagger. Rachel quickly withdrew her hand from her mistress, but Kahlan lowered her weapon when she recognized her servant.
"Rachel" She murmured between two sobs.
"Lady Kahlan, you have to leave now! They're coming for you!" Rachel implored.
"Who? Who did this to my father? Answer me!"
"It's Marek, mistress. He took all over the castle after he killed your father, the King. He said he wanted to see you dead when you'll be back. Please mistress, you have to leave before they find you."
Marek. Kahlan never thought she would hear that name again. The last time she saw the ex chief cousilor of the King was the day he asked King Tobias to become Kahlan's husband. Marek was so furious to see that both Tobias and Kahlan refused, that he left the castle. She never liked this man. Being the chief cousilor was not enough for him, she always knew that. He wanted to be King. And as his proposition has been rejected, he had decided to take the power...by force.
Kahlan heard her servant insist.
"Mistress please, you have to go!"
"Where?"
"There's a boat leaving Galea soon. You must take it."
"No! I can't leave my people to that tyrant."
"Marek will kill you, mistress. You won't help your people if you're dead."
Kahlan knew that Rachel was right. She held her father strongly in her arms for the last time, kissed his forehead and rose up. Rachel put a mantle on her shoulder and showed the way.
"Quick, mistress. This way."
The servant leaved the room and started to run, but she was suddenly stopped by an arrow that landed directly in her heart. Frightened, Kahlan watched , with her eyes wide open, Rachel fall as the guards appeared in front of her. The guard who just killed Kahlan's servant screamed.
"It's her! Size her!"
Kahlan ran in the opposite direction where the guards were coming from. She was trying to sow them, when other guards appeared in front of her. She took another corridor jut before they could reach her. Here, she moved a part of the wall to get into a secret room. The wall closed itself at the same moment the guards arrived. They passed the corridor without noticing anything. Kahlan took her breath. That secret room just saved her life. She discovered it when she was younger. Here, she could sometimes listen to the meeting her father was having with his cousil in the great hall.
She opened a little window to see what was going on in the great hall. She was not surprised to find Marek, perambulating, a hand on his chin. A guard came before him and bowed.
"Princess Kahlan is in the castle, Sir. My guards are looking for her right now."
Marek stopped walking and looked at him.
"Good. Make sure that princess Kahlan quickly joins her dear father. After that, there will be no more spines in my foot."
"Yes, Sir."
The guard bowed again and left the great hall. Marek got closer to the royal throne and sat down slowly. He stroked the armrests and smiled, savoring his victory.
Kahlan closed the little window, made sure that no one was in the corridor, and ran toward the stables. There, she found one of the guards who had followed her in the forest. She didn't know if she could trust him, but her fear fainted when he handed the reins of a horse.
"Run, princess."
At this moment, other men appeared in the stables. The loyal guard took his sword and ran toward them, screaming. Kalhan jumped in the horse and left the stables. A guard tried to stop her but she she gave him a violent kick .
As she left the castle, a guard went into the great hall, running.
"Sir, the princess escaped the castle."
Marek, slowly got up and came closer to the guard.
"She...escaped?"
"Yes Sir, she took a horse."
"Well, this are not the news I was waiting for..."
He stabbed the guard, and turned around to face another one.
"Take your men and find that bitch. I don't want to see you back without her head, or you'll suffer the same fate than the King. Am I enough clear?
"Yes, Sir."
"Then bring her back to me...NOW!"
The guard bowed and left the great hall, leaving Marek alone.
Kahlan arrived at the port, a hood hiding her face. She went on the boat and asked a sailor.
"Where is this boat going?"
"To Basra, M'dam."
"Thank you."
She already heard about Basra, but not a lot. But she didn't have a choice. She paid the sailor and went to the cabins. When Marek's men arrived near the boat, one of them saw Kahlan disappearing from the deck. He moved to catch her, but another man stopped him.
"No. There's too many witnesses. Marek doesn't want to make all this public for now. Fortunately, Basra has a beautiful forest where we could do our job properly."
He smiled and he and the nine other guards went on the boat.
Kahlan found a place, away from the crowd. She sat down and took one of her dagger. She put it against her forehead, closed her eyes, and she left herself being carried away by her childhood memories.
A few moments later, the boat slowly left the of Galea, leading his passengers to Basra.
The journey only begins for Kahlan, Princess of Galea.
