The Enchanter of Rangel: Child of War Book 1 (22 page)

             
“Up” was all Xander said as Aubrey started to climb down.

             
“Your Highness we have found you, our orders were to take you back to the palace as soon as possible” Max said.

             
“My people are out there dying, we need to regroup, gain more men and go back at the Inglish” Princess Aubrey said.

             
“Your Highness, the Inglish fled the field once you were whisked away. If you don’t mind me saying so, they were just testing our defenses. Once they saw you there, they went for broke and fled when you were able to escape. I do believe some circumvented us and went after you, how many groups out there we don’t know.” Liano said.

             
“I still have a stop I need to make towards the border by Thorn” Princess Aubrey said.

             
“Well that leaves us at odds Your Highness, I respect your authority but the Queen is technically in charge of our orders. Sure she gave you Max and Liano as personal guards but they still work for her. If we disobey that’ll be us flogged if we’re lucky, not so lucky means a trip to the arena, this time fighting whoever she gets to replace us. You are going back to the palace Your Highness, we hope you would show us mercy, because we are sure your mother would not” said Frowley kneeling.

             
“Then let us rest, you have likely been traveling all night and are tired. It would be nice to rest in my carriage instead of the treetops. I am tired, we leave at first light” Princess Aubrey said as she went into her carriage.

             
“Well you have seen her bootlicker, we no longer leave your help. Why don’t you flee back to your mommy” Frowley  said as he turned towards Patrick.

             
“I’m scared of any of you in your fancy armor. I could snap you all like twigs, Xander it’s too bad you had to end up with this lot. Have you spoken to them about any of our conversations we had when you were going to join a real guard, instead of these kids” Patrick said as he stood upright and broadened his chest, towering above Frowley and every other man.

             
“It was said to me in confidence Patrick, and you did not treat me ill when I was a slave. Our conversations stayed private as well as everything else I was privied to” said Xander.

             
“And what conversations would that be boy” said Max as he faced Xander.

             
“Conversations that will remain private” said Xander as he looked the taller man in the eye.

             
“Enough of this, what was said or wasn’t said doesn’t matter. Her royal Highness is safe, and this one needs to leave” said Frowley.

             
“I plan on accompanying the princess to the capital, and when I live there I will remember each and every one of you” Said Patrick smiling.

             
“And why would the Queen allow the witches bastard spawn into the Palace huh?” said Frowley as the other guards began laughing.

             
“Patrick has done nothing to any of you, why are you so nasty” asked Xander.

             
“This bastard killed our Captain, a good man with less than a month remaining on his commitment” said Max.

             
“Well your Captain would have killed him, they were in the arena. And how many people have been killed in the arena undeservingly because of any of you? Patrick did what you would have in his position” Xander said looking around at the rest of the palace guards.

             
“Whose side are you on boy?” asked Liano.

             
“If you mean to scare me Liano it is not working. The only side I am on is that of the Princess. If you need to have words with me we can meet in the arena” Xander said as he drew his sword.

             
“Let me remind you kids that there may be dangerous men prowling the country side” said Frowley before facing Patrick. “I don’t like this one right here, not even a little bit, but he did take down a bunch of them Inglish bastards and sent the lot of them running to their daddies trying to escape. We probably would have killed Stone too iffn we were Patrick. I don’t where he got delusions of living in the palace at, but let’s take what we can get and cut him loose when we reach the palace. It’s better than arguing in the dark when we could be sleeping.”

             
“It hasn’t happened yet, but my actions killing the bandits during the attack, along with my stand during the Inglish attack, it’s just a matter of time before she asks for my hand” Patrick said smugly.

             
“Well then it looks like you and your lover there may be at odds then bootlicker’ said Liano pointing at Xander. “It’s hard to tell now, but that pretty pink armor he has on means she has already asked for his hand. You weren’t the only hero of the bandit attack, he was there too and personally rescued her. We were on our way to his mum to ask her permission before we took a detour.”

             
Patrick glared at Xander and said nothing for a few moments. Once he gathered his wits then he began to speak “Well then the best man won” said Patrick as he placed his helm on his head. “You men seem to be capable enough to assist the princess. I am heading back to ensure my mother is okay.” Patrick then walked out of the clearing without turning around.

             
“Now that’s all sorted out, Xander can you set up some of those blasted light things and let us get some sleep” said Frowley.

Chapter

             
Xander was driving the carriage for not even an hour before his stomach started growling. He had took off with no food when he whisked Aubrey away and now started feeling hunger pangs, he imagined it had to be worse for the Princess. Xander stepped out of his daydream when Frowley rode up beside the carriage.

             
“Damn boy, it sure would have been nice if we stocked up before we went tearing off after your ass.”

             
“I am hungry too, if only there was something to hunt” said Xander as stared lazily ahead.

             
“Hell it wouldn’t matter, we don’t have any arrows or even a cross bow. We all left our shields back at the outpost, maybe they could use them to make a quick fix on that wall. We cant even take out big game without em, they all have horns.”

             
Just then a huge stag crossed the road. It looked at the oncoming men and continued to cross.

             
“You see that, that thing either didn’t see us, or didn’t see us as a threat” Frowley said as Xander stopped the carriage.

             
“What are you doing lad, there is no way you could catch up to that thing and if you did then what?” Frowley said as Xander took off after the stag.

             
“Why have we stopped?” Princess Aubrey asked as she peeked out of the window.

             
“Your betrothed took off after breakfast Your Highness, a thirty point stag if I ever saw one” said Frowley.

             
“And you let him go alone” the Princesses Question hung in the air.

             
“I was just sending some boys after him” Frowley said as he signaled to some other guards to find Xander.

             
The guards had just got off their horse when Xander came back unto the road holding one of the animal’s hind legs. “The rest of him is up a bit if you are hungry, I’m pre paring some of this for the princess.

             
Xander figured everyone must have been hungry as they took off after the remains. Silently blessing the Gods he had his misused but durable dagger with him, Xander skinned the piece and had thin strips of meat cooking over an open fire before the rest of the men came back with anything. Xander figured the meat would last long after they reached the capital and planned to donate the unused portion to a men’s feeding cafeteria. After breakfast the party ventured on.

             
The rest of the trip was uneventful, as the group eventually reached the capital without incident.

Chapter

              “What rubbish, I heard you were some type of hero but do you really expect me to believe you did all that?” said Durgard laughing. “The rest of these blokes may buy it but I don’t not for a second. Most Hero stories are full of it, told with a lot of hogwash to make a good story!”

             
“Tis no story” said one of the Palace Guards. “I was at that outpost when the attack came, Patrick killed off a lot of them sure, so did the rest of the Palace Guards. But it was a man in pink armor that came through the crowd, cutting men down like wheat before the scythe. I can’t say it was this man, but I trust what I seen with me own two eyes. It is because of him I wanted to be a Palace Guardsman.”

             
“He speaks true” said the witch reluctantly. “I was there when a man in pink charged in and slaughtered a lot of them. It matters not about his past, only his future when Patrick gets ahold of him.”

             
“You mean to tell me Guard, that this man has personally killed all of those attributed to him, and he is the savior of Valley and the Butcher of Riley? That this man is in fact, Death’s Hand?” said Durgard suddenly looking sick.

             
“All I can tell you is what I have saw, and what I have heard from those who rode with him” was the Guard’s reply.

             
“Maybe there is some truth to your story lad, and I’ll admit it is good even if you are spinning us a tale. But you still haven’t told us about how you became the Butcher of Riley?”

             
“Well Mr. Durgard, I accepted my fate and just knew my life was pretty good. Aubrey seemed to like if not love me and a wedding date was set. I sent a letter right away to my mother when I reached the capital and was ensured it would get there swiftly. The wedding was a week away when I inadvertently heard that Riley was under attack and had been under siege for almost a week. The horrid part about it all is that not only did the Queen know, but Aubrey did too and decided not to tell me. When I spoke to her of it, things got heated pretty quickly.”

CHAPTER

             
“So you sent a letter asking my mother to come to the capital, have you heard any word from her?” Xander asked Aubrey as they were enjoying tea in his quarters.

             
“Nothing yet my love, if she doesn’t make it to the wedding that’ll be a shame but I’m sure she will be there in spirit” said Aubrey as she sipped her tea.

             
“Could it be she has not responded because she is getting ready to die at the hands of Thornians why you lie to me?” Xander asked as he slammed his cup on the table.

             
“Where did you hear this information from?” said Aubrey startled.

             
“It doesn’t matter, you knew and said nothing. Yet you claim to love me. You only care about having an enchanter nothing more” said Xander as he stood up and gave her his back.

             
“Troops have already been dispatched to deal with any incursions by the Thornians, twice as much as needed to for the protection of our borders.” Said Aubrey as she calmed herself.

             
“That is my mother in there, I should be there alongside her” said Xander raising her voice.

             
“You are to be my husband, it isn’t proper to go off running to battle everytime you hear of it. We have a standing army for that, let them do their job. I did not tell you because I didn’t want you to worry, rest assured the situation is being dealt with.”

             
“The situation? That is my mother down there, not some situation. I am leaving right now to be by her side.”

             
“You will do no such thing. Our wedding is a week away and it will take you at least a week by horseback and that’s if you take a fresh horse every couple of hours and don’t bother sleeping. You will stay here and play your role, this is not a request.”

             
“So that’s how it is eh Princess Aubrey her Royal Highness? Sit here and be your lapdog while my mother gets ran through by some Thornians blade?”

             
“I told you it is being taken care of, your pouting does nothing to help the situation. If you want to look at it that way then do it. I don’t have to explain anything to you, stay in a man’s place and leave the ruling to me.”

             
“I’ll never forgive you if something happens to her, never!”

             
“If something happens to her then it would not be my fault. I sent troops as soon as I heard and you might notice Liano or Max haven’t been around. Sit here and pity yourself if you want too.”

             
“I will never marry you! Call off this sham of a wedding to avoid embarrassment, you can’t keep me locked up.”