Edwin Lancaster's Story

"I don't know why you're always so intolerant of me, Geoffrey," Margie sighed, thrumming through the papers that she held. She had been in the pile of papers for hours, her brain slowly beginning to rattle in her head with each ticking moment, and was more than eager to escape the small room that had been assigned as her schooling room.

"It is not that I am intolerant of you, Miss Margaret. I am merely doing as my orders have been given."

She turned a skeptical look at the man before leaning back in her seat, her eyes closed as a heavy sighed heaved from her chest. One hand lifted to rub at the bridge of her nose, a small mutter escaping her lips.

"Would you care to repeat that, Margaret?" came the angry voice of Geoffrey, who had very well heard distinctly what she had said. She popped one eye open and glared slightly at him, scowling.

"I said, that perhaps if you weren't such a cranky old scrooge, you would be more well-liked around the castle," she snapped, rising and pushing her seat back, the confinement of the castle finally getting the better of her. Gone was the meek girl who did as she was told by Geoffrey, and in replacement of her, was a determined young woman, who wanted only to learn more about the outside world - with hand-on experience.

"I will be traveling to the marketplace in order to purchase new books. Try as you might, you cannot stop me from doing so. I will take along two guards, and only two, and there is nothing that you can do about it," she said, straightening her back and fixing a hard look on the rat of a man. "As your princess, I order it," she told him, a slight grin of bravery on her face. With that, she spun around and escaped the room before the sputtering man could even begin to respond.

"I'm going outside of the walls!" she squealed, in a very un-princess-like voice.

It didn't take her long to find the man that was in charge of the royal guards and have two assigned to her. She fibbed a tad on the fact that she had been given 'permission' to go and was immediately assigned two young soldiers, one by the name of Edwin, and other of Jacobvine. She quickly found herself escorted through the halls and into a carriage, where she settled in for her first real journey outside of Rayleigh castle walls. Edwin was seated across from her while Jacobvine drove the carriage, and as soon as they reached the village, she moved over to the window, leaned through, and gaped at the small town. Little children called out hello's while elder people stared at the carriage and it's emblem that of obvious royalty - their royalty, in fact.

(Sorry it's short and choppy. I wrote it at like 2 am and just needed to get it up x_x)

Needless to say, when Margaret was distracted by something, she was distracted by it, and would often block out anything or anyone that attempted to break her concentration on whatever it was that held her attention. That moment was no different, but instead of her falling deeply within one of her quiet books, she was mesmerized by the beauty of the village - which was often something that wasn't seen of such a plain-looking place. However, if one were to look deeply enough into the seeming plainness of the village, they would find the inner beauty that it held.

She was nearly bouncing in her seat from the pure exhilaration of her adventure outside of the castle walls.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?"

Margaret jumped in her seat, a soft, unladylike squeak of surprise escaping her, and her head snapped to the side, her eyes darting to the young man that sat across from her. Edwin, she remembered, was his name. A handsome name for a dashing young man, who obviously knew what inner beauty was, and did not go off of the immediate appearance of something in order to make his judgement upon said object, person, or the like.

His voice was a tremble when he spoke, and for a moment, confusion clouded her reply. When the thought of him being nervous hit her, she couldn't contain the soft laugh that escaped her. Perhaps he was unused to being in such close vicinity with a royal? With a smile, she nodded at him, folding her hands together in her lap in an attempt to regain the appearance of a regal young woman. "Quite so," she said softly, lowering her head ever-so-slightly, raising her gaze to look through her lashes at him.

"Something about these little villages are so captivating, almost more so than any palace. Palaces are large and elegant but full of somber people...villages have a different vibe. They're so much more lively, despite how dingy they may look."

Giving herself a few moments to think of how she could word her reply, she studied the young man that sat before. He was obviously somewhere around her own sixteen seasons, although undoubtedly older, and strikingly handsome. When mixing an inexperienced girl such as herself with a striking young man as he was, who knew what could happen? The blush that tinged his cheek was adorable and reminded her of a puppy. He was undoubtedly regretting placing his helmet beside him on the seat instead of wearing it, for the blush was quite obvious, the reason for which beyond her understanding.

"Surprisingly, I agree with that statement. The villages have more of a 'home' feeling to them. Instead of solitude and money, you are surrounded by people who care immensely for one another, and would do anything to help each other. Like the old man right there," she said, indicating an elderly man of around eighty or so, struggling with the two buckets of water he carried. "Instead of watching him in pain and have a problems with carrying the waters, that young boy," she indicated a boy of about fourteen, "Is already approaching him to offer to help. If it weren't for my status, I would have done so myself, but it only would have backfired in the end," she sighed, leaning back in her seat. "The villagers are kind, simple people, and even if the Lancaster's were to take hold of the Rayleigh Kingdom, I would have no problem with living as a pauper. It would be difficult, but better than living in the dungeon that I reside in currently," she answered truthfully, looking up to meet his gaze once more, her eyes seeming to search for any type of response to her reply, yet leaning more towards approval from him.

"Have you ever been out of the palace before, my Lady?"

The question gave her pause, and several moments ticked by before she could find the courage to speak. An intense sorrow tinged her voice, her head lowering ever-so-slightly as she spoke, and a heavy sigh escaped her. "That happens to be a bit of a long story, Sir Edwin," she said quietly, her hands tightening together. She was silent a bit longer before she inhaled deeply and released it slowly, her gaze moving up to meet his once more.

"When I was younger, I fell gravely ill. So immensely so that I nearly died. No matter how far my mother and father searched, they could not find a healer who could explain what it was. It was something to do with my lungs ..." Her hand rose to lightly rest between her breasts, and instinct instilled in her from long ago. "Eventually they realized that there were ...Fluids of some sort in them. I would often cough them up, which is where they drew that conclusion."

"When I finally was well again, I began to participate in various activities that my parents wished for me to be trained in. It was one of the days that I was being trained to ride that caused my family to decide that it was unsafe for me to travel out of the castle walls. To cut a long story short, I was thrown from the horse when a group of bandits decided to attack my guards and myself during a morning ride. Only two of the eight guards survived, and I barely managed to leave with my life," she explained. "So in answer to your question ... No, no I have not. But it's quite the beautiful place, is it not?" she asked with a smile, turning back towards the window.

Out of nowhere, Margaret's brows drew together, and with one moment, she was against the wall of the carriage. Their surroundings were extremely unfamiliar. Gone were the bustling streets of villagers, and in replacement were the dirt roads of what could only be country sides.

"Sir Edwin, I think that we may be lost. Perhaps we strayed off path and Jacobvine does not know how to navigate back? Mayhaps we should stop and get our bearings," she murmured. She leaned up and moved her head out the window of the carriage. "Jacobvine, where in the world are we? Surely we are no longer in town ... I would like to return to the village now," she said, uncertainty tinging her voice with every word. When she received no reply, she leaned back into the carriage, fixing a worried gaze on Edwin. "Where in Heaven's name are we heading, Sir Edwin?"

"Oh, Lady Rayleigh, I should have told you before we departed," he said, shaking his head. "Please, do forgive me. I asked Jacobvine to take us out into the countryside a bit and then, perhaps, even the forest? I thought you would enjoy seeing more of the kingdom than just the village. The farms and the woods are quite beautiful this time of year with only a few leaves left. They'll look even more spectacular when a light snow comes down and dusts the ground."

Her eyes were on the guard's, her jaw sharply clenched, and she sat rigidly in her seat. Somewhere, deep within the pit of her stomach, told her that something was not right with the situation. Her skin prickled and goosebumps had risen up it, and there was a tingling sensation in her chest. The air was heavy, and Edwin, who had seemed perfectly lax up until that point, had tightened up ever-so-slightly - it was such a small change that he undoubtedly hadn't even noticed it himself. And yet, Margaret had always had a relatively keen eye for such things, despite her careful upbringing.

And this boy was not speaking the entire truth to her. He was lying.

"I want to return to the castle. I have had enough outing for today," she said stiffly, her chin high and her eyes dark, her fear evident in her gaze, despite her attempt to shield it. When her demand gained no answer, she moved to the window and leaned out just enough to look up Jacobvine.

"Turn around. I wish to return to the castle," she ordered, her fingers tightening around the window sill as the man seemed not to even acknowledge her presence. "Did you not hear me, Jacobvine? I wish to return home immediately." There was still not answer, and she leaned back inside, at this point, the fear that she felt was so intense that she could nearly taste it.

Something was terribly wrong with the situation, and she could sense it. The route that they were taking was, from what she had seen of maps while growing up, not of Rayleigh territory. Instead, it was traveling towards the Lancaster land - the land of the people who wished only to kill her family.

Edwin ... He was new to the royal guard, that she knew. A mere couple of weeks and he had been sent out to protect the princes? It did not add up, and made absolutely no sense. He was young, undoubtedly around eighteen or nineteen years of age, and devilishly handsome. Skillful with a blade, but from what she had overheard, hesitant to use it. Despite his apparent status as only a knight, he held himself regally and spoke with a polished vocabulary, betraying an upbringing of sophistication and a family of money. They were currently heading away from Rayleigh castle and towards the land of the Lancaster's.

It was Edwin.

She never should have insisted on leaving the castle. Her brother would be furious when he realized that she was no longer there - if he even noticed. It was doubtful that he would know that she was gone anytime soon, if ever. It may take days, even a week for him to take note of her absence, and even then, why would he care? She was merely an extra weight on his shoulders. He had his wife and children, so why care about a sister who was nothing but a dead, useless, worthless weight around his neck? He'd be better off with her gone.

She would be better off dead.

Mere moments had ticked by, but in the duration, she had locked gazes with Edwin. They were deeply within the forest, which was dense and dark, ominous in so many ways. One could get lost and devoured by wolves and no one would be the wiser as to where it could have occurred. A person could get lost and never find their way out.

Perhaps the boy who sat across from her planned to dump her in the forest and pray for her demise.

She wouldn't let him have the satisfaction. If she was going to die, she would die by her own hands and by no other's. Her brother would be glad to be rid of her.

He probably didn't even know that she had ever left.

On a moment's whim, she launched forward, grasped the handle of the door, and threw herself through it. She hit the ground hard and rolled several times before stopping, gaining several small bruises and scrapes in the process, but managed to stop after a few feet. Jacobvine had already stopped the carriage with a snap of the reigns and was climbing hastily down, sword drawn, and with a wide, fearful glance in his direction, she scrambled to her feet. Immediately Margaret took off, disappearing into the trees.

She could not see even three inches in front of her face, let alone far enough ahead to know where she was going. Her hastiness did not help with the situation, and the affect was several trips, stumbled, and falls. She managed to open a gash in her cheek and hand, tear the skirt of her dress beyond repair, and slice open a thin line along the length of her arm. The other injuries were minor cuts and bruises, yet stung nonetheless, and would undoubtedly all lead to infection if they were not treated soon.

If she ever made it out of there alive.

And then the howl echoed through the trees. It struck her still, rooting her to her spot, but with a small curse - extremely unladylike but appropriate for the time, and something that she had heard her brother once mutter - she took off, a bit faster than before, her hands bunching up her skirts as she darted through the trees. Her breath was quick and heavy and tears were springing to her eyes, soft sobs escaping with each exhale of breath, and she shook her head.

"Stay away from me!" she cried, breaking through a thick mass of bushes and into a small circle, where dull light shone through the leaves above. It was then that she fell, scrapping her palms even further and tearing a long rip through her skirt, yanking the entire out-cover from her dress. A sharp cry escaped her lips as she rolled over, scrambling backwards on her hands and bottom, her heels digging into the ground in her hurry. The glow of white eyes could be seen in the trees before her, soft snarls making their ways from the darkness. "J-J-Just leave me alone!" she shouted, her hand fumbling across the ground until it found a stick, her fingers curling around it despite the prick of thorns upon it. She waved the large, thick tree limb out before her as the wolves began to make their way towards her, their twisted faces shining in the light as their saliva dripped from their lips. "Get away!"

A wolf threw itself at her, but with a practiced swing from fencing classes, she slammed the limb into it's side, lightly crackling her wrists as she did so. She scrambled to her feet, holding the tree limb out before her, and moving it between different wolves. The wolf that she hit was squealing with pain as it attempted to stand, but she paid it no mind, instead focusing on the wolves before her.

What a big mistake that was.

She did not even realize what had occurred until she was back-first on the ground, the branch trapped between the jagged, sharp teeth of the wolf. Saliva dripped onto her neck, the breath of the animal putrid and rancid, and she kicked her legs, grunting a bit with the force of holding the wolf off.

"Get ... Off!"

I am going to die. I am going to die here, in the middle of the Forbidden Woods, and no one will ever be the wiser. Edwin would rather say that I was lost along the way and, no matter how intently he searched, he never found me. My brother will not mourn me and will instead be able to focus on his ‘new’ family. But, I will not be alone anymore …

The wolf snapped the wood with its teeth, a feral look in its eyes, but in that moment, she no longer felt fear. Instead, she felt an odd sense of peace and harmony. The broken tree limb fell to the side, her hands lifting to shield her face as the inevitable clamp of teeth registered fully in her mind.

The bite never came, though, and it was several moments before Mage had gained the courage to move even her fingers. A bit too early, however, as the shine of a blade slashed down, impaling the neck of the wolf. Blood gushed from the wound and pooled onto her, coating her hands, wrists, and part of her face.

There was so much blood, so much that all she could smell was the metallic fragrance of it. The wolf was gone, her hands were shaking, and she could not stop them from doing so.

There was so much blood.

But then Edwin was there, his face hovering over hers, worry evident in his eyes and face. His hand was held out to her, and for a moment she could only stare at it. Finally, she managed to sit up enough in order to clasp it with her own.

He is not attempting to hurt me ... In fact, he only just saved my life. But why would he do such a thing? He is obviously the Edwin that is the younger brother of the 'evil' Lancaster, who is attempting to steal my brother's throne. I was told that all Lancaster's were nothing but vindictive people who wanted only to harm those that they saw fit to cause harm to. However ... Edwin does not seem to want to hurt me. Why? And my heart ... It is hammering so quickly, although it is undoubtedly from the wolves. But still ...

Because he is not trying to harm you. He saved you, and you now think that he is some sort of a handsome savior ... Your own personal 'knight in shining armor'.

That is not true!

Oh, but it is ...

I wish that you would stop talking. Tell me again why I am arguing with myself?

Because ..

It was a rhetorical question and I do not need an answer for it!

"Do forgive me, but what the hell were you thinking, Margaret? Did you really think dashing into the woods would help you at all?"

Margaret blinked, drawn back to the current danger that sitting in the center of the forest had caused her. Her head tilted back to look up at him, having been pulled up by his hand during her inner battle.

He was angry with her. Or upset for slipping up and allowing her to nearly escaped. Or perhaps his worried fueled his fury. Nevertheless, guilt that she should not be feeling twisted in the pit of her stomach, and she turned her gaze towards the ground. A small smile played across her lips, despite her current state and what had only recently occurred.

"There's no going back now, either way...you won't find your way back, I know it."

In truth, he was correct - yet she did not mind the thought of never returning to Rayleigh Castle. At least with Edwin she was around someone who actually cared for her and her well-being, which was more then she could say for her 'home' and the people that supposedly 'loved' her.

"It's not much of a journey from here to the hunting cabin, really...don't even need the carriage at all ... Now, if you do not wish to be consumed by a wolf before you reach the age of seventeen, I suggest you come with me, my Lady."

She looked up, her gaze snagging his for a split second before he turned away, his expression hardening ever-so-slightly as he did so. She hesitated for only a moment, before hurrying to catch up with him, walking just behind him once she had.

They walked in silence for what seemed like an eternity to her. Once she could stand it no longer, she moved so that she walked nearly directly beside him, her gaze remaining ahead of them and on their intended pathway.

"You were worried." She spoke quietly, her voice holding only a bit of the remaining surprise that she felt. "I could tell when I looked into your eyes. You were worried for my safety." When this gained no response, she moved her eyes to him, yet her face remained forward.

"... Why?" she asked, her voice softer than before. A few heartbeats passed her by, when her hand slowly lifted and dropped onto his arm. The progression of their walk halted as she stopped, her fingers curling around his upper arm in an attempt to stop him, also. "Why are you doing this - and where are you taking me?" Her voice grew stronger with each word, despite the pain that was ever-present within her body. "Why did you care for my safety? If you truly did, you would not be taking me to your brother. By bringing me to him, you would be throwing me to the wolves once more. I do not doubt for a moment that he would kill me the second he saw me," she said with a nod.

Her hand dropped from his arm. She turned forward once more, wrapping her arms around herself and shivering slightly from the cold of the forest, tears pushing against her eyes. Her nose stung with the threat, and she sniffed slightly, her jaw clenching.

"Why did you not allow the wolves to devour me? The world would have been far better off without the weight of my useless body upon it. My brother will be able to focus upon his family and the kingdom, and your family will have one less Rayleigh to attempt to rid itself of. I am nothing but a pointless pendant that hangs around the neck of the people that I come into contact with ... So why? Why did you save me, Edwin?" she whispered, another shiver of cold moving through her tired, bloodied body as she did so. Her foot caught on a rock, causing her to stumble and catch herself on a nearby tree in the process.