Richard looked at Helen’s father’s unconscious body on the floor, and said to Helen, “Okay, I didn’t do that.”
“I know,” she nodded at him.
“Are…you alright?” Richard asked, indicating the wrist that Helen was cradling.
“I-I’ll be fine,” Helen tried to smile at Richard, and then they looked at her father on the ground. “He needs help, Richard.”
Richard ran out of the room, looking for Dr. Goodwell.
Richard shouted his name, running throughout the castle until Richard saw Dr. Goodwell running to Richard, concerned.
“What’s happened?” Goodwell asked, “Did she rip open her stitches again?”
“No, it’s the king,”
When they got there, however, the king wasn’t there.
“What happened?” the doctor asked.
“He woke up and ran away,” Helen explained.
They searched the castle for hours, and eventually found the king in his own quarters, seemingly fine.
“Your Majesty,” Dr. Goodwell bowed, and Richard followed. “Are you alright?”
The king dismissed them, saying he was fine. Richard followed the doctor back to Helen’s room, and this time Richard asked Helen what happened.
Helen sighed, “You know how he looked when the revolutionaries showed up?”
Richard nodded.
“He… said that there were voices in his head telling him what to do. It was like he had no control over his actions. Then he…grabbed my wrist.” Helen showed Richard her bruised wrist, the color in the shape of a hand gripped onto her arm.
As Dr. Goodwell examined it, and Richard asked what they had to do next.
“It is no longer safe for you to be here,” Dr. Goodwell’s expression was grave as he looked at Helen and Richard. “With the king unstable and the revolutionaries about to storm the castle, I believe you two might be caught up in the crossfire. Do you have any idea where your friends may be?”
Richard shook his head, “We’ve got a general idea that one group has gotten closer to Bellona to split the Dueglesteiners up, but other than that, nothing. However, it seems that every time we seem to find each other.”
The doctor nodded. “I will lead you to the stables. There, I will provide you with my horse, who will help you find your friends. I’m afraid if you stay here any longer the king will not care that his daughter is part of the prophecy.”
Helen gulped.
Richard helped Helen out of bed, and they made their way down to the stables.
“Stop!” Richard heard someone shout behind them.
They turned to see a Hilgarian soldier standing there, looking at them. “The princess must stay in her room until further notice.”
Dr. Goodwell came up with an excuse. “She needs to exercise in order for her wound to heal.”
The Hilgarian soldier narrowed his eyes, looking at Richard who was practically carrying Helen in the direction of the stables.
The soldier eventually turned around, walking away. But Richard felt that this was only the beginning.
“We have to go. Now.” Richard said as he helped Helen speed up. Helen tried to walk faster, but gasped in pain.
“Take it easy,” Richard urged, as her bandages became a slight pink color.
“I can’t take it easy.”
Richard was confused, but when he looked behind him he understood why. The king and a few archers were standing there, and the king had that glazed look in his eyes again.
“You will stop and let me take you to the Dueglesteiners,” he ordered.
“Father,” Helen managed out, “Don’t do this. You may buy your country time, but if you turn us over, the whole world is in danger.”
The king shook his head, the glazed look temporarily leaving his eyes, but came back a moment later. “I…” the king tried to say, “I…must…do this…for my country…”
Dr. Goodwell glared at the king, trying to shield Richard and Helen from view.
“Dr…” the king looked at the doctor, who stood his ground. “Leave these children…come work in the hospital again. You are my best doctor.”
Dr. Goodwell shook his head, as Richard and Helen walked through the doors of the stable, Richard tried to help Helen onto the black stallion. Helen swayed, almost falling off the horse but Richard got up behind her and held onto her.
“We have to go!” he shouted to the doctor.
“What is it then, doctor?” the king asked, looking at the man who still stood his ground, trying to protect the two children. “Will you choose your country? Or these children?”
Dr. Goodwell looked at Richard and the now unconscious Helen, whose pain from the stab wound caused her to pass out. Richard gave Dr. Goodwell the slight shake of his head, but he knew what the doctor would say. In his eyes, Richard could tell Dr. Goodwell had already made his decision.
“I choose the children,” Dr. Goodwell said boldly, and Richard gripped the reins of the horse.
“Then you choose death.” King Harry muttered darkly, then shouted to his men, “Kill this traitor.”
The arrows struck Dr. Goodwell in the chest, and even though Richard had expected it, he felt the tears prick at the corners of his eyes as he shouted, “No!”
The rest of what happened seemed to occur in silence, as King Harry turned his sights on Richard and Helen, but before they left the stable, Richard looked back and saw the king’s eyes clear, as he looked at what he had done...
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