My name is Madelaine Ann Elwood, only daughter of Lord Adriel and Lady Tamara Elwood. My mother was the precious jewel to her family, my father, the crown of his. It was only coherent logic that drove the families to create such a match, a jewelled crown within the collection of the empire. My family was content within their lands, love being the only objects of poems.
No, my father never loved my mother, happiness in their marriage was based upon strategic movement and furthering their reach within the Dead King’s reign.
And I? Like all girls of any age, I longed for love and adventure. My household watched with kind eyes as I ran from girlhood to womanhood dressed in breaches. My mother taught me my letters, a love of music and the ability to appear unflustered in almost all situations. I swapped my breaches for gowns at the proper age to be seen outside the estate, and soon became the well thought of child of the manner. Love, I decided, was better to be left to the commoners who held only their own lives in their hands. It was a dream I would no longer bother with.
The relationship between my parents was also proper and polite, their common goal of nurturing me into a fully capable board piece bringing about a kind of affection one treated a favourite, respondent horse. I learned strategy and swordsmanship under the pretence of sewing with a favourite guard, and soon became the star to my father’s crown. My elder brother Tyrone, seven years my senior treated me with much affection, however left soon after my tenth birthday for the royal court. He was a skilled hunter and archer, able to pick up anything that held strong for a weapon. I was the star to his sun within my families’ hope to better themselves. Tyrone sent me presents of the latest fashion and perfumes regularly, eager for his sister to be more than a country noblewoman. It was on my own seventeenth birthday, ten years after his departure that I too left for more. For marriage.
I was betrothed to Lord Tomas Landon, the duke of West-field. To a man nine years my elder. Any misgivings I had were unvoiced when I was told the news, smiling pleasantly at my parent’s beaming grins like cats yet to lick the cream off their whiskers. It was all they had hoped for in a match. And I, the twinkle of my father’s eye, would not disappoint. I found myself whispering the same phrase over and over to stabilize my emotions. Contentment is the life you were born to, happiness is the little things it brings. It reassured me. Perhaps he was not an ugly man, a man who would hold our children tenderly in his arms as surly as mine own father had done.
And so it was, that I, Madelaine Ann Elwood was swept up in the true goings on of my homeland. I was packed and ready within a week and placed on a journey to the far west of the land.
As the carriage tumbled down the dirt roads I asked my hand-maiden Sarah of what she knew of my betrothed. Away from the stern looks of her betters, my Sarah was a golden well of information. Being plain, she was ignored easily and she put it to good use. She was cunning, as well as only being a year or two older than me. Sarah had been my companion for many years, she was my true friend for all her plainness. She could read and write as well as any noblewoman, as well as working magic with anything needle orientated. It was she who told me how to mend and how to weave, together with my mothers’ and Sarah’s teachings, I quickly became skilled in running a household and all it contained. I would not part with my plain Sarah for any price in the world.
It was she who told me how, being so far west, West-Field was like an outpost, walls twice as high as most and fitted with all equipment to withhold against a siege. Inheriting from his deceased father, Lord Tomas was stern, obedient to the dead King and ruthless to his enemies. He was highly trusted among the court, however hasn’t been seen there for many a year due to rebel uprisings. I admired the Lord’s steadfast approach, secure in the knowledge he would protect me from rebels at least. I leaned back in the carriage and closed my eyes, listening to the steady gait of the horses, the shudder of wood and the small talk of the ten soldiers around me.
Maybe this wouldn’t be so bad, maybe I could settle and help this man. We were to meet with Lord Tomas’ soldiers before entering the bandit ravine, a path wedged between two mountains and notorious for cutthroats, savagery and general mayhem. I knew part of me was thrilled at the idea of seeing such a ravine, if only to catch a glimpse of danger rather than participate within it. However, I was frustrated with myself, how could I be swayed to danger so easily?
No matter the misgivings in my head, my heart quickened with excited fever, settling after long moments of breathing exercises. Silently I moved from alertness to slumber, resting my head on Sarah’s shoulder.
o.O.o
‘Lady Elwood,’ the captain said, opening the door slowly, as though he was doing something impolite. I shook my head slowly, trying to dislodge the sleep from my thinking.
‘Yes captain?’ I asked smoothly, smiling pleasantly at him from my seat. I secretly jabbed Sarah sleeping silently beside me with a finger, taking the captain’s outstretched hand to disembark the craft. I was dressed in a corseted jacket that was long in the back, outlining my hips and stomach. I knew I was beautiful, my long light amber hair, fair skin and deep chocolate brown eyes was a beacon to suitors. I had heard myself being named the “brunette beauty,”- and would be lying if I said I wasn’t flatted. The captain dropped my hand and looked out at the mountains on the horizon.
‘I thought to allow yourself a break before the long ride through the ravine, we would not dare stop within it.’
‘How are the horses fairing?’
I watched the lines around his eyes crinkle and knew I had hit the true reason for the stop.
‘Nothing moves past you Lainie,’ he said, bowing his head in respect, ‘they are being watered.’ I looked at him, curious. It had been a while since my childhood nickname was used, a fact I knew the sandy haired man was aware of. He had spent many hours helping me with secret swordplay, adopting my nickname when I was doing well. It had been many years since, now a captain within my family’s troops. I smiled up at him, it had been a few years since our last bout.
‘Thankyou Hamish,’ I replied, ‘how long?’
‘An hour, perhaps two.’
I looked up at the sun; it was mid-afternoon, around six hours from nightfall. ‘Make a small fire then, time for tea.’ Hamish nodded, the captain turning around to bark orders at his men. If he knew I had asked for him I absently wondered if he would turn pink. He was in his late twenty’s, much like my betrothed. I studied Hamish keenly, his muscular arms, his strong chin. Would this Lord Tomas be similar? Hamish looked at my stare, a question in his eyes as I silently assessed him.
‘Lady Elwood?’ He asked, ‘something wrong?’
I shook my head and helped my groggy servant out of the carriage, laughing at her bewildered expression.
‘Where- wha- huh?’ Sarah turned around in a circle, seeing the forbidding pass, the barren landside behind us. Being early summer, the pockets of grass still held its green flare, however the tips were beginning to golden from the heat.
‘Tea Sarah,’ I said, shooing her forward towards the cook fire. She flashed me a single look, proving to me she was not as befuddled as she appeared. She winked and turned to stumble towards the supplies. I smiled, shutting the door to the carriage as I moved to run my hands over the horses’ necks.
The man on duty bellowed something into the camp and the men jumped to their feet around the fire, Hamish jogging over to the sentinel for a closer look. He cupped a hand over his eyes through the sun’s glare, watching the riders.
‘At arms,’ He called calmly behind him and the men rushed to obey, standing around the carriage with weapons drawn. They had shields strapped to their backs, my family’s crest of a woman holding a crown in two hands on their uniforms.
‘Who-‘
‘We think it is only your extra escort,’ Hamish said, seeming pleased I had not drawn my own hidden dagger. ‘However it would not do to appear weak.’
I nodded, watching the clouds of dust roll up under the galloping horses. I tapped two of the ten men on the shoulder, walking back to the fire and the boiling pot. They walked either side of me as I sat on a box, accepting the cup of tea from Sarah.
‘My Lady-’
‘I am well protected here thankyou,’ I said, sipping my tea, ‘I will not appear as a mouse within a secure box.’
Hamish watched me from his place in the line, aspirated with my apparent lack on concern. I raised my eyebrows, daring him to fight my decision. He blew out slowly from his mouth and turned back to the possible threat.
Silently I waited, willing the tension to dissipate. I tapped my teacup absentmindedly, twirling it around in my fingers to admire the swirls and flowers. The horses stopped, the eight on horseback slowing their mounts with obvious skill. Sarah moved behind me, her own dagger a fingers flick from her palm.
‘Greetings Lady Elwood,’ one of them called from his horse, ‘my master Lord Tomas sends his affection and protection.’
‘I am inclined to trust you sir,’ I said, using the ‘graceful rise’ from my mother’s teachings, walking closer. I took my time, determined to be in charge, to be in control. I looked them over, saw the emblem of a sun between two hills.
‘Your name?’
‘William, Milady.’
‘Very well,’ I smiled and his eyes widened, slipping off his horse to bow at my feet. Taken aback, I turned a look at my own captain and Hamish shrugged, sheathing his sword.
‘No need for drastic movements William,’ I smiled hurriedly, watching him stand, ‘You are now under the command of my Captain, I hold Hamish in upmost trust.’
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