Touchy-Feely
How had the woman managed to be so slippery? To Fed, Rose felt more like a fish than a human as she had pulled free of his grasp.
Angry, the soldier dropped his sword and reached forward to grab the princess by her hair. The tips of his fingers mingled with her golden locks before they, too, slipped forward off of the ledge.
Should he jump after her? The fall was very steep and he was sure to break his legs. Assuming some soldier did not suddenly pick up his sword and try to catch Fed on the way down with the point of his blade.
It was safer to order the men on the ground to recapture the princess if she survived the landing. He opened his mouth to convey the command when he felt a sharp pain in his chest. He looked down in shock.
Seeing that Fed was no longer able to use Rose as a human shield, an archer on the wall had quickly taken action. Instead of placing his bow on the ground, which he had nearly finished doing, the man fell to one knee and shot directly at the enemy.
The result of his choice was now sticking out from between two of Fed's ribs.
The force of the blow sent Fed, one, two, three steps backwards. He staggered, his arms flailing wildly.
Then, with nothing to stop him, he tumbled into the scorching flames of the signal pyre. The oil that covered the wood burned with such ferocity that Fed was instantly engulfed.
He barely managed a scream before never being able to scream again. A sickening scent filled the air.
Rose was oblivious to all that her hasty jump had caused on the wall. All her thoughts were focused on the ground and her desperate desire not to die when she met it again.
When she leapt, it had seemed like the only option, but now her mind filled with a thousand other things she could have tried first. The fact that none of them would have worked was irrelevant.
Anything had to be better than falling.
It was funny. Unlike the rafters, she had had no fear on the wall's wide ledge. Even as she teetered on the edge in mortal peril, the height had not bothered her.
But now in the brief moments she fell through the air, all the fear came back in double measure.
Rose froze, losing any control she might have found as she plummeted. If she were to die, the princess hoped it would happen quickly. She shut her eyes and braced for impact.
But just when the hard ground should have crashed against her body, two metallic arms wrapped around Rose's legs and torso.
"Oh!" The man groaned, unable to fully stop the woman's descent.
He bent his knees to cushion the fall, before unceremoniously landing on his rear and then slamming his back against the dirt.
Dazed by whiplash of the sudden stop, Rose laid helplessly across her hero. He scooped her up, coddling her on the ground as he barked orders at the soldiers around him to form a protective circle.
"Are you alright?"
"Ethyn?" Rose's voice finally found its way out of her throat. Her dizziness cleared as she looked at his adoring green eyes.
"Are you hurt?" He asked again. Around them the action was continuing, but for now the knight was only concerned with the woman in his arms.
"I am fine, I think." The Princess answered uncertainly. "Much better than I should be. You caught me!" Rose was still trying to process the event that just happened.
"Of course I did. How could I not?" Ethyn furrowed his brow. "You did plan for me to catch you when you jumped, didn't you?"
Rose blushed. 'Maybe subconsciously.' Really, she had just been doing what ever she could to keep from handing the enemy the victory. "We make a good team," she deferred.
Ethyn winced as he helped the princess to her feet.
"You are hurt!" Rose wanted to check his body but he held up his hand as he looked for his sword.
"I am. My shoulder is in bad shape. It was only by the grace of the Maker I caught you just now. But that wasn't why I made that face." The knight picked up his sword in one hand and motioned for Rose to take shelter behind him. "I promised your brother I wouldn't touch you. He's going to kill me when he finds out."
"What makes you think he will find out?" The princess found herself blushing even deeper crimson.
"He always finds out. Trust me." Ethyn shook his head.
The knight tried rolling his shoulder, but it was no good. The princess falling had been the final straw. He could no longer hope to use the sword in any meaningful way. At least not right now...maybe not ever.
The best Ethyn could do was be willing to shield the princess with his body if someone broke through to try to claim the princess as their prize.
Fortunately that moment did not ever come. The fresh forces were able to repel the men of Lakyle from ever getting close to their beloved princess a second time. Her presence bolstered them beyond what they would normally be able to do and gave them an overwhelming victory.
When the threat in the Keep was contained, Rose finally got a view of the battlefield. Many of the men of Lakyle were wounded or dead, but some had decided to surrender in the end.
Seeing a clear path, the princess began to run forward, but Ethyn called for her to stop.
"We have to check on Father, Caitlyn and Sean," she insisted.
The knight gritted his teeth. He was pretty sure Rose would go with or without him. "You, come with us to check on the king. The princess demands to know with her own eyes that he is alright."
Many of the soldiers had already gone inside, but a few remained that were available after rounding up the remaining enemy.
The men circled around Rose, and she accepted their protection as Ethyn came to her side.
Entering the palace, things were eerily quiet. Ethyn was sure he would hear at least some swords still clashing. He guessed that those who fled with him were hiding in rooms in the palace, waiting for the outcome of the battle. Once he knew the official outcome himself, he made a mental note to recommend that someone sweep the rooms and inform everyone that they were safe.
As they neared the throne room, a few healers were walking around and tending the wounds of men in purple and gold. But both sides had been wearing that uniform, so that really told him nothing. What did tell him something was the cloth tied around the arms of those being cared for.
"We won," he whispered to the beautiful princess.
Rose looked through the guards surrounding her and tears filled her eyes. "But at what cost?"
Among those on the ground was Cole. Having helped free the prisoners, the man had given what was left of his strength in defense of his kingdom. Cole's eyes were closed, and she hoped he had not been hurt too badly this time. Rose would check on him by consulting a healer later.
Inside the throne room, the scene was even more telling. The room's contents had been utterly destroyed. Even the throne's fabric cushions were shredded beyond repair. Standing on the two armrests of the throne, a figure in a dark cloak was giving orders.
He took one look at the party entering and his eyes flashed.
Ethyn was overjoyed to see his friend alive...until Silver opened his mouth.
"You touched my sister!"