It was around three when the castle sirens woke me up. The kingdom was under attack. I immediately got up and ran to my door locking it before I turned and ran to my make up counter crawling under it and pushing the wall open to show my escape route to the gardens. I quickly crawled in and shut the wall behind me. I then proceeded to slide down the way to the other door. Once there, I slowly opened the door a sliver to see if the coast was clear. But to my unfortunately luck, some one was waiting for me on the other ended and saw me open the wall. I quickly back up as he threw the wall open to see me trying to crawl up the slide. I screamed as he grabbed hold of my ankles and hauled me out. He pulled me to my feet and covered my mouth as he hauled my back to his chest.
"Shhhh, I know who you are. But if you listen and obey my orders, I will keep you alive. Now, do you agree?" He whispered calmly in my ear. I felt like my heart was beating to fast to really calm down so I held my chest trying to control my breathing. But with the small amount of energy I had I nodded my head yes. He slowly lifted his hand from my mouth.
"Now try breathing deeply. I need you calm down for this to work. Now slowly count to twenty with me." He ordered softly, I felt tears surface as I tried speaking.
"oonnnne, ttttwwwo, thhththree, ffoour," I counted with him slowly stuttering badly.
"Your getting better" He whispered as he took my hands and lifted them to the back of my head.
"Fiivvve, siiix, seeeven, eighttt, niiine, tenn, eleven,." I kept on, my heart slowly calming down. As my nerves came back, I realized certain things. Like how my capturer was calming me down and how his hands held mine so softly. I finally started to breath evenly.
"Are you okay now?" He asked softly in my ear making me shiver slightly at his closeness.
"Yes." I whispered hoarsely back to him. He let go of my hands and gently turned me to face him. I felt my breath leave me as I realized who he was.
"Prince Darien?" I asked in shock. He smiled and nodded his head yes.
"Now princess I want you to follow me silently. Now follow every order I give you, your life depends on it. Do you understand?" He whispered lightly before looking to his surrounding to make sure there was no one around.
"Yes, your majesty." I whispered back. He smiled before grabbing my hand and quickly leading me through the rose garden and into the dance hall. I tensed up as I saw the shields kingdom guards carrying my personal guards off all in chains. I looked away quickly as one spotted me but stayed silent. I then decided to look to the ground instead of watching everything I loved and grew up with carted off to be killed. I felt a tears slide down my cheek as I heard my mothers screams off in the distance. Prince Darien stopped suddenly, making me run into his hard back. He grabbed hold of my arm harshly as he pushed me into a guest bedroom. I tensed as he pushed me against a wall with him on top of me.
"Prin-"He hushed me quietly as voices reached the door.
"No sign of the princess your majesty." Came a raspy voice from the other side of the door. I lost my breath as I realized the voices were speaking of me.
"No matter, she'll either be killed by our soldiers or she'll starve with the rest of the kingdom once we leave." Came a calm and yet cold voice. I felt another tear escape as they walked away. Prince Darien released me and pulled me to the make up counter.
"I need you to cover the mark on your forehead." He ordered before turning to the door as if daring any one to come in. I quickly fumbled through the draws before spotting the appropriate make up. I quickly applied almost the whole tube of cover up before successfully covering the small moon shape birthmark on my forehead. I then wiped my eyes and got up to run to Darien. He looked at my face and smiled.
"Very good, now just follow along what ever I say, okay?" I nodded silently as he held my hand and lead me through the castle once more. We stopped in front of a well built and very tall soldier with gold hair. He smiled at Darien and then at me.
"Look at what I found, Andrew." Darien told Andrew, almost boastfully. I frowned in confusion before Darien let go of my hand and put his arm around me placing his hand on my ass. I tensed up as he squeezed. I then blinked before smiling the most seducing smile I could summon up. Andrew chuckled at Darien's display.
"Very nice, she's very pretty. I'm glade you could sneak her past your father. But I must say you covered her birthmark very well." I froze.
"You know who I am?" I asked in shock. He smiled and nodded a yes.
"Andrew is my best friend and he's helping me keep you alive." He explained taking his hand off my ass. I blinked in confusion.
"Prince Darien, if I may ask, why are you doing this?" I asked softly. They frowned in confusion along with me.
"Which one, the attack or the saving your life?" Darien asked taking my arm once more and guiding me once more to the front of the castle where there were soldiers were everywhere taking the servants and lining them up before killing them each. I looked away before answering.
"The attack." I whispered hoarsely. Darien finally leads me to a horse and lifted me upon it before getting on behind me. I blushed at the intimate touch of his chest and pelvis pushed against me.
"Well," he continued, seeming to be unaffected by our position. I tensed as he wrapped a arm around my waist and the other took hold of the reign. "You see, my father as always hated your father for taking his love, aka, you mom. So when he finally had enough men. He attacked your kingdom for the sole purpose of killing your father, your mother and their only child, you." He explained as he pulled the horse forward, taking me away from everything I knew, and loved. I tried not thinking of what I was leaving behind. After all, there was nothing I could do. My parents were already killed and my guards along with them.
"What will you do with me, Prince Darien?" I asked softly, as we tread on towards the forest out side of my castle.
"Well, I'll have to hide you in my wing for at least a month. Then I'll make you into my personal servant." He explained softly. I bite my lip as I nodded.
"Thank you." I whispered lightly. He chuckled.
"For what? Taking you away from everything you know, or making you basically my slave?" He asked sarcastically. I smiled lightly.
"For saving my life." I answered. He tightened his hold on my waist, pushing me deeper into his chest.
"Shh," He whispered so softly, making my nerves melt and my fear and worries disappear. "Go to sleep, we have a long journey." He lightly ordered. I leaned back and rested my head on his shoulder and placed my hands on the hand that held my waist before drifting back to sleep.
I woke up several hours later to the sun. I yawned as I thought of my dream. I leaned forward and slowly realized that I was on a moving horse and that an arm was wrapped around me, making me understand that it was no mere dream. I groaned as I felt the soreness coming from my bottom.
"You awake?" Darien asked lightly.
"Yes, unfortunately." I answered coldly.
"What's the matter?" He asked caringly. I groaned again as I shifted slightly.
"The saddle is killing me." I answered softly. He chuckled as he made the horse come to a stop. He then hopped off and helped me down.
"Well I needed a drink of water anyways. Hey Andrew, lets take a break." He called out to Andrew before turning to me once again and smiled. "Let's go to the stream." He told me as he took my hand and led me through the woods.
"Are we close to your home yet?" I asked softly. He chuckled.
"Don't tell me your anxious to become my servant." He joked. I smirked at his words.
"Just curious." I told him playfully. I stopped pulling him to stop as well. He was about to ask me why when I nodded no and silently told him to be quiet.
"Do you have your sword?" I whispered softly as I pulled him to me. He drew his sword out as to answer my question.
"There's a baby bear behind that tree there." I whispered softly as I pointed to the tree. "And the mom isn't far behind. We need to leave quickly." I whispered softly as I pulled with me as I backed away. He nodded before taking my arms and pushed me away quickly to the horse and got on pulling me up with him. He signaled Andrew before galloping away.
"How did you see them?" He asked me once we were a safe distance away.
"A gift I was given from my mother. We have a third eye to sense danger. That was why I freaked out about you. I didn't see you before hand because you had no intensions of harming me." I explained. He nodded silently.
"Can you only see potential danger?" He asked curiously. I smiled at his childlike curiosity.
"No, I can also see the future in my sleep." I answered softly. "But sometimes, I can sense emotions. Like your friend Andrew is paranoid right now." I informed him. I could feel that he was impressed.
"Well then that gives me a better idea of what I'll do with you once we get home." He said cheerfully. I turned to try and see him but failed.
"And what would that be your majesty?" I finally asked curiously.
"Well I could make you my sorceress." He informed me. I smiled at the idea.
"I always liked the idea of being magical." I inquired softly.
"Your wish is my command." He jokingly said. I smiled wide but tensed up when I saw a castle in the distance.
"Your home?" I asked curiously.
"No, our home." He corrected me. I nodded silently.
"Wouldn't your father suspect something when he finds out you left the battle early?" I asked him curiously.
"Well I told him I didn't approve of the attack and that I wouldn't be joining him, so I dressed like a soldier and snuck in so that I can sneak out early." He answered almost boastingly.
"So you went out of your way to save me? Why?" I asked some what angered.
"Well when I was fourten I use to sneak out of the castle with Andrew and camp in the woods. But one time I decided to go even further into the woods. So far, that I ended up in your kingdom. But of course I wasn't that smart to know it. But one night I went into your lake and swam around, but being the little fourteen year that I was I went further than I could really swim and I started drowning. Well no one was there to save me since Andrew was already asleep. So I just knew I would die. But luckily, and little girl around ten years old saw me and saved my life. After you dragged me in and made sure I was breathing you ran away. But I wanted to thank you, so I ran after you, but you were so fast I barely saw you go into the secret door in the castle wall." He explained simply. I was stumped, I barely remember that night at all, and here he is reciting it to me as if he was reading from a book.
"So that's how you knew about my secret passage?" I thought out loud.
"Yes, and when I heard of our plans to take over your kingdom, I knew you would use it to escape. So I waited there to save you." He explained further.
"Wow, I'm marveled at your memory." I told him as we approached the castle entrance. I fell silent as I looked around and marveled at the kingdom. The beggars chattering amongst buyers and surfs carrying buckets of milk, eggs, beer, and many other things. I saw children working and children playing and some being punished. I smiled as I saw a pair of teenagers around her age talking to each other very intimately, and groups of teenagers chattering and gossiping together about others and things. I finally noticed the stars and silence that came across almost everyone that notice the prince and a stranger riding a horse in a very intimately way. I blushed at the stares and avoided as many eyes I could on our way to the stable.
"Don't freight over them. I'll take care of it." Darien whispered in my ear making my nerves melt a considerable amount. As we entered the stable he climbed of the horse and lifted me off as well. I whispered a thank you before standing behind him so he can hand over his horse. He turned to me and smiled wide, I smiled back chuckling over the way his hair stuck out ion some places and how he had some mud smudges on his tan cheek. But his dark blue eyes shined bright and clear as the sky. He frowned at my chuckled and then blushed in shame as I pulled him to me and smoothed his hair.
"There, I was always told that my position was to just look and act civil." I told him softly as I straightened his clothes.
"See, I was told that my job was to show hope and strength in the country." He told me as he smile and thanked me. "Now let me show you your new home." He said as he took my hand and waved a goodbye to Andrew.
"What will be my new name?" I asked as he led me through the front entrance. He stopped at my question.
"I thought of that on the trip home. How does Serena sound? It's similar to your name, but not so much that it's detectable." He asked me curiously. I smiled.
"My name is what ever you want it to be, I am your servant after all." I told him trying my best at bowing, but failed and ended up falling over and into him. But he was fast enough to catch me.
"Be careful," He teased as he straightened me up again. I blushed at my clumsy behavior.
"My mother never let me bow for that reason." I told him truthfully. He chuckled and took my hand leading me once again around his beautiful home.
"And finally my wing, It's all mine, and it comes with my own kitchen, den, library, and four guest rooms each with a bathroom, my own master bedroom with desk and master bathroom." He told me as he walked me down the corridor. I nodded as I looked into each room in marvel.
"My home was much smaller and much more crowded." I confessed as we reached the end of the corridor.
"Sadly we have now reached the room you will be staying in for a while." He informed me as he opened the door. I froze in awe as I looked around the massive room. It was of course made of stone, but he had covered most of the walls with elaborate paintings that mostly showed red, his bed was in the middle of the room with cream colored shear curtains around it, making it almost like an island, the sheets of red silk and cream laced in the fabric. The floors were covered with Persian rugs of red and cream, each rug seemed to show a story or fairy tail. The dresser was a dark mahogany with elegant carvings that made the dresser seem to look alive. The desk and chair matched the dresser also, giving the room a elegance and richness to it. I gasped as I circle the room and couldn't help it as I traced some of the carving and sheets with my fingers.
"It's beautiful." I whispered as I stared at the painting that covered the walls.
"I'm glade you like it." He whispered in my ear making me jump at his closeness. But when he touched my arm I felt my body relax.
"You caught me off guard." I whispered lightly as I looked him in the eyes. I felt my breath leave me and my heart stop.
"I hope you don't need to guard yourself around me." He whispered softly, shifting his eyes from my eyes to my lips. I felt my cheeks burn as he leaned towards me, making me lean in as well.
"Prince Darien!" Came a voice from the other side of the door. We both recognized it as Andrew and withdrew from each other.
"Come in!" He barked some what irritated. Andrew walked in and noticed the Prince's irritation. I blushed as I made my way to the bathroom, wanting to leave the two men alone. As I closed the door once I heard Andrew's words.
"Your father has sent a messenger and gave word to the kingdom that Serenity's family was all killed. The victory is ours." I felt my heart break. I bit my lip to keep the sob from escaping as I crawled into his bath tub and silently cried. My family is dead, my friends are dead. My home with everything I knew is destroyed. I was now all alone in a place I don't know with people I don't remember. I cried for about an hour before Darien came into the bathroom with me.
"Serena? Are you hurt?" He asked softly as he climbed into the bath tub with me. I chuckled in the middle of a sob.
"No. I'm crying over my family, friends, home, everything I knew and loved is now dead and gone." I sobbed once more. He bit his lip as he pulled me into an intimate hug as I cried. He shushed me and told me that everything was going to be alright, and you know what? I sort of believe him.