The King, Wolfram, and Lord Weller were on the way back from another of their excursions when Yuri stopped dead in his tracks as if he had seen a ghost.
"What's wrong this time Your Majesty?" Conrad giggles slightly. Yuri, who was stun, nodded in the direction of what appeared to be an arm coming from an alleyway up ahead. Wolfram galloped over to examine the thing had petrified his fiancé so.
"Yuri you wimp, it's nothing more then a lonely pheasant girl." He said, judging by the tattered clothing that she was wearing.
"She looks pale." Conrad noticed as he and Yuri caught up with Wolfram. He jumped of his horse and pressed the back of his hand against her forehead.
"She's got a fever. Wolfram come quick, help me lift her."
"Why help her, she nothing more than a pheasant?"
"Wolfram look at her, she's sick." Yuri argued. Wolfram gave in with a grunt and lifted her on to Conrad's horse. They both then hopped on their horses and galloped back to the castle at full speed.
"Günter where's Giesela?" Yuri burst through the doors of Günter's study.
"What's wrong Your Majesty?" He responded as Conrad came carrying the sick girl. "Oh my. Where did you find her?"
"Never mind that now, she's ill."
"I believe she's in her sleeping quarters but I'll call for her immediately. Guards go find Lady Giesela and bring her here!"
"Yes Sir." The Guards turned and stormed off in order to follow their superior's commands.
"Let's find a room for her to stay." Yuri suggested. At his recommendation, Conrad took her to the closest empty room that he could find. Shortly after Giesela came in followed by Günter.
"What happened?" Giesela stood half grief stricken by the state of the girl.
"We found her in the streets on the way back to the castle." Conrad explained.
"Everyone. I'm going to need you to leave immediately. Maids I'm going to need more blanket, a cold pack, and clothes. Hurry!" Giesela ordered.
"Yes Ma'am!"
"What could have but you in such bad shape?" Giesela covered her with the blankets and placed the cold pack on her head to lower her fever. She then used her magic to help the progress. Regardless it still took the girl a day to begin to show any signs of recovery.
"Giesela, how's she doing?" Conrad whispered.
"She's doing better. Her fever just broke but it did a lot of damage. I doubt she would have survived if you hadn't have found her. But I did find something interesting."
They shifted over to the girl as Geisela lifted her shirt enough to reveal a tattoo right next to her naval.
"I've seen that mark once before, it's the emblem of a group of rogue Demon Tribe mercenaries. She seems safe for know but once she's better I think it might be best for her to leave."
"She seems too young to be capable of anything." Giesela defended her accused patient.
"Maybe so but it would be best to keep an eye on her." Conrad said before he left. The girl lay lifeless for a day more, until she woke suddenly in a cold sweat as if from a nightmare.
"Where am I?" A quiet voice murmured. She pulled her sore body from the bed and replaced the rags that she was wearing for the clothes that laid on the nightstand. She then decided to do a little exploring of this strange place. Once out of the room she noticed a vague light coming from a room up the hallway. She creep up to it not knowing whom or what could be its occupant. Peeking around the side of the door, she saw a dark grey haired man in green sitting at a desk looking at papers. He cleared his throat
"Hello. Sorry to intrude but could you tell me where I am?"
"You must be that rogue girl they found," she flinched slightly at those words, "You're at the palace of the Demon King, who so humbly rescued your sorry hide." His words were full of hatred, which seemed misplaced, as this girl had not done a thing to Gwendal.
"I'm sorry to be such a burden. My name is Annelise. I would in fact like to thank His Majesty personally." Annelise bowed her head slightly in respect.
"Hn. The King is out for the moment. I'm going to call for Giesela she'll want to examine you. In the mean time you sit there."
"Yes sir." She sat there until Giesela came and ushered her back to her room.
"How'd you end up in Gwendal's study?"
"I wanted to figure out where I was and I felt too weak to go any further."
"You shouldn't even be awake right know. The way you were just two days ago you would be out for a week or so."
"I haven't been that bad in a while. I had been going to a doctor when I guess I fainted. It's surprising that they didn't find me before you guys did. I wish I knew what they want?"
"Back track a second. Who are 'they'?" Giesela questioned Annelise's vagueness.
"Sorry, they would be my biological family and their followers. Their after me because I'm going to turn sixteen soon and I'm suppose to be the next heir to the throne. They have already killed the family that they sold me too. And other people are after me too."
"Well at least you're safe here." She tried to calm the distressed girl.
"I Hope." Annelise said with a sigh.
"She's awake." They King entered followed by Wolfram.
"Your Majesty, she just woke up, and I think it may—"
"I'm fine Geisela." Annelise lied as she pulled herself out of bed, "I would like to thank His Majesty for saving me and for his hospitality."
"It was nothing really. I'm just glad your better."
"You are very modest, sire."
"Yeah I hear that a lot." Yuri chuckled while resting his hand behind his head.
"Yuri, why don't you and Wolfram get ready for dinner? Annelise needs to get cleaned up as well and then she'll join you." Giesela broke the brief silence. "Annelise, I had a maid prepare the bath for you."
Giesela escorted Annelise to the bath and then left her to wash.
"It's been almost a year since I had a bath that's not in a river." Annelise began talking to herself while scrubbing the dirt off her body, "Though it may be my last for a while. I cannot involve these people in this bloody battle, especially the King. He seems like the type of person who would go out of his way to help me." She stopped and turned for a second, thinking she heard a noise from behind. After that, she continued to contemplate in silence.
She then got out and noticed a gown by the door. Figuring that it was for her, Annelise picked it up and put it on the navy and white dress. Opening the door, she discovered that a maid in a green uniform was waiting for her.
"Lady Annelise, dinner will be served shortly. I am to escort you to the dinning area." The maid took the clothes that she had been wearing previously and lead her to the dinning room. "Please take a seat, the others will be joining you shortly."
The first to arrive was Gwendal who looked at her rather smugly and sat four seats away. Next was Conrad, who's greeting was much more welcoming, however studious. The Yuri and Wolfram filed in shortly afterward. The air of the room as the dinner was served seemed dense. Annelise keep her head toward her food as the others engaged in small talk. Just before the third course was served the dinning hall became eerily quiet.
Yuri asked Annelise why she had been lying in that alleyway when they found her. Yuri at this point was completely unaware to the knowledge of three of the others at the table. Finding no way out of this, she decided to give the truth.
"I've been being chased. What were once my people are now after me, and they will kill me if it comes down to it. As long as no one else can have the power. Though they would probably rather have me alive."
"Excuse me I can continue to listen to this nonsense." Gwendal stormed out of the room shaking the table in the process.
"What's wrong with Gwendal?" Yuri questioned Gwendal's questionable actions.
Annelise bowed her head. "For what is worth I am sincerely sorry for whatever my people have done to the kingdom and its people."
"It's not your fault; Gwendal had some trouble with the Rogue's in the past. It's a sensitive subject for him." After that, the dinning hall was completely silent until dinner was over. Feeling uncomfortable Annelise left first, headed straight to her room, and planted her self on the bed. Soon after, someone knocked on the door.
Giesela slowly emerged from behind the door. "Annelise are you alright?"
"Um…yeah, just confused. You wouldn't happen to know the story behind Gwendal's hatred for the Rogue's would you.
"Something must have happened during dinner." Annelise nodded. "It was 16 or 17 years ago when the Rogue's took those hostages. One of them happened to be a woman who he was betrothed too. She was one of the only hostage's that weren't rescued. Some say she died others think she joined them. Either way that's why Gwendal's always so angry."
"You wouldn't happen to know his fiancés name, would you?"
"I believe it was Alison, why?"
Annelise had to sit down from shock. "You're kidding right. My mother, her name was Alison. She died during childbirth but a friend of hers- who had also been held hostage- told me of a man named Gwendal. That was right before my "father" sold me to a rich couple that he was collaborating with at the time. They were ok, but they made me wear these. She touched her eye gently in order to remove what appeared to be a green contact.
"You're a, a double black."
"Yeah…"
"Are you sure that it's the same Alison?"
"It's really just a gut feeling. My mother's friend didn't tell me much about Gwendal, she didn't really know him, but she told me that my mom made her one true love my legal guardian. I just never thought I'd find him here."
"I'll have father look for the records and see how Gwendal handle's it I guess."
"Thank you Giesela." Annelise responded by flinging her arms around Giesela in a big hug. "Just please don't tell the others about anything that I've told you now. Not just yet."
Giesela patted Annelise on the back. "Fine, you have my word." Once Giesela left, Annelise put her pajamas on and went straight to bed. Despite how excited she was about finding her godfather, her body was still weak.
"Who's there" Annelise woke to loud noise coming from somewhere outside the room. Looking at the hallway and then outside her window she found nothing that could have made the sound. As she shut her window, she noticed a small piece of paper. Upon examining it, a small emblem appeared. To her dismay, it was the same symbol she carried.
As Annelise looked around the corner, the guards to the main gate seemed preoccupied. While taking advantage of this moment she heard the noise of footsteps from behind her.
"I knew that someone of your kind couldn't be trusted."
"Gwendal..." She gasped falling to the ground. Gwendal then drew his sword holding it only feet away from her face. Annelise then drew the sword that she had hidden beneath her coat and threw Gwendal's aside
"I don't think you understand Gwendal. The Rogues are coming and I do not want Yuri or any of you to get involved. You don't need to get involved anyway, I can handle this myself."
"You ungrateful vermin, how dare you talk about the King so casually. If it were not for him, you would still be on the streets, as you it have be."
Annelise picked herself up, eyes swelling with tears. "It's hard to believe that I could be the descendent of someone who could have ever loved you." She ran off, leaving Gwendal in a state of shock.
End-Part 1