Letty's green poncho blended in with the trees as she climbed upward. She loaded her sling and waited. She knew she would have to make her shot count on the target, whoever it was. She held her breath and became very still, waiting.
The noise was a doe with her fawn, running from whatever frightened them.
Letty smile in spit of her worries, it was a beautiful sight of the two wild animals.
Feeling silly, yet careful, she slide down her tree gracefully, landing on her feet silently like a cat. Another benefit to training with Rosa was to learn herslef to protect the Princess.
...
"Lord Jesus, please show me the way. I have come a long way to give up now! Please help me find something or someone to help me find my family."
A minute later, she heard something snap under her foot. "hold still now," Jarick couldn't untie the blind fold when the lady wouldn't stop fighting him. "If you stop, I'll get a chance to explain my intentions!" She stilled, probably out of curiosity, he removed the handkerchief from her eyes. Rosa's eyes widened, this room was large. It appeared to be a bedroom, office and sitting room in one. The big golden harp she seen before, was near the big window in the sitting room. Jarick guided her to a chair with her arm; she felt his fingers rub the thin material of her sleeve. "I apologize for the secrecy, but I can't let you get lost in the maze"
Rosa sat in the seat he indicated, "maze?" she asked, thinking he jest.
"the maze of hallways, when my uncle built this house, he wanted to confuse the servants, by adding doors and halls that lead no where, he was a magician, you see."
"I see," Rosa didn't see, the point of any of this. Why was Jarick like this?
...
Next thing Letty knew; a stringed net had swallowed her right up! High in the air about 10 feet off the ground! She realized that someone had set this trap, but it wasn't Jarick. This was a hunter's trap, that meant there were people who lived here!
She lay there in the net struggling to pull out her knife to cut herself loose.
Then she heard a voice,
"Don't cut it!"
"What?"
The net turned a little to the side, but she could see through the net's holes. To see a tall man with a hood over his head like a shepherd from her Bible Stories.
"Can you help me, please? Since you don't want me to cut your net."
The man walked under her captive trap to look up and speak, "I would mind, you cutting my net. But, a 9 foot drop to the ground, would hurt!"
He chuckled, "besides, I never knew of any deer or creature that held a knife that could talk."
Letty was getting impatient, "are you one of Lord Jarick's men?"
"The, Lord Jarick? No, thank God"
Letty pushed her knife back into her belt's sheath, "that's comforting, but how do I get down?"
The man snagged a rope behind the tree, and started to untie it as he talked,
"be still, I'll help you down slowly."
He started to lower her with one hand on the rope, "Your very light in weight"
Letty sighed, "I'll pretend I didn't hear that"
"I can always let go of this rope…"
Letty was shocked, there where sharp rocks under her!
"you wouldn't dare-"
She started to drop a few feet quickly yelling, only to find herself in the tall man's arms.
He pulled the netting off her face and stared, "you're sure not a doe."
Letty felt uncomfortable her position as the hooded man continued to hold her close in his strong arms while she was still wrapped in the net, "please put me down"
He lowered her gently to her feet, and helped her pull the rest of the net off,
"I apologize that it was my trap"
Letty shook her head and smiled, "that's all right, no harm done"
She held out a hand, "my friends call me Letty, and I like to consider you a friend since you helped me down."
He dropped his net and stared at her hand, slowly he pulled off his glove to extend his big hand. Letty noticd that he didn't respond nor comment about her firm handshake.
...
"Princess Rosa, I'm giving you a fair deal. An alliance with the eastern Trade Routes, to the Royal Family. Hardly something to be taken, lightly"
Jarick glanced up at the young princess, she only looked at her feet.
"you need more time to think about it?" he asked, he was on edge already. All she had to do was agree with his idea and marry him. Simple as that, what's so complicating?
Rosa couldn't speak; she'd never marry this horrible man! Never, never!
Except, what about the others? She had seen the look in his eyes when he said that he, would, kill them. He wanted to!
Jarick kept a straight face, but his nails dug into the chairs arms when he leaned forward to stare at Rosa's face, "it is hopeless to resist, princess, choose me!"
The young girl glared at him, "I need more time"
After a pause, Jarick nodded and stood up, "the clock's ticking, Princess"
Adjusting the blindfold over her eyes again, he led her to the hallway.
...
"are we business partners now?"
Letty frowned, "what do you mean?"
"I was told that when two, shake hands, they close a deal."
Letty smiled, "Alright, here's a deal, we're friends, not enemies"
She then had a thought,
"oh yes, there is a another deal. You take me to a place I may rest before I continue my journey, and I'll see what I can do to thank you. A deal between friends."
The man nodded, "Alright"
Letty frowned, "I'm sorry, you haven't told me your name, and I can barely see your face"
The man removed his hood, he was a young man; with chestnut locks and a little mustache growing, and dark green eyes that stared like a cat.
"My mother calls me, Phillipe."
"That's nice"
...
Jarick hated to give the King's niece back in the dungeon; before he removed the blindfold, he kissed her soft hair. Before her fist came up and hit him square in the jaw.
He left rubbing his face without a word.
...
Rosa tore off the blind fold, stuffing it into her pocket.
She gazed at her family, her mother, aunt and uncle, and her own little niece, Anna, walking around to hug her knees.
Rosa stooped to pick up the little princess in her arms, she couldn't let everyone else suffer for her own selfish needs.
"Mama, he wants to marry me for a chance at the crown!"
"I know dear," the old woman nodded to the Royal couple,
"we all knew"
Rosa put Anna down, shocked, "y-you knew?"
They sadly nodded,
"why didn't you tell me?"
her mother shook her head, "it was not your place, now close your mouth, you're not a codfish"
Rosa shook as she spoke, "n-none of my business? For my own future husband?"
"He's not your future husband!"
"I never said he was!"
The queen gently looked at her sister, "Louise, its time she knew, she's got a right to know"
Rosa's mother sighed and continued,
"when Jarick first came to me to ask you for your hand, I told him you were too young."
"when, was this?" she asked her mother
"four years ago, now"
Rosa gasped, "you left him hanging like a waiting groom for four years! Without telling me!"
"Rosa Maria Teresa diAngelo! Don't you raise your voice to me!"
"what's wrong?" came a small voice
Rosa turned to see little Anna playing on the floor, looking up with her wide chocolate eyes.
"why fight?"
Rosa sighed, "we need to get out of here."
"but how?"
Rosa sat on the floor with her, "I don't know yet, Anna. Only God can help us now."
Anna clapped her hands, "pray to Jesus?"
Everyone smiled, Rosa nodded, "yes, we pray to Jesus."
"I talk to Jesus all the time, we talk about everything, and he hears me and loves me!"
Phillipe led the way back to his herds, "I'll take you to my Mother's, she lives about a mile away from the herds."
"thank you" Letty nodded her hooded head and glanced at his herds; she counted fifty dark heads covered in thick creamy wool. They were gathered into a small pasture among many trees, stone walls made of mud and rocks served as fencing. It continued on to a small house covered by a slope.
She turned to see her new friend, who was watching her in curiosity, she frowned,
"what is it?"
"I can't understand how a young lady, such as yourself, goes for a walk, sorry a journey as you call it,. Without escort. And by the way you talk, you could be a royal, or a friendly peasant without a brain asking for help from a stranger."
Letty ignored the comments, "As a matter of fact, if you must know. Before I was trapped in your net, I prayed for a sign from the Lord for help and guidance."
She turned her head to see a dark lamb pass by her leg to find his mother,
"Believe it or not, you could be the answer"
The shepherd stared saying nothing, only to turn his head as if looking for something.
He probably doesn't believe me, thought Letty with regret,
Lord, thank you, please let this man be the help you sent me.
"LaFaro! I'll let mine lose in the yard tonight! Mother has supper ready!"
Letty turned her head to where Phillipe had yelled, at a distance an older man in the same dress as Phillipe, waved his staff in acknowledgment.
Phillipe walked ahead of her, "this way to the house"
Rosa was glad little Anna was finally asleep on her lap, she didn't like the sounds and smells of the dungeon personally.
"Aunt Emma, there's got to be a way out of here"
The queen looked up with her gray eyes, and smiled, "lord Jarick, isn't the only one that can fool others."
Rosa frowned, "what do you mean?"
The queen lay her husband's arm to his side, and took her daughter gently in her arms cradling the little princess, smiling.
"I'm going to miss her"
Rosa stood up sharply, but quietly, she didn't want to wake her mother and everyone else.
"No one will die, there's got to be a better way"
The queen looked at her niece and smiled, "your like your father, in many ways"
"You know I'd rather die, than become this lord's wife or mistress"
"That is why we have a plan" the queen whispered wisely.
"We?" Rosa asked, as the queen gently lay her daughter on her own fur cloak on the dirt floor.
"While you were gone, we older people had a discussion"
Rosa felt uneasy, "yes?"
The queen walked to one of the walls, under a barred window.
Whispering she pulled out two stone bricks,
"A few of these are loose, but with these old nails, we have been chiseling at these for a few nights now while you have distracting Ann and lord Jarick."
"I have been distracting?"
The queen pointed for her to peek through the rectangle hole in the dungeon wall.
Rosa looked through to see three armed archers talking a few yards away.
She covered the hole with the brick,
"Can't get out that way, Auntie"
"Why? Because there are only three guards, and it would take years to chisel all these bricks to make a hole big enough for us old people?"
Rosa looked at her aunt in puzzlement as the wise queen explained the escape plan.
"Willie, stop scratching and pay attention!"
Willie Min, tried to listen to his master's instructions, but it was hard when one has survived a patch of poison three green leaves, and only had horse manure and herbs to help the cure.
"Listen Willie! If Juan Diego lives, you won't!"
Willie gulped and forgot about his itches for a minute. His Master looked more determined than ever.
He started talking to himself again,
"She's delaying because she loves another, I know it!"
He glared at the little man, "Why are you standing around with your mouth open, get going!"
Willie started to run for the door, hearing his master call over his shoulder,
"You only have one week! He had better be dead!"
…