Chapter 3

The Truth

Emmett stood there for a moment a little dazed, but then he heard the sound that had startled her. Men were coming up to the camp.

Deciding that it would be safest to pretend that he had been there for days, he sat down by the fire pit and tried to start a fire. Just as he was getting a spark, the men appeared. There were five of them all dressed similar to Ayden. The tallest one walked up and spoke first.

"Excuse me, but you haven't seen a young woman around here have you?"

"A woman?" Emmett asked, trying to look confused. "Mmm no. I don't believe I have. Why?"

"She is a dangerous fugitive. She was working for King Rupert, when she killed her husband and abruptly left his service. It was only after she escaped that we found out she had been killing people almost every month. They say that one day she just snapped and killed her husband. The realization of what she had done must have finally hit her so she ran. And anyway, she would more that likely look more like a man than a woman. She keeps her hair short. Well, it's about your length I guess, unless she has let it grow. It's kind of a dirty blonde color.

And if she hasn't taken to wearing anything else, her ensemble should be all black. She should also be heavily armed. She has killed before, so don't believe she will stop and think before she kills again. If you see her, don't think it necessary to try to bring her in alive. We certainly aren't if we…excuse me, I mean when we find her. Take care sir. Oh and by the way, you have a rose in you hair and thorns in your sleeve. Just thought I'd let you know. " With that, the band of men turned around and headed back into the woods.

Emmett just sat there, not sure what exactly he should do. He didn't know what to believe. Did he just help a murderer escape? Or was she innocent and being chased under false accusations? What ever it was, he wanted the truth. But he didn't see her anywhere.

Suddenly though, there was a hand on his shoulder and a small voice said,

"I guess I owe you and explanation after all." Ayden sat down beside him and staring at her hands, she began her story.

"I was fifteen when I met William. My mom left soon after I was born, and my dad had just recently died so I went to live at my best friends house. She had a family Christmas party that year and her cousin came. I had never seen him before, but I had heard her talk about him somewhat.

He was tall, and of good build. He had blonde hair that he mostly wore in a ponytail. He had the brightest blue eyes I had ever seen. You could look into them and see his soul. William was a poet, and quite good actually. He had high cheekbones, which only showed off his eyes even more…he had such beautiful eyes. They were so pure and always full of laughter. Anyway, we really got to know each other during the party. He loved to play with my hair. It used to be so long. It was down to my waist then.

After the party, he courted me. We would go on dates, and he would occasionally steal a kiss or two. They were so sweet, and so full of love and passion. And yet they were also tender and careful, as if he were afraid he would hurt me. That went on for two years, when finally, he got up enough courage to ask me to marry him. Poor thing, he was so nervous. He could barely speak. He ended up just falling to one knee and pulling out the ring. He didn't say a word, but you could tell. His eyes were so pleading. I said yes, of course and we got married. That was soon after my seventeenth birthday.

We went on our honeymoon that was supposed to be three weeks all to ourselves in a little cabin out in the woods where we could be all alone. Where we could just be each others.

It was amazing, but by the end of that that first night, King Rupert showed up on our door step saying that my dad had worked for him and since I just turned seventeen and was my fathers only child, I was obligated to take his place, now that I was old enough to be an adult. I told him no, I just got married; I didn't want to go off and work. But that was so completely the wrong thing to say.

The king got so angry that he grabbed a sword and held William at sword-point until I agreed to work for him. So for five years I worked for him…unfortunately as an assassin. I hated it, but if I even complained the tiniest bit he would hurt William. So I had no choice.

One day, about a year ago, I was sent to kill a man. I got there and I couldn't. He looked so much like my husband that I just stood there. Then his wife woke up, turned, saw me and screamed. I ran. When the king found out that I hadn't killed the man, he got angry. He came at me and began throwing knives. William, I guess, heard all this and came running. When he saw what was happening he jumped in front of me just as a knife came flying out of Rupert's hand. It struck him right through the heart. The king stood there in shock for a moment, but that was long enough. I grabbed William and ran with him. All my years of training had made me strong. So I ran as far as I could, then I just finally dropped. William was gasping for breath now.

I laid him on the ground and cradled his head in my arms, close to my heart. I was trying my hardest not to cry, not to let him see me cry. I needed to be strong for him…but I couldn't; tears came flowing out of my eyes and down onto his face. But he was brave.

He put his hand on my face and looked into my eyes. And with his last breath he told me he loved me. His hand slacked and he just lay there, not moving. All I did that night was hold him and cry. And when I had no more tears left to cry with, I just laid on him, resting my head where his heart should have been beating. But that morning I knew I couldn't just stay there for the rest of my life, so I buried him there. I already had everything that I would need for the road, so I left.

I didn't know that the king wanted me dead until now. So…great. But that is my story, and you now know the truth. Take it or leave it."

After saying this, Ayden looked up into Emmett's eyes. Her eyes were full to the brim with tears. And his were slightly red. The story he knew was true. He saw all the pain it had caused her and realized she had been out in the world alone. She didn't seem to have talked to another human in at least a year, and here she was, finally telling someone the whole story, finally letting go of such a big burden.

She was asking him if he wanted to stay with her, to help her evade the impending soldiers that looked for her. And, since he had nothing better to do…