Chapter 10

She stepped through and found herself looking into the surprised face of a man who she used to play with when she was younger. "Robert? What are you doing here?" She demanded.

Robert smiled up at her and laughed, "I should be asking the same question of you, My Lady. What are you doing here so close to your father's lands where you could be recognized?"

She squared her shoulders and replied, "That is none of your concern. And I believe I asked first."

Robert gave her an assessing gaze with his hazel eyes, before replying, "We are annoying that idiot Daire."

"Annoying him, how?" She asked back.

"Come sit down," He said motioning to a cushion by him, "I'll fill you in on what has been happening since you have disappeared."

Addi paused for a second wondering if she should get involved in this, but she at least owed Robert a chance to explain before she decided. She sat down and waited for him to start. She looked over at him where he was staring at her, she narrowed her eyes and asked gruffly, "What?"

"You don't look very good with blonde hair, it washes the color out of your face. Did you know that?" He commented while lifting a hand to push some hair out of her face.

She automatically leaned back, a signal to him to stop, "I know about the blonde hair that is why I picked it, nobody gives me a second look usually."

He looked at her and brought back his hand, "Anyway, since your disappearance Daire has gotten worse. He has been bullying his way into everything. Demanding taxes, putting people in jail, tearing up the countryside looking for you. He even was coming onto your father's lands and doing the same thing, which is how I got involved."

Addi looked at him sadly, "So how are you annoying him?"

Robert smiled, "We are bandits that only attack him and his soldiers. We have been intercepting money that they are transporting, goods, food, etc. I have to admit that he is getting very annoyed at us, he has actually had company of soldiers come into the forest looking for us."

Addi sighed she knew that all these people could get arrested for attacking a nobleman but she had to admit what they were doing was needed. But she couldn't get involved she needed to go her own way, "I can't stay here Robert, I can't have any part of this."

Robert looked at her, some weird sparkle in his eyes, and responded, "I fear I must disagree, My Lady. This is the safest place that you can be. Daire has not found this camp nor will he, therefore he will not find you."

She looked at him definitely, "Are you going to keep me here against my will?"

He smiled and said, "Exactly."

Addi narrowed her eyes and stood up, "You cannot do that, I need to get as far away from the castle as fast as possible."

He stood up as well with the grin still on his face, "You are safe, don't worry, My Lady. I'll protect you."

She gritted her teeth as she looked at his smug face and raised a hand and slapped him as hard as she could across the face, "I don't need your protection, I need to be on my way."

He winced at the slap and commented to her, "You still hit as hard as I remember you do, but it won't work this time. Jamal!" He called.

A large man appeared through the door, "You called me, Rob."

"Escort Lady Adilyn to the guest tent and make sure she stays in it." Robert said firmly.

She sent a parting glare to Robert and marched out of the tent where she followed Jamal through the camp to a tent sitting in the middle of the camp. She sighed when she saw its location she wasn't going to be able to escape out of this one. Jamal held the tent flap open for her and she walked inside, she saw her bags had already been delivered to the tent. Without a word she sat down on her cot and refused to look at Jamal when he asked if she needed anything. He soon gave up and left her alone.

Addi laid down on her cot without bothering to change her clothes, this was a big mess she had gotten into. She knew she shouldn't be made at Robert, he thought he was protecting her, but she didn't want to be held in a bandit's camp instead of walking around free. She also didn't want to encourage any of Robert's feelings for her that he seemed to be holding onto. She thought back to the last time she had seen him, it was over five years ago. He was a village kid in one of the villages she always went to and helped during harvest time. They needed all the help they could get and always welcomed her when she came. She enjoyed playing with him when they were younger but as they got older they would just talk now and then. Nothing more, nothing less. She wasn't even aware of his growing feelings for her until he tried to tell her. Not knowing how to deal with it at that time she avoided him. She knew that was selfish of her, she panicked and didn't know what do to, so she avoided the problem.

She finally fell into a fitful sleep, as she remembered the past.

She woke up the next morning by the sound of tent flap moving, she sat up with a start trying to see who was coming through the opening. As her eyes adjusted to the light she saw it was Jamal bringing her some breakfast. She just motioned for him to set it on the little table. He asked again is she needed anything else which she again ignored.

When he had left she went and started picking at the food on the tray. She wasn't really hungry but she knew she needed to keep her strength up. She then went through her normal morning routine. She combed her hair, and changed her clothes. She then went to the cot and stretched out on it. She let her mind wander as she looked up at the rough tent fabric, it wandered back to the castle where she wondered what Matt must be doing right now, he was probably stuck in some social event, mad at her for not telling him her secret. She laid there all morning long until Robert came storming in and asked why she had stayed in her tent.

She looked calmly up at him, not moving from position on the cot and answered, "Because I am your prisoner. And prisoner's stay in tents."

He looked at her in surprise, "When did I say you were my prisoner?" he asked.

"When you refused to let me leave the camp." She calmly answered back.

"You are not a prisoner, you are allowed to get up and walk around the camp." He replied back his face confused.

She looked over at him and asked, "Can I leave the camp and go on my way?"

He wordlessly shook his head.

"See, I am too a prisoner." She said turning her head back to look at the top of the tent again.

Out of the corner of her eye she saw his hands ball up in frustration, he then stormed out of the tent. Addi smiled she was hoping for this reaction, she spent her whole afternoon like that as well, only leaving when she had to do the necessary.

The next day she was doing the exact same thing, just lying on her cot starting up at the tent. Robert around mid-afternoon had had enough of it, he came into the tent grabbed her arm and pulled her up. He said through gritted teeth, "You are not my prisoner, stop acting like one."

She looked at him evenly, "You are not taking my wishes into consideration. I don't want to stay here, and you are keeping me here. Therefore I am your prisoner."

She winced a little as he tightened his grip around her arm. "You are coming out of this tent with me and we are going to talk about this over dinner." He started toward the door, but she pulled back causing him to look back at her.

"Robert, we were once friends and it pains me to have to say this but you are right now acting like Daire." She said frightened of his reaction.

He narrowed his eyes and spat out, "I am nothing like that idiot, how could you say that?"

She gasped as he again had tightened his hold on her arm, "I say that because you are hurting my arm, I say that because you are forcing me to do what you want me to do. You are not listening to me." She looked into his angry hazel eyes her face pleading.

He looked at her in surprise and then looked down at him hand wrapped so tightly around her arm his knuckles were white. He gasped and let go of her, looking down at her red arm he stuttered apologizes.

Addi looked at him and said, "If you are sorry, let me go."

Robert looked at her, she could see the conflict in his eyes, "Daire may find you out there. I am only trying to keep you safe."

She smiled and responded, "I know, but I don't want to be kept safe in this way. Hidden away from the world."

He nodded and then whispered, "You win, you can go."

She thanked him and reached out and squeezed his hand before grapping her bags and heading out of the tent. She was surprised to met Jamal coming toward her with her horse already saddled. He smiled and commented, "I was listening, and I knew you would win. He really just wants to keep you safe."

"I know he does, but I can't stay here. I might have company in the next day and I am trying not to get him involved."

Jamal asked, "Get who involved, Rob or your company?"

She smiled sadly, "My Company. Rob is already involved because of this bandit idea."

He nodded his head and held out the horse's reigns to her. She accepted them and thanked him for his help. She then mounted her horse and headed out of camp. She rode as long as she could through the rest of the day and through the night. She finally stopped in a small clearing just as the sun was coming up through the trees. She hobbled her horse and curled up in a corner of the clearing, and went to sleep.

Author's note- I am on fire right now, I just want to keep writing and ignore everything else I have been doing. I hope you have enjoyed reading so far. Next chapter we pick up where we left Matt. Please review.