Chapter 10:

Stuck in the Past

Roxane sat on the steps that led to the kitchens of the pub and thought about the last week. Her morning sickness had left her, but she felt like her heart was going to break. She felt horrible about leaving the Prince the way she did, but at the time, she had no other choice. She was doing this not only for herself and the child, but for the Prince also. She could not tell him what had happened to her. It would hurt the both of them too much.

Roxane had arrived at the pub a week ago, and she still felt uneasy about the place. It was not as bad as she had thought it would have been, but it was still a pub. She had chopped her hair from its mid-back point all the way to her shoulders. She had also placed rixworm in it to lighten her once black hair to an almost blonde color. The change was dramatic, and she hardly recognized herself in Meja's small mirror.

Meja walked out of the main room and looked at Roxane with a worried look. "Is the baby fine?" she asked.

"Yes," replied Roxane. She got up and let the black fabric of her mourning dress fall to the ground. "I am just thinking."

"Ah," replied Meja. "You up for working?"

"Any way that I can help."

"Good. You make some bread and put the loaves into the oven."

Roxane nodded and walked through the open door frame that cut the kitchen off from the small hall that led to the stairs. She gathered the few ingredients that she needed and set to work. The rhythmic pattern of her kneading the bread let her mind wander to her past.

The Prince sat at the main fire of the cam and stared into the flames. Dustfinger sat to his right and Cloud Dancer sat to his left. He was about ready to scream at himself for not going into the pub earlier that day. He could have found Roxane, but he didn't. He didn't want to scare her away; to make her run. He had cursed himself out earlier and then went to drown his sorrows in the ale at the camp. Dustfinger had taken the drink away from him an hour or so, but still his mind clouded.

"So you didn't go. It is not the end of the world," said Dustfinger.

"You can always go tomorrow," said Cloud Dancer.

"Buthat might be tool ate," slurred the Prince.

"How much did he drink?" asked Cloud Dancer to Dustfinger.

"Too much."

"I only had one bottle," whispered the Prince.

"And that is one too many," said Dustfinger.

The Prince nodded his head, and then slumped backwards into his bear. Dustfinger looked at his friend with disgust, and then stood up. Turning to Cloud Dancer he said, "He needs to figure out what he wants." Cloud Dancer nodded and the two of them walked away from the sleeping Prince and to their tents.

"Roxane," said Meja making Roxane turn from her work.

"What is it Meja?" asked Roxane.

"Hide. In the place in your room."

"Who is here?"

"A man."

"Of what color?"

"Light skin. I think it is the father of your child."

Roxane's face paled as she mouthed the word 'Basta.' She nodded to Meja and hurried out of the kitchen and up the stairs to her room. She rounded the corner of the small hallway and ran into a figure in a dark cape. "Sorry," murmured Roxane as she flitted past the man.

"No worries ma'am," said the slick voice of the man.

Roxane nodded and instead of entering her own room, she opened the door to the empty room. She closed the door, locked it, and hurried to the window. She looked out of it and saw that she would be able to jump from the window to the roof of the house next to the pub. She got ready to jump, and as she was prepping herself to make the leap, she heard the knob jiggle and a body slam against the door. She knew it would not hold. She jumped out of the window as the door flung itself open.

She felt the rush of the wind sweep past her as she leapt from the window. She hit the roof opposite of the window and heard a crack as she caught herself from the jump. Hot pain darted up her arm as she rushed across the roof and scurried down the other side. Once in the ally, she rushed through the stinking streets and to the only safe place she could think of.

Basta watched as his woman flung herself from the window. She landed on the roof opposite of the window, but he had heard the crack of a bone breaking. He cursed at the woman as she slipped off of the roof and into a mysterious ally on the other side of the roof and ran away. He thought back to the last time he had seen her run.

The sound of the guards was sounded making every soul in the fortress to wake. A messenger ran through the halls yelling that a captive had escaped and all men were ordered to catch her. Basta leapt out of his bed and threw his shoes on. He rushed out of his room and saw two figures disappear into the woods.

"The woods," someone yelled, causing every man to gather his sword and a torch. The pack of wild men, hungry with hate for an escapee, rushed into the woods.

The men split up and combed the forest. A yell went up though the woods and all of the men rushed to the sound. Hannah, a small daughter of one of the guards had been found coming back out of the forest. Her father pointed to the small girl and yelled, "Death." That was what the girl would get for helping someone escape. She would die.

The next morning the little girl was led up to the gallows at the center of the large courtyard and was placed under the noose. A bucket was placed under her so her head would easily be placed into the loop of rope. Her mother yelled and screamed for mercy, but no one listened to her. The man at the gallows read the gathered the crime the little girl had committed, and then dropped the trap door.

The girl's mother screamed as her daughter fell. She rushed up to the man who had pulled the door and started to hit him. He grabbed the woman and shoved her away from himself. She fell to the ground, hitting her head as she landed. A pool of blood formed a halo around her head, but no one dared to help her. If they did, they would receive the same fate as her.

Capricorn walked slowly to the front of the crowd and ordered for silence. "Listen, and listen carefully. The woman named Roxane has escaped, and she will be found. She carries something that we want."

As Capricorn said the name of the woman, Basta howled in rage. "Let me get her sir," demanded Basta.

"You will go, Basta. And take Micka with you. Gather four others and head out. I want the woman back her in nine months." Basta nodded and turned his back to the dangling figure of the girl. His woman would get the same fate after she gave them what they wanted. And what they wanted was the heir to the fortress; the next child to Capricorn; the child of Basta.