CHAPTER 11

"It is a lovely day, is it not?" Amiley asked as she and Syrah walked their horses in the open fields of Foxwood Hollow.

The land was crown land that was located about five miles east of the city, but all had a right to hunt there. In dire times, peasant families appreciated the free food that the forest offered to feed their bellies. Even though the land grew and raised their own food, they would add the wild meet to their diet when food was scares.

Syrah looked around, "Lovely? Yes…productive? No."

"I need to go out for a hunt, Syrah. I do not wish to be in the castle today."

"Avoiding someone?" The Agora grinned.

"Why did you go searching for him?"

"Because I had to explain to him our plight, he is still your husband."

"We have no plight. I do not need him to rule and I do not need him to give me an heir." Amiley growled.

"And who will you give the throne to? Fernando?"

"Of course not, I just have not thought of that yet. Perhaps I could wait until Fernando is married and his wife is with child. I can claim it as mine by Royal Decree. I can then raise the child as my father would have. I will not take the chance of my Uncle being near the child after it is born."

"You could…" Syrah began, "…or you can just hold back your pride and take the Prince to your bed…."

"I would rather be raped by a hoard of Ogres." Amiley replied, she began to hear the sound of pounding hooves from behind them.

"Who is it now?' Syrah asked as they turned their horses around to greet the rider.

Amiley looked carefully at the rider, her face changed to a foul look as she realized who it was.

"Why can he not just let me be?" She asked as Mark pulled his horse to a stop in front of the woman.

He nodded at Syrah then turned to Amily, "Your highness…"

"I have told you that there is nothing for us to say to each other that has not been said, Marcus. I wish for you to just leave me alone!" Amiley shouted at him before turning her horse away and nudging the stallion to a trot away from them.

Mark turned to Syrah, "Can you give us a minute?"

"As long as I keep you in view, my Lord." She grinned, she enjoyed this too much.

Mark nudged Harley into a canter as he raced to meet up with the fleeing Queen, he was going to get this done now. He pushed the mare to a gallop until he reached her, Harley slowed down to the stallion's pace just a little a head of them as Mark grabbed onto Ebony's bridle and forced the stallion to a stop.

"Let go of my horse!" Amiley shouted as she tried to hit Mark with her bow.

Mark grabbed onto the bow firmly and pulled it out of her hands, "Not until you talk to me. I'm not taking your shit anymore babe, you're going to listen to me weather you like it or not!"

Amiley glared at him with spiteful look, "You even sound like a human. You make me sick."

"I know, you hate me, I get the point. But I'm not back here to gain any points with you. You need an heir for your throne and I'm the only one that can give you that. It is our Duty to our fathers and to this land that we proved them with an heir, regardless of how we feel for each other. I know it and you know it. I'll make it really easy for you, as soon as we find out you're pregnant, I'll leave, never to come back here again. We both know that it's what we both want. You can raise the baby without me hanging around, I won't interfere in his life at all. You can tell him I died or something, but we have to do this. The sooner you get pregnant, the sooner I can leave you alone forever."

Amiley was silent, but her eyes told him that she was more pissed than ever, "Why do you not just leave now? Because there is no way in the nine hells that I will ever let you into my bed, you pig."

"You have no choice, Amiley. We both know that Fernando goes with the men, if you know what I mean. You know that when he gets married, their marriage will never be consummated, there will be no heir. Your father's line will die. What are you going to do then?" It was harsh, but it was the truth.

Amiley was silent, a tear came down her eye. She whistled a small shrill from her lips, the stallion reared hard on his back legs and knocked the Prince of his horse as Harley became startled by the action. Mark fell on the grass on his back, as he looked up he saw Amiley on her stallion galloping away in the distance.

"I take it that she still is resisting you?" Syrah asked as she road up to the Prince and looked down at him with grinning eyes.

Mark stood up on his feet and grabbed a hold of Harley's reins, "I think the easiest way to do this is just get her so drunk that she passes out and just do it then. I don't know what else to do."

Syrah smiled, "Just give her time, my Lord. Her wound is still raw."

"I don't have time!" Mark shouted in anger, "I need to get this done so I can go back home and forget this ever happened! You want this more than any of us, Syrah, why can't you just fucken help me with her?"

"I am, you may not know but I am. I have mentioned to her just before you came, I will speak with her more on this. I must say, you are definitely trying harder than I thought you would."

"What else am I supposed to do with a sword at my throat?"

"I will do anything I need to do to fulfill my King's last wish." Syrah said as Mark mounted his horse.

"What did the King exactly tell you to do?" The Prince asked.

"The King had sent a spy to search for you right after you left, an Agora was already sending the information of your new human life to the King much before the Princess did. Amiley didn't know that he knew everything and he didn't want to tell her, it broke his heart to watch her lie to protect your family's honour. At his death bed, the King ordered me to do anything necessary to bring you back here and take your rightful place. I waited until I knew that Amiley would be alright without me at her side during this time. I waited five years before I could leave her, I already knew where you lived and who you were with. You were not difficult to find with your image posted all around the stadiums. And to think, an undertaker is the lowest form of occupation one could have back here. Instead of a King, you would rather be a Peasant."

"It's a better life than being here." Answered Mark, "And when the King meant necessary…"

"I have no issues leaving the Kingdom at a moment's notice to travel back to the human world and kill your whore if you do not conceive a child with the Queen, if that is what you are asking."

"Pretty much." Mark said as he turned Harley around to start his long ride back to the castle.