It was a warm evening in 1370 AD. Bella is a young maid, who travels around the English countryside seeking work or singing in market squares in exchange for a few coins or bread. She would sell trinkets or muck stalls, anything to stay fed. Traveling alone was dangerous in these times. She preferred to travel with groups or with an escort if she could barter for one. But today, she was alone. She made poor time on foot. She always aimed to save enough money to purchase a steed, but could never scrape the money together. She was on her way to Southern England, in search of warmer weather before the Fall set in.

She heard a noise on the path behind her. She hid behind a sturdy tree and peered out from behind it. She saw a lone man traveling with a wagon, drawn by a horse. She made herself visible now.

"Good sir, are you heading southward? May I fetch a ride with you?" Bella implored. The man looked at her skeptically.

"Aye, if you move quickly maid." He responded gruffly

The pair rode for sometime and made light conversation. He commanded the reigns and Bella was in the wagon, among bushels of apples. He maintained a steady speed.

Ahead on the path, Bella saw five men on horseback rapidly approaching them. The man spoke over his shoulder, "Hide under an empty sack. I'm not sure yet if these be friend or foe." Bella acquiesced his request with concern.

She felt her heartbeat grow louder as the unknown group galloped nearer.

She heard a strong voice say, "Aye, merchant, what are you bringing to sell?"

The merchant nervously replied, "All there be is Apples for the next town over."

The man dismounted from his horse, and his footsteps were very close to the sack Bella was hiding under. She heard a blade being drawn out. The bag next to her were pierced and sliced from the top to the bottom. The merchant remained still on his perch. She felt the weight of apples on top of her. The man continued to slice the bags until he found what he was looking for, "What's this? A sack of letters?"

The merchant was no merchant. He was a spy, transporting illicit letters, seeking to undermine the current government. "The punishment for traitors is death. Do you have anything to say?" The weapon-wielding man spoke with conviction while the others grabbed the man, who trashed violently.

The spy snarled, "You filthy pack, doing the King's bidding. You will never stop the unrest, the resentment." The man took his sword down upon his dead, and lopped it clean off. Bella knew of the unrest within the country. About a decade ago, many noble families, Lord and Ladies, were murdered. The King replied and punished the perpetrators. But the class distinction has never faded.

The man wiped the blood from his sword onto the deceased man's tunic and sheathed his sword. His accompanying men began to gather the letters and build a shallow grave for the man.

The leader let out a breath of air. "You can come out now."

Bella's heart stopped. Was he talking to her? Those moments lasted a lifetime.

"Come out now." The man encouraged.

Tears began to fill Bella's eyes, and she choked out a cry. Was she about to die? The sack was removed from her body. The setting sun made the world a shade of reds and oranges. She dried her eyes with the sleeve of her worn dress and looked at the scene around her. Blood of a traitor stained the ground. Apples lay about in odd piles. A group of frightening men surrounded the wagon.

She looked around, finding escape to be hopeless. The leader stared for a long while before a confused smirk danced on his fact, "How does a lass like you find herself in a traitor's wagon?"

She made eye contact with the fearsome man, then rapidly cast her eyes downward. No words came to mind that would be believable. The man's face, his voice all sounded familiar, but she couldn't place it.

"I didn't...I didn't...um...know..." Bella responded, hoping it sounded as true as it was. She began to shift from laying down in the cart to kneeling, a few apples rolling away from her small frame. She kept her eyes downward. "I am so sorry, Sir. I didn't mean to get mixed up in this. I am firmly loyal to the King. I have traveled far and wide over this land. I have seen so much hate, but I have seen all the goodness of the King." She pressed her head to her knees, bowing the man. "I am so earnestly sorry, good Lord. Please forgive my brief associated with the deceased." She trembled as she spoke.

"Come here, maid." He cooed. Bella minded, and began to slide herself from the cart, onto the level ground of the path. She looked up at him, his frame was tall and the man was handsome.

"We shall escort you to wherever you are going." He answered firmly. Bella didn't know where she was going, so she simply nodded.