DISCLAIMER: None of the characters you recognise belong to me!! Obviously,
cuz otherwise I wouldn't be writing fanfiction - I'd be rich!! LOL!!
A/N: Thanks to everyone who's reviewed this!! I didn't think that many people would actually read this, but I've been proved wrong!! And once again, sorry for not updating more regularly!! I really will try better this time, I promise! Plus I've been writing this fic for AGES and I really do want to get it finished! So I'll concentrate on this for a while! ( Reviews are, as always, appreciated!! So hit that review button!
Henry reined his horse in and stared around the courtyard in puzzlement. A castle he size of Pierre le Pieu's would surely have people around all of the time - a guardsman, a servant, anyone. Instead a solitary raven croaked on the wall and Henry glanced at it briefly before dismounting from his horse. He walked over to the heavy door of the castle and brought the cast iron knocker down on it, hard. No one came. Henry tried again. After a few minutes he gave up and went back to his horse. As he swung himself up into the saddle he heard a quavering voice. "Your Highness?"
Henry turned to see an old man, gaunt and dressed in rags. His hands were near blue, and trembling in the fierce, chill wind. "Are you searching for Monsieur le Pieu, your Highness?" Henry nodded. "Yes," he said. "Do you know where he is?" "Yes," the old man whispered, the words being whipped away by the wind even as he said them. "He went away late last night. He took his guards with him.and the girl." "A girl?" Henry said, his voice rising in agitation. "Are you sure? What did she look like?" "I - I'm not sure what she looked like, your Highness. Forgive me, it was late and my eyes ain't what they used to be." "Do you know where they went? Do not lie, the punishment will be most severe if you do." Henry put on the voice he used to deal with the ladies of the court when they were irritating him. It seemed to work on the old man. Henry felt a moment of pity for him, but soon brushed it away. Danielle was more important. "I'm not sure, your Highness, but I heard two of the other servants talking about how Monsieur le Pieu had ordered them to prepare clothing suitable for a British climate. The girl, whoever she was, didn't want to go, that's for sure. She wouldn't get on the horse at first, but then the Monsieur leant towards her and said something. She got on pretty quick after that," the old man paused, and then added on "Your Highness," almost as an afterthought.
Henry's heart sunk. Britain! It would take even longer to find Danielle now, and he bowed his head briefly. "Thank you," he said to the old man. "If you come to the palace I will instruct them to find you a place there, in return for your kindness. I doubt le Pieu's credentials as an employer." "Thank you, your Highness, thank you!" the old man cried to Henry's retreating back. He watched the Prince leave with his men, and raised his hand in farewell. No one saw.
As Henry rode back to the palace his thoughts turned to what he was going to do next. He determined to talk to his father as soon as he returned, get together some men at arms, and head straight for the nearest port.
Danielle felt suffocated in the tiny room that she was in. The rolling of the ocean beneath her feet had thrown her off balance and she had to keep a hand on the wall to steady herself. She had absolutely no idea where they were going, she only knew that le Pieu had woken her in the night and told her to get dressed for a voyage. They had arrived in the port in the early hours of the morning and immediately boarded a ship and set sail. Then le Pieu had locked her in this tiny room.
Danielle could hear shouting coming from beyond the locked door, although she couldn't decipher the words. A key turned in the lock. The door swung open. Danielle could make out the face of one of le Pieu's guards silhouetted against the light flooding into the room. She forced herself to stand straight and not to sway with the ship's rocking. It was easier than she had expected and she realised that the ship was no longer moving, or at least they were in calmer waters. "Where are we?" she asked the guard, not expecting him to reply. She was surprised when he did. "In England. Dover to be precise. Le Pieu wishes to see you up on the deck." The man came further into the room and Danielle could now see him clearly. He was younger than she had expected - he must only have been around twenty-five - and had messy light brown hair. He didn't look like the sort of person to work for le Pieu, but then he probably hadn't had much of a choice in the matter, Danielle thought wryly. "What is your name?" Danielle thought that she might as well try to get acquainted with the people she would be around in the time to come. Allies would always be useful. "Mine is Danielle." "I know. Everyone knows," the man said quietly. "About you.and the Prince and your stepmother."
Danielle glanced up at the man's face. His expression was hard to read. She thought it might be pity. She stared down at her hands, willing back the tears. He must have sensed that Rodmilla and Henry were not people she wished to discuss. "I'm sorry - and my name is William." He stepped aside, motioning for her to go through the door to the corridor beyond. Danielle stopped. There were two branches to the corridor. "Which way is it?" she asked faintly. "Oh. Sorry. It's straight ahead."
Danielle nodded, and with her head held high, started walking.
A/N: Thanks to everyone who's reviewed this!! I didn't think that many people would actually read this, but I've been proved wrong!! And once again, sorry for not updating more regularly!! I really will try better this time, I promise! Plus I've been writing this fic for AGES and I really do want to get it finished! So I'll concentrate on this for a while! ( Reviews are, as always, appreciated!! So hit that review button!
Henry reined his horse in and stared around the courtyard in puzzlement. A castle he size of Pierre le Pieu's would surely have people around all of the time - a guardsman, a servant, anyone. Instead a solitary raven croaked on the wall and Henry glanced at it briefly before dismounting from his horse. He walked over to the heavy door of the castle and brought the cast iron knocker down on it, hard. No one came. Henry tried again. After a few minutes he gave up and went back to his horse. As he swung himself up into the saddle he heard a quavering voice. "Your Highness?"
Henry turned to see an old man, gaunt and dressed in rags. His hands were near blue, and trembling in the fierce, chill wind. "Are you searching for Monsieur le Pieu, your Highness?" Henry nodded. "Yes," he said. "Do you know where he is?" "Yes," the old man whispered, the words being whipped away by the wind even as he said them. "He went away late last night. He took his guards with him.and the girl." "A girl?" Henry said, his voice rising in agitation. "Are you sure? What did she look like?" "I - I'm not sure what she looked like, your Highness. Forgive me, it was late and my eyes ain't what they used to be." "Do you know where they went? Do not lie, the punishment will be most severe if you do." Henry put on the voice he used to deal with the ladies of the court when they were irritating him. It seemed to work on the old man. Henry felt a moment of pity for him, but soon brushed it away. Danielle was more important. "I'm not sure, your Highness, but I heard two of the other servants talking about how Monsieur le Pieu had ordered them to prepare clothing suitable for a British climate. The girl, whoever she was, didn't want to go, that's for sure. She wouldn't get on the horse at first, but then the Monsieur leant towards her and said something. She got on pretty quick after that," the old man paused, and then added on "Your Highness," almost as an afterthought.
Henry's heart sunk. Britain! It would take even longer to find Danielle now, and he bowed his head briefly. "Thank you," he said to the old man. "If you come to the palace I will instruct them to find you a place there, in return for your kindness. I doubt le Pieu's credentials as an employer." "Thank you, your Highness, thank you!" the old man cried to Henry's retreating back. He watched the Prince leave with his men, and raised his hand in farewell. No one saw.
As Henry rode back to the palace his thoughts turned to what he was going to do next. He determined to talk to his father as soon as he returned, get together some men at arms, and head straight for the nearest port.
Danielle felt suffocated in the tiny room that she was in. The rolling of the ocean beneath her feet had thrown her off balance and she had to keep a hand on the wall to steady herself. She had absolutely no idea where they were going, she only knew that le Pieu had woken her in the night and told her to get dressed for a voyage. They had arrived in the port in the early hours of the morning and immediately boarded a ship and set sail. Then le Pieu had locked her in this tiny room.
Danielle could hear shouting coming from beyond the locked door, although she couldn't decipher the words. A key turned in the lock. The door swung open. Danielle could make out the face of one of le Pieu's guards silhouetted against the light flooding into the room. She forced herself to stand straight and not to sway with the ship's rocking. It was easier than she had expected and she realised that the ship was no longer moving, or at least they were in calmer waters. "Where are we?" she asked the guard, not expecting him to reply. She was surprised when he did. "In England. Dover to be precise. Le Pieu wishes to see you up on the deck." The man came further into the room and Danielle could now see him clearly. He was younger than she had expected - he must only have been around twenty-five - and had messy light brown hair. He didn't look like the sort of person to work for le Pieu, but then he probably hadn't had much of a choice in the matter, Danielle thought wryly. "What is your name?" Danielle thought that she might as well try to get acquainted with the people she would be around in the time to come. Allies would always be useful. "Mine is Danielle." "I know. Everyone knows," the man said quietly. "About you.and the Prince and your stepmother."
Danielle glanced up at the man's face. His expression was hard to read. She thought it might be pity. She stared down at her hands, willing back the tears. He must have sensed that Rodmilla and Henry were not people she wished to discuss. "I'm sorry - and my name is William." He stepped aside, motioning for her to go through the door to the corridor beyond. Danielle stopped. There were two branches to the corridor. "Which way is it?" she asked faintly. "Oh. Sorry. It's straight ahead."
Danielle nodded, and with her head held high, started walking.