Chapter 4:
Froedrick and Gwen were walking around the garden catching up when they heard rapid foot prints coming up the drive. They ran toward the gates to identify the hurried riders.
"It's my father and Will," Gwen observed when they were still at a fair distance. She knew their riding well.
Froedrick nodded in agreement. "By the way that they are riding, it looks like they have news."
"Bad news," Gwen said as the riders came closer.
Froedrick blew out his breath loudly. "Let's find Phillip."
Phillip lay alone in his room, staring up at the cold stone ceiling above his head. Winston's words swam around in his head, mixed with images of Gwen and the memory of the kiss that they shared nearly a year earlier.
A knock on the door startled Phillip back to reality. He jumped nearly an inch off of the mattress before he could respond. "Yes?"
"Robin has returned my lord," Froedrick's voice filtered through the heavy door, his words rushed.
Phillip rose and tottered to the door, welcoming any distraction from his thoughts. He quickly opened the door, only to see Gwen standing silently beside Froedrick. So much for a distraction, but duty called. "Shall we?"
"They left England two days ago, by boat from the port of Sussex," Rob reported breathlessly as he entered the Great Hall.
Phillip nodded. "So they are out of the country. Then there is no threat to be concerned with?"
"Somehow I doubt that," Gwen replied. "They're up to something, they have to be."
"Majesty, what of John?" Froedrick asked in a small voice.
Phillip narrowed his eyes at his advisor. "In Scotland, or so my spies tell me."
"Are you sure?" Will challenged politely.
Phillip sat in silence for a moment, drumming his fingers against the wooden arm of the throne. "Winston! We need a map."
Winston trotted over, his arms loaded with charts and maps. He spread each out separately on a table in the middle of the room. Phillip shuffled through them until he located the United Kingdom. "Last word placed John here, in Edinbourough."
"Gwen, we'll leave for Scotland within the hour. When we find John, the other two will not be far," Rob said as he started for the door. "Will and I will get supplies, meet us in the stable in 30 minutes."
Gwen jogged in the direction of her room, to get changed.
"Gwen, wait!" Froedrick called, trying to catch up to her. "I'm coming with you."
She stopped abruptly in the hallway and turned to him in a hushed tone, "You have to stay here. Someone has to be around to protect Phillip."
"But-" Gwen pulled him into a quick hug. "Goodbye Froedrick."
"Be careful. God's speed."
Once safely in her room, Gwen quickly changed into her riding clothes and pulled her hair back into a braid. She was just packing a sack of her things when there was a knock on her door.
"Come in," she called with her back to the door.
She heard the door creak open. "Gwen, please don't go."
She spun around to find herself face to face with Phillip.
"I can't lose you again."
Against her better judgment, Gwen took a step closer to him. "Phillip, I-"
Before she could finish her thought, he closed the distance between their faces. An eternity seemed to pass as they shared a soft sweet kiss. Gwen's head reeled as she stepped away from him. "I have to go. I gave you my word that I would protect you forever, and I don't intend to break it. Goodbye."
She gave him a quick kiss before turning to leave.
"I love you Gwen," Phillip choked out as she took her first step out of the room.
"And I you, your Majesty."
Froedrick and Gwen were walking around the garden catching up when they heard rapid foot prints coming up the drive. They ran toward the gates to identify the hurried riders.
"It's my father and Will," Gwen observed when they were still at a fair distance. She knew their riding well.
Froedrick nodded in agreement. "By the way that they are riding, it looks like they have news."
"Bad news," Gwen said as the riders came closer.
Froedrick blew out his breath loudly. "Let's find Phillip."
Phillip lay alone in his room, staring up at the cold stone ceiling above his head. Winston's words swam around in his head, mixed with images of Gwen and the memory of the kiss that they shared nearly a year earlier.
A knock on the door startled Phillip back to reality. He jumped nearly an inch off of the mattress before he could respond. "Yes?"
"Robin has returned my lord," Froedrick's voice filtered through the heavy door, his words rushed.
Phillip rose and tottered to the door, welcoming any distraction from his thoughts. He quickly opened the door, only to see Gwen standing silently beside Froedrick. So much for a distraction, but duty called. "Shall we?"
"They left England two days ago, by boat from the port of Sussex," Rob reported breathlessly as he entered the Great Hall.
Phillip nodded. "So they are out of the country. Then there is no threat to be concerned with?"
"Somehow I doubt that," Gwen replied. "They're up to something, they have to be."
"Majesty, what of John?" Froedrick asked in a small voice.
Phillip narrowed his eyes at his advisor. "In Scotland, or so my spies tell me."
"Are you sure?" Will challenged politely.
Phillip sat in silence for a moment, drumming his fingers against the wooden arm of the throne. "Winston! We need a map."
Winston trotted over, his arms loaded with charts and maps. He spread each out separately on a table in the middle of the room. Phillip shuffled through them until he located the United Kingdom. "Last word placed John here, in Edinbourough."
"Gwen, we'll leave for Scotland within the hour. When we find John, the other two will not be far," Rob said as he started for the door. "Will and I will get supplies, meet us in the stable in 30 minutes."
Gwen jogged in the direction of her room, to get changed.
"Gwen, wait!" Froedrick called, trying to catch up to her. "I'm coming with you."
She stopped abruptly in the hallway and turned to him in a hushed tone, "You have to stay here. Someone has to be around to protect Phillip."
"But-" Gwen pulled him into a quick hug. "Goodbye Froedrick."
"Be careful. God's speed."
Once safely in her room, Gwen quickly changed into her riding clothes and pulled her hair back into a braid. She was just packing a sack of her things when there was a knock on her door.
"Come in," she called with her back to the door.
She heard the door creak open. "Gwen, please don't go."
She spun around to find herself face to face with Phillip.
"I can't lose you again."
Against her better judgment, Gwen took a step closer to him. "Phillip, I-"
Before she could finish her thought, he closed the distance between their faces. An eternity seemed to pass as they shared a soft sweet kiss. Gwen's head reeled as she stepped away from him. "I have to go. I gave you my word that I would protect you forever, and I don't intend to break it. Goodbye."
She gave him a quick kiss before turning to leave.
"I love you Gwen," Phillip choked out as she took her first step out of the room.
"And I you, your Majesty."