I am finally able to sort out what I want to write, so here is another chapter. I'm not sure when I'll post my next one, so keep checking for it! Thanks to all my readers, I love reading what you have to say about it. On with the story!

Chapter 14

Rescued

As he watched, Nicholas saw that this girl was headed directly at him, but he was certain that she did not know he was there. When she was just about upon him, he jumped forward, grabbed her with one arm and clasped his free hand around her mouth so that she couldn't scream. As soon as she saw him, the girl put up her arms in order to fend him off of her, but he was too quick, so instead she just ended up digging her fingers into his chest and trying to push him back.

At once Nicholas realized that this girl was Clair, but he was too afraid that if he let her go, she would scream and signal to Jeremy that something was wrong. I bet she thinks that I am Jeremy. he thought to himself miserably. Trying to calm her down, he started talking to her, "Clair, Clair you're alright. Clair, stop struggling! Calm down! It's me! It's Nicholas, I'm not Jeremy! Please stop struggling against me Clair; I'm not going to hurt you!"

Quickly, Clair walked into the woods hoping that Jeremy wasn't there waiting for her. Almost instantly after she took her first step into the woods, she saw a figure lunging for her, so she automatically thought that it was Jeremy, so she put up her hands in order to try and fend him off, but he was too quick.

Clair struggled against him, but she couldn't break away. It took her a few second to realize that this man was talking to her, so she listened. "...stop struggling! Calm down! It's me! It's Nicholas, I'm not Jeremy! Please stop struggling against me Clair; I'm not going to hurt you!"

It can't be Nicholas, this is a trick! You're mind is playing with you, don't give in...don't give in! she thought to herself desperately. Don't believe him; he is just trying to trick you! But she couldn't make herself not listen. Slowly, she stopped fighting, and realized that it really was Nicholas, and that she was safe. Breaking down at the thought of being free, Clair leaning into Nicholas and cried.

"Hush! Hush, you mustn't cry! You're safe, I promise! I won't let him hurt you again!" Nicholas tried to calm her down, but it wasn't working. Wrapping his arms around her, he pulled her into a comforting hug. "Oh Clair, what did he do to you? This isn't the strong tough willed girl I know, what did he do to you? Clair, you have to tell me!"

After a few minutes of him just holding her, Clair backed away from Nicholas. "I don't want to talk about it." she mumbled to him, wiping away her tears on her already dirty sleeve.

"You don't have to tell me, but Lord Randal is going to ask and......oh, we need to go tell the others that I have you. Your brother has been worried sick about you and..."

"My brother is here? I do not want to see him. We can just leave now and I will be perfectly fine with that." Clair said stubbornly.

"No, I need to tell the soldiers that I brought with me, or else they are going to attack Jeremy, and your father would not be pleased with that." Nicholas told her in a very matter of fact tone.

Wow, Nicholas has changed since I've been gone! I'm starting to see the old, confident Nick who loved to get into mischief, but hated getting into trouble; and blamed it all on me. Clair thought to herself, trying not to laugh because she knew that this was not funny in the slightest. "If I have to go, then I'll go, but I am not talking to Lord Randal." she told him, saying her brother's name with disgust.

"Just because he gave up the crown to you, does not me that you have to hate him. He did not do anything wrong!" Nicholas told her.

"Yes he did! I have to be queen now because of that dolt! He renounced he title, so that he could marry whomever he chooses! I on the other hand, have to marry whomever my father chooses!" she shouted at him.

Feeling hurt, Nicholas started walking to where some of his men were on the side of the cabin, knowing that Clair would follow him. Reaching the first group, he told one of his soldiers to get the others.

A few minutes later, the five soldiers and Randal were all running over to Nicholas, thinking that they were finally going to attack the cabin. "Did you see somebody sir?" asked one of the soldiers.

"Are we finally going to ambush them?" asked anther."

"Let me guess," sneered Randal. "You finally figured out that there is no one here. Am I correct?" Smirking, he sat on the ground with his back to a tree. "I don't know what my father was thinking putting you in command. You have never led anybody before, and you have never gone out to find anybody, so how are you supposed to be able to find my sister? If you would just relinquish your commands to me, we wouldn't be going on some wild goose chase up through these hills! I know where he took her, he took Clarissa to the castle in Cashinday, to stay with my cousins. If we go there, I am sure that we can work out a deal in order to get the Princess back."

"You are wrong Lord Randal, we are not leaving, and I am not giving up my command to you. Yes, you have more experience than I do at saving people, but I grew up in these woods, and I know that this is the only way over these mountains without having to go around them. I also know that the Princess Clair and Jeremy were here, and that Jeremy will be coming back here any moment, so we best be ready. I called you here, because I saw Jeremy leave the cabin a few hours ago..." Nicholas started but was cut of by an up roar from the six men.

"You saw him?" "You didn't attack him?" "Was the Princess with him? Is she still alive?" "Why didn't you tell us this sooner? Did you think that you could do this all on your own?" the last comment came from Randal.

Holding up his hands for silence, Nicholas finished what he had been saying. "...and waited to see if he was coming beck so that I could get inside the cabin. He did not come back, but when I was about to go inside, the door opened again." He stopped to make sure they did not have another outburst. Seeing that they were too shocked to speak, he continued. "When the door opened, I saw a figure come out. It came directly at me, so I captured it. She is covered in filth, but I think you will be able to recognize her." Stepping aside, he put Clair in the view of the men. Each in turn dropped their jaws in shock, and fell to the ground on one knee with a fist on the ground, into a bow. All except for Randal.

"Are we seriously supposed to believe that this is my sister? Come on, even my man servant could find someone who looks more similar to her than this twit. Now tell me why you will not give up command again, or should I just take over command my force?"

"You know what Randal? You have always been an insufferable jerk with no feelings and no brain. You have always said mean things about me behind my back, even when you thought I could not hear you. You are a pig headed, wool brained cow, and I'm glad that you are not going to be king, because then our country would have an even worse ruler than our cousins do!" Clair exploded with so much hate and irritation in her voice that Nicholas stood there gaping at her, along with the soldiers. Randal sat against the tree with as much surprise in his eyes ate pain at what his sister had said.

"You are alive!" he finally managed to get. Rushing to his feet, he ran over to his sister, enveloping him in the biggest bear hug he could with her shoving him away. "I thought that I would never see you again! Father is worried sick about you, and Cleopatra and Annabelle can not figure out why you have not come to the nursery to play with them. The whole castle is a mess! Praise God that he did not do anything too..." realizing what he was saying, he pulled back and looked at Clair. "He did not do anything to you, did he?" he asked hesitantly.

Stiffening, Clair pulled out of his reach and stared at the ground. "I am fine." she mumbled. What would they think if they knew? What would happen to me if any of them found out that I had to purposefully dangle myself in front of him? Did he do anything to me? No. Did he hurt me? Hell yes! Will I ever be comfortable with anyone ever again? I do not know...what am I going to do? she thought to herself woefully.

Noticing that she was uncomfortable, Nicholas put his hand on her shoulder, but she quivered so he took it off. Taking command again, he turned to the men before him. "Okay, we need to find Jeremy. From what I gather, he is out hunting, because he had a quiver full of arrows and a bow. I want you to split up into groups of two and look for him. Randal, if I may, I want you to stay at the cabin in case he comes back. You are the best fighter, so I want to make sure that if he does happen to get back here without our noticing, you will be able to detain him. Jeremy is to be kept alive! If any of you kill him, I will have your life as well! Those are the king's orders, not mine. Move out!"