Chapter 25

I landed on my back the attacker had one hand around my sore wrist which shot up with pain again, the other hand on my waist to stop me getting up.

I closed my eyes, to exhausted to struggle or yell out for help. I felt the cold point of metal being pushed against my neck as the attacker moved his hand from my waist. And wished I had stayed in bed today.

"Where's the ring?" I heard a familiar voice ask.

"Kaden?" I asked squinting at the dark figure on top of me.

"Jess?" he said shifting his weight of me.

"What are you doing here?" I asked as Kaden got up and lit a torch. The room lit up and I gazed over to Kaden, he looked as though he hadn't slept in a week but I still couldn't help noticing how handsome he was. I shook the thought from my head.

"I was looking for the ring." He answered sitting down at the end of the bed.

"My ring?"

"I remember you telling me about it, and I thought about giving it to the bishop as kind of a peace offering. So everybody wouldn't be so mad at you." He nodded

"That was my plan." I smiled

"Jess, I'm sorry…about the other day." Kaden said looking away.

"Don't worry about it." I said waving away his apology although I wasn't quite sure I had forgiven him yet.

I stood up and walked to Lancelot's table. I opened a small box and found the ring I turned back to Kaden.

"Thanks Kaden, for trying to help me." I said motioning to the ring.

He smiled, stood up and was about to answer when the door flew open. Lancelot paused when he saw Kaden and I and he immediately thought the worst.

"I'll leave you two alone." He said coldly before shutting the door rather hard behind him.

I didn't move just stood there, I had just wrecked the play to get Lancelot's trust back, and now I was in his room to get a ring to give to the bishop so he would forgive me for wrecking the play and now because I was in here with Kaden Lancelot doesn't trust me anymore, and I'm right back to were I started only now everybody hates me and the village is going to lose its land.

I left without a word to Kaden and headed back to my room. Ani was asleep I suddenly got a large burst of emotion, annoyed at how badly everything was going. I punched a mirror that was hanging on the wall, it shattered but didn't fall down, my knuckles started to bleed. Ani mumbled something in her sleep and turned over without waking up. I sat on my bed and ran ideas after ideas over in my head trying to think of something that would fix everything determined not to give up yet.

About three hours later the sun had come up. I hadn't moved and my head was hurting. I stood up and looked into the mirror that I had shattered; my hand was covered in dried blood. I hadn't heard Ani get up but I saw her in the mirror standing behind me.

"The mirror is broken." She pointed out.

"Yes I know. I like it that way. Makes me look the way I feel." I said not turning around.

"Don't worry. The village will get over it, they can't hate you forever." She said putting a comforting hand on my shoulder.

"I don't care what the village thinks. All I cared about was Lancelot and now he hates me." I said slowly.

"Are you going to tell Arthur, about the Bishops friend?" Ani asked after a slight pause

"No." I answered simply.

"I think you should." She said as I turned around to face her.

"Why don't you tell him then? If your so honest and noble, you tell him." I shouted a little surprised at my sudden outburst.

"My hear... My heart. I think it's..." Ani said putting her hand on her heart. I moved forward concerned. "Melting. Yes, it's melting. You've showed me the way, Jess, by yelling at me. Quick, go get my magic sled. And we can spread joy to everyone. We'll all join hands and sing songs."

I couldn't help smiling and was happy I wasn't the only person in the village who used sarcasm.

The next few days were the worst of my life. The villagers wouldn't talk to me and if they had to it would be in an unpleasant tone. The bishop was still here he hadn't decided yet if he would take away the land but it didn't look very hopeful. And to make matters worse I still hadn't told anyone about the Bishops friend, it had turned out he liked to go off by himself for days at a time, so I doubt anyone even noticed he was gone.

"What are you doing?" Tristan asked. He was one of the few people who were still talking to me. The rest of the knights still said occasional words, but I could tell they were angry and disappointed in me. They had wanted the new land as much as the villagers.

"Thinking." I answered. I had my head in my hands trying to think of a way to tell Arthur about the bishop. Tristan didn't answer just sat there leaving me to my thoughts. I was grateful he was still talking to me the last couple of days had been lonely with only Ani and James talking to me.

"I need your help." I said looking up to Tristan, finally deciding I couldn't do this on my own.

I told him everything that had happened from the play to the bishop's friend, to my idea with the ring, everything.

He sat there and listened. When I finished he just sat there without showing any emotion.

"You have to tell Arthur." He said finally as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"The village, not to mention Arthur would hate me forever." I told him.

He just shrugged. "I've seen you sitting here for the past three days debating inside your head whether to tell anyone or not. So you can either sit here and waste away or you can go tell Arthur and take the consequences for your actions."

I hated to admit it but he was right. I had to do something and sooner was better than later. I saw Arthur across sitting in the pub. I slowly walked over to him I got knocked back a few times when people walked past me running into my shoulder obviously pretending I didn't exist.

"Arthur can I talk to you for a minute?" I said as confidently as I could. The knights all turned back to their glasses.

"Of course Jess." He answered standing up. I was relieved that he wasn't mad at me and still had the courtesy to not ignore me.

"Is everything OK?" he asked as we walked out of the courtyard.

"I killed one of the bishops friends." I said getting straight to the point. I kept my eyes on the ground and waited for his reaction.

"I see." He answered rather emotionlessly.

I don't know why I didn't mention he attacked Ani I figured she had been through enough and I didn't want to drag her into this.

"I'm not sure if I can fix this, but I will do my best." Arthur said before turning and walking away.

Even though I could tell something bad was going to happen as a result of me telling him. I felt a lot better.

For the rest of the day I stayed in my room Ani came up and informed me that there would be a funeral tomorrow, they would decide the punishment after that.

I reluctantly got out of bed in the morning. I walked down to the courtyard as soon as I reached it James came running over to me.

I smiled at him and took his hand. Half the village was already up in the graveyard. James and I slowly walked up there.

"Where are we going?" James asked looking around.

"We're going to the bishop's friend's funeral."

"The bishop's friend died?" he asked. I guess he thought he was just injured or something.

"Well, I sure hope so, we're going to his funeral." I answered finally reaching the graveyard.

I stopped not wanting to get to close. Everyone was standing around talking waiting for the bishop. I looked around and saw Ani and couldn't help listening to the conversation she was having with a villager

"In the family, I'm the favorite. You know, the one everybody loves the most. The cute one, the one everybody looks out for and gives presents to. And sometimes they even make the birds sing to me or the clouds spell out my name." she said with a laugh and flick of her hair.

I smiled at how I used to think she was just a shallow un-intelligent girl.

James's suddenly ran of with Marty so I slowly walked through the graveyard. I stopped when I came to Noah's grave I felt tears prickling in the back of my eyes. I swallowed hard and closed my eyes wishing Noah was here. The bishop arrived and everybody moved over to where they were burying the bishop's friend.

I didn't move just kept staring at Noah's grave missing him more than ever. Silent tears were now running down my face. When I finally looked up I noticed the bishop's friend's ceremony was over. Some of the villagers had gone back down to the village.

"Who's buried here?" Kaden asked as he walked up next to me. I looked back down to the grave, the tears returning to my eyes.

"Noah." I said quietly. "He was my best friend."

"What happened?" Kaden asked anxiously.

"Saxon." I answered softly.

He didn't press on and I was grateful.

There you go, Please review and say what you think any opinions, ideas etc…xoxoxoxo