Warnings: Someone is a little grouchy this morning…

Chapter Fifteen: Things That Go Bump

The bark bit into the skin of my forehead, and I flew backward, out of the saddle and landed with a hard smack on the ground. I gasped for breath, trying desperately to fight off the encroaching spots that clouded my vision. I saw Sir Larne's face over me, and then the Lieutenant Jayden's.

"Princess?" Someone touched my forehead, and I moaned. "She's bleeding."

"Princess?" Another voice echoed through my head. "Princess, can you hear us?"

"Yes," I whispered.

"We're going to help you." Hands cradled my face. "Hold still, this may hurt."

"Yes," I whispered again. Whatever they put on my forehead stung like hell. "Damn it," I groaned, and then passed out.

I woke up slowly, and became aware of something soft cradling my head.

"Drink." A bottle was pushed to my lips, and I slurped a little bit of wine. I coughed as soon as I tried to swallow, and the resulting pain pressed me back into unconsciousness.

The second time I traversed back to the living world, I heard the tail end of a conversation.

"…Can't be moved."

"What are we going to tell the King if we can't bring her to him?" Worry and anxiety tinged the speaker's voice.

"He's on his way," a third voice entered the conversation. "Messengers just relayed it. He's coming to get her. He'll be here within a few hours."

"Well, isn't she special?" A derisive snort accented the remark. "She hits her head on a tree and falls off her horse and the King is attending to her." Another rude noise and footsteps swooshed away.

I moaned, deciding to make my waking known to them.

"Princess Elensar, you rejoin us," the voice was light and full of dry humor. "Can you sit up?"

I nodded slowly. "I think so."

"Here, let's get you up." A pair of strong hands supported my back and pushed me upright.

"Where am I?" I looked at the walls of a brown tent, and grimaced. "I was outside."

The man chuckled grimly. "You were outside, milady, but now you are inside. You hit your head quite neatly on the branch." He swiveled around to face me. "Everyone has been quite worried that you wouldn't wake again."

"I want to go outside." I ignored his protests that I was too weak and that it wouldn't be good for my health. "Take me outside."

"Yes, milady," he said, finally giving in. He helped me to stand, and then let me lean on him as I struggled to walk. Every step made me dizzy, and I had to rest often on the short journey from the tent to the great outdoors.

Once I was outside, I squinted gracelessly at all the men that surrounded me. "Who are you?" I asked my supporter bluntly.

He seemed a bit taken aback. "I- I'm the physician for the Forty-Ninth Wing."

"Is the King really coming here just to see me?" I stared straight ahead, and glared at anyone who dared to stare back.

"Yes, he is."

"What's your name?" I tripped, and grunted.

"Easy there, I'm Amyntas." One hand slipped around my waist to hold me upright.

"Why does the King have to come to me?" I leaned against a tree.

"You can't be moved long distances." Amyntas brushed my hair back from my face, and I slapped his hand away.

"No- why does he feel the urge to come to me and not wait until I am well enough to travel?" I resumed my halting steps.

Amyntas shrugged. "I don't know what goes on in a King's mind."

I muttered darkly, "I do."

"What then?" He asked, "What goes on in the King's mind?"

"He wants a wench to keep him warm at night. A pretty face to smile and tell him that he is the best. He wants a passionate lover who loves him and that he can just disregard after a night in bed with her." I gasped as I missed a step and stumbled. "He wants me to be that woman. He wants the prestige of having a royal wife." My voice was hard and bitter.

"You know these things?" Amyntas steadied me as I fell again.

"Yes." I offered him no more. "Get me out of here. I cannot stay where he will be. Tie me to a horse if you have to. Get me away from here before Adrian comes." I licked my dry lips, wishing that I could actually think of the words that I wanted to use.

"I can't, milady." He handed over a flask, and I drank from it shakily.

"Why not?" I threw the flask weakly at his head. "Why not, damn it?"

"Orders, and you are not nearly well enough to ride."

"Therefore you tie me to the saddle," I growled. "Ignore orders. I override them. All of them. Get me a horse and tie me on; just get me out of here before Adrian comes." I kicked at a stone and almost lost my balance.

"Princess…" He protested.

"Just do it."

"Tonight then, when no one will see us." He was stalling for time, so he could tell someone.

"No, now. Get me a damn horse," I ordered him angrily, "And fetch a rope and tie me on. Send the horse on its way and forget about me. Tell Adrian that I am not his."

"Yes, milady." He deposited me on the ground by a moldy tree stump. "I'll be right back." He walked away. I pretended to sleep.

"Princess," he touched my shoulder gently. "Come, the horse is waiting." He sounded doubtful.

"Thank you." I stood with his help and walked over to the pickets of horses. "Which one?"

He led me over to a tired looking gelding. "This fellow ought to do nicely for you." His hands encircled my waist and lifted me into the saddle easily. "You're so thin. Princess, rethink this. You are weak and injured. You have no food with you and you need almost constant care. Don't go." His hands were tying the rope around my waist and to the saddle even as he spoke.

"I'm going. I don't care if it kills me, I have to get away." I was beginning to doubt my rationale. "Send me off."

"Farewell, Princess Elensar." He slapped the horse on the rump and sent it trotting off away from the camp.

I jounced along, retching from the pain that the trot caused me. I slumped in the saddle, wishing I were dead instead of in so much pain. I twined my fingers in the horse's mane, and settled in for a long ride.

I wandered in and out of consciousness for the better part of an hour, letting the horse pick his own path just as long as he kept moving. Occasionally, I would sit up and tug on a rein to take a path that looked less full of branches, but for the most part, I just lay along the gelding's neck and tried to forget the pain.

"Elensar, what are you trying to do?" I retched again upon hearing his voice.

"Adrian…" I coughed out, and then retched again. "Away."

"Sweet life, what are you trying to do to yourself?" His hand was on my back and he was untying the rope. He picked my off the horse. "Are you trying to kill yourself?"

"No." I gasped for breath.

"What then?" I opened my eyes and saw him staring down at me. "What madness are you attempting?"

"Not madness, just trying to get away from…" I couldn't say it. I wouldn't say it. "Just trying to get home," I amended softly.

"Elensar, if you had but asked!" He kissed my hair.

"I did," I snarled weakly. "You wouldn't let me."

His arms were warm and strong around me. "Soldier!" He noticed my mount wandering off, "Secure the horse!"

"Yes sir." The horse was captured, its reins in the hands of a young private.

"Elensar," he ignored my harsh comment, "I love you,"

"Not this again," I grumbled.

"Tell me your answer," he reached inside the pocket of his tunic and unfolded my note to him. "I have found you, now tell me, will you marry me?"

I suddenly noticed all the people around us, the soldiers and the physicians, and I was suddenly scared. They would all hear my answer. They would all be witness to this.

"No, I won't." My breath was ripping through my lungs in panicked gasps, "I won't," I said louder.

"You won't what, Elensar?" Adrian hugged me as best he could. "You won't marry me?" his voice cracked slightly. "Or you won't tell me."

"I won't!" I said again, well aware of its vague connotations. Then, I fainted dead away in his arms.

"Elensar, come on, swallow. Now there's a good girl." I swallowed as Adrian held the container to my lips.

"Adrian…" I swallowed again.

"What's that?"

"I hate you." I didn't particularly like the bitter concoction that was being poured down my throat, but there wasn't much I could do about it so I just endured it.

He didn't answer; his silence spoke well enough for him.

I should have felt bad, I knew, but I didn't. I actually reveled in his pain, savoring my new way to hurt the man who had caused me so much heartache.

He stood without warning and his supporting arm fell away, leaving me to fall awkwardly down on the ground. I closed my eyes and listened to the angry crunch of forest debris as he stalked away from me.

A soft pfftt sounded next to my ear. I picked up the paper that my note was written on. It was creased in many places, as if the one who had held it had opened, folded and then reopened it for another look many times.

I folded it carefully, giving it a cursory glance. A patch of messy script caught my eyes.

I love you, Elensar. The ink was smudged and still a bit wet, as I found out when I brushed my thumb across it.

I glared at the offending piece of paper, as if daring it to stay where it was. I wished it would just disappear. It didn't of course, so I crumpled it up angrily.

I tried to stand, to walk over to him and yell at him for saying it again, but as soon as I tried, two soldiers and the physician all but pinned me to the ground.

"Princess, do not put any more stress on yourself. You are healing fairly nicely now, a day of rest has done you well." The physician poked and prodded at my head and around the lovely bump that had taken residence in my forehead.

"I've been asleep for a day?" I stared up at him in horror, and then winced as he hit a sensitive spot.

"Yes, and it would be nice if you could rest a day more." He stopped examining me and looked to the soldiers. "Make sure she stays here. Give her this to drink on the hour, every hour."

"Yes sir." One of the soldiers nodded to the physician while his companion was trying to convince me to lie back and rest.

"Princess, this is for your own good, please, milady, rest a spell. Try to sleep." He pressed my shoulders down to the ground and then stared unabashedly into my eyes. "Please."

"You know," I informed him in a sweet voice that sounded hollow to my ears. "You shouldn't look directly into the eyes of royalty. It's very disrespectful." I smiled and nodded.

"Rest, milady," He averted his eyes, but did not release my shoulders.

"What if I don't want to?" I asked him petulantly.

"You'll do it anyway," The physician snapped coldly. "Princess or not, you should at least follow common sense and rest to help yourself get well." He glared again.

"Fine," I said, determined to get the last word in. "I'll rest." I curled up on the ground and proceeded to ignore them all. Soon enough, I slept.

When the soldier woke me an hour later, I was grouchy and quite stiff. "Drink," he said, "and I'll make you more comfortable."

I grumbled a bit, but submitted, recognizing the common sense that the physician had talked about.

"Lie on your stomach," The soldier said no more than what was necessary. I rolled over compliantly, and he rubbed my sore muscles until I drifted off again.

Every hour, on the hour, one of the soldiers would wake me and give me more of the vile brew that I had to fight to keep down with every swallow. I would sleep after that, massaged into sleep by Geodic, my first caretaker.

By the time morning came around, I was well rested and feeling ever so much better. The only thing that brought down my fine mood was that I was stuck with Adrian.

He stood at the head of the camp in the morning and refused to even look in my direction. When the order came to ride out, he was at the head of the column, riding ahead of the rest of us.

I was stuck riding with Geodic, which wasn't as bad a situation as it could have been. I could have been riding with Laertes, the physician. However, Laertes was more concerned with the status of his medical supplies than his patient.

I didn't know where they were taking me; I suppose I just assumed that they were taking me back to the palace. When we arrived at the camp I had run away from, I was more that a little surprised.

"Physician!" Laertes called as he dismounted. "Where's the physician?"

"Here, sir." Amyntas jogged up.

"Why was the Princess allowed to leave this camp when she was far from being well enough to ride?" Laertes glared.

"W-well…" Amyntas stuttered. "She was quite determined to go, sir, there was nothing I could do to stop her."

"You helped her, then?" Laertes' glare grew fiercer.

"Yes, he helped me." I stumbled over to them, hoping I looked a least slightly dignified. "I ordered him to. He is a good man, and he obeyed the directions that his betters gave him." I smiled coldly. "Is this clear?"

"Yes, milady. Now, go and rest. You've had a long ride and you aren't well enough yet for that."

"I will not!" I threw up my hands in disgust. "I am perfectly fine!"

"You are not." Laertes and Amyntas said in unison. Amyntas reached up to swipe away some blood on my forehead. "You've made yourself bleed, darling."

"Darling?" I crossed my arms angrily. "You have no right to call me darling." I glared at him, and then burst into uncharacteristic hysterical tears.

"Right then, come this way." Both Laertes and Amyntas placed a hand on my shoulder and they led me into the nearest tent, evicting its current occupants.

"Princess, take a deep breath." Laertes instructed. "In…and out…and in…and out…" Slowly, I calmed down, taking in huge, gulping breaths of air.

"Physicians! Laertes! Amyntas! Come quickly!" A frantic soldier burst into the tent.

"What's the matter?" Laertes inquired as if all he wanted to know what was for lunch.

"It's the King. He's been stabbed by his own knife." The soldier calmed under Laertes' formidable gaze, and his panic was soothed. "The last the men saw of him, he was walking into his tent with three bottles of brandy."

I began to laugh then, dry, sobbing laughter, and they stared at me in horror. "He's tried to kill himself," I heard a dreadful little giggle escape my lips. "The idiot."

Author's Note: I'm horrible to them, aren't I? Oh well!

Well, I had a big plan where I was going to update by Sunday night, but that pretty much fell through (as you can see). I ended up making sure that the little children I was watching did not jump off the top step. So, here I am, on Tuesday, updating for you! I will try my very hardest to get the next chapter up sooner, my goal is before Sunday night (again).

Thanks for reviewing and review again! You guys are so awesome!

To the Lovelies:

Miss Piratess: Of course she had to walk into the branch! It was there, wasn't it? :oD Yeah…Jayden's a nice guy.

Lilred-07: Eh…I'm not done torturing Elensar yet! She'll have to be actually nice to him eventually.

Nala': I will not stop bad mouthing Adrian! It's far to fun., and besides, it's in Elensar's point of view, so everything she says is a wee bit on the biased side…he's really a nice guy (as you know).

LindyLou78: No, she won't go back to the stocks and all she'll be is a bit dizzy for a while.

Cheekychik: Happy Birthday!!! I don't care if you're in a romantic and sigh-y mood; I'm somewhat of a hopeless romantic myself, if you couldn't tell… hah.

Stubble96: So I didn't update very soon…but I did update! Yay!

F.A.Starhawk: That she does…I don't know why Lady Luck doesn't like her, but poor Elensar has just been foiled time and time again.

Maple Rose: Sigh Yes, they catch her…again. And I'll change the titles of address in the other chapters…thanks! And I promise, promise, promise, promise that the fairy tale comes in soon. Are the little obscure references to it not enough, lol? :oP

Turwen: Thank you much!

Karli: Thanks for finding time to review! Poor Adrian, no one really believes him when he says that he loves her…what if it's true? (As you said, however, that would be like believing Jack the Ripper when he told you he was sane.)

No myridon: Yeah, branches do tend to hurt when they whack you in the head. Maybe she's scared of commitment, maybe love, and maybe something else entirely…I'm not sure. :o)

Zagato: Ooo, I'd love to wake up in Adrian's castle. That would be so beyond awesome!

Empryea: True enough, like they say for car-drivers, keep your eyes on the road!

Side Note: If you want to know approximately where I am on updating this story (and others, if there happen to be any), check out my bio page. I update that with my progress more often than I update Elensar, so, yeah. Just so you know!

And we have over one hundred reviews. When I saw that, that made my day so totally beyond snazzy!

EvenSong