A/N: WOW! Thanks guys for your great reviews. It really means a lot. Now let's get back to the story.
Chapter 9
Odette walked down the hallway slowly. She was growing anxious with every step she took. The infirmary was just around the corner a few doors down on the left side. The whole time she walked down the hallway she held onto her stomach. Part of her wanted to turn around and run the other way. But the other part of her wanted to tell her husband the truth. Of course everything would be great at first because she was sure he would be excited beyond belief. But once she told him about Sargon, she didn't know how he'll react. She also wanted to tell everyone else about it too. She knew first hand that keeping secrets would blow up in her face sooner or later. It happened with Derek when he tried to keep Rothbart's notes a secret. That was something she didn't wasn't to repeat.
She slowly made her way to the door of the infirmary. The door was open and she could hear the voices of everyone inside. She stopped by the doorframe but kept out of view of everyone and listened in. They were all talking over each other so she couldn't hear what they were saying. All she could mainly make out was that they were all very glad that Derek was awake. Odette's heart was slightly pounding as she listened in. But then the room went silent for a moment. Odette wondered what was going on. Then Derek's voice was heard.
"Where is Odette?" he said in a worried tone. Odette's pulse began to quicken as the room grew silent again.
"I thought she was right behind us," said Jacob. She really didn't want them to come searching for her, but she also didn't want to make herself know just yet. She was incredibly nervous. She started to turn away slightly.
"Here she is!"
Too late.
Bridget poked her head out the door and spotted Odette. She didn't think much of it but grabbed Odette's hand and pulled her inside the room. Odette glanced around the room as Bridget let go of her hand. She noticed everyone's eyes on her except for Bromley, who was still asleep across from them, and it was making her uncomfortable, but she didn't show it. She then glanced at the man in the bed that they had all come to see. Derek looked at her with much joy in his eyes.
"Oh, thank goodness," he said. "When you weren't in the room I assumed the worst." Odette smiled at him as she looked at the condition he was in. He laid shirtless on the bed and a blanket covering his lower body, except for his left leg. Derek's right arm and left leg were in casts and his chest was covered in bandages. He also had a few cuts and bruises over his face and body. The state of her beloved husband caused her heart to ach. She hated seeing him like this, though this was actually the worst he's been in. Derek was always careful with everything. Whenever he would train he was careful not to overwork himself or cause any unneeded injuries. But last night was different. Sargon had managed to drive Derek to attacking without thinking. If Sargon was able to do that, he must be extremely clever.
But Odette shook her head of the thought. What's done is done. She was just glad that Derek was alive and well, so to speak. Odette walked over to her beloved husband and leaned down to give him a sweet kiss.
"I'm alright Derek," she said softly. "I'm just glad that you're ok." Derek chuckled at that last statement.
"Define 'ok'," he said with a smile as he looked at his bandaged body. Odette shook her head, not really amused.
"Meaning that you are alive," she stated. Derek looked away sheepishly.
"Yeah," he said softly, "He was tougher than I originally thought."
"I'll say," said Jacob. Odette sat on the edge of the bed to look Derek at eye level.
"Derek," she said softly, "I was really worried about you. When you lay on the ground unmoving I imagined the worst." Odette turned away slightly. "I don't know what I would do without you here with me." Derek could hear the sadness in Odette's voice and felt horrible. He had caused the woman he loved most to worry more than he ever wanted her to, all because he let his anger get the better of him. He reached out and grabbed Odette's hand in both of his causing Odette to look back up at him.
"I am so sorry Odette," he apologized. "I didn't mean to make you worry like that. I don't have an excuse for my behavior last night. I let my anger get the best of me. I truly am sorry." Odette smiled a little, but was still a little upset. She came so close to losing Derek last night, closer than she ever has before and that terrified her. And Derek rushing in like that didn't help.
Derek saw that Odette was still a little upset and lifted Odette's hand to his mouth and kissed it. A gesture Odette always loved. Odette's hearted melted a little and her smile was warmer. She could never stay mad at him for very long.
Derek looked back up into Odette's eyes and smiled, causing Odette to smile wider. He began to lean closer to her. Odette, noticing this, leaned in as well. The distance between them was shortening. They were just inches away when they heard a slight cough, completely forgetting that they were not alone. They turned their heads to see everyone in the room grinning at them. Both blushing from embarrassment, they straighten up a little. Jacob, upon seeing their reactions, began to chuckle loudly.
"Good to see that you charm wasn't damaged," he laughed, as well as the others in the room, including Odette. Derek sheepishly grinned.
"Yeah, good to see you guys too." Uberta, after calming down a bit, walked over to her son, next to Odette.
"Oh honey," she said as she leaned down to give her son a light hug. "We're just glad to see that you'll alright." Jacob walked over to Derek's other side and sat on a chair that was near the bed.
"Exactly," he said as he moved his chair closer to Derek. "Wouldn't want our favorite prince to have too much damage now would we?" he finished as he patted Derek's back roughly, causing him to wince and yelp in pain.
"Ouch!" he cried before glaring at Jacob. "Watch it! Body hasn't recovered just yet." Jacob gave a look of mock surprise.
"Really," he said. "I haven't noticed." He then grabbed Derek by the head and shook it a little. "I was talking about this big, empty skull that was the reason for your body being in pain." Derek, after getting the point, swatted Jacob's hand away.
"Okay, okay, I get it," he said. "It was incredibly stupid of me to do what I did last night."
"Stupid doesn't begin to cover it," Jacob said seriously, with a hint of amusement. Derek closed his eyes and sighed.
"I know and I'm sorry. I should have listened to you when you told me not to fight Sargon."
"Yes you should have," Jacob agreed. "I told you he was not a man to trifle with. He has more power than anyone could ever hope to dream of." Derek looked down while facing ahead.
"I know," he said softly. "I let him get to me and I let my anger take over. I just thought that since you defeated him so many years ago that I could beat him since I'm much younger than him." Jacob shook his head.
"He was only sixteen back then," he said a little loudly. "And even then it was me, William, and your father that stood against him and we barely managed to defeat him then. It was only by the strategic mind and sacrifice of your father that won us the war. But now he's had twenty-two years to train and gain new power. Facing him one-on-one would be a terrible thing to do, as you well know." He gestured to the bandaged body that rested upon the bed. Derek looked away and sighed.
"Yeah, I know." He then noticed his and Odette's animal friend at the end of the bed. "And it seems that I wasn't the only one to figure that out last night." Puffin then stepped forward.
"We didn't face off against Sargon, Derek," he said. "We actually went toe-to-toe with some of his servants." Derek raised an eyebrow at this so Puffin explained further.
"You see, after you were… um… defeated, me, Whizzer, Jean-Bob, and Speed rushed to your aid before Sargon could deliver the final blow. We managed to knock him to the ground and did all we could to keep him there. But for some reason, he wasn't fighting back. T'was like he was waiting for something. Then we found out that the villain was indeed waiting for something to come. We were attacked by a large eagle, a horned toad, and a giant snapping turtle.
"Whizzer and I tried to handle the eagle while Speed and Jean-Bob handled the toad and turtle. But we soon realized that we were all outmatched." He looked down in shame as Whizzer stepped close to him and placed his good wing on him. He decided to finish for him.
"We were all beaten pretty badly before Sargon decided that it was enough." Derek looked at puffin and saw the sadness on his face. He knew how the little bird felt. Thinking that something could go right if you believed it could, and then suddenly everything falls apart on you. To feel broken and humiliated was the worst feeling, especially when it was an effort to protect something. Derek was drawn out of his thoughts when he heard Jacob speak.
"It would seem that Sargon wanted to include your animal friends in this war." Derek suddenly perked his head up at the mention of that.
"War?" he asked. "What war? I thought since Odette was still here that someone defeated Sargon. The whole reason he was her was because he wanted Odette." Jacob looked away slightly.
"He decided to let her go and left. My theory is that Sargon wants to make a game out of this and claim Odette's soul as a reward for victory." He looked back at Derek with a confident look. "But don't worry, we will defeat him. I already had Rogers and a few others out across the kingdom looking for recruits to join in your new army."
Derek looked at Jacob with a surprised look. Jacob was building an army for him and Odette? Derek didn't know what to say. He had thought about building an army for sometime but never came around to it. Plus there was never really a reason for him to do so. But since last night, he'd say that now would be a more than perfect time for it.
"How long ago did you send Rogers out?" he asked. Jacob thought for a moment.
"About a couple hours ago," he answered. Derek smiled a bit.
"He should be back by tomorrow with the new of how many men we'll receive. There are a total of thirteen villages in this kingdom. So there should be plenty of good men willing to join." Jacob smile at him.
"That's good," he confirmed. "That should be the foundation of this kingdom's new military force. We were thinking of using your festival grounds as the training fields until we can construct a new barracks somewhere in the kingdom. Philip and Joshua have already begun building up the training fields so we should be ready to train the new recruits as soon as possible."
Odette watched on as Jacob began to explain the plans to Derek. She noticed how much Derek was listening to every word he said. It reminded her of a little boy listening to his father's story. Odette giggled at the thought. She might have guessed that Derek wanted to be like his father, since he was a great leader and commander. She was brought out of her thoughts when she heard Uberta whispering in her ear.
"Don't you think it's time you told Derek yet?" Odette pulse began to quicken. She knew she had to tell Derek now, well at least the good part anyway. She looked up at Uberta.
"Yes," she whispered. "I think it's time." Uberta then had the biggest smile on her face. She had longed to see the look on her son's face when Odette would tell him he was going to be a father. Odette saw the excitement in Uberta's face and grinned herself. She then turned to Derek, who was still listening to Jacob's plain for the army. Her nerves were shaking, but she had to get it off her chest.
"Derek honey," she said softly. Derek turned to face her.
"Yes?" he replied.
"There's actually more news." Derek raised an eyebrow at her.
"What is it?" Here goes nothing.
"Sweetheart…" she said, "…I'm pregnant."
The room was dead silent. Derek's face was frozen in a blank face. Odette began to worry a little. She didn't know what was going on in her husband's head, if he was even thinking anything. She sat on the edge of the bed waiting for Derek to say something. A moment later her spoke.
"I-I'm gonna be a father?" he whispered to his wife. Odette smiled a little and nodded. He then turned to Jacob. "I'm gonna be a dad." Jacob smiled at him.
"I heard my boy," he half chuckled. Derek then faced in front of him.
"I'm gonna be a dad," he said to himself. Everyone in the room was beginning to smile at him, thought he didn't even notice. "I'm gonna be a dad," he said louder. A smile began to spread across his face.
"I'm gonna be a dad," he repeated, even louder. Everyone could hear the small amount of excitement in his voice. Derek's smile grew wider than anyone has ever seen before.
"I'M GONNA BE A DAD!" He shouted with all his might as he shot his arms out in the air. He then began to laugh hard and loud with excitement. He laughed so hard that his ribs were hurting from being broken but he didn't care in the slightest. He was the happiest man in the world. Everyone was laughing along with Derek.
Odette, seeing her husband so happy, smiled wide. Her eyes began to water as she giggled at Derek's excitement. She never thought he would be this excited, and it was making her excited as well. He even surprised her with a tight hug, something she knew Derek might regret later. She was so happy to see Derek like this. It gave her hope that the future will be all right for her family. Then Jacob spoke.
"I'm very happy for you both," he said. Derek pulled away from Odette to look at him. "But now we need to prepare quickly. We plan to keep Odette's pregnancy a secret. But it won't last for long." Derek's smile dropped as he looked at Jacob questioningly.
"Why on earth would we want to do that?" he demanded. Jacob gave him a serious look.
"Think," he said. "What would happen if Sargon found out that Odette was pregnant?" Derek stared at Jacob and realized what he was trying to say.
"Sargon would try to use the baby against us so he can get his hands on Odette," Jacob continued. "So we have to plan carefully so that when Odette gives birth and Sargon launches his assault, we'll be prepared for whatever he throws at us."
Derek began to think about what Jacob said. It would be smart if they were to plan out for any possible outcome before Sargon got wind of Odette's pregnancy. That way they would have an advantage over him. Derek looked up at Jacob and nodded.
"Good idea," he said. "And hopefully by the time he does find out, we will already have an army to defend with." Derek was confident that things would work out. With both his kingdom and Jacob's, there's a good chance that they could win this.
Odette, on the other hand, had her hand to her chest as her heart began to race. Now was the time to tell the truth. She had to tell them that Sargon already knew. Odette looked over to her animal friends and saw that they were all looking at her, thinking the same thing she was. She knew they were right, but she just didn't know how to bring it up to the others. Uberta stepped closer to them and spoke.
"Alright boys," she said, "Assuming that we can keep Odette a secret, how long would we have exactly before he does discover it?"
"He already knows." The room was silent as all eyes turned to Odette, who was sat on the edge of the bed facing away from everyone, not wanting to make eye contact with any of them. Everyone in the room, except the four animals, looked upon her with questioning gazes. A few moments later, Jacob spoke first.
"What do you mean by that?" he said softly, but getting the feeling he already knew the answer. Odette didn't turn around from where she was sitting.
"I mean that my brother already knows that I'm pregnant," she said softly in a shaky voice. Uberta was the next to speak.
"But how could he possibly know that?" she asked. Odette turned her head slightly so that Uberta was within the corner of her eye.
"I don't know," she answered. "But he was actually the one that told me I was pregnant in the first place." She turned around in her spot so he was facing everyone.
"When he was about to grab me," she continued, "He stopped for a moment. Then the next thing I knew, he had his hand on my stomach. I didn't know what was happening. The he suddenly had a wicked grin on his face before he let me go. He said something about my soul no longer being of any use to him. Then before he left he told me to expect company in nine months time, and not just from him. It took me a while before I finally realized what he was talking about. He was telling me that I'm pregnant." With every word Odette said, her voice began to break as tears slid down her face. She was crying now and had her hands to her face. Uberta looked from Odette to everyone else in the room.
"But what would your child have anything to do with this?" she asked.
"Because he wants the child instead of Odette," answered Jacob. Derek and Uberta immediately turned their gaze on him. Uberta had a look of horror on her face. Derek, on the other hand, had a look of pure anger. No way in hell was he going to let some sorcerer take his child away from him. He then heard Odette crying a little louder before he turned to look at her.
"I've wanted a child for so long," she said between sobs. "And now that I'm finally having one, he wants to take it from me." Derek's anger subdued a little as he leaned over to wrap his arms around her to comfort her. Odette felt her husband's arms around her without looking and leaned into his embrace in a much needed hug. She cried on his shoulder as Derek rubbed his angel's back smoothly. After a few moments, Odette's cries began to soften as Derek continued to comfort her. Uberta glanced from Odette to Derek with sorrow in her eyes. Everything thing was falling apart. A few moments ago everyone was happy, now everyone was feeling miserable. She turned to Jacob.
"What are we going to do?" she asked.
Jacob was thinking about their current situation. Some things have definitely changed now, yet others haven't. He stood up from his seat and looked to meet Uberta's gaze.
"We continue the plan," he answered. "We raise an army to combat Sargon's forces. Only now we need to move double time. We need as many recruits as possible and train them to be at their best. Going after Odette through her baby is one thing, but going after the baby itself is another." Uberta looked questioning at Jacob.
"How is that different?"
"Because if he still wanted Odette, he would use any means to capture her, even her own child. But now that he wants the baby, he could just send a either an army or just couple of agents to sneak in the castle and take the baby on the very day it's born. A baby is a lot easier to carry than a full grown woman." This time Speed decided to enter the conversation.
"But if that was the case," he said, "why not send an army after Odette on the very day she gives birth?" Jacob glanced down at the little turtle.
"Because there might be a chance that Odette would get caught in the crossfire. But with a baby Sargon can be sure that the baby will be out of harms when if he were to send an army. That way he'll use his army as a distraction for us while he sends in one of his agents to sneak in and take the baby. That's why we need to be prepared for anything that he throws at us."
"And we will be here to help," said Puffin as he tried his best to climb on the bed so he could address the king properly. "We will be around to assist in the training in any way we can." He tried to finish his statement with a salute. Whizzer climbed on the bed and did the same.
"Speak for yourself," said a certain green little frog. Puffin and Whizzer both sighed.
"What happen to leading by example?" Whizzer asked. Jean-Bob only scoffed.
"A prince doesn't assist in training an army," he said. "That's what other commoners are for." Puffin shot him glare. Jean-Bob was really testing his patients. He turned back to Jacob.
"Fine," he said, "You can count on us for the job, minus the green troll back there." He gestured to the frog behind him. Jean-Bob looked at Puffin with the intent to kill.
"Hey!" he shouted. If both of his arms weren't broken he would have pounced of the bird. Jacob smiled at the two birds.
"I would expect you too," he said. "But first things first, we need to see exactly how many men will be joining. But until then I will be expecting all of you to look after Odette."
"You can count on us." Puffin, Whizzer, and Speed all saluted. Jean-Bob, who normally would have scoffed again, decided that this time he should be a part of this.
"Very well," he said. "You can count on me as well." Speed looked at his long time friend and smiled at him. Puffin and Whizzer just glanced back at him and gave him a little nod. At least he was contributing with something that helped protect Odette.
Odette lifted her head to look at her friends and smiled. She loved them all very much. And hearing that they are willing to keep her baby safe makes her overjoyed to have them. She pulled away from Derek and stood up from the bed. She then turned to her animal friends.
"Thank you all for your help," she said softly. "You don't know how much it means to me." Puffin turned to her and bowed as low as he could.
"T'is no trouble at all princess," he said with confidence. "We would do anything for you, even at the cost of our lives." Both Whizzer and Speed nodded in agreement.
Jean-Bob was about to say something when Speed glanced at him and shook his head. Jean-Bob huffed and nodded his head as well. Odette smile once again at them before she turned her attention on Jacob.
"I'm sorry I didn't tell you in the first place Jacob," she turned to Uberta, "And you too." Both Jacob and Uberta smiled at her.
"It's alright dear," said Uberta.
"Don't even worry about it," Jacob agreed. Odette smiled at the both of them. She was really glad they understood.
"Although," he continued, "I am a little curious as to why you didn't mention it sooner." Odette looked sheepishly away, not wanting to explain the real reason.
"It doesn't matter," said Derek, who had been quiet since Odette mentioned about Sargon. "What matters now is that we prepare for what Sargon throws at us. I need to get ready to take the fight to Sargon."
"And we will," replied Jacob. "We just need time to build up our strength first."
"You can wait all you want," Derek almost shouted, "but I'm going to do something about this." He pulled the sheets off of him, revealing his black pants, and began to sit up. Jacob stopped him by placing a hand on his shoulder.
"Whoa there boy," he said. "What do you think you're doing?" Derek glanced up at him with a serious face.
"I'm not going to just sit here and do nothing while my family is in danger!" he pushed himself off the bed only to be pushed back down harder.
"You will stay right here until you are well enough to do anything," Jacob said sternly. Derek struggled harder as he glared up at him.
"My child's life is in danger and you want me to just sit here?!" Jacob glared back at him.
That is exactly what I want you to do!" he shouted. "You are in no shape to do anything, let alone fight in a war."
"I've been in worse positions to let something this small stop me!" Derek tried to push himself up again before Jacob pushed him down so hard that Derek began to wince in pain. Jacob looked up at Odette before speaking.
"I now see why you didn't want to tell us." Odette looked form Derek to Jacob. She was afraid this would happen, but she knew Derek had to know about their baby. But Jacob seemed to be handling the situation at the moment so she was thankful for that. Derek continued to struggle against Jacob.
"Derek, that's enough!" Jacob shouted. That only managed to get Derek to stop struggling as much. "I understand your anger, I really do. But you rushing head on into a fight is not going to help anyone, especially Odette." That got Derek to stop struggling completely at the mention of his wife's name. Jacob released his grip on Derek's shoulder slightly.
"Derek," he continued, calmly this time, "Do you really think that you could take on Sargon's armies in your current state? It's going to take all our strength and will power to keep Sargon at bay. So we need you, Odette needs you, to be at your best physical condition to help protect your child. And that means sitting in bed for a while until you're all healed up."
Derek seemed to calm down as Jacob spoke. Jacob's right after all. Derek needed to be at his best if he was to protect his family from the Forbidden Arts, even if it means sitting in bed for a few months. But Derek promised himself that when he was all better, he was going to train his hardest alongside his new army so that he could lead them to victory against the Dark Lord. He looked up at Jacob and grinned.
"Thanks Jacob," he said. "I needed that." Jacob smiled at him and wrapped his arm around Derek's shoulders.
"You're quiet welcome, my boy." Derek then looked towards his wife with apologetic eyes.
"I'm sorry Odette for getting all worked up." Odette smiled at her beloved husband and sat down on the bed next to him.
"It's alright Derek," she said in a calm, sweet voice. "I understand completely. I want to protect this baby with everything I have in me, just like you would." She then leaned in to give him a loving kiss on the lips. Everyone smiled as they looked on at them, seeing another sweet moment between husband and wife.
After a few moments, they pulled away from each other before looking at everyone else in the room. Derek wrapped an arm around Odette's waist as she leaned into his embrace.
"So when, exactly, will the training fields be completed?" Derek asked. Jacob took a moment to respond.
"They should be completed within the week," he replied. "And Rogers should be back sometime tomorrow with the report of how many recruits we will be training. And the training itself will most likely take four months." Derek nodded at this information.
"That's great," he said. "We should have a foundation very quickly then." Jacob nodded.
"I have very skilled trainers with me when I came here," he said. "They are my most skilled bodyguards as well. So if things go perfectly, you should have a new military force to call your own." Derek and Odette smiled at this. They were very glad that Jacob was with them. He really knew his way around things. And with his help, they could have a chance at defeating Sargon.
Derek then started thinking about the women beside him, or more specifically, the baby growing inside of her. He still couldn't believe that he was going to be a father. It was very exciting to him. He may not have had a father while he was growing up, but he was sure that he and Odette were going to raise this child right. He then shifted his gaze to the women in his arms. He loved Odette even more for giving him the opportunity to become a father. He was also sure that Odette would be a wonderful mother.
Thinking of the word mother made him look at his mother. He felt bad that she had lost her entire kingdom all at once. He wished that that there was something that they could do to reclaim her throne. Then a thought occurred to him before he looked back at Jacob.
"What of my mother's kingdom?" That question caught everyone off guard, especially Uberta. Jacob looked questioningly at him.
"What do you mean?" he asked. "Sargon conquered it two nights ago in one fell swoop." Derek nodded at him before replying.
"True," he said, "But was it destroyed?" Jacob raised an eyebrow at him.
"What does it matter?" Derek sat up a little to get more comfortable.
"Sargon said that he conquered it, but he didn't say it was completely destroyed."
"That usually falls into the category Derek."
"Even so, we have to at least see if there is still enough left for mother to reclaim her kingdom." Uberta then stepped in to include herself.
"Dear," she said softly, "I was there when he invaded. Much of the kingdom was burning before I was able to escape. I'm not entirely sure how much is left for it to even be called a kingdom." Derek understood what they were saying but he at least wanted to make sure of one thing.
"What about the people?" he asked. "How many of them were able to escape?"
Uberta didn't answer right away. Instead she looked away in shame. She felt like she had abandoned her people to their deaths so that she could live another day. Ti was not something she had wanted to do. Even when her kingdom was being invaded, part of her wanted to stay behind with her people. But she was sure that her captain wouldn't have allowed that to happen anyway. She looked back at her son.
"Derek," she said, "I'm not sure that they—"
"Your Majesty?" Everyone in the room looked at the door to the source of the new voice. It was one of Jacob's soldiers standing at attention. Jacob was the first to speak.
"Yes what is it?" The soldier bowed slightly before responding.
"Forgive me your Majesty," he said, "But we have word that a lard host is on its way from the southwest." Everyone's eyes widened at the news. That was the direction of Uberta's kingdom. The last place Sargon had conquered. Jacob spoke again.
"What?!" he said. "But I thought we had more time before Sargon would strike out at us." The soldier stepped closer.
"We have reason to believe that they are not one of the Dark Lord's hordes." Jacob raised an eyebrow at this.
"And why is that?" he asked.
"Because they have women and children among them." Everyone was silent for a few moments. The only possible reason for anyone to be coming from that direction would be because…
"They're survivors from Sargon's invasion," Odette said. The soldier nodded.
"We believe so, your highness." Odette and Derek glanced at each other with wide grins before turning to look at Uberta, who just stared ahead with her hands over mouth. She couldn't believe what she was hearing; her people had survived the invasion. Her heart began to leap for joy at the news. Tears began to form in her eyes. She stepped closer to the soldier.
"How many are there?" she asked softly. The soldier paused for a moment before answering.
"We assume that their numbers are somewhere around twenty-five hundred, many of them soldiers." Uberta released a joyful sigh as she placed her hands on her chest. She had assumed a lot less people had survived, she was very grateful that that many were alive.
"When will they be here?" Odette asked.
"They should be arriving within the next two hours." Everyone notice Uberta getting even more excited, for she was all but jumping in place.
"But there is more," the solider added. Everyone paused for a moment before Derek spoke out.
"What is it?" he asked. The soldier glanced around the room.
"There is a mysterious figure on horseback was seen leading the host here. Our patrols couldn't get a good look at him because he wore a cloak over his head." Odette and Derek glanced at one another before returning their attention towards Jacob.
"Do you think he's friend," Odette asked. Jacob only puzzled for a moment.
"If he is leading what survivors are left, then maybe," he said. "But it also may be that he is leading them here so that we may trust him when he may well be a spy for Sargon." Derek considered this for a few moments. That theory did seem logical, but maybe it was someone that had managed to gather as many survivors as he could from the kindness of his heart. Either way, they had to be careful.
"Then what do you suggest we do?"Odette asked. Jacob was about to answer when he was cut off.
"It doesn't matter," Uberta said loudly. "My people are still alive and that's all that matters! I abandoned them to the mercy of Sargon and his hordes! I will not abandon them again. So who ever this man is deserves whatever reward he asks for! I don't care what price, but as long as he brings my people back to me!" With that, Uberta stormed out of the infirmary and passed the guard, who was wide eyed by Uberta's outburst and made sure to stay out of her way.
Everyone in the room stood silent for a few moments, wondering what exactly just happened. Odette then look up at Derek and Jacob.
"Aren't I supposed to be the emotional one right now?" All that was heard in the room was the snoring of Bromley, who had been asleep this whole time.
Two hours later, everyone, minus Derek, was standing in a clearing that was just outside of the castle waiting for the mass of people to appear. Odette, Jacob, Uberta, Phillip, Joshua, and Odette's animal friends were all present. Each was on horseback, save for the animal, as they waited for them to arrive. They had been waiting for the past fifteen minutes with not a sign of them approaching. They thought to meet them here so that they could get a look at this mysterious man that had been leading them, and to determine whether he is friend or foe.
"It seems they may have taken a wrong turn," said Jacob.
"They are probably just traveling slowly," replied Odette. "It can't be easy to travel with so many people they may be injured." They continued to wait for another few minutes when a very cranky frog began to complain.
"How long must we sit out here?" Jean-Bob whined. "This much sun is bad for my skin."
"You mean other than all those warts that cover it?" retorted Puffin, causing Whizzer and Speed to chuckle. Jean-Bob only glared at Puffin.
"These are not warts," he shouted. "These are my beauty marks."
"Well they're doing a terrible job." Jean-Bob would have pounced of the bird if it weren't for his aching body. He was about to retort when Speed stopped him.
"Shhh. I hear something," he said. Everyone listened carefully to hear what Speed was talking about. It was faint, but they could hear it: the sound of scatter feet stomping through the trees grew louder as they came closer. And as the noise grew louder, Uberta grew more anxious. She so excited about this moment that her horse began to shift around anxiously. Uberta however, just kept her gaze ahead, waiting for what was to come.
After a few more moments, the first to come into view was the mysterious man, riding on a dark brown horse with his black cloak over his head. Then as he drew closer, the people that they were expecting began to appear out of the tree line and into the meadow. Everyone that was present waited for them to draw closer. And as they did, Odette tried to get a better look of this man. She couldn't quiet see his face, but for some odd reason, this man seemed strangely familiar to her. She shook her head, thinking that it was just in her head. Finally, when they were close enough, the stranger raised his hand for everyone to halt, and surprisingly, with a few shouts here and there, they all did. Uberta looked around at the people gathered. She may not have recognized them all, but she was certain that they were from her kingdom because of the armor that the soldiers were wearing. She was so excited about seeing her people alive that she motioned her horse forward to greet her people, only to be stopped by Jacob's hand on her forearm.
"Not yet," he whispered to her. "Let's find out who this man is first before we do anything else." Uberta did not like being kept from addressing her subjects.
"These are my people Jacob," she hissed. "I need to redeem myself for abandoning them. They need to know that their queen is alive." Jacob nodded to her.
"I understand," he said, "But we know nothing of this man. We need to make sure that he isn't using your people to lure us into a trap." Although reluctantly she nodded in agreement as she relaxed her grip on the reigns.
Jacob took his hand of Uberta's forearm and looked straight ahead. They waited moment before the stranger motioned his horse forward and began to walk towards the group. Jacob and Odette glanced at one another and nodded before doing the same, followed by everyone else. As they made their way closer to one another, Odette still couldn't shake the feeling she had before. What is it about this man that seems so familiar? Again she shook her head.
They finally met in the center of the meadow before stopping only twelve meters from each other. A few moments passed with no one saying a word. Jacob was the first to address the stranger.
"Welcome friend," he said. "What brings you here to Swan Lake?" A moment passed before the stranger replied.
"I came here to bring these refugees to a safe haven," he said in a deep voice. Odette noticed that the figure moved his head only slightly in her direction before speaking. She also noticed how very familiar his voice sounded.
Okay, now I know I've met this man before, she thought to herself. But why can't I remember? She began to think for a moment.
No, it couldn't be. She was brought from her thoughts when Jacob spoke again.
"These don't happen to be the refugees from Queen Uberta's Kingdom that was conquered by the Dark Lord Sargon?"
"They very same," the man replied. This was beginning to drive Odette crazy. She just couldn't remember where she had heard that voice before. With a little more time she should figure it out soon.
"We thank you very much kind sir," Jacob continued. "We are very thankful to see the people of our ally's here safe and sound. Tell me my good sir, what reward would you like in return?" Another moment of silence passed.
"I ask for no reward, other than seeing these people well looked after. But a nights rest would be more than enough." This was Odette chance to find out who this man is. She motion her horse forward a couple of steps.
"And may we ask that this kind sir give us his name and remove his hood so we may thank him properly?" The stranger sat silent on his horse for a while. Odette waited for an answer that seemed like it wasn't going to come. She was about to ask again when he spoke.
"I would your Highness," he said, "But you may not like what you hear and see." Odette then became suspicious.
"And why not?" she ask. The man shifted on his horse, obviously uncomfortable about the situation.
"Let's just say I have a history with your family." Odette began to press further.
"Please," she asked gently. "I'm sure that whatever you have done can be forgiven, especially after saving all these people from the wrath of the Dark Lord." The figure again sat silent. More silence was present for another few moments before he spoke again.
"Very well," he said. "But don't say I didn't warn you." He then lifted his hand to his hood and removed it. Odette, Uberta, and the animals all gasped at what they saw. It was unmistakably. The slightly thinned out head with red hair on the sides, the big nose, the large red mustache. There was not mistake. It was exactly how they remembered him from a few years ago. Odette narrowed her eyes with hate at the stranger, or rather known stranger.
"Rothbart."
A/N: Wow! Another twist! How many of you guys expected this to happen? Tell me what you guys think of this chapter. Review are always Appreciated :) Oh and if you guys want to see what I have for my cover to this, go to my profile and click on the link.