The lovely Lesley has done some absolutely amazing cover art for this story - the link is in my profile and you should all check it out now! Thank you, Lesley! *hugs*
Never before had Jess been grateful for her love of historical dramas – or an interest in fashion from times gone by. Still, it was a struggle even with Mary's not always helpful suggestions to get them both fastened into the dresses Patrick had acquired from somewhere. The young princess, as Jess had learned she was, was not used to dressing herself and had looked to Jess for guidance.
They'd managed, though, and both looked presentable. In other circumstances, Jess might have enjoyed the opportunity to dress up in a real medieval dress – even if the bodice pinched a little, it did amazing things to enhance what nature had given her. As it was, though, she covered herself as best as she could with the shawl that had been supplied so as to avoid the lecherous stares of Patrick and the other men who had been waiting for them downstairs.
"I demand to know where you are taking us." Drawing herself up to her full height, which still fell short of Jess by a few inches, Mary squared her shoulders as the men, three including their abductor, began to hustle them towards the door. "You cannot treat me this way."
"I think you'll find I can treat you however I want to, Princess." Patrick smirked at her, while his two companions looked on.
Taking a deliberate step in front of Mary as Patrick advanced towards her, Jess arched an eyebrow at the man responsible for her situation. "I'm not going to let you hurt her, Patrick."
He stopped, a grin playing on his lips as he arched an eyebrow of his own. "And what would you be prepared to do to stop me, Jessica?"
Squaring her shoulders against the very obvious once over he gave her, Jess fought to keep her voice steady. "Whatever it takes. I won't let you hurt her."
Patrick took another step closer but stopped when one of his companions cleared their throat.
"If we are to meet my contact, we must leave now."
His top lip curling up in a sneer, Patrick turned away from Jess with obvious reluctance and the group began to move again.
Feeling a smaller hand grip hers suddenly, Jess glanced over her shoulder at Mary as they were ushered forward by the third man standing behind them.
"Thank you." Mary's smile was tremulous at best. "Do you think they will hurt us, Jessica?"
"I won't let them," Jess swore, squeezing Mary's hand and allowing herself to forget she was in the presence of royalty; in that moment, Mary was no more than a scared little girl. "I promise. I won't let any of them hurt you."
Mary's smile grew a little but the fear on her pale face didn't diminish. Moving to walk beside her, Jess wrapped an arm around the girl's trembling shoulders and ushered her forward between their captors.
To say it had been an educational experience to spend time with the knights of old England would have been an understatement. Becker did his best to blend in and answered most of the questions he was asked with a question of his own, a tactic that had served him well previously and seemed to work in medieval England… until they started asking questions about Jess.
"You do not believe your betrothed would have left willingly?"
Remembering the fear on Jess's face, the dazed look in her eye, Becker clenched his fists and shook his head. "No. Not at all. Do you know how the man was able to get access to the princess?"
"We believe he was aided by a man inside the castle." A man who wouldn't be able to aid anyone anymore if the dark expression Sir Lawrence, the knight, wore was to be believed. Changing the subject, Lawrence inclined his head towards the picture Becker clutched in one hand, keeping it readily available in case they passed someone else who might have seen Jess. "Your betrothed is certainly very beautiful."
He felt the tips of his ears burn and lowered his gaze, grateful they'd taken a break from horse riding so that he wouldn't embarrass himself by squirming uncomfortably in the saddle. "She is," he managed, his voice quiet.
"You must be eager to be wed," Sir Lawrence continued, either oblivious to or not caring about Becker's embarrassment. As the knight smirked at him knowingly, Becker decided it was more likely the latter.
"We have to find her first," Becker said evasively, running his finger subconsciously over the sketch in his hand.
Sir Lawrence clasped him on the shoulder in a sign of solidarity. "We will, my friend. We will find the princess and your betrothed. And then we will celebrate."
Becker forced a smile and a nod, knowing that when he found Jess, his priority wouldn't be to celebrate with those who'd helped him but rather to use the technology he had stashed in his bag to find a way for both of them to go home.
The sound of hurried footsteps preceded the arrival of a red faced boy of no more than twelve or thirteen, his brown eyes wide as he came to a panting stop in front of the knights and their horses.
"There has been a sighting, Sirs! Of the man you described! He is travelling with two men and two women! Hurry, hurry! Come, and I will take you!"
The boy turned on his heel and began to run back in the direction from which he'd come. The knights scrambled to their feet and remounted their horses, with the Earl in lead and Becker not far behind.
Mary cried out as she stumbled, tripping over a rock in the path. If not for Jess's grip on her arm, the barefooted princess would have fallen face flat onto the muddy path.
"Come on," Patrick glared over his shoulder at them as the group were slowed once again. "For a princess, you are severely lacking in grace, Your Highness."
Even as Mary glared at him indignantly, her cheeks burned scarlet.
"If you'd thought to provide either of us with shoes, we would be able to walk a lot faster," Jess retorted, matching Patrick's glare with one of her own before the young girl could defend herself. She wrapped a comforting arm around Mary's shoulder and drew the girl closer to her. "We're doing our best."
"Your best isn't good enough," Patrick snapped impatiently.
The man who'd gone on ahead of them chose that moment to return, his expression alarmed and his eyes full of panic. "The knights are out searching!" He announced in between deep gulps for air. "We will never made it to the dock on time!"
"The dock…?" Mary repeated with wide, fearful eyes. "Where are you planning to take us? I demand to know! I will not walk a single step further until you tell me!"
Patrick took a menacing step towards her, lifting his hand as if to strike her. Without hesitation, Jess swiftly intercepted the blow meant for the princess.
"Jessica!" Mary cried out as the force of Patrick's hand against her face knocked Jess off balance and sent her tumbling to the ground.
"Carry the princess," Patrick ordered, not caring which of his companions followed his order. He reached down and grabbed Jess's wrist in a bruising grip, using it to yank her to her feet. "You walk with me," he told her quietly, eyes flashing in warning when she opened her mouth to protest. "Quickly."
As one of the men scooped up the protesting princess, Jess found herself being half-dragged, half-marched through the woodland, wincing as the branches and stones on the ground bit into her feet. The trees went by at a dizzying rate as she tried to focus more on keeping herself upright than on the throbbing ache in her cheek.
She heard Mary shout and scream behind her and wished she could turn around to reassure the girl it would be okay but knew it wouldn't be wise to do so; Patrick was already dangerously riled up and she didn't want to risk provoking him further. He was the man, she reminded herself, who'd killed without hesitation or remorse more than once – and who'd tried to kill both Becker and herself with a bomb that could have caused injuries to hundreds of innocent people in the immediate area.
'Just stay calm,' she told herself firmly, biting down on her bottom lip to keep from crying out as she stubbed her toe on a large stone in the middle of the path. She could taste the metallic tang of blood in her mouth and wasn't sure if she'd bitten down too hard or if her lip had been split as a result of Patrick's spectacular back-hander. 'Stay calm, and stay focused. You never known when you'll be able to…'
She didn't get a chance to finish the thought as she was pulled to an abrupt halt, the bushes in front of them parting under the force of over half a dozen horses, ridden by whom she assumed were the knights Patrick's collaborator had warned him about.
Knights… and Becker…?
And I will leave you with that mental image for a while.. Becker riding to the rescue, all determined and a little bit sweaty (searching for the love of your life while riding a horse is sweaty work, I'd imagine... and I am... Imagining that is... Hmm...)
... I was going to say something else here but I've forgotten what it was so... yes. Enjoy the image! (And both of the amazing graphics by Lesley & youaretrulybrilliant if you haven't already!) :)