The day seemed to drag on endlessly. Minutes felt like hours, seconds like minutes. I tried entertaining myself, but I hadn't realized how much time I usually spent with the guys. I didn't quite know what to do with myself now that they weren't here.
For a while, I walked the halls, passing out food and water to the Taharan refugees. What we had needed to last while under siege, Everyone was only getting barely enough to live on. I hand some fruit to an elderly woman, but before I can move on she grips my wrist. "Such a lovely girl, you are.", she complements with a wry smile. "Pretty eyes, yes so lovely.
"Um, thanks.", I say, creeped out. There was something about her I didn't particularly like. I just couldn't decide just what that was exactly.
She nods absent-mindedly. "Yes..." She pulls me to her so she could whisper in my ear. I resisted the urge to pull away and run. "I'm a fortune teller, you know. My father was a sorcerer. He taught me a few things." She rolls her eyes at my horrified look. "Yes, that King Uther would have a fit if he knew. I would be dead by nightfall. But I don't think you'll tell on me now, will you?"
She was right about that. Telling on her wouldn't be fair. Not when I would share her fate if Uther knew about my little talent. Besides, I wasn't so cruel to send anyone to their death. Magic isn't entirely bad. Just as you couldn't say a sword was bad. It's the person using it you needed to judge. "No. I wouldn't", I said decidedly.
"Can I read your palm, dear? I haven't had any fun since I got here, and you would be interesting to read. Royals always are!", she asks hopefully.
I thought about it for a minute, glancing behind me. There couldn't really be any harm in it, could there? She seemed harmless enough. I kept picturing the bedraggled woman dressed as a gypsy, selling pointless knick knacks that did work and telling phony fortunes over a crystal ball at county fairs or an old shop. The thought was so amusing I nearly laughed. But instead I nodded and hesitantly held out my hand. She gripped it tightly and flipped it over so she could study my palm. I tried to get a read on her emotions, but either she was really good at hiding them or didn't have any. Frustrated, I tried to concentrate more on the point our skin touched.
Nothing. I tried so hard to pick up on something, anything, that I started to feel a bit sick. It was like her mind was entirely blank. I couldn't even sense anything stupid, things that weren't really emotions, like hunger or fatigue.
Her face pinched in horror as she traced the lines on my palm with her freezing cold fingers. She curled my fingers into a fist and gave me my hand back after a few minutes. "You have best take care, dear. I don't envy your future. You have a good heart, no matter how stubborn you may be. Some of the time, that's enough to keep you safe and away from trouble wherever you go. But mostly it's not."
Before I can ask her what she meant she backs away, melting into the crowd of people. Frustrated, I try to follow. But it was like she had vanished into thin air. I shuddered, more than a little creeped out.
Once I finished handing out food there was to give, I was bored again. Nor I couldn't stop thinking about that woman. So I did the only thing I could think of, inspect all of my weapons, which were all in pristine condition since I hadn't used any of them except in training. Still, I sat in the armory cleaning them for a while just to give my hands something to do.
If only I could give my brain something to do as well. I couldn't stop thinking about that strange woman. I had never had a problem with empathy before. I mean sure, it gave me headaches, but I's always picked up on the emotions if I had physical contact. With her I'd gotten nothing.
"Sarah, there you are.", Arthur says, running into the room.
I raised an eyebrow, kinda suspicious. I'd figured he would have left by now. "You were looking for me? Why?"
"My father wants to see you again. I think he wants to apologize."
I frown. Speaking to Uther was the last thing I wanted to do. "I'm busy. Can it wait?"
"Oh, I can see that. Your sword is so polished you could use it as a mirror. It's spotless.", he says pointedly, gesturing to the blade resting on my lap. It was practically sparkling.
"Well I haven't polished the scabbard yet..."
"Honestly, Sarah. You're working harder at this than Merlin. I really should fire him and give you the job, but I'm supposed to escort you to him right away."
I sighed, knowing I wasn't getting out of it. "No, that's alright. I know where the hall is. I'm sure you have more important things to do."
"He isn't in the hall. Otherwise I wouldn't still be here." He offers me his arm in mock chivalry. "I'll walk you there." Seeing as I didn't really have a choice, I put my weapons back into their sheaths, took his arm, and followed him out of the room.
"So why does he want me? Uther isn't exactly the apologizing type."
"Have I ever told you that you ask to many questions?"
"Have I ever told you that you never answer any of them?"
He chuckles. "Honestly, if I had a gold piece for every question you've ever asked me... Well, I'd be richer than me!"
"I see you haven't lost your modest nature.", I grumble, rolling my eyes.
"Of course not.", he says as we turn down a corridor. He stops outside of a set of double doors, opening them without hesitation. When he releases my arm, our hands brush. I pick up on a nervous feeling coming off of him, probably about the impending battle. Who wouldn't be nervous about that?
I walked inside, glancing around. Uther wasn't anywhere in sight. I peaked inside the adjoining bedroom, but he wasn't there either. "Uther?", I called. No answer. Behind me I heard a faint 'click-click' sound of a bolt locking in place. Did he just? No. He wouldn't.
"Arthur?", I called as I made my way back to the door. It was shut. I reached for the handle trying to twist it open, but it held firmly shut. "Arthur, let me out! Let me out now!"
"My apologies, Sarah.", he says, sounding only slightly remorseful. "But I'm with orders. My father doesn't want you anywhere near the war, and I have to agree with him. You're safer in there."
"For heavens sake, Arthur! If you don't let me out this instant I swear I'll strangle you!", I yelled, smacking the door.
"I imagine It'll be quite difficult for you to strangle me with a door in between us.", he laughs. The smug idiot. I could slap him. I would slap him the second I got out of here.
Instead I slammed my fist against the door, which only hurt me more than anything. "Arthur Pendragon, open this door! You can't just leave me in here!"
"I'm sorry, Sarah. But this is for your own good. We can't risk you leaving. There's food in there and servants will be sent to care for you. It honestly isn't that bad. Just relax, it'll be over before you know it." Like I cared about food or relaxing. I wanted out.
"You're a prat.", I growled angrily.
"I thought you'd say something like that. Though, I was beginning to wonder where your snarky attitude went. Glad to see it's still intact."
I screamed some more, pounding on the door, but there wasn't any response. He had just left me in here, locked inside.
I was going to go crazy locked in here. Even with the size of the room, I was getting claustrophobic. Just being locked in made me feel caged and uncomfortable. It was worse then being out there and completely useless. I could actually do something, and yet I was stuck in here with nothing to do, reduced to pacing and plotting exactly how to kill Arthur and Uther once I got out.
If he seriously thought I was going to be a good little girl and patiently stay in here, he was diluted.
Jimmying the lock was absolutely no use. Movies were liars. I only ended up bending several hairpins uselessly out of shape. Groaning, I gave up on it and slid down to the floor against the wall.
I stayed there for hours. After a while, someone knocked at the door. "Miss? Are you alright in there?", asks a female voice.
"Just peachy.", I reply miserably. After I said it, I wished I hadn't. If I could get her to open the door, I could have gotten out.
"I'll check back in a while.", she assures me. "Just holler if you need anything." I can hear her hesitating outside the door for a moment before walking away, her footsteps echoing loudly.
The room gradually grew darker as the sun set. The only view I had out of the window was a small alley and part of the village visible over the wall. The army was camping out on the other side of the castle so I couldn't even see what was happening. He probably picked this room for that very reason. Jerk. Not to mention it was way too high to jump, unless I planned on killing myself. Which I didn't.
Sulkily, I lit a candle, more to have something to stare at then for light. I sat at the table, watching the flame flicker back and forth and wax drip down the side of it for what felt like hours more.
That's when I saw it. Outside was another window. A window to a room that probably wasn't locked. Arthur wasn't that clever. The gap between my room and the other was roughly seven feet across. Doable to jump if it weren't for lack of landing space.
The room I was locked in a was a spare, so it had a bunch of junk lying around that couldn't be stashed anywhere else, so it ended up in here. They had simply cleared out enough room for the table and a bed for my use. Among a pile of a dismantled bed frame was a broken headboard, which would work well enough.
I dragged it over to the window and propped it up against the wall while I tried to pry it open. When I finally wrenched the latch free, I shoved the board out carefully. The last thing I needed to do was drop it. The farther I pushed it out, the heavier it got and the farther downward it tipped.
By the time I had it positioned, finally resting it onto the ledge on other side, my arms were on fire. As bridges go, this one would be pretty wobbly. For a moment I wondered if it was really worth it. I could fall, and then I would probably die... No. I wouldn't. I'd done much more stupid things before. And I couldn't just stay in here. I took a deep breath before easing myself out of the window.