Previously: Chris had a bad feeling and he sensed Corrine and Arthur sensed the danger as well. Arthur and Corrine were chatting quietly, Chris decided it was battle strategies or rescue plans.
He patted Arthur and the queen on the back . He glanced at them, they caught on very quickly, and danger was near.
Chris searched the landscape nothing out of the ordinary. Suddenly a snap of a twig caught everyone's attention. In their path stood four hooded figures, they sneered at the traveling group. Every possible escape was blocked. They were trapped with no-way out.
The leader stepped forward and bowed mockingly. "Hello your highness, Prince Arthur and Queen Corinne. I have been waiting for you, men grab the shape shifter….no not the red head you idiots the one with the pony tail and has white hair."
"Do you remember me, Arthur. You and your wife stole the shape shifters from me…"
They were outnumbered ten to one, even Corrine could not get out of this, and after all they were royal guards with actual training. Not like most of the kidnappers the musketeers had to deal with.
"Take them" the man ordered then added "Though, the man with white hair he must be treated with the upmost care, after all he is one of my shape shifters"
Chris then lost his cool interior as he ran towards the well-dressed man "I AM NOT YOURS, YOU MONSTER. YOU TREAT US LIKE SLAVES." However he was restraint before he could attack, the man only smiled and turned to look at the other prisoners.
"Dear Arthur, you have not introduced me to your friends. I am Lionel Be Berf, lord of Dolehum." His gaze shifted from Aramina on to Corinne. "Gentlemen we have been lucky, not only have we caught a shape shifter and the prince we have captured Queen Corrine of France and the ladies, Aramina D'Aramitz, Viveca Lefurgey and Renesmee Cote. We have been every lucky man. Take them away. But leave the queen I shall have the pleasure of dining with her. Search them for weapons even the females, these are the famous musketeers"
The group of friends were rough fully drabbed in to a cart; there they were tied up with rope. However Corrine had the pleasure of riding with the lord, after she was parted from her weapons.
"Do not touch me, I am quite capable of getting on to a horse" the blonde snapped as one of Lionel's men tried to lift her upon a horse. The same man followed behind her and sat behind the queen, she was to be trusted.
"Ride to the castle, men" De Berf rode towards the darken castle in the forest.
-*Finding the princess of Jewelina*-
The cart ride to the castle was uncomfortable. Aramina and Viveca were jostled around the wooden prison. After a while Renee broke the silence "how do you know this Lord?"
Chris who had been sitting in the darkness leaned forward, his pearl white skin was now sickly grey and he wore dark line beneath his golden eyes. The golden colour of his eyes was the only colour in the shadow. "He was the king, but he was forced to give up the throne by the court because he had broken Jewelina's truce and they did not want war. His younger, kinder brother succeeded him, and he gave the title of lord to Lionel to make him a noble and not a peasant. The current King, John, his brother is allied with Jewelina. Lionel hated the fact that his foolish brother did not demand the shape-shifters back. He ran away, never seen in Doleham again."
"He always swore revenge on Sara for keeping Doleham's treasure." It was Arthur now whom spoke He could never find the herd he gave as a gift. She knew he would steal them away, every few know of the place they are hidden."
"The royal forest of Charmington" (Capital of Jewelina. The picnic forest of chapter 3) T'was the redhead who interrupted.
Arthur stared at her. Shocked. "How could you possibly know?" he asked.
"I saw the gleam of white in the forest I didn't say anything. I saw their face, it wasn't like a normal horse's it showed human emotion and intelligence, the eyes gold."
Chris chuckled, "I guess little Flora wanted to meet the guests. She is a curious creature which gets her into trouble, she is only a foal, but I am surprised usually strangers only see them as horses, no gold eyes unless they choose to show there true selves. You were lucky, Flora and other shape-shifters rarely show themselves to strangers. They only trust their own kind like me or their saviour Seraphina"
The cart jolted to a halt. They had arrived at the abandoned castle.
-*Finding the princess of Jewelina*-
"Put the prisoners in to the cells, and then escort Miss Corrine in to the dining room"
The guards dragged Chris Arthur and the ladies in waiting to the dungeons. There they were separated Arthur Chris and Aramina in one and Viveca and Renee in the other.
"What will they do with us?" Viveca cried, she began to pace along her tiny cell.
"Viveca Please all this stress can't be good for the baby please sit" Renee begged holding her hand. The brunette nodded slightly and sat beside the musician. Renee's arms circled Viveca giving her a friendly hug.
"Lionel will probably send me back to his home where I will be treated like a slave. You will be married off to Lionel's men and sadly Arthur shall be humiliated and then made in to a slave as well but in this castle."
"Chris, if we are to be married to Lionel's men what shall happen to Viveca's baby once it is born" Aramina questioned, she feared for the babies life, Viveca was already in love with the unborn child even though she had not seen the baby. A mother's love. Adam and Viveca had been so excited and overjoyed when they had discovered they were to be parents. They had been wondering when they would be parents after all their friends had had children already.
Aramina was brought back to reality by Chris's sad sigh, "I'm afraid they would kill the child, I am terribly sorry Viveca"
The silence was interrupted by Viveca's deafening cries. No-one else chose to speak.
In this silence everyone thought of their love ones; husbands and children and how they regretted not bringing them with them on this journey.
Aramina let silent tears run down her cheeks as she thought of her darling son, Romeo and her dear loving husband. Why had she left them, and with Romeo at such a young age.
-*Finding the princess of Jewelina*-
"So your majesty what brings you to Jewelina?" the lord asked the Queen as they dined together in the great room.
"I was visiting my children's godparents. Is that such a crime?"
"Of course not, but why are you not with the princess? You were riding with your ladies, the prince and a shape shifter but no Princess or your husband"
"I wanted to see the country, my husband and my friend wished to remain home to look after the children." The lord seemed to judge whether it was true. After a moment he slammed his fist upon the table, making the wine spill.
"You're lying, Queen Corrine." He yelled but then said every calmly "Now I wish to know why you were traveling through the forest that no-one enters"
"I shall not give away my intensions to a man such as you. You are no friend of Seraphina so you are no friend of mine" she relied her voice rising.
Lord De Berf reached for Corrine's hand; she was too slow to retrieve her hand from the man's grip. His hand was sweaty on Corrine's cool one. "You will forgive me, my hands are always clammy." He gently kissed her hand, "Ah, cold hands but a warm heart, you have quite a reputation a dangerous musketeer in your day." He dropped the queen's hand.
"If I shall be so bold, I would be honoured if you would stay with me in this castle-"
"I am Married"
"-and be my wife" he finished, his eyes darted across the blondes face. Her own searching his deep green eyes. His ginger hair falling over his face, he jumped to his feet and cupped the musketeer's cheek. "What are you do-"Lionel forcefully pressed his lips against her own. His hands gripping her arms restraining her. His breath was hot against her mouth.
Finally he pulled away. By now her anger had exceeded her limit. She rose from her seat walked over to the lord and slapped him hard across the face. "Your disgusting. I am married with two beautiful children and thank yourself lucky that I am unarmed."
She stormed off, however she did not get far as Lionel's men stopped her. Lionel, rubbing his red sore cheek.
"Send her to the dungeons, and don't let her escape"
The Guard bowed and escorted the queen to the dark musty cells below the palace.
That disgusting man, kissing me. I should have stabbed him, then he shall realise kissing married women or any women for that matter without permission or manner is a very bad idea.
-*Finding the princess of Jewelina*-
"It's Corrine." Arthur whispered as the queen draw nearer, she was placed in the same cell as Viveca and Renee.
After the guards had moved away Arthur smiled. "He kissed you."
"Yep" Corrine spat.
"And you slapped him hard across the face"
"Yep"
"That's my girl, Seraphina did the same thing at 18, and of course as soon as he had kissed her I was on him with a sword near his neck. Ah Fun times"
"So how are we going to get out of here because I do not want to marry these idiots" Renee muttered.
They began to think of ideas such as, getting the keys, vanishing, making weapons out of straw. Very crazy ideas.
"I know, I will shape shift. Aramina you'll have to get on my back and guide me." Chris laughed.
"Why do I have to ride you? Why not Arthur?"
"Because he's too heavy, and I'm use to a mistress not a master"
"I guess if it gets us out of here I'll ride ya"
"Then Please look away as I remove my clothes"
"Do I have too" the red head joked and turned her back on Chris as did the other musketeers across from them in the cell.
Then there was a golden light and in the place of man was a beast. A horse. Aramina reluctantly got to white Christmas's back. He was more powerful than an average horse. With his hind legs he kicked the cell's door open. Aramina hung on tightly, as he moved to the other cell and did the same as before. The friends ran out of the dungeons and along the corridors stopping at the weaponry.
"Grad as much is you can before they discovered us missing" Corrine reached for two swords on the left.
Unfortunately they were no ribbons or fans so Viveca choose throwing knives and hide them in her tights and shoes. Aramina a pair of jewelled daggers.
Once everyone had at least one weapon they made their way to the stables. Their horses were tied to a post. Chris whom was still a horse led the way out of the grounds.
The musketeers could hear the shouts of the lord and the footsteps of his guards chasing them in the darkness.
French musketeers rode out of the grounds and into the forest, Lionel's men not far behind. Fortunately the night was an advantage to Chris and his friends as his golden eyes could see in the dark.
"This way, through the bush" the white horse neighed.
They could no longer hear the shouts and footsteps of the guards though they did not stop, not until they were a safe distance from Lord De Berf's Palace.