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The castle loomed up before us, as tall as the sky and as menacing as an army. I suppose it was pretty, even beautiful or majestic to others, but I felt only dread looking at it.
"Welcome home, sister." Charles snickered, and his horse, a giant chestnut thoroughbred tossed his head. I looked down at my mount, a white, medium size near copy of his, and I wondered how such beauty as she and I could be kept by such evil as my father.
"Do not lie, brother. I am neither welcome nor home." I muttered, soft enough that he could not hear me. Charles laughed without humor.
"Your muttering does you no good. One who does not speak their words aloud is either weak or stupid. Speak up." He recited, repeating the words my father so often said.
"I said that I am delighted to be here and cannot wait to see my beloved father again." I stated sarcastically. Charles snickered as if I had told a joke.
"I am sure he will be elated to see his only daughter after so long apart."
We entered te courtyard a second later, where stablehands rushed over to us and we dismounted the horses. As they rushed our animals away, we walked up to the main doors, which were opened by the castle guards and we entered the hall. After a walk, much to short for my liking, we arrived in the main hall, where, directly in front of us, we saw my father, sitting on his throne of pure gold.
Leopold was a man larger than life. His muscles bulged, his shoulders and his were wide, his legs were long and he towered over all who came before him, whether he be on his raised throne platform or not. His hair was white-blonde, and his eyes grey, making my brother, in comparison, like a tiny copy.
"Ah, Saraphine, you have been missed." He purred, in a voice anything but kind.
"What do you want from me." I snapped, not caring if I was rude, as he already knew that I disliked him.
"Now, now, no need to be rude, but I have called you here because you are the most beautiful maid in the land, and I have need of you to show your people who they would be fighting for when I rouse them to war."
I flinched at the word, but my father pretended not to see.
"Of course, I most also show you what you are doing this for." The king flicked his hand and the doors opened once more. Two guards, holding a man and a woman walked in, though they were both robed so I could not see who they were.
"Your pet healer and your little Depermar rat will be executed if you do not follow my every wish." He stated as the guards threw back the hoods of the prisoners and I was suddenly staring into the terrified eyes of Marley and Matthew. I gasped and turned my eyes angrily to Charles, but he was frowning in confusion.
"What would you like me to do, father?" I asked, struggling to keep my voice level.
"I just need you to speak for the crowd tonight, and then you and your friends can go off on your marry way. I'll even let the Depermar boy go, but only because he was only a slave. Now come with me, before I grow tired of this and simply execute them at once."
I followed him as he stepped down, and I felt Charles walk up beside me.
"I swear, I did not tell him where you were, or about the boy. I don't know how he found out." His voice was barely a breath, and I looked up to see him staring into my face. His eyes didn't flick away. I sighed softly.
"I believe you. Does father have a new set of guards, bigger than him?"
"Yeah, he just got them recently, but I didn't watch where he sent them."
"He sent them to Marley's cottage. You'll help me, won't you? To free them, I mean. You know as well as I that he doesn't always keep his word."
"I'll help you, this once." He sighed. "But how?"
"I've got a plan, but I'm not sure it will work."
"You can count me in. You know I can't resist a challenge, ever since we were kids."
I smiled, looking back at the retreating form of our father. My brother could be a jerk, but inside, he really was on my side.
"People of Argratent! Your princess comes before you today to inform you of our dire circumstances with our neighbors. Listen well, for she may be our only hope of knowledge."
I glanced at Charles, and saw him wince as the last sentence, for what our father really meant was that I was going to lie, or my friends would be killed. I walked forward, and I stood with Leopold, opening my mouth slowly to speak the vile lie he was forcing me to utter.
"I have been staying with a dear friend of mine, near the border, and last night, we were attacked." The crowd stirred below me. "We thought it was men from Depemar, but we could not see them clearly. However, after much looking into it, I found that it was not our neighbors, it was my father's men on his orders!"
As soon as the words came out of my mouth, Leopold turned and struck me. I saw stars erupt in front of my vision, and I collapsed to my knees. His foot came up and hit me in the side, but I glanced over to see that Charles was gone, just as planned. I would create a distraction, and he would free them and take them somewhere my father would never find them.
"You arrogant, lying little girl! Have you no respect for your father? Are you not grateful that I have raised you in the finest castle and under the finest people? I will kill you for that insult!"
From below, I heard absolute silence, but as my father's boot struck me again, knocking me to the floor, I heard a yell of anger. Hearing it, my father looked down and he sneered.
"Any of you willing to go against me? I have the strongest army in all the land and beyond, and I will-"
I never found out what he would do, because at that moment, the crowd below erupted into chaos.