Wednesday

"For the hundredth time! I couldn't tell you because it was a safety breach. Father couldn't even know, Pogue!" Rolf nearly shouted, before grimacing in pain.

"Stop moving, Rolf," Kalys snapped. "You'll bleed out if you keep talking."

Celie had already puked twice. Apparently, Rolf had received an urgent slip from Lord Liam that the Emissary was back and Peppan held the key to finding him. Sleyne City was full of traitors, and Rolf had said even the closest companians of the king was not to be trusted, hence why Rolf didn't tell him. They were planning to attack during the wedding, and Rolf had been told the whereabouts of the Emissary. He had also insisted that Liam had told him that the Emissary was hiding with only two men at his camp. Now they were trapped in a camp, Rolf nearly dying because he got an arrow in the stomach.

"Bran knows where we are," Rolf choked out again, before spitting blood out of his mouth. Celie winced. They were in a guarded cave, shut in by a boulder.

Rolf was laying supported by a rock, shirtless, with Kalys's gown in stripes binding the wound on his stomach. Celie swore she saw blood leaking through the bandages, and she wanted to puke again. The griffins had been contained elsewhere, though Celie could still hear Rufus screech once in a while.

It had been a long, tiring evening. It was probably just past midnight now, and there was a heaviness that hung in the air. A heaviness that the three of them knew was as devastating as it had ever been. Celie was trying to be strong, but the constant worry that Rolf may not make it through the night was pressing deep into her mind.

The worry faded, however, when the old, traitorous emissary did make an appearance. His horrible face sneered at Celie and he laughed when he saw Rolf. Celie gulped. The Emissary handed Kalys a needle and thread, and Celie wondered if his grace was just so that he could torture Rolf for longer.

"Sew him up, lass," the emissary snapped. "We need the little prince for much longer than this. I told them to make sure he was unharmed."

He left after that and Kalys hurriedly began undoing his bandages. Blood was everywhere but Celie tried to be calm as Kalys beckoned her and Pogue forward.

"Celie, keep his head steady," Kalys said. "Close your eyes if you have to."

Purplish bruising was running up her brother's ribs, and she could feel how hot his wound was. She did have to close her eyes, the thought of looking at it any longer made her want to puke. She heard Kalys demand that Pogue hold him steady, and Rolf grunt in pain. Celie tried to brush her hand over her brother's hair comfortingly, but she couldn't help but think that her mother or Lilah would be much better at this.

Oh, Lilah. She must be terrified at where they were. Celie couldn't help but think how much trouble Rolf would be in for taking Celie and Kalys with him on this dangerous journey, but then she stopped. He would if he didn't die.

When Celie opened her eyes again, Rolf was stitched up, though there was more blood surrounding him than she remembered. Kalys was wrapping strips of her skirt around him again, and Rolf was mumbling something to Pogue. Celie could see the Emissary standing in the doorway of their little prison, and two of his men came to help Rolf to his feet and drag him away.

Celie without thinking about it, reached for Pogue's hand, and he squeezed it tightly. When Kalys sat down beside them, hands covered in blood, she was shaking and Celie could see tears dripping down her cheeks.

"I just should've listened to him," Pogue said, his eyes not meeting theirs. "And just let you two go."

"We need to get help," Kalys responded promptly. "And your remorse isn't helping, Pogue. Snap out of it, and think."

Celie looked up at Kalys. Though tears were still coming, she looked determined, and she sent Pogue a look that made the knight straighten. Celie tried to make her brain turn ideas, but the more she dwelled on the situation the more she realized that she kept thinking about Rolf and the revenge the emissary was taking on him. She was terrified that just his body was going to be brought, the life shut out of her brother's brown eyes.

"We know the griffins are in the cell or cave-dungeon to the right of us," Kalys stated. "And one of us needs to go get one and meet Bran. I'm sure he's on his way with the sergeant behind him."

Pogue looked at Celie, and her heart thrummed faster. She didn't know if she could make the escape, but she also didn't want to sit here helpless.

"Pogue, I think you should do it," Kalys said, eyeing the look Pogue was giving her. "You have the best chance to make it to the cell, and it's going to be a wild escape. If you can choose, Rufus is the most precise in the air, though Arrow and Dagger are much better fighters. However, I have no doubt Dagger has fallen into some sort of depression by now."

Celie gulped and swallowed. Pogue nodded to Kalys, happy for someone else to make the decision, and then gave a big sigh. Celie watched, only a touch scandalized when Kalys reached down the bodice of her dress, seeming to fish around for something. She brought out a small knife which she gave to Pogue, who accepted it, red tinging his cheekbones.

"And we'll sit here and wait," Kalys continued. "Pogue, if I call a guard in, the door will be open for a second. That's your chance."

They didn't know if it worked. Celie just clutched at Kalys's hand as Pogue forced his way out, and they heard shouts and screaming and chaos outside of the doors. They could only hope when they heard a loud squawk of a griffin and the fearful shouts of men that Pogue had made it upon them.

Celie's heart began to thrum when she heard the loud screech of a griffin; it was Rufus, she could tell. As worried and terrified as she was for Pogue, she was nearly as worried for Rufus. She couldn't quite imagine life without her valiant beast, and the thought of him being in danger made her not even want to think about it.

"You have been close to death before," Kalys said, and Celie shook her head.

"Not with quite so much pain first."

King Glower had shut himself up with Bran and the Council for hours, and was currently going through cycles of emotions. He was fearful for his children, angry he had not been told, and a little proud that his son cared so much for his future kingdom, and then angry again that Rolf had taken Cecelia with him. Then angry that Bran had known.

"Rolf's plan was to come back within hours, Father," Bran explained again. "We have to form a rescue. One that Sergeant Avery and I will lead. You and Mother, and Lilah and Lulath have to keep safe. Especially with the wedding."

"If you think I will abandon my two children, and two of my own court, Bran, you have mistaken the kind of king that I am," King Glower snapped.

They'd had this argument over and over and over again, and he was getting quite sick of it. Bran was pacing about, obviously feeling guilty, and King Glower suddenly did feel bad for him. Rolf could be very persuasive at times, and in Bran's defense, he was smart, with skills that usually kept him and his sisters alive, though King Glower was going to have a very stern mentioning that he had taken Cecelia on the journey with him, even if Bran kept telling him the plan was only or her to bring the egg back home with Kalys.

"Currently, I have a my two youngest children, my only knight, and a griffin-hand captured, a wedding in four days, and all the people whispering about that my heir missed the feast and final tournament, which is the least of our worries, but still one nevertheless!" King Glower rubbed his head. "I'm going to have Rolf's head, if Delilah doesn't get to him first."

"He was doing what needed to be done," Bran said, though it was the thousandth time. "Rolf's not a child anymore."

"But Celie is!"

"Yes, perhaps that was poor judgment," Bran concluded.

"Poor judgement?"

The room fell silent after that, as everyone thought about what they could do next. Bran was right about a rescue mission, though King Glower was angry if Bran thought King Glower wouldn't be leading it himself. These were his people; his children.

"Father, the Emissary knows you," Bran said softly. "He knows that you are a good king. So please, please be a wise one."

"Your Majesty," Sefton started with a duck of his head. "If they have been captured, I have no doubt harm is coming to them. Especially Rolf. There was a great joy to the Emissary's actions during the first time he betrayed us, and I don't doubt that Rolf is in serious danger for his life. Beg pardon my morbid words, but if we lose our Crown Prince our King must be alive to still sit on the throne."

Sefton bowed his head humbly, but King Glower knew he was right. Sefton had a great knack for saying the truth, and he wasn't afraid of his words. Bran sent a pointed look King Glower's way , and he subsided.

"Know this, Bran, if I lose you, too, the Emissary will meet my full wrath," King Glower said, feeling defeated. "Send for the Sergeant."