Fantasy To Hunt and Be Hunted

[awriternamedian]

Adelaide stared despairingly out the front window of the tavern, watching the people meander through town, doing chores and shopping and visiting friends. She had her elbow propped up on the sill, chin cupped in one small, delicate hand. It wasn't fair. It wasn't fair to have to watch people go about their days, unafraid, at ease, free to live their lives as they chose. She would give anything to be any one of them right now.

A soft sigh escaped her pink, bow shaped lips. For probably the hundredth time, she reminded herself that she couldn't dwell on what was or wasn't fair. Granted, it wasn't necessarily that she thought it was unfair that she'd gone from princess to barmaid in a little over a week. She'd always been the humble sort. It was just tiring, having to pretend to be someone you weren't. She felt like she was tired all of the time now. The woman wasn't used to hard work like this.

Carefully she counted the days she'd been gone. Three days of hard riding, at which point her food had run out. Two more of scavenging and going by foot. She'd sent the horse back, not wanting to be seen riding one of the palace steeds. The sixth day had found her scrounging behind this tavern for food, at which point she'd been taken in by the owner. He was a caring man, giving her a place to sleep, food, and work. He'd told her when he took her in that it was because she reminded him of his wife, who'd died a few years before.

And then another... five? Working here? She sighed. So eleven days since she'd left her home, fearing for her life. A soft, sad laugh escaped. Her birthday was in two weeks. She'd be twenty one this year. A ball had been planned, lords and ladies from all over the kingdom supposed to come. Not that it mattered now. Idly, she wondered how her father would cover up her disappearance.

"Marie!" The sound of her fake name made her jump, turning with wide grey eyes to find the source. The tavern keeper stood on the other side of the room, arms crossed over his chest, foot tapping. "Are you going to stare out the window all day, or would you like to get some work done? There's a table near the back that needs you."

She smiled sheepishly at him. "I'm sorry," she said, forcing herself to speak loud enough to be heard.

With the tavern slowly filling up, she wasn't surprised to hear that she was already needed. When her gaze landed on the table however, the sight of four soldiers sitting there made her freeze up. She stood there, panicking, long enough that the tavern keeper called her name again, impatient this time.

It startled her into motion, and as she made her way towards their table, she double checked that her hair was firmly covered by her scarf. The long, curly hair was a vibrant red, a well known trait of the royal family. It would have been much easier to cover if she'd simply cut it short, and while she'd considered it, she simply couldn't bare to do so.

It was almost impossible to make her low, slightly husky voice loud enough for them to hear, to ask what they wanted, but it didn't seem to matter. Without actually waiting for her question, the boisterous group demanded ale, and lots of it. With a nod, she quickly escaped, thankful that they hadn't recognized her.

Thus her evening went. Though her anxiety lessened each time she was forced to go back there, it was still a relief to be sent across town to deliver a message. The streets were quiet this time of night, and gloomy with no moon to light her way. Because of this, she didn't see the two men creeping up on her until it was too late. They came at her from behind, one grabbing her around the waist, one hand slapped across her mouth to silence the scream that had been startled from her. The other grabbed her frantically kicking legs, tangling them in her own skirts. Together the pair carried the small woman quickly and easily through the deserted streets and out of town.

Tears welled up in her eyes as she struggled uselessly. This was it. She'd been caught.

 

[Unwavering Knight]

As Adelaide was unwillingly carried through dark alleys and decrepit passages, her aid-seeking gaze would have found few passersby, none helpful in this gloomy night, huddled and hushed as they were. Certainly, a number cast questioning glances in direction of her captors, though the abductor's harsh gazes left little doubt as to their capabilities. Adelaide was merely the newest in a long line of victims, these men knew their hidden craft well and easily eluded the sight of guards - or at least those they hadn't bribed prior to conducting their deed.

But as they rounded a corner, the towngate in view, Adelaide might have noticed a slight movement in the night, from the streets they had emerged. Had she strained her sight, perhaps she might have made out a faint outline of a frame of great stature, a stray candle casting a shimmer upon a plated figure. Unbeknownst to her captors, something was following them, walking without giving even the slightest sound. And whenever they rounded a corner, it would not take long for the pursuer to emerge onto her view again, always faint, at the very edge of her sight.

As one of her abductors bartered with the guard at the gate for passage, the runaway princess might have found no trace of the figure following them, the streets here well-illuminated and allowing for no hiding. That was until she raised her gaze, to look further into the bleak nightsky. Again she might have spotted a faint outline, a massive frame standing atop one of the houses, steel-hidden stare directed down upon the villainous proceedings.

The trio finally passed the gate, exiting the city. With Adelaide still kept in a tight grip, her captors remained vigilant, the town still in view behind them. In the dark of the night, the captors led Adelaide off the main road upon a beaten side-path, intending to negate even the slightest chance of pursuers.

The gloom of twilight faded slowly, a shining moon emerging in the sky. Adelaide's abductors slowly relaxed, the man holding her by the neck easing his hold. For them, the worst was over, none could possibly have followed them, of this they were certain. All they had to do now was manage the journey back to the capital with their acquired 'ware' mostly intact. Exchanging bright grins, the men resumed the travel, forcing Adelaide with them.

"HALT."

The singular word was bellowed like a baleful hiss, cutting through the silence of the night. Adelaide's captors immediately tensed, hands baring swords as they looked around with wide eyes, straining to see in the dark. From before them, a heavy thumping of steel-plated boots intoned, the faint outline of a massive frame emerging from the dark.

"Who's there?" asked one of her captors, blade drawn, pointed at the nearing figure.

From the night came a hulking being, clad from head to toe in dark plate, towering over the runaway princess's abductors. A sword gripped in its claw-like hand, the helmet's visor was affixed upon Adelaide as it treaded closer with a slow and steady gait. When before the being had been silent with every movement, now every rigid step crashed upon the earth with pronounced heaviness.

"Knight am I." a harsh voice emanated from the plated giant "You are Villain." The knight did not stop his approach, simply keeping his steady pace without any apparent need to hurry.

The captors stared wide, the one holding the sword wavering slightly at the sight of the encroaching being.

"Surrender. Flee." came the knight's ugly tone again, imperiousely commanding.

"What are you going to-" began the frontmost abductor, just as the knight came into range. With barely noticeable movement, the knight's sword stung forth, tapered tip just slightly piercing the man's throat before being instantly pulled back. The man required several seconds before taking note of the increasing flow of blood emanating from his punctured jugular. Letting go of his sword, he clutched at his throat, desperately trying to halt the lifefluid as it seeped from the mortal wound. So quick was the knight's action that not even blood clung to his blade.

Even as the man sank to the ground in exsanguination, the giant spared him no glance, the helmet's visor remaining affixed upon Adelaide as he continued his slow, menacing gait towards the princess and her would-be abductor, the latter of which shifted his gaze with an open mouth between the knight and the executed victim behind him.

Giving a frightened shriek, the man let go of the princess, before turning around and running for his life, leaving Adelaide to the monster.

The knight halted several feet before her, helmeted gaze silently appraising the princess. After a number of moments, his harsh voice intoned "Are you Damsel?"

 

[awriternamedian]

This was it. End of the line. She was being hauled back to the castle, back into her father's hold. Nightmares haunted her every night with the thoughts of what he might do to her if he got his hands on her. She bit back a sob. No if now. She was caught. Tears streamed down the girl's pale cheeks as she struggled. There was little point, aside from her need to feel as if she were doing something, as the girl couldn't have weighed more than a hundred pounds, allowing her captors to maneuver her as if she were no more troublesome than an annoyed kitten.

As they left the small town she choked back another sob, forcing herself to focus. This was life and death. No matter what, she couldn't allow them to take her back to her father. She'd end her own life first. Though she hoped it wouldn't come to that. No, she was stronger than this. She'd figure it out. Figure out how to escape them. Figure out how to move on. Figure out how to find a new life. To evade further capture. The situation washed over her again, dragging her back into despair despite how hard she fought it.

A startled scream escaped from behind the captor's tightly held hand at the sudden bellowed command. Her legs were dropped, and her other captor's grip loosened as they bared their swords. She'd have taken that time to run, but she found herself in shock at the sight of the... knight? That's what he'd called himself. And he certainly had the armor. He was saving her though. That was all that mattered. She watched him approach through wide, shocked grey eyes. Just a wandering white knight? Or maybe one of her father's men? Did he know who she was?

Another scream escaped as the knight's sword flew and blood sprayed, soaking the ground below the fallen man. The scream was echoed by her captor's shriek and suddenly she found herself tumbling to the ground as he took off running. She spared him no thought however, her gaze focused on the man who'd rescued her. Though she couldn't see his face, she knew he was looking down at her.

She tucked her long curls behind her ears, the scarf hiding them long lost, as anxiety and fear tightened her chest. Just as she was opening her mouth to break the silence, he spoke. The question confused her, and her brow furrowed as she tried to figure out what he meant.

"Ah, I-I'm Adelaide," she whispered shakily, forgetting for the moment that she'd taken on the pseudonym Marie. There was little room for such thoughts, considering the circumstances.

 

[Unwavering Knight]

"A-de-lai-de." the knight spoke slowly, gratingly deep baritone distorting what many would consider a pretty name. Again a moment of silence, the knight slowly tilting his helmeted head to the side, steel-gaze looking down at her from a different angle "... Princess Adelaide, of Miraven." he finally concluded.

Straightening himself, helmeted head raised high, the knight appeared before the Princess at his complete height of over seven feet as he spoke with clear volume "I am I, Helbrecht, Knight of the Lady." In the dark of night, his armor appeared nigh-featureless, not a single sliver of flesh visible through the unyielding plates and mail. Though the armor clearly exemplified the saying of 'function over form', its construction could neither be called exquisite nor crude, but rather a perfect melding of magnificence and formidability.

Each and every plate featured small, fine edges, sporting many traces of war, countless cuts etched into the steel. The giant knight made no attempt to bare his visage to Adelaide, his only recourse being an unyielding, iron-like stare through the thinly-carved visor of his rustic helmet. Even the fingers of his gauntlets appeared to be dangerousely sharp, giving both hands claw-like appearances.

Spoiler

Naturally, his appearance exuded little to take faith in, achieving intimidation rather than confidence, even more so with him still holding his blade while behind him Adelaide's former captor remained still and silent in a pool of his own lifefluid.

"Will you be my Damsel?" the knight asked, starry gaze affixed on Adelaide. Had she paid attention, she might have become aware that from the very moment since the knight stepped into her vision to drive off the captors, the helmeted stare had only ever been direct at her.

 

[awriternamedian]

Though she could not see his eyes, she knew through some strange instinct that his intense gaze was focused wholly on her. It was unnerving, and while she was thankful that he had saved her from capture, she wished he would look elsewhere. Her eyes darted away, landing on the man he'd killed. Bile rose in her throat. She'd never seen a dead man before, let alone seen one killed before her very eyes. It took everything she had not to lose the meager contents of her stomach. She forced her gaze back up at the self-proclaimed knight. Despite her disgust, he had potentially saved her life.

All feelings of gratitude fled as he spoke again. He knew who she was. Was he going to turn her in? Her heart thundered in her chest at the thought. "I-I'm not-" What could she say to that? There was little point in denying who she was. After all, how many girls with flaming red hair went by the name of Adelaide lived in this kingdom? It was too rare to be called coincidence.

Despite his polite introduction, she couldn't help the shiver of fear that ran down her spine at his imposing figure. She attempted to scramble to her feet too quickly, only succeeding in tangling herself in her skirts and tumbling back to the ground, bruising her tailbone in the process. She didn't try again, as she was unsure her legs would even hold her up. Fear held her weak and immobilized and trembling. She'd never been a particularly fearful person, but in lieu of the circumstances, perhaps she could be forgiven.

And then his question. Her brow furrowed in confusion, and some of her trembling eased. His... damsel? She'd never heard that word before outside of the fairy tales her nursemaid had read to hear as a child. Usually it was only used in the phrase 'damsel in distress'. That seemed appropriate. She was indeed in distress. Or had been. This man, this knight, had saved her, potentially from a fate worse than death.

"W-why?" She managed to stutter out, voice laced with confusion and still a thread of fear. He may have saved her from her captors, but that didn't mean his intentions were necessarily honorable. And if he did have undesirable intentions, this monster of a man would be much harder to escape from than the two he'd scared off. They'd merely been human men. The knight seemed... different.

 

[Unwavering Knight]

"'Why'...?" the knight tilted his helmeted head to the side as he repeated the princess's uttered question with a mechanical edge "Why, for to each knight his 'Dulcineah'!" he spoke, for the first time the grating baritone giving way to a more vibrant, voluminuous tone "One that he alone can name! A secret hiding place, where he can find his haunting face, to light his secret flame!"

To many, Helbrecht's words would have made little sense. Nonetheless, the knight himself radiated nothing but complete and utter faith in his own spoutings as he looked at the princess in expectation.