* * *
Pluck carried a tray of cheese, bread, oranges, and wine to the prince’s cabin. Melee and Von stood without. She knocked and entered at Edward’s command.
“Here’s your meal, my lord,” Pluck stated a she noticed the Mystic Rose still cast an azure glow. She thought it was best if she stayed far away from the flower. Pluck set the tray in front of the prince.
“I am not hungry. Take the food away,” Edward ordered as he dipped a quill in an ink well and wrote on a parchment. The high sun shone in from an open window behind him.
“I’ll leave it in case you get hungry, my lord,” Pluck said as she stepped from his desk and folded her arms behind her back.
He looked up from his work and said in a stern tone, “I said take it away. Do not make me regret my decision to let you remain as my personal guard.”
She nodded, picked up the tray and wondered how she could ask him.
Edward continued writing, looked to her again, and questioned, “Why are you still here?”
Pluck stared at the Sun Oranges as she started, “I was wondering...”
He tightened his jaw, annoyed by the disruption to his writing. He had till they docked to finish his work, and he never would with her staring at him. Edward asked, “What were you wondering?”
She hesitated and then answered, “Do you remember the time when your cousins came to the castle for a visit?”
He stared at his work as he replied, “Yes, why do you ask?”
“Remember how they treated me? How they teased me and pinched my arm till I cried?”
Edward’s thoughts drifted back to that time. The girl what Pluck was known as before Han named her had just arrived at the castle. She was six and he eight. He didn’t think much of the peasant with brown hair and brown eyes and wasn’t sure why his mother the Queen sent for her.
“Why did you pick a girl to be my playmate and a toddler at that?” he demanded, turned from his mother, and pouted. “I am nearly a man, I should have men to play with not...”
“She shall be a loyal friend,” Queen Jezebel informed him as she nudged the girl closer to him. “And she shall keep you out of trouble. A prince should not get into trouble; it is not befitting your crown.” She left the girl and walked to him, turning Edward to face her. “The girl is so desperate for love. She shall give you her heart, and you need do nothing for it.”
He looked into his mother’s blue eyes as he said, “But she is a peasant.”
“Yes, and you must always remember that and remind her,” Jezebel instructed. “She is well versed in games, and she shall attend lessons with you.” The Queen lifted his chin and said to him, “My son, give her some time, if you still do not wish to have her then I shall send her back.”
He told his mother, “I shall give her a chance.”
Sun's cycles then weeks went by, and Edward grew to like having the girl around to play games and go on adventures. One of his favorites was saving the damsel from the dragon, of course the girl had to play both the maiden and the monster. As summer grew to an end, his cousins from his mother’s side came to visit. The first sun's cycle was exciting. They played High Guards and the girl was a Necrom the feared monster of magic. All was fun and laughter till his cousins knocked the girl to the ground and started pinching her arms.
“We have the Necrom now,” Philip the elder of the two declared.
“Yes, now the monster must pay for all its evil crimes,” Andrew added.
“Stop it!” she pleaded. “Don’t hurt me!” She looked to the prince and called for him, “Edward, help me!”
“Silence your pleas, peasant. The prince shall not come to your aid,” Philip told her as he continued to pinch her as red marks appeared on her arms. “Royal blood does not flow through your veins.”
“Yes, quiet your crying,” Andrew added as he kicked dirt on her. “You should learn your life is worthless.”
Tears ran down her face as she looked to the prince.
Edward stood, clinching his wooden sword, not understanding the feelings affecting his body. Why didn't he join in with them? Why did his face burn? The prince realized he felt outrage and clinched his teeth, remembering something he heard Han tell his men. Edward lifted his sword and charged the cousins, shouting, “Are we not honorable men?”
He caught them off guard and pushed them to the ground. The cousins looked up at him stunned.
Edward pointed his sword at them and told them, “High Guards do all things to glorify the Creator. We pledge loyalty to the crown. We swear to protect the Fletching people and property. And above all we forfeit our lives for the Royal Family.” He glared at them as he declared, “You shall not hurt any of my people!”
The cousins whimpered.
“We did not realize you liked her,” they declared. “Please,” they cowered. “Let us make our apologies.”
Edward nodded, and the cousins helped the girl to her feet and brushed dirt from her plain dress.
That sun's cycle, Pluck saw Edward anew. She fell in love with him. He had saved her. Pluck continued to hold the tray of food as she wondered if he would save her now from her curse.
Edward thought of that time differently. It was a moment of weakness, a childish whim, and an action he didn't wish to remember. The prince laid his quill down and started, “Yes, I remember that sun's cycle. What of it?”
“That was the first sun's cycle I realized I...” She couldn’t say it, not love... not to him, so she told him, “I gained a new respect for you.” Her ears twitched forward under her hood and her feline eyes narrowed. “I wanted you to know you’ll always have my loyalty.”
“As I should. You are a High Guard, my vassal,” he told her as he picked up the quill and dipped it in the well. “Now please take the food away.”
A shadow cast into the room as Edward set his quill to the parchment. He heard Pluck growl and saw her face wrinkled with rage in the darkness of her hood. She lifted the tray, throwing the food across the room.
“Insolent wench!” Edward uttered as he stood, slamming his hands on the desk. “What do you think...”
She rushed around the desk, pushing him aside as she yelled, “To arms!” She forced him to a side wall as she covered the prince with her body.
Melee and Von rushed in swords drawn.
“What are you doing?” Edward demanded, feeling her warm body pressed against his. She smelled of the forest and of leather.
“Remain, my lord,” Pluck ordered.
Melee rushed to the window as Von ran up to the deck.
“He’s gone,” Melee told them.
Pluck moved from the prince as she told Melee, “We can’t let him jump ship.” She set the tray on the desk as she added, “But first we must get the prince to a secure room.”
“Agreed,” Melee said as he headed for the hall. “Han’s has no windows.”
Edward moved to the middle of the room as he questioned, “Who is gone? And why can we not let him escape?” He glanced at the table, saw the tray with an arrow embedded in it, and noticed a rope dangling outside the window. “What happened?”
“There was an attempt on your life, my lord,” Pluck told him as she grabbed his hand and pulled him toward the door. “We must get you into a secure room till the assassin’s caught.”
Her hand was also warm and held his firm and for some reason, he felt safe with her. She and Melee took Edward to Han’s cabin and waited. Soon a knock came to the door.
“Who is it?” Melee demanded.
“Ardor, it is safe. We caught the attacker.”
Melee looked to Pluck, she nodded, and he opened the door.
Ardor stepped in and said, “Come, my lord. He’s on deck.”
On deck, many High Guards surrounded the bound man.
Edward examined the man but didn’t recognize him. Many soldiers served in his army. He asked, “Who is he?”
“One of Fr
acas’ Archers,” Ardor answered.
“One of our own?” Edward uttered, surprised.
“Perhaps a spy planted long ago,” Han said as he shook his head, disgusted, and addressed the prisoner, “Are there more among us?”
The traitor didn’t answer.
“Who do you work for?” Edward demanded.
The man replied, “The one you suspect the least, and that’s all you’ll get out of me, Fletching mongrel.”
Ardor raised his hand to strike the man.
“No, take him below,” Edward ordered. “We shall get nothing from him. We shall have the Morgog’s deal with him once we land.”