The King's Wrath Ch. 01

Ella startled awake at the sudden but unmistakable sound of a twig snapping. She scanned the dark woods in front her, immediately alert. Slowly, she sat up against the tree she must've fallen asleep on, making a mental note to be more careful. Falling asleep out in the open like that was a dangerous mistake, especially given her circumstances. A mistake that looked like it was about to cost her.

She wasn't able to locate the source of the noise but her body remained tense, sensing she wasn't alone. Standing up slowly, she reached for the dagger her Uncle John had given her for protection, which she now safely kept in her boot.

Her uncle had done all he could to prepare her before the war broke out. Her mother had died when she was very young, leaving her, her two older brothers, and her father. Ella had never known any of her mother's side of the family, at the insistence of her father, no doubt. Her mother, Catherine, hadn't been born into a family of any kind of noble standing. Her father was a simple bread maker and her mother a seamstress. When Ella's father, King Robert, was passing through Catherine's village and saw her, there was no discussion. She was his. They were married three days later. The kingdom didn't bother hiding their opinion on the matter of the King marrying a commoner, but this outrage was quickly put to rest. The kingdom may have frowned upon the King's actions, but the fear that the King had instilled in his subjects was enough to put a stop to such "baseless gossip".

Despite their hasty marriage and the King's well-known fearsome reputation, no one could deny that King Robert adored his queen. Which is why when she died unexpectedly shortly after the birth of their third child, the King descended into madness. He became a harsh and cruel man, mad from the devastating loss of his love and thirsty for more power to distract himself. The king then quickly set out to build an empire, neglecting his three children: Ezra, Eli, and Ella. Robert's brother John and his wife Leanna stepped up shortly after to care for the children. Ella's uncle had loved and cared for her like she was his own daughter, as he had never had any children of his own.

Ella was aware that things in the Kingdom were tense, but she never fully understood what exactly was going on. She was further confused when her uncle began training her for "survival".

"Why are you doing all of this, Uncle?" she asked him, looking down, horrified at the knife he thrust into her hands.

"There are many things I am unable to share with you right now, darling. You just need to trust me, okay? Neither I nor your brothers will be able to protect you and so we need to prepare for the worst."

"Eli and Ezra won't be coming with me?" She asked, shocked.

"No. I'm afraid we're going to have to split you three up." He said, regretfully.

Ella felt an ache in her chest at the thought of her brothers. It had been almost two months now since she'd seen them. One month since she'd been separated from her guard. Now she knew what uncle meant when he said to be prepared for the worst.

"What the-" Ella shouted before her dagger was knocked out of her hands and she was tackled to the ground, a hand quickly covering her mouth. Well, that's what you get for daydreaming, she thought. She struggled under the heavy weight of her assailant before briefly giving up to look at the monster who had tackled her.

He had dark brown eyes, which were studying her curiously. His dark hair was slightly tussled from their brief struggle. Her gaze lowered and she could immediately see why her efforts to escape were futile. He really was a monster. All she could see was his thin shirt, stretched tightly around what looked like a lot of solid muscle.

"So you're the one that's been causing all the trouble?" he finally spoke, in disbelief.

"Can I help you, asshole?" she replied, pushing his hand from her mouth, irritated. He responded by chuckling, apparently very amused.

"You're a feisty little thing, aren't you?"

Ella growled in response, doubling her efforts to get out from underneath the chuckling stranger, and managing to strike him in the face. It wasn't direct, nor was it very forceful, but it landed.

"Alright, that's enough." He said, no longer amused. "Let me tell you what your situation is because I don't think you understand." He said, grabbing her wrists and pinning them above her head. "It would seem that I have you at a disadvantage here. So you will be coming with me. And if you cooperate, then this can go pretty smoothly. However, if you want to fight me the whole way, then this won't be so great for you. That, little girl, is your situation. So what is it going to be?" he asked, his voice quiet, yet threatening.

Ella looked up at him quietly seething. Where the hell does this brute get off telling me what to do? "How about option three, where you get off of me and go about your own fucking business?" I said, icily.

His eyes narrowed dangerously. "That's not very princess-like. Didn't your people in the palace teach you manners?"

She stilled immediately. He knew who she was.

"That's right, princess. Now, I suggest you calm down and come with me willingly. I don't want to have to hurt you."

Yeah, right, she thought. She responded by spitting in his face. "Go the hell."

Wiping his forehead, he sighed heavily and looked down at her. Ella was unnerved by his stare and the silence was driving her insane.

Suddenly, she felt his weight removed from her, but her relief was short-lived as she was suddenly lifted and slung over his shoulder.

"Um, excuse me! What the fuck, I am not a fucking ragdoll- put me down right now!" she shouted, struggling with all of her might.

"You have quite the mouth on you. We'll have to find some better use for it." He said, chuckling darkly.

Outraged at his comment and frustrated that she was unable to break free of him, she literally started kicking and screaming.

"Okay, little girl. I didn't want to have to do this but you leave me no choice." He said, shuffling slightly.

Ella opened her mouth to shout at him again but stilled after feeling a sharp pain in her neck. Then everything went black.

*****

Nicholas watched her as she slept trying to figure out what was going on. At first he wasn't sure it was her, but the faint birthmark on her wrist confirmed it. This was the missing princess. Or perhaps runaway princess would be more accurate. He didn't know what he was expecting but this definitely wasn't it. She was a small little thing. Petite. She had long dark hair and the most intriguing pair of green eyes. He looked down at her clothes. He had no idea how she'd survived on her own for this long, she appeared malnourished. She was wearing a peasant blouse and riding pants, both matching the dark browns and greys of the thick forest they were in, as a means of camouflage, surely. Her clothes were dirty and had tears all over them, revealing cuts that marred her pale skin. Nicholas frowned, realizing he hadn't brought any clothes for her and the journey back would take roughly three days. Well, it's her own damn fault.

Nicholas thought back to her outraged expression when she had first seen him. It was incredibly amusing. She clearly didn't know who he was. Then again, who would expect the king to be roaming around the dark forest by himself? But as his men had time and time again shown him, if you want something done you're better off doing it yourself. Plus, it's not like they had ever met. Their kingdoms were far and from what the King had heard, she had been a bit sheltered to say the least. Looking down at her, he could see why. She was quite...spirited.

Their families had a solid alliance until her father pulled some truly underhanded shit that resulted in one of the greatest wars in their history. Considering he was rotting in a cell somewhere in Nicholas' dungeon at the moment, he had clearly underestimated his wrath.

His frustration grew as he thought of the kingdom of Alverra. Their kingdoms were far from each other, but that didn't hinder the King's ability to conquer it quickly. Nicholas had acquired his power at a young age, being only 24 when his father had died, leaving him the kingdom of Lycerra. He was almost 30 now, and more than capable of running his kingdom, soon to be empire. Despite this, however, the King was still unable to locate the King's three children. Ella especially had been a pain in his side for months. Someone must've helped her escape when the war broke out, for no one had recalled seeing her or had been able to find her since. Nicholas was closing in on the two brothers but the princess herself was proving to be most difficult. He had sent hundreds of men countless times to track her down, only for them to come back empty-handed. Which is why he was so surprised when he laid his eyes upon her. How could this innocent little thing cause so much trouble, and evade some of my best-trained men, for months? Although, given her family's track record, she may not be as innocent as she seems, he thought. I doubt she knows anything, though. He thought about that for a moment, before he looked down at her as she began to stir from her sleep. Well, it's time to get some answers. I have plans for the sweet little princess.