Knight for the Prince

Chapter 18 - Arwin's Punishment

Marilyn tried to return the ruin of fate to king Arnoldus, but he simply told her to keep it until the ruin wants to return to him on its own accord. He went so far as to place the piece back into her helmet and released her with a wink.

Shortly after both Leticia and Marilyn completed their reports of Drachna's attack the king and queen of the Golden Valley left Shaundra's castle in haste along with Leticia. Two days after the attack they also left for home after spending a day preparing provisions for the road. A feeling of dread settled on her when she saw the black griffon halfway through the morning heading in the direction of the Golden Valley. This time the griffon king wasn't alone. He is accompanied by a dozen dragons much smaller than the Blackhawk dragon. They flew high in the sky and did not pay the city any attention to their mission. It dawned on Marilyn that her life is still in danger, because of Drachna's spies.

Then there was the theft of King Arnoldus crown. Shaundra's king apologized for the theft a hundred times over. Arnoldus had to threaten him with war to make him stop apologizing. Marilyn and the fox of fate found it extremely amusing. It took every ounce of self-control not to burst out laughing.

They came to a halt at the river crossing. The river crossing is a complicated barge pulley system that works even if the river is in flood. But because of the treacherous water everyone boarding on the barges is advised to stay more to the center of the barge while the more sturdy horse stood on the side. This is the second time Marilyn is crossing this particular river. The first time went smoothly because the river wasn't in flood. Now the barges bobbed dangerously on the churning water. Made of wood and treated with tar these large square barges have each been created to carry horses, caravans, and coaches.

They slowly made their way across the river. Finally, she is taken onto a barge. The wooden deck is very slippery and she held unto Grendelow's reigns for support. They crossed in groups on the barges. One coach was accompanied by horses and soldiers. The prince stands next to her. She fights to keep herself on her feet on the barge and barely manages to do so on the slippery surface.

To make matters worse it is the middle of winter and a layer of snow covers everything and an icy wind made it snapping cold. The water isn't any better. If you end up in the river, chances are that you could catch a cold or worse and since she is wearing armor she will drown. As they near the opposite bank of the river the water churns violently under the barge and causes the barge to move in such a way that Marilyn loses her footing.

Prince Arwin hears Sameth's cry and reacted on instinct. He yanks his winter fur coat and jacket off and threw them over Whistler's before jumping into the river after Sameth. Fear of losing him fuels Arwin to save his life. He finds Sameth and drags him the last few meters to the river bank. Free of the freezing water he drags Sameth's frail form onto the bank several feet away from the water's edge.

He lay Sameth with his face sideways and his eyes are closed as water dribbles from his mouth. His face looks very feminine from this side. His cheeks look soft like a lady's cheek and there is no sign of a beard starting to grow. Yet he is seventeen years old. The hair on his face is too soft. His eyelashes are longer. With a surprising jolt, he realizes that Sameth is a woman.

She coughs and more water comes from her mouth. He watches her with interest trying to identify the woman behind the disguise. Her eyes are a dead giveaway. She lowers her voice deliberately to sound more like a boy. "I owe you my life, your majesty." But the feminine lilt in Marilyn's voice no longer escapes his ears.

All of a sudden all the pieces come together. He remembers the panic in her eyes when they met the first time escorted by Ashton. The scorn with which she looked at Alston when he asked about her virginity in the gentleman's club. She was close to killing him in cold blood. He cringed and felt his cheeks burning up. The more he remembers the redder his cheeks burns with embarrassment. Then that accidental kiss and how he became even more confused about his feelings and the fact that she overheard everything he said about her and not once she confronted him.