The day started with a bang. Elyza shot up to her feet, her senses immediately on high alert to face the danger. Despite the grogginess that clung to her, she could make out a projectile hurtling toward her, raising her hands in a bid to intercept it. The object slipped between her fingers and hit her squarely in her face, bouncing off her harmlessly, allowing Elyza to attempt to catch it in its rebound. As her hands felt the object, and her eyes began to work again, the smell of fresh bread made it clear to her that she had been attacked by a roll. She glanced up to see Alex standing nearby, hand over his mouth, attempting to stifle his laughter.

  Alex inhaled deeply, his expression shifting to a somewhat more serious one, “Your clothes looked old and tattered, so I got you some options,” he gestured towards a heap of clothes behind him. “Wear them, don’t, doesn’t really matter much. There’s a bath downstairs if you want to clean up. Just be at the execution on time. I have to crush the hopes of a cockroach”

  “There’s an execution this early in the morning?” Elyza quizzically asked, still half-asleep.

  “Early?” he said, pulling apart the blinds of the room’s one singular window. The sunlight flooded her temporary lodgings, momentarily blinding her. She held up the bread roll to shield her eyes as they struggled to adapt. Alex continued without a hint of guilt, opening the window as well, “I guess you’ve only been napping for a good thirteen and a half hours.”

  He moved towards the door, adding, “Be at the town square in thirty minutes, and make sure to deal with any business you have left. Remember, you’re either dying or coming with me today. Now if you excuse me, I have to prepare to go against a ‘goddess’ will’, so I’ll be on my way.” Alex declared as he ducked into the hallway. As she listened to his dampening footsteps, Elyza considered going back to sleep, to embrace the welcoming warmth of the cotton mattress again, but instead took a bite of the bread roll and sighed.

  “And try to keep up with the prisoner afterward!,” Her new companion’s voice declared from outside the window, almost making her drop her breakfast.

  She didn’t know who he was talking about, but Elyza’s weary body and hungover brain discouraged her from inquiring further. Even after a single day of hanging out with him, his eccentricity did not have the same effect any more, instead she was more worried about changing out from her stained clothes. Starting to sift through the pile of clothes, which ranged from extremely bright pants to a priestess’ outfit, her eyes pierced through the heap, quickly finding a faded green shirt which she could pair with some brown pants. What worried her was that both of them fit her surprisingly well, almost the perfect size, forcing the doubts about Alex to resurface in her mind once again, but still her curiosity overpowered her mind.

  Walking out of the building, Elyza’s senses were ambushed. A multitude of smells attacked her nostrils, as the talking, murmuring, and whispering of the river of people overwhelmed her. It seemed like the town had transformed overnight. Stalls flanked the crowded street, many of them selling some kind of fried, sweet, or both delicacy. It seemed as if everyone was moving in the same direction, like a line of ants marching towards the castle, and as she considered what Alex had mentioned, she melded into the procession.

  The longer she followed the crowd, the harder it was to keep her focus, the fragrance of the salty and sweet pastries making Elyza salivate. Till one stall finally made her stop. On its counter, there were some kind of rolled up pastries with what looked like a slice of cheese on top, smelling of sea salt and mushrooms. She concluded that there was no reason for her not to gorge herself, it being her last day and all, her stomach growled in agreement. However, the reality she had to deal with was that to snack on the dish in front of her required money, and she had spent all she had left on a bribe already.

  Rummaging through her pouch, looking for anything she could trade for it, her ears picked up on the faint jingle of coins, but the sound didn’t come from within the sack. She felt something rub against her thigh, prompting her to reach into her pants’ padded pocket, and as her hand returned, it brought along with it five silver coins. Elyza reminded herself to thank Alex while her distrust of him grew ever so more in her mind, handing one of the coins to the seller, getting four of the rolls in return. She had expected them to be savoury, but the soft, slightly peppery dough combined with the surprisingly sweet cheese made them utterly irresistible, all but ensuring that they were demolished within minutes.

  As she continued on her way, she made it a point to visit every food stall she passed. She enjoyed fried bread, juices sweetened with honey, savoury meat crepes, and some fresh sour apples. But as the crowd started to thicken the closer Elyza got to the square, it was getting increasingly harder for her to go against the flow of people, forcing her to peer over the sea of heads to see what they were crowding around, only for her gaze to lock onto a guillotine at their centre. It had been set up on a wooden stage, looking ominous against the backdrop of the towering castle, the gleaming blade reflecting the sun's light above, the chain that held it aloft rusty from the blood of previous victims.

  Her ears perked up as they recognised the clatter of hooves growing louder, turning around to see a carriage being escorted by an entire regiment, making its way through the street, screaming at the audience to move. As they did, the crowd started to pull Elyza with them, the sea parting to form a path for the ten or so cavalry. The carriage they were escorting looked more like a coffin on wheels, a single opening at the back of the carriage, a small barred hole cut recently into the steel door the only freedom afforded to the one being held within.

  The guards quickly established a perimeter around the stage, shoving the few that had gathered to feel the blood on their faces,and their presence pushed the rest of the crowd backwards. One of the horsemen gave some sort of signal, a glance was all she could gather, prompting the coachmen to respond with two resounding thumps on the carriage, passing the instruction along.

  With a creaking groan, the door of the wagon heaved open, revealing three fully armoured guards. Among them, she spotted one knight holding a firm grip on the prisoner, who, in their plain attire and with a woolen sack obscuring their face, didn’t look worthy of the forces that surrounded them. Forced onto the stage, with arms thinner than they should be for any man or woman, bones starting to show through the edges of their pale skin. The prisoner’s head was thrust onto the stock, and with a slam, the executioner locked them in place.

  Soon enough the drawbridge of the castle lowered, creaking as the old chains battled against the weight. A regiment of guards emerged from behind, marching toward the square, their rhythmic steps shaking the ancient bridge. Her eyes spotted a difference in one of them, a paladin, adorning an intricately crafted armour that had the feathers of a peacock on their form, a sword strapped to their back. As the regiment reached the stage, standing at the back, the murmuring began, and as the paladin took its centre, the murmurs of the crowd dwindled to whispers.

  “We have gathered the good people of B?kelv here today to witness the execution of Liliana Hastings, the traitorous daughter of the last Earl of B?kelv,” the paladin declared with a booming voice, only adding to their commanding presence. “She stands accused of leading a group that conspired against the temple of Juno and interfering with the personal affairs of the Earl. It has been proven that the accusations hold true, and the Temple itself has decided the punishment.”

  Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

  That was strange, as far as she knew, the Temple Of Juno were firm advocates against the death penalty, but her mind was too busy watching the show unfold. The gleaming blade of the guillotine rose ominously, its chain clinking over the silence of the held breath of the crowd. The paladin turned towards the prisoner, “Confess your sins, or carry them into the Fields.”

  “HALT THE EXECUTION!” a scream echoed through the streets, a guard charging from the castle gates, his urgency evident as he almost tripped over himself twice as he ran down to the stage, pushing through the crowd that had already surrounded the guards once again.

  The entire regiment around the execution formed a wall between him and the stage, their spears aimed at his head, allowing the paladin to address the interrupter in an annoyed tone, “What is the meaning of this?!”

  The guard, gasping for breath, stammered as his voice struggled to let out the words, “Ca–Captain, I have urgent news from the– the Countess.” With a swift nod from the knight, the guard was allowed to pass. The guard wasted no time climbing up the stage, his eyes briefly locking with Elyza’s. She didn’t need to hear their hushed conversation to know what news the guard carried, the paladin’s demeanour quickly changing, screaming at the executioner, “Get her back into her restraints! NOW!”

  As the executioner unclasped the prisoner’s head, groans emanated from the crowd. But those groans were soon drowned out by piercing screams as an arrow thudded the messenger with such force that he tumbled off the stage.

  The entire square erupted into panic, screeches echoing through the town centre, the paladin fighting to regain control of the situation, barking orders to his regiment, “Cavalry! Spread out and find that archer! You three!” He pointed towards the waiting knights, “Get her back to the dungeon and take that guard with you. The rest of you, control the crowd!”

  The knights wasted no time in following their orders, swiftly grabbing the wounded guard and the bewildered prisoner,dragging them both before barricading themselves inside the carriage. With a flick of his reins, a crack echoed over the screams of the people, causing even more panic. The coachman had orders to follow, speeding towards the city’s gate, stopping for no one as he cut through the frantic crowd, ignoring any crunch that followed.

  Elyza understood why Alex had warned her to try to keep up. Amidst the chaos, with people stumbling over one another, there seemed to be absolutely no way through the crowd. The chaos of the Square had seeped into the horses, their riders struggling to keep them calm. One such horse was refusing to move, and in her mind spotted an opportunity to be exploited. Elyza made her way towards that horse, pushing deeper into the Square, finding it easier to fight against the flow of people, able to deflect their weight. As she neared the back of the skittish animal, making sure to keep out of view of the horseman, and with one slap on its arse, the horse panicked, rearing up with the attack, much to the surprise of its jockey. As the rider tumbled, aided by her yanking him back, she moved quickly to grab on to its saddle before it dashed off.

  Trying to get onto a panicked horse is hard enough, trying to do so while it weaved through a street, almost being knocked off by the people clamouring to step aside may be the hardest thing she had ever tried to do. Her muscles ached as they struggled against her own weight, but she was able to hoist herself onto the saddle just before they failed her. She kicked the horse behind the stomach, causing it to neigh as they narrowly leaped over a stall, and scarred the poor girl working it.

  It was tiring to try to keep control of the terrified horse as she galloped through the street, fighting against the animal’s instincts, trying to run away from the swathes of people. The sight of the stalls and the screams of the people blurring together, and she could spot the carriage getting nearer with each second. The sensation was electrifying, she could feel her adrenaline surging, her blood pumping through her body, the only thing she could hear was the galloping of the horse beneath, and its hooves on the stone below. Approaching the city gate, the carriage came into sharper focus, dashing through the shade beneath the canopy of the flanking trees.

  The carriage showed no sign of stopping, yet Elyza was catching up to them fairly easily. She started to slow the horse down, which her mount happily did. She recognised, even with her adrenaline-fuelled mind, that trailing them silently would be the best option for now, until Alex did whatever he wanted to do. The two parties continued venturing deeper into the forest road, before the carriage suddenly swerved down a long overgrown forest path, leaving the road behind. The horse came to an abrupt halt at the crossroads, refusing to take another step. She tried to coax it forward, but it wouldn’t budge, and it had been enough of a long day for both.

  “Alright,” Elyza sighed, dismounting from the horse. It would be easier to chase the carriage on foot than to argue with the creature, though she feared that she might have lost their trail by now. However, only a few minutes had passed walking down the path, sticking to the edge where the trees were in the process of overcoming, then she spotted the carriage parked on the side of the path. Elyza approached the carriage cautiously, pulling out a knife as its coachman was tentatively approaching the bolted door, unfettered by the silver fumes leaking from its barred hole.

  The coachman unlocked the door, his hand gripping his sword’s hilt tightly, the other reconsidering as they gripped the opening’s handle. He was about to open the door, but her next step landed on a twig, and the snap was louder than she could afford it to be. The coachmen turned around at the same time as the door swung open. Two hands emerged from the dust-filled carriage and dragged the coachmen behind them, his arms flailing, and eyes full of panic. Elyza expected to hear him scream, but only the slight rustle of leaves reached her ears. Taking out another blade, she readied herself to face whoever stepped out of the carriage. What she was not expecting was that person to be the wounded guard, a hand covering his mouth and nose while the other balanced the prisoner on his shoulder.

  The guard gave her a thumbs up, and his voice explained everything, “Thanks for the assist.”

  “So it was you.” Elyza’s hunch confirmed, she sheathed her blades, the silver mist inside the carriage starting to dissipate as it rose above, along with Alex’s disguise. The only thing that could’ve hinted that he was the same person who had been shot with an arrow minutes before was the armour that remained.

  Alex set down the prisoner, removing the bag over her head, before picking at her restraints, the cuffs unclasping soon enough. She peered into the carriage, spotting the limp bodies that it contained, “Did you kill them?” She asked

  “No, they’re just sleeping,” Alex answered, removing the armour he adorned. She gave him a look of scepticism, that he had to clarify, “I know that I’m sarcastic to a fault, but they actually are just sleeping. I drugged them.”

  “And the girl, you were supposed to kidnap her?” Elyza asked, walking ahead of the carriage to work on unstrapping the horses from the carriage.

  Alex thought for a while as he removed his greaves, “Huh, I guess she would consider this a kidnapping,” before waving the thought aside, adding as he lifted the girl onto his back, “Doesn’t matter anymore, are you done?”

  “Yes. There is another horse at the crossroad. We could take it,” she remarked, closing the carriage’s door.

  “First, answer me truthfully,” Alex declared gravely, his voice suddenly devoid of the grin plastered on his face, “Have you eaten anything in the past six hours?”

  “Don–” were the only words Elyza was able to get out before shadows surrounded her once again.