A&G Ch. 01: The Cottage

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The queen needed escape but gets reminded where she belongs.
8.1k words
4.67
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Part 1 of the 2 part series

Updated 06/07/2023
Created 08/29/2014
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Gabriella let out a deep sigh of relief and urged her mount to pass through the tree line. The animal made a weak protest, but obeyed and slipped into the quickly deepening wood. She hated to continue pushing her horse, but the need to be hidden before the sun rose was of great importance. The weary steed would get a rest when they reached the stream she knew to be close inside the forest.

Only a few hours earlier the young queen had slipped out of the small keep that served as royal palace for the burgeoning kingdom. Her husband, Aidan, was away at yet another battle. It seemed as if he was never home any more. She'd once hoped that the three years of peace following Aidan's coronation were a sign of change in the region. Unfortunately, their kingdom's prosperity had only served to invite barbarian invaders and the king had no choice but to call his people to arms. Aidan refused to lead from the rear. He'd left the castle weeks ago to fight side-by-side with his men, turning back assault after assault.

Gabriella had begged to go with him to battle. Aidan had given her a fair amount of training, after all. What good was knowing how to handle a weapon if she never got to use one? It wouldn't be her first time to see action, anyway. She'd taken part in dozens of skirmishes early in the kingdom's short history. She went with him everywhere. She hated not having him near.

But Aidan had insisted this battle would be too dangerous. Scouts had reported sighting countless barbarians approaching their realm. As fierce as Gabriella could be, Aidan needed to know that she was safe inside the castle, far from danger. He'd made her promise not to follow him this time.

Of course, this had left Gabriella to manage the trifling affairs of state while he was gone. She'd never been a patient woman. Her temperament was more akin to that of a warrior's than a politician's. But, she'd had little choice but to do her best to keep the schemers from tearing apart the kingdom from within while Aidan was away safeguarding against attacks from without.

The first few days were not easy, to say the least. Gabriella had no idea how Aidan always managed to keep a calm head while holding court. She'd lost her temper more than once. Only her mother's calming influence managed to keep her in check. Gradually, she fell in a sort of rhythm. She opted for deflection and delaying actions as opposed to meeting the counsel head-on. She knew that if she could simply hold them off until Aidan's return, he'd make everything right.

Unfortunately, his absence began to drag on and soon even the counsel started to lose patience. Their demands for attention grew louder and increasingly frank. Eventually, Gabriella couldn't stand it any longer. The constant bickering was simply too much. She refused to pick sides in their petty squabbles, but doing so meant listening to their ceaseless yammering.

Unable to deal with the constant stress a minute more, she'd slipped from the castle in the middle of the night. She couldn't go to Aidan. She'd given her word and she always kept her promises. But that didn't mean she had to stay at the castle. After leaving a vague note for her lady in waiting to find in the morning, she'd made her way out of the city and urged her horse into a gallop as soon as they reached to the open plain to the north. On the other side lay a forest so dark and thick that few dared to venture inside. She knew she'd find her rest there.

During a scouting expedition several years ago, Aidan and a handful of his most trusted men had discovered a small, ancient cottage hidden deep in the wood. It had long been deserted, but the exquisite craftsmanship managed to keep it standing even after countless years of neglect. The king and his men had worked day and night to expand the small clearing around the cottage and manage the most serious of the needed repairs before heading back to the castle. He'd taken Gabriella out to visit the hideaway a handful of times, but they were never able to stay long. Always, some pressing matter would arise and their tiny moment of peace would be ended.

"Not this time," Gabriella swore. The only other people who knew of the cottage's existence were away battling barbarians. She would find the escape she needed and stay as long as she desired.

It took her nearly ten minutes to find the well-hidden trail in the faint predawn light, but soon she came upon the stream and was able to give her horse a break. She allowed it to get its breath, to graze, and to drink while she took in the lush canopy above them. The thick foliage served as a curtain to the outside world, but wasn't so opaque as to block out the golden red sky lit by the morning's first rays. It was perfect. The forest all around her was beginning to wake, filling the airs without untold sounds of life. But for all the noise surrounding her, Gabriella felt as if she were enjoying silence for the first time in years.

After a time, she led her horse through the forest to the quaint cottage hidden in its depths. She settled in quickly, having brought very little with her, and began the idle chores of tidying the place after months without use. Time lost meaning as she surrendered to the calm surroundings. Eventually, though, Gabriella realized that it wasn't just the members of court who'd had her on edge at the castle, and the stress returned.

She was worried about Aidan.

She wasn't used to that. She was usually so certain of him, of his abilities, of his safety. Of course, unlike this time, she was usually with him. She couldn't stand having to wait for news.

And now she wouldn't be able to get news of the battle thanks to her need to escape the castle. But she couldn't go back just yet. It was peaceful in the forest, and calm. That was what she needed more than anything else. Waiting for word at the castle instead of in isolation wouldn't change the fact that she wasn't with Aidan; that she didn't know where he was. She let that frustration ferment into an anger that grew daily and helped to hide her worry. She hated him for leaving her, for making her promise not to follow. She was supposed to be with him.

Gabriella channeled her fury into a vibrant energy that offered distraction through activity. She made minor repairs to the cottage. She worked on some paintings she'd started months before. She practiced throwing her daggers. She remained active until long into the night, spending hours on each task, using the intense focus to remain preoccupied.

Hours slipped into days and her frustration slowly returned.

On the fifth day she rose early and took a leisurely stroll through the forest, stopping to bathe in the nearby stream before returning to the cottage. The refreshing dip lifted her spirits, and she decided on a whim that she would wear a dress Aidan had given her their first night at the cottage so long ago. It was a pure white, sleeveless gown that draped in the back. She smiled and did a small twirl, remembering the night she'd received it. Aidan hadn't let her wear the dress for very long.

The happy memory didn't last.

"I'm supposed to be WITH you!" Gabriella cried out in frustration. She reached for a dagger from the nearby table and plucked it from its sheath, flinging it through the open door with barely a thought. Perfectly balanced, the fine blade flew end over end straight into the ancient oak tree that stood some twenty feet from the edge of the cottage's porch.

Snarling wordlessly, Gabriella gathered up the rest of the blades and stalked out to the porch to vent her anger. She threw her daggers for what felt like hours, repeating the motions again and again until her shoulder was aching and a blister rose on her thumb. Still she continued. She knew that if she stopped she'd lose her mind. She couldn't go back to the castle without him there. She couldn't be happy without him at the cottage, either, and following him to the battlefield simply wasn't an option. She refused to break her word. She had to trust that Aidan would come find her.

Little did she know that he was already on his way.

On the edge of the forest, not far from where Gabriella had entered, Aidan sat astride his horse with his face in his hands. He was bone tired. It had been several long weeks since he'd left the castle. He'd known it was for the best to make sure Gabriella stayed home, and he was glad he'd gotten her word that she wouldn't follow. More than once during the fighting he doubted if he'd be returning to her alive. The barbarians had always been savage, but their raids usually weren't prolonged. The size of their army this time made matters different.

Aidan and his army had barely managed to keep the barbarians at bay long enough for the invaders to decide it was time to go back home. He'd lost a lot of good men, but so had the barbarian chieftain. Aidan hoped it would be a long time before the invaders returned. The defenders had stayed in the field for another week once the barbarians retreated. There'd been countless wounded to attend, and staying put allowed the king's army to maintain a defensible position should the invaders make an unexpected return.

Once the wounded were ready for travel and a small force was put in place to serve as a first line of defense against future raids in the region, Aidan and his men had packed up for the return trip to the city. That morning, as preparations began, the king had received word that his queen was missing and the counselors were fighting amongst themselves more than ever.

Aidan had left immediately, fearing what might have happened to Gabriella, especially if she'd broken her word and followed the army. He rode his horse as fast and long as he'd dared, shortening the distance to the castle as much as possible every day. When still more than a day out, word reached the king on the road. Gabriella's lady-in-waiting had finally managed to secret a message out. Aidan hadn't been sure how to react. It was the best news possible to learn that the queen was most likely safe, but the message had also made the king livid.

He'd sent the messenger back to the city with news that he'd be returning soon. Once the rider was out of eyeshot, Aidan had taken his heels to his own horse and turned toward the northern forest and its cottage hideaway, certain that's where he'd find Gabriella. After a few hours of hard riding, he'd made it to the crest of a small hill just outside the wood and noticed the faintest wisp of smoke barely managing to escape the curtain of trees.

"At least she's keeping the fire small," Aidan grumbled through gritted teeth and smiled in spite of himself. Gabriella could be stubborn to a fault, but she was both smart and self-reliant two traits that had always endeared her to him. Aidan rubbed his tired eyes again and eased his horse into a comfortable gait. Immediately the forest's stillness and depth surrounded them, the thick foliage absorbing all sound of their passing. Soon he smelled the pot of soup Gabriella must have simmering. He could feel the tension of the past weeks, and especially of the past few days, slipping away, but Aidan knew he was far from calm. Attempting to alleviate some of his stress, the king stopped and bathed in the stream before slowly walking his mount the final distance to the cottage.

Not far away, Gabriella was still practicing with her daggers. She kept up the repetition until the ache in her shoulder slipped into a dull numbness. She forced herself to focus, to work on precision. Her aim improved with each throw until she could slice through the center of a leaf at will. Her smile of grim satisfaction was short-lived. Instinct made her body tense as she sensed a presence in the distance. Someone was in her forest.

She was certain it couldn't be Aidan. As much as she wanted him to be back, there was no way the army could have returned by now. Even the best scenario would have the men several days out, still. Gabriella clenched her jaw and swallowed hard, collecting her daggers and staying very still on the cottage's porch. In the growing twilight, she could just make out the mysterious presence as it approached. Aidan had drilled into her the need to never hesitate in a fight, and that lesson held true. Gabriella stood with a shout and flung three daggers toward the huge oak in quick succession, the sharp points pinning the unwelcome visitor to the tree's trunk.

Aidan stared at Gabriella in shock, his eyes narrowing to slits as he turned to inspect his queen's handiwork. He'd been fortunate to hear the telltale whistle of the blades flying through the air. That short warning had been enough to take him mostly out of harm's way. Two of the daggers had struck true. One of those had merely caught the billowing sleeve of his shirt and pinned it to the tree, but the other had been close enough to draw blood as it put a second hole in his shirt. He growled loudly, and the fury that had been suppressed by a dip in the stream came roaring back.

"I just spent weeks in the field! Three horribly bloody days in battle and I survive with little more than a scratch. The second I approach my private cottage I'm bloodied. What the hell are you even doing here, you foolish woman?!"

Gabriella stared wide-eyed at her king. Had her arm not been so fatigued or Aidan no so trained, the throws could have been fatal. So shocked she was by the sight of him and relieved that she didn't do more damage, it took a moment for his words to sink in. When they did, she narrowed her eyes in return, thrusting her chin in up stubborn defiance.

"How was I supposed to know it was you?" she spit the words at him and sat in one of the porch's chairs. Gabriella took a breath and leaned back, crossing her legs, and tried to project a nonchalant air. "How did you get here so quickly? And why were you sneaking up on me? You should have known better than that. You call me a foolish woman, but I would be foolish not to protect myself. You're the foolish one for sneaking around like that!"

"I was sneaking because this cottage is a secret, my dear Gabriella!" Aidan snarled and tugged Gabriella's daggers from the tree, wiping the blood from the second on his sleeve before sending both blades flying to sink into the porch at her feet.

Gabriella harrumphed and narrowed her eyes even more sharply, refusing to acknowledge the daggers by even sparing a glance in their direction. No matter how mad Aidan got, she knew that he would never hurt her. He knew that, too, but the lack of any reaction didn't sit well with the king.

"Making a lot of noise defeats the purpose, wouldn't you think?" Aidan asked as he tied off his horse's reins to a tree branch. "And besides, you're not supposed to be here. You promised you'd stay at the castle. So for all I knew some intruder had happened upon our cottage. What are you doing here, anyway?"

Gabriella sat perfectly still; giving him that blank look he hated so much. How should could project equal amounts of contempt and disinterest with the same gaze baffled him. It also enraged him.

"Well?!" Aidan snarled and stalked toward the porch, fuming. "What are you doing here?! I asked you a question! You will give me an answer!"

Gabriella raised an eyebrow at his approach, but secretly her heart skipped a beat. She could never express how glad she was to see him. To have him coming for her like this. To know that he was so close.

And then her indignation took over.

"I don't have to give you a damned thing!" Her voice was quiet, dangerous. "You made me promise to not follow you, but I made no promise to stay at the castle! How DARE you leave me like that?! For weeks!" The force of Gabriella's scream compelled her to stand. She rose suddenly, her gown billowing around her in a visual representation of all of the worry and stress and anger and fear that had plagued her. Her cheeks flushed in fury. "I should send one of these daggers into your arm for doing that to me!"

Aidan clenched his jaw tightly, growling and narrowing his eyes as Gabriella spoke. He quickened his pace and vaulted the steps to the porch as she spoke the final words. His hand shot out in a flash, and strong fingers wrapped around Gabriella's throat. He stared into his queen's eyes, slowly tightening his grip, and pulled out one of his own knives.

"Here. Take it. Stab me. Don't waste time with a throw. Sink it into my heart, because that's surely what you'd have done had one of those barbarians had captured you on the road. You think I didn't want you with me? Didn't need you with me? Thoughts of returning to you were all that kept me alive out there when so many of my men were dying around me. And you DARE compare the idiotic ramblings of a handful of counselors with that?!"

Gabriella jerked at back, or tried to. She had never seen Aidan quite like this. Her body tensed and she went completely still, eyes widening on his. Instinctively her hand went to his wrist. She could feel the coiled strength of his body and had to fight to keep from getting distracted by his scent. The feel of him so close to her was almost more than she could take. But she refused to break so easily. Gabriella reached deep inside and found the pain still waiting for her to use against him. She narrowed her eyes and shoved both hands sharply into Aidan's chest, struggling against him.

"I don't give a damn about the counselors!" she hissed, shoving again and again at his implacable strength. Her outrage grew with every strike, and soon she was screaming at the top of her lungs. "I should have been with you! How dare you make me promise not to come with you like that?! How dare you leave me, make me vow not to come to you?"

Aidan clenched his jaw again, barely hearing a word Gabriella said. As he sparred with her, he also fought against an even more primal force. The feel of her skin under his fingertips. The smell of her hair. Her pulse racing against his touch. He had to regain focus. He snarled and extended his arm, letting Gabriella push him away but never releasing his grip on her throat.

"Did you not just hear what I said, woman!? Some of my best men died out there! If I couldn't keep them alive, how could I do that for you? Or worse, if the barbarians had captured you? Do you know what they'd have done?!"

Gabriella's blows reached a fevered pitch and Aidan began to worry that she'd eventually do one of them harm. She struggled violently against him, lashing out and growling in frustration. Her fists pounded against his chest with all the emotion that had built up over the past several weeks. Aidan sheathed his dagger and pushed Gabriella against the wall, trapping her there.

"I need you safe, Gabriella. I need something to come home to." Aidan gripped her wrists in his strong hands and pinned them above her head. "I need you. Always," he growled softly into her ear. "Now quit wallowing in your self-pity and just be glad that I'm with you now."

"This isn't wallowing, it's a demand." Gabriella snapped. It was all she could do to remain focused on her anger. She trembled lightly in Aidan's grasp, breathing harshly as he overpowered her. She glared up at him and twisted against his hold, straining and pulling sharply to get free. "I can take care of myself. I'm not some weak, whimpering woman who needs to be protected. I need to be with you! That's where I'm safest! Don't you dare leave me like that again! I won't ever promise to stay away again!" she yelled and jerked sharply again, muscles straining with the effort. "Ever!"

"You can throw a dagger as well as any man I've ever met. You are capable and strong. But you are not a trained warrior." Aidan sighed and pressed his hips into Gabriella's, pinning her against the wall with his strength and mass, hands tightening around her wrists. When he spoke again, his voice was softer, almost pleading. "I need you with me, too, Little One. I need to protect you. To keep you safe. But sometimes that means keeping you at a safe distance. If you had been with me, I would have been too worried about you to properly protect myself or my men. I cannot keep you safe if I am dead."