The Last Princess of Lorrea Ch. 12

Caspian let out an angry shout, for Elena had bitten his wriggling tongue as it passed over her lips once more.

"Filthy whore!" he screeched, releasing her from the headlock. He swung his arm towards her, connecting forcefully with Elena's stomach.

Elena doubled over in pain, completely winded.

"Don't," he growled at Henry as he made to charge Caspian. Yanking her hair forcefully, Caspian managed in pulling Elena upright and pressed the blade against her throat. Henry froze mid step, unwilling to risk Elena's life.

"Now," Caspian hissed,"If you'd do as you're told, it would make things much easier. Tie him up!"

Elena looked into Henry's eyes and saw a terrified look of understanding staring back at her. She nodded to him, as she took a step away from Caspian and the small but lethal knife he held against her. She brought the trembling hand with the length of leather in front of her and reached into the folds of her makeshift dress. Caspian, standing behind her, only saw the slight movement of her elbow.

Suddenly, Elena pivoted on her heel and thrust her hand forward. Caspian, reacting quickly, reached down to grab her wrist, expecting to see nothing but the length of leather. To his immense surprise, he saw the glistening handle of his dagger that he had discarded earlier after shredding her clothes, imbedded up to the hilt in his lower abdomen.

He roared in anger and pain, wrenching the bloodied dagger out, his hands curled tightly over Elena's trembling one. He backhanded her, the knife in his hand slashing at the delicate skin of her face. Elena screamed, her hands flying to her face as she fell to the floor in agony. Elena looked above her, watching the fury filled face of Caspian advancing on her, his bloody dagger clutched tightly in his hand.

Henry, taking advantage of Caspian's momentary lapse in concentration, lunged to his left and collected his broadsword off the floor. Getting quickly to his feet, he charged at Caspian, a roar of fury in his voice, causing both Elena and Caspian to look up at him in shock.

Turning from Elena, Caspian parried Henry's blows with the small dagger with great skill-the first blow, then the second. But the ferocity of Henry's blows vibrated down his arm, causing the area around his wound to explode in pain. Henry raised his sword for a third time, plunging it past Caspian's outstretched hand, his reactions too slow for the third thrust which landed deep within his chest.

A faint gurgling noise issued from Caspian's throat, his eyes bulging in disbelief at the sight of Henry's sword protruding from his chest. Both his hands grasping the hilt, Henry placed a foot against Caspian's stomach and wrenched the sword from him, blood spurting quickly from the large wound.

Caspian fell with an almighty crash to the floor, and moved no more.

Henry moved a shaking hand to his eyes and took a deep shuddering breath. He averted his gaze from his cousin, who lay still and lifeless on the cold floor, the blood from his chest wound pooling silently beneath him.

A small sob broke him from his reverie. He turned quickly to Elena, kneeling beside her, reaching out and prying her hands away from her cheek. He winced as he saw the deep gash on her cheek, the blood still seeping from the wound.

Elena sobbed as she saw his reaction, realising the cut must have disfigured her quite badly. She brushed his hands away and applied pressure to her cheek in attempt to stem the blood flow.

Henry gently pulled her to her feet, keeping a steadying arm around her waist as he escorted her to the door.

"Henry, wait just a moment... I can't... not like this --- Can I please have your cloak?" she asked, her bottom lip trembling as her hand gestured to her blood stained sheet.

"Of course Princess," he said, pulling off his cloak.

Elena shed the bloodstained sheet, letting it slip off her body and pool at her feet. She stepped out of it and into the cloak Henry held. She saw his face turn red as his eyes swept over her bruised body before enveloping her with his warm cloak, hiding her nakedness from view.

Silent tears leaked from her eyes, stinging her cut cheek. She wished that she could howl at the injustice of the situation - she was the one who was hurt - but why did she feel like she had failed him, that somehow this was all her fault?

Henry escorted her down the stairs, his strong arm wrapped around her waist, guiding her down the maze of halls. Elena walked silently beside Henry, her thoughts and feelings rolling inside her like waves in a storm. She wanted to say something, but she didn't know how, or what. It felt as if she couldn't find the words to describe what she was feeling, or what she wanted to say to Henry.

Henry was just as silent, walking alongside her, supporting her weight. He glanced at her occasionally but it seemed to him that Elena was in a world of her own.

They entered the entrance hall, Henry's shoes echoing loudly off the ceiling, Elena's bare feet making no sound at all. In the center, grouped together and tied by a length of rope, were the few members of Caspian's household who had not died in the battle that had taken place within the walls, unbeknownst to Elena. Henry's tired and bloodied troops turned to their King, seeking further instruction.

"Where is the healer?" he asked the room at large.

"Over here, sir," called a short soldier across the room.

"Come here, the Princess is hurt," he said, lowering Elena onto a plinth that had previously supported a suit of armour, which lay in pieces at their feet.

Elena winced as her body made contact with the hard, cold stone. The healer, a young man with shockingly blond hair, pried her hands gently from the wound so he could inspect it. Elena expected him to recoil in disgust, but he just smiled kindly down at her and pulled out a few things from a satchel that hung from his waist.

"I need to clean it Princess - it will sting slightly," he explained as he uncorked a small vial.

Elena nodded, her voice gone- she was not sure that she knew how to use it again, everything seemed so different to her.

The soldier tipped her head back a little and turned her face to the side. He poured the contents of the vial into the wound. Elena's eyes teared and she clenched her jaw in pain, but she sat still as a statue on the plinth.

"Alright, let me see... let me see," he mumbled to himself, looking closely at the wound.

"Well?" asked Henry, his voice coming from somewhere behind her, she couldn't see him.

"You see the edges here and here sir?" he asked, pointing at her face. "These are fairly shallow and will heal quite well on their own. But this," he gestured to another spot, "will need sewing - and even then my King, I cannot guarantee there will be no scarring."

"Do what you think is best, just stop the bleeding."

"Yes sir."

The healer pulled out a few more things from his satchel. He inserted some thread into a small hook and set it aside as he searched deeper in the satchel. He brought out another vial, filled with some amber looking liquid.

"You'll need to drink this Princess - it will make you sleepy, it's safer this way," he said as he uncorked it.

Elena shook her head. The last two potions she had taken did not have the best outcome for her. Besides, she reasoned, she could deal with a little pain.

The healer looked up at Henry for help. "I know you think you can handle the pain Princess," Henry's voice said from behind her. "But you could injure yourself even more if you fidget or even scream as he does it. And trust me Princess, i've been wounded enough times in battle to have experienced the sharp end of that hook, please take the drink," he said, placing a calloused hand on her shoulder, causing her to flinch.

Henry withdrew his hand quickly, causing Elena to turn red. She looked back at the healer and shook her head. He studied her face closely.

"If you were a man on the battlefield I wouldn't care about the pain -only the result -but I don't know how i'd react if it were a woman and she started screaming or crying. So please, for your own sake, take the drink," he pleaded. "If you move you could end up badly disfigured - and you are so very beautiful Princess, it would haunt me to the end of my days. Please."

Elena nodded, taking the potion from the healer. She sniffed it gingerly. Thankfully, it was odorless. She tipped the vial back and swallowed the bitter drink quickly, handing the empty vial back to the healer.

Immediately Elena started to feel lightheaded. She gripped the sides of the plinth as the scene before her started to spin. Strong hands caught her as she fell backwards, her head rolled against Henry's breastplate just moments before losing consciousness.

"That was fast," murmured Henry, wiping a strand of bloodied blond hair from the sleeping face of his princess.

"Yes," replied the healer. "She must not have eaten much lately, I suppose I should've asked her about that," he added sheepishly. "Maybe I would have given her a smaller dose."

Henry lowered Elena gently to the ground and held her head still to allow the healer to work. He winced inwardly each time her delicate skin was pierced with the sharp hook. Soon enough, the healer declared himself finished and turned to treat the rest of the bleeding troops.

An hour later the men were ready to leave. Henry lifted Elena, supporting her in his arms and headed to the door.

"King Henry - just a moment!" called a senior officer to his left.

"Yes?" Henry asked, turning in the doorway.

"What should we do with the captives sir?"

Henry looked around the room, his eyes sweeping over the terrified faces of their captives. Henry had lost four good men to Caspian's guards and these men before him surely knew Elena to be his princess. They needed to be punished - he would not allow them to go free.

"Send them to the front -they can serve the troops there. But the castle - burn it to the ground," he said, a cold hatred emanating from his eyes.

"Yes sir!"

Henry left the castle and carried Elena towards his horse. He handed her over to one of his men momentarily as he mounted his warhorse. The man lifted Elena up to Henry, who took her in his arms and placed her gently across his lap. Holding her sleeping figure tightly against him with one arm as the other held the reins, Henry started his horse at a slow trot, his men falling in line behind him.

*

They arrived back at the castle at dusk, the men dismounting silently from their horses. Henry handed Elena down to a waiting pair of arms so he was able to dismount himself. He lifted the princess from the silent soldier and held her tightly against him as he made his way forward.

As they entered the entrance hall, the staff came forward, exclaiming happily in loud voices that their new mistress and soon to be queen was found and returned to them. Their voices lost their joyfulness as the ones closest to Henry noticed Elena's sad state. A hush spread through the castle staff, which parted to allow Henry to carry her up the sweeping staircase.

"Catherine," he called over his shoulder.

"Yes my lord?" Catherine answered in a small voice, separating herself from the crowd.

"The Princess needs to be bathed. Hurry along and call the men to fill the bath with hot water. Also, I think you should call on a few more girls for assistance."

"Yes sir," she chirped, scurrying out of sight.

Henry carried her slowly up the stairs, down the hallway towards his bedroom. A young guard pushed open the doors for him, watching Henry as he lowered Elena gently onto the bed.

Henry sat beside her, staring silently at her bruised face. He pushed her hair away from her face, the hair was a faint pink colour which felt like straw to Henry, because of the dried blood.

A moment later, six servants carried in huge jugs of hot water which they emptied unceremoniously in the large tub in his bathroom. As the men left, Catherine and two other women entered the room.

"I'll undress her here and carry her into the tub for you - she's too heavy for the three of you to lift," he explained to the women. They bowed their heads in agreement and walked into the bathroom.

Henry unfastened the cloak, pulling the sleeves off Elena slowly, trying his best not to jostle her too much. She groaned as he finally pulled the rough cloth from her body. He suspected that she groaned not from pain but from the sudden absence of warmth.

His eyes roamed her naked figure, taking in her various cuts and bruises. His fists clenched in anger as he spied hand or finger shaped bruises on her hips and thighs.

"King Henry," called Catherine, her soft voice breaking into Henry's angry thoughts. "Can I assist you in some way?"

"No need Catherine," he called as he scooped up Elena's naked body from the bed and carried her into the bathroom.

"My lord!" Catherine gasped, taking in Elena's battered state.

Henry lowered Elena slowly into the hot water, she moaned softly as her body was enveloped by the soothing water.

"Catherine, not a word is to be uttered about the Princess's state, do you understand?" he asked gruffly, looking around at the other women too.

"Yes King Henry!" she answered, the women beside her nodding as well. "But may I suggest that you wait outside sir? I imagine the princess would prefer it that way," she said gently.

"The Princess is unconscious Catherine - it is dangerous for her to be in a body of water without support. I'm going to hold her head above the water - that is all - I shall not interfere with your work."

"Yes my lord, but I think Elsa here," she indicated to the strong woman on her right, "can hold the Princess's head above the water. I assure you she is quite capable."

"Alright, alright," he murmured in agreement. "But I'll be right outside if you need me," he said, pointing to the bedroom.

"Of course King Henry."

Henry walked out of the bathroom and sat down on the edge of the bed. He ran both hands vigorously through his hair, waking himself a little and shake the veil of sleep that weighed heavily upon his mind. He lay back against the pillows and closed his eyes. He tried to rid himself of the image of Elena's battered body lying beneath Caspian's naked form and replace it with the sweet and demure woman he knew her to be, of how he had seen her just three days prior, but he failed miserably. Every time he thought of her he saw the bruises, her flesh entwined with another man that was not him. He slowly drifted off to sleep with the soft voices of the women in the bathroom, the gentle sound of water being poured - these soothing sounds faded into the harsh screams of his dreams, in which Elena pleaded with Henry, but he was powerless to help her.

*

It seemed that an hour later he was being shaken awake. Henry blinked and saw Catherine standing apprehensively over him.

Henry swung his legs over the edge of the bed, "What happened?" he asked quickly.

"Nothing my lord, calm yourself. You dozed off - I woke you so that you could lift the princess out of the bath - even though I believe that between the three of us we could get her out - but you wished otherwise, so here I am, waking you."

Henry rose slowly from the soft bed and walked into the bathroom. He looked down at Elena, her face now glistening wet and clean, her eyes remained closed. He bent down and lifted her from the water, not caring that he was getting wet.

He returned to the bedroom where Catherine had spread towels over the bed. He placed Elena on top of the towels and stood back and watched as Catherine dried her slowly and tenderly. He jumped slightly as a crackling sound came from his left - one of the women had started a roaring fire in the grate, providing much needed warmth to the room. Henry had hardly noticed how cold it was before, but now he noticed the added warmth.

"Bring the Princess bedclothes," he said to the other woman.

"Bedclothes? My lord, I don't think that is necessary- it is quite warm."

"Do as I say! Do not argue with me!" he snapped.

"Sorry my lord! I'll fetch them at once!" she stammered before hurrying out of sight.

Henry watched in silence as Catherine finished drying Elena. She turned to Henry and looked him up and down before speaking. "King Henry, there is an extra urn of hot water left - use it - have a quick wash, you look quite frightful my lord."

"My bath can wait."

"Honestly my lord - by the time Elsa is back with the bedclothes and the Princess here is sorted, you could be out of the bath. Do not worry my King, I will watch the Princess like a hawk."

Henry rubbed his eyes. "Fine. But i'll only be a minute," he said softly as he walked quickly into the bathroom, undoing his armor as he walked.

*

Ten minutes later, Henry came out of the bathroom, a towel wrapped firmly around his waist. Catherine blushed at the sight of him and looked away.

"You may leave now ladies, thank you."

The women bowed and walked quickly from the room, closing the door softly behind them.

Henry walked to his closet and pulled out a clean pair of pants and a shirt. He tossed his wet towel aside and dressed silently. When he was done, he walked over to Elena and sat down beside her on the bed. He looked down at his sleeping princess, her soft lips parted slightly as she breathed silently in her sleep. She looked just as beautiful as she had the first evening he watched her sleep, except for the small gash on her cheek and the bruising around her neck. He reached over and pushed a strand of damp hair away from her face, gently brushing the line of her jaw. Elena moaned sleepily and rubbed her cheek against his hand.

Henry had to suppress the urge to slip into bed and hold her tightly against him, cradling her in his arms. He knew that she was quite fragile at the moment and needed to be handled ever so gently.

He groaned and stood up slowly. He stretched, his joints cracking as he made his way towards the chair by the fire. He turned the chair so that it faced the bed and sat down slowly. The chair was not a comfortable place to sleep, but Henry wasn't planning on sleeping anyway.

Henry leaned forwards, his elbows on his knees, his hands clasped together. He lowered his head, his chin resting on his hands as he lost himself in thought. The events of the past few days and the future that had been so carefully planned, bled into one another and created a terrifying mess, and Henry had no idea how to fix it...