Reluctant Hearts (accepting different titles)

A/N: Yeah baby! Two chapters in a day and I even had a job interview! Busy day. :) Hope you are still enjoying the story. :)

Chapter Seven - Ghosts

Damon squatted low in the bushes, regarding the ancient building nearly a mile from them. Surprisingly it had only taken a few hours to get to this place, though the pace had been rather hard on their worn horses. “That must be it. Look at all of the men on its walls. I can’t believe it’s still there if it’s such a nice place for bandits and Hillmen to hide out. Remind me to write to your father and a few of his neighbors,” Damon murmured to Samuel, anger lacing his words.

“It’s a tough old building too,” Samuel replied, sinking down next to his friend. “So how are we going to get Princess Oriana out of there, if she’s indeed inside?”

Damon frowned. “I don’t know. Let me think for a bit. Take Aria and scout around the building and forest around it. If you can, bring back one of their men…alive.”

Samuel nodded and rose. “Do you have orders for the others?”

“Yes. Send Indra and Isaac here. They’re going to ride home and gather soldiers to bring back, just in case,” Damon murmured. Samuel raised a brow at the odd pairings, but nodded and wandered away.

Later when the pair had left and Samuel was preparing to set out he grabbed Damon and asked what he was up to. “Why’d you send Indra and Isaac off together? You know that it’s highly improper for Indra to travel alone with a man.”

“Isaac is too nervous around her. I can’t have my men distracted, so if two days in her constant, singular company doesn’t break him of it, I don’t know what else to do. He won’t touch her. He may be young and eager, but he’s honorable. Isaac told me that he plans to approach Indra’s father as soon as all of this is resolved anyway,” Damon finished with a small shrugged. Truthfully he had pitied the young lovers a bit. Their love was new and they had had almost no time to explore it between castle duties and then this disaster.

Aside from that he’d discovered that Indra had an uncanny sense of direction, something the boy didn’t possess in the least. This way, at least, they’d actually make it back and he wouldn’t lose Samuel or Benjamin. Sending the two women had been tossed out immediately. The protective male inside refused to leave two women traveling alone, across miles of Treston. He knew they weren’t exactly vulnerable, with their years of battle training under their belts, but it still grated a bit on his male sensibilities. The thought of Oriana out here alone was bad enough.

“Damon the Matchmaker,” Samuel chuckled. “That’s a fine name for you, yes indeed.” Damon threw him a withering glance and snorted. Samuel simply grinned and wandered off to find Aria, whom he assumed Damon was also playing a matchmaker role with.

Benjamin settled next to his brother and watched as the two groups faded from view. “Are you alright Damon?” he asked softly, when Damon didn’t speak for long moments.

“Not particularly,” Damon admitted. He nodded towards the ancient structure, “I wonder if she’s there…what they’re doing to her. She’s an amazing woman and can fight with the best of them, but she is still vulnerable too.”

“Perhaps,” Benjamin sighed. “When I think of Princess Oriana, vulnerable isn’t the word that comes to mind. Fiery, intelligent, funny…but never vulnerable. I can’t imagine being the man stupid enough to lay a hand on her,” the young man said smiling softly.

“Do you harbor a secret love for my future wife?” Damon asked in soft amusement.

“No, just a secret love for a woman like her. I hope whomever Mother and Father choose for me, she is just like Oriana,” Benjamin admitted shyly. “Not that I want to marry soon. Maybe in a few years.”

Damon patted his brother’s shoulder and rubbed his perpetually messy hair. “I’ll see if I can put in a good word for you,” he murmured, smiling. He settled in, watching the building and hoping something would happen to indicate that Oriana was indeed inside.

***

It was nearly two hours later when they heard the soft tread of Samuel and Aria returning. Damon stood and turned to greet them, noting that a man was following closely behind. So they had brought a Hillman then?

Relief swept through him, when it didn’t look like the man was struggling in the least. Although they were still hidden, mostly, from his view in the trees, they seemed to be simply escorting the man as he picked his way along with them. Maybe they had an ally that would help them in this after all.

Benjamin stood next to him, rising very slowly and peering at the returning group. “What the…?” he started, his sharp eyes taking in the rumpled appearance of the man in the distance. “Damon, oh gods, can it be?” Benjamin whispered. He squinted and then took off like a shot, trying to run and remain as quiet as possible in the dry leaves of the forest floor.

Damon swore and followed his brother, wondering what had gotten into the ever-impulsive young man. Who was this man, to draw this reaction from the teen? He felt his heartbeat quicken and his mind began to race as the group grew closer and Benjamin tackled the big blond man next to Samuel.

It wasn’t possible. It couldn’t be. “Brach?” he whispered and then broke into his own jog towards the group. “Brach?” he said louder. The blond man looked up and caught Damon’s inquiring gaze in his sharp green eyes. He was a bit skinnier and looked dirty and haggard, but there was no doubt in Damon’s mind that his sister’s husband was standing before him, with a sad smile on his face. Brach was very much alive.

“Damon,” Brach said softly in greeting. He peeled Benjamin away and stepped forward as Damon came to a stop before him.

Damon wanted to grasp the man and see if he was real or a ghost, but his brain and body weren’t communicating properly at the moment. Brach had been killed nearly two months ago, or so they’d thought, yet here he was standing in the middle of the forest, smiling slightly at his Prince.

Without really thinking Damon growled, pulled back his arm and laid Brach out flat on his back in the leaves. “You bastard!” he rasped furiously. “We thought you were dead for all of this time! Katherine cries herself to sleep every night and here you are strolling around in the forest with a bunch of Hillmen.” Damon’s voice grew deadly, “You’d better have a very good explanation for this.”

Brach winced and wiped the blood from his lip. “I deserved that and more, Your Highness,” he said respectfully. He climbed slowly to his feet, moving cautiously away from the three men glowering at him. Reminded of Katherine’s grief, both Benjamin and Samuel had both considered their own assaults, while Aria looked on nervously.

Brach cleared his throat and dabbed at his lip again. “I was doing some work for your father two months ago, trying to gain the trust of some of the Hillmen’s leaders. Everything was going pretty well for a bit; nearly six months had gone into my work. Finally I gained the trust of one of the leaders by pretending to betray my country and leave my home. They sent a message to your father saying an arrow had killed me. I thought that after maybe a week or so they’d share some of their secrets with me and I’d be on my way.”

He grimaced and sighed. “Apparently betraying my country wasn’t enough, they wanted to know everything about the castle and our soldiers. I told them minor things, hoping to gain something I could take back to King Edward. I wanted to send a message to Katherine, to tell her I was okay, but I was afraid I’d ruin the work I’d completed thus far. As the weeks passed I began to lose hope of ever gaining anything, that is until two days ago.”

“Princess Oriana was brought here,” Damon said softly.

Brach nodded. “Garren, the leader of this group of Hillmen, wanted to wed her to his eldest son. He was hoping to gain Alberia as an ally against Treston, it being the larger of the two kingdoms.”

“Wanted to? What happened to change that?” Damon asked, unsure if he wanted the answer.

“She and Garren’s daughter, Zada, disappeared last night,” Brach said with a slight smile. “Little Zada was furious over her father’s marriage deal with some old coot in another village. Apparently she took it upon herself to help the princess slip out sometime after midnight.”

Damon blinked a moment and then laughed, mostly in relief. He hadn’t been looking forward to storming the old castle, looking for his lost bride. “So we still don’t know where she is,” he sighed after a moment, “But at least she’s not a prisoner with these men any longer. Where would Zada have taken her?” he asked, hands on his hips.

Brach grinned, “Garren sent men straight for Treston, but I neglected to tell him I found tracks in the forest and long strands of a woman’s hair; probably got caught when they made their initial flight. Garren’s men are going almost in the opposite direction that Zada took Princess Oriana, though both trails will likely lead to Treston eventually.”

Samuel sighed and patted his relieved prince on the back. “So we’ll follow Brach’s trail and try to catch up?”

“Benjamin, Brach and I will follow and try to catch up. You and Aria are going to follow Isaac and Indra and tell my father and his commanders what is happening. I still want this building cleared and leveled, but at least they’ll know that Oriana isn’t present,” Damon said with a small frown. “Yes, that is best I think. Isaac and Indra have a few hours on you, but if you ride as long as you can today, you might catch up by tomorrow morning.”

Samuel nodded and hurried off to the horses, pulling out supplies they would need from the packhorse. Aria followed him quietly, unsure about the traveling situation but secretly pleased with it as well. She’d finally get to spend a bit of time with the intriguing, handsome man, even if it would only be for a few hours, while they caught up with her friends.

Once Samuel and Aria were off Damon and Benjamin mounted their two remaining horses and Brach mounted the protesting packhorse, after a little redistributing of their supplies. He quickly escorted them to the site where the women had likely begun their journey and Benjamin’s sharp eyes guided them from there.

***

Oriana groaned softly and rubbed at her aching feet before sticking them in the icy stream. They’d finally stopped when the sun was high and no apparent pursuit had presented itself. “Remind me again why we didn’t bring horses,” Oriana murmured.

Zada smiled and waded into the cold water, soaking her own tired feet. “It’s hard to sneak out if the horse master sees you. I agree that walking to your home is not the most inviting situation, but it is preferable to the fate that awaited us at my home, is it not?” Zada asked, tugging and the legs of her breached so she could wade further.

“Yes, I suppose so,” Oriana murmured, a small smile on her lips. It was nice to finally stop nonetheless. The darkness of the night had slowed them down, but it also made riding a horse very dangerous. As far as they could tell, no one was following. She knew that trackers on horses would eventually be able to catch up, but at least for the moment they were safe. “Let’s go a bit further and then find a place to sleep. The sun will be setting in a few hours and I want to have a good hiding place by then.”

Zada nodded and waded back out of the water to dry off and pull her boots back on. “Do you suppose that your prince is out here some where?” she asked softly as she tugged at her boots.

Oriana looked up from lacing her own boots and shrugged. “I don’t know if he’d even know where to look. He probably headed in the direction of the permanent Amari settlements. I don’t think we knew that you were living inside our own borders.”

Zada smiled softly and nodded in agreement. “We tend to be rather nomadic, but we do have a few permanent settlements. Hopefully your prince is not heading for them, as they are very far from this place.” She stood and brushed the dirt of her breeches. “Well we should hurry then. We don’t know who is following us, prince or no, so we need to keep moving. There are some caves in the foothills near here, I believe. Maybe we can find and empty one, hmm?” she said with a smile.

Oriana laughed and stood, hoping that the suggestion of wild animals in the caves was just a jest.

***

Benjamin frowned softly, wandering around the bank of the stream. “There was certainly someone here Damon,” he said after a moment. “Look at the footprints in the mud and scraped over the rocks. Some of the grass is crushed too. If we’re on the right track, it looks like they rested here only a few hours ago. They don’t have horses, so I would imagine that we’re catching up.”

Damon sighed and looked at the horizon. The sun was already low. They had maybe an hour or two of light left. “Let’s get moving then. They may travel at night again. I don’t want to lose that many more hours if we can help it.” The group remounted and rode and swiftly as the tired horses and terrain allowed. Damon hoped they found the women soon; their horses wouldn’t be able to take this pace much longer.

They finally stopped in a small group of tree at the base of a long string of foothills. Damon didn’t like stopping, but at least the hills would slow the women down and they should be able to catch up on horseback the next day. Benjamin was confident from the size of the tracks he’d seen that they were, indeed, following two women.

Damon was eager to see the princess again. It had been too many days since the night in the garden and the brief words he’d had with her before he rode out. He hated to admit that he’d become so dependent on her presence, but he felt better with her nearby; he felt whole. He prayed that they’d finally catch up to the two fugitives the next morning. He wanted nothing more than to pull her into his arms and reassure him self that she was well and safe.

***

Zada yawned and stretched, glancing over at Oriana. The young princess was sitting at the mouth of the cave they’d finally settled in. It was relatively clean, likely too big for the smaller animals that typically lived around here. It had been a welcome shelter after so little rest during their escape. “Hungry?” Zada murmured.

Oriana turned and smiled, “I had a piece of the dried meet you brought. I think I’m okay. I suppose we should be careful with what food we have though, shouldn’t we?”

Zada waved her hand and reached into her bag for a wicked looking dagger and some twine. “Maybe I can set a snare something from one of the small cave or holes. Might get a rabbit.”

Oriana smiled and nodded. “Very well. We can stay here a bit longer and see then. If you don’t catch anything within two hours though, we should move on.”

Zada nodded and slipped out into the dim morning light. “Of course. I will return shortly then.” She left the cave and headed down the hillside, trying to keep to the trees and bushes that dotted the landscape. After a bit of searching she spotted a small hole that looked well groomed. Hoping it was a rabbit, and not a nasty badger, that lived in the burrow, she gather the sticks she need and created a rough snare to catch the occupant.

She settled in to wait, not terribly hopeful that she’d succeed, but determined to try at least. After a few minutes she got bored and let her eyes wander over the landscape.

Not really expecting to see anything amongst the trees and rolling hills, she was startled when a young man wandered out of a small cluster of trees. She ducked quickly behind a bush and cautiously watched as he stretched and yawned, wandering away from what she assumed was a camp. He was rather handsome, at least from this distance. He had dark, messy hair and looked rather tall and lean. He hadn’t started to acquire the muscle that would come with adulthood, but she found herself admiring him nonetheless.

The young man stretched again and turned away from her, walking to a small cluster of bushes. Her cheeks flamed as he clearly adjusted his clothing to relieve himself. Feeling a bit guilty for watching him, she stood abruptly and with a startled squeak, lost her footing.

***

Benjamin yawned and rubbed his eyes, blinking at the cool morning light. He had slept horribly, between listening to Damon’s noisy shifting and his own worried thoughts about his future sister. He felt sluggish and fuzzy at best. Deciding a quick stroll to relieve himself and a look around would help to shake off the sleep, he stood and moved away from the camp.

Yawning and stretching as he walked, he found a nice area to look around and quickly set about pulling his clothing open. Sighing in relief, he gazed about, wondering if Oriana was close or if she’d kept traveling. He was positive that they were following two women and fairly certain it was Oriana and this Zada woman.

He frowned and turned sharply when a female cry floated across the morning air and then the sound of rolling rocks. Benjamin swore and quickly pulled his clothing to rights when he spotted a small woman up on the hillside, scrambling to get up and run. “Damon!” he cried and began to run after the woman.

He heard his brother respond, calling back, but didn’t bother to stop and explain as the woman slipped again. “Stop that!” he cried. “You’re going to hurt yourself.” He hurried up the hill to where the small, dark haired female was scrambling to get her footing in the gravely dirt. She saw him and tried to bolt, finally getting solid earth under her feet. Swearing again, he grabbed her waist and hauled her to a stop.

Benjamin had been around women his whole life, having two strong sisters running his life, but he hadn’t been entirely prepared for the tiny wild cat that was suddenly in his arms. She screamed and clawed, trying to squirm out of his grasp. The softness of her curves and the unintentional wriggle of her bottom against his groin were startling and more than a little distracting to his untried body, but he held fast wondering why she was so terrified. “I didn’t mean to see. Please don’t hurt me. Let me go, I beg you,” she sobbed and screamed, nails biting painfully into his arms.

Benjamin adjusted his grip and pinned her deadly arms at her waist and then wrestled her to the ground beneath him. He held her hands securely at her waist and pinned her legs between his thighs. “You’re going to hurt yourself flailing like that on this kind of terrain. What on earth were you thinking?” he asked, completely bemused by the squirming, gasping female under him. “You shouldn’t run around on these kind of hillsides.

She paused and looked at him oddly, “You were trying to keep me from running by chasing me? You are a very odd sort of man then,” she murmured, her cheeks lightly tinged with pink. “I thought for sure you were angry.”

“Angry? Now who doesn’t make sense?” the young man asked. “What on earth could I be mad about? I don’t even know you.”

“I saw you down there. I didn’t mean to see, I swear,” she said, her blush deepening. “I was trying to leave, to give you privacy, but I slipped. I’m very sorry.”

He frowned for a moment, completely baffled, until it finally hit him and he laughed. Zada blinked as the rich sound of the young man’s laughter filled the air and then he smiled down at her. “Is that what this is about?” His cheeks were a bit pink, but he shook his head and released her hands. “I don’t care. Really it’s my own fault for not looking around. You could have been a bandit and I wouldn’t have even seen you.”

“Benjamin?” Damon called from the base of the small hill. “Who in the hell is that?”

Zada’s stomach clenched. “ ‘Prince’ Benjamin?” she whispered.

His eyes turned from his frowning brother back to the lovely female. He frowned softly, “Yes?”

“Oh gods,” she whispered. She pushed at him frantically, blushing horribly and scrambling to her feet when he released her. “Oriana! Oriana!” she cried at the top of her lungs, running up the hill, tripping several times. “It’s them Oriana! Your prince is here! Hurry and come see Oriana!”

Damon swore at the bottom of the hill and hurried to follow the girl, Brach close behind and Benjamin already grabbing at her. Oriana rushed from a cave, not far away, and immediately sank to the ground in relief. Damon rushed past the tiny excited woman in Benjamin’s grasp and swung Oriana up into his arm.

“Damon, oh thank the gods you found us. We didn’t think you would know where to follow,” she said gripping him fiercely. He didn’t bother responding and bent to kiss her fiercely, his fingers sinking into her tangled, fiery locks. She hummed and kissed back, eagerly accepting everything he gave.

The others turned delicately away, uncomfortably wondering if they should leave. “So you are the infamous Zada that rescued our princess,” Brach murmured, after an awkward moment.

“Yes,” she said softly, wringing her hands together. “Do you think that your king will accept me?”

Brach snorted, “No doubt. I’m more concerned about my own reentrance though.”

Zada looked at him curiously. Benjamin spoke up, when Brach didn’t offer an explanation. “He has lived with your people for two months now. He’s a bit afraid that he’ll go home, branded a traitor. We thought he was dead.” Benjamin eyed his brother-in-law for a moment and then snorted. “I think Father will be easy to appease, in comparison to Katherine.”

“She is your king’s eldest daughter?” Zada asked, slightly unsure.

“Yes,” Benjamin confirmed. “She is also Brach’s ‘widow’. She is going to be furious you know.” Brach winced and nodded sadly. “For once I don’t envy you in the least,” Benjamin murmured.

They turned as Damon and Oriana, slightly flushed and smiling, joined them. “Let’s break camp and head home,” Damon said softly. “We have our princess and her new companion. Nothing further is keep us away from home.”

“Where are my servants?” Oriana asked softly from his side.

“They headed home with Sam to tell my father about the fortress and that we’d caught your trail,” Damon replied with a small smile.

“You are sending soldiers back to the fortress, aren’t you?” Zada asked softly.

“Yes I am,” Damon said softly, apologetically. “If you father can’t live peacefully my kingdom, he can’t be here. Do you understand Zada?”

“Yes, I understand,” she answered softly. “Perhaps if he would have offered me to you instead of stealing your bride, this wouldn’t be happening. Surely one of your nobles would have taken me as his bride?”

Damon smiled and the lovely young woman, “I’m sure they would still take you. You are a lovely, sweet, and incredibly brave young woman. I cannot forget that you saved my future Queen. You will not go unrewarded. Perhaps, if you wish it, we can find a husband for you and prevent further war with your people, in return for your good deeds.”

She smiled sadly and nodded, her gaze flicking to Benjamin in a speculative way that Damon did not miss. He smiled inwardly as Benjamin listened quietly to the whole conversation, blissfully unaware that he was already in the sights of the diminutive woman.

***