“Your Highness,” Sir Hett said, waking him.

“What?” he asked irritably.

“The women have gone.”

His brow furrowed. “The women have….”

“Gone, Sire. Early this morning, it seems.”

“...Gone!” he yelled, finally waking up enough to understand what Sir Hett was trying to tell him.

“Yes, Sire.”

“Prepare the horses.”

“Sirs Gruph and Houton are seeing to it.”

Prince Kelton nodded as he rushed about his room to pull on his boots and cloak. He furtively looked around the room to make sure he hadn’t forgotten anything before hurling himself out of the room with Sir Hett on his tail.

“How long ago did they leave?” Prince Kelton asked the flustered innkeeper.

“A… a… few… hours ago.”

“Which way were they headed?”

“Towards Kead City.”

Prince Kelton slammed several gold coins onto the counter as he spun to leave the inn. They were headed in the direction of Greywold Castle, but why would they leave without informing anyone? The roads were not entirely safe, and Iredys was pregnant.

‘What are you thinking, Iredys?’ he thought as he leaped onto his horse and thundered out of Ghinf Village.

‘That a life needed saving,’ he heard her reply.

A touch of doubt entered his mind. If there was a life that needed saving, he could have helped. ‘Where are you?’

‘...We’ll meet you in Reash Town. Carefree Traveler’s Inn.’

‘That’s not…,’ he stopped and shook his head.

Reash Town was just beyond Kead City to the North. Even at the pace they were setting, with the carriage in tow, it would take them almost the entire day to get there. There was no way the two had left a mere few hours ago. He ran his steed as long as he could before the beast needed to slow to a walk to catch its breath.

“Does My Lord not find the healer’s actions to be a little strange?” Sir Fran asked, after he approached.

“Not if she left to respond to a need,” Prince Kelton shook his head.

“And the Lady Iredys?”

“She’s in good hands.”

Sir Fran pulled a face, but let himself drop back.

Prince Kelton’s stomach growled. Nausea stirred his gut and he had no choice, but to grab a piece of dried tack and meat to munch on while they continued toward Reash Town.

They reached Kead City not long after noon and their horses were in need of a break. He stopped long enough to give the horses a drink and a bag of oats. He tried to keep his calm as he tried to ask Iredys questions without response.

“Should we ask around to see if anyone has seen Ponderosa and Lady Iredys?” Sir Droyn asked.

He almost denied Sir Droyn’s question, but then realized that he was the only one that knew that they were in Reash Town because Iredys had told him so. Prince Kelton nodded. He patted his horse’s neck then walked around the city with his knights. The sights and sounds blurred into nothing as he wondered what Iredys was doing. Was she in danger? Had Dagaz changed her to become something else already, despite what she had told him the night before? Was she experiencing more convulsions?

“My Lord. …My Lord?” Sir Hamnet’s worried voice asked, bringing him back to the present.

“Did you say something, Sir Hamnet?” he asked.

“Are you alright, Sire?”

“Fine. We’ve wasted enough time here. We should be on our way to Reash Town.” He turned and headed back for his horse.

“Would you like a few of us to take the road to Catty Village?” Sir Hamnet wondered as he climbed back into the driver’s seat of the carriage.

He shook his head. “It is getting late in the day. Even with a few hours head start, I do not believe Ponderosa would head for a village as remote and out of the way as Catty Village with Lady Iredys in her care.”

He frowned, but nodded at the logic.

Leading his knights once again, Prince Kelton headed for Reash Town.

‘Iredys?’ he tried again. ‘Iredys, please talk to me. …Tell me you are alright.’

He received no response.

Gritting his teeth, he could only stifle the wish he had that Ponderosa could speak as Iredys did so he could know with absolute certainty that the two of them were alright. Now all he could do was ride as hard as he could to the Carefree Traveler’s Inn and hope they were there.

Reash Town was quieting down as evening fell, but one man stood just outside his home near the gate.

“Excuse me,” Prince Kelton said, getting the man’s attention. “I am looking for two women. One of them has long black hair. They would have come into town together.”

Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

“Is the black haired woman you seek by chance a healer?” he replied.

His brow furrowed. “Indeed she is.”

The man smiled. “I may have met one of the ones you seek. She helped my wife, Joy, through the birth of our daughter, Lovely. I ran into her at the Carefree Traveler’s Inn.”

“Thank you, my good man.”

Sir Droyn flipped the man a gold coin as Prince Kelton led his knights to the inn. He dismounted and entered immediately. Sir Hamnet set the brakes on the carriage then followed while the rest of the knights remained outside.

“Your Majesty,” the innkeeper said, bowing slightly. “How may I serve you?”

“I was told two women came here today. One of them has very short brown hair, the other has long black hair.”

“Indeed they are here, Your Majesty. They brought in a young woman and provided some care for her until her husband could arrive.”

“What room are they in?”

The innkeeper wiped his hands on his apron then led Prince Kelton and Sir Hamnet to the women’s room. He knocked. There was only silence on the other side. The innkeeper was about to knock again when Ponderosa opened the door a crack.

“Where is she, Ponderosa?” Prince Kelton asked before the innkeeper could say anything.

Sir Hamnet gave the innkeeper a few coins and sent him back downstairs.

Ponderosa opened the door and let Prince Kelton and Sir Hamnet into the room.

Prince Kelton saw blood on the bed across from the door. Iredys slept on the other bed, her breathing was slow and deep. He knelt beside her and rested his hand against her face. Her cheek was warm under his cool hand, but she didn’t flinch or respond to his touch. He then set his hand against the side of Iredys’ belly and felt a light thump against his hand.

“Does that blood belong to either of you?” he asked, turning to Ponderosa who had walked to be in his line of sight.

Ponderosa shook her head.

“So, it belongs to the one you helped?”

She nodded.

Prince Kelton nodded then turned back to Iredys. He ran his hand over the little bit of hair that covered the top of her head, grateful that their ride out here hadn’t threatened miscarriage. “How long has she been asleep?”

Ponderosa held up seven fingers.

“Seven minutes?”

She shook her head.

“Hours?”

She nodded.

“Did either of you run into trouble on your way out here?”

Ponderosa shook her head.

“Any… concerns after your arrival here?”

Ponderosa started to shake her head, before her brow furrowed a little. After a moment, she shook her head again.

Prince Kelton sighed. He half stood and planted a kiss on Iredys forehead. “Are there any needs that require you to disappear again?”

Ponderosa lowered her gaze, but shook her head.

“Then I will expect to find both of you here in the morning.”

She nodded meekly.

Prince Kelton turned and left after that. He stepped back into the room and grabbed Sir Hamnet’s arm when he didn’t turn to follow right away.

“Something bothering you, Sir Hamnet?” he asked, once the door was closed.

“Ponderosa seems strangely quiet and fidgety,” Sir Hamnet replied.

Prince Kelton headed downstairs so he could let the rest of the knight know they could come in. “She is mute.”

“...If she is mute, how does she speak with Lady Iredys?”

“With motions.”

“Does she not know how to write?”

Prince Kelton stopped at the bottom of the stairs. “What is really bothering you about her, Sir Hamnet?”

Sir Hamnet awkwardly scratched his head. “Her eyes seem familiar to me, but I can’t remember where I have seen them.”

He raised an eyebrow at his knight. “You question because of her eyes.”

Sir Hamnet sighed. “I don’t know.”

“Uh-huh.”

Prince Kelton turned around and headed for the door. “They are here,” he said to his knights.

His knights nodded then handed their horses over to the stable hands then came inside. All of them sat around several of the tables and ordered food and drink. Prince Kelton noticed that the Innkeeper kept casting several glances toward the stairs.

“Is something the matter?” Prince Kelton asked the man.

“I was wondering if I should check on the women you were seeking. Neither of them have been down for food since their arrival this morning.”

He nodded. “Their needs are a little special. If you have a broth prepared they might appreciate that.”

“I will check on them as soon as I get your order placed, My Lord.”

Prince Kelton nodded.

The innkeeper stepped away as Sir Hamnet and Sir Droyn looked at each other. They turned to look at Prince Kelton at the same time.

“I understand why Ponderosa’s needs would be particular,” Sir Droyn said. “But Lady Iredys?”

Prince Kelton hung his head. “...Her captor cut her tongue out,” he said quietly.

“What?!” the knights at his table exclaimed.

“What, what?” Sir Hett asked from the other table.

“I will personally see that person’s tongue fried before their eyes!” Sir Hamnet growled.

“What has Sir Hamnet gotten all riled up about?” Sir Fran asked.

“The Lady Iredys has lost her tongue,” Prince Kelton repeated for his other knights.

Various expressions of disgust and nausea spread across his knights’ faces.

“If her captor cut her tongue out,” Sir Juleak started softly, “what else did they do to her?”

The knights sitting at the other table moved their chairs closer so they could hear what Prince Kelton had to say.

“From what… Ponderosa could tell me…. Lady Iredys was blinded, beaten, and starved.”

“And the fit she had yesterday?” Sir Gruph asked.

“...A symptom due to lack of nutrition. Something that should stop given enough of the right foods and time.”

“A ruined woman does not a good Queen make,” Sir Houton mumbled.

Prince Kelton glared at him. “I dare you to say that again, Sir Houton, because I have it on good authority that the child she carries is mine.”

“My apologies, My Lord,” Sir Hourton replied, bowing his head.

“The results of her captivity put her and the child at risk,” Sir Thomas said. “What do you plan to tell the queen when we get back, Your Highness?”

He sighed. “…I don’t know.”

He caught the confused, yet bitter, expressions on Sir Hamnet’s and Sir Droyn’s faces, though they said nothing as plates and bowls of food started to come out of the kitchen. The knights who had been at the other table moved their chairs back and tucked into their food. Prince Kelton ate as well. As he dropped a few chunks of bread into his bowl, he saw the innkeeper take two bowls of steaming broth upstairs. He nodded to himself, grateful that Ponderosa was willing to accept the suggestion as she continued to care for Lady Iredys.

When he finished, Prince Kelton went upstairs to check on Ponderosa and Iredys before he retired for the night. He knocked lightly on the door. Ponderosa didn’t answer. He knocked again. Ponderosa still did not answer. Prince Kelton checked the handle and slowly pushed the door open. He found Ponderosa lying on the bed beside Lady Iredys. Lady Iredys held Ponderosa in her grip. Ponderosa turned her head to look at him.

“Another fit?” he asked softly.

Ponderosa nodded.

“Will she be well enough to travel in the morning?”

She nodded again.

Prince Kelton bunched his hands into fists resisting his desire to hold her and tell himself that all was as it was almost two years ago. “May you both sleep well.”

Ponderosa gave him a soft smile and nodded. She turned her attention back to Lady Iredys while Prince Kelton stepped out. He closed the door quietly then reluctantly stepped down the hall to his own room.