Part 5 of as yet untitled YA fantasy fiction

Rose shifted her weight, her leather slippers barely brushing the loose stones beneath her foot, before delicately planting it with barely a sound. The clouds covered the moon above, casting a dim glow across the sky. She could see well enough to inch her way slowly and deliberately across the small courtyard, but she hoped any guards patrolling through the night watch would miss spotting her in the shadows. She'd donned her black linen cloak and the maid's sturdy blue dress she'd kept hidden between her mattresses for occasions such as this, though she'd never imagined it would be used for such a daring purpose. The dress was getting to be a bit snug since she'd smuggled it well over a year ago, but she was breathing shallow breaths anyway and there was nothing else to wear that would've been nearly as practical. She focused on her slow sliding steps, easing ever closer to the wall below Lord V'Sluz's balcony. When she'd finally made it, she focused on her steadying her breath and sending up a silent prayer of thanks to the Creator she'd made it thus far. She didn't consider herself a particularly devout Praiser, but there no time like the present when you were under the balcony of the dangerous and cunning man who had swept your mother's feet from under her while your father lay in his sudden and unexpected death bed.

A door closed in the room above and she could hear footsteps through the cracked open balcony door. Oh Bless me that it's a warm night and Lord V'Sluz's rooms aren't well ventilated! She could hear voices drifting down from above. Two voices, surprisingly! One she picked out right away as V'Sluz, the other a slightly higher pitch, male she guessed, sounding somewhat youthful, though she didn't recognize the voice. They were speaking softly, but she had keen ears and the winds seemed to carry their words down to her.

"Your swiftness in completing your task surprises even me, though I am slightly worried that the family might begin to suspect the King's sickness might be more than it appeared to be." 
Rose knew that voice as V'Sluz but was barely aware of it, almost choking on the words he said. 
"I aim to please my Lord. I trust you have found the Queen more... pliable due to our efforts as well." the younger voice said.
"Quite." murmured V'Sluz sounding thoughtful. "For your next task, you will place a cap full of this powder into our lovely, soft and spoiled Heiress's morning meal for the next week, followed by two caps full the following weeks, until it is no longer necessary."
The younger voice paused for a moment before responding.
"Yes my Lord, it will be so."

The implications of the conversation above slammed into Rose's head, the memory of her father, now dead, that worm V'Sluz charming her mother by some devious means, and now, an imminent attack on her self! A whimper escaped her traitorous throat and she immediately knew it for the mistake it was. Feet hit the floor above, running, and she realized she'd never make it to help in time. Even if she could alert the guards, who could she trust, the guards Lord V'Sluz surrounded his rooms with? Hardly! Even if she could make it back to the Royal Family's quarters safely, many of the guards throughout the castle now were veterans of his campaigns! The truth of the desperation of her plight anchored deep in her soul. She ran. She cursed herself for a coward and ran. If I can make it up to the parapets, perhaps I can swim the moat? And then what? The caves? Oh Creator help me! If ever there was a time to take an active roll in an heiress's life, make it be now! Her only consolation was that Lord V'Sluz couldn't have known it was the very same Heiress that had overheard him. If only she could get to safety before he realized she knew.

Part 4 of untitled

Rose stood by her father's bedside, watching the slow rise and fall of the blankets on his chest. They were such small breaths, the blankets barely moving, but Rose hadn't given up yet. Perhaps he could still pull through this mysterious and sudden sickness. Her brothers stood to her right, eldest to youngest as was their privilege. First Percy, tall and unmoving, his jaw set and his blue eyes drilling holes into the tapestry on the wall across the room. He was older than her by six years and they had never been close. Then Willfred, 4 years her elder, his height exceeded Percy's, as did his ambitions. Even in this solemn moment his eyes shifted around the room, gauging everyone, taking note of anything except his father. Seymour was the last, standing at the foot of the bed. He was younger than Rose by four years and she'd always coddled him, dressing him up as her baby doll, then exploring and mischief making when they got older. He still had the tousled blonde hair and the chubby cheeks she'd always been fond of, as well as lovely long eyelashes framing deep blue eyes, which now were filled with unspent tears. His chin trembled and he was blinking furiously trying to keep his hands still. Her mother, the Heart of Elkshorn, Queen Allanna lounged at the other side of the bed, one hand holding a kerchief to her lips, her brown eyes matched her daughter's and they wandered distractedly over her husband's face and around the room. Her long brunette tresses were laid out on her square shoulders, and she was uncharacteristically cold.

A tapping sound came from the door and Davis stepped in and bowed quietly. "Lord V'Sluz is here to express his condolences Your Majesty," he said, facing the floor. The Queen looked up and straightened, sweeping her hair to one shoulder, and murmured, "I will go speak with him." Davis looked surprised that she would trouble herself, but his only comment was, "As you wish my Queen," before he just as quietly withdrew. The Queen glanced again at the almost still blankets as she stood and straightened her vivid green dress. She walked quickly to the door, twisting her tresses nervously, straightening her dress one more time before she walked through. Rose could hear low whispers, Lord V'Sluz, she guessed and a slightly more musical murmur in return, her mother. How could she leave Father's side! At a time like this! Doesn't she know he needs her support! She should be here, holding his hand, being strong for him! She shouldn't be receiving condolences anyway! V'Sluz is a rat, coming here at a time like this! Suddenly there was a muffled sound from Seymour and she realized the blankets moved no longer. No! She reached to her father's hand and it was cold. The life had fled his body. Anger and sadness warred within her and she wilted under the explosion of emotion, sobbing on the floor, oblivious to the world around her.

At the noise, the Queen and Lord V'Sluz dashed into the room, quickly taking in everything and drawing their conclusions. Allanna's breath caught for a moment before V'Sluz caught her in his arms, holding her upright as it appeared that she might have lost her will to stand. Percy shuffled around, placing his arm around Seymour's shaking shoulders while Willfred looked around the room, anywhere but at the bed, before finally stalking out of the room. Percy then ushered Seymour out, Seymour still streaming tears, but trying to be brave. Lord V'Sluz was whispering in quietly soothing sounds to Queen Allanna when Rose finally pulled herself together and picked herself off of the floor. The Queen mother seemed startled to notice Rose, as if she hadn't known she was there, but then was swept away as V'Sluz gently forced her out. Rose noticed he turned back at the doorway, coldly evaluating her as she stood sniffling and red faced by the bed. Davis then returned, Adelaide by his side, looking at her so sadly that grief came like a fresh fountain. Rose burst into tears and ran to Adie. The nursemaid held the princess, rocking her back and forth as if she were a child again.
~~

It was the next day that Rose decided that she'd had enough of Lord V'Sluz. He had worked himself into the royal family's good graces in the five years since she'd met him. Since the wars were over, he had received his own estate and wealth to go with it, but that didn't keep him away. He'd been at the castle frequently, even dropping by unannounced in the past couple of years, to the delight of the royal family, if not to the heir, Rose herself. Unfortunately, she'd had no say in the matter. Anytime she'd tried to discuss her discomfort with her Queen Mother, Allanna dismissed her immediately and refused to hear anything negative about the man. Her father seemed to share some of her concerns, but wouldn't say anything against him outright, and of course, her brothers always were eager to hear the General's stories of conquest. Rose just couldn't ignore the closeness that her mother seemed to be feeling toward the man, plus the feeling that he wasn't all he seemed to be, or that he was more than he seemed to be in any case, so she set to finding out. Slipping slowly past the sleeping maid in the her room, she eased open the door as silently as she could. She congratulated herself for remembering to oil the hinges as she'd done when she was younger. Sneaking through the castle during the night was just as thrilling as it always had been, but this time she wasn't just pranking her brothers, this time she was going to spy on one of the most powerful men in the kingdom.

Part 3 of YA fanfic

Rose awoke slowly and groggily, her mouth feeling as if she'd tried to swallow a hand full of cotton, and leaned against Sophie's soft shoulders. "We have to find some water Soph." she whispered, shivering again. She had no idea if it was morning or still night, the darkness still encompassed everything. Her dress was still damp, and her stomach was rumbling fiercely.  She held her hand onto the dog's strong back. "Sophie, that wonderful little nose of yours is going to have to get us out of here, if you can manage it." Abruptly, Sophie stood up and Rose could hear her scuffling down the slope that lead away from the small room. Rose followed, feeling her way down the narrow chute, scraping her knuckles and cursing her shortsightedness in not bringing another change of clothing, or at least some nuts and an apple or two. Think for a moment girl! Adie's voice had always been her inner tutor, coaxing her stray thoughts into a semblance of order, much as she had always tried to cajole her wild tresses into serene styles fit for a princess. What brought you here? And what will bring you out? Rose thought for a moment, and decided that finding water and some food was the first task she must set for herself, whether the hunters remained in the area or not, she had to find sustenance else she'd wither like a weakling. She set her resolve, and with that, pulled herself out of the chute. The darkness remained unchanged, but the space around her felt larger, and there was a slight stirring of the air, rather than the dank stillness she'd felt in the small chamber. She paused to catch her breath and hitched up her dress so she could somewhat indelicately relieve herself. If Adie only knew what this poor dress was going to go through...

Sophie nuzzled her hand, and when she placed her palm on the dog's head, Soph lead her, stooping and shuffling along the passageway. She walked what seemed like hours, one foot determinedly set in front of the other, and then again, and again. Eventually, the darkness gave way to a faded glow, and the glow became green lit day, shining through a small, grass filled opening in the passage. Rose took a deep breath of the fresh air and her eyebrows relaxed for the first time all morning . "Good girl Sophie! You found a way out!" Sophie seemed to take that as an encouragement to move on, so Rose followed, shrugging her way through the small hole into daylight. Rose was thankful it appeared that the sun hadn't moved very far above the horizon, she hoped she had an advantage in that Lord V'Sluz may not have even been served his morning meal yet. She looked around for Sophie, and saw her glancing back, then bounding through the grasses down the hill. She followed as best as she could, dodging the trees, trying not to stumble over her own two feet, or the fallen logs and branches sometimes hidden in the grass. As she went, she listened to the sounds of the forested hill around her. Birds chirping their morning greeting, every once in awhile the sound of a woodpecker beating his beak against a wizened trunk, and a few times she heard a branch falling to the ground, perhaps loosened from their hold by a storm the night before? That would be a benefit, a storm would've made tracking me more difficult, not for the hounds, but I can't imagine that V'Sluz's hunters would've wanted to continue the search for a "soft and spoiled heiress" during the storm, not when they could so easily begin again the next day. This day. Oh Creator! I can't let them find me. I must keep moving! At least it seems I must've somehow crossed under the mountain through the caves. Bless me! It should take them some time to go around through the pass, and even V'Sluz won't risk his men and the hounds trying to cross the mountain. It still seemed odd, talking to the Creator, but since her only companions were herself, Sophie who kept dashing away and back again, and the Creator, she accepted it as better than the alternatives.

Finally Sophie lead her out of the more densely crowded forest to a small clearing as a stream gurgled happily through. A paradise! The princess looked around at the berry bushes hungrily. She knelt down on a grassy patch by the stream, cupping her hands to bring the precious water to her lips before giving up, unceremoniously dunking her face in the cool waters. After she had drunk her fill, she collected the nuts and berries she found, and set to with a ravenous appetite. Sophie sat inquisitively next to her, seeming to wonder at the vegetarian meal with humorous judgement. She herself had already partaken of some small rodent-type refreshment, Rose tried not to think about it. Her meal finished, her stomach gurgled at her, though lacking some of it's previous intensity. She leaned against a mossy tree trunk thinking about how she got into this predicament in the first place and what to do next. The sun played in patterns across her folded arms, warmly shining through the leafy heavens above her.