Hidden Majesty, 2/? P.6 - Of Friends, P.2
Hidden Majesty
CH.2, P.6 (Of Friends, P.2)
*still in flashback*
Of Friends, P.2
Daniel carefully guided his horse along the soggy trail, wary of the slope just off to his right. Vala was up ahead, going faster then he liked, and several of her friends from court who had suddenly shown up as they had headed out to the stables. One of them was Carolyn, the woman who had come with Vala to Grover in the beginning.
"Majesty, I highly recommend you-"
"Silence, Knight!" One of the royal ladies shouted back. "When your opinion is wanted, we will give it to you."
Rolling his eyes, Daniel clicked his tongue to draw his horse away from the slope a little more. His gaze fell on Vala once more as she continued to pick up the pace. She was dressed down in comparison to the rest of them, and laughing and smiling came easier to her than the others. He could see how different she was becoming from the other royal ladies, how different she had always been.
As she let her hair down, much to the protest off all her friends, but Carolyn, Daniel drew in a deep breath. When had he started to look at her differently?
Daniel's mind snapped back to the present at the sound of a horse becoming distressed. He'd spent enough time around horses to recognize the sound instantly. Focusing ahead, he could see Vala's horse becoming more and more agitated by the mindless ramblings and laughter from the women.
His instinct told him this wasn't going to end well. It also told him that there was no way he would be able to reach her in time when it went bad. Not without risking sending himself and his horse tumbling down the slope. And still, Daniel tried as quickly as he could to get to her.
The laughter and babbling of the royal ladies got louder as Vala struggled to get her horse to calm down. Daniel cursed them all inwardly - they thought she was playing. From the troubled look on her face, it was quite obvious she wasn't.
"Majesty..." Daniel tried to call out over the din, but not so it would spook the horse. She heard his call, casting him a look that screamed 'help me now.' It fueled him to get to her faster, but as he started to slowly work his horse through the throng of still cackling women, Vala flicked the reins just a little too hard. Her horse sidestepped the opposite direction she'd intended, and his back right hoof shifted on the slick earth.
Daniel's heart leapt into his throat as both horse and rider suddenly slipped down the slope.
"Majesty!" He shouted, pulling his horse to a halt and jumping down from the animal. Daniel ran between the ladies horses, cursing all pompous royalty as all they did was continued to laugh. They must have thought it was some practiced stunt for their amusement.
Daniel didn't give himself a chance to dwell on the ignorance of those he fought for as he reached the edge of the slope, and went sliding over the edge. The mud was thick and wet, making it quite easy to ski his way down to where both Vala and her horse had landed.
"Majesty!" He called out again, desperation coloring the word. Mud drenched his left side as he continued to slip his way downwards. Finally he reached the bottom, and slipped and slid his way to her. Vala was on her side, part of her face smushed deep into the mud. One arm was pinned under her body, flung up by her head. The other hung limply over her stomach.
Dropping to his knees at her side, Daniel brought his hand to the side of her neck. "Majesty?" He tried a third time. When she didn't respond, he leaned in closer to her. Tears stung in his eyes for some reason unknown to him as he brushed the mud covered hair covering her face behind her ear.
"Vala?" Daniel said, his voice thick with emotion. He brought his hand to rest against her temple, tilting her face upwards. "Vala, can you hear me?"
Slowly her eyes blinked open. "Daniel?"
He laughed in relief. "Yeah, yeah it's me." Daniel continued to run his hand over her hair. "Are you hurt? Did the horse get you anywhere?" He looked up briefly at the animal, which was laying just beside Vala with his legs tucked under him. It was if he was protecting her.
Vala blinked again, then looked around. "I don't...I don't think so." She moved to push herself up, but didn't get very far before pain stabbed up her stomach. She collapsed back down with a moan.
"Easy, easy." Daniel chastised gently, placing his hand over hers on her stomach. "It hurts here?"
She nodded. "I think he kicked me there." Vala coughed at the slight pressure Daniel put on the offending area.
It was Daniel's turned to nod. "Yeah, I think so too." He placed his left hand near her right temple, stroked his thumb in her hair. "If you try it a little slower, think you can sit up?"
Vala nodded again. Carefully, with Daniel's arm coming around her back to support her, she maneuvered herself into a sitting position.
"My head hurts." She admitted, leaning heavily into Daniel. She closed her eyes at the dizziness that assaulted her. "Badly."
He immediately tightened his hold on her. Daniel didn't know what to say - his fear and concern doubled at her words, and yet he didn't think anything he attempted to say would be within his expected boundaries. He was saved from having to as the sound of approaching horses reached him.
Blue eyes came up to see Simon and a handful of the other men coming down the path. They slowed their frantic pace as they neared Daniel and Vala on the ground.
"Is the Queen alright?!" Simon said loudly, causing Vala to flinch against Daniel.
He gently held her head against his chest, glaring at his second in command. "No, she's not alright." Daniel kept his voice soft, yet commanding. As Simon moved to assess the Queen, Daniel held up his free hand. "But she is my concern. I want you to get back up that damn hill and escort all the ladies back to Grover."
Simon paled slightly. "Escort? Sir, I do not think-"
"I don't give a damn what you think!" Daniel shouted, brushing a hand over Vala's hair in apology as she winced. "I am giving you a direct order, and you are going to follow it! Now you will go back up the hill, inform those women they are to go back immediately and wait until I see it's fit for them to leave. Do you understand me, Simon?"
The young man stiffened at Daniel's tone. He gave a quick, curt nod to his commander. "Clearly, Sir." Simon gave a hard glare to Daniel, then turned and started barking orders to the other Knights.
Vala waited until they were gone before speaking.
"That was a bit harsh, I believe." She said quietly, pushing herself away from Daniel a little bit. She blinked lethargically at him.
He gave her an assessing look. "Maybe it was, but that isn't something you need to be concerned over." Vala looked down at his words, and Daniel tilted her chin upwards. Their eyes met. "Come on. We need to get you checked out."
She nodded.
Continued in Of Friends, P.3
Comments are definitely appreciated!!!
CH.2, P.6 (Of Friends, P.2)
*still in flashback*
Of Friends, P.2
Daniel carefully guided his horse along the soggy trail, wary of the slope just off to his right. Vala was up ahead, going faster then he liked, and several of her friends from court who had suddenly shown up as they had headed out to the stables. One of them was Carolyn, the woman who had come with Vala to Grover in the beginning.
"Majesty, I highly recommend you-"
"Silence, Knight!" One of the royal ladies shouted back. "When your opinion is wanted, we will give it to you."
Rolling his eyes, Daniel clicked his tongue to draw his horse away from the slope a little more. His gaze fell on Vala once more as she continued to pick up the pace. She was dressed down in comparison to the rest of them, and laughing and smiling came easier to her than the others. He could see how different she was becoming from the other royal ladies, how different she had always been.
As she let her hair down, much to the protest off all her friends, but Carolyn, Daniel drew in a deep breath. When had he started to look at her differently?
Daniel's mind snapped back to the present at the sound of a horse becoming distressed. He'd spent enough time around horses to recognize the sound instantly. Focusing ahead, he could see Vala's horse becoming more and more agitated by the mindless ramblings and laughter from the women.
His instinct told him this wasn't going to end well. It also told him that there was no way he would be able to reach her in time when it went bad. Not without risking sending himself and his horse tumbling down the slope. And still, Daniel tried as quickly as he could to get to her.
The laughter and babbling of the royal ladies got louder as Vala struggled to get her horse to calm down. Daniel cursed them all inwardly - they thought she was playing. From the troubled look on her face, it was quite obvious she wasn't.
"Majesty..." Daniel tried to call out over the din, but not so it would spook the horse. She heard his call, casting him a look that screamed 'help me now.' It fueled him to get to her faster, but as he started to slowly work his horse through the throng of still cackling women, Vala flicked the reins just a little too hard. Her horse sidestepped the opposite direction she'd intended, and his back right hoof shifted on the slick earth.
Daniel's heart leapt into his throat as both horse and rider suddenly slipped down the slope.
"Majesty!" He shouted, pulling his horse to a halt and jumping down from the animal. Daniel ran between the ladies horses, cursing all pompous royalty as all they did was continued to laugh. They must have thought it was some practiced stunt for their amusement.
Daniel didn't give himself a chance to dwell on the ignorance of those he fought for as he reached the edge of the slope, and went sliding over the edge. The mud was thick and wet, making it quite easy to ski his way down to where both Vala and her horse had landed.
"Majesty!" He called out again, desperation coloring the word. Mud drenched his left side as he continued to slip his way downwards. Finally he reached the bottom, and slipped and slid his way to her. Vala was on her side, part of her face smushed deep into the mud. One arm was pinned under her body, flung up by her head. The other hung limply over her stomach.
Dropping to his knees at her side, Daniel brought his hand to the side of her neck. "Majesty?" He tried a third time. When she didn't respond, he leaned in closer to her. Tears stung in his eyes for some reason unknown to him as he brushed the mud covered hair covering her face behind her ear.
"Vala?" Daniel said, his voice thick with emotion. He brought his hand to rest against her temple, tilting her face upwards. "Vala, can you hear me?"
Slowly her eyes blinked open. "Daniel?"
He laughed in relief. "Yeah, yeah it's me." Daniel continued to run his hand over her hair. "Are you hurt? Did the horse get you anywhere?" He looked up briefly at the animal, which was laying just beside Vala with his legs tucked under him. It was if he was protecting her.
Vala blinked again, then looked around. "I don't...I don't think so." She moved to push herself up, but didn't get very far before pain stabbed up her stomach. She collapsed back down with a moan.
"Easy, easy." Daniel chastised gently, placing his hand over hers on her stomach. "It hurts here?"
She nodded. "I think he kicked me there." Vala coughed at the slight pressure Daniel put on the offending area.
It was Daniel's turned to nod. "Yeah, I think so too." He placed his left hand near her right temple, stroked his thumb in her hair. "If you try it a little slower, think you can sit up?"
Vala nodded again. Carefully, with Daniel's arm coming around her back to support her, she maneuvered herself into a sitting position.
"My head hurts." She admitted, leaning heavily into Daniel. She closed her eyes at the dizziness that assaulted her. "Badly."
He immediately tightened his hold on her. Daniel didn't know what to say - his fear and concern doubled at her words, and yet he didn't think anything he attempted to say would be within his expected boundaries. He was saved from having to as the sound of approaching horses reached him.
Blue eyes came up to see Simon and a handful of the other men coming down the path. They slowed their frantic pace as they neared Daniel and Vala on the ground.
"Is the Queen alright?!" Simon said loudly, causing Vala to flinch against Daniel.
He gently held her head against his chest, glaring at his second in command. "No, she's not alright." Daniel kept his voice soft, yet commanding. As Simon moved to assess the Queen, Daniel held up his free hand. "But she is my concern. I want you to get back up that damn hill and escort all the ladies back to Grover."
Simon paled slightly. "Escort? Sir, I do not think-"
"I don't give a damn what you think!" Daniel shouted, brushing a hand over Vala's hair in apology as she winced. "I am giving you a direct order, and you are going to follow it! Now you will go back up the hill, inform those women they are to go back immediately and wait until I see it's fit for them to leave. Do you understand me, Simon?"
The young man stiffened at Daniel's tone. He gave a quick, curt nod to his commander. "Clearly, Sir." Simon gave a hard glare to Daniel, then turned and started barking orders to the other Knights.
Vala waited until they were gone before speaking.
"That was a bit harsh, I believe." She said quietly, pushing herself away from Daniel a little bit. She blinked lethargically at him.
He gave her an assessing look. "Maybe it was, but that isn't something you need to be concerned over." Vala looked down at his words, and Daniel tilted her chin upwards. Their eyes met. "Come on. We need to get you checked out."
She nodded.
Continued in Of Friends, P.3
Comments are definitely appreciated!!!