Hunted Queen

Chapter Twenty Five • Missing a Queen

-Loren- 

Finding out that Jade was being kept in a cage - like an animal - was not sitting badly with just her husband. Loren had been grinding his teeth since finding out from William, who himself had barely appeared in control of his own anger. Loren's jaws were aching from clenching them hard ever since then.

"Putting that girl in a cage will cost them." King Uldard had growled after William had given them the information the scout had brought back. Those were the first words that had been spoken for a while. King Uldard's tone had made promises that it would cost Rowan more than dearly that their queen was being held captive I'm such a demeaning manner. The price for caging Jade was to be settled with blood and lives. 

The old king had shot his son a dour look and gotten one in return as silence had fallen once again over them all.

Something told Loren that the two kings were thinking of the time William had deemed it necessary to keep Jade locked away. Hidden in a small storage room near the castle's kitchen. At that time, one of them had thought it cruel and unreasonably paranoid while the other had thought it absolutely necessary for her safety. Loren had thought it a mixture of the two... an attempt had been made on her life - in her very own chambers. And now she was locked away again. He couldn't begin to understand what Jade was going through right now.

"I won't wait any longer." William said darkly, finally breaking the silence and dragging Loren out of his own mind. "I'm not giving Rowan a second more than he needs to hurt her." 

Or kill her. Loren flinched as the thought appeared in his mind. It had come out of nowhere. He shook it off and watched as William looked away from his father. 

"You four," he pointed at Loren and his three friends, "gather a score of men. Competent ones." He added. "We are leaving at dusk." 

Robert was the first to head towards the tent's exit, with a content but solemn smirk on his bearded face. He was clearly looking forward to the fight. Had been thirsting for it and butted into conversations only with ideas and words that would goad their king into action. To Loren, Robert had been acting like a leashed hound for not getting to spill blood earlier. The brute gave William a single nod before exiting.

Christian and Erik followed Robert in silence. When they were alone, William rolled his shoulders, seeming impatient and uncomfortable. He turned to face the older version of himself. "Father. I know that I should stay here-" He began but was cut short instantly. 

"I will stay here." His father interrupted him almost as soon as the words had passed William's lips. "What you should do, is to come up with a plan for how you will get to her and then out of that camp." He continued and held his son's gaze as he spoke. His large hand reached out into the air between them, signaling how crucial it was to be in control of what would happen as they went on from here. "Preferably without being seen - and alive. All of you."

Loren and William said nothing. To sneak in and rescue Jade would be hard enough, being unseen on the way out and making sure no man would sound the alarm, well, that was a whole different thing. Jade would without a doubt be guarded and they would have to handle those men first, which could be done with some skill. 

How the hell are we supposed to make it in, and out, without- 

King Uldard's voice continued on and Loren's thoughts dispersed.

"Do not waste our time, or hers, thinking of about going off to rescue her will make you look. Any husband and father would have done the same. Any men among us that thinks it strange does not have a woman at their side, nor do they have children." King Uldard said as if he had read his son's mind.