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Damian took a decisive step forward. At the same time his cousin took a cautionary step backwards with his fingers digging into Delilah's flesh in a bruising hold. She could feel her captor fiddling with his free hand and remained oblivious to the mounting threat until a small, sharp dagger pressed against her throat. The steel was cold against her warm flesh and she exhaled sharply as she felt the man testing how far her throat would accept the pressure without piercing skin.
"I thought maybe a little finesse would help," Ferdinand uttered casually as he removed the dagger to examine it in the orange firelight, "Slitting throats is so precise. One snip at the jugular and it shall be over."
"You shall do no such thing," Damian hissed, eyes glinting dangerously.
"And why is that little boy?"
"Rootlover, duck," Damian growled and sensing her captor's confusion Delilah followed the command. She shoved her elbow into the Prince's cousin making him flail backwards and flung herself on the ground.
Enraged, Ferdinand lunged for her but his focus was broken by Damian's attack. To the villain's credit he pulled out his sword before the second blow could strike his shoulder.
Delilah rolled away from the fight feeling horrified that she had attempted something so dangerous. She watched the two men clang their swords together in the near darkness. Damian clearly believed in prevailing powers of brute force while Ferdinand was more tactical in his approach. The man showered Damian with blows alternating between the left and the right and finally caught him off guard with one from above. The Prince struggled to keep the pace as he was forced to back up against a wall.
"Get off of him," Delilah was on her feet and hoped to be worthwhile distraction but Ferdinand brushed aside her attempts at pulling him away from the Prince and she was sent flying halfway across the cave.
The girl braced herself as she fell on the table while her mind still searched for another way to end the fight. She did not know whether her efforts would be to her advantage but she knew it was worth a try. The only light source in the room was the candle burning on the desk. Delilah promptly knocked the wrought iron candle stand letting it roll on the other side.
The cave was now darker and the shadows more pronounced. She pushed herself upwards to see two figures grappling with each other as one sword was discarded and then the other. There were grunts, shouts and muffled words she could not decipher along with which of the shadowy figures was her Prince and which was her captor.
For a moment the deadlock seemed unwinnable. The two men were thrashing against each other with arms around each other's throats when suddenly one of the figures stumbled. The other person took advantage and promptly used his fists to subdue his opponent.
Delilah stepped forward and nearly tripped on an abandoned sword. To her relief it was Damian and not his cousin who was standing victoriously, bathed in the weak candle light.
"I tripped him, I think," A small voice moaned weakly.
"Cecilia!" Delilah moved towards her injured cousin.
"I am not quite as unconscious as I look. I just haven't had the energy to move. That lout drugged me, again," Cecilia whispered and tried to sit up.
"What did he give you?" Delilah fingers convulsed around the frail shoulders while helping Cecilia use the smooth rock wall to balance herself.
"I do not know. I think I might have called him some filthy names before he placed a cloth on my mouth. I know you've wanted to do that for the longest time," Cecilia smile was weary but sincere. Behind them Damian continued to drag the heavy weight of his cousin.
"There is rope near us if you want some," Cecilia pointed to her straw covered feet where the coarse rope lay.
"Thank you, I think it would be wise to tie him up. Who knows how long he will remain unconscious," Damian replied. It was quite obvious even in the dim light that he was worn out and out of breath.
"Serves him right to get a bloody head since he is the one who caused the bump on mine," Cecilia chortled making both her conscious companions smile.
"Do you need any help?" Delilah asked to which Damian looked up and blinked slowly. He then nodded with a drained sigh.
"It cannot be easy to find out a loved one can betray you so viciously," Delilah knelt down and held the unconscious man's feet while Damian tied the rope.
"We were never close, not like you two," Damian looked at Cecilia and back at her, "But when we younger... he was my older brother. I wanted to be like him."
"I understand," Delilah placed a comforting hand on his shoulder while the man finished the knot with a grunt.
"I apologize for my lack of sensitivity for the touching moment but I think I feel a bit faint," Cecilia swayed, rapidly blinking. Before she could fall both Delilah and Damian were swiftly by her side.
"We need to get her medical attention immediately. She has been unconscious for far too long and I am worried she might have permanent damage that we cannot discern," Delilah urged while Damian propped Cecilia up and placed his arms under knees so he could carry her with ease.
"She will pull through I'm sure of it but first we need to evacuate these fine premises immediately. I may have dispatched his current band of rogue elements but there may be others waiting," Damian whinged as he placed Cecilia's lolling head on his shoulder, "The love of Bea's life did talk about an illegal military encampment nearby."
"You were listening then," Delilah asked, slightly surprised.
"Of course, I do have a brain between my ears although I will admit I don't remember his name," He snorted with contagious amusement before it melted away and his tone changed, "I have also heard many other things tonight."
"I-" Delilah spoke but Damian interrupted her with a wave of a hand.
"There will be time for talk later," He exhaled loudly, "I hope."
The sombre trio marched through cave and up the steps. With a surprising lack of resistance they made it out into the chilly, cloudless night. After negotiating down the gently inclined wooded area they finally reached the village road Delilah remembered well. She turned towards the direction of village but it seemed the Prince had other plans.
"Wintenshire is in this direction," Delilah pointed out with growing frustration.
"But we need to get to the Palace. No silly little town could possibly have the means to care for Noble blood," The man pointed out snootily before turning his back towards her.
"What we need to do is to get her to the nearest town and then home," Delilah replied firmly, "Our blood is hardly melted gold that they shan't be able to fix any ailments."
"And what is wrong with my home," Delilah didn't even have to see his face to know Damian was pouting.
"It will take us many hours to get there even if did manage to get a ride," Delilah answered with a sigh.
"I rode my horse here in three hours. If I only hadn't given it up to that wailing footman we could have taken off on our own," The Prince grumbled to himself.
"I am very much grateful for your endeavour even if it was a tad foolish, yes, foolish," She said knowing full well that the man meant to interrupt, "And that settles the matter of my cousin but what about yours. What if he manages to escape?"
"Honestly, I do not give a rat's backside about what my cousin gets up to. Getting you two into safer waters has always been my first priority."
"And I think we might be closer to safety then you think. The Calvary appears," Delilah pointed towards the mass of lanterns wielding people that were making their way over the hill that hid the view of the town. Damian would have been concerned if he hadn't noticed that women and children were part of the mob.
"Oh what was I then, dessert?" He scoffed.
"Not quite," Delilah managed to hide the smirk threatening to take over her face.
"Sire, Lady, It is indeed great relief that we meet you safe and sound. I feared the worst," The young footman who had accompanied the girls in their journey pronounced theatrically as he led the first round of people towards them.
"We are perfectly able at present and the villain has been subdued, though barely. There is a cave where we tied him up," Damian pointed out with barely masked disdain.
"Oh, ya, used to play in the cave as a child. 'know where it is," A portly famer nodded as he spoke, "It is a bloody lucky you three got out safe n' sound though."
"No, young un's gonna get 'urt on our watch," A very large woman brandished her rolling pin with great pride side stepping the important looking man.
"We protect the name of our town," Another young chap wielding a ruler nodded solemnly.
"Thank you John, and the townspeople," Delilah smiled at the young footman who had led the town's folk to their rescue, "We feared we were stranded and we feared there was no hope. Thank you again everyone and John for your bravery."
"Yes, John," Damian drawled, mimicking her tone but the sarcasm flew over John's head.
"It is an honour to be able to help when I failed to protect the two ladies in my charge. I am indeed embarrassed and ashamed by my inactivity. I did not think I would ever look myself in the face again. I should be charged of the most grievous of crimes. Can I ever be forgiven for my failures-"
"Yes, yes, John, she forgives you. Now, tell us how long it will be to get to this charming little town," Damian interrupted with very little patience, "As you can see this young lady is injured."
"You needn't walk, Sire, for we have attained transportation," John nodded towards the hill where their prospective ride was creeping forward.
"That's a donkey cart," Damian stated flatly.
"Yes," John nodded looking much pleased at his find and quite oblivious to the complete and horror on his Prince's face. The cart came to a stop a few steps away from the gathered crowd.
"I'll drive yer Sire and the Mrs," An elderly man with a missing tooth waved at them cheerfully.
"Oh, Lord, what is that foul smell?" Damian hissed in Delilah's ear, "I fear the donkey's not the culprit."
"Behave, Prince," Delilah concealed another smile before giving John her hand, who eagerly helped her onto the wooden construction. It lurched forward creakily under her weight. There was a pause before Damian placed Cecilia with her head resting on her cousin's lap and then climbed on without delay, further jostling the contraption. The ride started jerkily as the donkey started to bray loudly taking a few false starts but in a few moments the donkey was persuaded to move in the right direction.
"This had better be worth the indignity," Damian hissed before crossing his arms and looking away.
"Johnny could only tell us very little except his master and mistresses were in trouble. We knew it had ta be those conniving military men, nothing but trouble, they were, eating out our supplies and not paying a single coin. It took us time to gather our wits about but we banded in teh end."
"Yes, I was the one who woke John up when I arrived," Damian explained. "He was passed out on an isolated side pathway and in quite a state when he woke up but I think he did just fine in the circumstances."
"Ah, so you were part of the rescue committee like everyone else. When you've got a pretty miss like that you don't let her off alone."
"Oh," Damian's voice was coloured with the embarrassment Delilah was feeling. He looked at her sideways and then fumbled along, "She, err, was going back to her family-"
"Oh, Mother in Laws!" The cart driver grinned mischievously, "T'ink all married men know that particular malady. Wanted to avoid it for as long as possible, eh?"
Damian blinked before turning away.
They travelled on in silence, feeling more accustomed to the gentle swaying of the cart, and the dirt rising from the ground. Delilah alternated between looking at Cecilia's wan face and the thousands of stars that shone above making her feel frighteningly small. She could feel Damian's warm presence behind her but could not make herself look at him any more than necessary. Now that the danger was over her emotions from before their kidnap resurfaced with even more intensity then before. She wanted to break the silence and just as soon as she mustered the courage while the cart was taking what seemed like the hundredth curve in the hilly dirt road Delilah felt something hit her back.
"What-" Delilah was surprised by the weight but any and all capacity to speak disappeared when she realize what had happened. Damian had fallen asleep and somehow managed to find her as the perfect support. Her first instinct was to dislodge him but as he lightly snored she knew in her heart she could not. It had been apparent the physical toll on his body was immense and it seemed cruel to take away this small bit of respite...after...
