She wondered who�d taken her, where she was, and why she was there. She looked to her left hand. She had both her engagement and wedding ring still. Reaching to her neck she felt the chain that held the pendants. If it were a theft her jewelry would be gone. But then again, if it were a theft, she would not have been taken...kept. If she had her rings, something obvious, maybe...she pulled the watch out of the pocket in the breeches. What fortunate luck. Now she could tell how long she was in this hell. The watch said four-thirty. In the spot that held a moon and sun, to tell day or night, showed half way between the moon�s set and the sun�s rise. Four-thirty in the morning! How long had she slept? It was 3:30 when she�d come in from riding. Goodness.
That would be almost twelve hours! She, for the first time, looked from herself or the floor. The room was normally fashioned, for a dungeon sort. Stone walls. The stone cold walls were probably that cold because they were as scared as her. The floor was also stone and freezing. She shuddered at how hard the room felt. There was a door, some material that wasn�t wood, nor stone, but something exceptionally strong. Then on the opposite wall, a window. She walked to it slowly, the boots almost silent to the floor. She touched the glass. She ran her hands over the panes. She wondered if it would be useless to try to escape through them. She opened them silently. It seemed to set an alarm off of some sort because a large man quickly entered the heavy door. He grasped Ceidre, pulling her back in. She snapped to the man, although her voice was frightened and quavered, it was also dangerous. �Who are you! Where am I! Please tell me.�
�Madame, I am a simple guard. My name is Matt. This is a slave quarters room in the Ashlea�s Castle. It�s more commonly known as the Expedia Castle.� Ceidre nodded.
�Why am I here?� she questioned. Matt shrugged, not knowing himself.
�I was told to keep you here,� he replied softly, feeling sorry for the gorgeous woman he looked at. She pouted and sat back in her corner of uncomfortable fabric. She leaned her head back to the wall, the tears slipping down her cheeks. Matt closed the windows and walked to Ceidre. He knelt down some beside her.
�I�m sorry you�re stuck here, Madame.� He said. He brushed the tears off her cheeks. She twisted her head away from his touch. The tears came quicker as Matt stood to leave. � I�ll send someone down with food,� he said in a rushed manner. Then he quickly left. She tried not to feel pity for herself. She walked to the window, using it for the reflection.
She stared at the mirror until she heard the door open but didn�t turn. �Madame?� The voice said quietly. Ceidre knew that voice anywhere. She spun in the direction of the door.
�ALICIA!� Ceidre said.
�Shush, Ceidre� Alicia said. �Do you want to get caught of knowing someone? It�ll get you worse than you are. I brought food.� She said in a motherly tone as she held out the tray. Ceidre rushed to her, the hunger more demanding than before.
�Why am I at Ashlea?� Ceidre questioned as she ate.
�Because it�s the headquarters for Expedia, Ceidre.� Alicia said.
�My purpose here is what then? Eric works here, not me.�
�I don�t know, Ceidre, but I�ll try to find out.� Alicia said as she shrugged.
�Who�s Matt?� Ceidre questioned next.
�Matt Hahne? A guard. He was assigned to watch you. The Queen was afraid you�d try to run, and rumor is...you did. He commented you were pretty, Ceidre.�
Ceidre laughed as she blushed slightly. �I know he was just trying to be nice. I am a prisoner here.
Alicia looked skeptically at her. �He�s never even said hi to a prisoner before, Ceidre.� Ceidre laughed again, pulling a piece of the bread apart, eating slowly.
�Good, Preferential treatment,� Ceidre said with a smirk.
�Watch it, Ceidre,� Alicia snapped back in a motherly tone again. �I�ll get the tray later,� she said as she stood. She walked out and locked the door behind her. Almost an hour, Ceidre sat alone, desperately wishing now for paper, company, a pen, and a pillow too. Ceidre had just put away the pocketwatch when the door started to open.
�Matt!� she said quickly. A smile grew on his face.
�Hello, Madame.�
�Wh...What are you doing here?� Ceidre questioned frightfully.
�Madame, I just wished to learn of your name.�
�It�s Ceidre,� she said proudly.
He looked disbelieved. �No title?� she laughed.
�My FULL name? Princess Ceidre Jacqueline Logau-Thirken.�
He nodded and questioned her on it. �I�ve never heard of Logau...�
A slight smile came to her lips as she interrupted. �Ceidre Jacqueline Mallorie?�
At the words alone his eyes widened. �A Mallorie?! Pleasure to meet you, Madame Logau.�
�Please, call me Ceidre� she said as he walked to her and took her hand in his and kissed it gently. She smiled.
�I�m sorry for my behavior earlier. I didn�t mean to touch you so closely. It was ungentlemanly.� He said. She smiled.
�Do not apologize. I quite enjoyed it.�
� �Quite� enjoyed it?� he questioned.
�Yes,� she said simply. At that moment, very slowly, he moved toward her. She had the time to draw back, to stop him, but she did none of that his lips came to hers very gently demanding nothing of her. She returned his kiss. His arms went around her waist pulling her close. When it ended, she stood in shock. His arms didn�t leave from around her, and she didn�t struggle to get away from his touch. Then his lips met her mouth again. This time a finger on her chin to pull her mouth open. She didn�t fight him. The first thing she felt was him diving into the sweetness of her mouth. She brought him closer with a pull around his neck. He touched every curve and dip in her mouth with his tongue. Her�s met his with a playful flirty manner. It ended when she broke it, gasping for air. He smiled at her gently.
�Now you can tell me about you, Ceidre� he said. �You don�t seem like the rebellious breeches type of girl.�
Ceidre smirked. �I ride in breeches. Dear Expedia captured me after my ride.�
�I�ll see what I can do about getting you a dress, water, and your place titled room.� He whispered in her ear before kissing her neck playfully.
She giggled as he turned. �Thank you,� she said as he started to leave. He grinned to himself as he left.
Eric walked downstairs wondering where Ceidre could be. He�s searched every room upstairs and still lacked finding his wife. Eric, frustrated, headed out to the stables to see if she was maybe romping in the forest still. When he got to his horse, he couldn�t find the saddle. He looked around, last checking Silver Moonlight�s stall. He noticed it sitting over the saddle post and collected it. Silver Moonlight was near and still needed a brushing and water. This made him curious because although Ceidre was young, she was very responsible. He brushed the mare down and gave her the water.
Heaving the saddle over his shoulder, he set and mounted his horse. The whole fiasco made him curious. Nothing could add up. Before he knew it, he found himself at his good friend, Benjamin�s house. He sighed and headed to Benjamin�s door to tell him it all. As Ben answered, which was customary, even among the fact servants were plentiful around the London townhouse, it was obvious his wife was not at home. Nevertheless, he had no answer in his mind where Brian�s precious wife could be. His wife, Alicia, was a thin girl. She had a shapely figure, but nothing to die for. She had jet-black hair and that set off her green eyes well. Ben saw Eric and opened the door wider as he spoke, �Come in, my friend.� Eric stepped in and the door shut behind him.
Meanwhile, Alicia and Matt approached the Queen about Ceidre. They informed her of Ceidre�s title, and money. The queen knew she had money but not a title. She frowned slightly. The queen knew if she didn�t keep Ceidre good, when Eric finally did get her back, he might quit. Eric was the best thing she�d had come to Expedia. Even if he had came as a scrawny little eight-year-old.
She admitted defeat. Ceidre was to get some clothes, a much better bedroom and water. Food as well. Matt and Alicia both came to congratulate her.
Another guard came down to join Matt in leading Ceidre to her new room. Both Ceidre and Alicia were shocked when they entered. The room had a Queen size bed and built in closet. The closet had 5 basic dresses and kid slippers to match each. A note sat alone on the dresser. Ceidre picked it up, reading aloud for convinence.
�Ceidre- At request of Princess Alicia Dunedain and guard, Matt Hahne, I give you this. You can keep yourself entertained I presume. Matt will be your guard, and since the room is larger, he will decrease your escape chances by living in the 2nd room. No arguments. You will inform him of this by this letter.�
Ceidre glanced to Matt as she read the signature of Queen Sarah at the bottom. Matt took the note from Ceidre. �She has pretty script writing,� he commented genuinely. Alicia smacked him as Ceidre grabbed the note and shook her head at the typical male mind. Alicia offered a smile to her and left. Ceidre headed to the closets, pulling out one of the dresses and matching kid slippers. Her hands slid over the delicate silk of the gown. Matt watched her with the knowledge that the dress� softness- would match her skin.
She unbuttoned the shirt and it fell exposing her delicate shoulders before she remembered Matt. �Can you leave?� she said, back to him. She knew if she turned, he wouldn�t be able to say yes. The shirt was unbuttoned completely, showing her flat stomach and perfectly shaped curves down to her hips, where the breeches tied.
Matt nodded. �Um...Yes. I can...leave� he choked out, eyes still on her shoulders, the delicate skin. He stumbled out the door and stood trying to regain himself. She was too beautiful, the figure, the eyes, and the auburn red hair, falling always perfectly no matter when it was. The slight rustle of the silk dress was heard and Matt opened the door again. She was slipping on the last kid slipper. Matt glanced her many times up and down. �Wow,� was all he said before we walked to her, picking her up and kissing her sweetly. She responded the kiss but a little more gently. He set her down and her look became serious and afraid.
�You left the door open.� She choked out. He turned to see the other guard standing there. The other guard had a smile on his face, knowing he would get something out of this. A good vacation maybe. Matt cursed silently. He had finally caught up with himself. He walked over to the guard. His position was faltering, obviously he wasn�t getting the good part of the bargain. The frown on his face showed that he wasn�t. When he returned to her, he whispered the deal to her. �Pas possible!� she exclaimed. He put his hand over her mouth to hush her up. She sat on the bed. Ceidre started to speak.
�No, speak in French, Ceidre.� They immediately began to speak in it. �I know you don�t like the deal, but, I had to. He would have told!�
�He�s not some 5 year old who�s going to tattle-tale for you kissing a girl!� she exclaimed.
�But he will get me killed for affairs with a prisoner.�
�But half of his rounds!�
�Quiet Ceidre, I had to.� He said, placing a finger over her lips to quiet her.
Many days later, Matt came in to Ceidre. His face was blanched. �What?� she questioned.
�I�m going to be killed.� He said softly.
�What!� she stood from her spot on the bed.
�He said he�d take all his chores back.�
�That�s great, Matt!� Ceidre exclaimed.
�I didn�t finish,� he said gently. �He�d take them all back if he could have you for one night. And I refused. And Queen Sarah now knows about our shared kiss...� he seemed to drop off.
�It�s a kiss. That�s nothing bad. It meant little. Just two people caught up in the moment. � Ceidre was trying to make him feel better, which would ultimately be useless. Ceidre didn�t understand what was at stake because of this �people caught up in the moment� kiss. Matt did.
As wind that Matt Hahne had been caught kissing a prisoner passed through Expedia, Eric thought of Ceidre. She was so good at her touch. It was like a poison passion. Once infected with a kiss, never willing to let her go. He trusted his love in her. Eric�s friends called it �Fool's Trust Love�. Meaning only a fool could trust that much. She�d been gone for almost two weeks. No escape, no clothes, in fact in his count, every one of her dresses was there. Eric hadn�t known of her breeches and riding shirt. To him, there were no clues as to how she�d left.
He felt sad, or emotionless. Even his work went slower because he had nothing to go home to. There was no love there. Nothing besides food, and a bed which wasn�t slept in. Not any love from Ceidre at least.
Ceidre sat on the edge of her bed, Matt beside her. He held her close, brushing his hand through her hair. Her door was closed and locked. She had donned herself in a pale blue dress that brushed the floor when she walked. The dress was crushed as she leaned against him, crying. Crying because she missed her husband, love, and her home. She couldn�t understand or think clearly in Matt�s arms. She only felt. Felt confused, bewildered...everything she shouldn�t feel.
About 3:30 Eric was called to the Queen. He was actually counting the minutes until he had left of work when she called. He stood with a yawn and started in to the room. �Eric!� Sarah said.
�Ma�am?� he looked up wearily.
�You look bad. Have you slept? Eaten? Anything?� she said sincerely. He shook his head.
�Personal items...kept me awake.� He said in a mumble. She nodded.
�Well, I�ve got a guard who�s been getting too personal with a prisoner. I�m sure you know word goes quickly. Do you think you could...execute him without worry to me or others?� she spoke in a hushed tone. Eric nodded. She smiled and left before he did.
Maybe he wouldn�t leave so quickly. This could be interesting. He put ? in a guard�s hand.
�This lady who kissed the guard. What room is she in?�
�A finer one. Upstairs.� The guard said in a rough tone. Eric put another ? in the guard�s hand. He hoped it was worth what he was paying for this information.
�Room Number?� Eric questioned.
�1530� The guard grinned. Eric did too as he nodded and turned toward the stairs.
He climbed the stairs slowly and walked down the hall studying the numbers on each. He read them aloud as he went. �1528�1529�1530.� He took a breath and knocked.
�What?!� came a rough male voice from inside. Eric almost backed up a step.
�Sorry. Must be wrong room.� At that instant, the door opened and a man of Eric�s height and build stood there.
�Are you looking for the lady of the room, m�lord Thirken?� Matt said. Eric nodded.
�I�d like to talk to the lady of the room, before you are harmed for it,� he said in the same tone of calmed voice. At the moment a female�s humming voice could be heard. She spoke nothing as she came out of the side bedroom with a gasp of shock.