A New Rule

BrookeDi

BrookeDi

Well-Known Member
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Kennedy Devereaux
Kennedy woke with a start. She wasn't sure what, exactly, had woken her up, but she knew that it hadn't happened naturally. Her heart was pounding, and Kennedy had shot up in her bed as soon as she had woken up. She couldn't recall something terrible in a dream that might have woken her up. Cocking her head, she listened. Out in the hall, it was silent.

Still, something didn't feel right with the young princess.

She realized what it was that was bothering her. Typically there was noise outside her room. There was usually a guard, or two, watching over her at night. They were talking, shifting, and even at a late hour; there was always some noise. Now, there was nothing. It wouldn't be so silent if there wasn't something very wrong.

She wasn't sure what prompted her to do it, but Kennedy crawled from her bed. She changed into a day gown, slipped on some shoes, and grabbed a cloak wrapping it around her tight. This was all completed in a matter of two minutes. Still, there was no sound in the hallway. Biting her lip, Kennedy hesitated for a moment. As she did, she could hear sounds in the hallway. Yelling, the sound of metal on metal--the same sound it made when her brother practiced with his sword.

The noise spurred her into action. Behind her vanity, there is an entrance to the castle tunnels. She slipped through the door and pulled it shut tight behind her. She didn't wait to hear how her door was thrown open a moment later; instead, she hurried through the passages, wrapping her cloak tighter around her. She had no clue what was going on, but she was aware that there had been whispers in the castle, tension in her father's eyes.

A few days prior, her guard had instructed her on what to do if something terrible happened. Kennedy had a feeling that something terrible had occurred. With quick, frightened steps, she reached the end of the tunnel. There were some hushed whispers on the other side of the door. When she found the peephole, the young princess stood on tip-toe and peeked out. She recognized a few of the servants, huddled together. Biting her lip, Kennedy considered her options. Ultimately, she couldn't stay inside the castle tunnels forever. She needed to leave the castle and through the kitchens was the way to do it.

She opened the hidden door and stepped out.

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Ethan Kavanaugh
Ethan was wide awake when everything went to shit. He was lying awake in his chambers, hands tucked under his head and staring up at the bunk above his.

In Ethan's mind, everything was going pretty well. There were murmurs about unrest with the kingdom, but there were always those who would complain about the ones in charge. He wasn't concerned about it. Perhaps he should have been, but then again what difference would that have made? He still wouldn't have imagined what happened next.

As he was contemplating the way things were going, the door to the barracks opened. He started to sit up, thinking maybe it was a commanding officer, but the person at the door didn't make a sound to wake anyone up. Ethan lay there, confused until he saw the glint of steel in the candlelight as the sword went through the neck of the person sleeping nearest the door. He didn't know why it was happening, but it was clear what was happening. He shouted--nothing intelligible, but it was enough to startle the intruders and wake up a few people--and grabbed his sword, leaping from the bed.

Everything else happened in a blur. There were only a few men in the room (he supposed they were trying not to make as little noise as possible while murdering them all in their sleep), so they were quickly dealt with, but it was too late for Jonas, the soldier who had been in the bottom bunk nearest the door.

Once the intruders were dealt with, they were all quick to dress in armor and rush into the castle. It was chaos. There were people screaming, and quite a few were dead. The King's Guard was quick to jump into action. The Duke and Dutchess from Slovenia were killed in their rooms, both close friends of the Devereaux family.

If they could kill visitors to the castle, what would they do to the royal family? It was this thought that spurred Ethan to Prince Cassian's room. Someone would certainly be watching over the King and Queen, but their children were the future of Ilvoran, particulary the Prince who is next in line for the throne. When he reached the young prince's room, it was clear that the chaos had yet to reach this far into the castle, but it would not be long coming. The guards normally posted here overnight were gone, likely having rushed off to help where they could. Not particularly caring about propriety at the moment, Ethan rushed into the room, shouting as he did. "Your Highness, you must dress and pack your things at once. We must get you to safety!" His eyes darted around the room, looking for any sign of trouble.
 
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Elise Lanten

It was a quiet night, that fateful night, the kitchens full of a sleepy, homey feeling. Elise was preparing all the ingredients for when the castle would break their fast in the morning, leisurely going to and fro. All was well.

Elise's attention was dragged to the sound of squeaking hinges in the storage room. She bustled over, wiping her flour-covered hands on her apron, then opened the door and peered in. Princess Kennedy, a hand on the door of one of the castles secret passages and a strange look on her face. Elise's eyes widened, her mind whirling into action. Then, without a word, she grabbed a small burlap sack and began to fill it with foods best for the road. She found the five cloaks hidden in the corner of the storage room, tossing one to Princess Kennedy and throwing another over her shoulders. Elise didn't know how soon the danger would find them, or where it was exactly, but she still knew what to do.

"Follow me," she said, jogging through the kitchens until they came to an outside door. Elise opened it to see the moat lapping at her feet. It looked deep here, like it was everywhere else, but it was actually only around two feet deep, the murky water hiding a small path. Elise steeled herself, then stepped into the dark, freezing water.

Cassian Devereaux

Cassian had been fast asleep as the castle stolen away from his parents grasp, tired and sore from a hard day of combat training. In truth, he probably would have been slain where he slept, bleeding out onto his bed, if a certain quick-thinking guard hadn't taken a moment to think about what was occurring.

Cassian was harshly woken to an open door, distant cries and echoes of steel on steel, and someone rushing into his room very, very loudly. He hurled himself out of bed, drawing his rapier and trying in vain to figure out who was in his room. There was no light on their face, only soft candlelight from behind them. They could have been a guard or just as easily been an assassin. If the castle was in danger, anyone could be a wolf in sheep's clothing.

"What danger?" Cassian replied carefully. "Prove to me that you are here for my protection, not my demise, and then I'll listen to you." He had a sickening idea of what might be occurring, but it wouldn't do any good to dwell on it. He needed to know he could trust this person before he did what they said. He kept his rapier in position.

Although Cassian seemed relatively calm, given the situation, his thoughts were a whirlwind, dragging his along for the ride. We're his parents safe? We're they even alive? Who could storm the castle from the inside, endangering the lives of the entire Royal family? A better question, who would want to? His father hadn't lied to him for a long time, only telling his the absolute truth or nothing at all. It was to prepare him for kingship, he'd said. Had his father known something he hadn't?
 
Kennedy Devereaux
She briefly wondered if the kitchen girl knew what was happening, if someone had prepared her for something happening, or if something in Kennedy's face had prompted the other girl into action. Whatever the reason, the young princess was grateful that she would not be alone. There was still a brief moment's hesitation. Aside from seeing around the castles, she had no reason to trust this girl. She didn't have much hope of surviving without her help, though, and ultimately that's what prompted Kennedy into following the kitchen girl outside.

It was still dark out, the half-moon the only light to guide their way. It seemed the kitchen girl was nervous, too, as she hesitated before stepping into the water. Kennedy was surprised to find that the other girl didn't sink into the water as she'd expected. It only came up just below the knee. Still, Kennedy hesitated, knowing that the water would be cold. This was it; the moment she stepped into the water, she'd be leaving her home forever.

Kennedy took a deep breath, pulled the door closed behind them, and stepped into the water, following Elise's lead. She had no clue where they were headed, no idea what was happening within the castle walls, and no notion of what was to come.

The walk through the water was quick but noisy. The princess worried with every step that someone would hear them, that someone would stop them. It stayed quiet outside, though, all the noise and chaos yet to spill out from inside the castle. Ahead of them was a forest. It was full of dense, thick trees. It would hide them better than taking the path into town, but it presented its own set of dangers. She turned to the girl from the kitchen, waiting to see if she had a clue where they should head.

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Ethan Kavanaugh
He breathed a sigh of relief when the Prince rose from his bed, grasping for a weapon. He was still alive. Taking a step forward, Ethan allowed the Prince to see his face by the little bit of moonlight that filtered in through the window. He wondered if the other boy would recognize his face. It had been a long, long time since they had spent any amount of time together. Even then, that had been brief. "Someone snuck into the guard's chambers, hoping to slay us all while we slept. I'm not entirely sure what is happening, but I know you aren't safe. If I were here to murder you, I would have done so while you slept. I would not have burst in here, shouting to wake and warn you." Ethan started moving around the room, grabbing a few sets of clothes that would be easy for traveling. "We need to get you of the castle, and quickly."

As if to punctuate his point, there were shouts and the sounds of fighting could be heard coming from the hallway. Ethan hoped that someone had been able to save other members of the Royal Family.
 
Elise Lanten
Elise paused as they left the water, her mind whirling. The woods had wolves and other unfriendly creatures, but going to a populated area would risk the Princess being recognized. It was a hard choice, and Elise wished that there was one right answer.

After only a second or two of indesicion, Elise turned to the town. Princess Kennedy had less chance of being recognized than her parents or older brother, and Elise had no way to protect them in the woods aside from one knife which would be obsolete in close quarters with a wild animal. It wasn't a perfect plan, but they would have a chance. Keeping their heads down would be the easy part.

Elise looked at Princess Kennedy. "Do you have any Royal symbols on your clothing? We'll need to cut them out now, before we get to town." Elise had a small design at the bottom of her apron, so she took out her knife and cut the bottom inch or two off of the entire apron. Better to be sneaky about it, as an uneven or suspicious cut could be all it took to blow their cover.

Cassian Devereaux
As soon as Cassian saw Ethan's face he lowered his sword, breathing a quiet sigh of relief. He knew Ethan, if only in passing, and knew that Ethan was right. No murderer in their right mind would alert their victim to their demise.

Cassian grabbed a simple, undyed shirt, pulling it over his head as Ethan went around the room. Then he put on his belt and sheath, choosing to leave his rapier and instead grabbed his broader sword, a type more common throughout the kingdom. Well-worn leather boots, and lastly a cloak that was for exactly this purpose, rough, dark, and warm. Cassian almost stopped then, before he realized that food would be hard or even impossible to come by no matter where they went. So, finally, over the cloak went a longbow and a full quiver of arrows.

The sounds of fighting and cries of the wounded or dying were slowly coming closer. Cassian turned to Ethan. "I'm ready," he said quietly, "let's go." Cassian hoped with all his heart that his family was safe and that the tide would turn in their favor. He knew their chances were slim, however, so instead he chose to not dwell on it. His first priority was his own safety.
 
Kennedy Devereaux
She watched as her savior hesitated, debating internally. Her life was no in the hands of this quiet kitchen girl, but Kennedy, strangely, felt at ease. At the other girl's question, she glanced down at her wardrobe. It was hard to see in the night, but the princess knew that each article of clothing held the crest of the Deveraux family. With deft fingers, she felt along the edge of her cloak until she found the familiar symbol sewn into the fabric. "Okay," she agreed, holding out the portion of the clothing. They would have to be quick and careful about it--they couldn't just have random holes cut out in every article of clothing, but they could quickly pick the stitches. Elise, however, was currently holding their only weapon and only sharp material, so Kennedy held it out for her to do the task. Once Elise takes the fabric, she'll start feeling her dress for the same symbol, holding that out as well once she'd found it.

When they finished, tossing the patches into the water, Kennedy observed her new friend with wide, trusting eyes. "What's your name?" She whispered. They were alone, but it was dark, and she felt the need to whisper. It also felt wrong that this woman might, possibly, save her life and she didn't even know her name.

Ethan Kavanaugh
He didn't relax, even as Cassian seemed to recognize him. Instead, he moved to press his ear to the door while the prince gathered his belongings. "We need to hurry," he urged at one point, listening to the noise drawing closer. Quietly, he stuffed one of the large pillows under Cassian's blankets. It wouldn't fool someone for long, but it would buy them maybe one extra minute.

When Cassian was ready, he nodded his approval and led the way. They would have to climb the window. It wasn't a difficult climb, but it would be dangerous. It was the only way with the noise fast approaching (and Ethan didn't know all the secret passages of the castle). Ethan went first, leading the way across until they reached the library. From there they could escape into the hallway and exit through one of the servant's corridors. It was a long, tiring process, but eventually, they made it. Then, without a glance back, Ethan led Cassian into the forest as a scream echoed from somewhere in the castle.
 
Elise Lanten
Elise felt unspeakably safer without the crest on her clothing. If the castle was in enough danger for the Princess to flee, the crests would only mark them as a danger to whoever was in the castle. Elise gave Princess Kennedy a weak smile, steadying her nerves. She had never known danger quite like this, and she wasn't even sure what exactly this danger was. "My name is Elise Lanten. I am, or was, a cook-in-training." Elise paused as she began walking in the direction of the town, avoiding the dirt road by ten feet or so. Better to not be seen leaving the castle. "My name is known by nobody important, but yours is a different matter, Princess. You'll need a different one to use for a while."

Elise looked at the road as they walked, hoping beyond hope that they wouldn't be discovered when it was all over. "Do you know what's actually happening? I just assumed we were in danger when you arrived in the kitchens, but no actual danger had reached us. I'm in the dark." Elise stifled a chuckle at the unintentional pun. She felt something hit her face and almost froze, then felt another and another. It began to rain a warm, summer rain. Elise smiled. Even though her world was slowly tilting on its axis, the weather continued, controlled by no man.

Cassian Devereaux
Cassian followed Ethan as they snuck through the castle. It was a smart way to do it, he was more than willing to admit that. They didn't see a soul as they escaped into the woods, which was both relieving and absolutely terrifying. Cassian could have almost convinced himself it was a normal night if not for the sounds of fighting from farther away.

While the scream that emanated from the castle didn't phase Ethan in the slightest, Cassian froze in his tracks. He knew that sound from when he was little, play-fighting with his parents, limbs everywhere and giggles filling the air. He knew that sound from when he was older and his little sisters were born, his mothers screams slowly exchanged with the cries of a baby both times. His mother. Cassian was aware of his eyes filling with hot tears as he realized what that sound meant. Cassian blinked a dozen times, then wiped the tears from his face as he started deeper into the forest once more. He knew what his mother's dying wish would be, and he intended to keep it. Stay safe, stay alive, stay good.
 
Kennedy Devereaux
The princess nodded at the introduction. 'Was'. She had her life planned as well before the castle had been thrust into chaos; who knew how many other lives had been affected or altered by tonight's events? Kennedy followed after Elise as they headed into town. It hadn't occurred to her that she would need to go by a different name. Surely Kennedy was a common enough name? But she supposed if anyone had any clue what she looked like and that she went by the same name as the princess, it would be cause for some suspicion. "Alice," she suggested after a beat. It was the name her mother had wanted to name her when she was first born, but it hadn't stuck. It was also a story that not many knew, and one she felt she could answer to when called.

She shook her head at Elise's question but then realizing that it was still dark out and she might not see her, Kennedy spoke up. "Not entirely. I know there have been some concerns, but I don't know what they are... a few days ago, Mikal--my bodyguard--told me if anything went wrong, I was to take a few necessities and escape to the kitchens, and someone there would assist me, and he would find me." She glanced over her shoulder at the castle, the dark outline visible in the moonlight. "That is, presuming that he lived to do so. I woke up, and there was screaming and fighting, and I did not wait to see what had happened. I ran." She bit her lip, clearly worried that, maybe, she had not done the right thing

At first, Kennedy thought that she was crying. A moment later she realized that the wetness on her cheeks was the rain. Her face tilted upwards, eyes closed for a beat before she continued onward. The storm was good. If an enemy were searching for her, the rain would confuse their scent.

Ethan Kavanaugh
It was eerie to hear the scream in the background, but Ethan knew that they had to keep moving. Like the princess, he was grateful for the rain as it would mask their scent should the hunting dogs be sent out. He led the way into the forest, and occasionally he would stomp off in one direction, and make them both stop and rub their arm on a tree or drop a hair. Then, they would turn and head in the opposite direction choosing their steps more carefully and avoiding touching any of the trees. It was slow moving that way, but he wasn't about to take any chances. If there were something that they could do to lead someone in the wrong direction, it would be worth it.

Eventually, though, he gave up on the misdirection. They were far enough into the forest now that they had to be more careful about picking their way through the brush, and the silence was a better option. There were wild animals, and perhaps something else, in these woods and it would not due to have saved the prince from the terror in the castle only to feed him to another terror in the woods.

When several hours had passed, Ethan finally spoke. He paused, leaning against a tree and surveying their surroundings. The sounds of birds waking and chirping could be heard above them. "Are you faring alright, your Grace?"
 
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