Thump! Thump!
"Let us in! You can't hide in there forever!"
Thump! Thump!
The sounds of wood being scraped across wooden planks filled the room for a few moments before the room grew quiet again-- apart from the heavy breathing of one certain young queen.
She tried to slow her breathing, but she couldn't get her lungs to cooperate.
It felt like her chest was on fire.
She slumped against the wardrobe she had pushed in front of the heavy, oak door to buy her a few extra moments. Or, at least she hoped.
"By order of the King! We demand you open the door immediately!"
Brenna jerked in surprise as she felt the wardrobe shudder. She tried to swallow, but her throat and mouth were dry from fear-- it felt like she had sand on her tongue.
Thump! Thump!
I'm going to die, aren't I?
She knew what the sentence was for her treason, it was death. They would throw her in prison, let her wallow in fear and despair. They would drag her to the gallows after all the light and life was out of her, dressed in rags and covered in filth.
They would put a rope around her neck. It would be coarse-- rough against her skin--
She put a hand to her neck.
She shook her head.
Thump! Thump!
No, she doubted it would be the gallows, after all. This would be considered treason. A guillotine or an ax would be her fate.
She would be tried as a traitor-- branded an enemy to country and crown.
Or would they cover it up? Surely it would not look good on a king for his own wife to have betrayed him. Perhaps they would cover up what she had said-- what she had done-- and dispose of her here, quietly. Where no one would ever know what happened to her.
What would they tell her family?
Thump! Thump!
"This is your last chance to come peacefully! I'm counting to ten, and then we're knocking this door down! Boys, get that battering ram ready!"
One!
It seemed like in the time she was wallowing in self-pity, they had sent soldiers for something to ram the door open. Brenna scurried away from the door and stepped behind the bed, trying with all her might to push it in hopes for another barrier between her and the soldiers. It wouldn't budge, it was too heavy and she wasn't nearly strong enough. Several numbers passed as she slumped against the bed frame.
Six!
Brenna could feel the sheer panic rising in her throat. She pushed on the bed harder-- it barely moved an inch.
Seven!
Brenna struggled, and by some miracle, it started to move further.
Eight!
The voice behind the door-- the captain of the guard, she recognized-- sounded more agitated by the moment.
Brenna took in a deep breath. I'll die, with my dignity. I'll never break, even when they break in. She wanted to stand tall, for her people. She wouldn't back down from the things she had said. Their king was weak. Their king was a madman. And their king? He was a monster. Even if she was spitting into the wind, by letting the world know it, she still had to try to tell them.
Nine! Final warning!
She wiped the tears from her cheeks and eyes. She steadied her breathing and moved out from behind the bed. By some miracle, she had managed to push it up against the wardrobe. She didn't even remember getting it that far, but there it was.
Ten!
She straightened out her clothing and stood tall, her head held high. She barely flinched as a crack resounded through the room, and the items barricading the door shuddered with the first strike to the door.
With the next strike, came a louder crack, followed by a smaller one.
"Psssst, Queen!"
Brenna looked around the room, but there was nothing. Was she losing her mind?
There was another loud crack, followed by another whisper.
"The fireplace! Come quickly!"
She looked, to see a muzzle peeking out from the side of the fireplace. Part of the bricks had moved. There was... an opening? A secret passage?
She knew the voice too, but it couldn't be...
"Hawkins?" She hissed back as she approached the fireplace. Could it really be? Could the famous sea captain really be here? But why? Why in the castle, and why now?
He opened the passage wider "Queen Brenna, I don't have time to explain." to emphasize his point, the room shuddered again. He grimaced as he saw her look of fear-- of distrust. "Please, Brenna, trust me. I've always had your back." he held out a hand to her.
art by strudel
It was true. He was a privateer captain, and not part of her loyal armada, but she had hired him enough for the extra help, and there wasn't a captain she trusted more. He may not have ever flown her flag, but he was as loyal as any one of her own captains.
"I trust you." she breathed finally as another crack sounded around them. She could hear the voices more clearly now, she would bet she didn't have long now. They would be in at any moment. She took his hand.
Hawkins gripped her hand and roughly pulled her into the passage. She barely suppressed a yelp as he pulled her against him in the cramped space and closed the passage once more. "Remain quiet." he warned, "Don't say a word, do you understand?"
There was a loud crash, and footsteps could be heard in the room, muffled yelling too. Brenna clung to the fearless captain as the muffled voices yelled and tore apart the room.
When the room was finally quiet, and the soldiers had gone to check other parts of the castle, both of them sighed in relief. Brenna still clung to the captain's arm, but she quickly let him go when she realized what she was doing.
"They would have heard us scampering around in here if we had run right off. Sorry, Queenie, would have been here quicker if I could have." Hawkins whispered, "Now let's get out of here, while they're still more distracted by the inside of the castle than the outside."
Brenna remained quiet but took his hand as he offered it again "I'm used to the dark, I can see down in these tunnels. Hold on to me, and we'll get out of here safe."
She didn't know what to say, so she quietly nodded and followed him, not talking or complaining a bit, even though she was exhausted and her feet were freezing on the cold cobbles.
In fact, she was silent until the passage started to warm up.
"Why is it so warm here?" she whispered.
"We're near the kitchens," he responded. "That's our way out, the back door of the kitchen, where deliveries are made. There is a wagon there waiting. We're hiding in it. It'll take us straight to the docks. Straight to my vessel."
Brenna shifted her hand uneasily. Was she really going to trust this man to take her aboard her vessel, and protect her from the wrath of her husband? If she did trust him, should she put him in such danger?
"In ten days' time, your fastest three ships are going to meet us on one of the southern islands, on the coast facing away from the kingdom. You still have loyal mariners. Lots of them. They found me, told me what was happening. They just have to... throw the king off the trail first--" he opened a passageway, and checked out the kitchens. Only the chef was there-- and he was in Hawkins's pocket.
"It's safe, follow me."
The chef didn't even turn, simply said "Good luck." as they left.
Just as promised, there was a wagon with goods outside. Nobody but a driver-- a member of Hawkins's crew in disguise-- could be seen. They quickly hid away with the produce and goods. The trip to the docks was in total silence, but Hawkins kept a hand on her shoulder, comforting her the best he knew how.
They waited until nightfall to slip onto the ship as crew members began. Immediately they left, knowing it wasn't safe to stay. They would buy some time out at sea until they were set to meet with Queen Brenna's ships.
She was going to get out of this alive now. She even had the time to begin to plan what she was going to do.
She was going to save her kingdom.
