Servant of the Crown by Paul J. Bennett

Author:Paul J. Bennett [Bennett, Paul J.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Paul J Bennett
Published: 2017-11-17T05:00:00+00:00

It was late afternoon by the time they were ready to leave the party. Gerald checked outside to make sure the ranger wasn't around to cause any trouble before he would let Anna out. They made their way back to the wagon and Gerald hitched the horses. Tempus seemed very alert, looking out for danger and Anna clung to the loose skin around his neck.

They said their farewells to Sam and Jax then headed back toward the estate. They would be home by dinner time, but neither one was hungry. They had eaten heartily, but the confrontation prevented the food from sitting well.

After some moments, Anna turned to Gerald. "I was scared, Gerald. Why would that man be like that?"

He carefully considered his answer. "I'm afraid that the king is not known for his hospitality. He can be a cruel man, and the people that enforce his rule can be brutal. They’re not known for their manners, unfortunately. Men like Osferth like to abuse their power, to make other people look weak."

"It's all because of the king," she stated with a resigned voice. "No one likes the king, all they ever do is fear him."

He felt sorry for the young girl, she never really had to deal with her father. "I'm afraid that's true Anna, but that doesn't mean you have to be like him. You're free to make your own decisions in life."

"I wish that were true," she said with a wisdom that belied her age.

"It is true," he reiterated. "You can do anything you want."

"Really?" she said putting her hand to her chin. She had seen Gerald do this on more than one occasion and now mimicked his mannerism.

"Really!" he assured her.

She looked straight at him as if to size him up. He kept his eyes on the road, but he couldn't help but feel that Anna was still measuring him somehow.

"You've taught many soldiers before, even the baron’s daughter," she stated.

"Yes, that's true," he agreed hesitantly, knowing something was else was on her mind.

"Would you teach me to defend myself?" she asked. "I don't need to be a knight or anything, just the basics of keeping myself safe."

He turned to look at her, to gauge the depth of her commitment. "Alright, I will," he finally acquiesced. "We can start tomorrow, but it will take time."

She smiled and sat up straighter. "Yay," she celebrated, "I can't wait to start.”

For the rest of the trip, Gerald listened with a smile on his face as Anna described how she would become a mighty warrior princess, vanquishing evil and bringing peace to the land.

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