Innocence Shattered (Closed)

[Se7en_]

It was thirty years after that epidemic came and the population of the world was rapidly dwindling. That disease or whatever it was damaged all humans making only one in a hundred females maintain her fertility. As a result those women became the most valuable commodity in the world. They were kept hidden, well-guarded and more times than not, badly treated. They were treated more like a source of income than a source of life and emotions. They were bred and they were sold to the highest bidder.

Gold and silver were no longer the most valuable resources on earth – child bearing women were. At first no one knew what was going on, and then it became clear this new ‘plague’ had destroyed most girls’ ability to bear children. As a result of that a new world order was established, and fortune was measured by the number of fertile females and children one had, if at all. This lead to widespread slavery of young women and girls whether they were able to reproduce or not.

Some people were not content with merely owning a few women with the ability to get pregnant and giving birth to a few children to call his own, some made this a trade, a profession, to acquire, train, sell and breed young women with high fertility. Some people realized the importance of a fertile female wasn’t her ability to birth children, but her ability to produce an even more valuable resource, children. Thus things shifted into those ‘traders’ selling babies to wealthy infertile couples instead of selling the girls themselves.

This trade has made some people incredibly rich, and it was quickly found that acquiring a fertile female is like acquiring a gold mine, so people more or less stopped trading them around and started breeding them instead.

Few families in the world had the rare fortune or misfortune of not being affected by that disease. This meant that all females from those families were fertile for some reason. Some of those families were smart enough to not advertise this while others saw an opportunity of acquiring great fortune through that stroke of luck.

The Dupont family was such a family, but they were more or less isolated from the world by means of their structure, their numbers and the fact that they were armed and had military training. They were more or less under attack constantly and they had to resort to hiring mercenaries to protect them. They also had to make the painful decision to actually sell some of their girls to maintain their independence and their defenses.

Daniel was one of those mercenaries, or at least the Duponts thought so as they were oblivious to the fact that he was going to betray them and more or less unleash hell on their well-fortified castle. He had arrived at the castle a couple days earlier and was studying the fortifications, the number of able men inside and more importantly the number of females, who were all, supposedly, fertile. He was also making a name for himself in that place.

It was a gold mine waiting to be claimed, he thought to himself as he was devising a plan to make sure this secure castle falls to the attacking hordes.

He was one of the very first people to actually realize the potential of breeding those fertile females as opposed to selling them and thus he made a huge fortune while doing that. He was a master criminal in his early days, and he continued on with that trend as the epidemic hit, managing to build a criminal empire in the process and acquiring dozens of fertile females and keeping them pregnant all the time, selling their babies as soon as they were born only to get them pregnant again.

Daniel had heard about that family and the fact that they had a large number of fertile females inside that he should have or at least have them unleashed into the market so he would acquire them one after the other. Either way, keeping them inside for their family seemed like a very bad idea to him, so he devised a plan to obtain them, and the best way to do it was to have an insider ruin their defenses, and seeing as they were hiring mercs, then that was his ticket in.

His men were amazed when he decided to go in himself, but he always believed that ‘if you want a job well done, you better do it yourself’, so there he was standing inside the walls of this impenetrable fortress. He was amazed; it was positioned in such a place that doesn’t allow approach except from a very narrow passage between two mountains followed by a narrow bridge hanging over a river. That bridge was more or less a shooting gallery for the archers perched around the high castle walls. This also meant that the castle can never be bombarded by catapults as the passage was too narrow for those and even then the bridge was longer than their effective range.

They were very careful and only allowed mercenaries to enter if they were not carrying weapons or wearing armor and approached one by one raising a white flag. This was only possible of course on the days where there were no attacks.

Daniel was frustrated as he wasn’t allowed entry inside the residences, and thus had no clue as to how many females where inside, or if they were actually fertile or not as he didn’t see or hear any young kids. He had no intention of forcing his way inside only to get killed just to know what's inside, which achieves nothing on its own.

However, he did get an estimate of the number of guards, but had no clue how much more where inside “Ah what the fuck did I get myself into?” He thought as he frowned “If I kill those fools and open the gates, I might very well be slaughtered by those barbarians waiting outside, not to mention, they will ruin all the goods when they storm the place. Once again you find yourself caught between a rock and a hard place Daniel, nicely done.”

He paced around some more trying to figure out what to do. He had a plan before he entered, but he didn’t account for the odd layout of the castle. It was unlike anything he came across before, and he was starting to see how it held out for so long. That’s when it hit him, he can’t let this place get destroyed, he needs it as his base of operations as his current base was nowhere near as impenetrable.

He was no military expert but he could see that stationing an archer over that spot would be beneficial, and he made sure to tell the captain who complimented him on the effort. “No way I am letting this place fall, and I sure could use some trust around here" He had already gained some from effortlessly sniping some raiders from a larger distance than other archers could. He was, after all, a talented murderer.

As he was thinking, a fresh batch of baked bread was presented and there was a strong cinnamon scent as the man offered him some. That man was certainly not one of the mercenaries, but a member of the family. He asked him “Do I smell cinnamon, where do you get cinnamon? Don’t tell me you grow it inside? I know you grow wheat, and have some chicken and cows, but cinnamon? Surely you don’t risk getting it from the outside, do you???”

The man laughed “Yes indeed, you are sharp my friend. Seems you can use your head just as good as you use that bow; I heard you killed more raiders in two days than others manage to kill in two weeks.”

Daniel only grinned at that reply and shrugged “That’s what I do for a living………. I kill and seems there was more killing here than with my gang outside, so I left it to my second in command and decided to come here and see how things are going.”

The older man was kind of impressed “You lead a gang? And you left it to join the elite guard team here?”

Daniel shrugged “I like the challenge” He said as he took a bite of the bread “I still can’t figure out how you got cinnamon!!!”

The man laughed “Well that’s a secret, but good luck with the killing. I will make sure to tell our girls to bake more of it since our best archer likes it so much”

At the mention of girls Daniel grinned and nodded “That would be great, thank you.”

A few minutes later, one of the younger men from the family approached him cautiously “Can you teach me how to spot and shoot targets this effectively?”

Daniel grinned and shrugged “That’s a trade secret my friend, I am afraid I am not paid to train, only to kill.”

The young man was frustrated “I can tell you where the cinnamon came from if you tell me.”

Daniel was interested thinking “The older man wasn’t willing to share it, and this young man is hesitantly offering it in exchange for something, maybe they have a secret passage? Surely they do, all castles like this have at least one secret passage”

He faked not being that interested in the information only amused, so he laughed and answered “You are a funny young man. Alright, I will teach you, but first tell me, how do you get the cinnamon?”

The younger man’s eyes lit up “There are two secret passages in the mountain behind us; our men go back and forth at night to get supplies.”

Daniel’s eyes lit up as he heard the secret “I see, I am sure they are heavily guarded?”

The man shook his head “No they're well-concealed, and they only open from the inside on the other side of the mountain.”

At that point Daniel knew exactly how to make this place fall without destroying it and without losing a single female. Fortune was most certainly smiling upon him, and surely this young man shouldn't live long enough or someone might know he spilled a secret to the newest member of the guard team who also happened to be the most elite one.

 

[RedHairedandFriendly]

Each person across the country, most likely across the world woke up every morning and went to bed every night with the same prayer on their mind, that this nightmare was just that - a dream and not their reality. Granted, it was what most normal people would think, however as with all tragedies there are some that bask in it, embrace it and welcome it with open arms. Those are the people that really don’t want the curses or ailments of the world cured, because for them, they’ve found a way to profit from it.

Harrison Dupont, was not one of those men, at least not entirely. He prayed every morning and every night that the plague had never existed and that he and his family would once again find it safe to walk the streets of their villages and nearby cities. However that wasn’t the case at all. He was forever hiring men to keep his borders protected as well as the walls of his castle from being breached. He didn't like having to sell some of the women in his family, and he detested the need to sell some of their babes, but it was the way of the world.

Inside the cold damp stone he housed his most valuable and prized possessions – possessions that not only belonged to him personally because of their birth, but those that were related to him through various Dupont lines, that spanned the world. It seemed that once the plague took a firm hold on most of the more notable countries, his relatives took flight and headed toward the largest of all the Dupont estates... Harrison's.

Many of the men had died, suffering the same fate as any man that tried to protect the fertile women in their lives. Some of the women had not made it. Their fate was unknown, but Harrison hoped they too had left this world. After all, it was a world meant for breeding, not for living. He felt justified for his actions - after all it was in the end done for the greater good of the family.

Women of all ages, nationality, race, religion, and size were sought after by men, women, couples, and traders. Fertile females were a rarity and beautiful ones, ones like the Dupont ladies were even more valuable. Harrison and the surviving men of his clan would give their dying breaths to keep them safe from outsiders that would harm them. Granted in order to survive they would also willingly sell them, though the often did so by tossing dice. Harrison made sure he stored the dice that were always used, and he always made sure they were properly loaded.

He personally had three of the most treasured pieces of art work, that were worth millions if exploited under the right hands. Harrison refused to let them fall into those types of manipulative digits. His daughters, like all women, in his opinion were still human beings, and he used all his resources to keep them from becoming nothing more than brood mares – except for when he felt it necessary to dispose of one of them for extended wealth.

Olivia, was the eldest daughter. She was twenty-two and had already given birth to one son. She had been raped by a villager, who when caught had been castrated and beaten. Harrison had done the job himself. His grandson, Charles was just a few months old and was a very healthy lad, who though loved, was a danger to not only his mother, but to the welfare of the Dupont keep.

Babies were often stolen and sold to couples, and Harrison feared for the boy’s safety. This particular child was one of his own blood. His eldest had given birth to this boy and there would be no disposing of him for fund; so he hired even more guards to protect his loved ones, shortly after the child was born.

Olivia and Charles both sported dark black hair, much like his own, minus the speckling of gray white that he now carried. Though his eye color was not set in stone, Charles looked to carry the same shade of brown as both his mother and grandfather.

Carmen, was the second daughter. His middle child. She was twenty, and by all he knew still a virgin and very much like her mother. She was quiet and studious, though inside he had a feeling she was fighting to contain a more adventurous streak. He had often caught her milling about the keep late at night, always with one of his guards, but still, it would only take one man to take out her companion and make off with her.

She was a tall, thin, blonde beauty, who had long hair that was often pulled into a loose braid. It was the same color as her mother’s, as were her blue eyes. Carmen had grand dreams of restoring the fertility to women and was often up late at night, working in her chambers that had been converted so some sort of Hodge podge lab.

His biggest fear for her safety was whenever she and four armed men went out into the meadows, fields, and woods, to gather various herbs, flowers, and other flora and fauna that she would mix and mash, hoping to find some new cure. He shuddered to think about what would happen to her if she managed to find a solution to the pandemic.

Lastly, his daughter Gabrielle, or Gabby, as her sisters called her upon growing up. Gabby was eighteen, the youngest and most rambunctious. She was forever getting into trouble, scaling walls, attempting to be one of the boys that protected her sisters, but was often caught by one of his more trusted men and tossed back into the castle. No one had harmed her, beyond a few bruises, but Harrison knew there would come a day when she would not be so lucky.

She looked nothing like him or her mother, but in fact took after his grandmother, who in her younger years had a massive amount of red hair that was often becoming tangled and mused by her own adventurous spirit. At least that is what Harrison was told by his father. Gabby was short, and lithe, somewhat saucy and overly ambitious in all but her studies.

Harrison sat in his library, surrounded by his daughters. His grandson played on the floor, while the three women in his life, their mother murdered years earlier, either read or sewed patches in clothing, or mended bedding. He knew his staff was capable of making the necessary repairs but he also knew how much this time, even as boring as it seemed, helped each one of them forget the chaos outside.

The house was buzzing with the sound of women chattering in other rooms, as well as upstairs. A few men wandered around the castle rooms, but for the most part they didn't particularly enjoy the wagging tongues of their wives, daughters, siblings, and cousins. Harrison however didn't mind, not truly. His castle was where they were safe, and so the more they laughed and talked, the more at ease he felt that his walls could not be breached and his wealth and safety would continue to be insured.

 

[Se7en_]

Daniel's intentions weren't clear to anyone, and definitely not to the young and overly eager man. He had no clue why that man was so eager to learn how to shoot properly, even to the extent of revealing the fact that there are secret passages. Of course any place like this must have secret passages, so it’s not like he told something that wasn't already known. Daniel just shook his head "My friend, I already know you have secret passages, I never heard of a castle that didn't have at least one secret passage, and yours of all castles seemed to need even more than one to survive, so how about you tell me more, why do you absolutely need to get better. It’s not like this castle is falling anytime soon, it has lasted this long so I don't see it falling."

The man sighed and he looked really sad "They are going to take my Gabby" The man's handsome features were twisted in what looked like great sadness, and tears would have spilled down his cheek if it wasn't for him controlling himself and looking the other way.

Daniel was baffled by the sight in front of him "Gabby who? Who's that? And who's taking her where?" He shook his head as he thought "Interesting, this fool is in deep in love and seems they are about to sell his love....... Very interesting, I am always blessed with idiots who just love to make my missions easier". Daniel fought the urge to grin as he looked at the young man waiting for his reply.

"Gabby is the girl I love, her name is Gabrielle actually, but she is a spoiled little girl and is used to be called Gabby. She just turned eighteen and I wanted to ask her hand in marriage, but a king of all people beat me to it." He was definitely frustrated at the competition "Her father agreed as the king would surely be able to keep her protected and is definitely not in need of money so he won't sell her or breed her, he just wants to maintain his bloodline and that is impossible without a fertile female to call his wife. She should be my wife not be shipped to a kingdom somewhere and become the queen, so I want to prove myself to her father so he might change his mind. I know she loves me, but we can't do anything about it!!!"

Daniel just listened and nodded as the young man rambled on and on about his lost love thinking "Oh shut your trap already, who cares if you lose your girl or not."

"Can you help me keep her?" That jumped out of nowhere as the man looked into Daniel's deep grey eyes "Can you?"

"What? A king asked for her hand in marriage, get over it and try to act like a man" Daniel grinned "Oh what am I saying, that's clearly impossible, you're neck deep in love for that girl, must be one special woman or you won't risk getting into all kinds of troubles to save her. Tell me, do you have a plan? Aside from becoming a sharpshooter like me to win their attention, that's impossible in less than a year of practice, and I doubt that king is going to wait that long". He had always been good with manipulation, and instead of telling him to man up and act like a man who would wish happiness and safety to his loved one as a queen, he wanted to sway him in the other direction.

"Yes, we can sneak her out. I usually go on night tours with her older sister, me and three other men. Gabby disguises as a man sometimes and sneaks with us. She begs me not to tell on her on the rare occasion that the other men don't see through her disguise. We can do this tonight, but instead of coming back with the others, I would run with her and keep her safe". The man looked rather enthusiastic, and had actually thought up a plan. A crappy plan, but a plan nonetheless.

"Wow what a fool, he thinks he can actually keep a female safe on his own, not to mention a fertile beauty, but as it has always been the case, I am blessed with idiots to make my life easier". Daniel looked at the young man, his deep menacing eyes looking right into his soul. It was hard to resist laughing "I see you have thought of a plan; however, it is not a good one. The outside is a dangerous place my friend, you need more people to guard you and get you to safety. I can get you to my hideout where you can be safe as long as you promise to join my gang and help me. What do you say?"

The man couldn't believe his ears, someone was offering him a life on the outside with his beloved Gabby "What could possibly go wrong, and this man is a professional, maybe I can live happily with my girl and learn his skills" He thought for a few moments and then nodded anxiously "Ok I promise, when do we do this?"

Daniel grinned wide, he didn’t really expect things to go his way with so little effort, and a plan was already forming in his head. It would be easy to just take Gabby and her sister, easily dispatching the three male guards, as he was insanely powerful with a sword just as much as he is skilled with a bow an arrow, but he wanted every female in the castle and the castle itself. Greed was taking over, but not enough to cloud judgment. He was devising a plan as the naive young man nodded in enthusiasm "Ok we need to go out the secret passage so I contact my men, I need them there to extract you and your love when we go out. If you wander around alone with her, I assure you that you will be killed within the hour and your girl will be enslaved for life, surely that's not your plan right?"

The young man's eyes went wide as he shook his head "No way, I would rather she is given to the king than be enslaved for life. What are you thinking?"

"Well, you need some protection and escort till you get to my hideout, it’s not far from here. I will go out tonight and contact my men, you just need to show me the secret passages and the place where you usually go at night". Daniel was a master manipulator and manipulating this man was very easy. Nothing is easier than manipulating someone who admires you. He didn't even care to justify why he needs to see both passages now.

The young man nodded and smiled wide "yes thank you very much; by the way my name is Richard. God bless you my friend, you will save me from a life of sadness." With that he started walking towards the first passage "I can only show you one passage now as the other is inside the residences and mercenaries aren't allowed in there."

Daniel stopped him "Where do you think you're going idiot? Wouldn't it seem odd if they saw you showing me the secret passage? It would look very suspicious. You will show me the passage at night and we sneak you out tomorrow night, alright Richard?"

"Yes, yes, sounds very good" Richard laughed nervously as he almost ruined the whole thing by being overly eager and was just grateful that this man was vigilant and knew what he was doing.

*******

That night, Richard showed Daniel to the secret passage and to his surprise Richard showed him the exit of the other passage as well which was a few dozen meters away from the first one. Richard then waited in the first passage upon his request. Daniel went out to his men who were stationed not far from that secret passage. He had guessed its position almost correctly just by looking at the terrain a week back.

"Alright men, I have a plan, tomorrow night me and a few men and two females will sneak outside the second passage, you will hire ten strong mercenaries and tell them to ambush us. We will fight and I will make sure to kill them all, and hopefully they will finish the other men before I kill them all. As an additional incentive, tell them that there are two fertile females in that group, and they can have one if they do their job properly……. Of course, I will be the only survivor. During that mess, you will storm the castle from the secret passage which I will open for you. The family will have to run the other way, so make sure you leave most of your force behind to take out anyone running away……. I will secure the girls and join the battle."

Daniel could have just ordered his men to attack and seize the girls, but he wanted the girls to gain his trust and allow him to would act like their savior for a while, toying with their emotions before he would show his true intentions to them.

With those words, he gave his men the last touches on his plan and then headed back to Richard “Alright, I hope you’re ready for this. Go tell your love to get ready to run away from this place, and make sure she somehow convinces her sister to leave. For example, tell her one of the new mercenaries talked about seeing an odd kind of herb a few hundred meters away from the secret passage, of course don’t mention I actually know about those passages.”

*******

Richard couldn’t sleep that night, while Daniel got a good long sleep and dreamt of expanding his influence by taking over this place.

The next morning, Richard was all too eager to tell his love about everything, so he came into her room right after breakfast, and as always didn’t touch her as that was forbidden. He sat on a chair and told her everything that happened between him and Daniel and how he promised to get them out of this place and keep them safe as long as he would help in his gang. “So what do you think my love? Can you get your sister to request that we leave tonight and take that mercenary with us to show us that odd plant? Of course you’ll sneak in as one of the guards.” Richard looked at this angel of a girl and sighed waiting for her answer.

 

[RedHairedandFriendly]

The mornings were always the same for the Dupont Keep. The cocks would crow. The laborers would rise, each one knowing their place behind the castle walls. Maids would be preparing their ladies clothes, as men filed out ready to put their hard calloused hands to work. Whether it was defending the castle or whether it was tilling the lands that Harrison still owned, each individual in the home had a job – even Harrison’s daughters.

Harrison himself was often seen milling about the keep. He would watch those that guarded his lands with wary gazes. Never did he trust one man. He wished he could though, even his own relatives he found himself always second guessing their loyalty. He headed to the stables, and along with two guards, he – a well known adversary with a blade and equally skilled with his hands – headed out to survey all that was his.

Inside the castle, Harrison knew his daughters would be rising and taking their meals with the other ladies of the house. It was during these times that Harrison didn’t mind giving up the sanctuary of his keep. His daughters, cousins, aunts, and various in-laws by marriage were often more giggling and school girlish when group together in one room. He needed the peace and quiet the morning ritual gave him.

Olivia watched her son Charles being held by one of her aunts. She knew the woman who held her son, longed for a child of her own, but her husband had refused to plant his seed within her. The husband had just reasons. Another baby born within the walls of Dupont was just another threat to their already quivering peace. She had been fortunate enough to be Harrison’s daughter, or
her pregnancy may have been terminated upon its discovery.

As the wee babe laughed and dribbled drool upon his Great Aunt, Olivia’s heart melted and she knew her life would end had she ever lost her son. She was very much in love with her child and would fight to the death to protect him as any of them would. The infant, she swore looked more and more like her father everyday and not like the villager who had raped her. She blanched at the memory, pushed it down and turned her focus from her son until the flashback had disappeared. Only then would she look back at Charles and show him a smile full of the love she held for him.

Carmen sat quietly eating her toast that was lightly coated with jam. Her thoughts, if anyone cared to hear them would be on her newest experiment. She had been working with a combination of herbs that were said to promote arousal in females. She was hoping to test the mixture on one of the lady maids, who longed for a child, but who had not been able to get pregnant. The young woman was more than willing to fuck whatever man would grace her door, but it always lead to the same result, infertility. Carmen hoped by increasing the woman’s desire to be mounted, she would increase the bodies desire to produce children.

The young, twenty-year-old girl was an enigma in this day and age. She knew only her sisters and a few women, thought her capable of finding a cure for the plague. Inside she longed to work side by side with other great leaders of science, but as she listened to the hushed conversations of the men, when they picked herbs and spices, she knew she it would be a long time before anyone was safe to travel freely. So Carmen would often remained tucked behind the locked doors of her chambers mixing and pouring, mashing and boiling teas and pastes that she would pass around to the unfertile females.

Gabrielle was seated at the far end of the table, next to one of her matronly aunts, who was far from ever being able to birth any children. She was just another mouth to feed and though loved Gabrielle wasn’t thrilled to have her sitting next to her. Her friend Richard had joined them for breakfast; much was the custom in the house, much to her aunt’s displeasure. They entire house knew that Gabrielle and her friend were like two peas in a pod, and many suspected the two youngsters were lovers. But they weren’t, Gabrielle had never seen Richard as her lover, only as her friend. She knew though that he liked her, and yes loved her, but she never showed any interest in him in that way.

Her aunt however still took it upon herself to chaperone the young woman, more so now that an arrangement had been made for Gabrielle to be wed to a King. It was the buzz of the castle, though decorum kept it at a whisper. Her aunt had been watching the two friends like a hawk, but this morning Gabrielle sensed that Richard had something truly exciting to tell her.

When the meal was over, she excused herself and headed to her rooms. She waved off her aunt with an excuse that her breakfast was not sitting well and she needed to rest for a few minutes. It wasn’t long that her bedroom door was being lightly tapped and she was giving entrance to her rooms to her friend.

Richard hurried in and like he had for years fought to keep his hands off her. She found it cute and charming, but said nothing, already knowing that to encourage his desire was cruel. It was his dimwitted personality that made him such a great friend, but also such a lousy potential husband, that and his station in life was no better than the mercenaries outside.

He wasted no time in telling her about his scheme to take her away from her homeland. At first she thought he was kidding, but the more he spoke, the more she realized he was in fact speaking the truth. She pushed away from the table, her eyes wide with concern and caution. Gabrielle tried to choose her words wisely; perhaps her friend was not as dimwitted as she’d always believed him to be.

She cleared her throat and took a deep breath. “Richard, I cannot leave here with you.” She saw the confusion in his eyes. “My friend, this is my home, my life. I have no desire to leave unless it is holding the arm of my husband.”

“I will be your husband,” Richard said, his voice was thick and heavy and his gaze still showed disbelief at her earlier proclamation.

“No Richard, you will not. You are my friend, nothing more, nothing less,” she reached out to touch his arm. He shrank back as if the mere brush of his hand would burn him. She frowned. “Richard, we have walked the woods together, played together behind the shelves and under the desks as toddlers and children. You act now as if you abhor my touch.”

“It is wrong to touch you, now that you are of age and I wish to wed you. We are not children anymore Gabby and…”

“No, we are not. I wish we were. You ask me to run away with you as if I am the love of your life, your other half, but I am not. I am not going to leave these walls with you and the fact that you have found someone within my father’s walls that will aid you in this quest, concerns me.”

“You do not know what you say,” Richard whispered. “You do love me. You have always loved me and…”

“As my friend yes, but…”

“Shut-up!” Richard screamed. He took two steps closer to Gabrielle, who stepped back. “You have smiled at me, blushed when I speak words of adoration, and you have accepted all the gifts I’ve bestowed on you. How could you not love me?”

“Richard, all those things were said by my friend, not by my lover and you overstep yourself by assuming I was in love with you. I choose who I love, not you!” Gabrielle shouted.

Richard’s eyelids lowered and his gaze looked more menacing as he advanced on Gabrielle. She felt the hostility rolling over her and knew that she had unwillingly made the young man fall in love with her. Perhaps she was at fault, for never seeing his desire, and only witnessing acts of friendship. He reached out to touch her face, but stopped short.

“You will be ready to leave with me this night, or so help me God, your family will suffer. Meet me in the kitchens after your father seeks his slumber, or the wrath of God himself will fall upon this house,” Richard spun away and stomped off, leaving Gabrielle shaken and pale.

 

[Se7en_]

Daniel listened to Richard as he explained what had happened with him. He had seen him storming out of the house and his eyes were promising a mountain of trouble, so he grabbed his arm and pulled him away asking him about what had angered him like that.

Daniel listened for a few minutes as the tale was told “You will be ready to leave with me this night, or so help me God, your family will suffer. Meet me in the kitchens after your father seeks his slumber, or the wrath of God himself will fall upon this house” Richard took a deep breath, “That’s what I told her last”.

Hearing those words, Daniel was furious and he looked around before punching Richard right in the face “Are you mad? Are you stupid? Oh why am I asking, you are clearly insane. You do know that she is probably in her father’s office now telling him about this and in a matter of minutes we will be marked as traitors and executed?”

Richard fell on the ground from the force of the punch thinking that the average-sized Daniel packed a punch that was only fit for a man twice his size. Richard spit out one tooth and was about to return the punch when he looked into Daniel’s eyes and immediately calmed down and listened in disbelief “Oh hell, what did I get myself into? What should we do now?”

“I should kill you right now, but since I understand your feelings, I will let you live, but you have to escape the castle immediately and wait with my men” Daniel brought out a piece of paper and wrote on it ‘The carrier of this paper is a trusted friend’ He then used his ring and placed a stamp on the paper. “Now get lost, and I will figure out a way to get your love out of this castle.”

Richard took the piece of paper almost happily and stormed out of the place looking for Daniel’s men. He only walked for a couple minutes before he was surrounded by around a dozen fierce-looking men “I am a friend, I have a note from Daniel.”

“Oh really?” A man came closer to him, he looked like he was their leader, or Daniel’s second in command. He took the piece of paper and grinned “I see; that’s definitely his stamp.”

Richard nodded eagerly and happily, but his happiness was short-lived as he received a heavy blow to the back of his head.

“Idiot, that note means ‘knock the bastard unconscious’. I bet you didn’t see that coming did you?” The man looked down on Richard as he was struggling to stay conscious and failed. “Take the trash away and keep him restrained. I am not sure why Daniel needs this idiot alive, but we’ll do as he says.”

The man then brought out a lighter to see if there was a secret message on the paper and indeed there was one “Plan was compromised by the idiot you just knocked unconscious. Use the mercenaries I told you to hire to guard the other exit and take your men and storm the castle at midnight. I will leave that entrance open for you.” The man read the message and laughed “That bastard Daniel did it again; he gave a fool a trust note and is probably laughing his ass off somewhere”. The men around him laughed in turn as they prepared to storm the castle.

Meanwhile in the castle, Daniel grinned widely as he sniped another mercenary imagining that Richard would be in the hands of his men by now. He had thought that a girl who was chosen by a king must be something else, and would in no way fall in love with an idiot like Richard with nothing special about him, so he wrote that note just in case it was one-sided love and she refused to come with him, and he was right.

“Wow, you’re going through those mercenaries faster than toilet paper. Where did you learn this?” An impressed voice came from behind Daniel.

Daniel turned around and grinned “Interesting expression, but you know toilet paper is a bit useful, those fools are good for nothing, I have no idea who would hire people like this with absolutely no skills.”

The man just nodded and turned his attention back to the bridge waiting for the next raid. Daniel smirked and almost told him “You’re looking at the wrong direction; the next raid comes from behind you.”

Daniel spent the rest of the time till midnight in state of alert. At any moment, he might be attacked if Gabby had told her father; it would be easy to figure out who is Richard’s new friend. Luckily that didn’t happen and no one showed up to arrest or kill him, so he sneaked around midnight and opened the secret passage so his men can sneak in under the cover of darkness.

*******

It all happened very fast, dozens of mercenaries poured through the secret passage at midnight. They were outnumbered by the guards inside, but were definitely much more skilled and they also had the advantage of surprise. In a matter of moments, the castle was thrown into disarray, and Daniel took the chance to grab some of the men who have grown to trust him and his skills and headed into the residences to alert the other men and the women.

The lord of the castle, Harrison, was already up and in full battle gear, the rest of the men who weren’t on guard duty were armed and walking behind him. One of the men accompanying Daniel walked up to him “The castle is compromised, we are losing. I suggest evacuating the females from the secret passage.”

Harrison was furious “How did that happen? Where did they come from?”

“My lord, they stormed from the secret entrance, and I bet there are others waiting for us on the other side, so we need some skilled men with them to clear the area near the exit” The guard captain looked at Daniel “This man has killed more mercenaries than any other man we hired before, I suggest some of us go with him to clear the exit area or else we lose the castle and what we swore to protect.”

 

[RedHairedandFriendly]

The day had progressed for the most part uneventful for the Dupont family. Gabby and her sisters did what they normally did. Each one went off in their own way, occasionally coming together and sharing what they'd managed to accomplish.

Olivia continued to keep her son close to her; Carmen toyed with various potions, even administering a dose to one of her ladies and they prayed that within the next month the woman would be pregnant. It was known about the castle that she was willing to spread her legs to any man, hoping for just one seed to penetrate her womb. Gabrielle appeared to be involved in her defense lessons was distracted, and her instructor knew it. She apologized and spent most of the day reading, hoping to put Richard's threat out of her mind.

She had told herself all day that he had only spoken the hateful words because she had spurned him; it was not in his nature to seek revenge. All her life she'd known him to be a sweet and gentle person. There was not an evil bone in his body. So as nightfall came and no attacks breached the walls, Gabrielle's mind settled and she went to bed with only a tinkling of doubt still rolling through her subconscious.

A scream interrupted her slumber and instantly she knew that Richard had indeed meant what he'd said. One of the more trusted women in the house hurried to Gabrielle's bed, along with her two sisters. Olivia, of course had her son clutched to her bosom.

“We have to run,” Olivia and Carmen both shouted at Gabrielle as she threw the covers off her and headed toward her bureau. Inside she pulled out a pair of britches, and a worn shirt. She looked at her sisters and rolled her eyes. They were still dressed in nightgowns of thick linen. A guard darted into the room, hastily making apologies for storming in on the middle of Gabrielle dressing. She waved him off, finished tying the laces of her pants and then went to tie the ones of her shirt.

“There are orders coming that we are to flee to the secret passages and...”

“NO!” Gabrielle shouted, interrupting the man. “We cannot, go that way. They know we will be coming. This,” she swept her hand at the roomful of frightened women. This is exactly what Richard planned.”

Olivia and Carmen stared at their sister. “What do you mean?”

The sound of a battle raged on down in the great room of the keep, so Gabrielle had to tell her story and do so quickly. When she was finished, her sisters looked as if they would like to strangle her. “You said nothing to Father!” Olivia shouted. “All those men are dying because of you!”

Carmen shook her head in disbelief, unable to speak.

“I thought he spoke in anger!” Gabrielle answered back. “We cannot retreat through the passages.”

“We cannot fight them off either,” the guard said, “they are overtaking us and my orders were to guide you through the passages.”

“Who gave you the order?” Gabrielle suddenly asked.

“No one. I was fighting another when I heard it suggested to your father, I thought to hurry up here and get the process started, and...”

“Well, I am telling you now, ordering you – we will NOT take the passages,” Gabrielle hissed. “Richard knows this castle like the back of his hand, so both hidden routes we must assumed are compromised.”

“Gabrielle, you said exits, but what of the passages within the castle themselves?” Carmen asked.

Gabrielle turned and smiled at her sister. “We've not used them since we were children,” she said.

“That's because one caved in remember?” Olivia told him. “Whose to say the others haven't as well?”

Carmen touched her sister's hand. “We have to take our chances.”

“You,” Gabrielle pointed to the guard. “and I are the only ones skilled with a blade, so you will accompany us, once we reach the outer wall, the women and I will make for the village, as will you. Only after we have secured our safety will you be allowed to leave our side. Do you understand?”

“But your father will...”

“MY father will want us protected and we can trust no one. I barely trust you, but seeing as you overheard the orders, I will. You are now MY protector and champion. Do not fail me,” Gabrielle hissed.

“I'll protect you and your house till my dying breath,” the man said.

“I hope it doesn't come to that for a very long time,” Gabrielle whispered.

“The closest entrance to the passages within the castle are in the nursery, we will make our way there and then take the paths until we are able to reach the dungeons. There is, if my memory serves me well, loose bars on one of the cell's windows. Between all of us, we will loosen it and we will escape,” Gabrielle said. Her voice spoke of a confidence that would not waver. She had her father's future in her hands and it was her fault; she would do all she had to in order to protect it.

The group of women were led swiftly from Gabrielle's chambers and down a long hall. There were too many to hide, so they openly hurried from her room and down toward the nursery. The battle still raged below them. The women saw their men dying, blood splattered, their insides hung from open wounds. The weaker women screamed, some began to faint and had to be slapped back into reality. The stairs leading to the upper rooms, were blocked by a wall of her father's men, and for that Gabrielle was thankful. She needed every second.

They reached the beautifully decorated room with all the women that had managed to escape to Gabrielle's chambers; as she and the soldier protected the two entry points of the nursery, the women shoved the bureau that blocked the passageway. As soon as all the women were inside Gabrielle followed.

“Mistress, you must lead the women. I will replace the bureau or when they see it like this, they will know,” the warrior said.

Gabrielle understood immediately the flaw in her plan. He was right. The bureau could easily be pushed by one man, but if it were not put back then the passage would be revealed. Her father's man would give his last breath after all, she knew it as did he. “I will forever be indebted to you -- your name?” she asked in a sorrowful whisper.

"Jacques," he answered.

"There will be many strong lads named after you," she promised.

He nodded his head and tossed her his sword, confirming his last minutes would be spent fighting with his fists. She caught the weapon and went after her sisters and their ragtag group of women and children. The last thing she heard, before darkness consumed her and she was forced to feel her way with her hands was the sound of the furniture being placed back where her sister and insisted it go upon the birth of her son.

 

[Se7en_]

Daniel watched the lord of the castle’s face as he was raging. He could almost read his thoughts, it should be things like “How the hell did this happen?” or “Who was the traitor?” or “Where did it all go wrong?” or “What happens to my pretty daughters now?” Daniel almost grinned as that thought crossed his mind just as his sword crossed the small distance to Harrison’s heart, followed by a quick and accurate swing that detached the guard captain’s head from his shoulders. Both their last facial expressions were ones of great surprise and anger.

Swinging his sword wide and hard, he was able to give himself some space to back away into the wall. He was against three strong men now, but having dropped the strongest two with surprise attacks, he had slightly evened the odds and was glad that the fourth man had ran inside earlier, probably to help the women evacuate. “Come on lads, let’s see what you’re made of, and don’t give me those looks, you’re pretty much doomed already and so is your castle, but I applaud you for lasting this long, but you didn’t account for the power of blind love, so you lose.”

The men were furious at Daniel, but had already witnessed his prowess; he had killed the most powerful swordsman in the castle. Daniel knew their morale would drop if they saw their leader drop dead. He also knew he was probably not a match for the most famous swordsman in the area, maybe he was, but he had no intention to risk a fair fight with him, but the element of surprise was on his side, and he had no problem playing dirty; nothing about him wasn’t dirty anyway. Besides, history is written by the victor and so he can make sure to tell this story differently, something like him taking out Harrison in a fair man to man swords fight.

As the men gathered their courage and were about to lunge at Daniel, arrows flew from behind to pierce their chests. Daniel didn’t even wait to see who fired those shots, it must be his men, he just picked the captain's sword and rushed inside to make sure the plan goes as he wanted.

He hurried inside and was stopped by the men guarding the stairs “Daniel here, I was sent by the lord to make sure the women get to safety…….” He looked at the guards who looked at him with distrust “Hurry up damn it, we don’t have all day, do you want to lose all your women?”

At those words, the guards allowed him in, he had killed more mercenaries in his short time than most others do in much longer periods, so he must be trustworthy. Daniel smiled at them “Thank you, I will make sure to get them to safety. Fight well men!!!”

With that said, Daniel rushed through the building and made sure to direct every woman he saw to the secret passage, and right into the ambush, but he could tell that a lot of women weren’t heading in that direction and he wondered “Did that fool Richard forget about a third passage?”

He didn’t wait to figure what was going on as he saw a woman rushing in the opposite direction “Where are you going ma’am? The secret passage is that way.”

The old woman stopped and looked at him “No my son, it’s a trap, Gabrielle said that, so we are using a different passage to avoid the trap, please tell the women to get there.”

Daniel grinned and knew he was again blessed with the devil’s luck “Nowhere is safe, I will accompany you and make sure everyone leaving from that passage leads to safety.”

The woman smiled at him feeling some confidence now that this strong-looking man will help her and the other women “Bless you my son, follow me.”

Daniel nodded and followed the old woman as she ran to the nursery where Jacque was standing guard with his fists up “Stand down soldier, we have more going in, open the passage” Daniel ordered the soldier standing guard “Did any men go to guard the women?”

Jacques almost jumped when he saw Daniel coming, he didn’t know him well, but knew he wasn’t part of the family, but the woman with accompanying him made him seem trustworthy, and his comment as to whether men accompanied the women or not worried him. The place is under attack and if the secret passages aren’t safe then maybe nowhere is safe and letting the women wander off alone is a bad idea, so he made his decision and opened the path “No they are alone, I had to stay behind to seal off the passage behind them.”

The path was being opened again as Daniel handed Jacques the sword he had picked from the captain “This is the captain’s sword, he died a hero, make sure you kill a few of those jerks with it before going down, and don’t stand right there like an idiot. This would just mean you are guarding something.”

Daniel handed him the sword and then rushed in with a grin as he knew he wouldn’t be able to kill any of his men even with a fine sword like that. It was obvious that this wasn’t a battle, more like a massacre. Daniel’s gang was fierce and very well armed and trained, they always knew how and when to attack to even any odds, never breaking formation and never backing down. They were a few, but an elite few who could come out on top even while severely outnumbered.

Daniel and the old woman rushed inside and followed the other women in the dark. He shouted as he saw the group of women rushing forward “Wait, are you sure it is safe on the other end?”

The other women stopped to look at the one who had followed them in “My name is Daniel, I am one of the mercenaries who were protecting the castle when it got attacked, I saw the lord of the village and an order was given to evacuate through the secret entrance, but this woman here told me its compromised, and she guided me here. I met Jacques on the way and gave him a sword before he sealed the path behind us. I don’t think they would figure out there is a secret entrance because I ordered Jacques to not stand in front of the entrance or it will be easy to figure that something is there, so our back should be safe, but we can’t be sure if the exit is safe as well.”

Daniel was hoping to buy the women’s trust with those words as he looked around them and saw the only armed girl being the redhead Gabrielle. He resisted the urge to grin and thought that, despite being a total idiot, Richard actually had good taste. The girl was simply stunning, even more so with her serious expression and the sword in her small hands “It seems you know how to handle this thing, so how about we scout ahead of this group and make sure the exit is safe. If not then we will have to wait it out in here.”

 

[RedHairedandFriendly]

It was dark and dry in the old pathway. The sisters led the group of women and children deep into the bowels of the keep. The eldest Dupont daughter, Olivia kept her child clutched to her chest and whispered soft words of love upon his silken head. He remained quiet, as did most of the young boys and girls. It was as if they had known it was a matter of life or death and to defy their parents and kin would certainly bode ill for all of them.

Olivia reached out and took the necessary corners that would take the group away from the center of the keep, past various rooms, and down narrow steps. She recalled how she and her little sisters would scamper to and fro always hiding and getting into mischief. Her thoughts traveled to Carmen and Gabrielle, she couldn’t see either of them, but knew without a doubt they were behind her and they too were recalling the past.

The reached a small bend, one that opened into a small room. It lacked doors, though at one time evidence of their existence was apparent by the worn and broken bolts that were rusted with age. Carmen shifted the weight of her child to one arm and asked Olivia to take the lead. The second daughter, did as she was asked and turned to pass of the child she carried to another aunt or cousin. She wished for light, and yet knew to brighten the pathway would certainly signal someone somewhere that they were within the walls of her father’s castle.

The sound of scurrying feet made all the women hush. Each one turned and tried to focus on the shadows in the dark. No one could make out the bodies that were coming toward them, and only one seemed to have the courage to step forward. Eventually a man and a woman appeared, or so they assumed it was only two people. The darkness was thick and had it not been for a quick flash of spark, no one would have made out the new arrivals.

Gabrielle cursed as the torch she pulled from the wall came to life. She pocketed the flint and file, and then watched as all those around her covered their eyes. She saw the man, before he spoke and sneered when he pushed through the women and approached her. He mentioned Jacques and how he’d ordered him to leave his station. What he spoke made sense, but still he was another hired killer and was it not a hired man – hired by her father that had created this chaos that now surrounded him.

He offered to escort her to the end of the passage, thus separating her from the rest of the women. Instantly the hairs on the back of her neck rose in uneasiness. She eyed his weapon, noted the glistening blood and knew without a doubt that the man before her was a ruthless killer, but on whose side did he belong.

“Carmen,” Gabrielle said, passing her the torch. She reached out and felt her way along the wall, finding another old relic from the past. She pressed the head of the torch she’d found and it came to life. “I will take this man to the end of the passage. If I do not return with two minutes you are to turn back, take the curve to the right and follow the exit out,” she eyed her sister. They knew where the turn would take them and though it was dangerous exiting into her father’s library would place them closest to the nearest outer exits.

Gabrielle turned to the man and held her weapon loose, yet skillfully so as not to lose it easily if he double crossed her. She knew if he were a traitor he would best her, but there was little else she could do. She could not ask her sisters, nor her family to place their lives into his hands, without her verifying his true intentions.

“Two minutes,” she said again, before leading the man down the passage and away from her sisters and all that she’d sworn to protect. She wished that Richard had given her one more detail to the traitor’s scheme – a name would have been helpful.

 

[Se7en_]

Daniel cursed as the torch lit on fire and the flash hit his eyes that were already accustomed do the darkness. He watched carefully as Gabby gave directions “Carmen, I will take this man to the end of the passage. If I do not return with two minutes you are to turn back, take the curve to the right and follow the exit out.”

He stood there, watching in silence as she held her sword at the ready in a pose that shows she’s had some training, but not much combat experience as her stance was good, but full of opening for someone as experience as he was.

“She probably doesn’t know how good it feels to stab someone in the heart or slash someone’s neck off, then watching as his head rolls to the ground with a terrified expression sealed on his face forever. Since she’s the spoiled daughter of the lord of the castle, so I am betting she was never stabbed in battle and experienced how bad and painful it feels to have ones muscles and bones slashed and smashed under the weight of sharp heavy steel, and I am surely not going to have her experience that. I need this beauty in all her glory and so stabbing her isn’t an option.”

Daniel thought as the young brave girl made up her mind to lead him to to scout the area around the exit by announcing again while looking at her sisters “Two minutes". He admired her courage and determination to protect her sisters and the other women.

“This place sure is dark ma’am, where are we? And where are we going exactly? Is it safe on the other end of this place?” Daniel said as he walked side by side with Gabby, the grin on his face hidden under the cover of darkness as he thought “This little girl sure is smart, not to mention strikingly beautiful. She doubts me, but doesn’t have enough evidence to tell if I am the traitor or just another merc who happens to be loyal to this place. I am now certain Richard wasn't as stupid as he seemed, so good thing I kept him alive, might be able to use that imbecile once more. Its apparent he didn't tell her any details that would allow her to identify me. I am almost sure of it." He then paused and looked at her as he considered the other alternative "or maybe that fool told her everything, but she has enough restraint to hold back a terrified look when she saw me and just wanted to buy the others some time to get away?"

The thoughts crossed his mind as he and the lovely redhead made their way through the darkness towards the end of the passage.

This was proving to be a very interesting operation for Daniel, it has been long since he had to restrain himself from jumping a girl and having his way with her, but this was different. He was deep behind enemy lines and everything could be ruined with one wrong move. Even if that was a long shot, he wasn't planning to risk it. His success rate was 100% and he had no intention to let that drop, not to mention playing the role of hero and savior of the damsels in distress sounded too good to pass up, so he just followed the red-haired angel as she led him to the end of this maze. He would behave for now and let them think he is trusty before betraying them when they least expect it.

They were finally in that room, and he could see the bars high up in the ceiling, there was enough space between them to allow passage of one person at a time, but the bars seemed quite a bit high and he could see no furniture anywhere near them, so someone would have to help the women up to those bars, and apparently he was the only one with that strength. At that point, he had to pause and think "What were those fools planning? This window is high, how were they planning to get up there?"

He quickly voiced those thoughts to Gabby "This seems like a good place to sneak through as I can't hear much noise outside, so might be safe and we can make it out alive of this deathtrap, but how exactly were you planning to get up there?" He looked at her really wondering if she was originally planning to carry those women one by one up to those bars.

"If you don't mind me suggesting, I can give you a hand to go through there and then we can scout to make sure it is actually safe up there. I would suggest bringing someone else as well, preferably someone with some sword experience in case we run into trouble. I can take care of myself, but I can't promise I will be able to fight off any assailants, stay alive and protect you at the same time, so another sword could be handy, more and it will just slow us down if we need to flee in a hurry." Daniel looked at her as he waited to hear her thoughts on the best course of action.

 

[RedHairedandFriendly]

They reached the room and another torch was lit, while Daniel walked up to the window and examined it. She paid him little attention, though her trust in him still wavered. She thought of the time wasted as light flooded the room and she walked up behind him. She tried not to notice the strength in the way he carried himself, nor did she attempt to gaze upon his visage. Gabrielle prided herself on finding the flaws in others so as to not feel soft in the face of adversity – it was a skill she was conditioning herself daily when her training took place. She did not need a distraction.

She listened as he spoke what she already knew long before his arrival. She was quite aware that the window was too high and she was quite aware that they would need to scout ahead. Gabrielle took a deep breath. “I assumed once we were here one of my sisters would aid either myself or one of the smaller women onto their shoulders and then we would loosen the bars, and crawl through, the last person being pulled up.”

Gabrielle knew he doubted her plan, but again she had to work with what was given with her. “This will work,” she hissed. “Remain here and I will seek out another to aid us. I need to let Carmen know that you are not here to harm us. I cannot trust someone else!” she hissed. “I barely trust you, but you are right you are only one man, but you’re all we have. So if you are as good as it seems, I suggest you do all you can to protect us.”

Without another word wasted on the man, she took the torch she’d brought with her, leaving Daniel alone with his own light to aid him in further examining the room. Her pulse raced and her head pounded with the beating of her heart. She pushed away the headache and forced herself to reach her sisters and the others. Though she knew she was past the two minute mark, Carmen was still waiting. Gabrielle frowned but said nothing, instead she gathered her sisters to her and hugged them tight.

“He wants me to send someone for another soldier to aid us, but I do not know who to trust,” she admitted to all that heard her. She hated feeling inept and ignorant; it was not an emotion any of the Dupont women ever wanted to get used to. “I know not what to do,” she said to the eldest who had pushed her way through the tight knit group.

Olivia frowned. “Asking one man to do all of this, is asking a lot – you want him to lead all of us free with what his sword and your measly skill and yet you don’t trust him and also want us to go with him? Surely there are some of our uncles and cousins still alive and we can trust them, can’t we?” she asked. Her words were somewhat demeaning to Gabrielle, but they were also spoken under great stress.

Carmen stepped forward. “I will go with you and Olivia will stay here. We can trust no one,” she whispered and looked back to Gabrielle, “after all it was a man that was like a brother to us that betrayed us; who is to say others – those related by the blood that flows through their veins – are not already battling side by side with those that are seeking to destroy us from the inside out?”

The women agreed – they would remain where they were and Gabrielle and Carmen would return to the man. They could trust no one, so the only man they had would have to be their champion. Both women hoped he was up for the task. They hurried back the way Gabrielle had come; without instructing her, she knew Olivia would do whatever she felt was best in regards to the women, whether it meant coming after them after several long and agonizing minutes or abandoning the dungeons and seeking another means to escape.

Back in the room Gabrielle spent only seconds on making introductions between Daniel and Carmen. She eyed the window and the man. “Okay then,” she said, “hoist me up, so that I may see who if anyone is out there.”

Though it was dark outside, she knew that the clouds were parting and light from the moon would guide her watchful gaze. She stepped closer to Daniel and looked up at him, then turned offering his back to her. She stilled herself as she waited for him to grasp her hips and lift her into the air. When his fingers wrapped around her waist, she bit down on her lip and closed her eyes.

It was with little effort on his part that Daniel lifted her into the air; she opened her eyes and peered out into the dark. She gripped the edge of the window and pulled on one of the bars. It gave easily as did the second and then the third. The window was open and though it would be a tight squeeze for some of the women, all would fit.

"Put me down," she said. Daniel did as he was told and she explained that as far as she could tell there was no battles taking place within the meadow. "Obviously they think we are held up somewhere inside the keep and have yet found the secret passages in which we played in as children. The castle is riddled with them," Gabrielle said without thought.

Her attentions then shifted to Carmen. "You and I will go back and get the others, then Daniel will hoist us up. It'll take the strength of several of us to bring him up afterward, but I think we can do it." She looked over to the warrior and tried to gauge his thoughts, but they were lost to her; the shadow caused by the light kept his expression hooded.

The two women disappeared and once again the man was left to his musings. When they returned it was with all the ladies and children that were still safe and secure thanks to Olivia, Carmen and Gabrielle. Once again Daniel's hands were on her hips and he was lifted her up, this time she clawed her way over the rocky ledge and out of the room.

Her heart was racing as she looked around. "It's still clear," she said. "We must move quickly!"

 

[Se7en_]

“I assumed once we were here one of my sisters would aid either myself or one of the smaller women onto their shoulders and then we would loosen the bars, and crawl through, the last person being pulled up.” Daniel just listened to the girl explain her plan to get out of this tough situation and it sounded pretty reasonable considering she didn't have much to work with. She was smart and brave and had a lot of things going for her, and at that point he decided that he no longer simply wanted her in his collection of slave girls, but he wanted her as his personal slave, as his private sex toy, but for now he will be her dedicated guardian angel and make sure no harm befalls her.

“This will work,” she hissed. “Remain here and I will seek out another to aid us. I need to let Carmen know that you are not here to harm us. I cannot trust someone else!” she hissed again. “I barely trust you, but you are right you are only one man, but you’re all we have. So if you are as good as it seems, I suggest you do all you can to protect us.”

Daniel almost grinned at her outburst, and then watched as she moved to tell the others the change in the plan and hopefully come back with another pretty young lady. He thought "Well I am as good as I seem, even better, but too bad I am not really on your side little one. Its a damn shame you won't figure that out till its too late to do anything about it."

He spent the few minutes during which Gabby was absent to write another message for his men "The women are down that barred south-facing window overlooking on the meadows, get them all!"

He wrapped that small piece of paper around the tip of one of his arrows to get ready to deliver the message if they ran into some of his men while they were 'escaping', he smirked at that thought with a sinister wide grin coloring his face, and he waited a few more seconds before Gabby showed up again.

His hopes were realized as Gabrielle showed up accompanied by a blonde beauty who she introduced as her sister Carmen "I see, the herb girl, she's as pretty as she is smart. One can't ask for prettier scouting partners." Daniel thought as he watched the anxious redhead get into position “Okay then, hoist me up, so that I may see who if anyone is out there.”

Daniel was more than happy to pick her up. It was a chance to get his hands on her, and he quickly put his strong hands on her supple hips and picked her up as if she weighed nothing. He kept her steady as she loosened the bars and then put her down again when she asked. He was kind of disappointed as it felt heavenly to hold the lovely young girl like that, but he knew he would be doing it again soon.

She explained that it should be safe outside and then made her decision as she turned to Carmen "You and I will go back and get the others, then Daniel will hoist us up. It'll take the strength of several of us to bring him up afterward, but I think we can do it."

Daniel looked at her with disbelief as she looked back at him trying to read his thoughts. His thoughts were clear, but he was good at not making what he thinks appear in his expression "Did she lose her mind? Walking around with around two dozen women is just a recipe for disaster. It would be easy for my men to detect that group, attack and seize every single woman, but that's not what I want. I want to have some fun letting those girls get captured."

Daniel had always enjoyed ravaging young helpless girls, and allowing Gabrielle to go on with her plan would mean they would get captured even faster, allowing him to have his way with any of the women faster, but he didn't want that, he enjoyed manipulation and giving false hope as much, if not more, than the actual act of abusing the girls. The hunt was just as exciting and he didn't intend to end the hunt anytime soon.

He waited for the girls to get back with the horde of the women and then he was picking Gabby again and lifting her up to the window. It was fun, but it was time to make a stand as he heard her say "It's still clear, we must move quickly!"

Looking directly into Gabby's deep angelic eyes, Daniel spoke up with a strong confident voice "Are you out of your mind girl? You want to lead the women right into a trap. The place is crawling with mercenaries, and moving around with two dozen women plus their children and babies is just begging for trouble." He looked at Olivia and her little baby and then continued " I will not stand for this and I will not help anyone else up to this window except for Carmen. I am not putting the poor women's safety at risk just because you can't see anyone in the immediate vicinity. What will you do if we walked a few yards only to run into an group of mercenaries? I think the three of us have a chance to outrun them or maybe stay hidden as they pass us by, but the entire group will be impossible to hide, and even harder for them to outrun a gang of mercenaries."

He looked at the women who were clearly having second thoughts after his reasonable argument, and then looked back at Gabby "I will not aid you in this. I will go back the way we came and back to the battle. If I can't help here, I might as well go to where I am more useful. Getting those women up there is not useful in any way. If you want the women out you'll have to get down and help them up yourself. I am taking no part in this madness. I can see you are anxious to help them get to safety, but don't let your emotions cloud your judgement. Trust my experience and think about this. It's suicide to go out there like this!!!"

Daniel looked into the women's eyes, then Carmen's and finally into the deep thoughtful eyes of the adventurous, but naive, Gabby.

 

[RedHairedandFriendly]

Instantly Gabrielle wanted to strike the man she was looking down on. He was infuriating to her and though his words spoke the truth, she hated to be not only pointed out her ignorance, but to also be chastised in front of every woman under her protection. She threw daggers at him as he finished his tirade.

Now she had a choice to make give into this good sense or keep her pride intact. The eyes of the women looking up at her, was all the answer she needed. She sighed. “You are right, I was being hasty. Pass up my sister and then we will do our best to aid you through the window,” she turned away. “Hopefully your big head will fit,” she whispered into the dark.

Soon Carmen was being lifted up and Gabrielle helped her. The two sisters then waited for the women to help the man onto the window ledge. While they waited, each one kept a look out for any disturbances that might deter them from their course of action.

Carmen’s eyes were huge, and full of fear and worry. Gabrielle’s held the same mixture, but also there was evidence of excitement. After all under any other circumstances, sneaking out of her father’s house was often a thrill. She had done it many times with Richard.

The thought of the young man who had betrayed her and all she held dear made her face take on a look of anger and disgust; it was hard to feel good about the memories that involved the man. She pushed them away and felt Carmen’s hand on her shoulder. Immediately Gabrielle’s thoughts returned to the task at hand. She leaned in and stared back at the group. “Are you coming or not?” she whispered down in a voice that showed impatience.

Something told Gabrielle that Daniel wouldn’t need help climbing up the wall, though she heard the women offer to assist him; some even with tones that indicated they would be willing to assist him in many ways besides rising to the challenge of the window. She and her sister watched as he jumped up and gripped the edge of the window with his fingers; the women helped the man up, their hands pushing at his rear, but in her eyes she doubt he needed the extra boost.

Carmen’s eyebrows rose in surprise at his strength as he pulled himself out of the window, while Gabrielle rolled her eyes and muttered. “I’m not surprised,” the words were softly spoken and low enough that no one but her own conscious had heard her.

When Daniel appeared, he looked no less physically exerted than he had when he introduced himself. This too Gabrielle found taxing on her mind as she stared at him and waiting for him to take command. She still didn’t trust him, but she really felt she and her sister had no choice.

Carmen leaned down and spoke to the women. “Olivia will keep you safe and lead you out if she feels you will come to harm. Trust her,” Carmen said, smiling as best she could before turning her attentions to the man who looked to be their only hope of survival. Her sister was smart, but the earlier plan had certainly not been one of her brightest moments.

“What now?” Carmen asked the warrior.

Gabrielle’s eyes grew wide in frustration as her sister became a traitor in her eyes for seeking out the counsel of someone other than herself. She said nothing though, instead choosing to see what plan the stranger offered up. She would most likely follow after all, it was now only her and her sister she had to look out for if the man double-crossed them.

 

[Se7en_]

Daniel enjoyed the hateful looks Gabby was giving him after her lectured her and showed her how naive she was in front of all the women. He could see it in her eyes, she wanted to jump at him and tear his soul from his body if she could. He kept looking at her enjoying the angry looks she was throwing at him.

“You are right, I was being hasty. Pass up my sister and then we will do our best to aid you through the window,” Daniel grinned and then barely held back his laughter as he heard her whisper “Hopefully your big head will fit.”

He turned his attention to the equally lovely, but much less hostile Carmen, and he easily lift her up to the window enjoying the soft feel of her young flesh under his strong fingers. Soon, both Carmen and Gabby were out of the window and waiting for him to accompany them.

They didn't have to wait long as he jumped to the window, and lifted himself up to join them. He felt many hands on his rear, back and the back of his thighs as he was trying to climb up, they were less than helpful as they mostly just grabbed him somewhere and didn't exactly push. Maybe because he just went up quickly without giving them a chance. It was fun while it lasted, but it was now time to get serious.

Daniel walked proudly between the two young ladies, the fact that he had just climbed up through a high window wasn't showing on him, he didn't seem tired at all. That was normal for him, he exercised daily to stay at the top of his game, not to mention regular sparring with the best of his men to stay in shape, and keep his hand to hand and sword skills sharp and ready for use. He was proud of his intelligence, but without a fit and strong body, that intelligence wouldn't have gotten him anywhere near what he had accomplished in that crazy world they lived in.

His thoughts were interrupted when he looked at Carmen as she went to give some final words to the others “Olivia will keep you safe and lead you out if she feels you will come to harm. Trust her.”

"Yeah right, sure she will keep you safe" Daniel thought as he walked over to Gabrielle and whispered in her ear "I was afraid my big head won't fit through the window, but when I saw you managed to exit just fine, I knew I won't have a problem."

He chuckled as he made fun of the redhead and then looked back at Carmen as she inquired "What now?"

Daniel was surprised she looked up to him and not her sister, and that was apparent in Gabby's facial expression. He resisted the urge to grin and didn't reply, instead he sat down on one knee signalling them to follow suite "We can't stay in the open, we're sitting ducks out here."

He then pointed to a large tree around fifty yards away "Let's walk slowly to that tree, it would be harder for anyone to see us under it. Don't walk straight, bend at the waist and then sneak slowly to it. When we get there, I will climb the tree and look around the area, so we can avoid any patrols."

Without waiting for their reply, Daniel started walking towards that tree and the two sisters just followed him quickly until they reached their destination. As soon as they got there, he looked at them "Sit down and don't move," he then climbed up the tree in a very short time and showed skill that meant it wasn't his first time scaling up a large tree. He spent moments looking around and noticed two groups of his mercenary gang on either side of the area. One being only a few men, and the other was around a dozen. He pulled his bow and shot the arrow carrying his message towards the larger group telling them where exactly to find the women, and then he went down quickly to tell them what he saw.

"Alright, I can see one group, it's in this direction and it is large and they are actually heading this way, I am guessing to round out any stragglers. I can't see what's in the other direction as the trees are a bit dense, so its better if we go that way."

Daniel had seen another group, but decided to keep the information for himself to keep the girls on their toes and give them their first of many scares. They walked between the trees for a few moments as he led them right into a trap before Carmen stepped on a branch and the sound alerted the men who immediately ran towards them, but didn't stop when they saw Daniel, they already knew he was undercover. The men just charged at them without a thought.

Quickly, Daniel unseathed his sword and barked at the girls "Run, run, don't look back, I will catch up with you," he pointed to the woods and prepared to engage the men. He crossed swords with one man and whispered to him "Take one man and follow them, but don't catch them."

He quickly pushed the man away causing him to fall down and then he lunged at another who was about to run after the girls, the man barely deflected the killing blow. Daniel knew his man would be able to live through, and if not then he doesn't deserve a spot on his team. It was survival of the fittest as Daniel engaged the men and made sure to delay the chase until two men rushed after the girls while keeping in mind to not actually capture them, and the other two kept fighting Daniel.