Excerpt: Aselin of Grobanite

Suddenly the walls shook with a bloody curdling scream and Arthur was unable to finish the White Lady’s prediction. Isadore’s eyes grew wide with fright at the horrid sound and the mother and son ran from the library in search for the source. Isadore went right, to the room where Aladore and Aaron had been, but Arthur took a different route, instead he turned left and speed along to his niece’s room. He was relief to see that she was still alive and peacefully in her crib, although visible shaken. Arthur quickly took hold of the child and disappeared from view (one of the advantages of being a wizard) he quickly and quietly slipped behind a tapster of a mountain scene and slipped into the door which was behind it. Arthur then ran down the long stairs and emerged in the lower kitchens. There he uncovered himself and the young baby and waited crouched behind the pantry cupboard.
The sun had started setting before Arthur dare move from the spot that he was at. Aselin had drifted back off to sleep in her uncles arms and knew nothing of what was going on above. He took the doorway back up to her room and then finally took the path that his mother had taken almost three hours ago, to the room of his brother and sister-in-law. He reached the room with baited breath, dreading the worst, for he could hear the silent weeping of his mother from beyond. “Are you sure you have looked everywhere Troy, all ten of you?” Isadore asked in a surprisingly strong voice.
“Noght and Dram are checking the low level for her, but it is unlikely that she could have gotten that far.”
“And what about Arthur, where is he?”
“I am right here mother.” Arthur said finally stepping into the royal bedroom to hoping to stop her fretting. But he saw now that would be impossible, for he had walked into the scene of a slaughter. The sent of spring that had blown in upon the wind was gone. Now the stench of death, decay and betrayal had sent in. The stained glass window that had not hours before made the room alight with colours of rich blue’s and gold’s was shattered, the curtains ripped and torn. The floor that Isadore had fallen down and wept upon was splattered with blood, as was most of the furniture. Arthur look to the bed where Aladore had given birth to the child that he held under his cloak. The sight was one that he had never wanted to see. The once beautiful queen lay ruthlessly murdered as did her king, Arthur’s beloved elder brother Aaron. His chair had been knocked over and his mutilated body now laid on the floor, obvious to any viewer of the scene that he had tried hard to fight for his wife’s life.
“Arthur!” Isadore cried standing up and running to him, “Gone, - all gone- baby-Aladore- Aaron -gone.” Isadore said taking deep breaths between words and sobs and then finally breaking down and crying into her sons shoulder.
“No mother, they are not all gone.” Arthur said gently pulling away from his crying mother. “I have done what I came here to do.” Arthur said mournfully as he pulled his cloak away and uncover Princess Aselin.
Isadore drew a breath as Arthur handed her the baby and she muttered in a soft and almost frighten whisper, “You must protect her in her first hours of life, for her cries…”
“Will be heard by those that do not love her as we do. Aselin’s life will come at a heavy cost.” Arthur finished. Isadore’s face became horror stricken.
“You knew.” She said in a harsh sharp voice.