Desperate Forest Read online

  Desperate Forest

  THE FOREST TALES SERIES: BOOK 1

  Cece Louise

  www.jabberwockytales.com

  © 2019 by Cece Louise

  www.cecelouise.com

  All rights reserved.

  ASIN B07RK6MKX6

  ISBN (Print) 978-1-7330636-0-9

  This is a work of fiction. All the characters, organizations, places, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in a review.

  Cover design by DLR Cover Designs

  Published by

  Jabberwocky Tales

  www.jabberwockytales.com

  For my husband, who proves to me every day that true love really exists.

  Contents

  Title Page

  Dedication

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Epilogue

  Acknowledgements

  About the Author

  Newsletter Signup

  Coming Soon

  Prologue

  Five days. That’s how long I’d been in the forest. Only five days but it felt like a lifetime. Fear filled my heart when I thought of the long journey I still had ahead of me.

  Be brave, Roselynn. After all, you didn’t even think you’d make it this far.

  But bravery had never been my strong point.

  Take heart, Roselie. My father’s kind voice rang in my head. The coward dies a thousand deaths, but the valiant only dies one.

  Memories of the hours my father and I spent together came rushing back, bringing a smile to my lips.

  My father had, indeed, lived by those words until his dying day. He took challenges head-on, living fully. Courage was never something he lacked.

  Like I had many times before, I wished I were more like him.

  Had my father been in my shoes, he would see my trek as a challenge—an unexpected adventure that would lead to better things.

  Pressing forward in the dark woods, I willed to be given some of his strength.

  Please, Father, help me. I can’t do this without you!

  As the prayer left my mind, my ankle hit something hard and I lurched forward. I shrieked as a weight dropped on me, and I collapsed.

  A heavy net entrapped me. My fingers clawed at the substantial material, trying to loosen myself. Suddenly, I heard foreboding footsteps behind me.

  I turned, expecting to see my uncle’s knights closing in. Instead, a lone man carrying a knife emerged through the trees. I pulled my own knife from my belt and frantically began cutting the net, but I wasn’t quick enough.

  A rough hand clasped my shoulder, gripping me tightly. The man twisted the knife from my grasp through the small opening I had cut.

  “What the—” He seemed as shocked to see me as I was him. “Who are you? What are you doing in these woods?” His eyes were dark and menacing, and I knew I had to think fast to avoid giving away my real identity.

  “I’m sorry, sir,” I said, doing my best to sound pitiful, which was not hard given my circumstances. “I was out riding when I was thrown from my horse, and I’ve been lost ever since. I’m sorry if I’ve trespassed on your land.”

  “You expect me to believe that?” The man frowned. I could see now he was young, perhaps only a few years older than my nineteen years, but that didn’t make him any less intimidating. He shook my shoulder. “No one lives in this forest for miles! What are you really doing here?”

  “Get your hands off me!” My fury displaced my fear. “I’ve done nothing wrong, and you have no right to speak to me like that!”

  With his free hand, he cut through the net and thrust it off, then wrenched me from the ground. “I’ll speak to you any way I like until I get some answers out of you. What’s your name?” He kept a vise-like grip on me, brandishing his knife. Mine was tucked into his belt.

  “Mary,” I lied.

  “Mary?” He cocked his head, shadowy eyes assessing me. “And where are you from . . . Mary?”

  “Marcsnovia,” I lied again, hoping if I avoided mentioning Tover, he wouldn’t realize who I really was.

  He stiffened. “Are you traveling alone?”

  “No.” I lifted my chin, feeling more confident with every lie. “I’m traveling with a group of Marcsnovian knights. They’re likely worried about where I’ve gotten to.” I hoped my answer might frighten him into leaving me alone.

  Fear did flash in his eyes, but it was soon replaced with anger. “You’re lying.”

  “I’m not—”

  He pressed his knife against my back and pushed me forward. “Move!”

  My feet unwittingly obeyed.

  Who is this man and where is he taking me?

  He wasn’t dressed like a knight, but I feared he still worked for my uncle. He seemed strangely familiar. Or perhaps he was one of the outlaws said to roam this forest—a thief or a murderer.

  I tried to hold my head high, but inside, I was trembling. I cursed myself for not paying closer attention to my surroundings.

  The situation felt bitterly ironic. I had prayed for help, and instead, been delivered into the hands of greater danger. Perhaps there was no one watching over me after all.

  As my captor pushed me farther into the dark forest, I heard my father’s gentle voice whisper again.

  Have faith, Roselie . . .

  Chapter 1

  Five Days Earlier

  Almost there . . .

  Fearing I would be discovered, I listened for any sound behind me as I meticulously picked the lock of my uncle’s study.

  The mechanisms released, and I slowly opened the door.

  Ha. My uncle may have denied me many things, but he would not keep me from the last connection I had to my father—his large collection of books.

  My father’s warm study was where I had many of my happiest memories, reading by the fireplace while my father worked, or sitting with him while he told me stories of my mother, who died shortly after I was born. Now, I was no longer even allowed to set foot in it.

  I extracted a leather book from the shelf, then froze at the sound of two sets of footsteps approaching. Swiftly, I hid under my father’s grand oak desk.

  As the door pushed open, my uncle’s venomous voice rang out. “The girl has been promised in marriage this whole time!” The heavy wooden door shut with a crash. “If her fiancé comes for her, it will put an end to everything. If the girl marries, her husband will become the rightful King of Tover. She must be disposed of.”

  “Yes, King Abrax,” my uncle’s head knight, Kartoff, said. “And how do you wish me to get rid of her?”

  “It needs to look like an accident.” I could practically hear the calculating wheels turning in my uncle’s head. “Wait until she’s out riding one day. Ambush her, then make it seem as if she fell from her horse and hit her head. Messy, I know . . . bu
t we can’t poison her like her father. It would cause too much suspicion.”

  My blood turned to ice. My worst fear, the one I had tried to push aside for months, was confirmed. My uncle had killed my father, his brother, in cold blood. All to take over his kingdom.

  I had an urge to reveal myself from my hiding place and confront my uncle. To let him know what I thought of him, and how I would make him pay for his crime.

  But I didn’t. For once, not from a lack of courage, but because I knew if I did, it would mean my immediate death. I had no weapon to defend myself with, and even if I did, I wouldn’t stand a chance against my uncle and his strongest knight.

  Instead, I stayed frozen under the large paneled desk, praying my uncle wouldn’t come to the other side and sit down.

  “Yes, Your Highness.” The excitement in Kartoff’s voice made it clear he was ready to prove himself to his king.

  My uncle said nothing as he snatched documents off the top of his desk. I held my breath, sure my beating heart would give me away. But my uncle headed toward the door, not to the other side of the desk where I was concealed.

  My uncle opened the door of his study, then locked it behind him. As his and Kartoff’s footsteps faded away, I finally dared to stray from my spot and retreat to my room.

  It all made sense now—how my father’s health had slowly and inexplicably declined. My uncle had poisoned him, leisurely, to avoid suspicion. Now King Abrax had discovered I was a threat to his power, so he would eliminate me as well.

  It was ironic how the one small freedom my uncle had allowed me since the passing of my father—my daily ride over the extensive palace grounds—was now designed to be the death of me.

  Once in my room, I locked my door and sat down heavily on my bed. I couldn’t stay here. I could avoid going riding for a few days, but beyond that, my uncle would grow desperate. He would find some other sinister way to kill me.

  If only I had a way to get word to my fiancé, Prince Darius.

  No, King Darius now, I corrected myself. He would come for me immediately and put an end to my uncle’s schemes.

  I recalled the last time I had seen Darius. It had been at my father’s funeral. It was a miserable day—the worst day of my life—but, oddly, I’d thought back to it many times these last few months, remembering the moments I had spent with Darius alone.

  “How are you holding up?” he asked as we walked our horses across an open field. The sunlight felt warm on my face, but every inch of my body was cold from loss.

  “Honestly, it’s like being in a dream. One I think I’ll wake up from, but I never do. I keep expecting to see my father walking down the hall or sitting at the dinner table.” Tears built as my voice trembled. “Waking up is the worst part of every day. Remembering fresh it really happened—that he’s truly gone.”

  “I’m so sorry,” Darius said. “I know the pain will never go away, but . . . you can be happy again.” Darius stopped his horse beside mine and gazed at me with his caring blue eyes. The sunlight gleamed off his black hair. “I will do everything in my power to make you happy.”

  He placed a gentle hand on my cheek and spoke the words I had dreamed of hearing from him since I was a little girl.

  “Marry me, Rosie,” he said, using the nickname he had given me in our childhood. “I promise to take care of you. Let me be the one to bring joy to your life again. We can start over and move on from this pain, together.”

  “Oh, Darius . . .” Joy filled my heart, although it was bittersweet. It was a dream come true on the day that was my worst nightmare. “Yes, I’ll marry you.” Tears flowed freely from my eyes now, both happy and sad.

  “I love you, Rosie. I always have,” he said in barely a whisper. “When we marry, when we unite our kingdoms . . . all will be well.”

  Darius placed a tender kiss on my lips, causing my head to feel light and my heart to soar with hope. Hope that I could be freed from the deep sorrow that had invaded my soul after losing my father.

  When Darius pulled back and smiled at me, I couldn’t help but smile too. The first time I’d really smiled in a while. I imagined how happy my father would be if he had lived to see our engagement. He had long hoped for a union between me and Darius.

  The next day, Darius and his father departed, unable to leave their own kingdom for too long. Darius promised he would return in a week to properly announce our engagement and begin our wedding plans.

  But that never happened. My uncle had assembled a strong army and cut off all major roads to Marcsnovia, Darius’s kingdom. The only way to travel from Tover to Marcsnovia was on the outskirts of the land in a deep, treacherous forest. A forest that was rumored to be full of dangerous outlaws, as well as bloodthirsty creatures.

  From that day on, I wasn’t allowed contact with Darius or anyone outside the castle. Although I knew Darius would do everything in his power to reach me, my uncle would make sure that didn’t happen—especially now that he’d discovered Darius’s and my engagement.

  Although I had faith Darius would manage to help me somehow, I was out of time. Even if he did find a way to get past my uncle’s barricades and guards, Darius recently had tragedy strike in his own life, making it unlikely he could leave his kingdom now.

  I couldn’t wait anymore. I had to act. And so, I spent the rest of the day locked in my room, devising a plan to escape.

  Tomorrow night, I would leave the only home I’d ever known and take my chances in the dangerous forest until I made it to Marcsnovia—to Darius. It was risky, but it was the only chance I had.

  Chapter 2

  It’s a long way down . . .

  I gazed out my seven-story castle window and peered at the ground. I hated heights. Just looking, my heart sped up and my palms turned sweaty.

  Don’t be a coward—this is your chance! You can’t waste it.

  There was a part of me that wanted to forget the crazy plan I’d devised yesterday.

  Today, I had prepared as best as I could for the treacherous journey ahead of me. I’d smuggled food, a large canteen of water, ropes, and torches. Most importantly, I’d again broken into my uncle’s study and taken my father’s maps and compass, as well as a hunting knife.

  Now, I was dressed in my most practical traveling gown, riding boots, and warm cloak, clutching my leather bag filled with all my supplies.

  The night guards took shifts passing by each side of the castle. I had spent much of last night awake, sitting in the dark by my window, counting how much time I had between checks to escape my room and get beyond the castle walls.

  I eased onto my window ledge, forcing myself not to look at the ground so far away. The ledge was narrow, so I pressed my back against the hard stone walls.

  In my hands was a thick, rough rope I’d stolen from the stable earlier that day. I had knotted it several times around a heavy chest underneath my window.

  I tugged the rope again to test its strength. Grasping the line with both hands, I positioned myself to begin my descent. Carefully, I placed my feet on the uneven stones protruding from the castle wall.

  My work downward was tedious, and before too long, my arms ached from holding myself up. I did not have a direct path to the ground, making my way according to where the largest stones jutted from the wall.

  The minutes ticked by slowly, but my zig-zag climbing gradually brought me closer to the earth.

  When I was about three-quarters of the way down, my right foot slipped, and I lurched backward. I clutched the rope, burning my hands on the coarse material as I slowed my fall, my arms and legs scraping against the castle wall.

  I hit the earth, my breath knocked out of me. I lay back, my head on the ground, struggling to force air into my lungs.

  Gradually, my breathing resumed and, although still stunned from my fall, I was relieved to feel only bruises and scrapes on my body, as well as raw wounds on my hands where the rope had cut into them.

  Rising to my feet shakily, I looked up and was satisfied t
he rope hanging from my window was not easy to see in the moonlight. I needed a full night’s head start before being discovered if I hoped to evade capture by my uncle’s knights.

  I ran across the empty courtyard. I didn’t have much time to get beyond the large stone wall and into the forest before the guards returned to this side of the castle.

  I moved quickly until I came to a majestic oak tree. It grew tall and proud, several feet away from the barrier protecting the castle from the forest.

  This tree was special to me. I had spent many summer days climbing it to enjoy the view while I read. For a moment, I wished for nothing more than to go back to those simple days when I was safe and my father was alive. But, unfortunately, I did not have time to dwell on those precious memories.

  I hoisted myself onto the tree’s strong trunk and made my way up to the longest branch that always gave me the best view of the forest.

  This branch extended far enough so I could swing forward and propel myself onto the castle wall. Because the wall was built to keep out unwanted visitors, not to keep anyone in, this branch had been allowed to flourish unfettered. A fact I was very grateful for now. My father had never been concerned I would try to venture into the dangerous forest without him. Nor had I ever imagined I would want to.

  I steadied myself on the branch, trying to push aside my dizziness. One wrong move and I would fall. I removed another rope from my bag and tied it around the long tree branch. I threw the rope so it landed across the stone wall, its length disappearing over the other side.

  Lowering myself, I gripped the firm branch, which was suspended several feet above and away from the wall. I carefully slid my legs off the tree until they hung freely. With all my strength, I swung my legs and released my grip.

  For a terrifying moment, nothing but air rushed around me as I threw myself forward. I landed roughly on the top of the wall. I never imagined I’d feel so grateful to smack my body against stone.

  Not much farther now. The hard part of my escape was over, but I still had to make it to the other side of the wall. I took the rope I had secured to the tree only moments earlier and positioned myself to scale down backward.