Unknown to the duo, their conversation had been overheard
by someone whose intentions were less than benevolent.
"So, beast," the stranger said as she listened to, and
watched, Jonothan with Azurel. "You thought that it would be that simple.
Well, I do not allow my quarry to escape me that easily. She will no longer
be able to aid you. From here on out you are on your own, Jonothan."
The ball began on time and all the guests were there,
even Jonothan. As the night progressed the princess entertained several
of the handsome young gentlemen who were attending the ball, but she always
returned to Jonothan and sighed about how boring or snobby they all were.
"Oh, Jonothan," she said after one particularly long
dance. "If only one of these men was as easy to get along with as you.
All they ever talk about is themselves and, in truth Jono, it's making
me sick."
"It's all right, Azurel. In a few hours this will all
be over. You only have to put up with them until the end of the night.
I will always be here for you, my princess."
A young man approached the princess and asked her to
dance just as Azurel and Jonothan finished talking. Just before she went
onto the dance floor she looked to Jonothan.
"Thanks Jono. You always know what to say," she whispered
and left to dance again.
"Only because I love you, Azurel," he whispered. As he
watched the dancers he noticed movement in one of the balconies. As he
continued to watch, Jonothan saw a man, dressed in black and holding a
crossbow in his hand. When Jonothan saw the crossbow he looked for Azurel,
and her partner and went over to them. "Azurel, you must come with me."
"Why Jonothan?"
"I saw a shadow with a crossbow on the balcony."
"Well, no one is there now, Jono. I think you worry too
much." Jonothan looked from her to the balcony to find that the archer
was no longer there. Azurel went to the throne to rest and to sit with
Jonothan when the song ended. It was then that Jonothan caught sight of
the man again. This time he was in the far corner of the room looking
for his target. Jonothan started towards him. When Jono had almost reached
the assassin the man looked to the throne and raised his crossbow, pointing
it towards Azurel.
With no room to spread his wings, Jonothan leapt as the
archer took aim, distracting him. As Jonothan plowed into the man there
was a TWANG, and the arrow let loose. Jonothan cried out
as the arrow tore through the folded wing, and thick hide on his foreleg,
pulling him backwards.
"Jono!" Azurel's voice mixed with the eyrie's cry as
his injured leg folded beneath him, sending him crashing to the ground.
The assassin rose, and drew his knife. He raised the malignant blade,
and brought the hilt crashing down of the base of Jonathan's beak. Even
as the Eyrie tried to rise on his wounded leg the brutal blow caused him
to instantly blackout.
"Sleep well, beast..." A well-aimed arrow found its way
into his heart, cutting off the man's malicious words, and he collapsed
to the floor. A strange black cloud arose around the man, and both cloud
and man disappeared. The tearful princess rushed to the prone body of
the unconsciousness eyrie. The royal medic soon joined the princess and
gently rolled Jonothan over to have a look at his wound. After several
moments of tense silence he spoke.
"He will be fine. The arrow went through the wing, and
pinned it to his leg, but fortunately, it does not seem to have done any
serious damage to the underlying muscle." The people let out a sigh of
relief, and began to talk quietly with their neighbors as the medic turned
to speak to the princess. "He must, however, have absolute rest for a
fortnight and take it easy for a few weeks afterwards to allow the injury
to properly heal." At this there was a soft moan, and Jonothan slowly
opened his eyes, wincing as he tried to raise his head.
"Take it easy, hero," the princess said quietly. She
gently ran her fingers along the ridge of his eye. "And don't ever scare
me like that again, you hear?" A small smile formed as Jonothan spoke,
but his voice betrayed the pain he felt.
"Keep that up Princess, and some prince might think that
you care for me."
"Who said that I do not," Azurel whispered softly in
his ear. Her response startled Jonothan, but before he could say anything
medics came with a small cot and carried him to another room, so that
he could rest, alone. After two weeks of rest the royal medic permitted
Jonothan to walk around the palace and surrounding country with Azurel.
However, by the doctor's orders he could not exert large amounts of pressure
on his leg--and certainly not fly. The active Eyrie became rapidly more
frustrated by his predicament and gradually became very irritable and
it soon began to worry Azurel.
"Jono, what is wrong with you? You've been sullen for
the last week." At her comment Jonothan looked at her, his eyes flashed
fire, but then he turned his head away.
"I'm sorry, Azurel it just that I just can't stand being
restrained like this." Jonothan hesitated, as if he said something wrong.
Nevertheless he quickly recovered, and continued. "I want to be able to
fly, or at least run freely and do things with you." Ashamed he relented,
"I shouldn't take it out on you. I hadn't even realised that I was. I'm
so sorry Azurel, I..."
"It's all right, Jonothan. I was simply worried that
it might be something else."
"Like what?"
"I don't know. I was just afraid that maybe you weren't
happy here anymore... with me." Jonothan moved and lay down next to her,
placing his head upon her lap.
"Nothing could ever make me leave you, Princess unless
you desired me to do so."
"I would never wish you to leave me. I know that now.
When that archer shot you, I was so afraid that he might have destroyed
you that..." The princess stopped in the middle of the sentence, realising
what she had almost said. 'But that's impossible,' she thought. 'I can't
be in love with Jonothan. He's a Eyrie, an animal, even if does seem so
human sometimes.' Jonothan watched Azurel, his thoughts in utter turmoil.
'Oh Azurel,' he thought. 'If only you knew the truth.
I wish I could explain everything to you, but I can't. You must wait,
my princess. We both must wait, my love.'
To be continued... | 
