Sorry it took a while to update. Tripped over climbing down a mountain and injured my hand, and it is not very easy typing with only one hand! :P

Enjoy!
Xx Divine Romance
~~~~~

Rose shrank back as far as she could, terrified of Eliad. William turned his head around slowly to face the figure behind him. Eliad had a sword casually pointed at William's throat and wore the most dangerously calm expression. Where had Eliad come from? How had they not heard him approaching?

"A thief of the night, stealing what is not yours to take," Eliad commented, staring at William with a hard expression. Rose's breath quickened and she felt chills all over her.

William slowly held his hands up in surrender.

"Tell me who you are, quickly, before I kill you," Eliad demanded. William held his chin up high, defiantly, without fear.

"I am Sir William, a knight of the King and an enemy to rebellious curs who call themselves brave - such as yourself," William responded. Eliad sneered and shoved his sword closer, until the tip of the weapon was pricking William's throat.

"Impertinent fool, do not test me," he warned. "I would ask who sent you here but I do not doubt it was that ridiculous boy the kingdom calls 'Prince'. I should have him hunted down this moment."

"No!" Rose cried out, straining against the ropes holding her to the tree. Eliad snapped his gaze to her briefly. "No! You cannot," Rose cried desperately. Her heart raced, all fear temporarily forgotten.

"Be quiet, girl! I did not permi-"

"Let Tristan go! You cannot chase him down, n-" Eliad's hard slap brought Rose's words to a halt. She gasped against the force of it. William's eyes widened and he turned to glare at Eliad.

"GUARDS," Eliad roared, his voice thundering through the clearing. The men sleeping jerked awake suddenly. Their faces paled as they realised Eliad had caught them sleeping. They hurried to stand to their feet.

"Sir," most of them mumbled, shamefaced. Eliad rolled his eyes and looked back to William.

"This shall send a lovely message to that foolish Prince. Do not try to outsmart me, it will only end in death," Eliad cackled. "The dead body of a knight should be enough to deter him; do not you think? Any final words, Sir Knight?" He asked sarcastically. People were emerging from their tents, the noise from the outside waking them. Many looked confused and concerned, while some held satisfied expressions. Did they truly hate the King and his servants so much that they would be pleased by the death of a knight?

William exchanged a sorrowful gaze with Rose. "Do not feel guilt for my passing, Rose. It is an honour to die for the lady of the Prince's heart," William murmured.

"No! Please, no!" Rose cried, as Eliad prepared to strike. "Eliad! Don't!"

Eliad looked at her for a moment. "What did you say, Rose? Make it long and torturous?"

"Eliad, please! I am begging you," she cried, as tears began falling down her cheeks. Never had she felt so sick and desperate as she did at that moment. "Please do not do this, do not spill his blood."

"He would have died anyway, Rose," Eliad snorted. "Whether here or on the battlefield - what does it matter?"

"Please! Spare him," she begged, pulling against her ropes until her skin ached from the force.

Eliad paused, as if considering her words. Rose was amazed that he would actually listen to her. "Almost you tempt me, but I think I shall not be swayed by you," he said.

"I beg you, please," Rose repeated. "He is innocent! He was following orders! Have mercy," she begged, thinking of as many excuses as she could.

"Eliad," a guard nearby whispered. "The townsfolk will question your character if you kill for pleasure." Eliad stared at the man, then back to William, then back to the man. Indecision played on his features. The people around were looking at Eliad with wide eyes.

Eliad sighed and dropped his sword away from William's throat. Rose almost collapsed with relief. William's shoulders went slack and he heaved out a deep breath.

"Tie him up with Rose. Make sure you have searched him for all his weapons. He is my captive," Eliad ordered. He turned and walked away briskly, swinging his sword in the air angrily.

William did not try to fight the men who approached him - they would just chase him down if he managed to escape. The men were quick to remove William's sword and two daggers. His hands were pulled behind his back and tied together, along with his ankles. He was tied to the same tree as Rose.

The men retreated, not bothering to gag Rose or William.

"I am so, so sorry," Rose whispered when they were finally alone. William looked up and shook his head at her.

"It is I who should apologise; I have failed to free you."

"No, Sir William, do not say that. I would rather remain a captive than have seen you killed."

William did not reply and Rose did not force him to. They both sat quietly, too full of adrenaline to sleep.

When dawn broke, the clearing became alive with people. The townsmen worked together to close down their tents and pack them onto carts. The women prepared a large breakfast - Rose's stomach grumbled; she had only eaten a handful of the nuts William had given her yesterday. She did not call out and ask for food, for she knew what Eliad's answer would be.

"Eliad," Rose heard one woman mumble to the man in question. Eliad looked at her and raised both his eyebrows as his response. "What of the captives?" She asked.

"What of them?" Eliad responded disinterestedly.

"They are not to be fed? We have a long journey ahead of us," the woman commented. Eliad turned his head to stare at Rose and William, who both pretended not to be paying attention to the conversation.

"Give them both a piece of chicken, but that is all they are allowed," Eliad ordered. The woman bowed and went to follow his orders. Rose and William exchanged surprised glances.

They accepted their pieces of meat gratefully and ate slowly. Rose knew she could survive on the meager meal; she had survived on far less as a beggar. She did feel awfully sorry for William, though, who was bigger than her and not used to eating such insufficient meals.

Within two hours, the clearing was completely packed up, with only a few scouts left who would remain to keep watch. Rose was handed a new pair of shoes from a woman - they were a little large, but she was grateful for the protection they would give, nonetheless. She had been dreading the idea of walking through the forest barefooted once again.

There were not enough horses to go around, so about half the company would be required to walk each day. Rose and William were no exception. Their ropes were tied to the saddle of one horse, where they would be tugged along by the animal.

William seemed to look in every direction, as if trying to find a solution to their predicament. Rose could see none, and she stared at the ground miserably, trying not to think about being taken even further away from Tristan.

As the horses began moving, there was little to do except talk. While Eliad and his men remained silent, the townsfolk did not hesitate to fill the forest with the noise of their excited chatter. None paid attention to the two captives who followed the horses with their heads held high.

Rose found the walk much more comfortable with shoes on, but she still stumbled whenever the horse moved too fast for her or the terrain became too uneven. William found it easier to keep up, but it did not take long before they were both puffing. Every now and then people would look at the pair and laugh or whisper, but Rose blocked them out and focused on where she was stepping.

Rose was soon desperately thirsty - her throat seemed to burn from the dryness and her huffing breaths only made it worse.

"Hold on, Rose," William murmured to her, the only encouragement he could offer. "This will all come to an end soon, I promise."

"William," Rose rasped out through the dryness. "I am glad to have you here with me, even though I hurt to see you suffer. I feel safer with you here," she admitted. William gave her a tiny smile in response.

"A kinder travelling companion I could not ask for," he replied. Rose huffed out a breath of laughter.

"Travelling companion? Is that what we are calling it now?" She giggled.

William laughed with her. "It is a poor definition for what we are, I admit, but it does sound better than 'captive'."

"Your family must worry for you whenever you leave on duty," Rose commented.

"Unfortunately I do not have any family; neither am I married or betrothed," William admitted. Rose gaped.

"I am truly sorry; I did not mean to bring up unpleasant thoughts."

"Not at all; there is no need for guilt. I do not hide my past from those who ask. Sometimes terrible things happen if life, but we must simply try to keep moving on and change the world where we can."

"Is that why you became a knight?" Rose asked, now curious.

"It was part of the reason," he admitted. "My parents both died serving the King, and my father was a knight. I suppose that receiving my Knighthood makes me feel like I am... following in their footsteps, or at least making them proud."

"Oh, I am so sorry about your parents. I discovered only recently that my parents, too, died serving the King. I am sure that if your parents were alive, they would be exceptionally proud of you."

"Thank you, Rose," William replied with a small smile.

"What were their names?" She asked curiously.

"Daniel and Roseanna Culbert."

Rose's mouth would have hit the ground, if such an act was possible. Surely she had heard wrong.

"What?" William asked, baffled, as Rose stared at him in shock.

It could not be possible. Surely not. No, it could not possibly be true. William could not be her... brother.

"I am sorry, I must have misheard you, for I am sure you said your parents were Daniel and Roseanna Culbert," Rose began.

"Those were their names," William interrupted, confused.

"Which cannot possible be true," Rose continued, "for my own parent's names were Daniel and Roseanna Culbert."

Now William's expression matched her own.

"Y-your name is..." William stopped talking in surprise.

"Rose Culbert," she finished. "And yours is-"

"William Culbert."

They stared at each other in amazement. Rose studied him. Though her eyes were grey and his blue, they both had the same shade of blonde hair and, she supposed, similar facial features. For years she had thought she was all alone, yet here stood a man with the same name and same story as her.

"How old are you?" William asked.

"Nineteen, nearly twenty," Rose replied. "And yourself?" She asked when William did not respond.

"Twenty-three," he finally said. Twenty-three - only a year younger than Tristan. Rose felt as though her heart might fly out of her chest. The idea that she could have a brother was almost too much to bear. But more curious was the question - why did she not remember ever having a brother? She was only four when her parents had died, but surely even then she would have remembered such an important fact.

"I do not remember you," Rose admitted quietly.

"You were probably too young to remember. Time fades our memories, especially when we are young," William murmured.

"But how could I forget such an important detail? How could I simply not remember you? How can any of this be true?"

"I had a sister, I called her Ro," he said simply. Rose's eyes slowly began to fill with unshed tears. He remembered her. It was true, it had to be true, that here stood her very own older brother. A pang of grief filled loss hit her. Years and years they had wandered without each other. He had never seen her grow up, she had never seen him turn into a strong, noble knight.

"Where were you? Why did you never come for me?" She asked through her tears.

"I did come for you," he told her. Rose shook her head, too baffled to comprehend his words. "I was staying with a friend for a few nights when our parents were killed. The journey home was only a day, maybe a day and a half, but it was too late. When I arrived at our home, you were gone. They told me you were dead," William said, his voice cracking with emotion. Dead?

"Who did?"

"The knights at our house, there were three of them. I was only a boy; I could not have known otherwise. I thought they were telling the truth," William's own eyes were filling with tears. "I thought I had lost everyone, my mother, father, and sister. I am so, so sorry, Rose. I am sorry I didn't come for you, I am sorry I did not search for you, I am sorry I let you down," he said through his tears. Rose shook her head slowly and wiped away her own tears with her arm.

"It is not your fault. You did not know."

"My sister," William murmured. Rose did not doubt that he would be embracing her, if not for the fact that they were tied up and being pulled along by a horse. "What happened to you? Where did you go?"

"I was taken to an orphanage and raised there. When I was thirteen I was released onto the streets. There I remained for six years," Rose explained quietly, almost ashamed.

"A beggar?" William asked, seemingly horrified.

"Aye," Rose whispered. Rage filled William's face.

"If I ever find the bastard that dared to separate us, I swear I will get my revenge," William fumed.

"I am afraid he is currently holding up captive."

If William's face had been shocked before, it was now downright flabbergasted.

"Eliad?" William asked, disbelievingly.

"He admitted as much. He took me to the orphanage - I can only assume he was the knight waiting for you at our house."

"Why would he separate us?"

"He is trying to turn as many people against the King as he can. I grew up thinking it was the King who had executed my parents," Rose told him. William shook his head and frowned deeply.

"To think I lost years of seeing my sister, all because of the spite of one man. I swear I will kill him the moment I have the chance, and I will do it gladly."

Rose flinched at the venom in his voice. She did not dare to respond to his statement.

"Where did you go after you went back for me?"

William shrugged. "I was only a boy; I did not know what I was meant to do. A stableboy met me when I was in town and said I could help him. The stable master did not seem to mind, so I worked for him for a few years. It was not a glamourous life, but I was cared for and had a safe place to sleep every night."

"And then what?" Rose questioned.

"When I turned thirteen, I was old enough to begin training as a squire. I am sure I would have been denied training as a knight - I did not have wealth or status - but when the King discovered my name, he had compassion on me. It was within my rights to train as a knight, so I did. I have been under the service of the King ever since."

"I am glad you were cared for and always protected," Rose said.

"I wish it had been the same for you," William muttered.

"It does not matter anymore; it is all in the past."

William was quiet for a moment, until his expression turned amazed.

"Wait a minute... am I correct in saying that my sister is the one who the Prince has fallen in love with?"

Rose blushed a little.

"Are you angry?" She asked.

"Of course not! I am overjoyed. Prince Tristan can be a little rough on the outside, but he has a heart of gold. I could tell how much he loved you, just from travelling with him for such a short time. I could not ask for a better partner for you. He will, I imagine, be very surprised to find out our relationship."

Rose smiled. "Do you think I will see him again soon?"

"He will come for you, I promise. No matter what he faces, he will find you soon. I told him," William lowered his voice to a whisper, "to assume something bad had happened if I did not return within a week."

"What can he do?" Rose whispered back, dismayed. He had been unable to rescue her the first time; Eliad would surely kill him if Tristan arrived a second time.

"Fight," William answered with such determination and force it surprised Rose. "He will attack Eliad. This has to come to an end sooner or later - Tristan will simply... speed up the plan."

Rose paled. All of this danger and risk simply to save her.

"It will be well, you will see. Do not let these things worry you," William said with a smile. Rose returned his smile with her own.

Eliad eventually brought the travelling company to a halt, and advised that they should begin setting up camp for the evening. Rose and William had their ropes tied to another tree, but this time they were left standing up and able to move a few paces. William immediately moved to hug Rose as best as he could with his bound arms. It was a strange feeling hugging a near stranger, yet the peace that came with being with her brother was nearly overwhelming. Rose wished she had been with William her whole life.

"Forgotten your Prince already, Rose?" Eliad sneered as he walked past them. Rose pulled away from William and glared as venomously as she could.

"Never!" She hissed out. Eliad glanced over his shoulder and rolled his eyes. "William is my brother," Rose said. Eliad stopped short and turned around with genuine surprise on his features.

"Well now, that is a surprise. I thought you were all alone, Rose?" Eliad responded with a quiet snicker.

"So did I," Rose replied with her glare still intact. William looked like he was holding back the urge to shout many uncouth things at the man facing them. Eliad studied the pair then moved away, not bothering to continue the conversation with them.

The sun eventually faded and dusk appeared. When the rest of the villagers ate and were merry, William and Rose were starved of any food. They were both given the smallest amount of water, much like Rose had been given the previous night, and then they were left alone. Rose's body was feeling the exhaustion of travelling for so many hours without proper food or drink.

When night had settled over the clearing, Rose was exhausted and miserable. She was tired of seeing trees and trees, she was tired of having the ropes tied around her skin, she was tired of sleeping on the hard ground, and she was tired of being forced away from Tristan. Every heartbeat seemed to hurt more than the last one, as distance and longing made itself known.

Rose laid on her side, facing away from William and away from the tents. When Rose sniffed, a product of her pain, she felt William reach over to pat her shoulder gently. He spoke quietly, but his words gave her hope.

"Just hold on, Rose. Hold on. We will be free soon, I promise."

Rose drifted to sleep with the sound of her brother's rhythmic breathing lulling her into relaxation. My brother.