It had been three solid days of traveling for Joedan and Amelia. They didn't have any more encounters in the woods like the one night. It was almost the afternoon, when the signs of city life started to pop up on the landscape. They had seen several carriages pass by on the main road. Some traveling merchants and their families, seemed like, to Joedan.
The city's walls came into view. Reaching several stories into the air, startlingly white, Joedan stared in quiet wonder. Most of the towns he had been to were nothing like this. Many guards stood in the front of the drawbridge that led into the marbled city. Joedan helped Amelia climb up from the woodline onto the main road and they headed for the nearest guard.
Recognition lit the faces of the guards when they laid their eyes on Amelia. Very quickly more guards gathered. Hostile eyes fell on Joedan. Before Amelia could intervene the guards had Joedan surrounded. One of the guards kicked Joedan in the back of his knee, causing his legs to buckle as they lowered him to the ground. Another guard grabbed his sword and his pack. Shoving him to the ground, the guards had their spears lowered towards Joedan.
Amelia tried yelling at the guards to stop, but they grabbed her by her arm and started to pull her towards the bridge.
"Lady Amelia, the city has been in an uproar since your disappearance," the lead guard said.
"Men have been searching for you frantically, your father has been beside himself with worry over what happened to you."
"Why are you hurting him?" Amelia asked the captain.
"He isn't the one responsible for taking me. And if he was, why would he walk directly into the city during broad daylight?" She questioned the guard, hands on her hips.
"Be that as it may, miss, our orders are clear. And until this person has been vetted, he will be detained," the captain stood firm. "There is nothing you can do, your lady-ship."
He continued to usher her forward. Joedan still held down by the roadside, was silent as the guards circling him, yanked him to his feet and prodded him forward. Placing chains around his wrists, the guards continued to push him towards the bridge.
The captain and a small group of guards took Amelia and headed in a different direction, with the remaining guards leading Joedan further into the city. Joedan couldn't help but look around as they walked through the city, people in the crowd boo'd at him and some even threw things in his direction.
"How dare you kidnap the duke's daughter!" many in the crowd shouted out at him.
"Just you wait, you're gonna get what's coming to you."
The guards prodded Joedan along the narrow street. Some of the buildings to Joedan's right and left were magnificent. He had never seen anything like it. Used to his humble abode and the small village he hailed from, everything was new to him. He tightened his jaw as the duke's men continued to usher him forward. His wrist was still killing him from his injury with the wolves, and he tried not to make a sound when one of the guards grabbed him by the wrist to yank him forward.
The guards led him to a tall sandstone building. More metal gates. More guards. The lead guard spoke in hushed tones to the new guard standing at the entrance. The gate was opened and Joedan was led inside. A gruff man stood waiting as Joedan entered the room.
"So this is the culprit?" the man asked, not looking at the guards, only staring at Joedan.
"What say you?" The man asked, looking directly at Joedan as he said it.
"I did not take the lady Amelia." Joedan said back. Not breaking eye contact with the man in front of him.
"My name is Commander Griff, and this is my prison," the man said. "You will remain here, until and unless I say otherwise. Nothing happens in this prison without my say so."
"Capiche?" The man raised one eyebrow, daring Joedan to say something contrary.
"I understand." Joedan told the man in charge.
"Good, take this prisoner to his cell."
And with that Joedan was led away further into the building. Brought down a long narrow hallway, prisoners mocked as Joedan was led by.
"Fresh blood. I wonder what this one's done." Some even tried to grab a hold of him through their bars, but one of the guards smacked the shaft of his spear across the offending arm, causing the man in question to pull back inside his cell.
"You know the rules. Hands to yourself," the guard told the prisoner as they continued onward.
Coming to a door on his left, the guards opened the cell and unceremoniously tossed Joedan inside. Joedan landed with a thud and tried to roll himself into a seated position. The guards turned to leave and shut the heavy metal door with a loud click as the key was turned and the lock took hold.
"You're lucky the jail cell is what we were ordered to do with you," the guard said as he turned to leave.
Joedan sat alone there in the dark of his new cell. What happened? Why were they so quick to throw me in here? And why did Amelia just let them do it? Joedan shook his head, leaning back against the wall of his cage, he looked up and questioned everything that had happened to him over the past few days. His arm was still bandaged, some blood had seeped through when the guard manhandled him. With nothing else to do but wait, Joedan tipped his head back and closed his eyes.