Betrayal is the name of the game and things get dire

You scream in fear and duck. All around you the bodyguards are falling.. Broderick rides right beside you and with you still screaming in fear, grabs you and puts you on his horse. Now you are riding together through the battle, you can feel him pressed against you, deadly focused on getting you out of there.

He steers his horse towards a small patch of bushes and as you approach, the hidden archers become visible to you. You hear the sound of steel brushing against leather as he take out his sword and begins to slay them from his horse. You just press yourself into the horse's mane, close your eyes and hope it all ends soon.

THUD!

The strange noise is followed by an angry grunt and when you decide to open your eyes and look back, you can clearly see an arrow sticking out of Broderick's left arm. NO! Please no, he can't get hurt, he has to protect you! He charges at the attacker that managed to get him, killing him swiftly and efficiently.

With the way the ambush happened, the other men had to have been stationed there for some time and most likely knew your exact route. While these thoughts are running through your mind, five more attackers appear seemingly out of nowhere, Broderick tries to maneuver out of the situation, but they shoot the horse and both of you fall down on the ground.

"Come at me, you dogs!" Broderick is roaring, standing up in front of you. He seems hurt quite badly, but you can imagine him defeating those cowards even with one arm. Unfortunately, he cannot have eyes everywhere and as he tries to defend you from the men in front of him, you feel a cold steel placed on your neck, your hair pulled back roughly.

"I suggest you stand down, Captain" says voice approaching from the forest. Broderick turns and sees you being held with an extremely sharp edge under your small chin. That voice is somehow familiar, but you still can't place it..

"Salim." Broderick exhales the name with anger and disgust. Salim, the councilman from the keep, one of your father's closest advisors! This can't be, some mistake must have been made somewhere...

"Ahh, your royal highness, seeing your pretty face always brightens my day." Salim steps out of the shadows and gestures for his men to tie up Broderick. They tie his hands behind his back and take away his sword. He shoots Salim an angry look. "Sir Broderick, believe me that I will gladly kill you, but my gut tells me that there are some secrets useful to me, that can be tortured out of you." he grabs the arrow sticking out of Broderick's arm and twists it. A painful grimace comes over Captain's face and then he growls at Salim, who answers with a broad smile.

"And about you..,", Salim approaches you, "...outright killing you is just a simple waste. I have people very much interested in making you disappear and that can be arranged in many ways. For example I know that there is always a very good price for very special ladies, in the brothels at the northern coast. If I let you go at all, that is." he says as he runs his finger down the bridge of your nose, over your mouth and down your chin, pushing your face up to face him. You shake and look away. "Speaking of which." he clicks his fingers at his men. The sword is taken off your neck, as two gigantic members of his party grab you from both sides, dragging you away.

"Get off me!" you try to shake them off, but you might as well try to move a mountain. In your peripheral view you see Broderick getting hit over his head with a crossguard of a sword, falling to the ground ****.

You are then dragged into a spacious tent, build off the path you were on, where the two men bend you over a table and tie each of your legs and arms to the legs of the table. You are desperately trying to get your limbs out of the tight embrace of the rope for several minutes.

The entrance of the tent parts and Salim walks in. Seeing you struggle, from his point of view mostly represented by shaking of your butt, he says "Good, there is still some spirit in you. It wouldn't be fun to break in an already obedient little mare." He closes the tent and approaches you slowly.