Free Last Knight (The Champion Chronicles Book 2) by Brad Clark

that had been thrust upon her finally were so overwhelming she just couldn’t take it anymore.  Lord Martin was handling many of the daily duties of running the kingdom, but he was constantly worrying about this thing or that.  Everything was a crisis to him and he was constantly badging her to make decisions that he wanted her to make.
    She missed the days when she and Melanie could ride out into the forest for a day’s adventure.  The first thing that she would do when she returned back to the castle after her walk would be to find her friend and take two horses for them to ride.  She was the queen!  She should be able to do anything she wanted.  But it had been even longer since she had seen her other friends in the city.  The ones who really needed to see her.
    With a long stride, she made her way through the crowded streets towards the center of the city.  Keeping her eyes low and avoiding eye contact with anyone, she was able to maintain her anonymity.  The last thing she needed was to be recognized in the middle of the street.  It wasn’t long before she found herself on quiet streets near the main city walls.  She knew exactly where to go, as she had been there a hundred times.
    The house looked the same.  It was really more shack than house.  A dirty curtain hung in place of a door.  With winter coming, it would take more than a curtain to keep the cold out.  Something would have to be done about that.
    “Hello?” Elissa called through the doorway.
    “Yes?” the voice was soft and quiet.
    Elissa stepped through the curtain and was met with a joyous shriek.
    A little girl rushed at her and put her arms around her, squeezing her tightly.
    Elissa pulled away just so she could see the smiling face.  “Mary!  You are on your feet!  You are well?”
    Mary gave Elissa a toothy smile.  “Yes.  I am better!”
    Elissa knelt down and pulled Mary back into a hug.  She held her close and tight. 
    After some time, it was Mary who pulled away. She wiped a tear from Elissa’s cheek.  “You are crying.  Are you sad?”
    “No,” Elissa said with a wide smile.  “I am happy to see you up and running around.  The last time I saw you, you were so sick.”
    “Mommy said it was because of you!”
    Elissa shook her head.  “Oh, no.  It was all you.  You are strong.”
    “She is right,” a voice said from the doorway.
    Elissa stood to see Mary’s mother carrying a bucket of water.
    “Hello, Minnie!”
    Minnie bowed her head and curtsied.  “Your Majesty.”
    “Minnie!  We are friends, you do not need to do that!”
                  “But you are the queen,” Minnie said.  “It is what is proper.”  She set the bucket on the ground just inside the doorway.
                  “Mary is doing so well!” Elissa said.
                  Minnie tapped the bucket.  “It is the clean water.  When you told us to start using the well in the center of the city, it seems that many of the sick got better.”
                  “That is good news!” Elissa said.  “I thought the water from your well tasted funny.”
                  “It had been so long that we have been drinking that water, it seems that we did not realize how bad it was.  The water from the other wells actually taste better!”
                  Minnie looked over at the bucket and said, “It is clean enough, but there is very little for us to use.  We use the water from the old well for cleaning.  But we don’t cook with it.  We don’t want to get sick again.  But that little amount is hardly enough for us for the day.”
                  “Why can’t you get more water?  There should be enough for everyone.”
                  Minnie shrugged her shoulders.  “There is always a line at the well.  The merchants can get a full bucket, but they only let us get a little. They say they don’t want the well to go