Banished: Book 1 of The Grimm Laws by Jennifer Youngblood, Sandra Poole

have no right!” Her eyes went to the ruined apples all bruised and smashed. She’d spent all morning gathering them. The sun was now high in the sky. There was no time to gather more and take them to the market. Her eyes filled with tears.
    “The maiden is crying.” He made a sucking sound with his lips. “She needs her mama.” He gave one of her braids a cruel yank.
    “Stop!” she cried.
    He bent down and grabbed her shoulders. His putrid face was a fraction away from hers, so close that she could see the pores on his oily nose. His eyes took on a peculiar light. “Thou art pretty,” he sneered, “for a milk maid. How’s about giving me a kiss?”
    Her nose crinkled in disgust. “You smell like a pig sty,” she said backing away. This brought chortles of laughter from the other boys.
    His jaw tensed. “Filthy maid! Dost thou not understand to whom you speak? I am a squire in training. Any maiden would be honored to give me a kiss. That which ye do not give, I will take, and then I’ll rub thy face in cow dung for the insult!” Roughly, he pulled her to him. Panic overtook her, and she clawed him across the cheek, drawing blood. He let out a yelp and backed away, holding his face. When he looked at his hands and saw blood, his face turned purple. “I’ll teach thee …” He raised a fist, and she braced herself for the impact.
    “Lucas, enough!”
    She looked up. One of the boys had caught the brute’s fist and was holding him back.
    “Leave her be. You’ve had your entertainment, and now it’s over!”
    The brute turned on the boy. “Dost thou dare question me?” The brute stood a head taller than the boy and was about two sizes larger, but the boy remained undaunted. “Ye will leave her alone!” he said firmly, “or I will be forced to teach ye a lesson you’ll not soon forget.” The brute lunged at the boy, and they both went sprawling onto the ground where they rolled in the dirt, punching. After a moment, they got to their feet, breathing hard.
    “Thou wouldst ruin a friendship over a worthless milk maid?” the brute said.
    “No human being is worthless. She has given us no offense. We are the ones at fault. We destroyed her apples, and then you attempted to do far worse.”
    The brute threw a punch, but the boy easily sidestepped it. He circled behind the brute and caught him in a chokehold, sending him to his knees.
    “Dost thou yield?” the boy said.
    The only sounds coming out of the brute’s mouth were gulping and grunting as he struggled in vain to get free.
    “I’ll ask only once more. Dost thou yield?”
    Gasps. “Yea!” came the strangled reply.
    “By honor of the King, Give me thy word!”
    “Yea, I give thee my word!”
    He tightened the hold. “Swear it!”
    “I swear!” he croaked.
    He released him. The brute sat on the ground, gasping for breath and clutching his neck. He looked up at the boy, hatred burning in his eyes. “You will pay for this!”
    The boy laughed. “Obviously.”
    He turned to the other two boys. “Take Lucas back to the castle where he can nurse his wounds … err … pride.”
    Cinderella watched in eerie fascination as they immediately complied with the order. She’d assumed that the brute, Lucas, was the one in charge, but she was mistaken.
    The boys grabbed Lucas under his arms and helped him to his feet. As soon as he could stand, he pushed them away.
    They started walking when one of the boys turned. “Rushton? Aren’t thou coming?”
    He shook his head. “Nay, I’m going to try and right the wrong we’ve done to this good maiden.”
    The boy shrugged and they continued walking away.
    He turned, gave her a curt bow, and then held out his hand. “Allow me, Mi’ Lady.”
    She scoffed and refused his hand. “I can manage on my own.” She got to her feet and shot him a hateful glare. “Thou and thy friends have already done enough!”
    He seemed to duck a little beneath the tongue-lashing and had the decency to look