Chapter 42

"So how was dinner last night?" Lia asks as Clarice and Millia helps to dress me for the Parade, a cream princess off the shoulder court train lace tulle ball gown with sequins. The bodice is made of intricate lace, the sweetheart neckline cut lower than I would like but the train is what surprised me. We agreed tulle did not look good on me weeks ago, but this full ball gown made of tulle with slight lace detailing really did look good on me.

"It went well. Ron and Liz hit it off with my grandparents and they agreed to coming for more events my grandmama hosts. I think Liz and grandmama are going to be spending more time together." Millia carefully curls my hair into a cascading updo, the amethyst tipped hair pins shining in the light.

"Sounds like she needs it." Millia chuckles out, making me smile.

"She does. Liz and Ron are the only elderly couple in the Slums. She needs a friend her age." I agree as Clarice walks into the room with a pillow in hand, my amethyst tiara on top.

"You have so many tiara's in that closet of yours, why do you always choose this one?" She asks, setting the pillow on the table and carefully lifting the tiara.

"Because it was my mother's. My crown for my coronation crown will be a replicated mix of both her's and my father's crowns." Clarice carefully places the tiara on top of my head, her eyes scanning me from head to toe as she backs away.

"We understand. Our mother died when we were little and both Clarice and I wear a necklace each that we inherited from her." Millia smiles as she stands beside her sister, her eyes also scanning me from head to toe.

"You're ready." With their approval, I tell them to go enjoy the fair today and follow Lia out of my dressing room. Currently we are in a warehouse just outside of the parade route that has been used for years. Sky and the rest of the elite are dressed in black slacks, black boots a cream coloured dress shirt and a blazer in the colour dark orchid – if I call it dark purple I am pretty sure Lidia will give me another lecture about colour theory.

Each one wears the pin I gave them on their blazers, a smile on their faces as they help those in the parade with last minute touches before we prepare to leave. I watch as the farmers and volunteers mingle with one another, smiles on all their faces at the excitement of today. It has been a long time since the Spring Parade was this festive and I was beginning to grow nervous. Today will be my first formal appearance to my people, what if they hate me?

"I can't do this." I state as I start to pace beside the white carriage, Romeo and Juliet already connected to the front watching me with their large brown eyes.

"Yes you can Alli!" Sky reassures, stopping me in my tracks with one hand on my cheek and the other on my shoulder.

"You grew up in these streets, you know the people better than most royals do. You got this." He pulls me into a hug, his pine scented shower gel helping to calm my nerves. I hate when Sky is right because right now he is right. I know the streets of Zalaris better than most and know the Slums of Zalaris even more.

"Better?" He asks, pulling away to look me in the eye.

"A little. Maybe I need a little animal therapy." Sky chuckles at my reply, watching me as I step towards the horses and scratch both of them behind the ear. I look to the massive horses and reach into my pocket as I continue to scratch Juliet, handing her a sugar cube before Romeo buts his head towards the pocket of my dress where I produce a sugar cube for him as well. Just being near these gorgeous creatures lightens my worries.

Parade floats begin to leave the warehouse one at a time, following the instructions of Linda and her crew. I sigh waking towards Sky as he waits by the side of the carriage. Careful of my dress, Sky helps me into the carriage where I promptly take a seat. Sky climbs onto the driver seat beside the driver, the man dressed in a black tuxedo. Alice smiles as she joins me on the carriage in a light cream dress, the only Guard to portray herself as my Lady in Waiting.

"Do you have your gun?" She asks, giving me a once over. It seems she too had Clarice and Millia help her prepare for today. She places a bag on the floor of the carriage and I spy a change of clothes for her and I.

"I do. One of the pockets is fake and gives me access to it." She nods, relief on her face at my answer. We all know today is risky with Juden's men out there. I know deep down we haven't captured all of them but I will not give Juden the satisfaction of knowing I am hidden in my Palace. My people need to see me. Lia and Mia wave to us as they join beside the carriage, both on top of black Friesian horses stationing themselves behind the carriage after making sure I was okay. Alec and Mika are riding in front of the carriage on their own black Friesians, the two joking around. Max was left at the Palace with a squadron of Guards he choose to make sure Juden and the other Traitors in the dungeons behaved today.

Our turn came to exit the warehouse and I take a deep breath before smiling as the carriage turns a corner and a crowd comes into view. I begin to wave at the people, spying a few little girls in puffy dresses as they call out to me. I wave at them, watching as their small faces light up. The parade is long, about an hour as the route brings us through most of the city. We will be ending at the center of the city where the Fair is placed inside a large park.

I continue to wave and say hello to the people, noticing more and more people from the slums. Every so often flowers are thrown into the street, many from women and children. My heart warms at how loving and kind my people are and I begin to think that taking back my birthright as Heir to the Throne was the best decision I made.

As the carriage follows the parade down another street, I can see the edges of the park where the Fair is. We are nearing the end of the parade and I can't wait. I will have an hour of walking around in this gown before I can change into some comfortable clothes and join the festivities.

Suddenly gun shots ring out, the loud bang causing many people to scream.

"Long live King Juden Trilavantas!" Someone shouts, a bullet ricocheting off the carriage wheels.

"Allisara, get down!" Sky hops over the carriage as Alice knees by the entrance, gun ready while she scans the crowd for the shooter. He pulls my body off the seat and onto the floor of the carriage, his own gun out as Sky keeps close in case he needs to shield me from another bullet.

Guards begin to rush the crowd, searching for the shooter, or shooters, as more shot ring out from various directions, the crowd screaming from the attack. I pull out a sundress from the bag of clothes Alice brought and pull it over my head before shimmying out of my ball gown. I am shielded from the carriage walls and Alice and Sky are keeping watch so I know changing now is my only chance.

"We need to get out of here." I shout over the chaos as I pull my own gun out, ready to shoot if need be. I know the area, have ran away from the Police many times from here. I know where to go to get to safety.

"No one knows this area." Mia climbs into the carriage from the back, stating a Guard took her horse to chase down one of the gun men.

"I do. I grew up on the streets remember." Mia nods as she looks to Sky to see what he says. I can tell he is hesitating, knowing that if we run now, the gun me will chase us away from the innocent people.

"Sky its your call, we can blend into the crowd if you take off your blazers." I continue. Sky finally nods, taking his pin off of his blazer and sticking it into his pocket. Mika and Alec are on the outside of the carriage already taking off their own pin and blazers before throwing them into the carriage. I hesitate as I feel my tiara, the conflict of leaving it behind knowing how important it is to me. Alice notices my hesitation and removes a purse from the bag of clothes.

"Give it to me. I will keep it safe." I thank her and carefully remove my tiara from my head, passing the delicate jewelry to her and watch as she puts it into the purse before placing it over her shoulder. Sky looks around one last time before directing his gaze to the driver huddled on the floor off the driving area.

"Make sure the carriage gets back to the Palace." Sky orders, the driver nodding hesitantly. Taking this as my que, I open the right side door of the carriage and carefully crawl out making sure not be seen as I look around and spot an alleyway directly across from me. I grin, making sure the cost is clear before I run into the alleyway, watching as Mia and Lia follow me before Sky and Alice joins us. With Mika and Alec being last, I look at everyone. They look too formal but it will have to do for now.

"Okay lets go." Taking the lead I begin to run through the alleyway, making sure to stop and check around the corners before moving on. This is the same rout I took on the day I was caught and sent to Prison. I know this rout and this time I will make sure I am not caught by anyone.

My shack will be the obvious place people look for me and I know I can't go there. Too many people now know that is my property because of the Slums revitalization program. Instead I think about the area around my shack and smile. There is a large tree house we can run to and hide out in until night fall. It is close to Ron and Liz's house so when night comes, we can rush there and call my grandparents for help.

I make sure not to tell anyone where we are going, not wanting anyone to hear and ambush us. I am even more careful when rounding corners, me or one of the Violet Guards checking to see if the coast is clear. Of course they try to keep me from checking, wanting to keep me out of harms way, but I remind them that I know the back roads better than them and they relent when I take the lead.

"Hello Allisara." A deep voice calls from the shadows, my steps pausing as I turn to an alleyway with my gun held up. Three men step forward just as Sky and the others surround me, their own guns pointed at these men.

"Who are you?" I demand, eyeing them with contempt. They seem familiar, but I can't place where.

"Friends of Juden." The man in the middle states, his blonde hair greasy and unkempt. I bristle at the name of that traitor and glare at them. How dare they show themselves to me after everything he's done.

"We thought that today would be a great day to kill you. I mean you did leave us with out a job." The man on the right chuckles, a scar covering half his face over is right eye.

"I thought you all agreed to behave with and signed a contract with Princess Allisara." Sky calls out, getting a chuckle from the men.

"We left before that happened. We weren't going to be like those pansies that give up with a new Bitch is in charge." Blonde guy chuckles out darkly, his own gun raised.

"I see you are still playing Knight in Shining armor to the Princess. How does it feel to be her bitch?" This time it is the person on the right talking, trying to taunt Sky into doing something rash. I frown, sending a warning shot and shooting his ear off. He screams, his gun dropping as he holds his bloody ear.

"As you can tell, I don't need to protect our Princess." He answers briskly with a chuckle, my own smirk on my face. Everyone else chuckles as the man with the scar rises his gun, arm shaking as I look him in the eye.

"You'll be surprised what you learn in the Slums." I deadpan, winking at the men as I raise my gun.

"Well then I guess you'll be just another Slums statistic when we kill you" Blondie yells furiously, finger on the trigger. Unfortunately for them, they don't get a chance to make good on that threat as Sky, Lia and Mia let bullets fly, killing each men with a shot to the heat for scar face, a shot to the head for blondie and a shot to the groin – which I believe is Sky's shot – before I end the blondie with a shot to the head when he dropped his gun to cover his now exploded groin.

"We should call this in later." Pushing the body of the blondie with my toe, Sky chuckles as I scrunch up my face. To think Juden still had power while in the dungeons.

"We also need to learn who these men had contact with." Mika adds, searching through their pockets and pulling out their wallet, taking their I.Ds. I agree before we leave these men in the streets, making our way through the streets again, this time being more careful not to run into any more of Juden's men. It takes some time, but soon we reach the end of the end of the final street coming face to face with the Slums I grew up in. We need to sneak around using the construction sights to keep under cover and when I mention that Sky takes the lead with me behind him.

"There." I point out to the grove of oak trees and to the largest tree with a treehouse hidden deep in the leaves. We are hidden in the half finish house of one of the residents staying in the hotels, the shadows keeping us safe while we wait to see if anyone is watching for us.

"You go first Alli, we'll cover you." Alec states, Sky agreeing as his eyes scan the surroundings. I nod, gun at the ready before I bolt from the cover of the half finished walls and race towards the ladder of the tree house. Once at the base, I place the gun into my thigh holster before scrambling up the ladder and into the safety of the tree house.

Lia and Mia the first to Join me, followed by Alice. Sky is next, his green eyes full of exhaustion as he pulls me into a hug and kisses me softly.

"Remind me to never do parades again." I chuckle out as the kiss ends, Alec and Mika climbing into the tree house next and chuckling at my response.

"I think we are all done with parades." Mia groans, laying on the floor of the tree house.

"We need to stay here for tonight, make our way to the castle tomorrow." Sky says after a moment of our group trying not to laugh at Mia.

"No, we wait till night fall, which is in a few hours, then head to Liz and Ron's house." I correct. Sky stares at me and I smirk.

"You didn't notice the neighborhood I brought us too?" He curses and makes his way to the only window of the treehouse and I smile knowing that he could see my adoptive grandparents house just across the street.

"The parade was broadcasted throughout the nation; they are probably worried sick. I was supposed to call them when I got back to the palace tonight." I continue, closing my eyes and laying back against the wall. Sky joins me, wrapping his arm around my shoulders and pulling me to his side. We got lucky that the treehouse is large enough to fit all seven of us comfortably.

"Okay, we go with what Alli says." Everyone nods and we wait for night to fall. I pray that it comes quick because if news gets out that I am missing, the Kingdom will be thrown into chaos and any of Juden's men left hidden will do their best to keep the chaos going.