Chapter 53

Pouting by my cake, I watch as Demitrias talks to all those girls that surround him, my cousin being one of them. My mother just announced that I am to marry him before my fifth birthday party began and I am not happy. Not once has he wished me a happy birthday or come my way.

The girls are called away and finally he is alone. I do my best to march towards him, wanting to talk to my friend and see why he is being so mean to me.

"Allisara get out of my way." He sighs out, annoyed by me.

"No." I cross my arms over my chest and stomp my foot. He is my fiancé now; he needs to talk to me.

"Move or I will make you." He grounds out, glaring at me.

"Why are you being so mean to me?" I nearly shout, tears filling my eyes.

"Because I don't like you. You're just a dumb girl I have to marry." With that he pushes me to the side, nearly knocking me onto the ground. A pair of arms catch me and the scent of pine fills my nose. Before I can say anything to the person, he gently pulls me into a quiet corner and I find myself crying into his shoulder.

"Are you okay Allisara?" The boyish voice asks, patting my back. I shake my head no, hearing him sigh.

"Wanna tell me what's wrong?" His voice is slow and caring, opposite on how Demitrias treated me. Why couldn't my parents betroth me to him?

"Demi called me a dumb girl who he has to marry. That he doesn't like me." I whimper out, hating that I have to be stuck with such a mean person.

"You're not dumb, and Demitrias only wants to be King. But you can break the engagement when you are older." The voice reasons with me and I look up. The boy smiles at me, his emerald eyes twinkling in the light as he wipes away my tears.

"Anyone would be happy to marry some one as smart as you." He reassures me, pulling me into his arms once again.

"I wish it was you." I admit, my fist clenching his shirt. But he is a gardener's son and a Knight in training. My parents wouldn't allow it.

"Me too Allisara. Me too." My eyes shut as his voice fades away and I feel my little body falling

I am crying again, my wrists sore from being tied in front of me. A man has me thrown over his shoulder, handling me the way the cooks do to a sack of potatoes.

"Let me go." I sniffle, my little voice filled with terror as I try to kick my feet out, but they too are tied together. The last thing I remembered was arguing with my cousin Lillith. How she and her friends laughed and pulled me away from the adults view towards the open door that leads to the garden. They told me they were going to tell me a secret about Demitrias, but as soon as we were just in front of the door, Lillith pushed me outside, her friends laughing as they shut and lock the door. I knocked onto the glass, screaming for help in the cold May rain. That's when the men grabbed me, chuckling about how easy kidnapping me had been.

"Sorry Princess but our boss has ordered us to keep you with us." The man laughs out and I get a full view of his rotten teeth.

"You're going to make us very rich whether you live or die." His friend states right away, the men laughing at this. They became too preoccupied talking about how they will spend their riches and I realize I am still wearing the bead necklace Sky gave to me. I smile, carefully pulling the necklace over my head. Pretending to struggle. I break the necklace and slowly drop a bead after counting to one hundred. I know Sky will find me; he always does. Even when we are training together he always finds me. I keep quiet as the men carry me to where ever their hideout is, the beads beginning to run out. I am soaked from the rain, shivering I from being cold.

"Ah, home sweet home!" The one holding me states, making me drop the empty string.

"We camp here, put the Princess in her new room." A door opens and I am carried into a small shack. Scared for what they will do to me, I try to fight but am thrown onto the floor, a hand connecting with my cheek.

"You will behave or I will make you!" My captor growls out, his rancid breath washing over my face. I nod in fear, not trying to fight back any more and he roughly picks me up, throwing me into a cage by an open window. He locks the cage door, giving me a scoff before walking towards the small fire set in the middle of the room where his partner waits. It was cold where the cage is set but the roof thankfully stops the rain.

'I'll find you' those words goes through my head as I look through the bars at the sky, wondering when my Sky would get here. He promised he would find and protect me no matter what. That he was chosen to be my Knight in the future.

"Find me, please." I whimper out. My eyes grow heavy and I huddle in the middle of the cage trying to stay warm. I can't sleep now but I am so, so tired...

The sounds of battle outside the shack wakes me up, but the sounds of the cage lock rattling is what causes me to bolt upright.

"Allisara?" Someone whispers, someone I had been praying would find me.

"Sky?" I see his emerald eyes and try my best to crawl towards him. The door opens and he crawls inside, taking in my bound wrists.

"Hold still." He warns, taking out a switch blade and cutting the ropes first from my wrists, then my ankles. After putting the switch blade away, the ten year old pulls me into his arms and hugs me tight.

"I told you that I would find you." He whispers, his hands smoothing out my wet hair. I nod, too exhausted to say anything and so relieved to be saved. He helps me out of the cage but my legs give out as soon as I stand. Tears well in my eyes and I am close to crying when he scoops me into his arms, racing out of the shack. I catch three Palace Guards capture the two men that kidnapped me as Sky races to a black Arabian colt, his yearling Noir. I am helped into the saddle first before he climbs up behind me, wrapping his arm around my waist and covering me with his cloak. The heat from his cloak and body warms me up, causing my shivering to slow as he rushes Noir into a gallop. It takes me a moment to realize we are in the northern forest so close to the Palace and I wonder when my kidnapping was discovered.

"We are almost home Allisara." Sky mutters as we break past the treeline onto open grassland. The rain continues to fall around us, soaking both Sky and I but the Palace lights grow closer. We emerge in the back gardens of the Palace, Sky navigating Noir through the paths until we come to the back of the ball room. The cold rushes to me when Sky climbs off but he quickly helps me down before scooping me into his arms, his body heat warming me again. A tent had been propped up just outside the doors and Sky calls out to the Guards there, one rushing inside while another holds the door open. We barely make it inside when I notice my mother and father rushing towards us. Sky carefully sets me on my feet, helping me stand as my mother comes to stand in front of us.

"Allisara, why would you go out side, you know its dangerous." Instead of asking if I was okay, she begins yelling at me, reaching out to grab me but Sky backs away, protecting me from her. I can see anger in his emerald eyes as he glares at my mother.

"Lilith and her friends pushed me outside. They told me they had a secret." I answer back, standing straight.

"Allisara don't lie." My father joins my mother, his own glare directed to Sky and me.

"Lilith said you wanted to go for a walk and she tried to stop you." My father states. I frown, getting ready to argue back when the ball room doors slam open.

"She isn't lying. I have proof right here." The Captain of the Guards – Sir Carlos - announces as he walks into the room with a tablet. He comes to stand before my parents, blocking them from me and I silently thank him for it. Sir Carlos has always been protective of me, especially since he has watched Lillith and her friends bully me on many occasions. Passing the tablet to my parents, I watch their faces go from angry at me, to disbelief, then anger again. I can tell they saw the truth and are ready to yell.

"Get my brother, his daughter and all of her friends in the throne room now!" My father booms to a Guard that stands by the door. He bows before vanishing and my mother tries to step past Sir Carlos to grab me. I swat her hand away glaring at her as I cling to Sky. She didn't believe me so why should I be nice to her.

"Allisara-"

"No! You yelled at me and didn't believe me. I hate you!" I yell back, taking Sky's hand and marching out of the ball room. I know the way to the throne room and don't need to follow them.

"Princess!" Hearing Ellisia's voice, I stop and turn to face her. She and Rainnah are carrying blankets in their hands and are quick to wrap them around Sky and I, Rainnah taking Sky's soaked cloak and passing it off to a Butler.

"I am so glad you are safe." Ellisia cries out, pulling me in for a hug. My tears finally fall as I cling to her, finally feeling safe with someone that actually believes me. Her and Rainnah comfort me, telling me not to cry and that a hot bath is waiting once we deal with Lillith and her friends. They lead Sky and I to the throne room and we find a spot on top of the dais steps to sit, with Rainnah and Ellisia sitting on either side of us.

My parents and Sir Carlos enter moments later, my mother trying to talk to me but I ignored her. She always believed Lillith over me and its only after Ellisia, Rainnah or Sir Carlos has showed proof of the truth that she tries to talk to me. She slumps in her throne and my father comforts her before the throne room doors are opened and my Uncle enters the room, Lillith and her friends as well as their parents following after him.

"You found her." My uncle's first words echo through the room as he comes to stand just before the dais steps, a smile of relief on his face, but I can see the anger in his eyes.

"No, Skylard found her." Sir Carlos corrects him. My uncle goes to argue but My father cuts him off, glaring at his younger brother.

"If it weren't for your daughter and her friends, mine might have been dead by now." My father states angrily. The parents of Lillith's friends call out in protest, stating that their daughters would never harm me, but Guards enter the room, pointing their swords at them and silencing their protest.

"My daughter did no such thing!" My uncle protests once the room quiets down. My father says nothing but nods to Sir Carlos and the Captain of the Guard presses onto the tablet screen. The television slowly descends behind the thrones and soon the security video of what happened is played.

"Allisara, we have a secret to tell you!" Lillith calls out as she rushes to my side, taking my hand in hers. Her friends giggle as they begin to lead me through the ball room and I have a happy smile on my face. They were including me for once. I beg for them to tell me what the secret is but they reassure me that as soon as we are out of sight from our parents, they will tell me. We soon reach the open door and I face them, my back towards the doors.

"So what is the secret?" I ask, hopping slightly in place.

"Demitrias hates you and will marry me instead." Lillith states, her smiling face dropping as she glares at me. Before I can say anything I am pushed outside, falling on the wet ground as rain pelts me. Her friends are quick to close and lock the door as I rush to my feet. They laugh and mock me, saying I will never be queen because Lillith deserves it as I pound at the glass, crying and begging them to let me back in. Lillith closes the curtains and the view of the camera changes to the one outside. I am still crying and begging for help when two men sneak into view. One grabs me as the other bounds my hands and feet before I am thrown over the shoulders of the one that grabbed me. After that we disappear from view and the screen goes black.

"If it weren't for Skylard noticing that Allisara was missing and tracking her down, I would have no heir." My father bellows, the girls cowering behind their parents. I scoff at their fear, knowing that what ever punishment my father hands out, they deserve. The parents of the girls stay silent, their anger and guilt towards their daughter clear as day.

"So now the punishment." My mother calls out, her voice so cold I shiver from it.

"Prince Leonard, you and your family will be stripped of your title and exiled to the borders. You are no longer part of the Royal Family." My father states. Five Guards step forward, ready to usher my uncle and cousin out of the room but the doors to the Throne Room slam open and three Guards walk in drenched in water and dragging my kidnappers behind them.

"Your Majesties, these men are ready to confess something to you." The first Guard calls out, kneeling before my parents. My father waves his hand and the two Guards holding my kidnappers push them forward. They fall to their knees trembling as they begin to talk.

"We are sorry your Majesties!" They cry out, tears falling from their swollen eyes as they shiver with fear.

"Prince Leonard hired us to kidnap the Princess. He said whether she lives or dies, we would be paid so that his family could inherit the throne."

"Liars!" My Uncle shouts, but two Guards work quick in cuffing his hands behind his back and gagging him.

"It's true. We searched through these men's belonging and found a letter with the Prince's seal on it." The kneeling Guard stands and passes a letter to Sir Carlos who confirms the seal is from my Uncle. My father stands from his throne, marches towards my Uncle and takes a Guards sword, stabbing my Uncle through the heart.

"Your family will still be demoted, but for trying to kill my daughter, you will die." The girls my age scream in fear, begging their parents not to let my father kill them. Their parents do not console them as my Uncles body drops to the floor. Sky wraps his arms around me, pulling me close as Ellisia does her best to shield be from the sight.

"Take these men to the dungeon and execute them." My father orders, the Guards complying and taking my kidnappers away. Another two step forward, each taking one of Lillith's arms as they drag her away from her father's body, my cousin screaming and crying hysterically for him. With them gone, the room slowly becomes quiet as my father returns to his throne.

"As for you all." My mother speaks, addressing the Nobles that pull their daughters in front of them.

"Your families will be stripped of you titles as you have all clearly failed at raising your daughters properly. Everyone in your homes will be sent into the out provinces and away from the capitol. Guards will escort you out and the army will help relocate your families." She continues, glaring at the scared little girls that try to hide behind their parents again.

"We will be seizing half of your assets as payment for the hardships my daughter faced." With that, they too are escorted from the Throne Room. Rainnah and Ellisia are quick to escort Sky and I after, my mother trying to talk to me but Sir Carlos tells her there is paperwork to be done and that I must be freezing being soaking wet from the cold rain. She stops trying, her sad eyes following me until I leave her sight. I am taken to my room, Sky taken to the room across from mine, and given a hot bath before being dressed in warm clothing and my hair dried.

After a mug of hot apple cider, I am forced into bed. Rainnah returns with Sky, helping my friend into bed with me and telling us to keep this a secret. We promise and the two Maids leave my room after checking that a fire was lit in my fireplace and turning off the lights.

"Thank you." I whisper sleepily, my head resting on Sky's shoulder.

"For what?" He asks, playing with my soft curls.

"For being there and finding me." I reply with, smiling as my eyes close.

"I'll always find you and I will always be there for you."