The Way is Found

Jeremiah finds a way to save the slaves.

I walked into the princess's chambers. The little girl was sitting on the bed, looking at the ground. Tears were dripping off her nose. She was devestated.

I held back tears, remembering me when my father had died.

I sat down on the bed beside her. I put my hand on her head and slowly twisted her silky black hair, "Hello." I said quietly.

The little girl didn't reply at first, she just looked at me with those ocean blue eyes. She finally replied, "Hi."

"Are you okay?" I asked, knowing what the true answer was.

"No." she whispered.

I smiled slightly, I love how children always speak their minds. They aren't afraid to tell the truth, "I lost my mother when I was about your age too."

The little girl looked at me, "I'm sorry."

"Me too." I said, "She was very sick."

The little girl nodded.

"My father was murdered when I was fifteen."

"You're an orphan?" the little girl asked.

"Yes." I replied sadly.

"Me too..." she said.

I looked at the ground, "What's your name?"

"Hope." she said.

"Hope? That's a very pretty name." I said with a smile.

"Thank you. What's your name?"

I looked into her deep eyes and said quietly, "My name is Jeremiah."

"What does that mean?"

"It means God will raise up; God will set free." I replied, "And Hope means trust and faith."

Hope's eyes filled with tears. She hugged me tightly and began to sob. The warmth of her tears soaked into my robe. Her hug felt like my father's. I returned the hug and tears slowly fell down my face.

Little did I know that Jade was watching, and crying as well.

Our embrace lasted like what seemed hours.

Suddenly, there was a loud crash. Hope let go of me almost as fast as she had grabbed me. She lunged to the window and look down into the streets below.

I slowly walked to the window, wiping the tears from my cheeks. I looked through the window.

"COME BACK HERE!" a merchant yelled at a boy in robes who was running away, "GIVE ME THOSE!"

I slightly smiled, "I guess that merchant was robbed."

Hope nodded, "Yeah."

"It doesn't really make sense though." I said, "I mean the boy couldn't out run those guards. How'd he get away?" I asked myself.

"Well, it's because he's wearing those crazy travelling costumes." Hope answered, "What are the point of those anyway? Why do everyone wear it?!"

I smiled, "The cape can be used for many things. They can rip it off to mend their wounds, and they can use it to protect themselves."

"What about those weird looking masks?" Hope asked.

"That's so they can breathe, otherwise a whole bunch of sand goes into their mouths, you know?" I said patiently.

Hope shook her head, "Well one's thing for sure, it helps them blend in. Not to mention the merchant won't ever know who that guy was cause of the mask."

"Very true-" I began. Suddenly, I had an idea, "I gotta go, Hope."

"Uhh.... okay. When will I see you again?" Hope asked sadly.

"Soon, very soon I hope." I said as I rushed out the door.

     ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 I ran to my house as fast as I could, "AIDEN!" I yelled as I burst through the front door.

I stopped in my tracks as all the slaves stared at me blankely. There was an awkward silence.

I cleared my throat, "I need to speak with Aiden."

Slowly everyone continued their work. I walked into my room where Aiden was on the floor trying to sew some weird looking clothing together, "Nevermind that Aiden. I don't need it."

Aiden sighed and threw the costume aside, "What are you going to wear then?"

I smiled slowly.

   ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Have you put it on yet?" Aiden asked impatiently.

"Well sorry, but I'm not the one that made this extremely tight head covering." I said as I struggled to put the suit on from inside a closet.

Aiden folded his arms, "Hey! It took me two weeks to make that! So don't you complain, Mr. I'm Too Busy to Help You!"

I flew the closet door open and walked out.

"Perfect." Aiden said in a satisfied tone.

The covering was a beautiful blue. The cape was long and flowy. I could throw it over me for cover, yet it was transparent if you were close enough to it. The cape was connected to a head covering. There was a small mask that could cover my chin up to my nose, and a small hood that went over my head. Thus only my eyes could be seen.

"So I can wear any other shirts or pants?" I asked as I looked at myself in the mirror.

"Yes. I would suggest black pants and a shirt, and a red belt may fit well too." Aiden said as he looked me over.

"Aiden, you're a genius." I said putting out my hands for a hug.

Aiden's smile faded as he looked at my hands. He turned around like he didn't see them, "Anyway, I also have made you a special sword." he pulled out a sword from it's sheath, "I have made the handle much heavier than the end, which can help in combat." Aiden tossed the sword into the air. It spun in the air for at least five seconds then landed right back into his hand.

I shook my head, "I don't know what I'd do without you."

"Me neither." Aiden said with a slight chuckle.

It was the first time I had ever seen Aiden laugh.

I smiled and grabbed the sword.

"I'm guessing you know how to use a sword." Aiden said as he looked out the window.

I laughed, "How to use it? Watch this."

Immediately, I did a back flip, followed by a series of slashes. I tossed my sword in all directions, but not wildly. I elegantly swooped into the air and slashed upward, cutting the chandelier's ropes that it was hanging from.

The chandelier fell to the ground and glass covered the floor. I brought my sword to the chandelier and smiled, "Yes I think I know how to use a sword."

Aiden's eyes and mouth were both wide, "Wow..."

I smiled, "Now clean up this mess." and with that I left the room.

Aiden sighed, "Wow..." he said as he looked at the mess.

         ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Hey Hope." Jade said quietly as she touched Hope's face, "Are you okay? You were screaming."

Hope yawned and sat up in her nice soft, pink bed, "I think it was just a nightmare."

Jade's smile faded, "She has so much strength, but you can tell she's fragile." she thought.

Hope sniffed the air, "What's that smell? It smells so good!"

Jade smiled, "That's my garden."

Hope's mouth dropped open, "You have a garden?!" she asked loudly, almost screaming.

Jade politely put her finger to her mouth, "Shh... we don't want to wake my father. He's not feeling well."

Hope nodded, "Sorry. Could I go and see your garden?"

Jade took Hope by the arms and lifted her off the ground, "Of course, it's very beautiful."

"YAY!" Hope squealed as Jade carried her out of the room.

   ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 "WOW!" Hope yelled as she entered the garden. She leaped down the stairs gracefully and ran to the lush plants growing all over.

Jade closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She exhaled then looked to where Hope had been standing, to see nothing but a cloud of dust. Jade looked around, "Hope?" she whispered, not wanting to wake her father.

Jade walked down the aisles of her garden, "Where'd she go?" Jade asked herself, giggling quietly.

She walked around a corner and saw Hope, smelling a pretty red flower, "There you are!" Jade said in relief, walking towards her.

Hope ran to Jade, "This garden is the most beautiful garden I've ever seen! Did you plant these?"

"Some of them. But my slave-" she stopped herself, "my servants usually do that for me."

Hope's smile faded slowly, "You have slaves?"

"I prefer, servants." Jade said, trying not to make eye contact.

"I prefer neither." Hope said.

Jade's eyes became wet, "I'm sorry." she said, trying not to cry.

Hope decided to change the subject, "So, do you have any pets?" she asked excitedly.

Jade shook her head, "My dad doesn't like animals." she said, trying not to show her resentment to her father.

"Why not?"

Jade rolled her eyes, not answering.

Hope looked at the ground, "Oooh! A snail!" she said happily.

"Disgusting!" Jade said with a frown.

Hope picked up the snail, "Why is it disgusting? It's cute."

"Dispose of it this instant." Jade ordered.

Hope looked at Jade in astonishment.

"What?" Jade asked.

Hope shook it off, "Oh...nothing... I was just...suprised you wanted to kill it." she said, obviously lying.

"Hope, what's wrong?" Jade asked.

She looked up at the sky, "I was just surprised, I didn't know that you brought me here to be your slave-I mean servant."

Jade's eyes widened, "You are not my servant! You are my friend. And sometimes friends do things for each other, as friends."

Hope's wonderful smile returned, "Really?"

"Really."

"So you'd do things for me, as a friend?"

Jade smiled, "Of course."

Hope's smile got bigger.

"Hello!" a voice said.

Hope and Jade turned to see an older gentleman in beautiful robes.

"What do you want father?" Jade asked, annoyed.

"That's the king?" Hope asked excitedly.

"King Frachies the second." Frachies said, "And who is this lovely girl, Jade?"

"This is Hope. I saved her from a guard who was going to kill her."

"Why would he try to kill her?!" Frachies asked angrily.

Hope ran to Frachies and looked at his robe, "Your robe is very pretty! But where's your crown?"

Frachies smiled, "I don't wear my crown when I'm just relaxing. Don't tell anyone but it's uncomfortable." he said with a wink.

Jade walked up to her father, with a frown on her face, "Father, please leave us alone now. I'm showing her around the garden."

"You could show me around the garden." Frachies said.

"No." Jade said, in a "and that's that" tone.

Frachies's smile dropped all of a sudden. He spun on his heel and left the garden without another word.

"Do you not love your father?" Hope asked, turning to Jade.

"No." Jade said, again in that tone.

"Why not? He seems like a nice man."

Jade knelt down in front of Hope, "Before my mother died, he treated me like dirt because I wasn't the son he wanted. And now, because my mother is dead, he thinks he can replace her with my love." Jade said, very angrily.

Hope nodded, "Well at least you have a father that loves you." Hope turned around and walked out of the garden.

"She's right you know." I said, coming from out of the darkness.

Jade turned to see me, "What are you doing here?"

"The king wanted to see me, I was just taking the back door, your majesty." I said, "She's right though. You have a father that loves you, why can't you appreciate that, your majesty?"

Jade frowned, "Jeremiah it is none of your concern. How dare you criticize me?"

"I'm not criticizing you. I am warning you." I said as I walked past her and into the palace.

Jade looked after me, her anger fading.

Author's Note

Tell me what you think.