A Change in Plans

Chapter 6: A Change in Plans

I woke the next morning feeling refreshed.  It was a beautiful morning.  The sunlight dazzled on the lake.  The birds were chirping.  Soft breezes blew through the trees.  The scenery was gorgeous.  It reminded me of my dream, which I had again last night!

But if there was one thing missing from this amazing sight, it was Alexander.  Where was he?

I sighed as I stood up.  He probably went in search of something to hunt, seeming that there were no animals here. 

As I bent to take a sip of water from the lake, I heard someone coming and tilted my head to see who it was.  Alex emerged from behind the trees, carrying a hand of bananas.

"These are in case you get hungry." he said and placed the bananas on the ground.

"Thank you." I said as I reached down, grabbed a banana, peeled it, and started to eat it. "What about you? Did you find anything to...drink?"

"No."

"Does it hurt to be thirsty?"

He glared at me. "Hurt? It's hell.  It feels like someone lit my throat on fire and there is no water to put it out."

"Oh...I'm sorry! Is that how it always feels?"

"No.  It's not so much of the pain that gets me.  It's more of the fact that a part of me wants to attack you.  But the other half won't let me.  And it is so hard to keep that vampire part of myself under control.  Anyways, we really should get going."

I nodded, finishing my banana and tossing the peel onto the ground. 

Alexander picked up the hand of bananas and started walking.  I guess that when he said it was time to go, he meant it was time to go. 

I began to follow him through the thick brush. "So how exactly are we going to save my parents?"

"How much do you know about Alazainia, Stella?"

"How would I know anything about Alazainia, if I didn't find out it existed until you appeared in my mirror?!"

"Ahh..right" he smirked.

"So tell me, ya ding dong! Don't stall!" Jeepers!

"Well Alazainia was always a beautiful place.  It used to be ruled by a great king and queen.  There names were Raoul and Nazira Picarre.  They had the perfect family too.  Two kids, a boy and a girl.  And the only person in the whole country who did not like the king and queen was Raoul's brother, Raziel.  In fact, Raziel hated his brother.  He tried several times to kill him.  Raziel was jailed, but in an act of compassion for his brother, Raoul changed his sentence and banished him instead.  Several months later, Raoul's son went missing.  Frightened for their daughter's life, Nazira took her and fled the country, while Raoul stayed behind to search for their son.  Naturally, the first suspect was Raziel.  So Raoul went to his brother' house.  Unfortunately they found no evidence to prove that Raziel had taken the boy.  After years of endless search, the king lost hope and gave up.  Nobody is quite sure what happened to Raoul and Nazira, after the devastation of not finding their child.  Some say they fled the country.  Others say they died of a broken heart.  As for me, I believe that they left the country to protect themeselves and their daughter.  But one thing is for sure, somewhere in this cold world, their daughter is alive and well."

"Wow." I said, trying to remember every word he said. "But what does that have to do with my parents?"

"Don't you get it, Stella? You're parents are Raoul and Nazira!"

"What?! No that's not true!" I was stunned by what he said. "My parents are business people! Not a king and queen! And their names aren't Raoul and Nazira Picarre! They are Joseph and Maggie Baker!"

Alexander stopped walking.  I almost walked into him.

 "Stella, they are you're parents." he said, very seriously.

"And how would you know?"

"Because I have this." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a photograph.

My hands began to shake as I looked at the picture.  There sitting on thrones, were my parents.  And on my mom's lap, was me.  An infant.  But sitting on my dad, was a little boy that I didn't recognize. 

Tears began to fall from my eyes.  My entire life was a lie. 

My tear covered eyes stared at the little boy.  He would have been my brother.  My brother...that sounded weird.  What sounded even weirder was Princess Stella Picarre.

"What are you thinking?" Alexander inquired.

"I'm thinking about how I'm a princess." There was that funny word again. "And how I have a brother."

"Had.  You had a brother." He corrected.

"No.  You said he went missing.  That doesn't mean he's dead! He could still be alive out there somewhere!"

He rolled his eyes. "Doubt it." he mumbled.

"Are we gonna go? Or are we just gonna stand here?"

He nodded and began walking again.  I continued on behind him.

 

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We had been walking silently all day.  Occasionally I'd ask what something was, but his answers were only basic ones.  For example, I had asked what a particularly odd looking bug was.  And his response was "A Pigroy bug." And that's how it went all day long. 

"I wonder what time it is." I said.  We were walking across a large field that had a tree in the center of it.

Alexander looked up at the sky. "About 7:30 PM."

"How is you're thirst?"

"It wouldn't be that bad if you would just stop reminding me of it!" he snapped.

"Sorry."

Alex stopped dead in his tracks and stiffened.  This time, I did walk into him.

"Hey! What's the..." I began to protest, but he silenced me.

He stuck his nose up into the air.  Clearly trying to get a good scent of whatever he heard.

"What is it?" I whispered.

"It's...nothing.  False alarm."

"Oh." I felt relief flood my body.

He looked at the sky again. "It's getting late.  You should get some rest.  We'll camp under that tree over there." He pointed to the tree in the middle of the field.

"Okay." I walked over to the tree and plopped down onto the cold, wet grass.  I felt the weight of exhaustion push me into a deep sleep.

 

Alexander:

I watched Stella until she was out cold.  She looked so appetizing.  But I had a job to do.  And I had every intention of doing it right.

I turned away from the girl and went to the edge of the field.  A man appeared from behind the tree that he was hiding behind since Stella and I arrived in the field.

I recognized him immediately. "Perrin you idiot! You almost blew it!"

"Sorry, Alex."

"You are so stupid!" I growled. "What are you doing here anyways?!"

"I bring a message.  It's from your uncle." He stuck his hand into his sack and pulled out an envelope with a little gold symbol on the front.

I snatched it from his hand a tore it open.  The letter read:

 

Alexander,

         I trust that you and the princess are near.  But there has been a change in plans.  She is to be jailed upon arrival.  Then I can torture her and her parents until they all die a long, harsh death.  I am telling you this to warn you.  If she comes back with even a little bit of blood missing (and believe me, I will know), I will have you burned at the stake.  And any attempt of rescuing her, will be grave for you.  Remember, I will be watching....always.

                Sincerely,

               Your ever loving uncle

 

I looked away from the letter. "Perrin.  I want you to tell my uncle that I will follow his orders.  And that not a drop of her blood will be spilled."

He nodded.

"Go!"

He nodded again.

"NOW!!"

"Oh..yes.  Right sir!" he said as he took off into the woods.

I returned back to Stella.  She was still asleep.  I bent down and felt her skin.  It was even colder than it was last night.  I took off my jacket and laid it across her body.  I have to admit, there was some part of me that wanted to take her and run.  Run far away from Alazainia.  Far away from anywhere that my uncle could get his greedy hands on her.

But as I thought this, the side that was loyal to my uncle began to fight back.  He raised me, when my parents did not.  I owe him my servitude.  His teachings have saved my life so many times.

I sighed.  So what was more important? The girl I wanted to protect, or the man I owed my life to?

 

 

 

 

 

Reviews

[Alyssa]

Great edit!
I really like what you added in, it made it above perfection :)
I really like how he is so grumpy it intruiges me.. maybe later on he will open up.

[Alyssa]

Ooooh!

I laughed at this: "How is you're thirst?"

"It wouldn't be that bad if you would just stop reminding me of it!" he snapped.

"Sorry."


hahah funny... stella sure is a talker, and he is not patient.
Hmm, little adivce, i feel like their walk to that field with the one tree seemed like a s second walk.. and it was already nighttime and i thought it went my too fast... so maybe try showing how they have been walking there all day long, so the day doesnt feel like it lasted a minute hahah :)

otherwise it was my favorite!;)