The Princess Who Returned

Chapter Eleven

After breakfast this time by a river using leaves as vessels and delicacies? Yeah don't ask, this family was extremely weird with their weird everyday meal plans but I guess it was to be expected since they literally had nothing else to do or distinguish between days.

I mean there were potions but that was about it and Trista got bored of stuff like this except for when her brother did anything. She had him on a pedestal so she could never see the little cracks in him despite being his sister.

Regardless, after the weird meal both of us went back to the tree house for my first training session. Once there he gave me the antidote so the training could begin. This was my favourite part about all this and the tree house had become sort of a safe space because of how I had begun to associate this place with freedom.

"Alright lets first go over what we will be doing here. Take a notebook from the book shelf and write down whatever I tell you." I nodded and did as he said.

I got the notebook and seated myself on a bean bag and asked, "Can I get a pen please?" "We don't have pens but you can use my quill." After saying that he handed me a quill and put a bottle of ink on the table. I did not know how to use a quill and asked sheepishly, "Could you write for me?" he looked at me in disbelief and asked, "Please don't tell me that you can't write." "I won't be telling you that but I will be telling you that I can't write with a quill."

I am not exaggerating when I say that he practically collapsed and I offered him a glass of water which he accepted . Once he was calm again he said, "This mission seems impossible now, like seriously how can you not use a quill?!" I said miffed, "We don't use them in Yale, this is the most obvious outcome." "I guess, on the plus side I know where to start." After telling me to sit on the floor so I could write on the table, he went back to the bookshelf.

When he returned, he had brought a book titled diary. "This book is Trista's diary and is a good way to practice writing and learn more about her but before we start copy writing I'll tell you about the guidelines. Please keep them in mind." I nodded and he started, "We will meet here every day after breakfast and stay here until the afternoon. The sleeping draught only lasts that long so this is all we can do." I enquired, "will that be enough time?" he shook his head grimly, "No it is not enough time but it's all we've got because even if she never comes here except to call us for meals, the cameras are always on."

That caught my attention and I asked terrified, "Cameras?!" he nodded and I asked furious at what I assumed was his stupidity or a trap, "Why are we in a place that has cameras?! We will definitely get caught if we keep this up." "No, we won't. I slipped a strong sleeping potion so she won't be able to witness these conversations." "What if it wears off?! WHAT THEN?!" he shrugged and said, "I will have failed and you might experience a terrible fate."

I was amazed at his calmness as he said that, WHAT WAS HE THINKING?! Was this all an elaborate trap? He seemed to sense the suspicion and immediately said, "I am watched everywhere I go by the woodland creatures and they will repeat everything to her. They however cannot get here and these cameras don't record so this is the safest I can get."

I had so many questions now. Was he also watched like I was in Yale? Just how much worse did this get? I however did not want to pry too much and feel sympathetic so I asked him something else instead, "What do you mean by woodland creatures? I thought she killed every living thing in the forest? Now that I think about it where does she even get meat from? I rarely see any animals round here."

He looked away from me and gulped which worried me more. It was clearly something terrible that would be better left unsaid but I did not work like that so I asked him again.

He gulped but looked me in the eye and said, "It would be better if I kept this under wraps for me and you." My dread increased and I said warily, "It has something to do with the other victims right?" he nodded gravely. I regretted prying and he saw it so he said, "I told you it would be better if I kept silent." "but you didn't and now I know or at least have a fair idea, Just how do you expect me to live like this Tristan as a matter of fact how do YOU live like this?!"