Royal Rebel 4 ~ The Return

Chapter 58: 'Plan E'

Black, leather boots padded against the sandstone floor of the library as Ulia paced in circles, anxiously waiting for any updates on Sammy. She hadn't returned since the invasion into the clan began, and she feared the worst had happened. But her fears were put to rest when the woman burst down the doors into the room and stumbled in.

"Samantha! Where have you been?" Ulia hissed, watching as Sammy practically fell forward into the bookshelf so she could have something to lean on. "I've been waiting for my next order."

"Did you leave the entrance to the North Wing unguarded?" She huffed, pushing herself away from the bookshelf, only to have to grasp it again for support. Ulia shook her head. "I'm going to go search for our main targets. If you're certain our prisoners are guarded well enough, I want you to come."

"I'll go check one last time." Ulia bowed her head to Sammy, and then she left to go check the guards she had assigned to the North Wing entrances.

~~~~

"Alright, we may be at a rest point for now, but Ulia and Sammy are still out there looking for us," My father told us as the four of us hid in one of the large conference rooms off to the side of the main halls. "I think our best option would be to fight on the frontlines with the army to weaken the clan as much as possible."

"But what about reaching the North Wing?" My mother asked, watching as he creaked the door open to look out into the hall one last time. "We still have to get up there and rescue everyone."

"Ulia is most likely lurking somewhere in those halls. We can't take any chances, especially when we'd have to go through the main halls to get there." My parents thought carefully about our situation, and Ellet and I did the same. Now that we didn't have Azu, and since we lost the track of Sammy and Ulia, we'd have to revise our strategy.

"There is another way," We heard a voice come from behind us, and we all turned to see Melanie sitting in the shadows of the back corner. She stepped out into the dim light, spinning a chain of keys around her finger. "I know this place like the back of my hand, and I've figured out an even better route to get to the North Wing!"

"But what about Ulia? She's going to find a way to find Idalia if we go straight to her." My father countered, but the sly smile on Melanie's lips never faded.

"Because Idalia won't be there." She looked down at Ellet, and we all turned in his direction. He quickly noticed us all looking at him, and his ears turned down as he tried to figure out what her plan was. "I could just take Ellet, and the three of you could continue to fight and lead the army through the clan. We'll find a way to free everyone."

"I have no doubts in your strength, Melanie, considering you've been helping us fight against your own clan since we arrived here, nor do I have any doubt in Ellet's, but Ulia is powerful. We have no idea what other tricks she could have planned for us." My mother warned her, and Ellet still looked nervous but he stood up and cut in to the conversation.

"We'll be fine. And once we can free some of the others, we'll have extra strength by our sides." He said, and Melanie agreed with him. "Besides, that's where Urbosa and Riju are at with Naboris. They're helping to secure the area."

My parents exchanged looks, trying to decide if they wanted to believe that Melanie and Ellet would be alright. But after a moment, they both nodded, and then they turned back to the pair.

"We'll trust you to go, but please don't make us regret it." My mother said, and Ellet gave her a firm nod and a small smile. Melanie walked towards the double doors that closed us into the conference room, and she gripped the handles.

"Alright, we better get moving. The faster we can get to the North Wing, the faster we can save everyone and get back with the group." She pulled the doors open, and as she was about to take a step out, she glanced up and stopped when she saw her liege standing on the other side, arms folded with narrow eyes that glared her down. "Oh, uh, Esther, how nice to see you."