The Vanished Kingdom

The vanished kingdom-welcomed with a different identity

"Is she awake?" A kind voice asked.

Was she at home? Did someone find her and take her home? Or even better, was it all a dream? She asked herself hoping she was right. Slowly she peeped one eye open. In front of her was a man with a bushy moustache and brown fluffy hair. He wore hunters clothing, and had a long rifle in his hand. Beside him was a woman with scrawny brown hair till her neck and a circular face. Her eyes were welcoming and dark brown. She wore an apron and a red ribbon over her head. Around her were 3 other children. Audrey quickly sat up, confused on where she was.

"Where am I?" Audrey asked worriedly.

The woman motioned her back down, "you need to rest, and don't worry you are safe. My husband found you lying outside. While he was hunting he found you outside. At first he thought you were a animal so he tried shooting you," then she laughed, "and aren't we glad he has bad aim! Luckily he missed when he found out you were a human!"

The man smiled shyly, "there were many men following you. And so my son picked you and took you home, while I took the actual catch for the day."

The man spoke with a gruff and deep voice. Audrey looked around. His son had picked her up? There were two boys around her. One looked about eight while the other looked twelve. The eight year old boy had brown hair and looked short and very cute. And the older one had the same features as the younger one, but he was a bit taller. Both the boys had pale green and brown overalls. And the older one had a brown musty hat on. Could they have possibly have carried her? Was she that light? Or did they have another child who was possibly older? Beside the boys stood a petit girl. She looked different than the rest of the family. She had dirty blond hair, and grey steel eyes. She looked about six, but Audrey couldn't tell.

"What's her name?" The little boy asked.

"Does she wanna play with us?" The bigger boy asked.

"Why were men following you?" The man asked.

Audrey head swirled, she didn't know what to say.

"Everybody! She needs rest. I say we let her have some time to herself, and dear," she looked at Audrey, "when you are ready just get freshened up, the bathroom is inside that door." She pointed at a door and then her and her family headed out the door. But before she closed the door she quietly said, "supper will be ready at 6:30, we would all love it if you could come.

Once they left, Audrey lay there staring at the ceiling. Sure she wasn't at home, but these people seemed really nice and kind. And they had saved her! She knew she owned them her life.

Later, she took a bath and felt fresh with each drop of water that fell on her. And after she was all clean she headed to the dinner table inside the main room. The little girl sat on the table quietly while the mother was in the kitchen with her pot full of warm food. Audrey's nose sniffed the food and she felt water drooling in her own mouth. While the father sat in front front of the radio hearing about the political problems, which Audrey had no interest of. And the two brothers ran around the room trying to catch each other.

When the woman saw Audrey she gave her a heart warming smile,"it's really nice to see you dear. Please take a seat, dinner will be ready in a bit."

Audrey sat on the other side from the little girl. She drained out all the voices around her until she heard the dad talking about the princess. That had definitely caught her attention.

"Darcy dear, it's about the princess again!" The husband called out.

Suddenly there was pin drop silence around the room and everyone listened intentionally.

"The princess was last seen at the grand dinner before her disappearance," a woman's voice buzzed on the radio, "this was right after giving her speech of north Claristin being out of the tax usage range and not being able to have the same advantages as the south. Also what could happen is that years from now we are still paying tax while nothing is becoming constructed or better in this side of the city! What do you think of all this Mr. Sleet?"