Daughter to the Prince of Death

Chapter 19: Playing Pretend

Jackson's curt goodbye left me in shock.

I place the toy wolf back down, thanking the owner. Lifting my skirt, I jog towards the direction of Jackson. He owes me an explanation!!

"Jackson!" I call, trying to find him through the crowd. I hop, hoping that his height would allow me to see his hair from above crowd.

"There!" points out Tici.

"Jackson!! Excuse me. Excuse me. Jackson! Wait! Sorry... to your left! 'Scuse me." I push through the crowds. "Jackso—ah!" I trip over some cobble stone, stumbling onto the ground of the main area with the fountain.

Hissing, I clutch my scraped hands. I blink a few times as it seemed that skin on my hands was boiling. It disappears. The rush of hooves and the neighing of horses catches my attention and that of the nearby crowd's. The noises quiet down to a gossiping murmur. "ATTENTION! NEWS FROM THE NEARBY KINGDOM!"

I freeze as the crowd scoots in closer, blocking my view of the square.

"NEWS FROM THE KINGDOM!" The voice rings. I peer through the legs of the crowd to see a group of horses, armored, with I'm assuming soldiers from my kingdom.

"THE PRINCESS AURORA IS MISSING!" call the soldiers. The crowd gasps simultaneously. My eyes stay pinned on the ground, my blood running cold. My soldiers don't speak like that.

No. No... They couldn't've found me... No. No! I couldn't move.

"SHE HAS BEEN KIDNAPPED! IF YOU HAVE ANY WHEREABOUTS OR KNOWLEDGE ABOUT HER OR THE PEOPLE WE WILL DESCRIBE PLEASE LET US KNOW! WE WILL BE SCOUTING FOR QUEEN AURORA. She is of noble-woman blood and breeding with one blue eye and one eye of any other color but blue! Her hair is brown. Her captors, we have determined ARE thugs from across the sea!

The crowd shuffles uncomfortably whispering angry stereotypes about the kingdoms across the ocean.

The 'soldiers' continue, "The leader is a man of red and blue eyes! If you see ANY DARK TRACKERS, known by their drastically different dual colored eyes, PLEASE CONTACT US!"

What!! No!! They did not kidnap me! You tried to murder me!! No! Don't listen to them! They will just kill me!! I was screaming in my head but still frozen solid. My heart pounds louder and louder in my ears. I can't breathe... My breath grows shallow.

"I did see some folks with two colored eyes..." A person next to me murmurs. "But that was two shades of blue! 'ey just a reg tracker!" "Ya but how about that couple at the hats?" "Oh, how about that giant man who bought those earrings?" "Wasn't the girl that helped him also with two eye colors?" "Is that archery winner a dark tracker? I don't remember his eyes"

"WE WILL BE AROUND FOR A COUPLE HOURS LOOKING FOR SIGNS OF THE KIDNAPPERS BEFORE MOVING ON TO THE NEXT TOWN! IF YOU HAVE ANY INFORMATION, FIND US OR LEAVE IT WITH THE INN KEEPERS SO WE MAY GET IT ON OUR WAY BACK! MOVE OUT MEN! YOU, CHECK THE PREMISE!"

The thundering of hooves vibrates the floor beneath me. My fingers twitch, finally moving. The crowd starts to disburse, parting for the soldiers tasked for checking out the people here, talking about the exciting news.

Someone runs into me. It barely phases me, my mind in turmoil. Could they have really realized I wasn't in any of the secret passageways that fast? No... There was too many, plus the dungeon. They are also in chaos... Could they? Or did someone sell us out? "Oh! Miss! Are you alright?" The person speaks to me.

I pull down my hat, my hair flowing around my face. I stand without a word, keep my eyes down and stumble away like a zombie. "Uh miss?" I go deeper into the crowd, lost, unable to function. We were betrayed... but by who? Did we? Am I going to get trapped again? Or better yet, tried to be killed?