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Chapter Seven
Sitting around the fire, an air of awkwardness fills the cave. Harrison is shivering in a dry pair of shorts that I had to lend him - they are slightly too small - with a hot mug of stew. Renaldo and I had gone and found some edible mushrooms and a few herbs - along with a rabbit I shot - and turned it into a stew, enough to give Kaloua a decent serving too. Slurping a nice, warm mouthful of stew, I gaze around the room.
The witch is hidden in the corner, not having taken a bowl of stew. For some reason, she was not interested in socialising with us at all. She had her cold eyes scanning over Kaloua and me, obviously not happy that we are safe and unharmed. She is cruel sometimes, I have gotten used to her temper over the years. She stays like this for up to a week at a time, and afterwords, she would act like nothing happened. It always confused me.
Renaldo was sitting near Kaloua, sipping his stew. They had become closer in the past year, and Kaloua had become fond of the servant. Though they were only friends, I could swear they had developed their own unique bond.
Harrison is sitting alone, but right next to the fire. His brown hair is damp and his blue eyes alert. He is bare chested, with a rug around his shoulders in an attempt to warm him. He looks up from his stew and gives me a small smile, with a tinge of sadness and relief. How long has he been in the woods? A day? A year? Too many questions, and not the right time to ask them. I shuffle over to him and whisper,
"Why were you in the woods?"
Harrison raises a brow, "Isn't it obvious? I was looking for you. Your name has been cleared, you know."
"Really?"
"Yep. Your mother begged once Ange and I got-" I press my finger to his lips,
"Don't say it." I whimper and he lowers his head,
"My father wanted to marry me off as soon as possible, and sends guards out every day to look for you - to marry off Christian. But I knew that you wouldn't let the guards find you, so I went into the woods every day, hoping you would show up. I was beginning to loose hope until I spotted the 'wild' girl. I didn't recognise you at all, so I was contemplating killing you until you ran off, and I knew something was up. I followed and realised later it was you, so I chased you, knowing I had to find you." He sighs, "I don't want to bring you back...to see Christian treat you badly."
I smile gently, "He won't. He is kind and-"
Harrison laughs, "Things changed when you were gone, Arabelle. Christian tried to murder my father, then my mother had another child, but she has a different father to me. And lots of other chaos happened once you left."
I scowl, "Because I left or coincidence?"
"A bit of both I think. Christian trying to murder my dad is because you left...he blamed Arthur for scaring you off. But my mother having the child was coincidence."
"But Christian used to be so kind..."
"Not anymore." Harrison says and we go silent, staring into the flame as it turns to night time. Kaloua walks over to me with worry in his eyes. Harrison was going pale, and that is never a good sign. The witch takes a look at him and thinks he has hypothermia, so she makes a foul smelling mixture to help cure it. Harrison drinks it, then goes to sleep on a rug next to the fire. I go over to my make shift bed and lay down, snuggling into the soft pillow. I watch the night sky, unable to sleep, and only realise just how long it had been when the sun started to rise. I lay there silently and watch as Harrison wakes up and sits up, noticing everyone is asleep - or at least looks it in my case. He stands and walks outside, and I decide to follow him.
He walks along a hidden trail that leads from here to the castle, and I creep down it. He constantly looks back, but I hide every time. Suddenly, he stops and turns around,
"I'm sorry, Arabelle." Just as a group of guards jump down from the trees and shove me into a sack.
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Harrison looks at Arabelle with sadness as the guards knock her out and throw her on the back of a horse.
"Prince Harrison, your wife has been worried-" The lead guard, Lord Fraser, says. He is twenty - a year older than the prince - and is good friends with him. But something about the knight always has Harrion's hair stand on ends.
"I don't care about what she has been." Harrison mounts his horse.
Fraser smiles, "I shall be sure to tell her next time that I will not pass on messages."
"That's good." Harrison says, not looking back to reviel the sadness in his features. He would have to live life how he had been for the past four years, but now, with Arabelle mixed messily into it.
"Is something wrong, Harrison?" Fraser asks and catches up to him. Sighing, Harrison looks at the ground,
"Will you make sure Arabelle stays safe? And preferably doesn't marry my brother."
Fraser raises a brow, "Why is this? She is still in for a year of prison-"
"No, I have convinced my father if I could bring her back that she won't serve time in prison. But will you? I will pay you greatly to protect her. She is my best friend and has been since I was a kid."
Fraser nods, "My loyalty is to you before the king, Harrison. You've always known this."
"I know, Fraser. I know." Harrison says as they enter the clearing leading to the castle. The guards at the front open the draw bridge and the large group enter the castle walls. The King and Queen walk towards Harrison and embrace him,
"Oh darling, I was so worried!" The Queen whimpers, holding her precious son tightly. Harrison laughs gently and kisses his mother's cheek,
"I am fine, mother. Where is Chri-"
"Harry! Oh Harry, is that you?" He hears the annoying voice of his wife, Evangelina, cry from behind the crowd. She shoves her way through, and rushes over to Harrison. Harrison cringes, giving a forced smile,
"Ange, my love, how are you?"
With a sickly cough, she says, "I'm fine." She runs over to hug Harrison, "How I missed you."
He smiles. He had only been gone for two days, not even, and she was attached to him like a leech. He sees his brother rampaging through the crowd to him. Standing tall, Harrison narrows his eyes at his younger brother,
"Where is she, Harrison?" Christian growls, standing as tall as him.
"She isn't any of your concern anymore, Christian. If you don't remember, she isn't betrothed to you as of a few days ago."
Fraser stands forward, "Prince Harrison has demanded me to become her guardian. If you go near her, it is my duty to protect her."
Christian turns to his father, "This is an outrage! She is meant to be m-"
"Harrison?" A weak mumble comes from the sack, still sitting on the horse.
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I open my eyes to see the brown sack. I can hear the voice of Christian, Harrison and a new voice, soft and velvety. I can recognise Christian having a raging moment so I perk up,
"Harrison?" The first name that comes to mind. I should have said Christian...damn it. Someone walks over and opens the sack, revielling a silver helmet on top of a soft face with kind, hazel eyes. The man smiles and lifts me easily out of the sack, showing me the large crowd around. My eyes travel back to the face and he lifts his helmet off to reviel wavy blonde hair. He bows,
"I'm Sir Fraser Dundley...the leader of the Light Knights."
The Light Knights have been around as long as the books know. They are a group of the elite knights, ones who have shows extreme skill and nobility towards serving their royalty. Normally the knights are older than Sir Fraser looks. I give a polite curtesy,
"Lovely to meet you, Sir Fraser."
As I stand, Christian runs over and grabs my wrists, "Arabelle...where have you be-"
"Arabelle?" I here my sister snap in, partially with anger and partially with relief. The relief probably faked. I look up to see her standing next to Harrison. Jealousy fills my stomach as I see him wrap an arm around her, though it looks like a forced move.
Moving forward on my jelly legs, I force a smile, "Evangelina...it's been so long!" I exaggerate my sadness and wrap my arms around her. When my head is at her ear, I whisper, "Act along. We need to seem like we are tightly bonded sisters or they won't accept any of our family onto the throne." I don't specifically say her as I don't want her to be the one beside Harrison.
Evangelina smiles, "Mother and I have been worried sick! Why didn't you come home?"
I shrug, pulling away from the hug and feeling the need to wash myself of her touch, "I was worried you would all be angry at me."
"We could never be angry at you, child. Come here!" I hear the voice of my mother say and turn to see Silvia Tiona herself. She is just as tall and proud as always, but there is something different about her. As though she is younger and more alive. When I see the King following her closely I can only assume one thing. My mother wraps her arms around me,
"I missed you so much." She says in a hushed tone, giving fake sobs and shudders. I nuzzle my face into her shoulder in a gesture of love,
"I missed you to, mum."
As we are hugging, the King laughs, "Now that we have all had our moments...let us feast!"
The crowd of villagers all wander back to their every day life and the rest of us all walk to the castle. I see Evangelina clasping onto Harrison tightly, Christian striding alone at the front with his fists clenched, my mother walking beside the King and the Queen holding an infant and straying behind with some man I don't recognise but looks like he is wealthy and powerful. Then there is me...and Fraser. Fraser is walking beside me as a guard should, since I heard he is meant to bemy guard. His handsome features seem to be more gorgeous in the sunlight, if that is possible.
I turn my gaze away and suddenly feel something poking at my mind. I blink once...twice...and my mind goes blank. I feel as though I am being dragged away and back towards the mountains. I open my eyes to see I am standing in my cave, facing Renaldo, Snow and Kaloua. Worry is etched on all their faces.
"Where are you!" Snow cries and goes to grab my hand but it passes right through. She is using a spell to allow the, to talk to me.
"I am in the castle. I followed Harrison out the cave this morning and it was a trap. They lured me back in." I sigh and turn to Kaloua, "You cannot come near this castle at all, do you hear me?"
He nods, 'But what if you are in danger? I couldn't live with myself if you died.'
I nod, 'I know. I will send you a message if I am in trouble. I promise.'
He looks at me with sadness and walks closer, 'I know what dragon I am, Belle. And I think you know too.'
I look deep into Kaloua's eyes and nod. I've suspected for a while what type he was, and I know I am right, 'An Ice dragon.'
The change that happens right before my eyes is scary. His white scales start to glow blue and change into a ice blue colour. His wings grow icicles from them and all the spikes on his body dissolved and in their place form icicles. His claws become ice and his tail spikes do too. He looks stunning. I go to hug him but pass right through. Sadness overwealms he and his eyes show it does for him too,
'Be safe, Belle. And remember to call for me if you need me.' Kaloua says as the vision wears out. I float back to my body and close my eyes. When I open them, I feel solid again...and with a pounding headache. Fraser is right above me, worry in his eyes,
"Are you ok, Lady Arabelle?"
I nod and sit up, my head pounding even more, "Ah..."
He lifts me into his arms, "It's ok. I will take you to the royal medic."
"O-Ok." I stammer out, feeling light headed. Fraser rushes single the castle and down the halls, and into the medical ward. He lays me down on a bed and the doctor walks in. Smiling, he examines my head,
"She will be fine. Her head is slightly bruised so she may have a headache for a few says, but other than that she will be perfectly fine."
Fraser's brows crease in worry, "Is there anything she should have to make it better?"
The doctor shakes his head, "Nothing really specific. But as much rest as possible would be good."
Fraser and I thank the doctor and he lifts me up, starting to take me back to my house. I try to push away from him and walk but he refuses to let me, probably worried I will faint again. As he enters my house, he lets me walk up the stairs.
"Why did you faint? One moment you were perfectly fine and the next you screamed and stated to cry, then you fainted and fell onto the ground."
I blush at the story, half way up the stairs, "Well, I felt sick and tired, then a sudden headache and I blacked out." I bluffed, hoping he bought it. He raises a brow suspiciously but leaves it. As I reach the top of the stairs I pause, feeling light headed again. Fraser grabs my arm to steady me as he walks be to my room. I lay down in my bed and he pulls the sheets up over me. He sits on the edge of the bed and smiles,
"Go to sleep and rest, Belle."
I give a weak smile before yawning, "Only Kaloua ever calls me that."
I vaguely here him ask who is Kaloua before I fall into a deep sleep.