Dedicated to that sweetheart above for the trailer. I don't think she understands how happy she made me because of the trailer. It's the first time anyone's done that for little ol' me, so thank you, love!
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Normal people on a lovely Christmas morning would be sleeping peacefully with sugar plums dancing around their head (courtesy of the sugar plum fairy) whilst their young children dashed downstairs in hopes to see what Santa had brought them.
As you can all clearly say without a trace of doubt: Park Sparrow is not normal.
Which was why, at 5:30 a.m. on December 25th, I was eighteen years old and already awake. I was out of my pajamas and in a pair of dark blue jeans with a white sweater on top, Rudolph and Santa printed in a glossy form on the front. I pulled on a pair of woolly brown boots before wrapping my arms around a portable speaker.
I crept downstairs, my footsteps not even making a single noise. There were no workers in the castle today--my father had given them all a holiday leave to spend time with their families. But, the night before, Alfred stayed behind a little late to help me set up for a little surprise.
In the Grand Hall, there was a multistrip outlet plugged into a system that controlled the stereos that I set up through my iPhone. Stereos positioned outside sleeping chambers.
People may say this was childish. I called it tradition. I have done this every year since I turned eleven. My parents and Jasper learned to just ignore it and sleep in. But Archer, Logan, and Alec?
I even had cameras set outside their door just for their reactions.
I scrolled through my phone to find my Christmas playlist. I set the volume to its highest limit and connected my iPhone to the system. Then I pressed PLAY.
Miley Cyrus' version of "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" began blasting throughout the castle. I leaned against the wall, sharing a smile with a portrait of Alexandra Sparrow. Then came the howling and furious yelling.
Doors slammed open and footsteps came pounding towards the Great Hall. Someone was screaming in pure agony. For fun as well, I had speakers set up along the path that would take them to the Grand Hall. Then I changed the song to Selena Gomez's version of "Winter Wonderland."
Notice I didn't choose the old, classy and jazzy versions. I chose the "rock" and upbeat, pop versions. Because they were louder.
Alec was the first to arrive on scene. He looked positively murderous as he stumbled out from behind a corner, his pale eyes scrunched in confusion and anger.
Archer then showed up, his hands clenched in marble white fists. He made Alec look slightly upset with the predicament. My brother resembled a very pissed off dragon, and I swore in that moment, he would've been able to breathe flames and smoke could've risen from his ears.
Logan showed up next, still looking half-asleep. His entire hair was spiked up, some rising limply, some sticking up like he had been electrocuted. He leaned against the wall, and closed his droopy golden eyes, not even bothering to seem angry.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Archer snarled. He walked over to me and attempted to grab the iPhone out from my hands. I dodged out of the way but slammed straight into Alec's chest. The two boys began to corner me, backing me up against the wall.
"This is unfair! Two against one?" I protested as Archer and Alec blocked me from escaping. "Logan? A little help here?"
Logan blinked lethargically before standing upright and dragging his feet over to Archer and Alec. He took place next to me, and for a second, I truly believed he was on my side. Then, he plucked the iPhone out of my hands and handed it to Archer, who grinned triumphantly at me.
"Traitor!" I gasped, wiggling as far away as I could from Logan
"Brethren before wenches," Alec sniggered before striding away with a lazy limp in his feet. Archer unplugged the system before he left. He made a big show of putting my phone into the pocket of his sweats, smiling in a smug fashion before disappearing around the corner.
"I thought I could trust you," I said dramatically to Logan. "But I guess this means you're a traitor. We can't be together, Logan."
He merely chuckled. Logan leaned against the wall with his back, but pulled me closer so that we were barely centimeters apart. "As my girlfriend, you should've been considering and thoughtful of the fact that your boyfriend was sleeping and incredibly tired."
Girlfriend and boyfriend. The girly part of my mentality giggled furiously at those words but on the surface, I merely hit him on the chest. "No one forced you to play World War: Snowball Style with the boys yesterday. Your sores are not my problem."
"You told me I should go play!" he argued. "'Hang out with them, she said.' 'It'll be really fun, she said.' I have bruises!"
"Oh, don't be such a kid about it," I said. Logan gave me a look.
"You were on Archer's side anyway, what are you complaining about?" I pointed out.
"Next time, you join in and let's see how you handle it," he snapped childishly, crossing his arms and looking away from me. He did, at that moment, resemble a child with his bed-ridden hair and pouting expression.
To surprise him, I gave him a kiss on the cheek. But he moved exactly as my lips touched his cheekbone and our lips met instead. Then he grinned and pulled me closer.
"Got you," he laughed against my lips. Logan then pushed my head even closer with his hand against the back of my skull so he could deepen the kiss.
"You're so cheesy," I commented after we drew apart.
"And you like it." Logan brushed a strand of my bangs away from my face. "I want to go back to sleep. Since you were the one that woke me up, you have to come with me."
"Well, aren't you a little frisky?" I joked. "I have to clean this up though," and I gestured to the speaker system to our side.
"Do you need help?" he asked.
"I thought you wanted to go back to sleep," I pointed out. "I'll come by later. It won't take me too long."
Logan raised an eyebrow, most likely doubting my strength. But he didn't make a comment. He kissed me one more time, though. Logan really enjoyed giving me unnecessary butterflies in my stomach with his kisses. It was like he knew exactly when was the best moment to disrupt the beating pattern of my heart, or rob me of any air.
"You're lingering," I pointed out once he let me go. Logan merely winked at me before kissing me on the forehead. He left with a small smile on his lips. It made me actually want to go to his room later.
It didn't take me too long to wrap up all the chords and haul all the speakers to a supply room. But I was a procastinator so it did take a longer time than it should've. I put the video cameras that recorded the reactions of the boys in my room to watch later. Hidden, of course.
After I was done, I didn't go to Logan's room. He needed his sleep, and I was as alive as I could be. Minnie and Zen would be arriving soon, actually. Then we would all have a big Christmas breakfast then proceed to open presents under the gigantic evergreen in one of the libraries.
I went to the empty kitchen, where the pale skies of winter were beginning to filter through the windows. My hand searched for the lights before I found them. Then, I collapsed at the wooden table in the corner, where the cooks and maids would sometimes take a rest at before going back to work.
Dang, I didn't know waking up at five-thirty a.m. could take such a toll on me.
I woke up later to the feeling of someone was watching me. Like a creep. In a groggy manner, I sat up, and saw Logan sitting there."I thought you were coming by later?" he snorted.
"Feeling betrayed yet?" I asked, groaning as I sat up. The mere effort of such a simple task had my face falling flat on the table. It smelled like someone had recently cooked in the kitchen. That wasn't possible, though--I would've woken up to such loud actions.
Logan hissed like a cat and pulled my head up. "Are you okay?" he asked worriedly, brushing strands of my dark hair out of my face.
"What time is it?" I asked, not bothering to answer his question. "Is it the day I died yet because eternal sleep sounds incredibly nice right now."
"No. It's nine-thirty and someone sent me to--"
"PARK!" a chirping voice sang. The sound pierced through my ear drums, causing me to go deaf. I shriveled into a ball just as the doors to the kitchen burst open and Minnie Bellamy burst in. She even wore a Santa hat as she charged in, a thousand-watt smile plastered on her face.
"MERRY CHRISTMAS, PRINCESS PARK!" she bellowed. Minnie may give off the vibe of the gentle, delicate lady--more worthy of the title of princess sometimes than I am--but truthfully she was a very rough girl. Minnie yanked on my arm and quickly crushed me into a bear hug.
I woke up due to the burst of energy Minnie passed to me. I hugged her back, crushing her tightly against me as well.
"I'VE MISSED YOU SO MUCH!" Minnie squealed excitedly.
"Minnie, shut up!" a voice screamed through the doorway. Zen strode in, a Santa hat matching his bright red anime hair, looking more annoyed than me. "I can hear you from outside!"
Zen then wrapped Logan's head with a Christmas hat, wishing him a merry Christmas with an inside voice (thank you very much for that, Zen).
Minnie stepped back from me, a big grin on her face before she took another hat out and put it on my head.
"If you can hear me from outside, Zen, then I've met the standards of an enthusiastic scream," Minnie said simply before looping her arm through mine and frog marching me out of the kitchen. The two boys followed suit, with not as much enthusiasm as Minnie.
The four entered the main dining hall. The arched glass windows facing our personal winter fairyland streamed in pale light from the opal sky outside. So, the glass chandelier hanging high above us was lit, casting a golden glow into the shadows of the cavernous room.
Everybody was already seated at a seat in front the twenty foot long mahogany table set in the middle of the dining hall except for Archer and Alec. They were conversing suspiciously in the corner, looking a bit too grim for my comfort zone. Figuring they were discussing a future prank on me, I brushed it off.
Minnie's parents, Fleur and Jacques Bellamy, were seated by my parents, beaming happily at me as I walked in. Zen's parents were across from them, Christine and Ace Li.
Elijah waved from me from next to Jasper's right, winking suggestively at my hand which was placed in Logan's. His parents (my mother's siblings) weren't here, having already promised a Christmas dinner over in the states with another family.
There was already plates of food set out: mashed potatoes and thick gravy in pristine white bowls, sliced him arranged in such a sophisticated manner that I didn't want to ruin the beautiful image it was placed in. There were cookies and cupcakes and slices of cake arranged like it was a fancy tea party. My parents and grandmother had glasses of dark red wine while the underaged children had--
"This better be Dr. Pepper," Archer and I said at the same, eyeing the soda with critical eyes.
"It is," Jasper replied cheerfully, taking a sip of his Dr. Pepper. Archer and I sighed in relief before sitting down next to each other. Logan took the seat next to me; Alec was across from us, sandwiched between Zen and Minnie.
My grandmother was at the head of the table, with my mother and father on either side of her. She clapped her hands happily. "Merry Christmas to everyone here! This wonderful feast was prepared by my returning grandson and our honored Alexander Darkwood."'
"When was this made?" I asked, definitely not recalling a single moment where Archer was off making food.
"While you were busy drooling on the table, lost in your fantasies, Archer and I had to cook," Alec answered, reaching over to grab a baked biscuit.
No. Way. I slept through that much noise? Concern washed over me as noise erupted in the hall. As everyone moved plates and reached across others for distant food, I was busying worrying over the fact my senses could be slipping. What if this sent me into more dangerous situations? What would happen if I slept through a robbery or an attack?
"If you're worrying about whether you've lost your skills as an agent, don't," Archer said. "You did wake up. The instance we came in, as a matter of fact. And three more times. The only reason you stayed asleep was because Logan was able to get you to close your eyes."
Logan smiled sheepishly at my glare, kissing me on the lips quickly before asking Alec to pass the gravy.
"Why didn't you let me wake up?" I asked. "I could've at least helped then."
"And make my girlfriend, who looked like Death, exhaust herself some more? Aren't you hilarious?" he snorted sarcastically. "Eat your food, Sparrow."
I nudged him in the ribs but helped myself to the food that the A-team had prepared (Alec and Archer--get it, A-team since both their names started out as--alright, it wasn't even punny.)
"Why aren't your parents here?" I asked Logan.
"They're just stopping by the Cimerian agency to pick someone up. He has the blueprints to something," Logan replied. "You're not eating enough, Park," he snapped as he looked at my plate. "One spoon of mashed potatoes?"
"Archer's cooking is poisonous," I whispered loudly to him.
"And your cooking is atrocious," he snarled, jabbing me with a fork.
"Half of this is my cooking as well!" Alec protested, kicking me in the shin. I had imagined the whole suspicious conversation earlier. The two boys weren't sharing shady eye contact or inconspicious glances at each other.
"Double-poison," I concluded, earning myself a few shouts of loud protests.
Just then, the doors to the hal opened and Logan's parents waltzed in, bright smiles on their faces. Caterina Cross was holding a plate of food whilst Lancelot was carrying a tub of flavorful candy-canes. Surprise hit me as I saw Six walking in behind them, in his typical dress shirt and dark jeans.
"Nathaniel!" my grandmother cried when she saw Six. "What a surprise to see you here on regular terms!"
"Your Highness," Six said respectfully, bowing towards my grandmother. In his hands were white scroll paper, something I assumed was for the rebuilding of the Darkwood mansion. Alec's eyes lit up gleefully as he eyed the scrolls, and I assumed my hunch was correct.
Six's eyes zeroed in on Archer's and a smirk spread on his face. "You finally decided to stop going AWOL, eh? Last time I saw you was when you joined the Dragons, right?"
"Surprised that I'm still as good-looking as I was when I was ten?" Archer asked.
"If you can call your appearance good-looking," Six retorted casually. He bowed to me, and greeted Logan with a much more open smile.
"What brings you here, Nathaniel? And where is Soph--" My grandmother cut herself short, looking a bit flustered at the thought of Sophia. She composed herself in a matter of seconds, losing her chilly look.
"I won't be long, your Highness. I merely came to drop off the blueprints for the Darkwood mansion."
Aha! Score one for Park!
"Take them. We have no need for them here," said Archer, his normally sarcastic but joking voice now cold and stony. I turned to glare at him, wondering what kind of joke he was pulling. At the same time, in the corner of my eyes, I watched Alec's face change from excitement to confusion as he turned to the guy who had been like a big brother to him for the past month.
"Archer..." my father started cautiously, his dark eyes flashing a warning signal to Archer to tell him to shut up. Well, if the signal in my father's eyes didn't work, maybe my fist would.
"I already told you it was stupid, Father. Rebuilding a mansion at this time? What happens if the enemy decides to burn it down once more during the process? As the future king, you should know that we can't just waste our resources like that."
There was a deafening silence ringing over the hallway. All eyes were trained on Archer; some looked shocked and horrified, others (like my father, Alec, and myself) looked downright murderous as my brother lifted his downward gaze to meet Six's multicolored pupils.
"Besides," continued Archer, "what do we owe to this Darkwood?"
"Don't you dare go there--" I began, standing up, my hands in fists as I glowered at my brother with anger and disbelief mixed together. I didn't understand where this was coming from--Archer had treated Alec like he belonged to the family ever since he met him. Never once did he act as if he didn't hate Alec.
"Park," Alec cut in, silencing me with a shake of his head. "It's alright." He turned his gaze from me to my brother, hurt written plainly on his face. "So that's how you really felt about me? You aren't as forgiving as Park, then?"
"She makes stupid choices. I don't," Archer said icily. Alright, so some of my choices were stupid. Like not using an alias. Like telling James, Josh, and Mark about my true identity. Like leaving the house without telling Archer that one night when Sophia was threatened. But forgiving Alec had never been a bad decision--he was as loyal as a sworn knight to his kingdom.
"If that's it, then may I be excused?" Alec asked. He didn't wait for answer, he stood up, kicking his chair out of the way with an intense amount of force. The furniture toppled to the ground some five feet away while Alec stormed out of the room, most likely outside of the palace as well.
"What is your problem?" I snarled to my older brother. "What did he do wrong?"
"I don't trust him."
"Bullshi--"
"Park," my mother snapped quietly. "Archer. Both of you. Behave yourselves."
I didn't have time to behave myself. Before Alec got angry enough to accidentally walk in front of a car, I had to get to him. I excused myself quickly, also not waiting for an answer and ran out the room, reaching the grand doors leading out to the city in no time.
"Park!" a voice called behind me. It was Logan, right on my heels. "Don't go," he said, catching my wrist. "It's dangerous out there for you. I'm sure he'll be fine. An hour or two alone will cool him off. Maybe he and Archer got into a fight or something--"
"I don't care," I said. "I just need to make sure he's okay."
"I don't think Darkwood is the spill-his-emotions type," Logan pointed out. "He's not going to talk to you no matter what you say."
"And who says I'm talking to him?" I countered. "I'm following him to make sure he doesn't do anything stupid. Like get hit by a truck or walk into ten poles on his way to a coffee shop."
"Then let me come with you," Logan said. "It's too risky letting you go by yourself."
"Logan, you're not my bodyguard anymore," I reminded him. "I'll be fine. Besides, I've got Alec if anything goes wrong."
Logan still looked hesitant, so I got on my tip-toes and kissed him lightly on the lips. "Stop worrying," I said. "We'll be back soon."
"Don't get shot. Please?" he said, complete sincerity in his voice. I nodded cheerfully before slipping out the entrance. In a matter of seconds, I felt like I had been transported to Antarctica with the stale wind slicing my cheeks into numbing ribbons and the snow covering any possible sight for me.
Okay, I really should've at least brought a coat.
If I didn't know Alexander Rivers Darkwood, I would have no hope of finding him in this white storm. I'd probably wander aimlessly on iced sidewalks, falling at least three hundred times. But I did know him, and I knew that he had a favorite coffee shop he liked to go to. He had seen Flynn there once, several years ago, and henceforth visited the shop as frequently as possible to sight his adopted brother once more.
Reaching the coffee shop took a lot more effort than I thought it would. I had to trudge through eight inches of snow. In skinny jeans and wool boots. Yeah, I really wished I had thought my closet out a bit more. The blasted snowflakes kept slamming into my eyes, as if telling me to go back. By the time I reached the front of the coffee shop, I must've looked like a deranged ice-monster.
"Is that...?"
"Your Majesty!"
I turned to see a young couple standing in front of me, awe in their eyes as they surveyed me. Oh, look. People.
"Can I have coffee with you guys?" I yelled over the howling wind. The couple nodded furiously. They pulled me inside, and the man took off one his jackets to hand to me. The warmth of the shop seemed to have lit a fire inside of me. Due to the sense of fire in me, the ice outside began to thaw and my senses returned quickly.
We were seated in the corner, with lights trapped in glass jars hanging above us. A waitress came by to ask for our orders. The couple demanded that they serve me something, no matter how many times I refused. Finally, I gave in and asked for only hot chocolate.
My eyes were trained on the boy on the opposite corner. He was sitting with his chin in his palm, looking silently outside. The fairy-like lights in the jar made his raven black hair change from blue and purple at different angles. My thoughts reeled and tried so hard to understand why my brother said what he said. Archer never acted seriously without a lot of thought. And it seemed impossible that he didn't trust Alec. The two were truly like brothers.
The door to the shop swung open. My eyes flickered from Alec to the stranger then back to Alec. Then back to Alec. I widened my eyes so that they reached the size of the moon as I realized who it was standing at the entrance of the shop.
Daniel. Or Black-Haired Boy, as I preferred.
What in the devil's name was he doing here?! He was supposed to be locked up in a cell back at Paradise, being interrogated every day by agents for information on the enemy! Not standing in a quaint coffee shop in a country two days away!
Daniel made his way over to Alec. I watched Alec jump in surprise, and nearly shoot from his seat to leave when Daniel spoke to Alec, words that convinced him to sit back down. I couldn't hear because the couple began speaking to me.
"Uh, pretend I'm not here. I'm trying to spy on someone right now, so I can't be noticed," I informed them. The two nodded in understanding and began conversing with each other. I tried not to seem conspicuous as I listened to the conversation going on two tables over. Luckily for me, it was Christmas and most people were at home today. There were only five people in the shop, including me.
"What the hell are you doing here?" Alec snarled. "You should be in a cell."
"Is that any way to talk to your best friend?" Daniel scoffed.
"Best friend? Sorry, Briars, but you've been degraded from that title to Best Enemy."
Daniel looked absolutely murderous at the mention of enemy. "So you're really loyal to that brat now?"
Alec opened his mouth to answer. But my heart dropped and shattered as nothing came out, and Alec's gaze flickered guiltily down to the table.
"Oh?" Daniel said.
"I don't think they trust me...." Alec murmured quietly.
I trust you, my mind screamed angrily.
"For your information, I broke out a week ago. Along with the other guys. We had a little help from...her. I've been watching you ever since I got here."
Alec tensed (I did as well) at the mention of the word 'her.' But Alec continued on, clearing his throat as he did so. "Stalker much? Didn't know you were that in love with me, Daniel."
"I figured you weren't that convinced with the princess. Considering the fact that she promised you your land and you still haven't gotten it. So, she agreed to make a deal with you."
Alec was too quiet for my taste. I prayed to the gods and stars, to every being in the universe that he seriously wasn't contemplating the deal already. "What makes you think I want the deal?" he said coldly.
"'I can list a few reasons," Daniel casually retorted. "You know they don't trust you. How could they? You kidnapped their son and don't forget about the kidnaps with the servants and agents. You told them about that, right? Did you honestly think that after hearing that they'd still welcome you in with complete trust? Please. They probably installed security cameras in your room and hired someone to follow you."
Archer snapped at Daniel to show up, but his words seemed to have a hit a nerve. Alec paled considerably and actually began to look around, hoping no one was here to see him. Fortune intervened on my part as the waitress appeared with our drinks, setting them down in front of us.
"--all liars. I know everything they've done wrong to you. She promised you the Darkwood mansion. Where is that? She promised you safety from the dungeons? And yet the Darkwood name hasn't been put on the list of special cases. And that Cross boy? Beat you into a bloody pulp over a bratty princess. You don't deserve this kind of treatment, Alec. You're a Darkwood. Step up and claim your name. The Darkwoods wouldn't have the Sparrows walking all over them like they're nothing."
"What do you want from me, Daniel?"
"Join us. Be with your real family. The one that actually cares about you. We'll get you your mansion back. The moment she's princess, she'll do everything in her power to get you everything you've ever wanted. Think about it, Alec. You can have everything you've ever wanted."
"Stay on the inside. Pretend you're still on their side. At the same time, you tell us their plans and method of attack, so we can be one step ahead of them. She has a plan to get the princess to surrender her crown. She just needs your help to execute it."
Alec was taking a very uncomfortable (for me, that was) time to answer. He was silently contemplating his choices and my heart couldn't take any more. If this lasted any longer, I think I would have to go into cardiac arrest. My nerves screamed for me to stand up and haul Alec out of the shop. But my brain told me to wait--to see if my choice to trust Alec had been right all along.
Daniel added something else in. "And we'll get you your inheritance back. We'll get you the rights and the deeds to everything that your parents left behind. Everything that is rightfully yours will belong to you, not Flynn."
That was so playing dirty. Using Alec's hatred against Flynn, knowing that Alec would love to take everything away from him, was soooooo not cool.
There was a really drawn out silence between the two. My heart beat accelerated, my mind and heart already fearing the worst. It was like I was watching a horror movie, and the main character was walking slowly towards the closet that the eerie noises were coming from. Now, the main character could be cliché-stupid and open the closet, get clawed to death or they could walk away.
Please walk away, I begged in my mind as I waited for Alec's reply.
"So," Alec began. "How do I join?"
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Don't hate me. Please. This all has a point in the future.
Alright, I have to address a few things!
1.) I'm extending the poll until the next update. REMEMBER to vote if you actually care about who becomes Park. Crystal Reed or Selena Gomez. Don't comment because I won't count it. Link to poll is in the external link
2.) the LOVELY BANNER ON THE SIDE is @WilddSapphiree :D Thank you again, love!
3.) And of course, the trailer (MY FIRST ONE OHMERGAWD) is by @tadejacander
Thank you for all the lovely votes and comments I've received! Please don't quit on this story--please just hold on!!