"I can't tell you that." Charlotte finally responded, "I and Leandra cannot tell you anything happening back home, no one can. We've all sworn under oath."
"No one would know it was you who told me."
No one had to know, and no one needed to know she told me because I already knew. I guess I kind of just wanted her to tell me so I felt like I could trust her again. Both her and Leandra had felt so distant from me since I arrived at the school; right from the moment I was put into a completely separate room from Charlotte with two girls I didn't even know, I knew everything was going to be different.
Sometimes I felt like I couldn't even confide in Charlotte and Leandra as I would back at the castle, simply because we were all so busy. Leandra working as a teacher, and like me, Charlotte being a student, supposedly to keep me company.
Charlotte looked hesitant at first, as her brows knitted together, "I... I couldn't." Her face straightened out as she moved away from me and she began muttering to herself. Something about usually being in charge of the welfare for a prince. "No, I can't. I have my orders, and you may not like them, but that's just the way it is. Leandra and I can handle it."
So that's how it was going to be. She wasn't going to tell me.
I held my hands up in defence, then walked away in silence. I had nothing more to ask for, and whatever it was that I'd ask, I wouldn't be given an answer anyway.
I took my time crossing the area at the back of the dorms, no longer desperately wanting to go back. I'd have to sit and talk to Kyra and April like I didn't know anything that was happening at home. I guess it was mutual; they had to do the same.
Maybe I could try and sleep for the first time in a week. Maybe the nightmares would let me sleep...
They didn't, of course, they didn't. I was stupid for thinking they would as if I could just wish it all away.
I found myself lying awake in bed at 5 am, aimlessly staring at the ceiling, trying to make shapes out of the darkness, trying to distract myself so maybe I'd sleep. My eyes burned from being open for so long. I had looked online previously for ways to stop your eyes being sore if you're awake for a long time, someone had suggested just splashing cold water on them, to hydrate them and reduce any pain from the dryness, tiredness and any inflammation, but even that wouldn't work anymore. Sleeping pills I managed to bribe off another student proved useless, they made it worse since I couldn't wake from my nightmares.
My life was a mess. I was a mess.
*
"OK class, feel free to wander around by yourselves. We'll meet back here in an hour and a half."
Our geography teacher had taken us on a trip to a small village called Castleton in the Peak District to investigate how tourism affected it. After two hard months of working out what information we needed to collect and doing our own research, we could finally visit the place we'd been blindly researching. We were going to have to write a paper on it in the coming weeks so she wanted us to see physically what was happening in the hopes we had a clearer idea.
There wasn't that much to do after we collected all of our data. Not long before we arrived on the coach, I already felt nauseous from the smell of cow dung and countryside circulating the coach through the AC. Stepping outside made it worse, it was so humid and so bright. My lack of sleep didn't help to improve my condition.
I did what needed to be done as quick as possible with Charlotte, Kyra and April in tail so we had already finished before everyone else anyway. As our group collected our data, we'd seen all the sights this small village had to offer and I wasn't particularly too interested in going inside the attractions since I had no desire to climb or visit one of the old fashioned looking shops. So while Charlotte, Kyra and April were busy choosing which sweets they wanted from the confectionery shop, I snuck away.
It was probably the heat muddling my mind, I wasn't really thinking straight and I couldn't remember much of what I'd be doing for the day. Everything seemed like a blur. I walked aimlessly, no destination in mind. Maybe my mind subconsciously decided I needed to get away for a short time, and made the decision for me.
I made a sharp right after passing one of many B&B's and almost walked straight into the middle-aged couple I had interviewed earlier on when we arrived. They both smiled at me after I apologised and I continued to stroll. The shade the brick building provided brought cool air I very appreciative of as I made my way up the road still without a set destination in mind. The heat was relentless after crossing from shade to light and the pond in someone's front garden looked like an amazing spot to cool down. But then again, a drink would do a better job at that and keep me dry at the same time, although I was feeling rather damp and clammy.
After stopping at a shop for a much-needed drink, I took a break and sat on a bench under a tree whose leaves provided shelter from the sun's unrelenting heat. It gave me time to think better, with no one around, no cars and no chance of being found when I didn't want to be found. I could think about home and Alex and everything that was going wrong. He needed to be saved, so why was nothing being done to get him back? I wanted to go home, I wanted to see him again and tell him how much I loved him. Every day I was away from home, the more I regretted leaving Alexander silently and immaturely. I couldn't believe I'd been gone for just over three months.
How was everyone so calm when their home was in a war? Their parents and families were there in the midst of it were they not? Didn't they worry or want to go to be with their family? Maybe they didn't know the details either that's why they seemed so unfazed, that could be the only reason...
"Now is not the right time!" Someone shouted in a subdued voice somewhere out of my sight.
There was a commotion going on behind me, I couldn't see because I was sat in front of a huge tree, too wide to see around. I had my earphones in so I couldn't hear very well, but it sounded like someone was banging on a window. I wasn't a nosy person, and I wasn't feeling particularly adventurous at the time so I remained seated, rearranging the leaves with my feet.
A white jaguar with tinted windows pulled up in front of the tree I was sat under. I was staring into the passenger's side window trying to make out a figure inside when the window slowly rolled down.
I yanked out my earphones and shot up when I finally saw who the car belonged to. I couldn't wrap my head around what they were doing here.
"Hey there, like the car? It's British." Leyton leant over to the passenger's window, a huge grin on his face. "Why the long face? Not glad to see someone else apart from Charlotte and Leandra?"
Charlotte stepped in front of me, preventing me from approaching the car any further. Her iris was blood red and she looked distressed. What was her problem and why was Leyton there?
"Just wait here." She said to sternly. Then she turned to Leyton in the car and began whispering in a hushed tone, but from her body language and gestures, I could tell she was furious. It was probably her and Leyton causing the commotion a few moments ago.
I slowly approached the car to get the attention of the two who were speaking like I wasn't just stood there completely unaware of what was happening. I'd already been left out of everything I could possibly be excluded from knowing and I wouldn't tolerate that any longer.
Charlotte turned to me and Leyton looked up at me from in the car.
"Why are you here?" I asked him flatly.
"I was ordered by the King to bring you back to the castle as Prince Austin knows you're located at the boarding school," responded Leyton slowly and calmly.
"OK, so? What can he do about it?"
"More than you can imagine. It's dangerous. He and his council probably don't know we know yet, which is why I've been sent to bring you back to the castle before it's too late. Charlotte on the other hand believes-"
"I'm ready to leave, I'll go."
He smiled once again and nodded. "Get in and we'll go. Charlotte, tell Leandra I've taken Arianne back to the school collect her belongings, and then back to the castle. As soon as you can, you both need to leave too, alright?"
Charlotte huffed and agreed.
She opened the car door so I could get in and leant down to my level. "Maybe you'll get some sleep back at the castle and we won't have to keep so many secrets from you. I'm so- we're sorry. You have to understand we had orders to follow and we were under oath."
I remained silent but nodded anyhow. Maybe I was a little immature for being angry at them for not telling me especially when they could've gotten into serious trouble. But what was new? I was always so inconsiderate and selfish when it came to getting things that benefited me, unintentionally of course. I only ever saw one solution to every problem and was blind to anyone else who may be negatively impacted.
When Leyton pulled away and we just got out of the village, he turned the radio down slightly, "she said maybe you'll get some sleep. Have you not been sleeping well?"
I brushed it off like it was nothing, "probably just homesickness. I'll be fine when I get back to my bed."
I cast a quick smile in Leyton's direction, his glances looked like he was going to ask me more questions I didn't want to answer right then. It was just a relief to know I could go back to the castle, to Nox Aterrima.
After collecting all of my belongings, and writing a short letter addressed to my two roommates telling them I was leaving, it was finally time to go.
This school was amazing, and I'd probably miss it and all its beauty, but right then, I just needed to go home.
Leyton drove up the path I remember being carried down on Leandra's back when we first arrived here in the dead of night. It wasn't dark now though. The solid black concrete road that snaked its way down to the boarding school was lined with enormous trees which cast a shadow on whatever was underneath them. Only some rays of sunlight managed to knife their way through, resulting in some beautiful strings of light directly in front of us as we drove. They looked almost as if you could touch them or play them like a guitar.