~:~ Ashlyn ~:~
"This is it," my eyes were wide, the point on the cloth map had led us to the burned-out structure in front of us. Despite the condition of the building, starting at it sent flashes of images thru my mind.
It was nine a.m. We had gotten up at virtually six am trying to get an early start on the day, but Kyle had effectively squashed that plan when he asked for a three-course breakfast.
"You know this place?" Seth questioned.
"Yes," I stepped through the doorway, the half-burnt doorway. It was so familiar, the large entryway and wide staircase that led to the second floor, "But the last time I saw this place, it wasn't like this. What happened here?"
Seth followed me into the house, "This place is barely standing. I don't think we should be in here Ash."
"My room was upstairs," everything faded into the background as I moved toward the stairs. I felt my memory trying to break through the invisible chains that held it at bay.
I trailed up the stairs and into the far bedroom. Shadows turned into images.
My foot hit something on the floor and a quite noise echoed in my ears. Looking down I saw a small knife on the floor, in a silver sheath and covered in a thick layer of ash and dust.
"Ash!" Seth yelled, but his voice sounded like it was a mile away.
I stepped forward to pick up the knife, the weight of my foot on the blackened floorboard caused them to snap.
For a moment I was suspended in midair, falling in slow motion. Then a hand grabbed mine and caught me before I hit the first floor, "You idiot! What were you thinking?"
He hauled me back up, with a loud grunt, and laid me down on the floor.
"Sorry," I shook my head, clearing away the fog and trying to stop my pounding heart.
"What were you doing?"
"I saw this," I opened my hand, revealing the knife. The silver, even covered in dust, was clearly real and shone brightly, "It was my brothers, I think."
He held out his hand for the knife and ran his fingers over the symbol on the sheath, "A family crest?"
Seth helped me to my feet.
"Maybe we should get out of here, before anything else collapses," I tried to lighten the mood.
"Agreed," he grabbed my hand and lead me carefully through the hallway and downstairs, "You really have to be more careful; you could have gotten seriously hurt."
"I didn't mean to worry you," we crossed the threshold of the house, his hand slipped from mine, "Thank you."
He shook his head, "There are a lot of people who care about you. Just think about others when you're about to do something stupid next time, okay?"
The ride home was marked by silence and a few sideways glances.
We arrived back at the villa around ten thirty, with just enough time to pack and get to the airport by noon. Our flight back to America was at one.
"How did the treasure hunt go?" Kyle was planted on the couch watching a movie, which I couldn't identify from the scene playing. His eyes scanned me and noticed the dirt that covered the right side of my body, a result of almost falling through the floor.
"We didn't find anything," I barked a little too harshly. The knife was safely hidden in my pocket, although the fear of him asking about it was a cloud over my head.
"Really?" he stood and strutted toward us, "Then why are your eyes so bright?"
"They aren't," despite how much I disliked him, we had grown up together and he knew how to read me.
He bent his face close to mine, "What's in your pocket?"
Before I could stop him, he reached in my jacket pocket and snatched the knife. For a second he inspected it. As his eyes fell on the crest, he dropped it suddenly, jumping back, "Where did you find that knife?"
I swooped down and retrieved the knife, "It was my brothers."
He stared wide eyed at me.
"Kyle," Seth spoke harshly.
Kyle blinked several times before turning away, "I thought I recognized it, but I must have been mistaken." He didn't turn back around, instead he head to the kitchen, "You guys should get moving, unless you want to miss your flight."
I stared at the knife in my hands and examined the crest.
"He's right," Seth touched my shoulder causing me to jump slightly, "Let's get packed."
Nodding I ignored their equally strange reactions and headed upstairs.
Even though I had the knife and satchel, I still hadn't found anything substantial about my parents and it left a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach.
The plane ride was filled with air sickness and a deep concern over Kyle's reaction to seeing the crest. I knew the crest from somewhere. I assumed it was from a memory, but maybe there was something more to it than I knew.
"You've been really distracted this whole flight, what's wrong?"
"Do you recognize the crest?" I sat against the window, staring absent mindedly at the thick clouds that hid the blue ocean below.
Seth shook his head, "I was also wondering about Kyle's reaction. It seemed strange that he recognized it, or at least thought he recognized it."
I didn't speak; Kyle wasn't the type of person to admit when he was wrong, about anything. The fact that he immediately admitted to being wrong made me suspicious, he's hiding something and I'm going to find out what.
"Back in the states," Seth sighed as the plane touched down on the runway.
"We were only gone for a day," his drama was amusing.
The plane bounced as the brakes engaged. From the window I would see the terminal, standing sleepily in the distance. Seth glanced sideways at me, "But it was a great trip, because you were with me."
"I'm excited to go back, although I will admit, getting away for the day was really enjoyable. Thank you for coming with me, I really appreciate the company."
"Let's get back to reality," the plane pulled up to the terminal and docked. We grabbed our bags and waited patiently for everyone to file down the hallway.
"Ash," Jade leapt into my arms as we walked out of the hallway, causing me to drop my bag.
Seth scooped it up and laughed at the girl clinging to my torso.
"I missed you too Jade," I pried her off and hugged her properly, "But we have to move, we're blocking the doorway."
She stayed glued to my waist as we made our way through the overly crowded terminal and out to the car, which sat ideally by the main entrance.
"Tell me everything," she turned around in the passenger seat as we pulled away from the curb. William, who drove since Mark was unable too, chuckled at Jade's excitement, "Did the bag offer any help?"
I reached into my bag and felt around for the knife, insuring its presence I looked back at Jade, "It led us to a burnt down house, even though very little of it was still intact, I'm sure it was my house once upon a time. We found a knife that belonged to my brother at the house, but unfortunately, we didn't learn anything worthwhile."
She looked sadly at me, "I'm sorry, but at least you got your bag back and found something of your brothers. The trip wasn't a waste in my opinion."
"You're absolutely right," I couldn't help but be encouraged by her positivity, "Thank you for allowing me to go, Jade."
Her smile grew, "Anything for you Ash."
The rest of the car ride was filled with small talk and discussion about the upcoming festival, but I was too distracted to care much about the innocuous con-versation.
I watched the buildings rush by in a blur soon to be replaced with the leafy green that lined much of the road back to school. Farmhouses could be seen in the distance in the brief break between trees. My fingers brushed against the crest on the knife as I let myself be swept up in the breathtaking landscape.
Why are you so important? I internally asked the object staring silently back at me from my satchel.
~:~ Jade ~:~
There was something off about Ash. From the moment she walked off the plane I could see it in her eyes. Whatever was bothering her I knew she would be more likely to discuss it in private, so I hadn't mention-ed it.
"Thank you," I nudged William's arm as we strolled along the freshly manicured lawn back to our dorms. Seth and Ash walked several paces behind us, not speaking much.
"What are you thanking me for?"
"For driving, and for allowing Seth to go with her," I glanced back at Ash and smiled, "I was worried about her being alone."
"I've been meaning to ask you about that, why didn't you accompany her?" His question was one I had considered greatly when she first informed me of her intentions.
I clasped my hands behind my back, the three rings on my fingers were cold due to the chilly fall air. Leaning my head back, I watched the clouds roll by with a steady breath, "I couldn't go. This was something that she needed to do on her own."
"Do you mean going to the villa or looking for her family?" he sounded confused by my answer.
"Both, despite her recurrence that this quest is only about her family, she had a hidden motive. Although, I am sure she doesn't realize it yet," William caught my eye, "She's acutely aware of our future and knows she'll be on her own soon. I'm sure she truly wants to find her family, but I think she's trying to figure out if she can handle things on her own."
"That's why you and Mark stayed away and allowed her to go on this trip without you," his paused for a moment, "Why did you agree to let Seth go with then?"
"I still thought she needed someone with her, someone she chose to accompany her," Seth and Ash laughed at a quiet joke not far behind us, "I want her to make friends she can stay close to after this is all over, someone without noble rank."
"Do you really think she'll leave you once you get married?" he resumed walking and spoke quietly as we reached the sparking fountain, "She doesn't seem like the kind of person that would leave her friends."
"It's my father's wish that she leaves," my father had made it very clear that after my marriage Ash would no longer be allowed to stay by my side, "She will respect his request, as she always does."
"Why don't you just ask her to stay?"
I fumbled for the right words, it was a hard concept to explain, "If I ask her to stay, I'd be asking her to give up a normal life. To give up on friends, her family, and a chance to find love, just to stay with me. It wouldn't be fair to ask that of her."
William's stared blankly in front of us, "I see."
"My lady," Ash and Seth had caught up with us, "Thank you again for all you've done. You as well Prince William, I appreciate all your help."
"I was happy to help any way I could," he smiled and nodded toward Seth, "I'm glad you allowed Seth to accompany you."
The setting sun sent sharp beams of orange and gold across the sky. As the warm light faded it was replaced by a crisp breeze, sending goosebumps down my arms.
"It's getting a little late," with a bashful smiled, Ash and I bid good-bye to William and Seth and parted ways just outside the attendant's dorm.
For a while we walked in silence before Ash cleared her throat awkwardly and spoke softly, "Kyle was there."
My foot froze before it hit the ground. Composing myself, I tilted my head and stared at her with a confused look on my face, "What did you just say?"
"Kyle was at the villa," she bit her bottom lip, in anticipation of my impending fury, "I just wanted to let you know because I'm sure Kyle will bring it up when he gets here."
I felt myself relax slightly, "He didn't hurt you?"
"No, Seth stayed close by," not waiting for my response, she started walking again, clearly not wanting to discuss it anymore. I was reluctant to oblige, the thought of Kyle being at Crystal Bay filled me with concern and a deep annoyance.
"I'm sorry you didn't find out much about your parents," we pushed our way through my dorm room door. I had been dying to find out what had happened in Marit, "I know how expectant you were."
She sat gracefully in the armchair as I fell onto the couch, Ash was always the more proper out of the two of us, "It's was to be expected. It's been seven years after all, I shouldn't have gotten my hopes up."
"That doesn't make it any less depressing," sitting up on my elbows, I considered how she would react to my questioning "Ash, I've been trying to figure a good way to ask you a question, but I'm not sure how to."
"What are you talking about?"
"I want to know what happened?" she still looked confused, so I attempted to explain further, "You told me you didn't find anything of significance, if that's true, why do you look so troubled?"
Pulling her knees up to her chest, she replied quietly, "It was that knife that I found, my brothers. When Kyle saw it, he freaked out then immediately claimed he mistakenly recognized the crest on it."
I narrowed my eyes. Ash and I both knew how much my brother hated being wrong, it did seem strange that he would so freely admit to a mistake, "Did he explain what he thought the crest was?"
"No, and I didn't have time to ask him before we left for the airport."
Pondering her words, my thoughts were pulled in a different direction, "By the way, I need your help."
"With what?"
"As you know the, the festival is in two weeks and my class still hasn't decided on our event yet. I was hoping you might have some ideas," I pulled out my phone, quickly opened the notepad app, and threw it to her, "Here's a list of what the other classes have decided to put on."
Each class, which were broken up by title, puts on an event. B Class, Barons and Baronesses, were holding a talent show. L Class, Lords and Ladies, put together a café. E Class, basically anyone with a noble title that didn't fall into one of the five main categories, they had yet to announce what they were doing, same with D Class, Dukes and Duchesses. Then there was P Class, Prince and Princesses, they didn't hold an event, instead they oversee voting and decided which class put on the best event.
From what I had heard, P Class did not hold an event because every year they fought about what to do. Each student thought their idea was best and couldn't compromise, therefore the principal decided that it would be better if they acted as judges instead of participants.
Ash studied the phone for a time, "You're not sure about E or D Classes events?"
"Not yet," I shook my head slightly, all the while hugging the throw pillow tightly in my arms, "But everyone's idea has to be in by tomorrow at three. That way the board can approve the events by Wednesday."
"Give me tonight to think about it, I'll text you in the morning," there was a strange confidence in her voice, I wondered internally if it had come from her weekend adventure.
Brushing the need to know why to the back of my mind, I smiled over at her, "You look exhausted, maybe you should turn in early."
For a split second she looked like she might argue, then her hand found the stone hanging from her neck, "As long as you don't mind. I hate to leave you after having been gone all weekend."
"Don't worry about it," I helped pull her out of the chair and gave her a small shove toward the door, "Go get some rest and we'll work things out in the morning."
"Thank you Jade."
"Try not to worry so much Ash, you'll get premature wrinkles," I teased her, but at the same time was serious about her relaxing.
With one last good-bye, she disappeared out the door and I was left alone in a deafening silence.
I spent the rest of the night listening to music and working on homework. I hadn't done any while Ash was gone; I had been too worried. Perhaps I should follow my own advice and not worry about her as much.
Most of the homework that sat in front of me was due in the morning, I had run out of time to procrastinate. Lying on the couch I tried to start a paper that was assigned at the beginning of the week. By page two, my mind had wondered away from me, leaving my hand idle beside the laptop keyboard.
"This is Ashlyn," Mark introduced me to the girl we had found in the forest two days ago. While Mark and I were playing, we stumbled upon a ravine that had grown drastically due to the recent rainfall. At the bottom, an unconscious girl lay muddy and half starved.
"It's nice to meet you," I smiled warmly at her sensing the fear that lingered around her, "My name is Jade."
She nodded slightly at me.
I glanced at Mark for clarification.
"I think she may be suffering from memory loss, it's hard to tell right now," he replied to my silent question.
Sitting on the bed beside her, I scooped up her hand, "I'm sorry dear. We'll get Dr. Colson here right away and he'll fix you right up. Can you remember anything, about your family, or how you wound up in that ravine?"
"Only my name," her voice was raspy and quiet.
"You sound thirsty," I called one of the maids over, "Please bring me some water and make some soup for the poor girl. I'm sure she's starving by now."
"I don't want to be any trouble," the girl swung her legs over the side of the bed, in an attempt to escape.
"Don't be silly," I patted her cold leg, "Stay in bed for now, you are no trouble at all. Besides we can't very well let you go with no memory and no family to return you to."
The girl looked between Mark and I clearly unsure if she should listen to us.
Before I could speak again a hand appeared in front of my eyes and waved back and forth.
"Are you in there?"
I blinked several times before realizing that I was in my desk chair at school. The hand that waved me from my thoughts had been Heather's. Her face now an uncomfortably close distance from mine.
Pushing her away I felt my embarrassment rise, "Yes, I was just thinking about something."
"A boy?" she swooned.
Rolling my eyes at her nonsense I dismissed her fantasy, "Not all of us think about boys twenty-four seven, unlike you."
"And what a sad life you must live," she shot back jokingly.
I stuck my tongue out, "What were we talking about anyway?"
"What we should do for the festival."
"Right," Ash had texted me a few ideas earlier that morning, but so far, the class had shot down all of them, "Has anyone come up with anything good yet?"
"Not really," she sighed.
"Come on guys," one of the boys made his way to the front of the class and addressed everyone, "We just need to pick something. We all know we're not going to win anyway, let's make this simple and decide."
I rose quickly, "Why would you say we're not going to win?"
The room was silent for a moment before a loud laughter erupted from everyone.
The boy, who had spoken earlier, Andrew, silenced everyone after a couple of minutes, "Be nice everyone, Jade's new here and doesn't know about D Class's event."
"What event does D Class put on?" I asked.
"They have a maze that they set up every year," the boy started.
"And they win every year because of it," Heather finished beside me.
"A maze?" I laughed, "That's it?"
"You don't understand," Heather spoke loudly enough for everyone to hear, "The walls of the maze are on platforms and the platforms move. The maze changes while you're inside, not to mention that there are challenges scattered throughout that you must solve in order to continue. It's ridiculously hard and every year they draw a huge crowd. Everyone loves the maze and P Class votes for them almost unanimously every time. There's no way to beat them."
"Come on," I complained, their lack of motivation was frustrating, "There must be something that's better that we could do."
"I wish there was," it was Andrew, "We try something new every year, but so far we've come up short."
My phone buzzed before I could speak again.
It was a text from Ash, I had a great idea. What if you guys put together a type of club. Not trashy or anything, but like a host club where people could come and talk, eat, and drink with nobility. A lot of normal people would love to be able to have a personal conversation with someone of noble birth.
I quickly typed back, that's a great idea!
Andrew again asked for any ideas, a few murmurs were whispered throughout the room.
Nudging Heather I showed her the text from Ash. We shared a sly smile before she whispered excitedly to me, "This is going to be good."