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"Oh, stay close
Don't go, I gotta know
Or until tomorrow I'll be staring out the window
Thinkin', "Please, keep her safe, keep her safe."
Safe
Nico Santos
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Chapter XIII - Queens
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Susan, Lucy and I had our breakfast delivered to my room where we happily ate away from the craziness. Not eating for a day hadn't bothered me in the past when my mother locked me in the icebox for the night, but since I had been eating significantly better since coming back to the castle, I was famished. I had just popped a second croissant in my mouth as a soft knock came to the door.
I jumped off my bed heading for the door as Susan and Lucy stayed, gossiping about something one of the more attractive guards and done in training the day before.
I open the door only to be met with the sad, teary eyes of Allie. "Oh, Tash."
"I wanted to say goodbye." She sniffled.
"What? No." I rejected, pulling her into the room.
Lucy stood up, taking her bag as Susan made room for her on my bed.
"I'm going home." She told us, fighting back tears.
"What's wrong?" Lucy asked sweetly, which opened the floodgates and Allie started crying.
"Ed is just waiting for the day that someone better comes along to toss me to the side." She cried. "I will not sit around and wait for that to happen."
I practically froze, I never learned how to deal with people crying in front of me. Luckily, Susan and Lucy had it covered.
"Edmund doesn't know how to express his feelings. It's gotten him in trouble more than once." Susan tried to explain logically.
"He didn't even seem to care when they proposed the engagement." Allie whimpered. "Does he even care about me at all?"
"Oh, darling." Susan gasped, hugging her sweetly. "I'm sure he does."
"Edmund's an idiot," Lucy told her, making her chuckle. "If he's too dumb to see what's right in front of him, then he's dumber than I thought."
Allie chuckled again, wiping her tears away. "I feel so stupid for getting this worked up over a boy. Ugh, if my brothers saw me like this they would already be marching to his room."
We all laughed at that, I felt more confident to handle her emotions in this state of mind. "Listen, I'm not the best person for relationship advice but running away from the castle won't fix anything, everything catches up to you. And you are not here for that idiotic brunette, you are here as Loxley's chosen representative. You came here for your city and you will stay because of your city."
"You're right." She straightened her posture, "Lady Hood of Loxley. And my life will not be depicted by anyone other than myself."
"Tash yeah!" Ben called out from the door frame that combined our rooms. He must have heard all the commotion from the next room over and was curious. We all looked over at him at the same time. "Oh, I didn't mean to interrupt."
"Please, you're the only male I could stand at the moment." Allie jokes.
"This is why I don't bother with boys. You ladies need to find men." Ben shook his head.
Lucy rolled her eyes with a smile and I knew she had Theo on her mind.
"Let's clean you up," Susan suggested. "Edmund will know exactly what he's missing."
With that Susan and Lucy went into makeover mode, calling for tea and face masks. I called for Venus to bring someone the hottest while still being respectable dresses she created. She came running in minutes later, laying out a rose-red dress that would fit Allie's body perfectly. The bodice was tight before the skirt flowed out lightly, with a slit that, when angled correctly, left just enough room for imagination. Allie was slightly smaller than me so we fit her into nude heels. Her hair was curled perfectly and Venus could not stop talking about how perfect she looked. The excuse Susan and Lucy gave to get all dolled up and so that Allie didn't feel overdressed. Eventually, I got roped in, receiving a lavender gown that I would never have chosen for myself, but the girls insisted.
Lucy and Susan sent for their jewelry and my room lit up when the cases were opened as the jews reflected the sunlight. We goofed around for a while, even trying on a few crowns that were probably worth more than everything in my room.
My room has never been filled with such girly things in my life. It smelled like vanilla, flowers, and bubbles all at the same time. Millions of compliments sung around the room, making each one of us feel special and we finally agreed it was time to go to lunch.
"I'm sorry," Edmund said, bursting into my office.
"For what?"
"I judged you harshly. When I found you and Ashton together in the library. I didn't understand how two of the smartest people I know could do something so stupid. I had never felt could be that strong, that... consuming. I thought you two were just horny as Tash."
"Edmund!" I chastised, unable to keep an embarrassing smile off my face though.
He smirked, but it quickly faded, "But then Allie walked out and I felt like my world came crashing down."
I was shocked as Ed and Allie both kept their relationship pretty private.
"Oh, Aslan. I- I thought feeling like this was just a thing for children in storybooks. I don't know what to do with myself. I tried working, I couldn't get my mind off of her and how much I messed up. I tried sleeping, eating, nothing worked."
"You need to talk to her," I answered. "Don't make the same mistakes I did."
Edmund rubbed his forehead, "I wish I could. She's gone. I checked her room and all her stuff was gone. Even if I could talk to her, I don't know what to say. I'm an idiot. I don't want to marry Ash. I've never thought of her in that way, I always just assumed you would get your shit together and marry her one day. I was in shock. I haven't even thought about marriage until yesterday."
"I would be dead before I let you marry Ash, you know that right?" I chuckled.
"Of course, I know that!" He laughed. "I thought Allie would understand that too since she's so close with Ash so I didn't take the whole arrangement seriously. But I guess not."
"If you really care about her, you need to go after her. You should go-" I got distracted, mid-thought. "Holy tash,"
My mouth parting as he watched the four women walk passed his room.
Edmund turned around, catching a glimpse as they passed outside my door. He looked back at me with wide eyes. Before we both got up and peered out the door, checking to make sure no one would catch our ungentlemen-like behavior.
I'm sure Edmund was focused on Allie, but I could not keep my eyes away from Ashton. She wore a dress that showed off every spectacular curve of her body. The purple color contrasted on her skin through the open back of the dress. As she turned the corner to head for the dining hall, I felt the protective need to stop her.
"Stop drooling on ourselves, my kings." A voice spoke, making both of us jump.
I cleared my throat, trying to come up with a decent excuse, but the situation panned out just as it looked. Ben laughed, making his way to the dining hall himself.
Edmund breathed out, "These women will be the death of us."
I couldn't help but agree. "Possibly."
Edmund grabbed his coat, heading for the door.
"Where are you going?" I questioned as he scurried out the room.
"The dining hall. Are you coming or what?" He questioned as if it were obvious.
There was no chance I could focus on the stack of papers at my desk, I grabbed my coat as well, following Ed out the door.
"What are you going to say?" I asked hopefully.
"I don't know." He admitted, looking confident in his idea of winging it.
I pulled him back before he went into the room so he took a minute to think before he messed something up even more, "Come on, Ed!"
"I'm trying!" He huffed.
We both sat in silence for a second, trying to think of an idea to win his girl back. This quiet moment ended harshly as shattering glass came from the dining hall. Initially, I assumed plates or glasses had been harmlessly dropped but the screams that followed made my stomach turn.
Edmund and I took off running, taking our swords out as she burst into the dining hall. Soldiers dressed in all black busted through the glass window of walls. Guards sprang into action, fighting from all directions. My eyes found the girls. Allie and Ashton stood in front of my sisters, guarding them against the intruders. Ashton tossed Allie one of her dual blades and with strict fierceness, Allie spun, killing the nearest attacker as the blade ran across its neck.
"Safe rooms or tunnels!" I ordered. Demanding everyone find a place as soon as possible.
I was thankful Ashton and Allie stayed with my sisters, leading them out of the room as I battled off a dark creature that went to attack me. Bells ran out, signaling the whole castle to the attack taking place. We had done a few drills at the start of our lead but haven't had a reason to participate in full lockdown.
With the help of the guards and my brother, we ended the battle in the dining hall but it was doubtful that I was the only place the attacks had started. We continued into the hall. Preparing for the next fight, Allie came around the corner and Edmund pulled her into a hug instantly.
"Your sisters are safe." Ash and I got them into the tunnels.
A guard was just up ahead, leading people into the tunnel below. Ed caught his eye and ran over to him, holding onto Allie's hand. "Allie, go with Thomas, he'll take you to the safest spot in the castle.
"I can help." She tried to explain, but he stopped her.
"I can't help save them if I'm worried about you. Please stay here. I'll come back to get you all out."
"Promise, you'll come back." She looked him in the eyes.
"I promise." Edmund caved, knowing that battles like this were unpredictable.
"Where's Ash?" I asked, unapologetically breaking up their little moment.
"She ran off to help," Allie told me.
I nodded. I knew she wouldn't stay in the tunnels. I never expected she would run from a fight. I loved her willingness to save the world, but that didn't mean I didn't constantly wish I knew she was safe. She was strong, stronger than me. Which only worried me she would be a bigger target. Especially with the Witch's forces after her, which I can only assume where the people that illustrated this act of war.
Lightning flashed from the clear day sky.
"There she is," Allie commented and I smirked a little at the thought of my girl.
"Hurry," Edmund stated. She kissed him quickly before following orders into the darkness so the door could be shut behind her.
Thomas, the guard, shut the hidden tunnel door before he slid a bookshelf in front of it for extra hiding.
Guards around us geared up, checking all their blades as we started down the hall, some removing their jackets for better movement and I followed suit.
"Your Majesty, we have word of attacks in the square." A tall guard informed me. I nodded in response.
I threw my jacket down, setting my crown down on a table as I passed it, and Edmund did the same.
Into the eye of the hurricane we go.
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This gif is my favorite I have ever used. It inspired me to have Vanessa as Allie's character in the first place and sculpted this chapter.
If you predict this you're a god because I didn't have much of a plan for it until I started writing it. Actually I didn't even plan Edmund and Allie fighting this much either.
We are over halfway done with this book, how yall feel?
Because of the recent love and support I've been getting and the amazing fact that three people just this week have asked me about the possibilities of this being a trilogy with the continuation of Capsian's storyline, I've written out a possible outline for a third book. Nothing is final yet, of course, I'm still toying with the idea of even writing it. That will be determined by my motivation at the end of this book and if I like the way it plays out. So now I have plans for a Caspain book following with these characters, An Edmund book taking place in the Caspian timeline, and ideas for an original story. AND AN honorable mention goes out to finding a way to conclude Mayhem since I have neglected it for so long and the right thing to do is give people closure on that story. If you've read Mayhem and you liked it enough to read my next stuff A.) ur a saint bc that book flaming garbage from my 15-year-old ADHD brain B.) how cute it is to see you here ;) and C.) IM SORRY I HAVENT FINISHED IT OK, ONE DAY I WILL. I PROMISE.
AHH so my options and I have no idea what to do. I'll keep yall updated as my brain develops a plan which might be a while.
Wow, I forgot how much I liked writing messages as ME. I spend 99% of the time pretending to be a character but most of the time when I finish a chapter my brain is fried and I can barely type two words. So hi.
Also final note, I had the idea that since a lot of us are in quarantine it might be neat to create a snapchat/instagram group that we could all talk about books, school, tiktoks, or whatever we wanted while we are bored in the house. If you're interested in that you can leave a comment and all PM you so we can all become internet friends.
Anyway, as always, stay safe, stay healthy, love you bunches,
B