Rising from the Ashes
Chapter 28

It had taken forever to replace the princess or at least it had felt like forever. Elenora had counted the seconds, each feeling like it might be her last. All it would take is one warrior spotting her. All it would take is one servant. Elenora can only hope nobody replaces the warriors before she grabs Princess Lydia.

The plan is admittedly not her best. It is crafted of pure desperation. There is a clock ticking away seconds in her head. Every second that goes by lessens her chances of locating Charlotte. It only takes a moment to kill a person. Is she looking for a dead body right now? Elenora won't even get to see Charlotte. Not with a plan like this. She is a dead girl walking and she has been from the moment she attacked that warrior at the wall. Again. Not her best decision. She could have went back home. She could have figured something else out. Except she probably would have never found her then.

The plan is ridiculous but it might just work. Elenora could grab her now except common sense has left her behind. Elenora chooses to watch Princess Lydia instead. She reminds her of Charlotte. It is the way the vines reach out to her. It is the way the flowers open at her touch. She smiles at the garden around her. Formed from her fingertips. She is a beautiful girl with her long blonde curly hair, pale skin and freckled cheeks. This is the girl Mia had dreamed of meeting. This girl. What would Mia say to her if she knew what she was about to do. "Princess Lydia!" A man calls and suddenly he appears behind her. Have they found the warriors? Is he going to take her away. "King Stavros wants you in his study. He wants to talk to you about attending court tomorrow I think."

"Do I have to?" The girl whispers, her voice sounding like a soft song.

"It is the duty of the royals."

"It is boring." She grumbles and for a moment Elenora is angered. Unlike her the man is patient.

"Not to them princess. To them it means everything." The princess sighs before nodding her head. He smiles once more before leaving. Elenora eyes the surrounding area. She saw some of the maids run into a door not too far from here. It leads to some tunnel. All will be fine if she can just get the princess there. She has to be quick. They will replace the warriors any- a loud horn sounds and then shouts. Chaos. Elenora jumps on the wide eyed princess and covers her mouth. Her scream comes muffled as Elenora drags her to the hidden door she saw. Ten feet. Seven. "Princess Lydia!" The mans voice calls in a rush but they are there. He does not hear her muffled screams over the horns and then they are behind the stone door. They found the warriors. It will be hell to get away from the castle. They will kill her for this. She will never get to see Nakoa again. She will never get to hold Charlotte and tell her how sorry she is for failing her. She will never get to see Mia as she falls in love with Beta Burton.

"Quiet." Elenora hisses to the still screaming girl who bites her hand in attempt to get her off. Elenora ignores her pathetic attempt and rips her sleeve off before gagging the princess with it "Apologies for the sweat princess. This is not my shirt." With that she tugs the girl down the tunnel. Elenora follows the sound of a rushing ocean. Waves crashing down. Perhaps that will be far enough. Elenora pauses as she hears footsteps rushing towards them. "If they replace us. They will be killed princess." Elenora whispers to the girl before pulling them both to a dark corner. Princess Lydia holds her breath as they near. Elenora presses the knife to her neck just in case it is needed. Of course she will not actually kill anybody. Severely injure most likely. They pause next to them and her grip on the knife only tightens. "Do you really think the rogue has the princess? Nobody has ever gotten to her before. Every time we thought it to be the case we found her in the forest doing whatever it is she does. She is probably just in the forest." The guilt eats away at her as Elenora feels the girls tears drip on her wrist. She is shaking in her arms and Elenora wants to tell her. She wants to swear to Princess Lydia that she will not hurt her.

"Griffin swears it is real. He said she was there and then she was not. It is too much of a coincidence anyways. Right after a rouge escapes the princes goes missing. No I think..." There voices start to fade as they go. Elenora sighs her relief before continuing to drag the princess down the tunnels. She reaches the door just as Lydia gets the gag off. She does not scream. They must be too far away for anybody to hear her.

"You will not be able to get this door open. It only opens for the-" Her palm starts to heat up on its own accord and then the door opens to reveal a wild ocean view. "Come Princess." Elenora tugs her outside and for a moment she closes her eyes to enjoy the last bit of fresh air she will get. This is it. The end of the line. As soon as she gives Princess Lydia back they will torture her to death and she will become nothing more than a memory.

The princess is a fighter. The vines that had once reached out to embrace Princess Lydia sprout out of the sand and reaches for her throat instead. A thought crosses her mind as the vines wrap around her throat in a firm grip. Perhaps the sweetheart princess has been taken before. Perhaps she had killed her enemy. Elenora has heard stories about people who could open up the ground. The sand beneath her seems to vibrate under her feet and Elenora believes it all. She turns to face the princess head on. The tears fall from her pretty blue eyes in a stream. Elenora calls on the fire. With a flick of her hand the vines around her neck burn. Fire circles them in a circle, trapping them together. "Have you killed before Princess Lydia?" Elenora cannot help but question

The princess only raises her hands up slowly. It is the trees that bend to grab her now "Do not make me burn down the entire forest for this." Elenora tells her calmly "I only need you for a day-"

"Then what!" The princess snaps. Fear turns into anger as she swipes at her tears. "What is it you want? Money? A royal pardon? A position in the kingdom? Why is it always me? You think I am weaker right? That I will give in easier. I will not and that mistake will be your death!" The grounds vibration picks up and suddenly Elenora is sinking into the earth. Elenora grabs the vines Princess Lydia had grown and uses them to pull her out.

"What I want is far more important Princess Lydia." Elenora admits "My daughter has been kidnapped." The earth stops vibrating. She is shocked. Confused. "I tried to go to court. I wanted to do it right. Bore you properly." Elenora forces a smile. She had not wanted to tell the princess this. Telling the princess can go one or two ways. She can realize Elenora has no intention of killing or hurting her in any way and she can escape. She can help her. The girls guilt slams into her but Elenora shakes it away and continues "But I was turned away at the wall. I had a letter from my mate. It would have gotten me through I think. It might have even convinced your father to help me except they didn't even read it. They just burned it." Elenora swallows and the seconds tick and the tears falls.

"I am sorry." Princess Lydia whispers but once again Elenora shakes it away and continues.

"I knew that the only way pass the wall would be a one way ticket to the cells and so I escaped. See I hoped I might hold your life over King Stavros terrible as it is. Surely he will help me if it means saving his precious daughter."

"You will be killed for treason." Princess Lydia tells her and she sounds perfect. She sounds royal. She sounds so much more than Elenora.

"Yes." Elenora nods "I will be."

"Most likely tortured."

"Yes."

"Do you plan to kill me? Hurt me?"

This Elenora has to pause on. The only thing keeping Princess Lydia here is fear. What does Elenora have if not that? Elenora looks to the moon and wonders how far she will take this to save Charlotte "No Princess Lydia."

Elenora does not understand why the next thing happened. Not at all. In fact Elenora wants to scream at the girl to have some common sense. Elenora is her enemy. Nicer than most but definitely her enemy. Not to be trusted. Not to be helped. She calls for a raven and hands Elenora a pen. She tears part of her dress away "You need a little piece of me. Father will recognize the fabric. Write your note. Make it good." With that she starts to tend to the vines. Elenora watches the flowers bloom in awe for a moment before doing as told. She does not write much.

Call Alpha Bardrick. Your daughter for mine King Stavros.

She sends it off.

"We need to leave this area." Princess Lydia tells her "They will try sending the raven back with a message. I think the forest should do." Elenora looks to the girl and wonders if that is a good idea. Mostly because that is where the warriors said they found the princess all the previous times and it is likely at least one body is buried in the ground there. "Scared?" The princess smiles. Soft but threatening.

"Always Princess."

Together they go into the forest.

Early update anybody? This does NOT mean there will be one tomorrow. It is just a friendly little surprise.

Enjoy!