Mark of the Princess (9 page)

“I will have to wait until tomorrow” Celina said to herself through clenched teeth.

Maligo watched Celina walking and began to pace around his cave. “Well, she has some wits about her.” He said out loud to himself. “It would not have been clever to catch him and give him the gift there. And if the prince is not with his new love when she does give him the gift, that will make things all the more easier for me." He thought, grinning evilly to himself.

~
Chapter
9~

Celina waited impatiently at the stables, after spending the morning searching for the Prince and his friend only to find that they had been off training. After what seemed like an eternity, Kaleb and Tristan finally returned. They flew down on their steeds and dismounted. Chattering back and forth like a couple of schoolboys about their day, and the events of the day before while putting the horses back in their respective stalls.

Celina held back the nasty feelings she had when hearing of the princess and their fun together. She went over the plan in her mind over and over, hesitation was not an option. Convincing herself that it was not Maligo's plan she was carrying out but her own. Her own plans of marrying the prince, of becoming queen, and of getting her revenge on Maligo.

"Hello Kaleb, hello Tristan". Celina said, walking toward the Prince and his best friend hoping her nervousness was not visible.

"Hello Celina, going for a ride?" the Prince responded. "Hello" chimed in Tristan.

"Not really. Just stopping by, I … I wanted to say hello to you two". She walked toward them, running her fingers over the edging of the satchel hanging from her waist.

"So, wherever you were yesterday, it sounds like you had fun". Celina said, trying to spark a conversation between them as they all began walking away from the stables.

"Yes, we had a great time accompanying Princess Alannah and her sister Evyette". Kaleb said.
Celina’s blood began to boil, she wanted to grab that bracelet out of the satchel and put it on his wrist right then and there.

"Wonderful." She managed, the shorter her answers were the easier it was for her to hide her discontent.

Tristan turned to face them both and broke the awkward silence that had followed the last response. "Well, I have to go by my home for a bit. I'll catch up with you later so we can escort Alannah and Evyette." He nodded at Kaleb a wide grin spreading across his face before waving to Celina.

* * *

Alannah and Evyette sat outside their home in a daze. The conversations ran deep about emotions, love, and the dragons they had seen the day before. Alannah's eyes had been opened. The world was not as sweet as she thought, there was still war, and there was still pain. People and creatures suffered, and her heart hurt for them.

They stood and began to walk, the conversation turning from dragons to love, careful not to mention the encounter with the Rogue Faeries so that they would not be forbidden to leave again with Kaleb and Tristan.

"Evyette, I don't know about this. I have never had this feeling before. I have a strange sensation in my stomach when I'm with him. I want to know him in every way and yet I am so comfortable with him that I feel like I have known him all my life! How could I feel this way if we have only just met?”

"Well, we can't complain too much. He did let us go alone with Kaleb and Tristan for most of the day. That, in itself is a miracle".

"So true!" Alannah laughed.

The girls looked up to see the source of some rustling in the trees above but saw nothing.

"When do think we should head over for dinner," Alannah asked, looking behind her to make sure Greer was not listening. "Do you know ,"Alannah stopped in her tracks. The slight hum of Greer's wings had stopped, and he was nowhere in sight. "Greer?" Alannah and Evyette began looking around.

"Where are you?" Evyette asked anxiously.

"Greer" Alannah called out, her voice a bit shaky from her nerves.

The girls began walking back slowly the way they came, looking behind the surrounding trees. Their concerns began to grow when they heard no response, as Greer wasn't exactly the type to play jokes. The girls heard rustling in the trees once again but still saw nothing.

"Alannah, I don't like this!" Evyette exclaimed in alarm.

"I know. Something just isn't right. Let's go back and let father know that something might be going on." Alannah said, still searching frantically.

"Evyette, I think we should go. I'm not feeling good about this at all." Alannah called out turning to face her sister. “Evyette?" Alannah shouted in horror when she did not see her sister. She began to head to the area that her sister was checking.
Oh no
. She thought to herself,
what is going on?!
Alannah walked cautiously, looking around and continued to call out for Evyette and Greer.
I've got to get out of here. I have to tell father
she thought to herself as she turned to head back.

Unexpectedly, her feet became increasingly heavy, she tried to continue walking but began to stumble. The invisible pull traveled up through her, until her rather lifeless body fell to the ground. She opened her mouth to scream, but no sound came out. Out of the corner of her eye she thought she could see Greer’s body lying motionless, covered by several leaves. She tried to move her limbs but it was to no avail. Alannah began trying to search her surroundings, angry that she could only do so with her eyes, but what little she could see offered no indication of what was going on.

She heard the rustling in the trees again, and watched the leaves fall around her. She tried moving, and was terror-stricken knowing that she couldn’t get away.
What has been done to me?
Alannah thought as the sound got closer and closer, panic rising inside of her, tears of anger and frustration welling up in her eyes. Suddenly, she felt a strange wind above her and could only see a shadow coming down on her. The large claws wrapped around her, pulling her motionless body from the leaf strewn ground. The pressure she felt inside was painful, but she couldn't say anything. She couldn't even turn her head to see who or what had picked her up and was taking her away. Silent tears rolled off her face.
Where am I going? What happened to Greer and Evyette?
She yelled inside her own mind. She was flown passed the highest leaves and branches, watching her forest fade into the distance.

* * *

"So Kaleb, you have been spending a lot of time with Alannah?" Celina regretted the question as soon as she spoke it. Her jealousy had spoken before she could think to stop it. She realized that if the bracelet was going to work she should do all she can to keep him from thinking of 'her'.

"Well, I wouldn’t say a lot. We have just met, but I do believe that she is an amazing faerie. Ithink you two would get along." Kaleb said, not catching the look of disgust on Celina’s face.

Celina shrugged off any thought of kindness toward Alannah. There was something different in the way Celina was acting, she seemed distracted and a bit nervous and Kaleb got the impression he should try hard not to give her too much information.

"Celina, is everything ok?" Kaleb asked trying to read her eyes, that seemed ominous today, surrounded by dark circles.

Celina who had gone off in a stare quickly looked back at him., "Of course my Lord. All could not be better while walking with you." She said, a smile creeping across her lips.

Kaleb sensed the affection and began to feel somewhat awkward for not feeling it back and being there alone with her.

They continued walking through the small path making light conversation about the plants and trees and even the weather.

"Kaleb, I want to give you something" Celina’s heart began to race. Visions of the bracelet began rushing to her mind, visions of all the situations that got her to the bracelet. She tried to shrug them off but couldn't. As if there was something else.

"I don't
need
you!" Maligo's voice repeated in her ears.

If he doesn't "need" me, then why give me the bracelet that will make him love me? Why the intent to get me on the throne as a supposed ally?
She thought to herself.

Suddenly it all began to make sense. ‘Of course he would forget her. He would die’!

As she came in to all these realizations she had forgotten to draw back her hand with the satchel.The prince had already begun to open it.

"No!" She pushed his hand out and reached in herself to grab the bracelet.

Kaleb looked at her in utter confusion and worry.

As she pulled out the bracelet, she and Kaleb began to stare at her hand. The poison was instantly being absorbed into her skin and fading her of all color. Her lively pink skin began turning sickly gray in color. The poison crept up her arm like a virus that could not be stopped.

"It was Maligo, He said you'd forget her, forget her and love me. I didn't know. I didn't think of what of what it could have done. I'm sorry Kaleb. He threatened to kill me. He has a plan." She lay feebly on the ground, every word feeding off her last breaths.

Kaleb knelt by her side, confusion, anger and sadness wreaking havoc on his emotions.

"You, must, save yourself, you must stay away from Alannah, his plan has to do with her," Celina said, her words dropping off as the very last breath left her body. Her wings which had sprouted from her back quickly as soon as the poison began to spread, shriveled up behind her and lay on the ground motionless. Her skin covered in a lifeless color that Kaleb had never seen before. He stared at the bracelet still laying in her cold grey hand.

Her last words were ringing loudly in his head. He began to run back to the stables, but knew he would need help. He ran to his house knowing that Tristan would be waiting there for him.Tristan saw Kaleb running up to the castle and knew immediately that something was wrong.

"She's dead!” Kaleb called to him. “It was supposed to be for me, but she killed herself instead, and now he's going after Alannah!" Kaleb continued as Tristan ran toward him.

A guard saw the commotion and began to run over to them.

"Who's dead K? Who's going after Alannah? What are you talking about?" Tristan half shouted, grabbing Kaleb’s shoulders and trying to calm him down.

“Sire, I saw the commotion and wanted to see if you were alright.” Bevan stood attentive and ready to hang on every word the prince was going to tell him.

He stood with his new shiny metal armor vest, leather straps crisscrossing diagonally across his chest. The straps held two leather sheaths for his short swords. On his hip he wore the ‘Sword of the Guards’ the hilts and sword were made of the finest metal, and enchanted to be practically unbreakable. Red suede straps wrapped around the handle and rubies adorned the very end of the hilt. The Quillion on the sword were made of sharp metal faerie wings. On each of his forearms were leather straps with small steel blades tucked inside for self defense without magic. All guards weather young or aged were very muscular and strong, trained in all kinds of combat, magical and non-magical.

The guard saw that Kaleb was not going to stop to tell him what had occurred and quickly kept pace with Kaleb and Tristan as they made their way to the stables.

“Bevan, there has been an attempt on my life and it appears there is or will be one on the life of Princess Alannah from the forest of Meira. Hurry and tell my father with the highest urgency. Send some guards into the woods east of the stables. There, they will find the faerie that was going to kill me but took her life instead. There is a poisoned ring or bracelet in her hands. Tell them
not
to touch it as it was instantly absorbed into her skin and killed her.”