The royal guard.
Audra hummed in delight as the rice dessert melted on her taste buds. The head chef although grumpily but had agreed to her wish to have some of it after all she was the special guest of the king. She decided to enjoy this importance before she left. If she is to stay here might as well enjoy it. Just there was one problem the man standing behind her like a statue.
"Do you want some?" she offered without even looking up.
"I think I might have lost my appetite seeing you eat like that" She could almost imagine his face annoyed.
"I haven't eaten anything since last night. Can you blame me?" she shrugged remembering that she had closed herself inside the room yesterday organizing her thoughts.
"We here take food as a blessing, we don't eat it like it's going to vanish" he commented observing her.
"Then why are you standing behind me?" she didn't like him hovering above her.
"Let's see. You have been here for one day and your record of avoiding danger isn't very clear."
"So?" she prompted further at his rude remark.
"I am supposed to keep you away from killing yourself" he stated simply, riling her up.
"I thought you were the King's guard why are you tailing behind me then" she remembered seeing him beside the king yesterday.
"king's order" he shrugged as if it was obvious.
"Are you some sort of royal guard?" she stood up from the table passing the empty bowl to one of the chefs.
"You don't know him?" one of the chefs gasped behind her. She turned to face him.
"No" she shook her head.
"He is known as the half prince. He grew up with them and he lives with them he just serves the king since he cannot be on the throne" the chef seemed to adore him.
"I think your food's burning" Marcello smiled at the chef threateningly and he bowed slightly to Marcello before returning to his food.
"I see you are very popular" Audra whispered in his ear chuckling at his embarrassed sight. He just rolled his eyes in response.
"Since I am to stay here for a while and you seem to be stuck with me so tell me what's more to this place" she genuinely wanted a tour to this place. She walked out of the kitchen and she was pulled aside by her wrist.
"Let me show you around" Ian appeared beside her, his smile wicked and his eyes glowing mischievously.
Before she had a chance to protest everything around her blackened. The last thing she heard was Marcello screaming behind "IAN"
The darkness had vanished now the bright sunlight hit her eyes like million lasers and she felt herself out of breath as she hit the ground with a thump. She looked around herself, she was in a clearing with green grass underneath. The grass was so green it looked like it was from some sort of cartoon. Except the clear land where they were the rest of the place was surrounded by trees. She heard sounds of splashes behind her and she looked to see a waterfall flowing from between huge boulders of rocks. The water sparkled like million diamonds as it rushed down. The view was breath taking like anything she had ever seen.
Her moment of awe was short lived as she was kicked on her leg and she stumbled down Ian appeared above her satisfied at the sight of her fallen.
"What is wrong with you?" she screamed getting up.
"You shouldn't have challenged me" he pushed her back down, his booted foot stepping down on her forearm.
"What are you talking about?" she stared up at him unable to understand him. She bit her lip stopping herself from screaming and giving into his stupid twisted obsession.
"Don't even think for a second you can mess with me" he mocked her repeating her words.
"you should have listened to me then" she took hold of his leg with the hand he stood on and dug her nails into his flesh pulling her forearm from under his foot causing him to topple down losing balance.
Taking this as her opening she started to run towards the forest. The ends of her dress grasped tightly in her hand she was annoyed at the nuisance they caused. She was almost about to enter the forest when a fire erupted on the tree right in front of her. She sucked in a breath taking a step back. She froze standing there for a second looking at the blazing monster gobbling up the tree and then it was gone the leaves falling to ashes and the tree stood there covered in soot.
"surprised" Ian caught up to her.
"You could have killed me" she screamed slapping him hard across the cheek.
"I wouldn't mind doing that anymore" he grabbed her hair pulling her towards the waterfall. He stopped at the edge of the rocks by the water before dunking her head inside it. She protested shaking her head trying to pull away. She hit the water with force keeping her eyes closed and stopped her breathing bracing herself for the impact. She flayed her hands trying to somehow grab him.
"tell me one good reason to keep you alive" he pulled her back up her wet hair falling down her face in thick strands. She gulped in large chucks of air.
"Ask your grandfather" she spat at him and she was again thrown into the water.
"Don't act too over smart" he could hear his muffled voice through the water.
She let her hands fall back down and stopped moving. slowly opening her eyes into the water. Her eyes burned but within a second they returned back to normal. To her surprise she could see every rock under water that reached to the bottom stacked upon each other. She could see each splash of water droplets. She could see all creatures roaming around in the water, creatures she didn't know names of.
'I am sorry mother' she apologized silently unable to hold her breath anymore she let herself breathe. The water entered her nostrils but it didn't choke her. She didn't lose breath. She could breathe underwater. She could breath. She was unable to comprehend this situation. She didn't dare move staying still as ever. Hoping Ian would take her as dead. She continued to stare at the water. Her mind running wild imaginations the water swirling underneath glowing in brighter blue ready to attack her. The swirl neared and she realized it wasn't imagination it was real. Panic flooded in her mind and now she moved trying to get back fighting Ian's hold on her. She tried to speak underwater but she didn't have that ability. The swirl of water came towards her like million pieces of glass ready to pierce through her. Finally noticing that something was wrong in the waterfall he left hold of Audra and stepped back afraid.
It was too late. The water came at her and she closed her eyes this time sure it was the end of her. She waited but the water never came at her. She cautiously opened her eyes the water in front of her was calm as if nothing had happened as if there wasn't just a tornado inside it. She got up from where she was sitting fear of water settling in her heart. Her feet moved backwards until she hit something. She looked down to see Ian drenched in water knocked out. The water had saved her.
She didn't wait for him to wake up instead she ran as fast as her feet could drag her drenched self and carry the weight of her dress. She ducked avoiding the low branches of the tree as she entered the forest. She had no idea where she was and the only way was to hide herself in the forest until someone came to rescue her. The forest began to darken as she ran deeper inside it. The sunlight filtering in small patterns through the canopy of lush trees hovering above her.
Unable to walk any further she stopped in the middle of the forest to search the area around her, making sure no one had followed her she decided to stop. Resting her back against the tree she let herself sit down. Finally getting a break Audra let herself feel, legs ached from running and her hands stung from various places where she was cut by the tree branches. Before she could even top herself tears began to fall from her eyes. She hadn't cried properly since that argument with her mother on that last night in her world. She let herself cry loudly wailing in the emptiness she sobbed loudly. She didn't like where she was. She wished to return but she had no idea how she got here to go back. She hated the people she was surrounded with. She hated herself for having fought with her mother.
"I can't even sleep in peace here" a breathy voice echoed in her head and she silenced.