*POV* Lula Sparks Franklin
"We have to stop soon!" Iceis yelled at us as the horses began to slow, we had been riding for about 20 minutes at a full gallop. Mischief slowed before she was pulled up short, I slipped from the saddle and stumbled backwards from the loss of blood.
I fumbled with my blouse trying to rip a piece off, I leaned on Mischief for support. I could hear Iceis talking to her husband trying to
keep him conscious.
My vision blurred and I mumbled a curse, the fabric wouldn't rip. I fumbled with it, my hand growing more painful by the second. All of a
sudden, I was grabbed by the shoulder and turned around.
I watched as the guard took a knife to the bottom of my blouse and tore a long strip from it. "My word Lula, breath." He was right, my
breath was hitching in the oddest way, as he wrapped my hand.
I felt like I was about to cry, even though I had fought the cloaked men before something had changed and now my heartbeat with fear. I had
never seen a castle overrun, and this meant that Samuel was in trouble.
"Breath Lula, breath." I wondered all of a sudden what gave him the right to call me by my name, but I couldn't speak, I sucked in a breath as he held my trembling hands in his.
I took a deep breath and blew it out, one, two, three,. "Is she okay?" Iceis appeared beside us. "She will be." He reassured her.
She sighed. "I gave him the elixir, but medicine has always worked slower on him." I took one more deep breath and realized I was slumped
against the horse, I straightened and swayed.
He steadily me with a hand on my arm, I caught sight of the blood staining his tunic and smeared across his silver armor. I grimaced and swallowed, realizing I was extremely thirsty and tired.
"We can rest here for a bit; it will give me time to send Queen Coral of Hilldren a message of what has happened to my Father's kingdom."
I was surprised but couldn't show it as I watched the guard closely.
Then I saw Zander's figures in the guard's mask, his cheek bones and his eye shape. I bit my cheek and tried not to beat Zander into the
ground for playing with me.
My hand came up to hold the small bottle around my neck, an implosive action to say the least. Zander still had his hand on my arm. "Are you feeling better dear?" Iceis asked, I shook my head, pulled my arm away and
walked away.
I stepped a couple feet into the trees and stared at a young sapling until I was sure it would light up with my thoughts. How could that idiot play me for the biggest fool of all. Hiding in the plane side and watching me!
Bringing me gifts as a guard to see how I would react, I was glad I had burned the flowers now. But after a second, I felt the tears break, I never cried. I rubbed vigorously at my eyes.
But my emotions were just too much. I cursed and with a whispered spell the small tree ignited. I watched it burn until Zander walked
over to stamp the flame out.
"You got my attention, so what is bugging you?" He asked, I kept my eyes firmly on the smoldering tree and frowned. "What do you mean, I have your attention?!" I asked quietly. "I don't even want it."
"Are you mad because you couldn't tell me from me?" He chuckled and I blanched. "Don't feel bad Lula, my spells help to change my face shape." I looked up at him, his face was silently different from what it had been before.
"I am not mad." I grimaced, "I am just- you brought me gifts! Why would you do that?" He stepped forward and I stepped back, he held
up his hands. "Alright, I am sorry. For the gifts and for the lies, it's just that my princely self is so boring that I had to switch it up."
I looked at him, my heart beating in a whole new way. "You don't like being a prince?" He chuckled. "No, I do. I just don't like being the
center of attention. As I guard, I can blend in, and same with being a servant."
I frowned, we stared at one another for a minute until I sighed. "Where do we go now?" I asked, he looked around us. "Well, I just sent
a message to your mother, hopefully that will give us an answer."
"Does she know who you are?" I asked, he looked sheepish and rubbed the back of his neck. "Yes, we met in Ironhaul." I realized with a slight sense of horror that she had come back from that visit with the notion that I was to marry the Elesor Prince.
"Oh." Was all I could say, Iceis called for Zander and I and we walked back towards the horses. "What do you think they did with your
father?" I asked, he was silent for a second.
"I don't know, but it can't be good. This all ties in with the guys that took your brother, right?" I couldn't answer anything but yes. He
chuckled dryly. "Father knew it wasn't over."
"I think everyone knew it wasn't over." I said as we walked up to Iceis, she was holding onto her horse's reins. "He is doing a lot better now." She nodded to where her husband lay propped up against a tree.
"I don't know if we will be able to ride though, the wound is much deeper than I had first thought." Zander nodded in understanding.
"There is a village not far from here, maybe an hour's ride maybe. We can find an inn and a doctor there."
She looked worried but then sighed. "I will take him there, you two should watch for the message from Coral, I will send you a message when I reach the village." Zander nodded and I watched as he helped her get Derrick on the horse and climb on herself.
Zander came to stand beside me as they rode off. A slightly awkward silence fell. I wasn't sure I would be able to not kill Zander myself
in the time it took his message to reach mother.