A chill runs down my spine as we enter the forest.
Darien puts his hand on the small of my back and guides me forward.
"We'll keep walking until we find a clearing, once we do, we can break camp with what we have."
Suddenly, Alissa's hand slips out of mine. I turn to find her on the ground. I kneel down next to her. "What is it?"
Her big eyes look up at me.
I swallow. "You're tired?"
She nods, making her soft brown curls fall forward. I inhale a sharp breath and turn around crouched on the ground.
"Get on."
Darien looks at me, an odd expression on his face. I shoot him a look as Alissa climbs onto my back and wraps her small arms around my neck. I shift Alissa's weight on my back and push past him.
"Well, are you coming or not?"
"Uh...yeah."
Our boots crunch the fallen leaves as we continue on our way.
..........
After about an hour fo walking, we come to a clearing. Darien walks past me and starts dragging fallen tree branches and arranging them in a wide circle, wide enough for three people. Once he's finished, he brushes his hands on his white tunic and offers me a hand. I crouch down to let Alissa off of my back and pick her up in my arms. I hand her to Darien over the branches.
"You couldn't have built this fortress-thingy after we were inside?"
He takes Alissa from my arms without a word. I sigh and wave his hand off as he offers it to me. Hiking my once beautiful skirts up, I lunge over the tree branches. Darien clears his throat and looks away at the sight of my stockings.
His pale cheeks rash red. I stifle a smile and arrange my skirts properly again.
"Princess, I will sleep over there," he points to the space on the other end of the branch fortress," and you and the little girl can sleep here" he points to the place where we're standing.
I plop myself down on the ground in a silent agreement. Alissa walks over to me and leans her small head on my shoulder. Darien sits on the other side of us.
I look at Alissa. "Where are your parents?"
Alissa shakes her head as a single tear runs down her apple cheek.
"I don't know," her voice cracks.
I nod and pull her close to me in a tight hug. "We'll find them, I promise."
She sobs into my shoulder until she falls into a deep slumber.
I slip my dark cloak off of my shoulders and wrap it around her. I kiss her softly on her forehead and pray she sleeps well.
I walk over to Darien and sit next to him on one of the tree branches.
"You can't find her parents," Darien says softly.
I look at him. "Why not?"
He sighs and rubs his knees in a nervous gesture.
"They're dead, Ailee killed them."
YOU ARE READING
RULE (Completed)
הרפתקאות"You are queen now, start acting like it." Ariana has waited her entire life to become queen and rule her country. But things prove to be much more difficult than she ever thought they would be. After the death of her beloved father, her mother sudd...
