Chapter Seven
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In Lilac's room, she hears the small rustle of wind blowing through her window…
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Throwing clothes, wrapped up shoes, and weapons into my bag, I head to the kitchen.
Carefully opening the door to the kitchen, I peek my head around the sharp corner. Walking in when I see no one in there, I grab food, water-skins, and cutlery. Running out of the side door as the cooks come in, I make my way to the main gates, hiding the bag underneath my dress.
"Hello, Lilac." Nodding at the guards who are escorting me and my father, I look around.
"Where's my father?" The guard shrugs. "Said he had to get someone." Bobbing my head, my face turns red.
"I forgot Zion! Oh, that is terrible of me." Running into the castle and to Zion's room, my bag falls out on the way. Turning around to get it, my knife falls out without me realizing it.
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In Zion's room, all he hears are shouts of help from all around him….
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The shouts mingle together. I can't distinguish one from the other.
They are saying the same thing, "Help." I can't help them. The voices just swirl around me. I don't know how to stop it, but it's killing my head.
The noise, it's too loud. I want it to go away!
Whispering to myself, "Go away, go away, please" The voices answer with more pleas.
Laying down in a fetal position, there's a knock on my door.
"Zion?" It creaks as the person pushes it open. "Hey, you okay in here?" Sitting up and making sure I don't look horrible, I nod.
"Yeah. I'm fine. Just tired." Seeing the person now, It's Lilac.
"Okay. Well, the festival is today! Come on!" Lilac drags me from my bed and leads me to the main gates. "Lilac. I don't feel good. Can we go back?" She dismisses my pleas. "You're fine!"
The voices get louder the closer we get to the king's room, slowly fading when we walk away. Getting a small glance inside, I see Cadence rummaging through the king's paperwork.
"Wonder what that's about…."
"What?" Lilac looks back at me. Waving her off, I shake my head.
"It's nothing."
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In the king's chambers, Cadences' uncle is learning all that he can….
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Going through the king's paperwork is hard. Everything is thrown everywhere and nothing is neat. Having to be fast, I am only still getting used to my new body, so it's making everything hard.
Cadence is still in my brain somewhere. Feeling him trying to push me out is terrible. Dead or not, it feels all squishy when he moves around.
"The gods, Cadence! Stop moving-"
"Cadence? What'reyoudoing?" Turning around, the papers that were in my hands fall to the ground.
"Nothing, my king. Just organizing your papers!" He glares at me and stalks past me.
"I told youto never touch mypapers…" His voice is slurred and there is a sundrop bottle in his hand. "Sorry, sir. I'll never do it again." The king points a finger at me. "Good. Now hurry along, we have a festival to attend to." Nodding my head, the king walks forward, leaving me to look at the papers one last time.
"I'll be back, papers." Glaring at the papers, I catch up to the king.
Once we get out of the castle, the king leads us to a tunnel that leads out to the central village. The king went first, then Lilac, then Zion, and I am at the king's side. Maybe, with the king's drunken state, I can get information out of him.
"This will be fun!"
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In the center villages, Jaylin has been searching for a brown-haired, green eye'd, girl…
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For the last hour, I've been searching for this girl. She is nowhere to be seen. I know we can help each other. The little boy said she could help me.
Laughing at my own thoughts of following the orders from a little boy, the villagers glance at me. Ignoring them, I make my way to the middle of the village.
The streets are lined with all kinds of colored ribbons, lanterns, and floating disks. People are wearing colorful clothes and shoes. Not understanding what is going on, I walk up to a few citizens to ask.
"Why you don't know?! It's the fine arts festival!" The villagers would just walk away with that, not caring to elaborate. But, if everyone is coming for the fine arts festival, maybe the girl will come too.
Glimpsing around the crowd of people, not one person fits the boys' description. Some people here have red or white hair and purple tint to their skin or a green tint, and their eyes are usually hazel or brown. Why most people here have dark skin, their hair is more like a black and they have dark, beautiful brown eyes.
Sitting back on a bench, thinking about my options, trumpets sound in front of me and a person comes walking out of a tunnel in the ground that leads up to the castle. The first to come out is an old man, he has brown hair with white in it and his skin is a tan color. A second person comes out, and it's a girl with shiny, tan skin, silky brown hair, and bright, sparkling green eyes.
It comes to me, the person I have to find is the princess. The princess of all people.
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In the village, Lilac can only hear the shouts of the villagers when she walks out….
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The noise is okay, it's a little loud and I can tell it's bothering Zion. Cadence is talking to my father and me and Zion are in the middle of a circle of guards. Villagers have dispersed and gone to the stage for the play.
This year, instead of a boring history play, a play about a lost girl will play.
Looking around, I see him. The boy from the night before, sitting on a bench, looking straight at me. We glare at each other. Talking to my guard, he nods and lets me out of the circle. Making my way to the bench, I point at him to follow me. The boy gets up and over the noise; I hear him sigh.
"Why are you here?" He shrugs. "Why now? It's the fine arts festival." Glaring at him, I push him against the wall, trying to draw my knife. When I feel nothing, I realize my knife fell out. Dasolin smiles. "Forgot your knife?"
Letting him go, I lean against the alleyway's wall. "What do you want?" He bends down and takes a knife from his bag. Glaring at it as he brings it up, he hands it to me.
"Here. Before you run off with my knife, I have a proposition." Frowning, I take the knife and put it in my dress pocket. "A proposition?" Dasolin nods. "Yes. We can help each other. I know things you need to know. But, you can only have the information if you help me get back to my family, safely." Laughing, I shake my head.
"I'm good. Get to your family by yourself." Desolin tries to reach out to me as I leave the alleyway.
"Princess Lilac! I know about the crack in your ancients wall." Turning to him quickly, he is against the wall again.
"What did you say?"
"The crack, I know about it. I have information that will help you. You can only have it if you come with me." Glaring at him, I take out the knife he gave me.
"Lilac, make a choice. If you will come with me, put that knife away, please. The future of the Solstice revolves around this choice." Sighing, I put the knife away.
"You better not be lying. This is a big deal. If the world revolves around this choice, I have to think about my people. My father won't do anything about the crack." Desolin lets out a heavy sigh.
"Thought you would kill me there…." Taking the bag out from under my dress, Desolin picks up his bag.
Desolin walks off, leaving me to stare at my family one last time. Cursing under my breath, I turn and look after Desolin.
Knowing I have to make a choice now before my guards come looking for me, I run after Desolin, drawing my knife just in case he is a crazy killer.
"Guess I am coming with you… I'm sorry, dad."