The Lie Revealed

The look of disgust on the knight's face as he watched the princess of the dragons ride away on an animal was difficult to hide. Thankfully he was behind the woman so it wasn't entirely necessary. It...it was a terrible way for a princess to behave. Of course, she didn't know or understand that yet so there was no offense intended. It could be excused. With a great sigh, he took a small skip and then started jogging after her, not seeming to be hindered by the speed of the animal he was following.

Sarah looked back to see him running and was rather surprised. She had been hoping that she would be able to lose him on the jaunt back. Either way, it would be as it would be. He could come to the house, learn what she was, and then continue on his search for the missing princess. Without her. And she could resume her torture of Charles. The thought brought a happy smile to her face.

They rode and ran together through the fields, the quickest way to go rather than following the road. When they got close to the house, Sarah saw Charles coming back to the house, a small bale of hay in his arms. He must be trying to fix the roof. She looked back at him before hopping off the back of Clyde and landing nimbly in front of the gate. Turning, she saw the knight following right behind her, not even seeming out of breath. She sighed, still annoyed he had managed to follow her the whole way.

The knight halted in front of her and gestured to where Charles was coming from. "So that is your husband?" he asked simply.

Sarah laughed gently. She supposed it made sense. Charles was obviously around her age and at the same house. He could have been her brother really if the thought was there. But this idea was much more fun. "Yes. He's my husband. So don't try any smart moves," she warned him before opening the gate to the home and then walking into the small kept yard.

Her father, a look of concern painted on his face, exited the house before they got too far. "Get inside, Sarah," he said simply. His eyes didn't move from the knight she had brought home with her. "Now," he snapped when she didn't move fast enough.

On the way over Sarah had prepared this entire speech that she was excited to ramble off but at her father's intense look, she lost all thought of it and went inside quickly as she was told. As soon as she was inside, her mother closed and locked the door before offering her daughter the jar of aloe. Sarah looked incredibly confused. "Mom, what-"

"Shhhh," her mother chastised before pushing her daughter to sit at the table and then went to watch what was happening through the window.

Sarah had fallen back into the chair at her mom's urging but didn't seem interested in staying where she was. "Mom-" she started, beginning to stand up before she was cut off again.

"Quiet and sit down," she instructed, not looking back at her daughter.

Sarah made a face but did as she was told. The aloe jar was plunked on the table before she decided it wouldn't hurt. Taking two fingers, she started smearing the cream on her face and neck. She hadn't been outside too long today so the burn had barely begun.

Outside, what was starting as a defensive stance against a threat was slowly dying down. "I recognize you," Phineas, the father, said to the knight. "You were a page in the yards when we left. Jacks." His eyes were appraising the man from tip to toe.

The knight nodded. "You have a good memory, sir. I'm a knight now. You've been gone long enough I could," he answered with a nod. The knight didn't balk at the evaluation from his senior brother in arms. He did, however, have a mission. "And now the King sends me to retrieve his daughter. She seems to think her name is Sarah and she's married to him." At this point Charles made his way through the gate.

Charles paused as the gate closed behind him. He was an average human male, perhaps better looking than most but still nothing to dream of. His brown hair was stringy from sweating in the early morning work. He was breathing a little heavily as he held the hay bundle he had carried over his shoulder and looked between the two men there. "Do you have a problem, Phineas? Something I can help with?" he asked as he walked by, never taking his eyes off the new man there. He was also entirely untrusting of beings he didn't know.

Phineas shook his head a bit and said, "Nothing I can't handle Charles. That bundle is needed around the front of the house." He nodded to the human who sniffed and wiped at his nose aggressively as if it was a show of what he intended to do if the newcomer tried anything.

When he disappeared around the corner of the house, Jacks smirked. "Humans are hilarious," he said, clearly amused by the man's antics.

Phineas nodded and said, "That they are. But that one works hard and Sarah fancies him." He was using Alexa's false name on purpose. Jacks caught it and sent him a confused, almost glare of a look. Phineas saw it and explained. "How am I to be sure that what you are saying is true? Others have been sent to search for the missing princess as well. Perhaps Sarah is my true daughter and Princess Alexa remains hidden somewhere."

Jacks nodded with a small smile. Of course that was the reason. He reached into a leather pouch he carried over his shoulder and pulled out a rolled golden scroll. It was held closed with a red seal, the stamp of the king plain as day.

Phineas took it and broke the seal before reading the scroll. He had no reason to share it with Jacks nor with anyone else. Once he was finished, he looked up to Jacks. Without warning, he spit fire onto the parchment which immediately burst into flame and disintegrated into ash between them. "Very well. Let's go alert the princess," he said before turning to the house. Jacks smiled behind him and followed.

Gemma, Sarah's mom, saw the two turn around to come into the house. At Phineas' smile she knew exactly what had happened. Beaming, she turned around to look at her 'daughter'. "Thank the Gods we don't have to deal with the horses anymore," she said happily.

Sarah looked up at her very confused from the table. "Why won't we have to deal with the horses?" she asked, confused. Just as she finished that thought, her father and their guest walked in. Welcoming the man in the house? She got a little nervous at this and, though her smile stayed on her face, her eyes weren't so sure. "He's insane," she said to her parents simply.

Phineas and Gemma looked to her kindly, lovingly, as they had the last seventeen years. Phineas was the one that started it. "Sarah, listen to us. Please. You owe us that much," he said to her simply.

The smile that had been on Sarah's face fell instantly and the look of horror replaced it.

Gemma sat down at the table next to her and watched the young princess closely, so as to gauge her reactions. She reached across the table and gently took the girl's hand. "Your name is truly Alexa Marie. Your house goes as far back as dragon and vampire families go," she started.

Sarah...Alexa shook her head. "No," she said shaking her head and sitting up straighter. As she did, her hand that was being held pulled back, falling in her lap.

Gemma nodded and Phineas continued. "Seventeen years ago we were ordered by your father, Prince Freryr to take you and hide you among humans. He needed to make sure you were kept safe after your mother died. There was worry that your uncle would blame you for her death."

Alexa looked between the people she had thought her parents these seventeen years. What was going on? How had they managed to think up this elaborate scheme?

Gemma finished. "Now your uncle is attacking again. Your father is the king now and he is calling on you to help protect your people and fight for the people that your uncle would take to war on a vendetta that he cannot get over."

Alexa finally laughed and stood up. "There's no way. How much did they pay you?" Her question was directed at the new man in the house.

"It was my duty to come and retrieve you," was his answer.

Alexa shook her head again and backed up to the other door of the house. "No," she said simply. When she bumped into the door she realised she had a chance to get a clear head here. "No!" she screamed and threw the door open behind her.

The door hit the water barrel behind it hard, startling Charles who saw the woman he knew as Sarah running for the wall. "Sarah?" he asked, seeing she was looking to ride away.

She whistled once and Misty came cantering over. The horse paused only long enough for its rider to climb on and the both were gone.

"Alexa!" Phineas called as he ran out after her. He was too slow and the girl was already going into the woods. Jacks ran out behind him as well and was about to jump the wall, shift and chase her, when Phineas put out his arm to stop him. "She'll come back," he said, shaking his head. "She'll realise we're right sooner or later."

Jacks didn't seem impressed but he huffed and turned back to go into the house to wait. He hated waiting.

Phineas looked to Charles and smiled at him, nodding. "Almost got that roof done?" he asked before going back in the house himself, leaving Charles there looking agape between the door and where Sarah/Alexa had just run off.