chapter 14

" let me go. I begged of you". She bowed.

"why would I let you go". He had mirth in his eyes. He was bemused by her sudden loyalty.

"Because I found your ring. The very thing that you have searched for, for the past hundred years and couldn't find. I found it in less than a minute".

He was encircling her. Carefully removing his gait. He could hear her heart throbbing in her chest.

"that was smart little one". He said.

"I am not little. My name is Eleanor. Eleanor Alexander".

"okay". He said, putting his hands into his pocket. He looked at her. Her flowing velvet dress had sparkling stones imprinted on it.

Her jewelry were diamonds. He saw how troubled her bulky blue eyes were. He could read her mind. She really needed to go.

She pouted her lips at him for accessing her. When their eyes met, she was grateful his eyes where not as shinning as Jessica or others she saw back in the large hall where she couldn't looked into.

Now she was going to looked him in the eye and speak to him. So he would know she is not a scared little girl. She just missed her way back to the large hall where everyone else was.

" I see you are brave"

She loved the compliment. She curled her lips up in a smile.

"You are dressed like a little princess". He said.

"I am a no princess" she lied. Stepping away from him. She went to the high window that led her here.

"They must be looking for me. Please send me back to them".

"Do you want to leave your title in the slums".

"What?" she turned to him

He smiled. He looked beautiful when he does that. She has barely seen a man with dimples. Here was these beautiful man standing right in front of her.

Too beauty to be true. She was too young to admired a man. Too young to say he was making sense to her.

"Little princess I shall keep you here with me till you are grown".

"Excuse you". Her eyes dilated. "you can't be serious. I can't stay another hour here. I really must go. I have to see my father".

"But wait how did he know I was a princess. What is he?". She couldn't tell. "I shouldn't investigate further. I am in a weird land". She thought. "He could be anything". She reasoned within her members.

"Don't you want to know my name"

"what has your name got to do with what I just say".

"Aren't you the one who thought that you were too young to admired a man. I need to keep you around, till when you are grown. You shall remind me of my looks. If you are going to stay that long you might need my name incase you want to used it".

"Righteous" she exclaimed he read my mind again. Why is he picking on me.

"You should be tired of standing on this grass. Walked with me".

She was still standing close to the golden wall. She went to him.

"Please I don't know what you are up to. I'm just a child. I. Am. Eight. Years. Old."

"You don't speak like a girl your age. Well I'm willing to wait".

"for what! Hell no" she taunted. "I want to go back".

" Only if you walked with me".

It was pointless pleading with him. He wasn't ready to help. He moved away.

She didn't want him to be out of sight. Maybe if she keeps begging he might changed his mind. Perhaps she shall asked of his name and what or who he is.

She followed him reluctantly. Careful with her steps. She didn't come anywhere near the trees or moved distance away from the fountain when she was alone. But here she was with a man she knows nothing about.

"What do they called you mister?". She spoke calmly. Regretting why she say it out. She should have left it in her mind, mediating on it and he would get it there.

Looking at him from behind, He was tall and regal. His long legs gave a long stride making it difficult for her to keep up.

She stopped in the arbor. Looking at him with anger. Her heart panting profusely.

How would he be so mean to treat a girl like this. First she did him a favour by finding his ring. Now he couldn't returned the favour by letting her out of their trapped of a garden she fell into with her eyes wide open.

She closed her eyes to contained her emotions. He was so annoying. When she opened her eyes he was right in front of her. Her breathe skipped.

She took two steps backward. He was smiling at the dread in her eyes. He lean forward, bringing forth one of his two hands behind his back. He gave her an apple.

She shrugged staring at him without blinking and at the apple in his hands.

"What I'm I supposed to do with it" she said.

He took it to his mouth and gave it a bite. Crunching it with caution.

"That is what you shall do with it". He answered.

"You don't really think that I can eat that, do you?. Did you bring me here to give me an apple?.

He smiled and walked away.

"What is your name?". She asked in a loud tone.

He halted, not looking back. His head was kept straight.

"I am Zane".

"You are sane" she said. He turned to look at her. She smirk and tilted her shoulders up.

"lord Zane" he corrected.

"lord!. What are you?". She wanted to asked but refused to say it out. It better to keep it to herself. And hope this man would let her go.

"Do you really what to know?"

"Know what exactly". She shrugged her shoulders again, feigning ignorance. She heaved afterwards.

" I guessed you can read my mind. So tell me now that you know. Who are you mister?" She bowed to him.

He was bemused by her actions. He let a loving smiles captured his lips.

"I am a demon" .

She flinched. The last time she flinched was when queen Margaret revealed her true identity.

"Demon". It echoed back in her head. The girl of yesterday. Joyce. She became furious. She was going to teach her a lesson but she never had the chance.

Joyce was rude and heartless. Eleanor's lips started twitching. Another demon was right in front of her. He had refused to let her go.

"you are all mean and evil and…".

"Hold it there!. What are you talking about princess?".

Her hatred for him began to sprouts.

"You evil demon, don't you dared call me that. Get me out of here. I hate every sight of you". She spoke with all her might.

He was touched by her words. She could feel he was. He disappeared.

She panicked. Looking around if she shall find him standing anywhere. Her eyes suddenly tracked him going in a distance. She ran to him. Parking the hem of her dressed when she almost stumbled.

She didn't know what else to do. Never did she think that she would be meeting with a demon here again.

He kept walking faster. She had to keep running so he wouldn't be out of sight. She finally got to where he stopped.

He was in an enticing gazebo. He was seated before the table that had varieties of food on it. She looked round. A walkway leads to different part of the flowering garden. Birds were voicing on the trees and cricket chirping to their convenience. They was none other than the two of them.

She was worried. It been awhile she departed from the people she came with. She didn't know it would turned out like this. She wouldn't have left them in the first place.

It must have been night fall by now. Eleanor did not know what time it was. Everywhere here refused to tell the time. Now she wished to leave the land and returned to her kingdom. She had bitten too much that she can chew.

She was going to act like the small girl that she is.

"Forgive me my lord".

"for what?". he asked not looking at her. He had a plate he was dipping his spoon into.

"For speaking rudely". She said

She bowed again when he looked up at her .

"I am princess Eleanor". She didn't know why she suddenly agreed that she was a princess.

When he looked back at her. He was wearing a smiling. The smile that didn't extend beyond his lips and it vanished quickly. Making her looked nervousness. Right now she was nervous.

She really didn't know what he was going to do next after abandoning her at the arbor.

And for some odd reason she didn't know why she became this nervous all of a sudden.

She waited for him to talk but he was too busy eating his meal. She went into the gazebo. Standing by the table opposite him.

Deep down her. She knew he could take her back if he chooses to. "Please I wished to returned to my father, the king. He must be dead worried about me…"

He lifted his head and she stopped talking. Still looking at her, she gulped while fondling the side of her skirt.

"I never knew you could be this humble". He shoved his plate aside. He was done eating.

"Sit". He commanded. She was lost in his dark eyes. She stood still not moving an inch. He rose and pulled the chair for her. She sat.

He cleared a spot on the table in front of her. He then placed a big bowl. She was dazed. Not knowing what he was doing but she kept calmed and watched.

He picked a green jug on the table and poured a yellow liquid into the bowl until the jug was emptied. She could perceived the flavour. It was pineapple juice.

He then sat on the shorter end of the table closer to her. He placed his hands on hers. Her heart skipped by his warm hands on hers.

He took her index finger and deep in the fruits juice in the bowl before them.

King Ephraim appeared in it. She jerked off and pulled back from the table.

They maintained a fixed gaze. "w..was". she gulped. "did I just see my father in that bowl". She pointed at it. Breaking the gaze to looked back into the bowl.

"Do you want to see him again". He asked.

"of course". She responded. Smile had it way on her lips. She was becoming more relaxed now.

She drew close. Readily giving him her hands to dipped back there.

She saw her father on the throne. He was in a meeting with his nobles. Her eyes teared up as she saw her father's face after a week of her travelling. He was looking a little pale.

The great secretary, minister Mammon was reading from the chronicles about a case that was long abandoned but was revived again.

"My king" he bowed. "This talked about the land dispute we had with the Mistletoe kingdom. It been decades now but just yesterday. It was reported that men from the kingdom drove our farmers away from the land".

"That land cost us golds before we could purchased it from their fathers. Duke Williams spoke.

"Aye. Children of this generation thinks they can changed what they cannot changed. It only an insane person who thinks that they shall recover spilled milk.

The land we bought and they want to have it back!. Who does that?". Bridge Young said.

The land was at their border. The Mistletoe was a rich kingdom by the east. It was known for it tree houses, that is where they got the name 'Mistletoe'.

This land brought conflict between this two kingdoms. They couldn't fight the Golden Hill because of their protection from a strange source.

It was told that the land was sold to Golden Hill by the fathers of Mistletoe but Mistletoe said the amount was too small.

As a matter of fact, they were not willing to sale the land no more. They needed it back. They returned the money Golden Hill fathers once paid. The Mistletoe kingdom were in a haste to forcefully take their land back".

Princess Eleanor didn't want to hear of any land dispute. She didn't wished to look at the bowl again either. She wanted to be with and spend time with her father in real life.

Looking away from the bowl. She was moody.

"Is everything alright. lord Zane asked. She nodded her head in disapproval and stood up.

"I would love to be friends with you" he said.

"Friends" she repeated. Turning back to looked at him. He was upstanding.

"How can I be friends with a demon?".

She said and quickly took her hands to cover her mouth. She had already spilled it. Even though she thought of it, He should have still read her mind.

"Keep this". He gave her back the ring. "Anytime you need my presence turned it. Then I shall come to you".

She took a step closer to him. Furrowing her brows.

"I thought you said you lost it and you would like to keep it why giving it to me".

"I don't want to lose you".

" How do you mean?". She was curious. A demon she barely knows thinking of losing her.

" You are too young to understand. In due time when you are old enough you shall understand".

"Why are you looking at me like that. You are making feel uncomfortable". She snapped at him.

"You shall not go if you don't keep the ring".

"Wait! are you going to compelled me to keep your personal belongings".

He walked out of the gazebo. Taking the same path they came from.

"Far from it but let me see how you shall find your way out of here if you want to prove stubborn".

Some how she was happy that he spoke about her leaving this place. He was finally going to let her go.

She collected the ring. lord Zane smiled. It was too big for her tiny little finger.

"Keep it untill when you are grown. it shall size you".

She was looking at him. She needed to leave this place as soon as possible.

"Don't showed the ring to any one".

"An if I do". She asked stubbornly.

"Then you shall come back here". She glared at him. He smiled again. You would love to know more about this place, wouldn't you?". He looked around. "There are much more places you haven't seen" he teased her some more.

"I won't show it to no one". She promised crossing the hand on her chest.

He smiled. They were now at the high window. She was looking at it with eager eyes. Waiting for it to turned into a door. When it didn't she turned round and looked at him with a questioning look.

He was a metre behind. He stepped closer. Bringing forth his hands he learned forward. He held an apple out to her.

"What I'm I supposed to do with it. I want to go home". She heaved. She was yelling. She just remembered she told him that before.

"Sorry" she said and look away.

"Good girl" . He was entertained by her.

"now take a bite before I changed my mind".

Her hands was shivering. She tried to steady it as she stretched to grabbed the fruit off his palm.

She took a bite and here she was in the large hall. She looked around. She was angry with herself.

She should have taken a bite when he first gave her the apple.

"Anyway I'm here now. I must look for Jessica or queen Margaret and my fifteen knights".

"Eleanor". She turned round when she heard her name. It was Jessica. She ran and gave her a hug.

"Righteous!. She exclaimed. "I have missed you".

"Where have you been".

"I was just seeing the castle" she was grateful for seeing Jessica again. It showed on her. She could look into Jessica's gleaming eyes that she couldn't before. Behind it was a beautiful soul. Eleanor bowed

"My queen" . She took Jessica's hands and kissed the back of her palms. Jessica teared up.

"I have searched for you for the past one week and you were no where to be found".

"How do you mean?". She asked the queen. "I only went for a walk round the castle. I haven't spend twelve hours in there.

"My princess.." she turned round. It was her knights. They called her in turns. They were very worried about her whereabouts.

"righteous" Ken exclaimed. Eleanor chuckles.

"It been a week my princess". We thought we would never found you". She was surprised that she had been with the demon for a week. She was glad that she finally returned.

"my queen". She looked at her. She was not queen Margaret but Jessica.

"My lady, Jessica,". The knights chuckled. "How about your father and mother. Your parents my lady".

"They are find. We need to go Eleanor. Your father must be expecting us.

I told him three weeks and today is the last day in three weeks. We were supposed to start going since last week".

She couldn't be any happier now that she had meet up with her people. Now was the time to return to her kingdom.

"My queen how do we get back without incurring the king's wrath?". Ken asked.

"I would have to think".

"You should act not think, my queen. Eleanor said.