Image by S. Hermann & F. Richter from Pixabay It was the day before Halloween and I was very excited about the dance tomorrow. I came home from school and set my backpack down on the couch, heading quickly to the kitchen to find something to eat.
“Uncle, are you home?” I asked. No answer. I was used to this. He would work late at the hospital a lot, being a heart surgeon and all. I got squeamish when people talked about blood or the heart pumping blood. After all, that was the only thing keeping us alive. I shook my head to rid myself of these thoughts. I opened the fridge and grabbed some bread to make a sandwich. I heard a slight creak in the living room and paused. “Uncle, is that you?” I asked. Well, it was an old house, after all. Surely it made tons of sounds. The creak continued but I ignored it. Then I heard very faint but distinct footsteps on the stairs. Abandoning my sandwich, I called Ruben on the phone. “Ruben,” I said, trying to whisper and keep down the panic that was rising inside me. “I think there’s an intruder in my house.” “I’ll be right there,” Ruben was alarmed. He hung up and I searched for a place to hide. The light suddenly went off, and I realized the intruder had reached the living room. I was still in the kitchen so I slipped into the pantry closet and soundlessly closed the door behind me. I hid in darkness and hoped that whoever was in my house wouldn’t find me. Moments later, the intruder opened the door of the pantry and flicked on the light switch. “Hello, Scar,” a voice said. I tried not to gasp. A tall, imposing man stood there, with black hair, and a sneering face. “Father,” my voice quavered. “What are you doing here?” “I’ve been waiting for you,” he said. “You ran away from home and I came to find you.” “I’m not going with you,” I said. “This is my home.” “I’ll make you a deal,” my father said. “If you give me the scythe, I’ll leave you alone for good.” “So that’s why you’re here,” I realized. “Yes,” he ranted. “I should have become the Guardian! Not him! Now tell me where the scythe is!” He took a step towards me. I was cornered and frozen in fear. “Come with me,” he hissed, grasping my wrist. After dragging me out of the pantry, he kept a tight hold on my wrist. “Where is the scythe?” he demanded. “Tell me!” “I don’t know,” I gulped. He seemed to ponder for a moment, but then focused on me, his eyes shining with malice. “You betrayed me when you ran away, Scar, but now it’s time for me to get my revenge on my brother. And you’re the key,” he sneered. “What?!” I asked hoarsely. “Let’s see if he’ll trade you for that scythe.” Suddenly, something dark and quick flew past us, right in front of his face. It made a buzzing sound. “What is that?!” he tried to swat it away, but the flying thing was too fast. “Let’s go now,” my father said, pulling me towards the door. The flying thing returned and landed on his face. “Aaah!” my dad screamed. He swatted at it and tripped backwards. The distraction had caused him to let go of my arm. Finally! I made a dash for the front door, but as I sprinted into the living room, I tripped over a kneeling figure, causing the remote to fly out of his hands and slide under the couch. “Ruben!” I gasped. My father had gotten up and was heading our way. “So much for that gizmo,” Ruben said. He searched frantically through his pockets. He smiled and pulled out a pen and pointed it at my dad. The little light at the end turned on. My father stared at us, waiting for something to happen, then his expression turned to confusion. “Darn!” said Ruben. “I thought it was the shooting pen. It would have shot slime into his eyes. This one is just a flashlight!” “And who do we have here?” my dad sneered. “A thief? Wait until the authorities hear about this!” He snatched the flashlight pen away. He grabbed the phone and dialed. Ruben tried to tackle him but my father shoved him away as if he were a fly. Just then, my uncle entered as quietly as a ghost, seeming to materialize out of nowhere. “Stop what you’re doing!” he roared. “You know what I want!” my father boomed. “Give it to me or else!” A few minutes later, the police arrived, pounding on the door. They were soon let in. “Officers, I’m so glad you’re here!” my father lost his sneering expression and seemed like he was genuinely concerned about me. “My daughter had run away from home and I found her here. My brother, her uncle, this man right here, wouldn’t tell me where she was. Please allow me to bring my wayward daughter back home.” “Is this your father?” an officer asked. “Yes,” I said. “But I don’t want to go with him. My uncle takes good care of me. I’d rather stay with him.” “I know how much you love your uncle, but you need to be with your parents. We’ll visit every week, I promise,” my father pretended to be a good, loving dad. “How old are you?” the officer asked. “Seventeen,” I said. “We are sorry,” the officers said. “But since you’re underage, you must go with your legal guardian.” “He hurt my friend Ruben,” I said, pointing to the cut on Ruben’s forehead. When my dad had pushed him, Ruben had come into contact with the corner of the table. “That was because I was defending myself,” my father whined. “This boy was charging at me, unprovoked.” “That’s not true,” Ruben said. “Scarlet called me and said there was an intruder in the house. So I came right over.” “Intruder?! I’m her father!” my dad was incredulous. “Do I have to make an appointment before coming to see my own daughter?” “But you came in without knocking,” I said. “I hid in the closet because I was scared.” “This boy intruded too!” my father said. “Arrest him!” “This is my home and I won’t have any of this nonsense,” my uncle interrupted in a low voice. The police officers delivered me to my dad and told him not to trespass into my uncle’s home ever again. They called Ruben’s parents to come and get him. As I left, I turned around and saw my uncle’s sad face. He wished he could rescue me, but unfortunately my dad was my legal guardian.
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Image by Larisa Koshkina from Pixabay “Uncle,” I said. “I was wondering if you had any Halloween decorations. I’d like to decorate the house. After all, Halloween is coming up, and I’m surprised you haven’t put anything up yet.”
“Yeah, I’ve been too busy at the office,” he said. In addition to working at the hospital, my uncle operated a small medical practice in town. He would usually come home late and would be tired in the evenings. My uncle told me where I could find the Halloween decorations, and I quickly called up Ruben. “Yeah?” he sounded sleepy. “Good morning,” I said. “Are you still asleep?” “Uh huh,” he said groggily. “I always sleep in late on a Saturday.” “I’m going to put up Halloween decorations. Would you like to come over?” “Yeah, I’ll be there soon,” Ruben said. We rummaged through the boxes in the shed. “I think I found some tombstones,” Ruben said. “And here’s a vampire cape,” I pulled it out of the box and put it on. “How do I look?” “I have some Halloween face paint at home,” Ruben snickered. “I can make you look scary.” “You’re on,” I said. “And what are you going to be for Halloween?” “A spy, what else?” Ruben laughed. “But you’re always a spy,” I said. “Don’t you want to be something else?” “Fine. What do you think I should be?” he asked, as he unloaded a box filled with ghost decorations. “How about an archer?” I asked. “Or a ninja?” “I like the ninja idea,” Ruben said. We worked hard setting up the tombstones in the front yard, hanging the ghosts on the trees, and putting up whatever else we could find. “All we need now is a pumpkin,” I said. “I’ll head to the pumpkin patch later to get one.” “All that work made me tired,” Ruben said. “Let’s go get something to eat.” My stomach was rumbling. “Where would you like to go?” I asked. “There’s a cafe near the school,” Ruben said. “We can ride on my bike.” I sat on the back of the bike and we rode off. I’d never ridden in the back of a bike before, so I wasn’t sure where to hold on. “Hold on to me if you want,” Ruben advised. “I like to ride fast!” I put my arm lightly around Ruben’s waist. During the ride, I thought about the Halloween dance coming up. Maybe I could go with Ruben? I’d never gone with a guy to a dance before, so I was hoping he’d want to go with me. Maybe I could ask him at the cafe. But who was I kidding? I didn’t have the courage to make the first move. After arriving at the cafe, we sat down in a booth and ordered sandwiches. “This is a nice place,” I looked around at the pumpkins and bat decorations around the cafe. There were a few other people in the cafe, but mostly it was empty. It was peaceful and quiet and I liked it that way. “Yeah, I come here often,” Ruben said. “Would you like a dessert to share? Their ice cream sundae is really good. You have to try it!” “Sure,” I said. The server brought over a delicious-looking sundae with two spoons. “Thanks,” I said, trying not to blush. I had never shared a sundae with a guy before. I was pretty sure I was on a real date right now. Couldn’t remember ever being on one before. Ruben put down his spoon. “Um…I wanted to ask you something,” he stammered. “What is it?” I took another bite of the sundae. “Will you go to the Halloween dance with me?” his face seemed to pale and he began playing with a napkin. I looked at him in surprise. “I was just going to ask you that!” I smiled. “Of course! It would be my pleasure to go.” “Great!” Ruben grinned. “Now, since you’ll be going as a vampire, should I choose a costume that complements yours? Maybe I could be your victim?” I laughed. “But if you’re my victim, wouldn’t I have bitten you and turned you into a vampire? We could both be vampires.” “Makes sense,” Ruben said. We got back on the bike and rode home. I wasn’t ready to let him go. “Do you want to do some pumpkin carving?” I asked him. “My uncle bought some pumpkins and a carving kit.” “I’d love to,” Ruben hopped off the bike and we went inside. After carving pumpkins with my uncle, we took photos of our creations. I always found it difficult to carve a pumpkin, so I would skip the carving altogether and just paint a face on the pumpkin instead. “What is that supposed to be?” Ruben peered at my creation. “It’s a pirate, of course,” I said. “Now I need to make an eye patch for it.” “This was fun,” Ruben said in the evening. “Thanks for inviting me.” “Let’s hang out tomorrow,” I said. “Sure,” Ruben grinned. “We could go spying together. I’ve got some new gadgets to try out.” “Sounds good. See you tomorrow!” I said. Ruben looked like he wanted to say more, but my uncle was standing nearby, so Ruben waved and left. Photo by Donald Giannatti on Unsplash Night after night, I would go with my uncle to the clearing and watch as he used the scythe to open the portal. On this day, though, instead of unleashing the scythe and doing the usual, he held the staff out to me.
“Take it,” he said. “I figured it was your turn to try.” “Okay,” I said, unsure. I hesitantly took the staff and realized it was heavier than I thought. But it also felt like it was alive. There was some kind of hum in the staff and it startled me at first. “Hold it up to the sky and imagine the blade materializing. Unleash the scythe,” Uncle Griswold directed. I shut my eyes and tried to concentrate. After several minutes, I opened my eyes and noted that the blade was glinting at the end of the staff. “Now, cut a slit in the sky and open the portal,” Uncle Griswold said. I held the staff with both hands and slashed. It didn’t feel like cutting anything, it was so easy to do, but I could feel the magic from the other portal. The portal to the Afterlife was now open. “Keep holding it until all the souls have left the diamond,” Uncle Griswold said. I did as he directed, watching the shadows fly away into an unknown world. At last, it was over, and I slashed with the scythe once more, sealing the portal. “How did that feel?” Uncle Griswold asked. “Wow, that was unbelievable,” I said. “Have you made a decision about becoming the Guardian?” Uncle Griswold asked as we walked back to the house. “I need more time,” I said. I had to decide soon. Did I want to continue the hidden family legacy of unleashing souls into the Afterworld? Having to do this day after day for years to come? I wasn’t sure if I was up to the task. * Ruben and I walked across the bridge over the river and reached the barn. “You’re gonna love it!” Ruben said. He unlocked the door and we entered the dark space. A light suddenly went on and I saw…nothing. “There’s nothing here, just storage stuff,” I was puzzled. “I’m a spy, remember?” Ruben grinned. “Here. Push this button.” He handed me a remote with a bright green button. I pressed it and the back wall began to move. It rotated until it opened a secret space behind the wall. “Wow!” I said, impressed. “How did you make this?” “Spies run in my family,” Ruben said. “This was already here. I’m the one who discovered it.” We went into the secret space and the wall closed up behind us. The small room was filled with gadgets and gizmos everywhere. Many different kinds of tools like climbing ropes and electronics lined each wall. A long desk was in the center of the room, topped with sketches and tiny gizmos and other trinkets. Helmets and disguises were also on the wall. “This is amazing,” I looked around in awe. “All my spy gear in one place,” Ruben looked proud. We sat down at the desk and he showed me some of the new gizmos he was working on. “This is a spy ring. It has a tiny camera attached to the jewel on the ring. Nobody would notice it. And this is a headset that amplifies whispering from a mile away. You’d be surprised at some of the conversations you hear.” “So what made you decide to become a spy?” I asked. “Spy is actually part of my name. Ruben Spy. So because of this, I’ve had it on my mind ever since I can remember. I’ve always wanted to be a spy.” “But doesn’t having Spy as a last name kind of blow your cover?” I asked. “Not really. Everyone thinks it sounds cool, but nobody actually realizes that it’s true,” Ruben grinned. “One of the best ways to hide is to be in open view.” “But not too open,” I said. “I suppose the most important thing is to blend into the background.” “I’ve got camouflage gear,” Ruben said. “By the way, I see you and your uncle going to that clearing every night. What exactly does he do there? Have you found out?” “Stargazing,” I lied. “He loves the stars so much and he’s been teaching me the constellations.” Ruben narrowed his eyes. “I don’t believe you. I can tell when someone’s lying.” “I can’t tell you,” I said. “I’m sorry.” “If I would guess, I think he believes in aliens and goes to the clearing to try and contact them.” I laughed to myself. It was partly true, since it did involve opening a portal to another world. Image by Leng Kangrui from Pixabay At school next week, I could hardly concentrate. It was Math class and the teacher was droning on about something, but I couldn’t remember what.
“Scarlet, please solve the problem on the board,” the teacher announced. I couldn’t remember her name but knew that it rhymed with “pencil.” I stood up and went to the white board, grabbed a marker, and looked at the geometry problem. It was a diamond! I shook my head. Now I was seeing that mysterious diamond everywhere! I solved the problem, trying hard to focus, then went back to my seat. I sighed after the teacher gave a satisfied nod at my work. When the bell rang we exited the classroom, and Ruben and I walked home from school. “You seemed to freeze there for a second,” Ruben said. “Is everything okay? I mean, you’re the one living with a madman.” “No, he’s all right,” I explained. “He’s involved in some supernatural thing, but it’s okay, all of it.” “Are you sure?” Ruben asked. “I’d be skeptical of anything supernatural.” “Maybe that wasn’t the right word. It’s more ‘natural’ than I thought,” I said. “Do you want to hang out?” Ruben asked. “Sure,” I said. “Actually, since you’re so keen about my mysterious uncle, why don’t you come over for dinner and meet him?” Ruben’s face lit up. “I’d love to!” he said. “I’ll bring my spy camera and-” “No cameras,” I shook my head. “My uncle’s not a zoo exhibit.” “Fine,” he grinned. * “I’ve invited a friend over. I hope that’s okay,” I said. “Yes, that’s fine,” my uncle said. “What’s for dinner?” I asked. “I haven’t decided yet,” my uncle looked at a recipe. “Do you have any ideas?” “You know I always love pizza,” I said. “Sounds great,” he smiled and picked up the phone. Later on, the pizza arrived and, shortly after, Ruben rang the doorbell. It was almost like he could sense that the pizza had arrived. Maybe he was spying on us? “What are you grinning for?” I asked him. “Because I’ve been dying to meet him!” Ruben said excitedly. “I’m a spy, remember?” “Of course,” I shook my head and let him in. I led him to the dining room and we waited for my uncle to show up. My uncle entered wearing a long, black coat. I stared. Ruben’s eyes widened. “Welcome,” my uncle said, in a deeper-than-usual voice. “Scarlet, aren’t you going to introduce us?” “Uh…of course,” I stammered, wondering why my uncle was dressed like that. “Uncle, this is Ruben. Ruben, this is my uncle, Griswold.” “It’s nice to meet you, sir,” Ruben said. “Same here,” Griswold said. “Now I’m starving. Let’s sit down and eat.” “I love your home,” Ruben said. “It looks very mysterious.” “I like to keep people wondering,” Griswold said. “This house was passed down through the family for generations, as far back as the middle ages.” “Um…I doubt that,” I said. “It’s obvious that though this house is pretty old, it’s not that old.” “You’d be surprised,” Griswold said. He turned to Ruben, who had taken a slice of pizza and was about to eat it. “Now, Ruben, tell me about yourself.” “I’m a spy,” Ruben grinned. “That’s all you really need to know. I uncover the hidden, mysterious things of the world.” “I see,” Griswold thoughtfully rubbed his chin. “And what do you hope to accomplish by this?” “It’s just exploration,” Ruben said. “I like uncovering mysteries.” “And is that why you keep following me? I’ve seen you many times,” Griswold said, his voice getting even deeper. “And I know where you live.” Ruben gulped audibly. I stared with my mouth open in shock, not knowing why my uncle was acting so weird. Griswold stared at Ruben for several seconds with a straight face. Finally, he grinned. “I’m joking, of course,” he said, wiping his mouth with a napkin. “Ah yes, of course. I knew that,” Ruben gave a forced laugh. The rest of the evening went by uneventfully. After dinner, I invited Ruben upstairs to my room and offered him a chair. “So now that you’ve met him, what’s your opinion of my uncle?” I asked. “Well, he seems nice,” Ruben sat down. “And I enjoyed that funny trick he played.” “Yeah,” I smiled. “That was hilarious.” “So where are your parents?” Ruben asked. “I mean, you’re new here, and I just wondered if they had passed away or something.” “No, they’re alive,” I walked over to the window and looked out. “I ran away from home.” “Why?” Ruben asked. “Because my father hates me. And my mother doesn’t care about me. In fact, my father insists on calling me ‘Scar.’ ‘The scar of the family’ as he puts it.” “I’m sorry,” Ruben said. “What about your parents? What do they think of you being a spy?” I asked. “Well, they don’t know,” Ruben grinned. “I hid all my spy gear in the barn.” “But surely they’ve seen you sneaking around while they’re doing farm work, haven’t they?” “Oh, we don’t actually have any animals in the barn. It’s more of a storage space, so I transformed it into my spy lab.” “Cool,” I said. At that point, Griswold came in holding a tray of sweets. They looked like bats. “I made some dessert,” he said. “Don’t worry, it’s not poisoned.” He grinned at Ruben. “I figured you’d enjoy eating some bats.” “Thanks,” I said, taking the tray and setting it on my desk. My uncle smiled and left. “Looks tasty,” Ruben said, taking one. He bit into it. “I was right!” I took one as well and began chewing. “I forgot what a good cook he is,” I said. “So what do your parents think of you coming to live here?” Ruben asked. “Well, my mother doesn’t care where I am, of course. And my father is angry that I ran away. He was telling me all kinds of lies about my uncle.” “Are you sure you’re safe here?” Ruben asked. “Of course!” I said. “My uncle is the only family member who cares about me.” “No, I meant are you safe from your father,” he said. “Would he come to take you back?” “I hope not,” I said. “If you’re ever in any danger, you can hide in my spy lab,” Ruben said. “Here’s a key.” He lifted a thin cord from around his neck and handed it to me. A tiny silver key was attached to it. “Thank you,” I said, wrapping the cord around my wrist to form a bracelet. “That’s kind of you. Hopefully I won’t have to use it.” “Keep it just in case,” Ruben said. I thought of how our hands had brushed for a moment when he’d handed me the key, and I blushed slightly. Did I have a crush on him? “I’ll walk you home,” I said. “And you can take some treats with you.” “Do you really think a spy needs help getting home?” Ruben grinned. “And I also see that you want me to poison my family, don’t you?” I laughed. “All right, I’ll let you go on your own then.” Ruben waved and left. I was dying to talk to Griswold, so I went to find him. “One question,” I said. “Why did you wear that black robe at dinner today?” Griswold smiled and shrugged. “I just wanted to have a little fun. I mean, it is Halloween season after all.” “Thanks for the bat desserts,” I said. “They were really good.” Image by Thanasis Papazacharias from Pixabay “Is everything okay?” my uncle asked me on Saturday morning. “I feel like you’ve been avoiding me, but I can’t figure out why. Surely you don’t believe all those things your father has been saying about me, do you?”
I swallowed. “Are any of them true?” My uncle sighed and looked down for a moment. “Scarlet, I’m getting older,” he said. “And there is something I need to show you. I think it’s time. Let’s go on a walk tonight.” “Tonight?” I asked. I was filled with fear, but I also knew my uncle to be a warm-hearted person. “Okay,” I agreed. That night, I grabbed my jacket and followed my uncle outside. “There’s a hidden clearing in the forest that I want to show you,” my uncle said. He waved his staff about and the fog seemed to get thicker. “There are some things I haven’t told you yet about what I do,” he said. “Your father has his suspicions. But I assure you, I don’t do anything evil.” We walked on and reached the clearing, then stopped. “For now, just watch,” he said. “And then I’ll answer all your questions.” I stood a few feet back as he held the staff up in the air. Just like the last time I’d seen this ritual, from my hiding place, the same thing occurred. But this time I was up close and could see more clearly. A blade appeared and my uncle waved the scythe and a slit opened up in the sky. Wisps of black smoke swirled from the diamond and entered the slit in the sky. Several minutes later it was over and the blade disappeared and he put the staff down. “This is the most important secret,” he said. “Who are you?” I whispered. “I’m the Guardian of the Scythe, or as some people call it, the Grim Reaper,” my uncle said. A sudden shock welled up in my mind and I stared at him open-mouthed. I was frozen for a second but then began to back away. I had never felt so scared in my life! “Scarlet, let me explain,” Uncle said sincerely. “Stay away from me!” I hollered, as I backed away. “Scarlet, I need to talk to you,” said Uncle. “Are you a murderer?” I blurted out. “What were those shadows?” “Those are the spirits of the dead,” said Uncle. “And no, I’m not a murderer. I send them to the Afterworld after they die. I use this scythe to open the portal into the Afterworld and let the dead pass on. That’s it.” A sudden curiousness settled into my mind. “Where do the dead go once they die?” I asked. “In this Diamond,” said Uncle, holding up the jewel from his staff. “Every night it fills up with souls that have died. I come to this clearing and release them into the Afterworld.” “So you don’t kill people?” I asked. “No,” said Uncle, shaking his head. “I have nothing to do with their deaths, believe me. My job is only to collect the souls and release them into the Afterworld.” I didn’t know what to say. Uncle said, “Furthermore, there is only one Guardian at a time, and I’m getting old. Each Guardian can choose someone else to take over for them. And so I wanted to talk to you about that. I highly trust you with this secret, and I wanted to ask if you would be the next guardian of the scythe after I’m gone. I’d like to pass this power and responsibility to you if you accept.” “Me? You want me to be the grim reaper?” I asked in disbelief. “I want you to be the Guardian of the Scythe,” said Uncle. “To protect the staff and the souls of the dead. Your father suspects I have it and wants to get his hands on it. But I won’t let him. He wants to use it for evil. Please think about the offer and let me know in a week’s time. Or sooner.” * I felt like I was in a huge dilemma. Did I want to risk my father’s wrath by becoming the next guardian? It was possible he would guess that my uncle would have passed the responsibility down to me. If so, I’d be in serious danger. * “Would you like to come to the forest?” Uncle asked me a couple of days later. “I could show you a few times how being guardian works. And then you could even try it out if you’d like.” Dread filled me. “Um, I think I’ll just watch,” I said. I was very curious to learn more about this guardian business and what it all entailed. “Uncle,” a thought just came to me. “What would happen if there was no guardian? Like, what if something happened to you and the staff was lost or something? What would happen to the…um…souls?” “Well, they’d be trapped in the diamond for some time. Also, if the souls don’t go into the diamond, then they would stick around here and haunt the earth. They’d just be roaming about, looking for the Afterlife.” “Oh,” I said. That sounded pretty bleak. “Uncle, where did you get that staff?” “From the previous guardian,” he said. “My mother.” “And where did she get it from?” I asked. “Her older brother,” he answered. “And where did he-” I started. “I can see where this line of questioning is going,” My uncle chuckled. “Trust me, I do not know the origin of the staff. But there’s a legend that when the world was created, the staff was passed by the gods to one of the first people on Earth, a woman named Elyssa. Another legend states that there were so many hauntings that Elyssa asked the gods to provide a link into the Afterlife. She carved out a staff and the gods breathed magic into it. The link to the Afterlife.” “Is that why my father wants it?” I asked. “Does he want to get to the Afterlife somehow?” “I’m not sure what he thinks he can accomplish,” Uncle said. “I’ve never stepped foot into the Afterlife. I think the idea is that it’s a link and the guardian can go between worlds. Perhaps he thinks he can become immortal and conquer death. I’m not sure how my brother’s brain works.” “But isn’t there some kind of authority that only the guardian can use the staff?” I asked. “No,” said Uncle. “If so, then the line of guardians would have ended. We just need to keep things secret and make sure it doesn’t fall into the wrong hands. We don’t know what my brother would do with it.” That evening, I accompanied my uncle into the clearing and watched the opening into the Afterlife open up once more. It was pretty mesmerizing, but also completely mysterious. I felt a little fear, and wondered if I would ever get used to this. Image by dawnydawny from Pixabay “Where did he go?” Ruben asked. I looked around, holding a flashlight. We had been searching for almost two hours.
“There’s no one there,” I said. “He must have left while we were chatting.” “I’ve been trying to catch him for days now and he keeps disappearing! There’s too much fog around here,” Ruben said. “Come with me,” I said. We arrived at Uncle’s home, sneaked around to the back as quietly as we could, and looked up at the window above us. I didn’t want my uncle to know I’d been spying on him, so I needed to find another entrance into my room. “Can you help me get in through the window?” I asked. “I don’t want my uncle to know I was following him. Give me a leg up.” “Okay,” said Ruben. He pulled out a grappling hook. “This will do the trick.” He threw the hook towards the window, but it fell and clanked him on the head. “Ow!” he hissed, rubbing his head. “Let me try,” I said. I threw it and it slipped. I tried again and it caught on the window frame. Grabbing the rope, I began to pull myself up. “Maybe we can work together,” I told Ruben. “Sure,” Ruben said. “See you soon!” I made it to the window and climbed into my room. It was perfect timing, because just then, Uncle knocked on the door. “Come in,” I hurriedly grabbed a book and sat on my bed. I had quickly shoved the grappling hook out the window. “Hi Scarlet,” Uncle said. He looked tired. “I almost forgot to tell you something. Since you’re seventeen, you need to be in school,” he said. “I’ve enrolled you in Shadows High School.” “Okay,” I said. “When do I start?” “Tomorrow,” Uncle said. “I’ll take you there on your first day.” “Thanks, Uncle,” I replied. * After Uncle dropped me off at school, I got my schedule, then found my English class. I went in and sat down near the back. “Hey, that’s my seat,” a voice said. I looked up and saw Ruben grinning at me. “Oh,” I said, “I guess I’ll sit…” “I’m kidding,” Ruben grinned, sitting in the seat next to me. “I actually sit here.” After class, Ruben passed me a note. It said: Want to spy tonight? I turned to him and nodded. * That night we met near the edge of the woods. Ruben handed me some tools and showed me how to use them. “These goggles will help you see through the mist,” he said. I pulled the goggles over my head. We hid behind the trees until my uncle left the house and entered the forest. Then we began to follow him. The chill of the dark night settled over us. My uncle was once more dressed in a dark cloak instead of his usual white doctor’s robe. He also carried a long staff with a dark diamond at the head. We followed my uncle for a while until we reached a hidden field. “He’s stopped walking,” I whispered. “I didn’t know this field was here,” Ruben said. “This is why we lost him yesterday. This field is hidden by those trees!” We stayed in the shadows and watched my uncle hold up his staff. Suddenly I could see a blade materialize out of nowhere near the top of the staff. I watched in horror, mesmerized by the glinting blade. The weapon he was holding was a scythe. It was shiny and clear, reflecting the trees of the forest. I hid further into the shadows, hoping that my uncle wouldn’t see the movement’s reflection in the blade. Though we were about 30 feet away, I didn’t want to take any chances. Ruben and I looked at each other in surprise. “What’s he doing?” Ruben whispered. “What’s that thing in his hand? Maybe this is some sort of ritual?” “I’ve no idea,” I said. “I think it’s a weapon.” Then my uncle held the scythe up high and slashed at the air. I could not believe my eyes. An opening formed in the sky like a knife tearing through cloth. The blade glinted in the night sky and my attention was pulled towards the dark diamond. My uncle held the diamond to the slit in the sky. I watched as sudden movement erupted from the diamond. Silvery shadows came flooding out of it, entering into the doorway in the sky. They kept coming for a while, and I watched in fear. After all the shadows were gone, my uncle made a slow slash with the blade, sealing the opening. Once again, the blade disappeared and he lowered his staff. Then he quietly walked away. “What was that?” Ruben asked. “That was impossible,” I said. “He has some kind of magic weapon.” “But what was he doing? He opened something in the sky and…do you think he kills people?” I shook my head. “He’s a good person, my uncle. He would never kill people.” “Are you sure you really know him?” Ruben asked. “I’m going to talk to him,” I said, but inside I was afraid. Ruben gasped and stared at me. “But what if he kills you?” he said, a tremor in his voice. “He’s my uncle. He’s taken me in when I needed him. I don’t think he would kill me,” I said, but I wasn’t sure. “If you need to escape for whatever reason, you can come to my place,” Ruben said. “I live across the canal, in a big farmhouse. My entire lab is hidden in the barn.” “Thanks,” I said. * As I lay in bed that night, I thought about what I’d seen. Who was my uncle? What had he been doing? I had no answers. There it was. A tall, strange house in the middle of nowhere. A few crooked trees without any leaves stood beside the house.
It was dark and I hastily walked forward with my flashlight. I pulled my backpack closer to me and walked up to the door. I raised my hand and knocked. A moment later, I heard footsteps and the door opened. The porch light turned on and I saw my uncle’s face. He was a tall man with gray hair and glasses. “Scarlet?” he asked, surprised by my presence. “What are you doing here?” “Uncle, can I stay with you for a few days?” I pleaded. “Of course, come on in.” I went in and set my backpack down. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you I was coming,” I said. “But this was an emergency. I had to leave my house immediately.” My home was a few hours away. I had used the bus. “I understand,” he said. “Come with me. I have a spare room upstairs.” I followed him upstairs and he showed me the guest room. “I’m sorry the room isn’t ready,” Uncle said, looking around at the dusty room. “I haven’t had a guest in a long time.” “It’s all right. I don’t care about that,” I said. “I just need a safe place to stay.” I set my bag on the floor. “You can stay for as long as you’d like,” Uncle said. “I just hope your father won’t cause trouble.” “I hope so too,” I said. “I’ll see you tomorrow,” Uncle said. “Good night.” He left the room and went downstairs. Looking around the tiny room, I started to feel chilly so I searched in the closet and found a blanket. I discovered a thin, floor-length mirror in the closet and took it out, then used my sleeve to wipe a circle of dust off the glass. I stared into my reflection. My wavy brown hair went a little past my shoulders, and my brown eyes looked tired and a bit scared. I lay down on the bed and quickly fell asleep. * The next morning, I awoke to a delicious aroma coming from the kitchen. I descended the stairs and entered the dining room. “I made you some food,” Uncle said. I sat at the table and he brought me a plate of eggs and bacon. “Thanks, Uncle,” I smiled. “I have to go to work, but I’ll be back around five,” he said. “Whatever you do, don’t tell anyone where you live. I don’t want your father to find you.” “I won’t tell anyone,” I said. The thought of being home alone frightened me. * A few days later, when Uncle returned home, he had a sad expression on his face. “Uncle, what happened?” I asked. “You’ve got a letter from your father,” he said. “He knows you’re here. The mail carrier brought this letter to the office. Unfortunately, your father knows where I work.” Uncle handed me the letter and I hurriedly opened it. Dear Scar, I demand that you return home immediately! Your uncle is a wicked person! Did you know he owns a scythe and regularly murders people? I’ve seen it with my own eyes! Come home immediately for your own safety! If you don’t believe me, then wait and watch where he goes every night. You’ll see the truth with your own eyes. If you have any information about the scythe, you must tell me immediately. I need to get that scythe away from him at all costs. Your father I scowled after reading the letter. I hated the nickname my father used. Scar. He often told me I was the “scar” of the family. The rest of the letter was written in his usual demanding language. I rolled my eyes when I read that he was worried about my safety. As if! The part about my uncle owning a scythe and killing people with it was complete nonsense, I was sure. I crumpled up the letter and threw it in the trash. “So, did he have anything interesting to say?” Uncle asked. “No, just his usual ‘Come home now!’ and ‘Your uncle is wicked!’” I said. “Yes, that sounds just like him,” Uncle said. Days went by and I noticed an interesting pattern. Late each evening, from my window, I would notice Uncle walking outside with a staff in hand and wearing a long black coat. When I asked him about that, he told me was going on a walk. * One day I decided to follow him. As soon as Uncle had exited the house, I hurried to the window and watched him walk in the direction of the forest. I saw him turn back and look towards my window, and I immediately ducked down. I waited a few minutes, then looked out and saw that Uncle had disappeared. I pulled on my black jacket and descended the stairs, then closed the door and headed in the direction I’d seen Uncle going. So as not to walk out in plain view, I hid near trees and bushes, slowly making my way to the forest. I spotted a clump of trees and quickly headed over, then saw Uncle afar off, still walking. He had gone through the forest and was heading into a clearing. * I walked forward past some bushes and heard a rustling sound. I took another step and felt a twig beneath my foot. “Ow!” someone hissed. I gasped and looked down. “You’re standing on my hand!” a voice wailed. “Oh…sorry,” I stepped back and saw a figure sitting on the ground. The person stood up and brushed himself off. The guy was around my age and had dark hair and teal-green eyes. We stood up and I saw that he was an inch or two shorter than me. “Is your hand okay?” I asked. “Yeah, it will live,” he said, massaging it and then dropping it to his side. “Who are you?” I asked curiously. “I’m Ruben,” he said, brushing the leaves off his jacket. “Who are you?” “Scarlet,” I said. “Nice to meet you,” he held out his right hand, the one I hadn’t stepped on. I took his hand to shake it, then noticed something on his wrist. I lifted his hand and peered more closely at the object. It looked like a watch, but it had strange metal things sticking out of it. “You like my watch?” Ruben asked. “I made it myself.” He beamed with pride. I let go of his hand and spotted something on his jacket. It looked like a cross between a cellphone and a computer mouse. I realized Ruben had tons of gizmos all over his jacket. He had a belt with loops and pockets, and each pocket held some kind of gadget. I saw a rope, vial, screwdriver, and a million other gizmos and gadgets I’d never seen before. “What is all this?” I asked. “My inventions,” he said. This still didn’t answer my question. “What are you?” I clarified. “I’m a spy,” he grinned. “You’re a spy?” I asked. “Who are you spying on?” “A spy never reveals his secrets,” Ruben grinned. “What were you doing here?” “I went on a walk,” I said, not wanting to tell him I’d been following my uncle. One of his gadgets beeped. Ruben pulled out a pair of goggles and put them on. “I have to go. I’ve got some spying to do and the target is getting away.” “Are you following the man in the black robe?” I asked. Ruben stopped suddenly and stared at me in shock. “How did you know?” he asked. “I’m following him too,” I said. “Why?” “Because he’s my uncle, and I want to know what he’s up to,” I said. This is part of a werewolf story I wrote many years ago. It's about a girl named Laura who has a secret she doesn't want anyone to find out- that she's a werewolf. Her best friend doesn't know about it and Laura wants to keep it that way. The trouble began while we were studying astronomy in class.
“Hey, it’s going to be a full moon tonight,” said Daryl. “Come over to my house and we’ll moongaze. My uncle will let us use his binoculars.” I felt a jolt within me as he said “full moon” and immediately tried to find an excuse. “No, I’m sorry,” I said, “I have to finish my English project.” “That’s okay,” he said. But then this happened again, and again, and again. Soon Daryl began to suspect that something was wrong. “How come you never want to see the full moon?” he asked, “It’s amazing. You must see it.” “I have history homework,” I lied. He looked at me suspiciously, but dropped the subject for now. One night we were watching a movie. After it ended, Daryl switched off the TV and turned to me. “You can trust me. You know that, right?” he asked. “Please tell me. What do you have against the moon?” “Nothing,” I replied. He did notice that each time the moon was mentioned, I would wince. “Something is troubling you, don’t deny it,” Daryl would say, “Do you want to talk about it? Is it superstition?” “I can’t tell you,” I would reply. “I just can’t.” “But why?” he would often ask. At this point I would usually shrug and change the subject. You just wouldn’t understand, I whispered so low so he wouldn’t hear.
“Hey! Come back here! Help! Thief!” a richly-dressed man at the market started hollering as a homeless-looking young woman fished a few coins from his pockets and dashed through the streets. The man and his guards chased after her, finally catching up to the poor girl.
“I’m sorry, sir,” the young woman was crying, as the guards advanced. “I was hungry and I have no food. Here are your coins.” She held them out, her hands shaking. “Whip her!” the rich man called out. “She’s nothing but a thief!” “Excuse me, sir!” I immediately intervened. “Do you need any help?” “No, I’ve caught the thief,” he said. “Time to give out the punishment.” “Sir, she was just hungry. Please let her go. It was only a few coins,” I said quickly. The girl looked at me, hopeful. “Does that make it okay to steal?” he gave me a hard gaze. He turned to his guard and nodded. The guard stepped in front of the cowering girl and pulled out a whip. “Sir, I’m going to ask you to put that down,” I said firmly, my hand resting over the hilt of my dagger, which was sheathed at my side. “She’s just a child and didn’t know any better.” “How dare you defy me!” the noble yelled. “Someone has to take the punishment and this thief deserves it.” “Wait!” I held up a hand. “Spare her and whip me instead.” “What?” the noble stared at me, his eyes wide open in shock. “You’d take her beating?” “I have a sister that’s around her age,” I said. “This girl reminds me of my sister.” “Thank you!” the girl looked at me with tears in her eyes and the guard allowed her to leave. I braced myself as the guard holding the whip came towards me. I forced myself to let go of the dagger’s hilt. I knelt down, closed my eyes, and waited. I heard the guard’s arm go up with the whip. “Wait!” a voice called out. I opened my eyes and saw another noble, one richer than the previous one. This noble seemed to be about my age. He came over on horseback, frowning. “Greetings, your Highness,” the rich man said nervously, as if he’d been caught doing something wrong. “What is going on here? You’re about to whip this woman all because a girl tried to steal a few coins from you? Don’t you know there are poor among us? A few coins may seem like nothing to you, but to them it’s the fine line between life and death.” “I’m sorry, your Highness,” the rich man bowed his head. He looked toward his guard. “Put your whip away. Let’s go in peace.” I sighed in relief and stood up as the rich man and his guards got on their horses and trotted away. The noble who had saved me got off his horse and went over to someone. I noticed it was the girl who had stolen the coins. She had come back. “Please accept these coins,” he said, handing her a small bag of coins. I guessed it would probably feed her for weeks. The girl thanked him, nodded to me, and went her way. The noble turned to me and smiled. “You saved me from a beating,” I said. “Thank you.” “No problem. That rich man is hateful,” the noble said. “He’s one to be wary of. So prone to anger and hurting others for the smallest reasons. By the way, that was great what you did, offering yourself in her place. I admire that. May I ask your name?” “I am Zena the Mercenary,” I said. “Zena, we need more people like you in this world,” the noble said. “And more like you as well,” I replied. The noble nodded, got back on his horse, and rode away. * It was the dark of night and a solider approached me. He looked around him, scared out of his wits. I always had people meet me at night if they wanted a mercenary, that way I could see what their character was like. We were in the cemetery and the man yelped as a twig creaked under his feet. I was hiding in the shadows of a small mausoleum, wearing a dark hood to cover most of my face. I stepped forward and the man shrieked when he saw me. “Who are you searching for?” I asked, making my voice sound bored. “Um…I’m looking for Zena the Mercenary,” he said. “I have a job for her.” His voice shook and his eyes were wide open in fear. “I am Zena the Mercenary,” I said, my voice slicing through the air. “How much?” “How much what?” he asked. “How much are you willing to pay?” I asked. “1000 coins,” he said. “Wow, that is quite the sum,” I said. “This job must be very important. Tell me, what do I have to do?” * When I got to the balcony of the castle, I slowly pushed the window open. It had been easier than I’d thought to get past the guards outside. They had never looked up, and so they hadn’t seen me at all when I’d jumped onto the balcony from a nearby tree. Everything was pitch black at night anyway. My task had been explained to me. Steal a secret box from a member of the royal family. I just hoped I wouldn’t get caught and arrested over this. I silently entered the noble’s chambers and waited a few minutes, letting my eyes adjust to the dark. I did a quick scan of the room, but there was no box anywhere. I tried one of the doors and entered the bedroom. It would make sense for the noble to keep their treasure box close to them when they slept. I checked that my dagger was within reach if I needed it, and quietly stole forward. The figure in the bed turned over. I stopped in my tracks and waited. I couldn’t make any sudden movements. Then the form was still. I went over to the wooden nightstand and spotted a curious-looking box. It had the image of a scepter on it. Just what the soldier had told me to look for. I reached for it and then a hand clapped down on my wrist. I twisted my hand to get out of the grip and swiftly grabbed the person’s wrist, holding it locked in my hand. “Stay put. I have a dagger,” I hissed, my other hand grabbing the hilt of my dagger. “Why are you after this box?” the guy asked. “It only contains old images and family heirlooms. Do you want money or jewels? I’ll give you those instead.” “No, I want the box,” I said. “I don’t care how boring or sentimental whatever’s in the box is.” “But it’s been in my family for generations! It’s of no use to you.” “No, but it’s probably of use to my client,” I said. “Perhaps my client loves vintage items and has some museum to put them in.” “Who’s your client?” “I don’t know. They remained anonymous.” “Wait, aren’t you…Zena the Mercenary?” “The very one,” I grinned. I swiftly slid out the dagger and pointed it at the noble’s neck, then let go of his wrist. He raised his hands in surrender. “I’ll pay you double what they paid you if you can find out who your client is,” the guy pressed. “2000 coins,” I said. “Yes, I’ll give you whatever you ask for. Just find out who your client is and what their motives are,” he said. “I’m not a traitor,” I glared at him. “I do one job at a time. And you’re a noble. You’re certainly not the kind of person who would hire a mercenary. Are you?” “I might, if there’s no one else I can trust,” he said. I kept my dagger trained on him as he slowly put his arms down. “Wrong! You should never trust a mercenary!” I hissed. I grabbed the box and shoved the guy aside as he lunged forward. “Wait!” he yelled, hitting the floor. I tucked the box securely against my side and ran to the window. In a moment, I went out the balcony and disappeared below. * I waited in the cemetery as the terrified soldier showed up again. He jumped, startled, as I came into view in the dead of night. “Please hand over my money,” I said. “I got the box you requested.” The soldier rummaged through his knapsack and pulled out a small sack that jangled with coins. He tossed it to me. I grabbed it, then handed him the box. He nodded and started walking away quickly. I looked through the sack and smiled at the number of coins I saw. I was getting closer to my goal: to earn enough coins to search for my sister. She had disappeared many years ago when she’d been forcibly hired- more like kidnapped- as a servant, and I intended to find her and set her free. I went back to my place, a small room in a crowded inn. I fell asleep with the money clutched in my hand. * “You know these are counterfeit, right?” the landlady fixed me with a hard stare. “You can’t fool me, Zena.” “What?!” I checked the coins. “How do you know if they’re counterfeit?” I asked her. “Look here at the bottom,” she pointed. “It’s missing the official mark.” I was enraged. I’d done a dangerous job, entering a noble’s castle, getting past the guards, and my anonymous client had deceived me. I paid the landlady with real money and returned to my room. I was farther from my goal than I’d thought. I thought about the amount of money the noble had offered me to find out about the client. That would do the trick. But I had no leads on this client. I would need to find that soldier and interrogate him, but there were thousands of soldiers. I hung my head in despair. * A few days later I waited by the mausoleum in the middle of the night for some possible clients. This time I’d check the money thoroughly when I was paid. A lone man came walking up the pathway among the graves. It was hard to tell in the dark, but he seemed to be dressed like a noble. “Zena?” he asked, looking around. “Zena? Are you here? I wanted to talk to you. I need your help.” I slowly came out of the shadows, about three feet away from him, and the guy almost jumped. I noticed that he and I were the same height. “You frightened me,” he said. “Wait, you’re the noble from the castle!” I gasped as I recognized his voice. My dagger came out immediately, as if on its own, and I scanned my surroundings for possible threats. “No, wait, that box was a fake,” he said, his hands going up in a gesture of peace. “I’m not going to arrest you.” “Are you alone?” I asked warily. “Where are your guards?” “It’s just me,” he said. I put my dagger back in its sheath. “Oh,” I said. “Actually, I’m glad the box was a fake. I realized today that my client paid me in counterfeit coins.” “Oh, I’m sorry to hear that,” he said with sympathy. “Why are you sorry? I’m the one who broke into your home. And why are you here?” I asked. “I wanted to ask a gigantic favor, and I’m willing to pay you a year’s worth of wages each month for it.” I stared at him in shock. I hadn’t realized that nobles could be that rich! With that kind of money, I’d be able to find my sister for sure! “Okay, I’m interested,” I tried not to show my excitement. “Tell me about this favor.” The noble looked around. “Is there any chance of anyone overhearing us?” “Just the dead,” I said. He looked at me in fear. “It was a joke,” I grinned. “Oh,” he paused as if gathering his words together. “When you had broken into my chambers, looking for that box, I realized I may be in danger. You see, a few days before, I received a letter from an anonymous source.” He pulled out a piece of paper and handed it to me. It said: I am the legitimate heir. Move aside so I can receive my inheritance. I am coming to take back what’s mine. “Sounds ominous,” I said. “I need an undercover guard,” he said. “You have lots of guards,” I said. “I’d stick out.” “But I need a guard in disguise,” he said. “Somebody that nobody would ever guess to be a guard.” He took a deep breath. “I would like us to get married.” There was a pause as I stared at him in shock. As the words sank in my ears, I burst out laughing. “You want a guard disguised as your spouse! That’s hilarious!” I was laughing so hard I could barely stand straight. “No, I’m not joking,” he said. “If we got married, then nobody would ask questions. You could protect me and nobody would get suspicious at seeing us together.” “Are you serious?!” I was in shock. “I’m completely serious,” he said. “Why do you trust me? You don’t even know me,” I said. “I remember you from the market,” he said. “You were willing to take the beating for that girl.” I gasped as I recognized him from that day. That day had had a deep effect on me and it had made me realize that not all nobles were snobs. “I know this is a big thing to ask, but that’s why I’m willing to pay you that much. I would be pretty much ruining your life and so I wanted to give you enough compensation.” I laughed at that. “Are you serious? If I married you, I’d be living in a castle and you think that would be ruining my life?” “Well, I’d be taking you away from your family,” he said. “Well, there’s a long-lost sister, but I haven’t found her yet,” I said. “I actually live alone. I have no family.” “Does this mean you agree to my craziness?” he grinned. “Yes. And may I ask the name of my future spouse?” I asked. “Oh, yes, I haven’t introduced myself. I am Jazer, the crown prince.” He gave a slight bow. I gasped. “You’re the crown prince?!” I stared at him in shock. “Yes, why does that surprise you?” he asked. “Well, for starters, you don’t look like a prince,” I said, peering at him in the dim light. “And you don’t have any guards with you.” “Well, I sort of go undercover at times,” he admitted. “I hate having guards following me everywhere. It just draws attention.” “I wouldn’t have to call you Prince Jazer, would I?” I asked. “No, of course not! Just Jazer would do,” he said. “Okay, Just Jazer, so when do we get married?” “How about in three days?” he asked. “I know it’s soon, but I really need your help.” “Wow, that’s very soon,” I said. I quickly weighed my options. The truth was that I was out of money and couldn’t afford to pay rent at the inn anymore. I needed a quick way out of my predicament. “So what do you say?” he asked. “Well,” I said. “If you can give me a small advance now, I can make that happen.” “No problem,” Jazer said, handing me a bag of money. I was wishing for more time to think about this, but I didn’t want to talk myself out of it. “Do I get my own bedroom?” I asked. Jazer stumbled nervously over his words. “Well, I thought we could sleep in the same room. Different beds, of course,” he hastily added. “That way you could protect me from intruders. After all, remember how easily you were able to sneak into my room?” “I see,” I grinned. “Well, that makes sense, I guess.” “Come to the castle in the morning in three days’ time, and we can spend the day together and get to know each other,” he said. “Like a long date before the wedding,” I laughed. “Yes, we’ll get married in the evening and then relax and go to bed,” he said. I smirked. “I didn’t mean it like that!” he said hastily, then stared at the ground. “I’m talking about sleep, not anything else.” “You’re very entertaining, you know that?” I laughed. “At least you won’t be a boring spouse.” “I’m glad to hear that,” he said, giving a small smile. “And thank you for agreeing to this crazy plan of mine.” “No problem,” I said. I couldn’t believe how reckless I was, but I was used to taking risks when they came my way. After all, I was a mercenary. * The days passed swiftly and I almost talked myself out of the whole thing at one point. But on the morning of the third day, I ate a hasty breakfast at the inn, then informed the landlady I wasn’t coming back. When I arrived at the castle, I told the guards the prince had sent for me, and they stood aside to let me in. Jazer immediately came out to meet me and we went into a private garden for some breakfast. “I already had breakfast,” I started to say, but when I saw all the mouthwatering food in sight, my eyes widened and I swallowed my words. We sat down and ate pastries, biscuits, fruit, and all kinds of delicious things. This was better than the simple bread and ham I usually had. “You look like you’ve never seen food before,” Jazer stared at me, open-mouthed. “Oh, sorry,” I put down the pastry and stopped myself, sneaking a glance at my overflowing plate. “I’m not used to seeing this much food,” I said. “No, please, eat as much as you wish,” Jazer said. I attacked my plate of goodness and kept commenting on the delicious food. “You know, I never got a good look at you in that cemetery, since it was so dark. And goodness knows why you’d want to hang out in a cemetery,” Jazer smiled. “But it’s nice to see you again.” I had removed my hood and my dark hair cascaded down to my shoulders. Jazer had a nice smile, light brown hair, and blue eyes. A small blush came onto my cheeks. The whole marriage thing seemed so far away, but I knew it was going to happen later this same day. “The cemetery makes the perfect mysterious place to meet a mercenary,” I said. “True,” Jazer said. “You had really freaked me out back there, coming out of the shadows from that mausoleum, just out of nowhere.” “That’s the idea,” I grinned. We finished our food. “I was thinking we could go horseback riding. That way we can talk and I can show you the layout of the castle,” Jazer said. “Sounds good,” I replied. “And when do I get to meet your parents?” “Actually, my parents passed away some years back. I live with my uncle, King Jordan. He’s the one who raised me,” Jazer said. “Oh, I’m very sorry,” I said. * As we rode the horses through the forest, I couldn’t help but feel so awkward. Now that I didn’t have food to occupy my thoughts, I was struck by the craziness of this whole marriage idea. I was in the company of a man I barely knew. “So how did you become a mercenary?” Jazer asked. “I was poor so I enlisted in the army,” I said. “I learned how to fight and found out I was pretty good at it. I’ve been doing freelance mercenary work ever since.” “What type of mercenary work do you usually do?” Jazer asked, a question in his eyes. “I don’t kill anyone, if that’s what you’re thinking,” I looked at him as we rode our horses side-by-side. “I’m not a murderer.” “Oh, I didn’t mean to imply you were,” Jazer’s face went red again. “I just wanted to better know what I’m getting into.” “Think of me as a babysitter for the community, if that will ease your mind. I mostly steal back what belongs to people and perhaps kidnap a few people that got lost and needed to be found,” I grinned. “So the people who employ you are like bad children who need someone to monitor them?” Jazer laughed. “Exactly. It feels just like that sometimes,” I grinned. “Babysitter or mercenary…I think mercenary has a better ring to it, doesn’t it?” “And it’s scarier,” Jazer agreed. * When dinnertime arrived, I finally met Jazer’s uncle, King Jordan. He was an elderly man with gray hair and a mustache. “Uncle, I’d like you to meet my fiancee. This is Zena,” Jazer said, standing beside me. “It’s great to meet you,” I said, reaching out a hand to shake. His uncle shook my hand. “Good to meet you,” he said. “I was surprised when Jazer announced he was getting married, but I’m glad he found someone he loves.” I looked down. His Uncle wasn’t in on the plan. It looked like I was the only one Jazer had confided in. After dinner, I got ready for the wedding ceremony. Though I had worn my regular clothes at dinner and had refused a fancy gown, I figured I would wear something a bit more special for the wedding. After all, you don’t get married every day. Jazer took me to his cousin’s room and allowed me to choose one of her gowns (with her permission, of course). I chose a light blue gown made out of silk and Jazer’s cousin Luisa helped me get ready. I tossed aside the veil and refused all the jewelry except for a simple, blue pendant. “I’m surprised,” said Luisa. “When nobles get married they usually want to wear the most elaborate gown and the most jewelry they can, but you don’t follow those traditions.” “Well, I want to be able to breathe oxygen and enjoy gulping down the wedding cake,” I smiled. Luisa tried to hide her laughter. “Well, it looks like everyone’s waiting for us,” she said, glancing out the door. “But you’re really in it for the wedding cake, I presume.” “Of course! That’s the main reason I’m getting married, ” I joked. “The bride gets to have as much cake as she wants. Maybe I’ll be generous and leave a tiny mouse-sized piece for the groom.” A knock came to the door. “It’s Jazer,” Luisa opened the door. “Hi,” he said. “Just wanted to see if you were ready.” “Of course,” I said. “Let’s go. And thanks for your help, Luisa.” “No problem!” Luisa smiled. “I’ll see you in the parlor!” She disappeared down the hall. “I like your dress,” Jazer said, as we started heading to the parlor. He was wearing a gold tunic and a cloak with fur around the collar. “Well, I like your furry friend,” I snickered. “My uncle insisted I wear it,” Jazer grinned. “Well, we’re about to get gawked at. That’s why they make us wear all this stuff. Let’s just open up a zoo and make ourselves the main exhibit, shall we?” I grinned. Jazer burst out laughing. * We reached the parlor for the ceremony. Jazer’s uncle and cousins and their families were there too. It felt strange wearing a fancy gown, but it would only be for a short time. Then I’d revert back to my mercenary clothes- dark pants and tunic. A priest dressed in a long robe and carrying a scepter came in and headed to the front of the parlor. The guests took their seats in the rows of chairs that faced the front. My head began to spin. I started to wonder if I was really going to go through with this. My palms were sweaty and I felt a little out of breath. Jazer held out a hand so we could walk to the front of the room, but I didn’t take it. “You seem nervous. Are you okay?” Jazer asked. “Yes,” I said hoarsely. “I just need to admire the wedding cake.” I sat down on one of the settees in the corner of the room and stared vacantly at the cake resting on a table. “Are we ready to begin?” the priest asked. “Yes, just give us a moment,” Jazer said. He walked over and sat next to me. “Are you all right?” he whispered. “If we get married, I might become too attached to this and may miss an opportunity to find my sister,” I said. “Don’t worry,” Jazer said. “I’ll help you find your sister. I promise.” I took a deep breath. I looked over and saw that the priest had sat down. The guests were sneaking glances our way, undoubtedly wondering if the marriage was going to take place. “Okay,” I gave a smile. “Let’s give it another shot before everyone dies from shock.” Jazer smiled. We took our positions in front of the priest. He took out a book and placed it open on the stand. “Do you, Prince Jazer, take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife, to cherish and to hold?” “I do,” Jazer said, looking at me. “Do you, Zena-“ “My name is Luzena,” I said gently, using my full name. The priest cleared his throat and began again. “Do you, Luzena the Mercenary, take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband, to cherish and to hold?” I glanced at Jazer and paused. What was I doing? I was marrying a guy I didn’t love, just so I could have the means to finally find my sister. Jazer had worried about ruining my life, but now I worried I was ruining his life. I looked at the guests, who seemed uncomfortable by the pause. I composed myself. “Yes, I do,” I said clearly. “Then by the power vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife,” the priest said. “You may now-“ Oh no! I had forgotten about this part! There was no way I was going to kiss a man I barely knew! But surely the guests were expecting this. My heart began to beat faster and faster, as I stared at the priest in shock for what he was about to say. I noticed Jazer giving an alarmed look at the priest and motioning for him to stop talking. “Um…” the priest said, confused. Then he understood. “You may now celebrate,” he finished his sentence. The guests then surrounded us and gave their congratulations. There was a lot of hugging and shaking hands. I breathed a sigh of relief when it was over. * The servants brought over a layered wedding cake and we each had a piece. Glancing at the window, I saw that it was getting dark. I stifled a yawn. “Are you tired? Let’s go to bed,” Jazer said. His face turned a slight shade of red. “Um...yes, of course,” I said, feeling shy all of a sudden. It had seemed so easy to talk about marriage when we weren’t married, but now, after the wedding, the burden of what I’d done hovered over me. “I’ll show you the way,” Jazer said. He took my hand and led me along. I still needed to learn my way around the castle. My entire life had changed and it felt like my head was spinning, trying to catch up with all the changes. We stopped in front of two large doors, a guard stationed to each side. “This is my suite,” Jazer opened the door and we went in. “Well, I mean, it’s our suite now.” My head spun with all the expensive decorations and paintings that adorned the office. The ceiling was high with wooden beams going across it. We had entered a large room with desks and chairs, bookcases, tapestries, settees, and expensive carpeting with intricate designs. There was a large window to the left. “This is the office area. I had another desk brought in,” Jazer pointed. “This one is all yours.” The desk was supplied with parchment, quills, and an inkwell. “Thank you,” I looked around in awe. “This room is amazing.” “The bathroom is that way and the bedroom is through there,” Jazer pointed. Everything cost a fortune, I could tell, and I immediately felt a bit guilty. Who knew what conditions my sister was living in? I pushed the thought from my mind. I had a lot to get used to now that I had married a prince. “Feel free to look around,” Jazer smiled and left the room. I walked around the office, looking around in amazement at the rugs, the paintings, the expensive furniture, everything. I lingered by the bookcases and scanned the books, seeing books on war strategy and the royal family history. Definitely something to check out later. When I went to the bedroom, I walked in just as Jazer was removing his shirt. “Oh, I’m sorry!” I said, quickly averting my gaze. “It’s okay,” he said, putting on a nightshirt. “We’re married now. You don’t have to turn away.” The bedroom was glamorous, with a fireplace, window, settee, and a canopy bed with a fur cover. “Um…I thought you said there’d be two beds in here,” I stared at the large bed in the center of the room. “Oh, well, it turns out they won’t be able to fit two beds in here after all,” Jazer said apologetically. “But this is a king-sized bed, so it’s almost like two separate beds.” I didn’t agree with his logic, but I didn’t say so. I took a deep breath. “I hope that’s okay,” he said. “I’m so sorry about this.” “Uh…it’s all right,” I said. “It just feels awkward.” “Yeah, I feel the same way,” Jazer said. “But I’m so tired. Let’s just forget the awkwardness for now and just sleep.” He yawned. I yawned as well. “Your yawns are contagious,” I joked. Jazer laughed and got in bed. My joke did some good in distilling a bit of the awkwardness in the room. I could breathe easier now. I went into the bathroom and changed into nightclothes. Then I walked over to the bed and stood by the empty side. “I don’t bite,” Jazer said, glancing my way. “Did you kill this poor animal?” I asked, pointing to the fur cover. “No, it died on its own,” Jazer replied. “From old age.” Relieved, I extinguished the lamp and slowly got in bed. The bed was incredibly soft and comfortable, definitely an upgrade from the one at the inn I had stayed at. “Are you awake?” I asked after a few minutes. “Yes,” Jazer sounded sleepy. “Thanks for what you did, stopping the priest mid-sentence, when he was about to tell us to kiss. I had completely forgotten about that part, until seconds before, and I was on the verge of having some kind of fight or flight response.” “Yeah, that was happening to me too,” he said. He yawned again. Then I yawned. “You and your contagious yawns,” I said, then drifted off to sleep. * The next morning I quickly sat up and reached under my pillow for my dagger. I gripped it in my hand and scanned the room, then calmly set the dagger on the nightstand. “Were you having some kind of mercenary dream?” Jazer walked over. “No, I just forgot I was in a new place,” I sat up. “It kind of startled me when I opened my eyes.” “May I see your dagger?” Jazer asked. I motioned for him to take it. He picked it up in both hands and admired it for a few moments. “It’s definitely one-of-a-kind. I’ve never seen this kind of workmanship before. By the way, how did you sleep?” Jazer asked. He placed the dagger back on the nightstand. “Very well,” I smiled. Jazer went over to the desk and returned holding something behind his back. “I got you a wedding present,” Jazer smiled, holding out a long, narrow box to me. I took it and lifted the lid. Inside was a shiny, new dagger with a blue jewel in the center. I picked it up and examined it. “Wow, it’s amazing,” I said. “Thank you.” My face gradually turned pink. “Um…I don’t have a present for you. I mean, I wasn’t really expecting a present, and I don’t really have much money, so…” The truth was that I had no money left, but I didn’t want him to know that. “That’s okay. After all, I’m the one who came up with this hare-brained idea,” Jazer smiled. “But I’m glad you agreed to get married. I think we made the right choice. And I forgot to tell you how dazzling you looked at our wedding yesterday.” “Uh, thanks,” my heart raced. “I never knew your real name was Luzena,” he said. “I love it. May I call you Luzena?” “Sure,” I replied. I stood up and was about to walk past Jazer, but he gently took my hand. He leaned towards me and for a moment my heart stopped. He kissed me lightly on the cheek, then blushed before heading to the door. “I have a meeting with the general this afternoon,” Jazer said. “You’re invited to all the meetings.” “Thanks,” I said. Jazer smiled and left the room. I reached up and lightly touched my cheek where he had kissed me. * Word had got around that Zena the mercenary had disappeared. I chuckled to myself when I heard that. I hadn’t disappeared; I was just in a sort of hiding. That afternoon, I went to the meeting and saw that it was only me, Jazer, and the general. The general raised his eyebrow when I came in. He had graying hair and a large, gray mustache. I could tell he didn’t trust me from the way his eyes narrowed. “General, I’ve invited Zena to all our meetings,” Jazer said. “I know she’s a mercenary, but since she married you, I would have thought she’d give up her mercenary life,” the general huffed. He eyed my attire. I was dressed like the mercenary I was, just with newer clothes. “Um…what does getting married have to do with giving up being a mercenary?” I asked. “I haven’t given that up. I’m still a mercenary.” “You see, I wanted to explain it to you,” Jazer said. “Because of her I found out that someone’s after my title, and Zena is the solution to all this. She’s working as a disguised guard. That’s why we got married.” The general shot out of his seat, his face full of anger. “You paid her to marry you?” he bellowed. He stared at Jazer, then turned to me, a deep look of hatred clouding his face. “General, hear me out,” Jazer said firmly. The general sat back down and folded his arms, like a child who didn’t want to listen to a parent. “A week ago, Zena was working for a client, who wanted her to get the box from my chambers. Zena succeeded in getting past the guards and into my room, when I woke up and realized someone was there. We talked for a few minutes and she alerted me about a client and then stole the box and escaped. Luckily, that box was a fake. Zena has told me that her client sent a soldier to do his bidding. She has no idea who this client is, but I believe we can track him down with her help.” “She was in your room?” the general glared at both of us. “And you didn’t call for the guards? Prince Jazer, you need to be more cautious.” “Okay, okay, let’s not get off topic here,” Jazer said. “We need to show Zena everything: the maps, the layout of the place, and any details about these threats to my title.” There was a lot of tension in the room, and I feared the general would kick me out. “I don’t like this plan at all,” the general said. “Why did you marry her without consulting me?” “Because I wanted to keep this a secret,” Jazer said. “I don’t even want my uncle to know.” “Look, General,” I said, standing up. “I understand you’re not happy with this plan, but I want you to know that I fully intend to protect Jazer and his title at all costs. I will not let someone steal his title and inheritance away.” “I want you to answer one question,” the general said, leaning forward. “Sure, what is it?” I asked. “What’s in it for you? Why are you doing this? I mean, besides the money. What’s your motive?” he asked gruffly. I sat back down. “Five years ago, my younger sister went missing. I heard she was bought as a servant into a wealthy household. I’ve been trying to find her ever since. Jazer is paying me for this job, and I will use that money to travel around the kingdom until I find my sister. I want her back more than anything. That’s why I was willing to take on this job.” “I see,” the general said. “Let me show you the maps.” The general provided me with maps of the castle and the surrounding areas and I studied them carefully. The general had made a mark wherever something fishy had happened that could threaten Jazer’s title. I wasn’t sure about all the specifics, but it seemed that an enemy was trying to steal Jazer’s title and inheritance. I didn’t see how that would be possible to do, but the general told me it had something to do with that box. I still hadn’t seen the real one, nor did I know where it was. But it was better if I didn’t know. The general himself didn’t seem to know what was even in that box. True, my curiosity about the mysterious box was piqued, but I was more concerned about finding my sister. And finding her meant I had to do a stellar job in protecting Jazer. So it was easy for me to put that box out of my mind. The general warmed up to me after that first encounter. He began to see that I had no ulterior motives, and that I didn’t mean Jazer any harm. * Days later, the general summoned us for an emergency meeting. “This is very urgent,” he said. “We need a plan. Our guards have located that soldier who you gave the box to. And they’ve arrested him and gotten the fake box back. He’s sitting in our dungeon right now, but he’s not talking. We don’t know who’s behind this.” “I’ll go talk to him,” I said. The general and Jazer stood up. “I’ll come with you,” Jazer said. “No, he’s more likely to talk if I go alone,” I said. “You two stay here. I have experience with getting people to talk to me.” * A guard showed me to the dungeon and soon I was in front of the prisoner’s cell. “Do with him whatever you like,” the guard told me. “I’ll be nearby if you need me.” He left us alone. I stared at the man sitting on the ground. He saw me and his eyes widened. “I’d heard you married Jazer, but I couldn’t believe it,” he said, looking scared as I walked over to the bars. “You cheated me,” I told him. “I got the box for you and how did you repay me? With counterfeit coins.” “I didn’t know it was counterfeit. I swear,” the soldier said. “What’s your name?” I asked. “Collin,” he said. “What are you going to do with me?” He shifted closer to the wall. “Collin, I’m trying to find out who your client is. They’re after Jazer’s title and inheritance, and I wish to stop them.” “And you think I’d know who the client is?” he asked. “Don’t you?” I said. “I never saw her face,” he said. “She wears a hood that covers her face completely. She’s very mighty and has several guards that work for her.” “Do you know her name?” I asked. “Yes, she goes by Shalena the Raider.” “What else do you know about her?” I asked. “Why should I tell you anything?” Collin asked. “I’ll exchange info for info,” I said. “If you answer my questions, then I’ll answer yours.” “Deal,” he said, relaxing slightly. “Since I already told you something, I get to go first. What I want to know is why in the world did you marry Jazer? First you stole from him and then a few days later you married him! I’m so confused…” I laughed. “Well, it all happened so quickly. It was a marriage of convenience. I marry him and become his guard and he helps me find my sister.” “Your sister?” “Yes, she disappeared years ago and I’ve been searching for her ever since. She’s all that’s left of my family. Now it’s my turn. What else do you know about Shalena?” “All I know is that she’s powerful and cunning. Don’t mess with her,” Collin said. “Where did you usually meet her?” I asked. “Usually in some alleyway or other secluded place,” he said. “She was frightening.” “Why did she hire you to talk to me? Couldn’t she come herself?” I asked. “I’m not certain. She insisted she wanted to be anonymous.” * That evening, when I retired to the chambers, I found Jazer writing a letter. “How did it go with the prisoner?” he asked. “Well, he was pretty talkative and gave me a lot of information,” I said. “But one thing bothers me.” “What is it?” Jazer put down his pen and looked at me. “Have you heard of Shalena the Raider?” I asked. “No,” Jazer said. “Shalena is the name of my sister,” I said, sitting down in a chair. “You think your sister is behind this?” he asked. “I don’t know,” I said. “Shalena isn’t exactly a common name.” “Interesting,” Jazer said. I went over to the desk and looked over his shoulder. “What are you writing?” I smiled. Jazer immediately covered the paper with his hand and flipped the page face down. “Oh, it’s just a speech,” he said. “Um…okay,” I said, walking away. He was hiding something from me. I just knew it. * “If we let you go, can you arrange a meeting for me with Shalena?” I asked. “Of course,” Collin said. “But she’s very elusive. You can only find her if she wants you to find her.” “Let him go,” I told the guard. “Are you sure this is wise?” the general asked me. “It’s the only way to find Shalena,” I said. “I’m going to try to reason with her.” * Days later, I had a meeting set up with Shalena. I followed Collin to a tiny alley. I needed to be careful. If Shalena was armed, I wouldn’t have a lot of room to fight. I kept my dagger at the ready. At last, when it was dark and the moon was out, a dark hooded figure began heading my way. Collin left and I was alone with the client. “Greetings,” I said. “I am Zena the Mercenary.” “I know,” said the client. “You married Prince Jazer. So you’re Lady Zena the Mercenary, as well.” “And you’re Shalena,” I said. “What do you request?” she asked. “I believe you’re after Prince Jazer’s title and inheritance. Is there a way we can come to an agreement so that you won’t try to take his title away?” “Is that what he thinks?” the figure said with a chuckle. She lifted her hood a little and I could see her mouth. “Well, you stole that box,” I said. “What else was he supposed to think?” “I just want what’s rightfully mine,” Shalena said. “That box was passed down to me by my mother. One day it went missing, and I found out King Jordan had taken it. It has a special letter in it.” “Will you show me your face?” I asked. “Only if you answer my question,” she said. “Why did you marry Prince Jazer?” “It’s an agreement. With him married to me, I can protect him. In return, he’ll help me find the last member of my family- my sister.” “Hmmm,” Shalena said. “And I suppose you are protecting him from me?” I nodded. “It seems so.” “I will show you my face,” Shalena said. She slowly pulled back her hood. She was a few years younger than me, around the same age my sister would have been. She had sharp features, dark hair, and forest green eyes. “I lost my sister years ago,” I said quietly. “Her name was Shalena. Are you her?” “I’ll answer your question on one condition,” she said, giving a small smile. “What is it?” I asked. “Bring me the box. The real one this time. And in exchange I’ll tell you where your sister is.” “You know I can’t do that,” I said. “Jazer is my husband now. And family doesn’t turn on family.” “Your sister Shalena is family too. Isn’t she more important? She’s a blood relative. Prince Jazer is only family through a hasty marriage of convenience. You have to choose between them.” I lowered my head in sorrow. “Come find me when you’re ready to know where your sister is,” Shalena said. “Till then, we have nothing more to talk about.” She covered her head with the hood and disappeared down the alley. I hung my head and looked up at the sky, as if it could help me. * Over the next few days, I didn’t speak much with Jazer. “Luzena, why won’t you tell me about your encounter with Shalena? Is she your sister or not?” He sat beside me on the sofa. “I need something from you,” I turned to him, sadness written on my face. “I know it’s wrong, but there’s something I want.” “Anything,” he said. “Just name it.” “I want the box. The real box,” I said. “I want to know what’s in it.” For a moment, Jazer just stared at me. Then he looked away. “I can’t give you the box,” he said finally. “Then I can’t tell you about my encounter,” I stood up and walked away. * This marriage was turning into a nightmare. We barely talked to each other anymore. I reminded myself that I was here to be Jazer’s guard and protector. But the truth was that I wanted more from the marriage. I wanted it to be a marriage based on love and not just a guard protecting her charge. I longed to have a real husband- someone I could truly confide in. “I feel like you don’t trust me,” he said. I turned to him. “You’re right, I don’t,” I gave him a hard gaze. “But why?” he pleaded. I heard the pain in his voice. “You know why,” I said. “It’s because you won’t tell me about that box. Seriously, what is so important about the box?” “I’ll tell you eventually,” he said. “Why later? Why not tell me now?” I asked. He looked at me solemnly, then quietly left the room. * That evening, we got into bed and turned off the light. We usually didn’t talk to each other but just remained silent until we fell asleep. But I could sense Jazer was restless. “What is it?” I asked. “I thought about what you said, and I wanted to ask you something,” he said. “Go ahead,” I said. “I’m hoping this marriage can be more than just a contract. I was hoping we could become good friends and trust each other and all that,” he said. “I want that too,” I said. “I can’t trust you if you keep wanting to see that box,” Jazer said, a hard edge to his voice. “I want to find my sister!” I quickly sat up and glared at him. “She’s the only blood relative I have left!” Jazer sat up as well. “We’ll find her,” he said. “Don’t worry.” “Shalena knows where she is,” I said. “But she didn’t tell you?” he asked. “And what does the box have to do with your sister?” “She wants the box in exchange for telling me where my sister is,” I said. “What does she know?” Jazer asked. “She might be my sister for all I know!” I said. “I’m so close, yet so far.” There was a pause. “Okay,” Jazer sighed. “I’ll give you the box.” I turned to look at him in shock. “You will give me the box just so I can find my sister?” I asked. “Of course,” he said. “I promised you I’d help you find her. And this is a good opportunity.” “But what about your title and inheritance?” “I’m as curious as you about the box and your sister,” he said. “Why would you be curious about the box?” I asked. “Because I’ve never opened it,” he said. “I don’t know what’s inside it.” “Are you serious?” I asked. “Don’t you want to know?” “I’m afraid to know,” he said. “Afraid? What for?” I asked in disbelief. “When my uncle gave me this box, he said it would forever change my life. So I don’t know if it will change my life for good or bad. He said it would show me my future and that my future was up to me.” “I see,” I said. “That doesn’t sound so bad. Perhaps he meant it would show you other options or another path to take that you hadn’t even thought of.” “You’re right,” he said. “Let’s worry about that tomorrow.” There was a pause as he looked at me. “May I kiss you good-night?” “Sure,” I said. I couldn’t see well in the dark, so I slowly put my hand to the side of his face and leaned in, my heart racing. I lightly touched his lips with mine, then blushed. I couldn’t believe I had just done that! Jazer slid his arms around me and gave me a warm hug. “Good night,” Jazer whispered, then let go. “Good night,” I said, dazed. * The next night I went to find Shalena. She appeared in front of me in a dark alley, wearing a dark hooded cape once again. “Zena,” she said with a smile, pulling her hood back. “It’s good to see you again.” I pulled out the bundle I had. “I hope you’ve brought what I’ve been searching for,” she said. “Actually, I have something else,” I said. I held out a box towards her and she came closer and opened the lid. “It’s a dagger,” she said, her voice disappointed. “It’s not just any dagger,” I said. “It’s my most prized possession.” She took the dagger out and inspected it, then placed it back in the box. “It is indeed a very worthy dagger, but it’s not what I’m looking for,” she said. “Why have you brought this?” “I was hoping I could trade this instead,” I said. “It doesn’t feel right to me to take Jazer’s box.” “I should have been truthful with you,” she said. “There’s an important document in the box that I desperately need.” “Why do you need it?” I asked. She came closer to me. I was still trying to figure out if she was my sister. “That is my business,” she said. “Also, I’m not trying to sabotage him. I just want what’s rightfully mine.” “Then why did you sound so threatening in the note you sent?” I asked. “I suppose I may have been a bit dramatic,” she grinned, then sobered up and looked at me intensely. “I swear to you that I don’t mean Jazer any harm.” Now I was conflicted. Whom should I trust? Shalena the mystery woman who might be my sister? Or Jazer, the person I had married through a quickly arranged marriage? * “How did Shalena react?” Jazer said. “I presume you gave her the box?” “No, it didn’t feel right,” I said. “It’s not mine to give. I offered her my dagger. But she didn’t take it. She’s very fixated on whatever’s in that box of yours. She said there’s a document she wants.” “I see,” he said. “We’re married,” I said. “Why would you feel the need to hide something from me? I’m your bodyguard. If I’m to use my strategic skills to protect you, I need to know all the details.” Jazer stood up and went over to the bookcase. He rummaged through one shelf and pulled out that box he’d been hiding all this time. He brought it over and sat down by me. “Here,” he said. “Let’s open it together.” “All right,” I said. Jazer took out a key and opened the lid of the box. We found two official documents. One was a document establishing Jazer as the crown prince. The second document was addressed to Shalena. Dear Shalena, I turn over my kingdom to you upon my death. You are my heir and this certificate is my will. Your inheritance is listed below. Just present this certificate and you will receive your reward. My plan for you is to marry Prince Jazer, the son of Queen Celestria and King Ranulf. Celestria was my older sister, and I ruled the throne after her death. Sincerely, Queen Madison “This letter belongs to Shalena,” I said. “Why did King Jordan have it?” “I don’t know,” said Jazer. “Okay,” I said. “So this is what your uncle meant when he said it would change your life. There are two rightful heirs to the throne. Shalena has a claim to the throne, but you have a claim as well.” “This really messes up any future coronation plans,” Jazer said. “I’m really confused now because my aunt and uncle didn’t have any children. Why would the queen name Shalena as her heir?” “This really changes things,” I sighed. “What’s going through your head right now?” Jazer asked. “I…uh…I feel just like a piece on a Chess board,” I said. “Like a pawn trying to navigate a complex maze.” * We met with Shalena in the parlor of the castle. “I was dismayed to hear that you weren’t going to give me the box,” Shalena said. “This letter is for you,” Jazer handed it to her. Shalena studied it and smiled. “I’ve been looking for this for ages,” she said. “Thank you!” “I don’t know why my uncle had it,” Jazer said. “Because the queen took this letter to her deathbed. She gave it to your uncle but he thought you should rule instead of me. He didn’t want us to share the inheritance.” “What was Queen Madison’s plan?” I asked. “Her plan was for me and Jazer to get married and share the throne,” Shalena said. “I was furious when I found out about your marriage, because it ruined the plan she had for me.” “Why didn’t you speak out about this earlier?” Jazer asked. “Because I needed proof first,” she said. “I couldn’t just barge in and propose to you. I’d have been arrested and thrown in the dungeon probably.” “So what do we do?” I asked. “Jazer is already married...to me.” “I was angry at first, but then I met you, Luzena, and I liked you,” Shalena continued. “Once I got to know you I realized I didn’t have to fear. We could talk and come to an agreement.” “You know, it was your threats that led to our marriage,” Jazer said. “This is why Luzena and I got married in the first place.” “I see it was meant to be,” Shalena said solemnly. “I heard you’re wealthy. Can’t you buy part of the kingdom?” Jazer asked. “Why should I pay for something that belongs to me?” Shalena said. She had a point. “Can’t you both rule the throne?” I asked. “As a team?” “I hadn’t thought of that,” said Jazer. “I don’t know if it can be done.” “There is another way,” Shalena said. “I understand that you two had a hasty marriage, which probably neither of you wanted. Perhaps you two can break off your marriage. Then Jazer and I can get married and that will solve all our problems.” My mouth dropped open. I turned to glance at Jazer, then looked at the floor. “I suppose we need time to think about this,” Jazer glanced at me and then looked down. I was fuming inside. I thought he liked me, but perhaps he’d rather have Shalena. She was a noble, after all. And Jazer didn’t need my protection anymore. “Shalena, I’ll have the servants prepare a room for you, if you’d prefer to stay in the castle,” Jazer said. “That’s very kind of you,” Shalena said. “I accept. I’ll need to confront my stepfather sooner or later anyway.” She got up and left the room. Jazer and I looked at each other, feeling awkward. “That was a lot to take in. If you’d prefer to sleep in different rooms tonight, I understand,” Jazer said solemnly. “I’ll have the servants prepare another room for you.” I glared at him. Was he kicking me out already? So eager to marry Shalena, wasn’t he? I went over to him, my jaw clenched, until our faces were a few inches apart. “What is wrong with you?” I snapped at him. “I was being courteous,” he said, his eyes wide. I stared at him, shocked. He hadn’t even realized how he had offended me. “It’s late and we have a lot to think about,” I said, my voice shaking. What was I going to do if he divorced me? I’d be out on the streets. “Let’s talk tomorrow.” I hurried out of there. I paused just outside the doors and the tears began to flow. I leaned against the wall, trying to gain my composure. A weeping mercenary? That’s unheard of. Moments later, Jazer stepped out and saw me. I hurriedly wiped my tears away and stared down at my hands. “We don’t have to talk later, let’s talk now,” Jazer said gently. “I’m sorry that I hurt your feelings. I guess I’m new to this whole relationship thing. I should have asked you first. Do you want to stay in our room or do you prefer your own?” “I want you to stop pushing me away,” my voice shook. “Let’s talk somewhere private.” I was embarrassed to be crying in the hall. What if someone else saw me? After entering our suite, I sat at the desk and Jazer took the chair nearby. I looked over at him, my eyes narrowed. Did he want me still? Though I found Shalena to be a favorable character, her suggestions had driven a wedge between us. “Are you going to marry Shalena?” I was beyond tears now, and my voice was just a whisper. “That depends,” he said. “What do you prefer?” There was fury in my eyes as I stood up. “I won’t let you marry Shalena,” I said, drawing my sword out in one, quick motion. Jazer stared with his mouth open, too shocked to say anything, perhaps wondering if his own bodyguard was going to do him in. I would have thought he’d know me better by now. “That was just for dramatic effect,” I calmly sheathed my sword again, then walked over to the window, looking out into the darkness. “Why did you remain quiet when she mentioned you marrying her?” “Because I didn’t know what you wanted,” he slowly stood up. “Luzena, do you want this?” he motioned around the suite. “Do you want this castle? I guess what I mean to ask is: do you want me?” He lowered his head and stared at the costly carpet. I walked over to him and put a hand on his shoulder. He looked up slowly and met my eyes, sadness reflected in his face. My rage began to ebb away and I realized that hope had sprung inside me again. “I don’t want you for your castle, your title, or your inheritance,” I said. “I want you for the kindness you showed to me and that poor girl at the market. This is why I married you in the first place. Because I saw that you were kind to those who were beneath you.” “You’re not beneath me,” he said, taking my hand and leaning closer. “Nobody is. In fact, you’re going to be queen.” We kissed each other. “What will we do about Shalena?” I asked. “It’s her inheritance too.” “We could rule as joint heirs, as you said,” he said. “All three of us. It’s never been done before, so we’ll be the first.” “We first have to convince Shalena,” I said. “She seemed very intent on marrying you.” “I’m taken,” Jazer said with a laugh. “She has to understand that.” “I’ve got an idea,” I said. “I’ll see you later.” I headed to the door. “Where are you going?” Jazer asked. “To take care of the thorn in my side,” I said. * “How about some combat practice?” I approached Shalena in the hall. “A mercenary like me and a raider like you need to keep our skills up.” “I’ve got more important things on my mind right now,” Shalena said. I folded my arms. “You can fight, can’t you? After all, you are Shalena the Raider, aren’t you? Or are you someone else?” “I’d love to spar,” she said, giving a forced smile. I led the way to the combat room. We went in and I shut the door, inserting myself between her and the entrance. “What is the real reason you’ve brought me here?” Shalena asked, looking around suspiciously. “Draw your sword,” I commanded, quickly drawing mine. She saw that I was serious and hurriedly drew her sword as well. I advanced on her while she hastily backed away. As soon as we reached the center of the combat room, I raised my sword and slashed. Shalena quickly parried my attack with a strong defense. So she was mighty after all. We continued fighting for several minutes, Shalena’s skills not a disappointment, but after a time she began to tire. “Why do you keep dodging the questions about my sister?” I asked in a low voice. I swung at her once more. She gasped and just barely leaped out of my way, surprised by my fervor. “Because I want my inheritance. I won’t answer you until I reach my goal,” she said, swinging her sword. I swung and parried her attack and we stared angrily into each other’s eyes. “So you’re using this info as leverage, aren’t you?” I hissed. “In a way,” she agreed, then jumped back and we circled each other like lions after their prey. “You are the cruelest person I’ve ever met,” I aimed for her head and swung my blade. She ducked and danced away, gasping for breath. “I’ve trained for years but you’re one of the best fighters I’ve ever seen,” she said, a bit breathless. “It’s because I had to learn to fight in order to survive,” I said. “I had no other option.” “I really respect you,” Shalena said, her eyes softening. “Stop buttering me up,” I snapped. “I don’t think you’re my sister, but I’m certain you know where she is. Tell me the truth!” I cornered her against the wall and held the blade to her neck. Shalena looked at me with a hint of fear in her eyes but a small smile came over her lips. “You remind me a lot of myself,” she said. “Quit playing these mind games. I know what you’re doing,” I snapped again, breaking away from her and then shoving her against the wall. She gasped and quickly sank to her knees. Her sword dropped from her hands in defeat. She sighed and looked up at me. “I’m not your sister,” she finally said. “Shalena is dead. I used her name to create a persona, Shalena the Raider. I’m no Raider, though. Just a fraud. The reason why I paid you in counterfeit is because I had no money. I was raised in a poor home, not a wealthy one like I led you to believe. My real name is Sabina.” “Who are you, Sabina?” I asked, looking down at her. I sheathed my sword. “I am the rightful heir to the throne,” she said. “My mother was Queen Madison. Jazer’s aunt.” “So then King Jordan is your father?” I asked. “No, my mother had another lover. A craftsman by the name of Gerard. He was my father,” Sabina said. “That’s why King Jordan doesn’t want me to rule the throne. I don’t deserve it because I’m illegitimate.” “But it wasn’t your fault,” I said. “You were berating me earlier and now you’re feeling compassion for me?” Sabina smiled. “Because now I know the whole story,” I said, reaching a hand to help her up. The door barged open at that moment and we looked to see King Jordan come in. His eyes zeroed in on Sabina, and he stared at her, shocked. “What are you doing here?” he asked, remaining by the doorway. “Greetings, King Jordan,” Sabina took a few steps towards him. “My name is Sabina. Do you remember me?” “Of course I do,” the king sounded upset. “When you were a baby I handed you off to your father, to be raised by him. Why are you here?” “I think you know why I’m here,” Sabina stood up to her full height. “I am Queen Madison’s daughter and she meant for me to become queen after her. But I see that you want Jazer to take the throne.” “It’s rightfully his,” the king said. “Was not Queen Madison my mother?” Sabina asked, with anguish in her voice. “She was the previous monarch. Jazer’s parents were monarchs before she was. After they passed away, my mother inherited the throne. I have royal blood and a letter from the queen which you tried to hide from me.” “I had hoped you wouldn’t find out about that letter,” the king said, his voice quiet. “I couldn’t bring myself to destroy it, because I felt somewhat guilty. So that’s why I hid it and gave it to Jazer, the rightful heir.” “Before my mother died, she told me I would be queen one day,” Sabina said. “What do you have against me being queen?” “When I discovered that Queen Madison had found someone else, I was incredibly upset. I wanted to ignore the whole thing, all of it. Your birth reminded me of the darkness I went through,” the king said. “Since we didn’t have a child to inherit the throne, the next best thing was to declare Jazer as the next in line.” “It’s not my fault that she cheated on you,” Sabina said. “I can understand why you’re upset. But I’m still her child and I hope to become part of this family. My mother’s plan was for me to marry Jazer, but he’s already married so that’s no longer an option.” “When Jazer’s parents died, he was too young to rule. That’s why the kingdom passed to Queen Madison,” King Jordan said. “Jazer is the rightful heir.” “But I have this letter from her. Doesn’t the ruler determine who inherits the throne?” Sabina asked, her voice rising. “Jazer was too young to rule, so the kingdom passed to my mother. When she died the kingdom passed to you.” “And then I named Jazer the crown prince,” the king said. “But you’re king by marriage, not by blood,” Sabina looked on the verge of tears. “I’m still the rightful heir.” “I’m not going to withhold the throne from Jazer,” the king said firmly. “Jazer has been raised to become king. He has the adequate training. What training do you have?” “I admit I don’t have royal training,” Sabina seemed to take courage. “But I have other skills I can bring to the table. Also, I don’t want to take the throne away from Jazer.” “Then what do you propose?” the king asked. “Has there ever been a joint-rule?” I asked. “Both Jazer and Sabina are the children of previous rulers. They’re the rightful heirs by bloodline. I mean, two people don’t have to be married to rule jointly, do they?” “That makes sense,” the king said. “We’ve had joint-rulers who were brother and sister before. This will be confusing, though. If Sabina becomes queen and Jazer becomes king, then what will you be?” he asked me. “I’ll be the consort,” I said. “I don’t need to rule.” “No, she should be queen as well,” Jazer entered at that moment. “She deserves it. I say we have two queens and a king. Once Sabina marries then we’ll add a second king to the throne. It’s the only way to fix this.” “I love that idea!” Sabina’s entire face lit up. “Well, it’s never been done before,” the king said. “Then we’ll be the first,” Jazer said. * After calling in the lawyers and discussing the finer details, we unanimously agreed to the joint rule, and the lawyers began to draw up a contract. We all signed and planned the ceremony for our coronations. “Sabina,” the king went over to her after the meeting. “I wanted to apologize for trying to cast you away. You were right when you said it wasn’t your fault that the queen had an affair. I shouldn’t punish you for it.” “Thank you. This means a lot,” Sabina smiled at him. “Also, I’d like to adopt you as my daughter,” the king said. “If you agree, that is.” “Definitely,” Sabina said. She stepped forward and hugged him. * Later, when I found Sabina alone, my heart led me to talk with her. “Sabina, I’d like to know about my sister,” I told her. “Come with me,” Sabina said, taking my arm. We took the horses outside to the village, went down a winding path, and reached a small patch of trees with crosses in the dirt. “Your sister was an indentured servant in a wealthy household. I met her at the market and we became fast friends. I wanted to free her, but it was out of my hands. She got sick and passed away a few years ago. She’s buried right there.” Sabina pointed. “I always felt a connection to her, since we were the same age. She never stopped talking about you. I’m so sorry about your loss.” She gave me a sad look, hugged me for a few minutes, and then left me alone. I fell to my knees, at first feeling numb, and stared at the darkness that seemed to gather around me. * When I returned to the castle hours later, I still had tears running down my face. I made it to the suite and sat down, despondent. “Did you find your sister?” Jazer looked up from where he was reading on the settee. “She passed away,” I said, staring at the floor. The tears began to flow anew. I wiped at them with my hands. “I’m so sorry to hear that,” Jazer said. He came over and wrapped his arms around me. I sniffled. “So what will you do now?” he said. “Now that you know the truth about your sister.” “Well, I don’t need that money you promised me anymore,” I said. “Really?” he asked. “Is there something else you wish for?” “I just want to be at peace,” I said. My tears had stopped as I realized that I belonged somewhere now. Though I didn’t have a sister anymore, I did have someone to call my own. I looked at Jazer. “I’m perhaps beginning to fall in love with you,” I confessed. Jazer smiled. “I’ve already fallen in love with you,” he said. I smiled and hugged him back. “We’re planning the coronation for all three of us on the same day,” he said. “You’ll make a great queen.” “Really?” I laughed. “You think a mercenary is fit to be queen?” “You’ve convinced me,” he laughed. “And just so you know, I’m not going to dress like a stereotypical queen,” I told him. “I’ll still dress like a mercenary. Except for the crown, maybe. I think it would suit me well.” We both laughed. |
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