‘I know. She knew. Then he kissed her – he made her kiss him – and... and she forgot. She forgot me and she forgot how much... how much she cares about me...’
‘But she doesn’t love him.’
‘Yes, she does now.’ She sniffs, noisily, and wipes her eyes again. ‘She does. I lost her. It’s over.’
‘It’s not over,’ Scotty says. ‘She doesn’t love him. She loves you.’
‘I told you; it’s him she...’
‘No, she’s been tricked into loving him; you she fell for all by herself.’
She looks up at him. ‘What?’
‘She loved you long before spells and kisses. She never kissed you and she still fell for you. She loves you. And you love her. All the prince has is a spell.’
‘But she’s gone...’ She gestures at the horizon. ‘I let her go... with the prince.’
‘It’s not too late. Bianca, think about it.’ He walks around in front of her and grabs her by the shoulders, staring deep into her soul with those green eyes of his that seem to stare straight into her, like he can read everything she’s feeling. ‘You’re giving up on her and letting her go into a world in which she isn’t loved and doesn’t love, to one day have an heir and be killed for it.’
‘Maybe she’ll have a daughter,’ Bianca whispers.
‘It doesn’t matter,’ Scotty says. ‘She’s still going to die. He’s going to smother her with a pillow or kill her in her sleep and it’ll be your fault because you didn’t stop it.’
‘You’re not very good at these pep talks,’ she whispers.
‘This isn’t a pep talk,’ he tells her. ‘This is the truth; the cold hard facts laid out in front of you. Now, you can either come back with me to sit with Daisy until she dies – because that’s what will happen if she can’t ever get out – or, we can ride until we find the prince and Alexandra and you can kill that S.O.B. and then we can get Alexandra to summon Nissa to help release Daisy.’
‘I guess option B?’ Bianca says, quietly, as though still not sure.
‘That’s the one I’d choose.’
She nods, slowly. ‘Okay then,’ she says.
‘Are you actually with me on this or are you just agreeing for the sake of agreeing?’
‘Bit of both.’ She’s finally coming back to herself, smiling just a little bit.
‘That’s the Bianca I know.’ Scotty walks straight across and climbs onto the horse, offering his best friend a hand up. Once he’s pulled her up onto the horse and she’s got her arms wrapped around his waist from behind, he rides off in the general direction the prince and Alexandra left in.
*
They ride for a long time. Scotty suggests Bianca naps against his back, but she’s too nervous to consider sleep and in too much pain from her many bruises to manage to drift off. Instead, she rests her cheek against his spine and watches the scenery flitting by, wondering how he even knows where they’re going and plotting her plan of attack.
‘When we get to the castle,’ she says, breaking the silence, ‘I’ll get off the horse and go for the prince. I want you to get Alexandra and take her into the woods. Find a clearing or something and just hold her there.’
‘Have you met Alexandra?’ Scotty says. ‘I’ll be lucky if I can hold her long enough to get her two feet away.’
‘Scotty, please.’ She touches his shoulder with her lips, looking at his face sideways. ‘I need you to do this for me.’
He sighs. ‘Okay,’ he says. ‘But on one condition.’
‘What’s that?’
‘If you get into difficulties... you call.’
‘You’ll be in the woods,’ she points out. ‘How will you hear me?’
‘Because you’ll set this off.’ He hands her his phone. ‘It’s got one of those sounds only teenagers can hear and it’s really loud on my phone. I’ll be able to hear it and no one will know you’ve set it off.’
‘Unless there are teenager spectators.’
‘Do you really think they’ll know what it is?’ He gestures at the button on the side. ‘I set it up as a hot key earlier; press it once and the sound will start and it won’t stop until you deactivate it.’
‘Okay.’ She slips it into the pocket of his hoodie, zipped up to her neck now, and snuggles inside the soft material.
‘What do I do if I don’t get her back?’ she whispers, after a moment.
‘Don’t think about it.’
‘No, but really, Scotty... What do I do? I’ve spent the last two years of college wishing she was there... I failed all my A Levels because of it.’ She runs a hand through her hair. ‘I’ve been living for this and now...’
‘If you don’t get her back, we’ll all go home together. Daisy included,’ he says, before she can interject anything, ‘because we will find a way to get her out. And we’ll find a way to have you retake your A Levels. Even if we have to put up with you being our roommate or something.’
‘How long do you think it’s been? For everyone back there, I mean...’
‘I don’t know. A few days here was, what, three years for us? And it’s been at least four days since we set off... Maybe even five...’
‘It’s been a long time then,’ she whispers.
‘Yeah, it has.’
*
‘I’m scared,’ Bianca whispers, as they trot, slowly and quietly towards the castle.
‘It’ll be okay,’ Scotty promises.
‘Okay; here’s the plan. We go in full-tilt. All guns blazing and...’
‘Care for some assistance?’
She turns towards the voice and her eyes land on a horse approaching with two riders; Cory and Daisy.
‘Daisy!’ She leaps off the back of the horse and throws herself in the direction of the redhead. Daisy squeals and half-falls, half-flails her way off her horse as she struggles to get a good hugging grip on her friend. ‘How?! When?! What did Cory do? He didn’t do something weird, right?!’
‘Hey!’ Cory exclaims. ‘What weird thing do you think I did?’
‘I don’t know... I just have visions of you sacrificing yourself for her but you’re both here!’ She squeals and launches herself at Cory, hugging him too.
‘So,’ Daisy says, after a second. ‘Wanna tell me why we’re a blonde short? A short blonde short, in fact.’
‘The prince got to Alexandra first,’ Scotty says. ‘He kissed her and she now thinks she’s in love with him.’
Daisy gives him a confused look. ‘How does that work?’ she asks. ‘‘Cause she sent Nissa to come and rescue me.’
‘What?’ Bianca says. ‘She did?’
‘Yeah!’ Daisy nods, vehemently. ‘Nissa turned up and she said that Alexandra had sent her to come and get me out of my prison... She did this wave thing... And I was free. So, me and Cory got on our horse and came straight here because she pointed us in this direction.’
‘You know what this means?’ Scotty says to Bianca.
Bianca nods. ‘Alexandra still loves us. Or, at least, you guys. She remembers you and wanted to help...’
‘Nissa said something about it not being a conscious request, though,’ Daisy says. ‘So maybe her feelings for us are buried beneath layers of prince lip-mojo?’
‘Maybe...’ Bianca breaks out in a grin. ‘But you know what? It doesn’t matter because I’ll get her back. And even if she doesn’t remember me, I’ll make her. I’ll make her remember and love me again because... because we’re meant to be. We just are.’
Scotty smiles at her. ‘That’s the Bianca I know!’ he exclaims.
‘So, what’s the plan?’ Daisy asks, pulling her bow from her shoulder and grabbing an arrow. ‘Do we go in there and start slaughtering? Because I’m all for that right now.’
‘I think smoke bombs and arrows, followed by me coming in to kill the prince and Scotty gets Alexandra.’
‘Better idea,’ Cory interjects. ‘I get Alexandra. I’m better on horseback – in case you didn’t notice – and Scotty hasn’t got enoug
h upper body strength to scoop her up against her will.’
‘He has a point,’ Daisy says. ‘And Scotty can use his amazing sword-wielding talent to fight his way to the prince with you.’
Bianca nods. ‘Okay,’ she says. ‘Agreed.’
*
The crowds are cheering; men, women and children gathered around to watch the princess return to the castle on the arm of her Prince. The Queen and King step out of the front doors, beaming, and they smile as Alexandra approaches them, curtseying. ‘Mother, Father,’ she says. ‘I’d like to introduce Prince Michael; my fiancé.’
The Queen and King exchange confused looks. ‘Really?’ the Queen says. ‘This... man?’
Alexandra nods. ‘Is there a problem?’
‘No... I just... expected someone... different.’
‘See?’ Daisy says, from the small cliff overlooking the castle entrance. ‘Even her mother thinks she’s a dyke.’
Bianca smacks her around the head. ‘Shut up, Dais,’ she says. She turns to Cory. ‘You ready?’
Cory nods. ‘As I’m ever going to be.’
She stands up and clambers onto her horse. Scotty climbs on behind her and Cory goes for the second horse, mounting up and, even as he reins in the bucking stallion, grinning in the direction of Daisy. ‘I’ll be back soon,’ he promises.
‘You owe me a burger,’ Daisy says.
Cory smiles. ‘I won’t forget.’ He kicks the horse and gallops off down the hill, towards the crowd, who shout in surprise at his approach. He swings his mace, aiming to miss, and they all duck backwards, even as the prince and princess turn to look in his direction.
‘Come with me,’ he demands, stopping beside Alexandra and offering her his hand.
‘No,’ she says. ‘Why should I?’
‘Because we both know you don’t belong here; and there’s about to be a battle you don’t want to be in the middle of.’ He wiggles his fingers, invitingly. ‘Come on,’ he says.
‘Stop right there!’ the prince exclaims. ‘You can’t just come in here and try and take my princess away from me!’
‘She’s not your princess,’ Cory says.
‘No, she’s mine,’ Bianca announces, arriving on horseback at that moment. She smacks the hilt of her sword into the prince’s face and he staggers backwards as blood spurts from his nose.
‘Go!’ Bianca shouts at Cory, who grabs Alexandra’s hand and pulls her onto the back of his horse and rides away.
‘Stop immediately!’ a guard yells. An arrow soars through the sky and slams into his stomach.
‘Score!’ Bianca hears Daisy shout. She dives off the horse and lands on the ground next to the prince.
‘Hi,’ she says, as she pulls a can of hairspray from her belt. ‘Remember me?’ She sprays in his face and he shouts in rage and pain, reeling backwards. ‘You pinned me to a wall with your tail.’ She turns to the Queen and King, who are standing behind at least a dozen guards, looking terrified, even as the citizens run inside the walls of the castle.
‘Did you know your son-in-law to be has a tail he doesn’t tell anyone about? Oh, yes. He’s not quite human.’ She kicks out and slams the heel of her trainer into his groin. His eyes cross and he falls backwards onto the ground.
‘So, anyway,’ she says, standing over and glaring down at him, eyes flashing angrily, ‘you pinned me to a wall with your tail, you tried to choke me to death and, what was it? Oh, yes. You took away the love of my life.’ She stands with her foot poised over his crotch. ‘What do you have to say for yourself?’
The prince stands up, suddenly, and Bianca’s eyes widen when she realises he stood by pushing himself up with his tail. ‘I say I should have killed you in the tower,’ he says, before he slashes her with the sharp tip of his tail.
Twenty-One
Pain explodes across her back and she chokes out a sob as she falls forwards onto her hands and knees. Her vision blurs and she just sits there, staring at the grass. Her back burns and she knows it’s only going to get worse before it gets better. She looks up at the prince who, eyes lizard-like, talons protruding from his fingers again, blood-stained tail swishing from side-to-side, looks down at her with a smirk. ‘I think I like you better on your knees,’ he says.
She can hear Scotty, shouting her name as he fights guards off for her. He’s protecting her even now, as she just rests here, waiting to die like an idiot. After all this. She takes a deep breath and forces herself to stand, hand on her sword in its sheath at her side. She looks up at him through her dark fringe falling across her eyes and blows upwards. It flicks to the side and she smirks back at him through the pain.
‘I think I’d like you better on your knees, too,’ she says, sweetly.
He grins at her. ‘You’d never get me on my knees. You’re just a little girl. What are you, twelve?’
She smiles at him. ‘I’m eighteen, actually. I’m glad you think I’m twelve; it proves I have the advantage.’
‘How is that?’
Another smile as she unsheathes her bloodstained sword. ‘Because it proves you’re a moron.’
*
‘For god’s sake!’ Cory exclaims, wrestling with Alexandra as she tries to get out of his grip. He’s walking her towards a clearing and she’s fighting him all the way. ‘I’m not going to hurt you!’
She grabs his hand and bites it. He shrieks in pain and shoves her away from him. She turns around, backing into the nearest tree and eyeing him with caution. ‘Do I know you?’
He sighs. ‘I’m Cory. We used to hang out at school. Remember school? Short skirts, shorter ties. But you always wore yours long because you wanted to stick to the dress code. You’d wear your hair in a long braid down the back of your neck and I used to think you were so amazing. I wished I was Bianca because I wanted to be your Prince Charming.’
‘Bianca?’ Alexandra says. ‘That girl! The one who attacked my prince!’ She runs forward. ‘I have to go back!’
He catches her by the shoulders. ‘No,’ he tells her. ‘Bianca will be fine. She’ll kill the prince and she’ll come back for you.’
‘No!’ Alexandra exclaims, panicked. ‘She can’t kill my prince! I am to marry him and be his forever! For he is mine! I love him!’
‘No, no you don’t.’ He holds her fast, even as she tries to escape again. ‘He planted a voodoo kiss on you and now you think you love him. I get the feeling if I’d done it, you’d love me, instead, but that’s not love.’
Alexandra sags. ‘You will not let me go?’
Cory shakes his head. ‘No,’ he says. He pulls an iPod from his pocket. ‘Here,’ he says. ‘This is Bianca’s. Go... listen to music or something. They’ll be back once the battle’s won.’
Alexandra reaches out and takes the iPod, instinctively tucking the earphones into her ears and going to sit on a rock nearby. Cory sighs and moves to lean against the nearest tree. He doesn’t want to be babysitting a princess; he wants to be in the battle; helping Bianca and Scotty and most of all Daisy. His Daisy.
*
Bianca’s sword clashes against the prince’s as they duel. She can hear Scotty fighting behind her, but she blots it out, instead paying attention to ducking at the right moments and dive-rolling away from the slash of the prince’s tail. Her back throbs painfully and she can feel the shredded remains of her tank top blowing freely in the breeze behind her. There’s blood seeping down the inside of her jeans as she does a dive-roll towards a dead guard and grabs his abandoned shield, holding it up in front of her, sword clasped in one hand, shield in the other.
‘I don’t need a shield,’ the prince taunts.
‘That’s because you have scales!’ she shouts. ‘How is that even fair?’ She tips her head sideways, pausing. ‘In fact; how do you even have scales?’
‘I am the son of the Enchantress: Maglen, and the Dragon: Soran.’ He thrusts out with his sword and the tip barely misses her shoulder as she dodges to one side.
‘That’s like a whole new level of bes
tiality,’ she exclaims, disturbed.
‘My father loved my mother greatly and she loved him back!’ He slashes at her legs and she jumps. She makes a move to behead him and he uses his tail to lift himself off the floor. ‘She promised him I would be happy and that I would live as human. The princess is my only chance to do that.’
‘I don’t know if you’ve noticed, bucko,’ she says, as she dodges another hit, ‘but the spell seems to be wearing off. You have a tail again.’
‘The princess’ devotion to me is linked to my control over my true self,’ he explains. He’s watching over her shoulder now, but it could be a ruse. She stands her ground, hands on her weapon and shield, ready to attack at any moment. ‘But I can still show my scales.’ He grins and for the first time, she gets to see the fangs where his incisors should be. She shudders.
Another arrow soars through the air and stops a guard from beheading Bianca from behind. Her heart pounds in her chest and she swallows, convulsively. She’s starting to wonder what the odds are of her winning this battle or at least getting out of it with all limbs still attached by more than just ligament.
‘You know,’ the prince says, as though sensing her thoughts. ‘You can still surrender. I’ll let you go without a fight. I get the princess and you get to go home to your family. With your friends.’
‘All of my friends?’ Bianca enquires.
The prince lowers his weapon. ‘Of course.’
‘That includes Alexandra then,’ she says, promptly. ‘She was my friend long before I realised I was in love with her.’
‘I can’t make that deal.’ He slashes out with the sword and she dodges too late. White-hot pain shoots through her left shoulder, followed by the feeling of steel being ripped out from inside of her. She claps a hand to the wound as her other hand releases the shield, somehow managing to keep a grip on her sword at the same time.
‘Hey,’ a voice says. ‘Are you okay?’
The prince spins around to find Scotty standing in front of him, unarmed.
‘Bianca, are you okay?’ he asks again. He gives her a wink and she grins, ignoring the blossoming pain radiating from her shoulder and raising her sword up in the air.
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