by sarah faith
"Taken," Jen said laughing, "you know like 'in a relationship?' If you weren't, I'd totally be asking for your number right now."
"Okay!" I said awkwardly, backing away slightly. "I didn't know that you're"
"Yeah, I know. Most people don't except like, the whole volleyball team! Me, Ruthie, Alexis and Jennifer Millstone all are! How did you not know this before now? "
"I have no idea-" Oh my gosh. This was totally not cool. My first chance at a friend and she's hitting on me! I suddenly started feeling sick. "I-I'm going to go, okay?" I stuttered. "I don't feel very good. It must have been the food or something."
Jen looked confused but nodded. "Okay. I'll see you tomorrow at practice!" I nodded and made my way out of the room.
After the party, while walking down the hall to my dorm, I was thinking about a nice hot shower when suddenly I stopped at my door and sucked in a breath. My dorm door was open; I was sure that I had shut it before I left today
Panic surged through my veins, leaving me standing stark still for about twenty seconds. Dare I move? Dare I breathe? I did, slowly but surely because believe me; it was starting to hurt… My heart rate increased as I thought about who could be in there? Was it some crazy physco college student? Was it Freddie's enemies? Had they found out about us, and were now lurking in the depths of my room, waiting to whisk me away? I tried to calm myself as I searched my bag for my pepper spray. In dismay, I realized that I had left it in my room this morning. I inwardly cursed myself and took a deep breath.
Slowly, I opened my door, and was thankful that it didn't creak. Maybe I could take the enemy by surprise! I crept inside my room; chills flying throughout my nervous system. At first glance, I could have sworn that I saw a dozen ninjas with swords ready to attack! But as I entered my room, nothing looked amiss. I let out a deep breath and felt like a silly child for over-reacting. I must have just forgotten to shut it behind me this morning.
Suddenly, the door slammed behind me! I screamed in surprise and I was about to turn around when a huge, strong hand grabbed my waist, and another hand covered my mouth in one smooth motion. I was terrified! I could feel my lungs tightening and my heart beating desperately inside my chest. I was trying to scream, but the hand muffled any possible sound from reaching farther than my lips. I was fighting like a crazy bull; trying desperately to get away from this humongous human being! Then, I heard him whisper in my ear. "Arianne, please calm yourself! We can't put you in any more danger than you are already in!" The sound of his voice was steady and reassuring and this made me stop struggling. Suddenly, the man let go of me, and I turned around and stared up at him. It was Jameson, Freddie's body guard. I almost fainted.
Someday My Prince Will Come : Chapter 18
"What do you think you're doing???" I said slightly pushing him against his chest roughly. (He didn't even stir.) "You aren't allowed to just barge in here and scare me out of my wits!"
After I was finished hissing at him my head began to spin. Oh man. I put my hand to my forehead and Jameson offered his explanation.
"My apologies. But I could think of no other way to keep you from screaming. But, my lady, there is no time for chatting. You must come with me at once. Time is getting smaller."
"Smaller? Am I in danger?" I asked, not quite understanding. He had a very strong French accent, and it was hard to comprehend completely. Then something clicked in my head. Bodyguard…Freddie's bodyguard…where was Freddie?? "Is Freddie here?" I said, my voice becoming hopeful. A warm feeling crept into my core, and I started darting my eyes all behind him.
"I am afraid not," he grimaced. "But I cannot say anymore, Miss Arianne. We must go. Now." Jameson finished abruptly and gently but firmly grabbed my arm and started leading me to the door.
"What about all my stuff, don't I need to pack?" I said, resisting slightly.
"No. All will be provided for you. Now please, hurry." Jameson opened the door and I shut up. I figured I may as well do my best not to disconcert the man, so I let him lead me through the halls. We went down to the main parking lot, and there was a black SUV with tinted windows waiting for us. Jameson got in first, and then as soon as the door was shut, he nodded to the driver and we were off. I watched the trees rapidly flying by us and wondered where on earth I was going. To be in Bieland with Freddie would be more than wonderful! But why would they randomly take me to the same place that I thought they were trying to keep away from me? It didn't make any sense. I wanted desperately to ask Jameson, but he already had told me once that he couldn't say anymore. So I let my mind wander and kept my mouth shut during the rest of the ride.
We arrived at an airport about an hour later. The drive was long but judging on how fast the driver was going, I'm assuming it could have been longer. Jameson got out of his side and ran over to my door and opened it for me. As soon as my feet hit the gravel, his hand was around my arm again, making me feel safe in this dimly lit parking lot. It was dark now, being about 8 o'clock, and I shivered as I saw a rat scamper in front of our path. Eww!
I looked around and saw a few random cars scattered in this parking lot, and wondered why we weren't with everyone else. Our next move answered my silent question for me. We went behind a building and descended down a stairway going underground. Jameson silently opened the creaking door and pushed me inside, then followed a second after. I was being led through a tunnel, much like the one in the phantom of the opera movie, except I was being mesmerized by a delicious looking man in a mask. The only light sources were the dim lights on the ceiling and I was glad I was being held in custody by a tall, strong bodyguard. I didn't like this at all.
The corridor ran like a maze, and we turned a numerous amount of times before going into a rusty blue door. This led to a stairway going up; back to the normal world. As we ascended the stairs I noticed that it was windy. As we reached the peak, I realized why. There was a humongous black jet emitting a crazy amount of energy, and the door was open with removable stairs in front of the entrance.
"Whoa," I whispered. The jet didn't have any logos on it, but that certainly didn't take away from the effect. It looked fast and expensive and I was thrilled to be experiencing this right now! Maybe it would get even better and Freddie would be waiting for me inside! My hope was burst, however, as I entered the interior of the jet.
But disappointment was replaced by complete awe when I saw how gorgeous royal living was! There, before me was a lush carpeted floor and couches nailed to the floor of the plane in random places. A small bar/kitchen was located near the back of the room, and as Jameson let go of me to attend other business, I touched my fingers to the dark brown suede couches. Each was equipped with a seatbelt and a cup holder built into the arms.
"Miss Arianne?" I heard Jameson call me, and I looked up to find him waiting for me to sit down. I quickly walked over to where he was and sat down in a seat that looked like a recliner. It was definitely the most comfortable airplane seat that I'd EVER been in! Heck, the most comfortable seat period! Jameson decided to buckle me, and I wondered if he really thought I was that incapable, or if those were his direct orders. Either way, I didn't mind and watched Jameson walk away into away into a separate room. A few minutes later, after the steward fetched me a refreshing beverage, Jameson came in and sat on a seat near me. Two seconds later: "Prepare for takeoff," and we were flying.
~
10 long hours later, I felt Jameson shaking me gently. I couldn't believe I had slept the whole way. I must have been more exhausted than I thought! We had just landed in Bieland and we were about to get off the jet! I was so excited! One of the reasons was Freddie. Plain and simple. I missed him, I needed him. That's just the way it works. Another reason was that I would actually be seeing the country that I could possibly be ruling on day! I don't know about you, but I think that's pretty exciting! I was following Jameson out of the plane when he suddenly stopped short at the outside of the door. His hand flew out from behind him and signaled me to stop. He almost h
it me in the stomach. I stood stark still was something wrong? Jameson took a pair of binoculars out of his suit coat pocket and I saw him scanning the area. For a couple of minutes we just stood there like that, and then finally Jameson reached back and grabbed my arm, still checking his surroundings. I sighed as we made our way down the stairs provided.
"Is this really necessary, Jameson? I'm starting to feel like a little puppy. You already checked the area, so I'm sure I could walk around by-"
*CRACK* A loud gunshot interrupted my sentence. I jumped and screamed, covering my head with my free hand; not knowing where it came from! As soon as the first one started, more started to sound. I kept screaming and by this time Jameson and I were sprinting across the airfield. I kept my hand over my head, and by now tears were streaming down my face! What was happening? Why were they trying to shoot me!? Jameson had pulled out a gun and was firing in random directions; I was pretty convinced that he didn't know where it was coming from either.
I was losing stamina. My breath was coming faster as the loud shots continued to ring through the air. Crying and the running at the same time were starting to have an effect on my body so I started to slow down. My legs wouldn't go faster! Go faster! I almost screamed at them. Just then I heard a whistling sound and felt the ground behind me vibrate. I realized that a bullet had just barely missed my feet. I jumped about ten feet in the air and screamed again; hyperventilating beyond control. The next few moments seemed like life was flying in slow motion. Everything was a blur as all around me became suddenly silent. All I could hear was my heart pounding and my breath pushing against my throat. My adrenaline seemed to be the only working function in my body, because my running legs were growing increasingly weaker. Tears blinded me as I clung to Jameson's hand as he led me toward a plane hangar.
I stopped breathing as the building grew closer and my fear started to subside when, finally, after what seemed like hours, Jameson and I were safely behind the building. For a moment I closed my eyes, wondering if this was a dream. My lips were forcing out jagged spurts of air; the brain desperately trying to connect to my lungs.
Suddenly, my eyes whipped around in a million directions. I had the horrid feeling that someone was watching me. I didn't see anything as I scanned the area, but I could feel evil eyes on my weakened body. Where were they?
I almost lost it as I hallucinated the form of a sniper coming from behind me with an M-16. Jameson was muttering something into his walkie-talkie in French, but I wasn't in the mood to translate. I tried to push away the thoughts of someone running at me from around the corner, but I checked just in case. I closed my eyes again and really tried to breathe. My mind was going through an extreme case of paranoia and I could feel my knees locking. I had to sit down! My body slumped to the ground and I desperately tried to keep myself calm. One second later I heard Jameson muttering to me and he told me in French to stay calm and that help was on the way. I nodded my head, still crying. This was madness! What a welcome! I just wanted to go home! I didn't want to be here anymore! The only thing that kept me going was the thought of my darling Freddie. At this point, I hoped and prayed that he wasn't going through something even half as awful as this!
Someday My Prince Will Come : Chapter 19
I was offered a breathing device and it instantly helped to clear my lungs and calm me down. None of the men said anything to me, but I was grateful. This was not a time that I wanted to be chatting. After about 15 minutes, my tears were dried and I gave the breathing device back to the man in black. He curtly nodded his head but still didn't speak. He probably didn't speak English.
"Excusez-moi, ou¹ est Frederick?" Excuse me, where's Frederick? I asked quietly in French. The man looked at me and replied quietly, "Il est sauf»." He is safe.
I nodded my head and asked, "Ou allons-nous?" Where are we going?
"S'il vous plait," The man replied a little roughly, "Aucune plus de conversation." Please, no more talking.
I lifted my eyebrows, surprised at his manners. He didn't have to be rude about it. Unlike him, I wasn't going through this on a daily basis! Then my attitude softened as I realized the reality of what I was thinking. He WAS going through this daily. It was his job. He was risking his life all day and night for me and my loved one. What about his loved ones? What if he didn't come home one night? I shivered at the thought and felt guilty for being so selfish.
As I sat in the helicopter with a blanket over my shoulders, I thought about the day I had. When I woke up earlier, I thought that I was going to see Freddie, not be shot at by monsters! My head was throbbing but I tried to get through it. Hopefully, we would be going to the palace and I would get to see Freddie. That would make everything so much better.
About twenty minutes later I felt the helicopter landing. I prayed that this time I would have a safe exit and almost didn't want to get out this time. The man in black looked at me sternly and as if by instinct, my body almost told me that I'd better be brave. Freddie wasn't lying when he said that it wasn't a piece of cake. Boy was he right. I jumped out of the helicopter and landed on what seemed to be a roof of some sort. Beyond it was a gorgeous sight. The sun was shining over lush green meadows and fields. There were little huts about a mile from the castle rooftop and I assumed that they were part of a village.
A dense forest lined the horizon of this brilliant masterpiece known as Bieland. It looked dark and mysterious at first, but the way that the sun kissed the apex of the trees gave the woodland a welcoming and affectionate facade.
Just like Jameson always did, the man grabbed my arm and turned me around. At first all I saw was the rooftop. It was very large, and the helicopter was blocking any part of the view behind it. I was led a couple steps away before I stopped dead; dead in my tracks. A vast, dazzling, antique and an incredible castle stood in front of me. This roof top, I noticed was the only flat one on the entire palace, and it was lower than most of the walls and towers. The dark grey stone shone under the sunlight and illuminated all of the hundreds of windows. The glass was reflecting the great ball of fire and it made everything look just like a fairy tale in the aura of sunset.
There were towers and shining windows, pointed rooftops and those that were steep; to top it all off, a delightful little bridge connecting the castle to the land before the river and aft. It was trickling and peaceful, and the water gently lapped over the large rocks that comprised the riverbed. It seemed that I had barely seen it when we were already going down an elevator that descended from the roof. I wanted to look at this masterwork longer, take it in, relax; but there was no time for that now. Some other time, I promised myself. The elevator was small but it wasn't a tight fit for it held me, the man in black, and the helicopter driver. They weren't men of many words, if you know what I mean, and in the silence I noticed that the elevator buttons didn't have any numbers. They were just evenly pressed into the wall. The walls were metal and cold at the
touch, and I was surprised. I was expecting beautiful gold walls and red carpeted floor. But maybe those movies had you getting the wrong impression about palaces.
Without even the slightest 'ding', the elevator came to a soft stop and the doors flew open. What I saw before me was something that I was definitely not expecting. A dark hall way made its way to my eyes and I almost felt scared to walk into it. However, I convinced myself that with the man in black holding my arm, and the helicopter driver directly in tow, it was impossible to feel in danger. Maybe it was just the solid gray walls of stone and the dimly lit atmosphere that had me feeling uneasy.
Suddenly, I was pulled to a stop and my thoughts of disgust were erased as I was pushed through a door. Behind it was a black wall; the hallway sloping directly to the left. Some palace this was. What part of gross walls and damp air screamed 'royalty?' I sighed as we walked on and on; and on! When would this end? It seemed forever since we had gotten out of the elevator, even though in reality it was probably more like five minutes.
Finally, as the man in
black opened another door, my expectations were fulfilled. I found myself being led out of the damp, dusk hallway and into a gorgeous little hall with pillars edging the sides of the gold and white patterned carpet. I gasped as I saw the dark red walls contrasting the creamy white pillars laced with gold and silver diamonds and dots. It was like they were covered in a beautiful net, each end of the diamond secured by a small silver ball.
There were about eight pillars, four on each side and each about fifteen feet apart. The little hall stopped at a dead end after a little while. There were two options, left and right, and the man in black directed me to the right. The heli driver followed silently; what else? At every hall way, I marveled at the unique styling and beauty of it. In this particular area, all of the walls were the same luscious deep red, and had random pillars or statues that were either gold or silver; coordinating with the entire look. I loved this, every minute of it, even though there were two grim secret service officers leading me around everywhere.
Also, at the end of almost every hall there was a guard, standing still in dark sunglasses, a dress shirt and dress pants. My, those were popular here. Each of them quietly nodded at the men accompanying me, and as we passed I could feel a hole; boring into every inch of my body. They were no doubt doing an analysis on me but hey, what do you expect?