My Fated One

9.LITTLE LADY

THOMAS (POV)

As the hours ticked by and the sun began to paint the sky in vibrant hues of purple, pink, and navy blue, my temper and ego had transformed into nail bitting worry. I had lost her. Lucas' baby sister, his pride and joy, and the single reason he would use to kill us all, was now missing.

How could this have happened? She had been right by my side, an arms reach away. How could she have escaped so quickly? Had something happened to her? Was she snatched in the square right under my nose? Could she be?

No, don’t think like that, I told myself as my feet carried me further from town and deeper into the dark forests that surrounded my once simple life.

Yet, as my hands pushed back branches and brambles that were set on holding me back from my search, something was gnawing at me. A fear, an anxiety about the after? After I found her, what then? Was I really going to get engaged to a child half my age, and if so was I ok with that? Was I really alright with spending my entire life attached to someone I knew I would never love?

I could feel my stomach twisting up in knots as the pounding in my head shouted, screamed, one single word.

“No!”

No, I was not! But, even so, even if I hated it. Hated the very thought of having to live my life attached to her, what else was I suppose to do? Lucas demanded I protect her, treat her as my own. How was I suppose do that with the minuscule amount of power a stupid little 12 year old boy held?

“Why? Why is this happening?” I sighed, as I ran my hands through my blonde hair as I rested my head in the crook of my arm. I wanted to cry. I wanted to go home. Home to my mother who was certainly going to wring my neck the minute she found out what I had done. But still, I wanted her, I wanted her embrace, her comfort, and for her to tell me it was going to be ok.

Yet if I was being honest, truly honest with myself, what I really wanted, more then anything. Was for Lucas to come back, to come home. For him to sit on my window sill and laugh and tease me, to fight with me, learn with me, grow with me, but most importantly. I wanted him to come back and remove this ever growing fear that our lives would never again be the same.

“Why? Why did you do this?” I whimpered, as my trembling legs crumpled under me. Sending a sea of questions that had been hunting my heart into the air.

“How could you do this?”

“How could you be so cruel to abandon, not only your sister, but me too. Your brother, your friend, your family. Did I not matter? Was I not important to you!”

I barked, I cried, wanting to hear a response, wanting answers, but knowing none would come. For I already knew why he had done this. Why he had left me behind. It was because I was a pawn, a piece he could sacrifice the minute he believed it would no longer help him win the game.

I could feel the chill of the coming night seep into my bones, as the slightly damp earth I sat upon began to soak the bottom of my trousers. It was cold, colder then I was prepared for. For here there were no welcoming fires, no piping hot bowls of stew with chucks of beef that made your mouth water, and certainly no thick down comforters to wrap your body in to help combat the freeze. No, all that was here was pitch black darkness and abandonment.

“Hey, are you alright?” A tiny voice said above me, as I rubbed the tears out of my eyes and sniffed back the ones that were trying to form.

“I’m fin…” But the minute I looked up, gazed into those big familiar golden eyes, I felt my heart stop. And before he could even say a word, I grabbed his arm and pulled him to me.

“I knew you would not leave!” I gasped out, as his small body tensed in my embrace but then settled in. I could feel his hand pat my back in a gentle calming way, removing my pent up nerves.

“It appears you have been through a lot.” He said softly with a hint of empathy, that tickled ears, while I nuzzled into his tiny frame.

“You have no idea. No clue what you have put me through!” I sobbed, as I let it all out. The pain, the frustration, the needed to get answers, yet as I did, I began to be enveloped in the sweet intoxicating scent of vanilla, honey and something else. What was that? Why did he smell like? Quickly, I pushed Lucas’ back realizing my grave mistake.

“A…Abelia.” I gasped, causing her to take a step back as a serine smile danced on her lips.

“Hello Thomas Greyworth.” She said, as I shuffled to get away from her and from this humiliating moment.

“W..What are you doing here?”

I watched as her eyebrows slanted and her big doe eyes looked at me as if she were going to cry.

“I don’t know.” She said frightened, as her hands clung tightly to the sides of her white lacy dress that I could now see was covered in blood. My heart jumped into my throat as I struggled to get up.

“Are you hurt!” I shouted, as I reached for her, causing her to back way and look at the reddish stains that splattered across the front of her gown.

“I don’t think so.”

“You don’t this so? Then where did this blood come from? Did you…”

“NO!!!!” She shouted, in such an angry insulted way that I was slightly taken back by the power that was radiating off of her. “I don’t know where it came from. The last thing I remember was being in the water.”

The water? What was she talking about, there was no. Yet, suddenly I heard it. The distant roaring of the river, as I noticed a ring of dampness encircling her feet. The crystal clear water droplets were dancing and racing down her black cloak giving her the appearance of a tiny black rain cloud.

“Your wet! How did this hap…” But once I saw her confused look, I shut my mouth. It was clear she did not have an answer and my question would only cause her more duress. Instead, I carefully walked over to her, as I removed my dark red cloak and prepared to drape it around her shoulders. This time she did not resist me and seemed to welcome the warmth.

“Thank you.” She muttered softly, causing my cheeks to heat up with embarrassment at having not found her sooner.

“Forget about it.” I said, as I turned from her and began to walk towards the exit, but quickly had to stop when I realized she was not following me. Slightly annoyed and worried she might take off again, I flip back around to confront her. “Hey are you com…”

Yet, the words never made it out. All I could do was watch as she removed the black hooded cloak, the same cloak Lucas constantly demanded she never take off as she struggled to replace it with mine. I could feel my throat go dry and my heart race, I now knew why. Why Lucas had been so certain Abelia would cause unrest in the land. Why my Father wanted her gone and why the Nanny had warned me that the minute I really saw her, I would be caught in her web.

The silver ringlets that glowed in the moonlight that fell about her face gave her an otherworldly look. Her rosy cheeks and lips deepened in color due to the cold were curtain by those ethereal locks. While her golden eyes appeared to be such a rich color that I was certain the luxurious metal could never compare. How? How could something like this exist? A creature so angelic and lovely that it appeared as if it had fallen from the heavens. And I, I had the audacity to say she was mine? Was I crazy, was I a madman. Forget about Lucas killing me, it would be sin worst then death if anything befell this tiny pure child.

“Sorry for the wait.” She said, as she ran towards me on her tip toes. “I figured I should take it off, or I would catch cold.”

“Yes. Yes, that’s a good idea.” I said, as I tried to relax but the grin on her face as she looked up at me was making it hard to do so.

“I can’t believe how young you are.” She giggled.

“What? What did you say? Young?” I could hardly control my emotions. What did she mean by that?

“Oh.” She said, as she covered her mouth with her tiny little hand. “That was very rude of me. I’m sorry.” I watched, her bow her head slightly making me instantly do the same.

“It’s fine, don’t worry about it.”

Dear God, how could she be this cute? No wonder Lucas was adamant about going home for dinner every night. If I had this fair thing eating and welcoming me home I certainly would not miss a single meal.

Achoo!

“Did you just sneeze?” I said, as I knelt down to her side as I wrapped her up in my arms. “We are going home right now. You have been out here way too long and are bound to run a fever tomorrow if you don’t get out of those wet clothes.” I stated like some mother hen reprimanding her child.

Yet, she did not fight me, or maybe did not have the energy to do so. Instead she rested her head on my shoulder and breathed a sigh of contentment that caused my heart to swell.

“Thank you Thomas.” She purred, as she let out a yawn and fell fast asleep.

As I walked through the woods I soon found myself out of them in only a few short minutes. It appeared that in my frantic mind I had believe I had traveled miles from home, but really the yellow lights from town had never been too far away.

“What do I do now?” I said, but not with a dread of what was to come, but instead with the strength of what needed to be done. For Abelia was Lucas’ angel, which meant I was not a pawn meant to be sacrifice but a knight bestowed the honor of guarding his little lady.