The Eternal Guardians: Book 1: The Missing Heir

Chapter 18

After he thought about it for a while, Roman decided to try and find his mother again. Maybe she would be kind enough to help him understand more about what he was. He didn't care if he was exiled from Taitum. He hated it there anyway.

Seemingly, Roman threw his backpack over his shoulder, and as he was getting ready to leave, and at that moment, three guards entered his room, unexpectedly. Curiously, Roman looked at the guards as he stopped in his tracks, and shifted his backpack.

"What is this?" he asked, as he eyed the guards suspiciously.

"I am sorry to disturb you sir, but the king and the queen insist that you come with us,” said one of the guards flatly.

Annoyed, Roman scoffed at the man as he put his thumbs under the shoulder straps of his backpack.

"Well, I am your prince, and you will acknowledge me as so. I am not going anywhere with any of you," Roman growled.

The guard sighed, and then he looked at the other two men. Quickly, they nodded, and then they pulled their whips.

"It is no use fighting us, we were instructed to use force if necessary," said another one of the guards.

Slyly, Roman smirked as he slid his backpack off, and then he sneered at the three guards.

"Listen, fellas, I don't want to hurt you, but it appears you leave me with no choice," Roman said, as he sucked his teeth.

Suddenly, one of the guards snapped Roman's bicep with his whip, and he turned to the guard as he curled his lip in anger. Within a blink of an eye, Roman used his speed ability, and he tied each guard's whip around their necks. After that, he tied the whips together, and then he pushed the guard that stood in the middle backward. The three guards fell backwards, and they hit the floor hard.

Swiftly, Roman grabbed his backpack, and he ran to the window. Suddenly, Rocco and Maya came rushing into the room, and Roman looked at them from the windowsill he was perched on. They had frantic looks on their faces as they saw him perched on the windowsill, ready to jump.

"No, Roman, please wait!" Pleaded Rocco as he waved his hands.

Evidently, Roman sneered at his father as he zipped up his hoodie, slung his backpack on his shoulder, and then he leapt out of the window. Maya and Rocco ran to the window after him, and they could not see anyone on the ground.

"We just wanted to talk to him, and you scared him away!" hissed Maya, and Rocco glared at Maya, angrily.

"You were the one who sent the guards in after him!" Rocco snarled at her, and she glared at him.

"He is your son. You get him back by any means necessary. He will never leave Taitum again!" she snarled at him loudly.

Defeated, Rocco straightened and then he hung his head. He hoped that Roman could get far enough away before her guards could catch him.

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Swiftly, Roman ran to the hole in the fence, and he quickly slipped through the fence. He was glad that he had finally made it out of Taitum. Evidently, he did not know how he was going to find Chantelle again, but he knew that he couldn't do it in the middle of the night.

Quietly, Roman made his way through the silent little village of Nemiph, and he found a small enclosed park. There was a peaceful river flowing next to the park, that made it seem like the perfect spot to spend the night. Roman noticed a flat rock that he could lay on and rest.

Silently, Roman walked over to the rock, slid off his backpack, and sat down. He decided that he could stay warm with his hoodie on and over his head, and that he could use his backpack as a pillow. While he was lost in his thoughts, Roman stared up at the starry night sky, and then he drifted off in a light slumber.

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Sleepily, Ashta opened her eyes and stretched as she rolled out of the large bed. It felt good to sleep in an actual bed again. Ashta fixed her ponytail, and her stomach suddenly growled. She wondered if Lashanna was up already. Ashta opened her door, and then she walked across the hall and knocked on Lashanna's door.

"Go away!" she heard Lashanna grumble through the door.

"Lash, it's me," Ashta called, as she ran her finger along the door frame.

Another grumble.

"Do you want to go find the kitchen with me?"

There was only silence, and then suddenly Ashta heard the sound of footsteps coming closer to the door.

"Food?" Lashanna asked, as she opened the door and poked her head out.

Ashta couldn't help but laugh, and then she nodded.

"What are we waiting for?" she asked, and then laughed with Ashta.

The girls happily made their way down the elegant staircase, and then Lashanna started skipping.

"Come on," Lashanna said, as she grabbed Ashta's hand.

They laughed as they ran through the castle. Guards, maids, and other servants stared at them as they ran through the halls, looking in every room for the kitchen. Suddenly, Lashanna and Ashta found the kitchen room, and they stopped running, laughing and catching their breath.

"Did you see their faces?" Lashanna laughed breathlessly, and Ashta nodded as she giggled.

"Ladies!"

At that moment, Ashta and Lashanna stopped laughing and looked up. A tall man in a tuxedo stared down at them with a disapproving look on his face.

"May I help you with something?" he asked in a snotty tone, and Lashanna looked up at the man with wide eyes.

"Yes, if you are in charge of the kitchen area. We were wondering what you had to eat?" said Lashanna, as her voice cracked with fear.

Evidently, the man smiled down at her and gestured to the next room.

"Go ahead and make yourselves comfortable in the dining hall, and the waiter will bring out your breakfast momentarily,” said the man.

"Thank you," Ashta said politely, and she and Lashanna made their way into the large dining hall.

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Surprisingly, the table was the biggest table that Ashta had ever seen. It could have easily seated at least forty people comfortably.

"Wow!" exclaimed Lashanna, as she looked around the room, and Ashta nodded.

Suddenly, Lashanna slapped Ashta in the shoulder.

"Tag, you're it!" she exclaimed, as she ran away.

Ashta hesitated for a moment, and then she ran after her friend as they laughed. At that moment, Ashta gained on Lashanna and she lunged herself at her friend. They both went flailing to the floor, and they rolled around laughing.

"How interesting. I have never seen a princess act this way before. Laughing and rolling around on the floor with a human."

At that moment, Ashta and Lashanna stopped laughing and suddenly looked up. Liam stood in the doorway as he looked at them. Cleverly, Lashanna looked at Ashta and she smirked.

"You are still it,” she said, as she jumped to her feet, smacked Ashta in the ankle, and then she ran.

Immediately, Ashta jumped to her feet. She was about to run after her when a woman walked into the room.

"Excuse me, madams. I am here to serve your breakfast,” she said, and then two servants walked into the room with silver trays.

Lashanna came to a stop, walked over to the table, and she sat down.

"Well, I will let you two ladies eat. Feel free to roam around the kingdom, and speak with the commoners. Maybe you can see how our world works,” suggested Liam, as he looked at Ashta.

"Thank you,” she said, as she took her place at the table. Liam bowed his head at her, and then he left the room.

Excitedly, the girls ate their breakfast quickly, and then they ran up the stairs to their rooms. Quickly, they changed their clothes, and they headed out of the castle.

"So, let me hear all about Xavier,” giggled Ashta, as she playfully bumped Lashanna's shoulder.

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Suddenly, Roman was awakened by being poked with a stick, and immediately he sat up.

"Roman?" asked a familiar voice.

Roman looked up at Chantelle and he smiled.

"Hi,” he said, as he chuckled nervously.

"What are you doing out here?" she asked him, as she pulled her walking stick back, and he looked at her sincerely as he licked his lips.

"Believe it or not, I was actually looking for you," Roman said, as he stood up, and Chantelle eyed him suspiciously.

"Did your father send you?"

Roman shook his head sadly in response.

"No, the queen sent her guards after me, and they were going to lock me back up in that dungeon, so I fought them and I escaped,” he said quickly.

Chantelle looked him over, and then, she smiled, as she held out her hand to him.

"Come on, son,” she said, and Roman took her hand.

The woman led him to a small cottage that was not that far from the park where she had found him. It was made of thick logs and looked homey, with a small front porch.

"It isn't much, but it is home,” she said with a happy sigh.

Evidently, Roman was going to have to learn how to live without maids or guards doing his bidding, but he would make this work. As he began to regret leaving the castle, the dark dingy dungeon flashed in his mind, and he decided that this was his best option. Roman nodded to Chantelle, and she smiled at him as she took him inside.

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"Look mama. It's the princess!" exclaimed a little girl, as she pointed at Ashta.

Happily, Ashta smiled and waved at the child and her mother as Lashanna and she passed by.

"I don't care if she is the missing princess. She is still an abomination,” they heard a man's voice say.

Immediately, Lashanna turned to the man, and she glared at him.

"What did you say?" she snapped.

"She doesn't belong here. There is no place for a bewitched inbreed on this land,” said another woman.

Shocked, Ashta turned and stared at the woman.

What did I ever do to these people? she wondered, as she felt nervousness creeping up on her.

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Roman and Chantelle were talking in the kitchen when they heard the commotion going on outside.

"What's going on?" Roman asked, as he glanced out of the window.

"I am not sure. Stay here," Chantelle said, and then she walked out of the cottage.

At that moment, Chantelle saw Ashta and Lashanna being surrounded by angry village members, and she stalked over to them.

"Stop this! All of you!" she shouted, and everyone turned to the woman.

"This child might be the one who saves us all. How would you feel if your children had to live with that burden? The change is coming, and I hope you all have picked the right side," Chantelle announced, as she pointed at Ashta, and then everyone stayed quiet, and they hung their heads.

"This child has also proven herself to us by showing what great power she holds, and I will not stand by and watch this community turn on each other."

The people that had bashed Ashta hung their heads and sighed.

"Ashta? Is it?" Chantelle asked, as she turned toward the girls, and Ashta nodded her head and smiled.

"Yes, ma'am."

"Oh, and you are polite, too. I am sorry that these people don't understand your purpose," said the woman.

Ashta thought that the woman looked like someone she had seen before. The woman had beautiful dark hair and those beautiful brown eyes.

"That's all right. Everyone seems to already have their opinions about me, and I hope one day they can change that," Ashta said with a smile, as she looked at the crowd of Slayers.

They all looked at her oddly, and Chantelle looked at Ashta proudly.

"My name is Chantelle, and I am one of the guardians that looks over our community."

Ashta smiled at Chantelle brightly.

"Well, as you know, I am Ashta, and this is my friend, Lashanna,” she said, as she gestured to her friend, and Lashanna smiled, and the woman smiled back at her.

"It is nice to meet you. We, Slayers are not used to being around a human, but no one will hurt you, so don't you worry,” she said to Lashanna.

"Why would anyone try to hurt us?" Lashanna asked as she giggled, and Chantelle looked at her seriously.

"Because we eat the humans that have trespassed on our land."

Immediately, Lashanna's color drained from her face, and she scooted closer to Ashta.

"No one is going to eat you," Ashta said in a soothing voice, as she put her arm around Lashanna's shoulders.

Lashanna smiled and nodded. She trusted Ashta to protect her, after all, if it wasn't for her, Lashanna would still be stuck in that dungeon. Suddenly, Ashta heard a chuckle, and she turned her head. Surprisingly, Roman was standing in the doorway of the cottage that Chantelle had walked out of, and Ashta's eyebrows rose. Shyly, she smiled at him and then she straightened.

"What are you doing here?" she asked with a soft laugh.

Noticeably, there was a twinge of happiness in her voice, and Roman felt that he was wrong for thinking she didn't want him around. Happily, she grinned at him, and he couldn’t help but to smile shyly back. Casually, Roman leaned out of the doorway and placed his hands on the small wooden roof as he leaned back. Chantelle looked over at Roman and shook her head.

I thought I told him to stay in the house, she thought as she stared at him.

"Looks like I will find out the answer to that question soon enough,” he said with a grin.

Ashta stared at him for a moment, and let her eyes trail over his body. His long dark hair hung to the side, and he had a sleeveless shirt on, with black pants and boots. She looked back up at him, and he had a grin on his face as he shyly looked at the ground.

"Go back in the house," Chantelle pleaded, and Roman looked at his mother, as he pressed his lips together and nodded.

Roman quickly glanced at Ashta, and she looked at him and mouthed the words 'talk later' to him. Surprisingly, Ashta saw Roman's eyes light up as he nodded to answer her. She watched Roman walk back into the house, and then she turned her attention back to Chantelle.

"Please don't tell the king that he is here," Chantelle pleaded, and Ashta smiled at her.

"I won't. I promise, but I am coming back,” said Ashta, and Chantelle nodded sadly.

Seemingly, Chantelle thought that maybe the princess was going to come back to tell her that her son could not stay, and that she would have to say goodbye, once more. She sighed as she dismissed her thoughts, and then she hoped for the best, as she looked at Ashta.

Gently, Ashta put her hand on the woman's shoulder and she gave her a reassuring look.

"Don't worry. Your secret's safe with me,” whispered Ashta, and the woman searched her eyes.

She then smiled and nodded. At that moment, the woman realized that Ashta didn’t want to take her son from her, but she couldn’t help but wonder why Ashta wanted to come back. Did she and Roman know each other?

"Thank you,” she said, as she placed her hand on Ashta's, and Ashta nodded to her.

"Princess Ashta!" Damian called, panicked, as he ran to her side.

He had Xavier and another guard with him.

"Are you alright?" he asked seriously, as he searched her eyes.

Ashta looked at him oddly, and then she nodded.

"We heard that some of the commoners were attacking you,” he said, seriously, and Lashanna busted out laughing.

Damian, Xavier, and the other guard looked at her in confusion.

"Attack her? Yeah okay,” she laughed, and Xavier couldn't help but laugh himself.

"No, heavens no. Everything is under control, sir,” said Chantelle, as she stepped back from Ashta.

Oddly, Ashta looked at her, and she wondered why the woman had stepped away. Damian looked at the woman, and then he looked back over at Ashta with care.

"Are you sure that you are alright?" he asked her again.

Unknowingly, Roman was watching out of the window, and he wondered who that guy was. He seemed to feel the jealousy creep up on him again and he swallowed hard.

"Yes, Damian. We are okay,” said Ashta, as he placed his hand on her arm, and Damian put his hand on top of hers.

Roman saw this, and his face began to twitch. He felt better when he saw Ashta pull away from the guy.

That's my girl, Roman thought, and then he shook the thought from his head.

What? he asked himself, as he walked away from the window.

"Come on. Let's get you ladies back to the castle,” said Xavier, as he held Lashanna's elbow.

Ashta looked back at Chantelle, and she smiled.

"It was nice meeting you. We will see each other again."

Chantelle nodded, and the girls let the guards lead them back to the castle.