11 ELEVEN

Celeste and Thomas had both sat there in comfortable silence for a long time, staring at the stream, both silently bearing their own burdens. It felt a little unnerving if she was honest. Celeste had never felt at much ease with people except Gabriel. With everyone else, it was like Celeste could see what was expected of her in their eyes. What they expected her to be.

So it had always felt like she was pretending with everyone, even her parents. She had built up this illusion of Princess Celeste. She had tried to show them what they wanted to see, but even with her acting, it seemed like no one bought it. Celeste had grown up with everyone's eyes on her, waiting for her to make a mistake. Maybe she was too paranoid, but she had never felt comfortable around anyone. Even in front of her parents, every time they looked at her Celeste felt their disappointment. She couldn't blame them, there were so many responsibilities and burdens that came with ruling a country. Her parents knew that the slightest mistake she or her brother made would be held against them for the rest of their lives.

Finally tired of miserable thoughts, Celeste got up to go back and Thomas silently followed her. They walked together in silence and soon the cart came into view. Karen must have woken up sometime after her, currently, both she and Will were sitting in the cart, talking back and forth furiously.

Both looked up simultaneously when Celeste and Thomas came nearer. Karen's expression morphed from one of relief to anger. Celeste stopped in her track, fiddling with the hem of her dress nervously as Thomas went to greet his sister. Instead of a hug, he received a sharp slap on the shoulder and a death glare.

"Where the hell were you? I was worried sick!" Her voice was hoarse and cracked.

"You don't have to worry about me, Karen. I went for a walk with Celeste" He said tiredly.

Celeste stared at her feet instead of meeting Karen's or Will's gaze. Thomas had been kind enough, but she doubted Will would be the same. And she couldn't look at Karen without remembering her cries as she left her home behind. Celeste felt despair and nervousness.

She knew it didn't matter, but she didn't want them to hate her.

"What now?" Karen said thickly. Tension hung in the air. She could feel Will's sharp gaze on her as she bit her lip. She wished he would just spit it out already and get it over with.

"Well we get princess here to her uncle obviously," Will said calmly.

Celeste's head snapped up to stare at him, her expression morphed to one of utmost shock. Was she hearing things, or had

Will really said that? Will stared right back at her disbelievingly.

"What? You thought we'd just leave you here in the middle of the woods?"

That was exactly what she had thought. But she was too embarrassed to say it out loud. She stared at the three in front of her. It was a strange feeling, someone doing something for you even though they didn't have to. Someone looking out for you...

"Well, obviously I would have left you if it was up to me" Will added suddenly as if remembering he was supposed to be an arse.

"But what can I say? Tommy and Karen wouldn't agree. And besides, I'm only helping because of the reward. It better

be good Princess!" Will said nonchalantly.

For some reason unknown, Celeste didn't feel annoyed at his words. It didn't even matter if they were in only for the money, there were willing to risk their lives for her. They didn't hate her.

Well not yet anyway.

"We should get a move on, " Thomas said seriously. "We've stayed long enough, lucky no bandits have found us yet"

"You do realize we're in the whispering woods right? How the bloody hell are we supposed to find our way to Tournfort? The woods are a maze! " Karen said incredulously.

Will grinned at her.

"Don't be daft! Or have you forgotten what my talent is? Well one of them anyway, I have too many to count "

Thomas chuckled.

"I take back whatever comment I made about your obsession," He said lightly.

Will scowled at him.

"It wasn't an obsession "

Celeste stared at them confused. Karen turned to her with a small smile.

"Will here has had an obsession with maps for as long as I can remember"

"An obsession with maps?" Celeste said slowly half thinking she had misheard.

"It's not an obsession!" Will snapped annoyed."I just happen to like studying maps "

Thomas chuckled.

"That's an understatement. He used to spend hours staring at maps, tracing routes, naming countries. One would think he was leaving for a journey the next day"

Celeste blinked.

"Well, you should be grateful for my agile mind and interest in geography! It is after all the reason we'll live"

Celeste couldn't help it, she smiled as she walked closer to them.

" And you're sure you can lead us to Tournfort?" Celeste inquired.

" Are you doubting me, Princess?" Will scowled.

" Yes," Celeste said bluntly.

" Now don't go biting each other's heads off," Thomas said.

Will stopped glaring at Celeste ( which seemed to be his hobby besides studying maps) and turned to Thomas.

"It's quite simple for someone that has a few brain cells to spare. We go north" He said firmly.

Thomas raised a brow at him.

" Through the woods?" He said in a disappointed tone.

" No, through the rabbit hole!" Will said sarcastically.

" Will,"

" We go north and reach Tashville before dawn if possible. We stop for food and supplies, continue north. We're going to keep to the edges of the woods as much as we can, they stretch further than Tournfort. But if we continue north t- Are you even listening to me?" Will snapped annoyed.

" No" The three others replied in perfect harmony.

" You seem to know what you're doing" Celeste shrugged.

" Good enough for me" Karen chimed in.

" What are we waiting for? Lets g-"

Will's impatient comment was cut off by a very loud scream. It sounded masculine and in agony. It didn't even seem far from where they were. Everyone froze, Celeste felt her breath hitch up. Karen looked bewildered as Thomas and Will exchanged concerned looks.

Could she even go by a single day without hearing someone scream?

" We should go," Will said suddenly jumping off the cart.

" Go? Go where?" Celeste said. Will snorted.

"To Tournfort! Or are you dumb enough to have forgotten the conversation we just had?"

" I'm not dumb" Celeste snapped. " And nor am I deaf. As far as I am aware, you're not either. Meaning you too heard it"

" Yes I did," Will said simply. Anger overtook her sense of control as Celeste clenched her jaw.

" You heard a man screaming, obviously in pain an- and you just... He obviously needs help!"

" He's not our problem" Will snapped back. " Whoever he is, my heart bleeds for him it does. But that doesn't change our plans"

" Of course it does! We have to help him! Make sure that he's okay !"

" Help him?" Will said incredulously. " Are you out of your mind?"

" You can't just leave him to die" Celeste desperately looked at Thomas and Karen. Neither of them met her gaze.

" Maybe we should check it out Will," Thomas said quietly.

" You're not being serious Tommy!" Will cried angrily. " You know that I don't like it either but we can't risk our lives for a bloody stranger!"

" Yeah," Celeste said quietly feeling her anger slowly fade and be replaced by miserable determination. " We can just run away again"

She stared at the ground biting her lip again.

" That's all I've seemed to do lately"

She turned her back on them.

" I don't care what you do. But I'm going t-" She was cut out by another scream, this time louder.

" Fine!" Will breathed at last. Celeste turned back at once to face him.

" You and Karen stay here, I and Tommy'll check it out"

" Why you and Thomas?" Celeste argued. " Since it was my idea, I should go!"

" You don't have a sword"

" Give me yours then," Celeste said defensively. Her anger returned, had she not proven to Will that she could protect herself?

" We swear it has nothing to do with the fact that you're a girl and we think you can't fight," Thomas said impatiently as Will threw him a sword.

" Don't we Will?" Thomas asked to prove a point.

" What?" Will said confusedly. " I mean yes! I mean you're not bad but," He made a clicking sound with his tongue.

" We all know me and Celeste can beat your asses" Karen piped up.

" Yes, yes whatever makes you sleep at night," Thomas said absentmindedly as he and Will began to walk off.

" Don't shout or make too much noise. And if something happens ... just scream" He added.

Celeste climbed into the cart beside Karen and stared at their disappearing figures.

" They'll be okay," Karen said out loud. Celeste managed to smile tightly at her.

" Yeah, they will," She said though she was uncertain.

" Are you okay?" Karen said suddenly causing Celeste to frown.

" I should be the one asking you that," Celeste said softly. Karen shrugged.

" I'm not okay, but I think I will be" She admitted looking away.

" Will you?" Karen asked. This time Celeste was the one who looked away.

Would she, be okay? Would she ever be okay after what had happened? See Karen would probably have time to heal, but would she? As soon as they got to Tournfort the weight of the crown would be forced on her.

She would sign the deal, promising herself a future of unhappiness. Would that ever let her heal? She was lost in a train of thoughts when Karen suddenly breathed out her name. Her face had gone white and she was staring ahead intently.

It had been a quarter of an hour since the boys had gone.

Celeste sat up at once, following her eyes to see the approaching figure of a man.

" I think we should scream" Karen whispered as Celeste analyzed the man. He was huge, wearing ragged clothes. He was also bald, currently sickly grinning at them. He was missing teeth.

She looked around her and gasped. From behind every tree emerged the men, all ragged and sinister looking. All grinning as if they just found dinner.

" I second that" Celeste whispered back, suddenly wishing she had a sword.

" I'm afraid that won't be of much use" A voice behind them chirped. Both girls snapped their heads to look behind them.

At a little distance from them was a man as tall as her, with his almost grey hair in a little pony. He was thick and carried himself with such pride that Celeste was sure that he was the leader. But it wasn't he who alarmed her. It was the two boys behind him, each being held in place by two men. Each sporting bruises on their faces, each thrashing to free themselves.

They were in deep shit