3 THREE

" Gabe?" five year old Celeste whispered to her brother who was busy peering out of the window.

" What?" Gabriel snapped impatiently. Celeste pouted at him.

" Whats going on? Where's mommy? Why are we at the palace? I thought we were gonna be riding?" She rambled.

Gabriel's eyes softened and his face fell a fraction. He gestured for his sister to come closer.

" Look out the window" He said slowly. Celeste grabbed the edge of the window, standing on her toes to see.

" You see those white banners?"

" Yeah?"

" It means the King's dead, "

Celeste could hear her brother over and over again in her mind.

" It means the King's dead,"

She clutched her ears, trying to stop those awful words. As if doing so could make them vanish. She had fallen to her knees without being aware. Celeste waited for the tears to come, but her eyes remained dry.

She couldn't comprehend this. No, this was all a big misunderstanding. She had seen her father this morning, he was alive. He couldn't be...

Feeling completely unhinged, Celeste laughed. She was vaguely aware of Brandon shaking her. He was pulling her, shouting at her. But she couldn't hear him. It seemed like the ground was spinning around, it made her want to throw up. She felt the sudden urge to do it.

" Celeste!" Brandon hissed at her. Suddenly the sound was back. The shouting, the hustle, the explosions.

Brandon harshly pulled her to her feet.

" This is no time to grieve! We must leave at once!" He began pulling her along.

" No," She whispered. Brandon did not understand . She had to see her family. She had to see them.

" My family!" She cried as he dragged her along.

" Your family," Snapped Brandon , " will not appreciate it if you get yourself killed!"

Celeste flinched.

" Right now, all you can do for them is pull yourself together and get out of here. Trust that your brother and mother can do the same. For Heavens Sake child! I thought you had more bone than that!"

Something inside her shifted painfully. Brandon was right. Even though it did not rest her heart she had to trust that Gabriel would get their mother and himself out.

As for her father, she couldn't think of him. Not now. She feared that if she did, she would go crazy.

She was hardly aware of Brandon pulling her through the passageways.

" How can we leave? Every entrance probably is surrounded, " Celeste said shakily.

" All entrances that they know of, " Brandon grunted as they rushed down the dungeon stairs.

" There's a hidden trapdoor back there that opens up to the stables," He explained at her questioning look

" Your brother will meet us there,"

" And then?" She snapped. " Where are we supposed to run off to? These barbarians or whoeve-"

" Its bloody Valentine!" Brandon interrupted.

" What?" Celeste said dubiously.

" I knew he harbored a grudge against father, but th-there is no way... he could not have pulle-"

" Alone he couldn't. The tribes of Kinross have hated your father since he ascended to the throne. They've been smart aye, very smart. We were in no way prepared for an ambush since your uncle Alphard has taken half of our troops to solve the Tournfort disputes. And that is where you'll go . Straight to your uncle and soldiers,"

" But Tournfort is... its days away!" Celeste cried incredulously.

" Stop it with the bloody questions girl!" Brandon snapped.

" My name" Celeste hissed venomously ."Is not girl! Its Celeste or if you're too dumb to pronounce it, just call me Miss or some shit"

Celeste almost expected Brandon to hit her . But he only looked vaguely amused.

" We're here, " He announced opening the locks on a huge wooden door. He finally pushed it open and pulled her inside.

Celeste felt it before she saw it. The harsh wind pushed against her as they emerged in the stables. She could smell the smoke. And she could see it .

She had spent so long wanting to be outside castle walls , and now she was. And she would do anything to go back...

This wasn't how it was supposed to be. Everything felt so wrong.

" Quickly now!" Brandon hissed as they ran to the stables.

" Stay here." He commanded as he rushed to get a horse.

Celeste was shaking, she realized. She was shaking violently and her face was wet. It felt like someone was squeezing her heart . She took shallow breaths staring at the door from which they had emerged. It was silent, she realized.

Finally, it was silent. Celeste was supposed to be in her bed , tucked away , safe from the dangers of the night. Her brother should have been dreaming in his own bed. Her mother should have been safe. Her father should have been alive.

A sob tore out of her throat as she stared at the door impatiently,

" Come on Gabe," She whispered.

" He should have been here by now!" Brandon grunted suddenly from behind her. He was holding the reins of a dark horse which was barely visible in the dark of the night.

" He'll be here!" Celeste said in a little voice.

He will, she told herself. Gabe would be here. For her and their mother. He would be here and they would leave.

But what if he isn't? A voice chided in the back of her mind.

" Shut up," She whispered to herself. Gabriel wouldn't do that to her. He had always made it . For her.

If he isn't, you'll have lost everything in a span of a single night, the voice in her head chided.

No, the world couldn't be this cruel. It had already taken enough from her.

She was frantically aware of the time ticking and the shouting returning.

" We can't stay here much longer," Brandon said.

Celeste bit her lip in anger.

" We'll wait for them,"

" We have to consider the possibility th-"

" I will not leave without them!" She cried out suddenly.

It was then the door burst open.

Celeste had been waiting for this , but it wasn't right.

Because instead of her brother and mother, five men stared at her.

They were huge, all holding swords or lances and dressed in black. The man in the front had a huge beard. He grinned at her making her shudder.

" Boys," He said triumphantly. " Looks like we found the wee princess"

" Celeste get on the horse!" Brandon ordered , taking out his own sword.

Fear gripped Celeste but more for her brother and mother than for herself.

" No!' Celeste snapped, " I will not abandon my family"

Celeste didn't know what was funny but the enemy laughed like she had told the funniest joke in the whole damn world. It took a few moments for the bearded man to collect himself before he said in a mocking tone

" Your family's dead your Majesty! And you will join them soon enough!"

Just like that, her whole world was thrown off balance. Celeste's legs gave out. But surprisingly, she didn't hit the ground.

Instead Brandon roughly picked her up and threw her atop the horse as she shrieked . The men advanced, attacking Brandon all at once.

This wasn't happening. Celeste's mind had shut off. She couldn't process anything.

Cold. She felt cold.

" Leave!" Brandon cried implanting his sword in one of the man's chest as he tried to reach her.

She couldn't leave. She couldn't leave.

No, she had to help Brandon. She had to help him.

But you don't even have a sword, the voice scolded.

Never before had she felt so helpless, so useless, so pathetic.

A memory tugged at her mind like the first light.

"Sometimes we have to make the right choice Cel, for the greater good"

This was wrong. This was wrong. This was wrong.

She couldn't just leave everyone , she couldn't just run away. That was something cowards did. And Celeste wasn't a coward, or was she?

Because at that moment, she felt so scared. So afraid. She didn't want to die, she didn't want to die like this. Not now, not here.

Celeste was a coward after all.

Heart falling into a black abyss, Celeste pulled the reins as the horse shot off.

Leaving her family, her home and Brandon as she gave out a last cry of agony.

Celeste rode into the night.