Chapter 16

"Annabelle!" Richard's loud voice became a whisper in my ear. Everything around me was spinning while my body was on fire, the dart that had been shot into my arm only made my pain worst. 

"Annabelle!" Richard yelled before breaking my fall. "Anna, please look at me and don't close your eyes." 

"Richard." I breathed. 

"I'm here," he said in a soothing voice. "Just keep your eyes open for me." 

"I can't," I muttered. "The pain is just too much." 

"You need to," he said before placing his warm hands on my cold cheeks.

"I can't," I breathed and after that last word my eyes shut completely and my body gave up her strength preventing me from noticing my surrounding. 

Before the incident 

"How did you know I wanted to see this?" I inquired. 

"Everyone loves this view," he smirked. "So I figured out you will also love it." 

"Okay but I don't that's all." I raised a brow. 

"Maybe I got some information from a trusted source." he grinned. "You know who I'm talking about."

"Of course I do," I said. "Why won't I know her?"

"She said your eyes lighted up when she spoke of the snowfalls," he said, picking one flake that fell on the balustrade. "So I gave you a direct view." 

"Thank you," I muttered.

"For what?" he asked. 

"For this." I beamed, pointing at the beautiful view that had taken my breath away. 

"You don't need to thank me, Annabelle," he said. "The Firce Princess deserves this." 

"Okay," I shrugged my shoulders before resting my heads on his shoulders. "Why does it fall?" 

"What?"

"Why do the snowflakes fall?" I asked. "Does it mean anything?" 

"Yes, it does." he started. "It means that the winter period is about to pass us by." 

"Why? I love the winter period." I pouted. 

"Really?" 

"Yeah! It's my favourite season." I said. "And after winter is spring."

"True, and also note that spring has a deleterious effect on our powers," Richard said. 

"Deleterious effects? Like what?" I inquired, raising up my head from his shoulders. 

"Skin irritation and a burst of fire powers," he muttered. "But don't worry about anything, it won't hurt you at all."

"I wasn't even panicking asshole, it just sounded a bit weird to me," I chuckled a bit before looking at his face clearly. The beard I saw in the morning wasn't there again. "I liked your beards." 

"So you did, huh?" he said with a huge smirk on his face. 

"Don't tease me." I pouted, hitting him on the same shoulder my head was on. "It made you look different and manly." 

"I'm touched," he chuckled. "So you like it on me?

"Of course I did." I rolled my eyes at him. 

"The next time I grow my beard back I won't shave it off because Princess Annabelle likes it on me," he said with a huge grin. 

"Shut up!" I commanded. "Or else I will freeze you,"

"Or else I will freeze you," Richard mimicked, as he perfectly copied my voice. 

"Stop trying to get on my nerves, Richard," I warned. 

"I'm sorry, but your voice sounded so sweet," he chuckled. "I felt tempted to mimic you." 

'Damm you Richard and your flirting skills.' I thought to myself before bending my head down to hide my red cheeks. 

"You need to stop flirting with me, Richard," I said. 

"Who said I was flirting with you?" he asked before raising my chin up to meet his gaze. "I think your voice is genuinely sweet."

"It's not," I mumbled. 

"It is," he assured. "The sweetest voice I've ever heard." 

"Richard," I tried saying, but it only came out as a croak. 

"There you are." a familiar voice said, prompting Richard to release my chin. "I've been looking for you two." 

"Victoria!" we both chorused. 

"What are you guys doing here? She asked. "Do you guys know how worried I felt when I didn't see you with everyone else?" 

"Let me guess!" Richard exclaimed. "Your heart was about to explode right?"

"You think this is a joke," Victoria yelled, pulling Richard's right ear to bring him to her height level. 

"No, it's not funny, Victoria," Richard yelped in pain. "Please let go of my ear. It hurts." 

"Victoria, don't let go of his ear. He needs to learn a lesson." I said. 

"Annabelle, how could you?" Richard said in a girly voice. "I thought we are friends." 

"We are, but you need to learn a lesson." I grinned. 

'You need to learn to stop making my heart skip a beat.' I thought to myself. 

Victoria released Richard's ear before walking closer to me. "I released your ear because of her so you need to thank her,"

"I won't thank her," he whined. 

"You must or else I will pull your ear again and this I will make sure it hurts." she threatened. "So you better put your pride away and say thank you, Annabelle."

"Alright, fine." he sighed. "Thank you, Annabelle,"

"I can't hear you," I said with a smirk on my face. "Could you say it again, in a louder voice?"

"Thank you, Annabelle," he said in a much louder voice. "I hope you heard me clearly," 

"Yes, I did," I chuckled while Richard gave me a frown. "Richard please don't give me a frown, if you are mad at me then I'm sorry,"

"I wasn't angry at you besides why would I be?" he grinned. 

"Listen, you lovebirds, I want to know why you are here and not with everyone else." Victoria grilled. Her hands were folded and her gaze was on both Richard and I. 

"Victoria, we are not lovebirds, we are just friends." Richard defended. 

"Whatever, just answer the question." she said. 

"Today is the 11th of January, and on this day we have snowflakes falling from the sky. You told me Annabelle was excited after hearing about the snowflakes so I brought her so she can see it, up and close."

"Aw!" Victoria laughed. "That's so sweet of you, Richard." 

"And now I'm taking her outside." Richard announced. 

"Why?"

"So she can see how the snowflakes make a pattern on the floor." Richard said. "I'm sure if she sees the beautiful patterns the flakes makes when they land she will love it and it will definitely blow her mind." 

"My son has become so smart huh?" she said before smacking his head.

"I've always been smart." he said, hugging her tightly from behind. "And I'm sure you know that." 

"Sssh!" Victoria sibilated. "Come on, start flapping those wings and Annabelle, please be careful while flying." 

"I will," I said, giving Victoria a reassuring smile before flapping my wings. Taking deep breaths, I tried my best to recollect Richard's teaching so I don't fall. Slowly but steadily my wings adjusted to the moving wind, and I could sustain a steady grip on myself despite the falling snowfalls that distracted me a bit. 

"Way to go Annabelle!" Richard exclaimed while I rolled my eyes at him. "Just tilt your head and look down so you can observe the entire view." 

My gaze left Richard and landed on the floor. The entire floor was decorated with snowfalls and each flake formed a design, it's like as they know where to land, how to land and what design to create after landing. Leaves, Flowers, squares, triangles and so on were displayed on the floor each design had its one pattern and beauty. 

"Ouch!" I yelped out, something just hit me, something quite sharp. 

"Annabelle what happened?" Richard inquired. 

"Something pierced me," I said. "I think a dart pierced me."

"What do you mean? How can a dart pierce you?" he asked. 

"I don't know," I said in a weak voice. My body was becoming limp slowly but steady, my balance on air was turning weaker by the minute, my world was spinning, my head was hurting badly. My wings stopped working causing me to lose my balance and fall down to the ground slowly.