Happily Ever After.....Maybe

Chapter Ten

      My mouth felt like it was full of grimy dry sand. I gulped feeling sweaty, where in earth did Tallulah find that I thought as I stared speechless at the wanted posted. I thought Capricious was a small enough town that the posters won't get here and no one would know that I'm the Princess of Rollick. I glanced quietly at Tallulah. Would she do? Will she turn me in? The award money would definitely benefit her. A sick feeling settled in my stomach and I felt faint. I grab ahold of the nearest wooden table that I stood at to balance myself.
       Tallulah stared at me her face looked disappointed, "When were you going to tell me who you truely are? Did you think I was stupid and that I won't find out?!" She threw the wanted poster onto the wooden bar counter.
      "No.... I... I wanted to tell you Tallulah, but I was scared. I didn't know how you'll react." I said slowly looking at her. I couldn't bare to lose her too. "You're not going to turn me in are you?"
       She stared at me in disbelief, "You really think that I would betray you like that? Amaya we share a living place, you help me out a ton with the tavern, and more importantly you're my very best friend."
       Tears glistened in my eyes, no one has ever said I was their best friend before. I didn't really have friends back in Rollick, they were more like acquaintances  who I only talked to at parties and balls. "You think of me as your best friend?"
      Tallulah smiled, "Of course, Amaya." Then she looked down at the poster and picked it up, "But friends don't keep things from each other, I need to know the truth." She lowered her head, "That first night you came, you said your name was Amaya Marx?"
       I stepped up to the bar and took a seat in one of the wooden stools. I was going to be here awhile. "Marx was Hayden's last name, I didn't know how far my father's posters have came, and I didn't think you needed to know that I was a princess."
         She raised her eyebrow, "So you already knew about the posters?"
        I nodded, "I was kidnapped a second time because of the posters." I smiled remembering my time with Hayden, "Hayden rescued me from these awful smelling guys that were going to turn me in."
         "Whoa, whoa, slow down! I think you need to start from the beginning. Starting with these posters." She held it up, "It paints you into this awful horrible person, and from the few weeks I've gotten to know you I know you're no murderer."
          Taking a very deep breath I slowly told Tallulah my story. How my mother the Queen of Rollick would get frequent headaches and tea would always help. I told her how I made the tea and then she just took one sip and started coughing horrible. I stopped there to jump ahead and tell her that I found out my father was behind the poisoning and threw me in prison to blame for it.
      "That's awful! Why would he poison his own queen!"
       "My father knew about my curse, and had to protect the only thing he cares about, his own kingdom. He believed my curse would destroy the kingdom."
        She shook her head, "I don't believe that for a second! I mean look at you now! You haven't destroyed anything here."
         Yeah but I'm still not feeling that tiny bit of happiness that I once felt with Hayden I thought to myself.
          "Wait if you were in prison how did you get out?"
           I smiled thinking back on that moment. He was so handsome, his black leather jeans and jacket and the way his black hair curled, and that smile he always had! His mysterious  handsome self captured my heart and still held onto it. "Hayden kidnapped me." Then I told her the amazing adventure we went on together.
         Tallulah smiled, "The time you guys had together, was special." 
      Nodding I rubbed my arms, "You don't think anyone else saw the poster do you?" I asked cautiously.
         She frowned, "I don't think so.. But just to be safe." Crumbling up the paper Tallulah went over to the pot belly stove and threw it inside. "There now know on will know except us."
          I smiled, "Thank you."
         Tallulah came back over and leaned on the bar towards me her elbows resting on the wood. "Now don't leave out any detail, who was that cutie tonight that had dreamy eyes for you? You never told me his name."
         I lowered my gaze and picked at the wood on the counter, "His name is Dylan."
          "Mmm fine name for a very fine man." She winked at me, "How did the romantic walk go?"
         "It was a just a walk." I stood up abruptly not wanting to get in conversation that I couldn't get out of.
          "It had to be more than a walk he gave you his cloak! "
            Shaking my head I pointed out, "He didn't give me it to keep, I was just cold and he offered me it." I made my way to the narrow stairs that led up to the room we shared.
           While climbing the steps I heard Tallulah sigh, "Oh girl when are you going to learn its okay to love again."
         Ignoring her comment I changed into my white cotten shirt pulling it down so it covered my butt I climbed into bed. I laid awake thinking about what Tallulah said. Dylan was nothing more than an acquaintance, I barely knew him so there was no way I could love a guy I don't even know.
                                                                  ~
           Bright and early the next morning I woke to Tallulah shaking me. I groaned and slowly opened my eyes. Tallulah stood over me, instead of wearing her usual green cotten dress that had criss cross strings that tied in the front she was wearing dark brown pants with a light blue cotten shirt and a green cloak in her hands. "Come on get up!"
         I rubbed my eyes tiredly, "What's going on?"  I asked sitting up.
        "We are going to town." Tallulah said happily.
        Sighing I laid back down, "Tallulah, we're already in a town." I turned on my side and closed my eyes.
         "I wouldn't call Capricious a town, it's more of a small spot in a map with nothing exciting. Please come with me to Yugen!" She begged.
       My eyes popped open like a locked door that had just been given a key. Yugen.... Yugen. Hayden had said something to me about that name. I jolted my memory to back when we were in the Enchanted Forest of Love. Hayden's words so clearly now in my head.  "So I was thinking maybe I'll do one more mission for the Great Wizard and tell him I quit and settle down buy a house and adopt Grace she's in a small town not far from Agog called Yugen."
        Hayden had wanted to adopt a dog, how could I have forgotten! The dog he was going to adopt was Grace and he said she was in Yugen. What if I could go to Yugen and find her? I can't have Hayden with me, but maybe having her would be like having a part of him. Then I could take her to visit him in The Enchanted Forest of Death and we could be like a family just the three of us. I sat up smiling at Tallulah, "You know shopping sounds like a good idea."
         Tallulah clasped her hands together and squealed excitedly. "Aww I was hoping you said that! I already got the horses I'll leave you to get dress!" With that she hurried down the narrow stairs to the pub.
        I couldn't help but smile and shake my head. Tallulah was a model of pure happiness she was like a little child on Christmas Day. Maybe someday I'll break this wretched curse of mine and feel that way too. Getting out of bed I dressed in my clothes I traveled in with Hayden my red leather pants and leather vest that tied in crisscross over my white cotten shirt, along with my red leather jacket.
         Leaning down under my low bed I pulled out my brown burlap sack. I fingered it in my hands slowly as memories of Hayden came back bringing tears to my eyes. I missed him so much! Wiping my tears away I checked to make sure the bag sack of shekels was in my burlap sack. I didn't want to use the money that the Great Wizard gave me, it was suppose to be Hayden's he was suppose to use it. But working at the Pub wasn't a life of luxury, I worked a lot, but the I made barely anything. I had no choice but to use these shekels. I went downstairs to find Tallulah hanging a closed for the day sign on the Pub's door.
       "Can we even close the Pub for the day? Won't the owner get mad?"
        Tallulah shook her head as she straightened the sign so it hung even on the swinging doors. "Naa the King of Yugen gave the pub to me to see how I see fit, and since the King is my brother I don't see how he'll have a problem with it." Tallulah nodded her head to Tobias and another horse that were tied to a post by the pub, "Tobias and Sugar Plum will be our ride to Yugen."
           Making sure the saddles were secure Tallulah climbed onto Tobias while I climbed up on Sugar Plum who had a thick brown mane and copper color skin. We lead the horses at a slow trot through Capricious.
            " So your brother the one who was a frog happens to be the King of Yugen?"
          "Yeah, he kissed the princess of Yugen and then they got married. He tried to drag me into living in the castle too, but palace life wasn't meant for me so he bought me the pub to live in and basically own. He doesn't do anything to it. Oh by the way when we're in Yugen be careful and don't tell the people that I'm the king's sister, my brother would have the people give me things for free, but I want to pay and support the people you know?"
           "I won't say a word." I promised as we neared the the edge of Capricious we were able to let the horses run. I laughed and threw my head back the wind kissing my hair and blowing all over. Tallulah led the away on Tobias down the dirt path at a fast past. We rode in the opposite direction of the Enchanted Forest of Death back towards Agog. Once we passed Agog I looked around at the unfamiliar landscapes. The fields and fields of clovers and wild flowers were beautiful and the mountains that lured in the background were glorious their gray and green colors blending together. While galloping on Sugar Plum I tried to look for the two mountains that went together but split down the middle, that's  where the town of Nyctophilia
was. I remembered Hayden pointing it out to me when we stood on a bridge in Agog, and since we past Agog awhile ago it had to be getting close. I slowed Sugar Plum down to a slow trot beside Tallulah and Tobias. "Have you ever been to Nyctophilia?" I asked.
       Tallulah looked over at me, "Are you serious? No I've never been that place is known for trouble. People who go there don't get out, why do you ask Amaya?"
        I shrugged, "I just thought it might be a place to stop by sometime, I know it lies between two mountains, and since we're closer to the mountains...."
        "Absolutely not Amaya! I know you're daring and up for adventures after being cooped up in a palace most your life, but I'm not risking my life, the farther I'm away from Nyctophilia the better."
          "Hayden lived there growing up, he escaped."
           "Yeah he escaped, see even he wanted out." She pointed out. "I'm sorry, but I'm not going to show you what mountains Nyctophilia lies between, you're my friend I'm not going to offer you a death sentence by showing you where it is."
          Biting my lip I dropped the topic and went back to looking at the wide fields of wild flowers and hoping to spot the two mountains that split down the middle myself. With no luck I settled in to the click clop rhythm of the horses hooves hitting the dirt path.
           Awhile later a forest loomed ahead, my stomach churned uneasily, I looked over at Tallulah, "Is it enchanted?" but I didn't have to ask, I knew that it had to be. Every forest I've been to has been enchanted.
           Tallulah was quiet as we neared the forest. The closer we got I could hear laughter and jolly music coming from the forest. My eyes traveled around there was a grimy dirt path that split from the path we were on that didn't go through the forest. I peered around Tallulah on Tobias to see what a rotted sign with scratchy letters and an arrow pointing down the path it said.
                                           Nyctophilia Enter at Your Own Risk
            I turned back to look at the forest that leered over us hoping that Tallulah didn't realize that I found out where Nyctophilia was. My thoughts tumbled around in my mind, maybe I could come back and go to it. Tallulah doesn't have to know I could tell her I'm seeing Hayden in the Enchanted Forest of Death.
           Tallulah snapped me out of my brainstorming, "Amaya, welcome to the Enchanted Forest of Past and Future."