Taken- a Selection FanFiction

Chapter 2

"E-Elisa," the boy stammered. Harrison and Penelope, my siblings I had assumed to be dead, now stood before me alive and well.

"What are you doing here?" Penelope asked surprised.

"I think I could ask you the same thing, Penny," I said with wide eyes.

"You know her?" Nathan asked confused.

"She's my sister!" I shouted. "And he's my brother!"

"Father, is that true?" Nathan asked while gripping the arm rests to his chair.

Ray sat in his chair laughing silently. "Can't you see the resemblance?" He chuckled. "Just look at their eyes."

Penelope sat down next to John and he took her hand. Penelope have him a small smile, and Harrison sat next to Penelope. Everyone began to eat their meals, but I sat in silence pushing food around on my plate.

"How?" I asked after a while.

"Well, I got them out before the fire," he started. "The boy would make a marvelous soldier, and the girl could have been of some use."

"Penelope, did anyone else?" My voice died at the question ended.

"No," she replied. "We're the only ones."

Ray shook his hands. "Enough of that topic. Would anyone care for some wine? Nathan? John?"

Nathan shook his head, but John took a glass. "Please," Harrison mumbled. Ray willingly poured a bit of red wine into a glass and handed it to Harry.

"Harry!" I scolded. "You're fourteen!"

"Fifteen," he corrected.

"You're birthday is in May," I said confusedly. Penelope and Harrison shared a worried look.

"Elisa," Nathan swallowed. "What do you think today is?"

"Late April," I said surely. All silverware came to a stop.

"It's the middle of June," John said tiredly before taking a long sip of his drink.

June. I was kidnapped in April. I have been away from the palace for over an entire month. It has been a month and Aaron still hadn't found me. I fought the bile rising in my throat, pushing it back down.

"I think I need to go back to my room," I said dazedly. I began to rise from my seat when the wire on my wrists tightened significantly.

"Nathan," Ray began. "Escort the girl to her room. After you finish up there, come see me."

"I'm not her babysitter," Nathan grumbled irritably.

He walked quickly to the room I was staying in, twisting and turning down the hallways. He stopped abruptly beside my door. He cut the metal around my wrists and opened my door.

"There should be someone back here to check on you in the morning," he said without glancing in my direction. I nodded my head, and he locked the door after he left.

I changed into one of the night dresses in a dresser drawer and crawled into the uncomfortable bed. It squeaked with every move I made, and I was going insane.

I fell asleep pondering how life at the palace was without me.

**************
I woke up the next morning with an ache in my lower back and neck. I massaged both tender spots blindly, not bothering to open my eyes. I took off the thin blankets covering the lower half of my body and remade the bed.

"Good morning, Princess."

I jumped, knocking over a lamp. "What the-"

Nathan was sitting across the room in an unfavorable armchair. He was fully dressed, and suddenly I felt very self-conscious in my short black nightgown. He cocked his head to the side and smirked.

"Are you not happy to see me, Princess?"

"Why are you here, Nathan?" I grumbled, still tired from an unrestful night's sleep.

"Breakfast," he retorted. He jerked his head to the side, referring to a small trey with a bowl on it. "Eat up; you have things to do today."

"Oh, goody," I said sarcastically. I picked up the bowl of oatmeal and scooped it into my mouth. It was hardly harm, but I wasn't going to complain after not being able to stomach my dinner last night. "What am I doing?"

"Princesses don't talk with food in their mouths," he scolded lightly while digging a piece of wrinkled paper out of his pocket. I flung a chunk of cold oatmeal at him, using my spoon as a catapult. He moved his head slightly to avoid it. "Good try," he mumbled.

"It looks like today you will be dusting the hallways, mopping the hallways, cleaning the dining room, and tidying up the guest quarters," he said with false cheeriness.

"You kidnapped me to be your maid?"

"No, I kidnapped you because that's what I was told to do."

"Do you always do everything your daddy tells you to?" I mocked.

"I usually do when my life depends on it," he said casually. I shook my head.

"Do you expect me to clean in those clothes?" I asked referring to the clothes in my wardrobe.

"No," he said before throwing, yet another, black outfit at me. "That's your uniform."

"Thanks," I said with as much cruelty as I could muster. I headed into the bathroom to get ready.

I took a quick shower, which wasn't too hard to do because of the lukewarm water, and got out of the shower. I put on the maid's uniform, and it was a plain black dress reaching past my knees.

I put on the little makeup provided and braided my hair back into something Cecelia would have done. It was simple, yet stayed out of my way.

I exited the bathroom and straightened my black skirt. Nathan stood waiting for me, and as he saw me, he looked as if he were lost in thought. He must have come back because he furrowed his brow.

"Why are you dressed so fancy?"

"It's a maid's uniform," I said exasperated. "You can drop the sarcasm."

"No, I meant this," he pointed to my hair.

"It wasn't that hard. Don't I have work to do?"

"Yeah," he said shaking his head. He led me down hallways to where two other women in similar dresses were waiting. "This is Willow and Ginny. They will be helping you today."

They offered small smiles. They looked around 14-16 years old, and we're a bit shy around Nathan. Willow had mousy brown hair that was pulled back into a French braid, but wisps were escaping. Ginny's hair was a strawberry blonde color, and she had it in a tight bun.

"I'll be back to check on you later," he said before dismissing himself. He walked down the hallway and turned, so he was out of sight. I was finally rid of him for a little while.