I Knew Her As August

fifteen: captain milo's request

"You sure you don't want me to come up with you?" Conrad asked from the driver's seat. They were sitting in the train station parking lot, listening to an R&B CD and smoking cigarettes. Nicki still wasn't sure if she enjoyed the taste, but it was a nice finish to the wild night.

"It's okay. If it wasn't so close to dawn I'd totally invite you up, but, um...you know, parents," Nicki stumbled, flicking ash out the rolled down window so she could turn away and hide her burning cheeks. She envisioned the last time Conrad was in her room and how close they had come to kissing and knew she couldn't risk getting caught again.

"I get it. Wouldn't want Mommy Dearest to walk in on us next time," Conrad winked at her playfully.

"Exactly." Nicki tossed her finished cigarette on the concrete and started to open the door. If she didn't leave now, then she never would.

"Hey," Conrad rushed the smoke out of her lips and discarded her cigarette as well. She grabbed Nicki's hand to keep her from leaving the car. Her fingertip twitched on her palm, making Nicki's pulse skip a beat.

"I'm throwing a Halloween party at my house. I'll be making plenty of money from now on, and Gus got a ton of money at this gig today so we wanna celebrate. You and Copenhagen should come." Conrad beamed at her, the approaching sunrise growing in her brown eyes. Nicki could spend hours counting the golden specks that danced around her deep pupils.

"I'd love to. I'll just have to, uh, figure out how..." Nicki scratched her messy head, already stressed out.

"I get it, I get it. I'll send you the invite. Just do what you can, okay babe?" Conrad let go of her hand and revved the engine.

"And, Nicki?" Nicki paused once more, waiting for Conrad's next words. "Thanks."

Nicki smiled, the warmth touching her heart.

"That's what friends are for."

Conrad blew Nicki a kiss before peeling away, a trail of grey smoke following right behind her.

Nicki wanted nothing more than to climb into her warm, safe bed and sleep for a hundred years, but after the long hike up the tunnel she was beyond starving. Her body had never felt this sore before and she needed to revive herself.

Draping a robe over her exhausted shoulders, she tiptoed down to the kitchen to find something to eat. She thought about how nice a shower sounded as she searched throughout the cabinets, deciding a bowl of cereal was her best bet.

"Good morning, early bird."

The blue plastic bowl in her hand fell to the floor with a crash as Nicki yelped with surprise.

"Captain Milo, you scared me!" Nicki held her hand against her chest to slow her racing heart.

"I'm sorry, your highness," Milo said, leaning down to pick up the bowl from the floor. Even though it was barely past dawn, the Captain was fully dressed in his uniform and looked ready for battle. His black overcoat was buttoned all the way up and his hair was tucked away under his cap.

"Are you going somewhere?" Nicki asked, her cereal already forgotten.

"Yes, actually, your mother and I have business up north," Milo stated. He held one hand behind his back and one foot out the door, as if he couldn't spare another second for Nicki's conversation.

"What business?" Nicki pressed, feeling her curiosity was far more important than his urgency.

"Just Demons that are in need of some guidance, nothing to concern you about," Milo waved it away. Nicki felt even more concerned now and far more curious.

"When will you be back?" She took a step closer and batted her eyelashes at him.

"Shouldn't take more than a couple days. There was actually something I wanted to ask of you, your highness, before we made our leave." Milo cleared his throat, wanting to show his seriousness. Nicki kept her rapid mouth shut, allowing him to finish.

"I need you to keep an eye on Tulip. She has been feeling down lately and it troubles me. Promise you will include her and make her feel needed?"

"Tulip feels left out? I don't really think I'm the best one to make people feel included," Nicki huffed. She couldn't remember a time when someone had been as concerned for her feelings or her need to be wanted.

"Please, Nicolette. She is your younger companion and you are all she has. It's our duty to make sure she is taken care of," Milo insisted. Nicki bit her tongue, but she wanted to protest about feeling like the death of Tulip's parents was her fault.

"Fine," Nicki spat. She didn't fully agree but she wanted Milo to leave and the conversation to end. He offered her a kind smile and a reassuring pat on the shoulder. Nicki resisted the urge to slap his hand away.

"We'll send word once we arrive safely. Be a good girl, okay Nicolette?" There was an edge of begging to his voice. Nicki jerked her head in a nod, her jaw clenched shut. The Captain gave her a swift bow before disappearing on yet another adventure, leaving the princess to mope and wish she had such freedom.

Nicki's appetite was non-existent and she felt the strange craving for a cigarette. She wondered where Conrad was, but it would be silly to ask her to come back just for a smoke. She didn't feel like going back to her room and sitting alone, but the quiet kitchen wasn't any better. Nicki lingered around the castle in a daze and let her imagination wander.

She imagined that Wyatt Omen was walking with her, interested in the history and artistry of the castle. She thought about how she'd like him to push her up against the wall and kiss her hard as the angel paintings watched them from above, their frozen eyes unable to look away.

"There you are, Nicki. I was wondering where you might be."

Nicki came back to reality in a loud and clumsy crash, nearly taking down a suit of armor with her as she tumbled to the ground and out of her fantasy.

"Copenhagen? What are you doing up this early?" Nicki shrieked, trying to act casual and not at all embarrassed by her brother walking in on her dirty daydreams that still lingered in the back of her head.

"Ah, a king never sleeps," he joked, helping Nicki to her feet.

"Something in particular that's on your mind?" she asked. She could always tell when something was bothering him.

"No...well, kinda." Copenhagen scratched at his ears, his eyes glazing over as his thoughts ran away from him. Nicki waited, giving him the air to put the words together. It wasn't like him to share his thoughts and emotions freely.

"I don't know. Sometimes I wonder if I'm really doing what's right. I'm the king of our people and with that comes certain responsibilities. But I'm also still me, and I'm responsible for my own happiness. I need to have some fun every once in a while. I don't know, maybe I'm just being selfish," he rushed out, each word tumbling out like a rock in a landslide of shame.

"Don't say that! You have to take care of yourself before you can take care of others." Nicki encouraged. Copenhagen didn't seem convinced, his brow furrowed with worry.

"Look, a day off from being king won't be the end of the world," Nicki stated, putting her hands on her hips in an attempt to look overbearing. Copenhagen smirked down at his younger sister.

"Maybe you're right. It is Halloween, after all," he exclaimed, letting out a deep breath in relaxation. The gears in Nicki's head started turning.

"You know, I have an idea on how we can have some fun."