Not Your Everyday Fairytale

Chapter 4

I went to the armory to visit my favorite person working at the castle. Ash they work in the armory they don’t care that I’m the princess. They are my first friend I made after Thomas, the knight who trained me, died in battle. I met them after I bent my sword training when I got angry at myself for letting Thomas go into battle. He had a family, a wife and a son named Noah, after Thomas died they moved to a different place because here held too many memories of their life before he died. Ash fixed my sword, no questions asked, they did wonder why I went to them to fix my sword when there are more experienced blacksmiths here. I told them that I didn’t care about the experience, after that we started talking and soon after that we became friends. 

"Michelle, what brings you here?" Asks one of the other blacksmiths "I came to talk to Ash." I responded "Of course she came here to Ash, they're friends." Another blacksmith said in a joking voice. They seem to think  that me and Ash are more than friends. "Hey Mich." I hear Ash say walking to where I was. I see their prosthetic leg peeking from under their pant leg that they got from an injury that happened years ago. " How's the leg today?" I wondered "Phantom pains hurt, but I can handle them.” “How’s Cole doing, is he getting better?” I asked. 

Walking towards them to talk and away from the other blacksmiths so they can’t hear what we are talking about, Cole is Ash’s little brother, who gets sick a lot. "He’s better but I'm still worried about him, because he is always sick and what if the next he gets sick he doesn’t get better, he gets worse.” When they are saying this I could see that Ash is starting to panic “Calm down and breathe with me”

I said setting them down on the ground to help them calm down. “What are three things you can hear?” “ The clanking of metal, hot metal going into water, and the birds singing” “Three things you see?” “An anvil, the trees, and you.” they said, laughing a little bit at the end “Ok good, three things you can feel or touch.” “ The ground, my leg, and a barrel.” They said, dragging a barrel close to them “Are you feeling up to getting up to see Cole?” I asked, “ I think I’m ready to see my brother now.” they said standing up stumbling a little bit “Whoa!” I said, steading them a bit, “Let's go see Cole.” 

When we got to a run down building that Ash and Cole live in, I looked into Cole’s room to see if he was awake. I heard a groan from inside his room. “Mitchelle?” He said, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. Cole is eight years old while me and Ash are twenty-three years old. Cole and Ash’s parents died from a sickness five years ago, ever since then Ash has been taking care of Cole. It has been hard on Ash, but they don’t care, they just want Cole to have a semi-normal life. “Hi, buddy. How are you feeling right now?” I wondered “Better, but it still feels like a carriage ran over me.” he said laughing, his laugher turned into a coughing fit. I started to look around his room for some water then I heard footsteps coming at us quickly. I turn towards the door just to see Ash in the doorway with a cup of water. I took the cup and gave it to Cole, who just finished coughing and took the cup from me.  “Thanks for being here Mitch.” Cole said, he’s the only one that calls me Mitch, because when we first met he couldn’t say my name correctly and called me Mitch and it just stuck. “I needed a break from the castle and I wanted to see how you’re doing today.” 

I heard Ash in the kitchen making food for us. “What are you making?” asked Cole “Dinner” Ash responded.  What Ash made was chicken and vegetables. “Sorry I couldn’t make more food. I haven't gone to the market this week yet.” They said looking downcasted, “It’s okay, I’ll like your food, I don’t care what food I have as long as it tastes good I’m eating it. After we were done eating I realized how late it was, “I have to go back now, before mother gets mad at me for being late again.” Last time my late mother wasn’t happy, It was like my nightmare came true. I started to run back to the castle not caring if my dress got ruined.

I got back to the castle just in time. “ You got lucky this time.” one of the guard said sneering towards me, some of the guards blame me for their captain death, they don’t know that I will always live knowing it’s my fault that Thomas went into battle, I try to talk him out of it but he was stubborn as a mule and went to battle and died that same day. I had to tell Isabell about his death. I can never get her heartbroken, her face looked, then Noah walked into the room and asked when his dad would come back. I have never ran that fast before in my life. I couldn’t tell him that his dad will never come home again. 

“Where were you?” Mother asked, hissing into my ear. “ I was with Sonya showing her around the kingdom since she is going to be ruling some time soon. Is that a good enough excuse for you mother.” I said glaring at her just a little bit. “Why you little brat. How dare you talk back to me.” she said angrily, pulling her hand back to hit me. I closed my eyes waiting for her to hit me but it never happened.  I opened my eyes to see Sonya holding my mother's wrist glaring at her “Don't blame her for being late, blame me for wanting to see more of the kingdom.” she said with venom in her words. “Well if that’s the reason you can go to your rooms.” mother said with a fake smile on her face. 

I walked Sonya to her room. We walked in comfortable silence until I said “Thank you for helping me back there.” “It’s no problem and I  think you mean saving your butt back there.” She said grinning at me, I simlie a little back at her. “Well  here we are.” Sonya said when we arrived at her room. “Thanks for walking me back.” “It’s really no problem, see you tomorrow.” I said we both said bye and I walked to my room. 

When I entered my room I sled down onto the floor grinning widely. “Soooo where were you?” two voices said in unison my head snapped up in alert to see Alex and Peter on my bed grinning with all their teeth. “I just walked Sonya back to her room and she smiled at me.” I said thinking back to what just happened. “ What happened with mother when you were late?” Alex asked “ Alexander Anatoly Beaumont we don’t ask those kinds of questions” Peter said harshly “Sorry Mich.” Alex said looking down, when we are a lone mother is a tough subject to talk about “It’s okay Alex you just forgot.” I said walking towards my dresser to grab my sleep clothes to change in my bathroom that’s connected. 

When I was done changing my clothes I look up at myself in the mirror and seeing the burns everywhere that I have to hide from everyone including Alex, I know they’re bad but seeing how bad they’re, I start to panic, i feel my heart in my throat and heartbeat is ringing in my head, everything goes black.

When I opened my eyes I was on the floor with Alex looking at me with worry in his eyes. “What happened?” I asked “You passed out” Peter said walking in with towels in his arms placing the towels under my head. I tried to get up but was stopped by Peter, “No trying to get up before the castle physician looks at you “ “Fine” I say groaning, laying back down “Ouch,” my head missed the towels and hit the hard floor. “Since I can't move, who is going to carry me there?”  I asked “Sonya” Alex said sarcastically smirking “What?” I said, bolting up ignoring the pain  “ Just kidding Peter will do it” “Ok let's do this” Peter says lifting me up carefully trying not to hurt me more.