The Footsteps to Freedom

Chapter 17

Hey guys heres the next chapter! enjoy :)

"Thomas, how are we every going to get past this huge crowd and to my parents?" Alice asked.

"I can't even see them. That's how big this crowd is," Thomas agreed. He grabbed her arm. "Come on, we will push our way through."

"Make way for the princess!" Thomas cried. Surprisingly, people moved aside for them. In that way, they were able to make it to the steps of the palace. Alice gasped as she caught sight of the scene in front of her. Her mother was surrounded by men holding her down. Her father, on the other hand, was sitting on the floor, his face pale white, his whole right leg seeping with blood. Gregory & Andros were facing the crowd, huge smiles on their faces. None of them had noticed their arrival.

"Th...Thomas," Alice whispered as she grabbed his arm.

"Let's go put a stop to this," Thomas said as he led her up the stairs.

"We have taken over at least!" Andros cried and the whole crowd cheered. He opened his mouth to speak, but he stopped when he spotted Alice.

Alice gathered her skirts and raced up the stairs, not stopping until she reached the top. Speechless, she looked at him for a minute until her mother broke the silence. "Alice! My darling!"

"What are you doing here?" hissed Andros.

"I came to see my family," Alice said loudly. Her eyes were filled with tears. "What did you do to my parents?"

"Now Alice, we have everything under control," Gregory started, but Alice turned onto him.

"I don't want to hear another word from you Gregory!" she shrieked. "Look what you have done! My father is bleeding to death and you are all celebrating?"

"Alice, it's not like that at all," Andros said. He lowered his face. "Alice! You are making a scene. You can't have the crowd hear you!"

"No, the crowd will hear me!" Alice raised her voice. "Yes, you are all gathered here to overthrow the king and queen, but is this right? How could you all be cheering and celebrating when a man is dying?"

"Alice, come see your father," Thomas whispered to her, interrupting her speech.

She turned around and moved towards her father. Just before she reached him, she suddenly stopped and turned around to face Andros. "This is not what we agreed on," she told him, loud enough for the others to hear.

"Alice, please wait-" Andros started.

"Wait? I will not wait until my parents are dead!" she cried. "Tell your men to release my mother."

Andros sighed. "Do as your new queen says, but please stay close to our old Queen. We don't want her to escape."

"That's ridiculous! Do you really expect her to run off and leave her daughter and dying husband behind?" Alice stared at him, but he did not reply.

Queen Sophie was released and she threw herself at Alice, embracing her. Alice hugged her back, both of them crying.

"Oh Alice," the queen whispered. "Did you really plot for all of this with those evil men?"

"No!" Alice cried as she pulled apart. "We had an agreement that you two would not get hurt, and they broke it!"

"Alice," the king said slowly. The queen and her daughter turned to face him, and Alice sank down to the floor.

"Yes father?" she asked.

The pain was evident in his face. "Get rid of this pain. It's too much!"