The Forbidden Princess [Paused]

Chapter 19: The Rescue Plan Part 2 (Jesse's POV)

I had a nightmare.

Arthur and Charlotte were getting married at the castle and I busted in, obviously objecting to the wedding.

Charlotte was confused and scared; she almost looked angry at me.

"Jesse! What are you doing here?" she demanded.

"To take you home, Char," I said. "To take you back with me."

Arthur cackled. "Silly peasant. This is her home. And she's staying with me."

It was my turn to laugh. "Come on, Charlotte. It's alright now. We won. We can leave." I held out my hand for her to take.

Charlotte slapped my hand away and shook her head. "No, Jesse. You left me when I needed you the most. Why would I go with you now?"

"Because...because you love me."

Charlotte laughed. "I did love you, Jesse. But things are different now. I love Arthur." She looked around and screamed, "GUARDS! ARREST THIS MAN!"

And the next thing I knew I was in Charlotte's dungeon in chains.

I shouted and shouted until a guard came back to my cell.

"Yes?" he said, clearly irritated at my shouting.

"I want out."

"I can't do that." he said. He looked around the cell, examining the walls, ceiling, and floor. "But I can do this..."

He reached for a button on the wall and pushed it. Nothing happened for a while until I noticed the cell floor spreading out from underneath me.

It continued to spread until there was no floor anymore and I was falling, falling, falling...

"JESSE! Are you alright?"

"Huh?" I answered groggily.

I opened my eyes to see Caiden up in a tree above me. I was sprawled out on the ground, my back and legs were achy but other than that I was fine.

"You fell out of the tree in your sleep," Caiden explained, seeing that I was confused.

"Oh."

I got up and brushed myself off, waiting for Caiden to climb down.

"Ready to go on our rescue mission?" Caiden asked.

I looked at him. His face was red, his eyes puffy. His knuckles were scratched up and bloody. His hair was a mess; it looked like he was caught in a wind storm.

"Yeah," I answered. "Ready as I'll ever be."

I took a deep breath and off we went, going to rescue Charlotte.