In The Arms of The Alexin King

I Help My Aunt

Ala

My dad walks over to me and hands me grandpa's musketeer hat. I know I have a perplexed look on my face, because how in the world does a hat have any thing to do with the aloe juice he put in the bowl I ask myself.

"Reach inside and run your hand across the inner seam." My dad says.

"Okay." I reply and do as he says. I feel a small zipper there that wasn't there before.

"What in the world? How in the world is there a zipper in a hat? This is weird." I voice my thoughts out loud.

My dad smiles and says, "Unzip it Ala."

I unzip it and feel inside the small opening. There is a small plastic pouch like the one my aunt took her necklace out of. I take the pouch out and look at the contents. There are small dried peach rose petals, a dried strawberry, and coconut flakes.

"Pour the contents into the aloe in the bowl," My dad says.

I do as he says and ask, "Dad what in the world is this mess? How is this going to help Aunt Railyn?"

"Ssh! Just watch." My dad says.

He takes Aunt Railyn's spoon of ice cream out of her hand and she says, "Hey! I was going to eat that."

My dad chuckles and puts the ice cream in the mixture too. He mixes all the ingredients with a spoon and they dissolve into the aloe juice. The liquid even after all that mess still looks clear, but it smells like menthol.

My dad picks up the spoons and pours it into the palm of his hand. When it touches his skin it turns the color of charcoal and starts looking like mud.

"Ugh that is beyond gross dad." I say and scrunch up my nose.

"Ssh! Ala." My dad says ordering me to be quite again.

I clamp my mouth shut just as King Brileon's mother and his boys come from the room. Railyn grimaces and removes her shirt. My goodness! That general needs to be placed under the jail for hurting her like he did. She did not tell the whole truth. She even has bruises on her upper chest just above her breasts and her shoulders.

I put down my cup of ice cream and grab my aunt's hand. She smiles at me, but clutches onto my hand for support.

My dad takes the mixture that looks like gray mud. He puts some on his fingers. He starts putting it on her skin where the bruises are and she hisses trying not to scream. Tears are falling down her face as the wounds start sizzling like bacon grease. She leaps off the sofa with my hand still holding hers dragging me with her as she lets out a shriek and nearly faints. King Brileon and his mother rush over along with my father. King Brileon's mom steadies my aunt and King Brileon catches me before I hit the floor.

They walk us back to the sofa and sit next to us.

"I am sorry Raili. I know it burns like acid right now, but it will soon stop." My dad says with tears falling down his cheeks at the pain his sister is enduring as he tries to heal her extensive wounds. He starts weeping and lets out a gut wrenching scream that pierces my heart. My aunt whose wounds are starting to disappear is shaking.

She moves closer to my father and hugs him. He is sobbing uncontrollably now and she says, "Ssh! Drewli key love Kenton. Daddy's Rose is okay. Please, stop crying I need you to be strong for me. If you are not strong I don't know how I will be able to stand when I already feel like I am falling."

My aunt starts weeping uncontrollably as well and I stand and walk over to the two siblings.

Tears are falling down my face and I begin to pray. "Lord Jesus please heal my aunt both internally and externally. Heal her emotional scars and her wounds Lord. Please help me to help her and my father." I pray.

I immediately remember something else my grandmother gave me before she died when I was I4. I run up the stairs to my room. I retrieve the dove of peace watch and head downstairs. As I walk downstairs I start singing the song that grandma would sing to me when I was troubled. "In The Presence of Jehovah by Vikki Yohe."

I accidentally hit the button on the watch and the music to the song starts playing. Everyone in the room is completely quite. I feel God's spirit in the room and it enfolds me in. My father and aunt start smiling as God uses my voice. Tears are falling down my face as I remember my grandmother and her beautiful voice. Which apparently I inherited. My aunt starts singing along with me. Her voice is beautiful and I can't help the smile that spreads across my face. I stop singing and let her finish the song. She walks up to me and pulls me into a hug. She is laughing and crying at the same time.

"Ala you are God sent. My mom use to sing that song to us. I needed to hear that and God knew it. He used you to remind me that my strength is in him." My aunt says.

I smile and hand her the watch that my grandmother gave me as well.

"My goodness this was Momma's watch. Dad gave it to her right before I was captured on Rosaria." My aunt says.

"Rosaria?" I ask wondering what and where is this Rosaria.

"All will be revealed later Ala. You my niece look exhausted why don't you go upstairs and rest. I will be fine now." My aunt tells me.

I look into her eyes and see a light there that wasn't there before. I also feel joy radiating from her spirit.

"I am serious little Al. I am fine. I will be able to stand the rest of the treatments of the salve Drew will put on me. Go and rest. Oh, and take this." My aunt says handing me back my grandmother's watch.

"It was meant for you. God's spirit shines from within you. He is and always will be by your side." My aunt says and kisses my cheek.

The feeling of exhaustion hits me. I yawn and my aunt says,

"King Brileon take my stubborn niece upstairs to bed. Your guard can stand and watch me though I am no threat to you or anyone here. I will tell you everything you need to know later." My aunt Railyn says.

"But, aunt...Rai...I...am...per...fect...ly...fi..ne." I say while yawning.

King Brileon chuckles and scoops me into his arms.

"No you are not. You are sleepy young lady." King Brileon says and takes my lips in a kiss. I wrap my arms around his neck and moan. I am so tired I break the kiss and lay my head against his shoulder.

I doze off and hear light snoring.

King Brileon chuckles and I open my eyes and ask, "What's so funny?"

"You, sweetheart. You were just snoring." He says.

"No I wasn't. I wasn't even sleeping. I am wide awake." I say, but my eyes start closing and my head starts to fall back against his shoulder.

I hear everyone chuckling at me. "What? Why are you all laughing at me?" I say as King Brileon carries me up the stairs crying laughing at me.

"You sweetheart are going to bed to rest with me." King Brileon says while walking into my room.

"Okay." I reply as he lays me on the bed.

He walks back to the bedroom door and closes it.

"Ala, you have a beautiful voice." He says.

"Thank you." I reply and yawn.

I get under the covers as he undresses again. He removes the weapons and places them back on the hooks. He takes off his shoes and pants then walks back to the bed. He gets under the covers and pulls me close to him. I lay my head on his chest and he falls asleep before me. I move away from him to get the remote for the light off my dresser. He awakens instantly and grumbles, "Ala what are you doing come back I want you laying against me?"

"I am just turning off the light Brileon." I reply.

"Hurry woman! I can't sleep without you." He says and I smile at his growing attachment to me.

I turn off the light with the remote and put it back on the dresser. I move back into his arms and he pulls me close. I lay my head on his chest and he falls back to sleep. I fall asleep a few seconds after him realizing that I am forming an attachment to him as well.