A Choice

Chapter Four

The next morning I slept in, an unusual thing to happen in my life. When I woke the sun was way up in the sky instead of just rising, something was up. I got out of bed, almost knocking Jasper off, and cracked my door open.
"Ah, Evangeline. How nice of you to join the living!" called Vladmires voice.
"What special task has to be done today?" I called back. I opened my door fully and walked out, Jasper at my heels. I found Vladmire in the lab, working on one of his latest project. I couldn't follow what it was when he was talking about it to me, something about regaining youth.
"Well my dear, I need you to revisit your little lover." Vladmire cooed, turning to face Jasper and me.
"He's not my lover. I barely even know him."
"Now that's exactly the problem. I need you to get to know him. Become his ally. Now go, you must not waste any more time."
I put on all of my winter clothes and shoes. I find an old blanket to wrap around Jasper, he was complaining about the cold. Outside I walked quickly to the baker's shop. I wanted to get to the heat. I carried Jasper to the store, even for a skinny cat my arms were hurting. The children I saw yesterday remembered me from my journey and waved hello. I positioned Jasper more on my left hand so I could wave back to them.
We finally arrived at the baker's shop. I dropped Jasper near the door so he could feel the heat from the slightly cracked doorway. The heat was again very welcoming and the smell pulled me inside. Wrapping around me like a welcoming blanket. I looked around for Barric, but couldn't find him. I waited for a while and then suddenly felt a tap from behind me. I turned around and saw Barric's goofy smile again.
"Evangeline! Your back!" Barric said with much excitement. My job just became a lot easier. Obviously he already liked me enough.
"Yes I am, I begged my parents that I could come and see you again," I said, trying to match Barric's excitement which I felt none of.
"Come to the back with me, I want to tell you something," he whispered.
I followed him behind the counters of the shop and into a little room behind a wooden door. The room had a bed, a small desk, and a shelf. It seemed to be Barric's room.
"Promise you won't tell anyone," Barric said seriously.
"I promise." Really this wasn't a lie. I didn't have to tell Vladmire anything, he was always watching me through that magic ball of his.
"My parents, or at least who I thought to be my parents, told me something yesterday after the store closed. They sat me in a chair and my dad said 'Listen, we have something important to tell you. We couldn't tell you until your sixteenth birthday which was today. This may come as a huge shock, which is why we sat you down so you don't fall over. We aren't your parents. Your parents died when you were very young and we were dear friends of theirs. We promised your parents that we would take care of you if they ever died. Your parents, well, they were very important people. Your parents were the king and queen, which makes you the heir to the throne. Rules state that in this kingdom, a prince has to be at last 16 to become king. It is your time to become king. You must defeat the evil wizard that threatens the kingdom and killed your parents to regain the throne, if not, the kingdom will die.'" Barric said, making his voice deeper to mimic his adopted fathers. I almost laughed at his imitation, almost.
"That's a lot of information to take in," I said, I was shocked at this information. Barric had to kill Vladmire to become king. That would never happen. I couldn't let Barric die.
"I know it is. I can't rule a kingdom!" Barric exclaimed. He seemed stressed. I would be too.
"For what its worth, I think you'll be a great king one day," I said, one of the first things I've said that wasn't a lie. Barric was kind. He had a sense to him that he was a natural born leader. He was brave and handsome. And...No I cannot allow myself to fall in love with him. My heart won't take it anymore. This isn't love, it's me being scared for his safety. Yes, that's it.
Barric ranted some more about how he would run the kingdom after his coronation. First, he would help the poor find jobs with payment. Second, he would see mythical animals were not treated unfairly. And third, he would listen to every problem and try to make it better. Again, a good and fair king.