Alice

27. The Noblest Man

27. The Noblest Man

It was total déjà vu. Firstly, Jack and his dad looked so similar it was ridiculous. Secondly, they'd both appeared to save someone who was about to die at the Queen's knife. And finally, Conrad's tousled dark hair was blowing in the night breeze, blue flames for eyes, jaw set angrily, lips curled back baring his clenched teeth. He pointed a gleaming sword at the Queen in one hand and his other hand was a fist.

He looked at me, apparently as surprised as I was that we'd spoke at the same time.

The Queen interrupted our mutual shock with her laugh. You'd think she'd be at least a little scared, seeing as she had two people pointing swords at her. But no! Not the Queen of Hearts.

She just stood there, laughing. "Well, isn't this adorable?" she cackled. "The girlfriend and the father, willing to risk their own lives to save one, insignificant boy."

Conrad and I said nothing. Instead, we simultaneously took a step onto the first bleacher.

"Not a step closer," growled the Queen threateningly. She was still pressing the knife into Jack's neck, and she was really far into it at this point. Jack's face was as white as a sheet, and he could barely stand up.

I froze and I saw Conrad do the same. We looked at each other. What could we do? The person we loved most was about to die. Of course we had to surrender to the Queen. But at the same time, we couldn't let her win. Which meant we had to go up to her. But we can't! But we have to! I was so confused. Finally, my heart won out over my head. I couldn't let Jack die. So, I set down my sword and stepped back onto the ground. I watched as Conrad did the same.

"Smart choice," said the Queen with a smile. "Too bad I'm just going to kill him anyway!"

What?! No! She couldn't! Was she really that evil? Yes, I realized. Yes, she is.

I watched in shock as she removed her knife from Jack's bloody neck and pointed it at his heart.

I was about to scream "NO!" when Conrad cried, "Wait!"

The Queen froze. "Yes?" she asked, smiling.

Conrad took a deep breath. "Kill me instead," he told the Queen.

"No...." Jack groaned weakly.

"Conrad, don't," I protested. "I'm the one who should die. I'm already injured."

"No...." Jack protested feebly.

Conrad shook his head. "I'm old. My life lost meaning a long time ago. But you, you're young. You still have your whole life ahead of you. You have a family. And besides, it wouldn't matter if you saved Jack's life. Without you, he'd rather be dead. He needs you, not me." Conrad smiled, wistfully and sadly. "Jack hardly knows me. He doesn't need me; he survived for all these on his own."

"I do... need you...." Jack moaned.

"Enough chit-chat!" screeched the Queen. "One of you dies! So, just pick which one of you, or I will!"

Conrad looked at her. "If you kill me, will you promise not to hurt Alice and Jack?" he asked.

The Queen sighed. "Fine!" she said, annoyed. "As long as I get to kill somebody."

Conrad stepped onto the bleacher. I knew there was nothing I could do to convince him. Still, I had to try. "Conrad," I said beseechingly. I looked at him, my eyes pleading. He stated back at me, and all he said was, "Thank you for taking care of my son." And with that, he continued up the flight of bleachers until he stood on the second one from the top.

Jack mouthed the word Dad. Conrad looked at him, but then he turned away. The Queen smiled giddily. Then, faster than I thought possible, she thrust the knife into his chest.

A chain reaction in slow motion followed. The Queen pulled her knife from Conrad's bloody chest. I gasped. Conrad's body went stiff, his mouth hung open, and his face twisted in pain. Jack shouted for his father in a cracked voice. The Queen screamed in triumph. And Conrad, who was too close to the edge of the bleacher, fell thirty feet to the ground. Lastly, probably the most insignificant event occurred: an uproar came from the arena below, and the guards, shocked and freaked out about what they had just witnessed, swiftly departed to see what was going on.

Jack, not caring that he was getting weaker and weaker, raced down the bleachers, jumped off from the second one up, and reached his dad's side. I rushed to join him.

I knelt down beside Conrad, who was lying in a pool of his own blood. His limbs were twisted at unnatural angles from his fall.

"Dad," choked Jack. Tears were running down his cheeks.

Conrad smiled. "I waited eight years to hear you call me that again."

"Stay with us, Conrad," I said, which was of absolutely no help.

"Please don't give up, Dad," Jack begged him.

"My son.... My little boy... All grown up," Conrad said with a smile. He stared up at Jack with a faraway look in his eyes. Then, he turned his head to look at me. "You look just like her, Alice. Golden curls..... Beautiful brown eyes...." He kept looking at me, but suddenly, his expression changed. He looked at me funnily. That's the only way to describe it. Funnily. His eyes were confused, hopeful, and dreamy when he said, "Esrella? Is that you?"

He was talking to me. Okay, now I know he's lost it, I thought. What should I do? Tell him that nope, sorry, I'm not his dead wife? Deny him one last shred of happiness before he dies? No, I couldn't do that.

So, I took a deep breath, and said, "It's me, Conrad. I'm here. Everything's going to be okay."

"Esrella, my sweet Esrella....." He mustered up all his remaining strength to take me and Jack's hands. "My family is here. I can leave in peace."

"Please don't go, Dad," Jack said, tears running down his face. My own eyes stung, and I was in danger of crying any minute.

"Jack... My son... I.... I love..... I love you," he said with his last breath. His grip on our hands loosened, and his eyes glazed over.

Then he went still.

"No," sobbed Jack. He was shaking. I put my arm around him, trying to be comforting.

Conrad had sacrificed himself for Jack. For me. It had been a very noble thing to do. Noble...... the noblest man!

The prophecy," I whispered.

"What?" Jack sniffled through his tears.

"The prophecy predicted your dad's death. It said that the noblest man would fall. Conrad sacrificed himself for us, making him the noblest man."

"So?" Jack asked, swiping away tears.

"So, if that part came true.... Then the rest will, too."

"Which means...." Jack began.

"I am going to kill the Queen of Hearts."

"We'll see about that!" said an all too familiar voice. I turned around to see the Queen standing right behind us, knife raised, ready to strike.

So, this is it, I thought, This is what it comes down to. Either I kill Queen, or she kills me.

But I knew that I would succeed. Not only because the prophecy said I would, but because I refused to let Conrad, the noblest man, die in vain.