Reflections

Chapter 5

"Yeah," I said, getting up. "I don't think that is ever going to happen but good luck finding someone who will." I started to walk out of the room when he called out to me.

"I think you should reconsider."

I turned back towards him and crossed my arms. "And why is that?" He got up, wiping his mouth with a napkin and walked over to me. He stepped too close to me and I suddenly felt as though I was twelve inches.

He looked down at me and narrowed his eyes, "Because, young one, as long as I control whether your mother or your guardian lives, I control you." My eyes widened and felt a tear escape. "I own you."

I wiped the tear off my cheek and glared at him hoping it affected him just a little bit. It didn't, of course. Instead, he laughed and brushed past me and started to leave the room. Just before he was about to disappear past the door, he stopped not even looking at me. "I will give you until tonight to decide."

I rolled my eyes, "I only get one night?"

"Do you honestly need more time contemplating whether you'll let me kill your friends and family?"

He had a point. I knew that if I couldn't find a way to get out of there with the my mom and Talan, then I would have to do it. I always thought that when I married someone, it would be for love. I hoped that once I married someone, our love would keep that marriage going. I knew, of course, that with the way the divorce rates were increasing, my dream of marrying someone and spending the rest of my life with him would be highly unlikely. But the one I was going to have to marry was not only someone I didn't love but was also someone I definitely didn't want to spend my life with. I groaned and picked up a bagel, quickly stuffing into my mouth and walked out of the room. I wanted to find where they were keeping my mother and Talan and I was determined to get them out,

"This way, princess." The soldier nodded his head towards a door that lead towards a long staircase.

I shook my head and stopped walking. "I demand to see my mother and my friend."

The first soldier looked at his friend and shrugged. I was nervous at first that they would laugh in my face but smiled when I saw their reaction.

" Fine," the second soldier whispered."But you mustn't tell the King. He will kill us." I squealed and hugged them. Once my arms wrapped around the first soldier, he stiffened, He must never get hugs. "Come," he said after I let him go. I followed him for what seemed like hours until we arrived at a door. My smile faded immediately when I saw other guards there, Even though these men were nice enough to let me see my mother but that doesn't mean these guards were. I was pulled back behind the wall and told to stay there until they came back for me, Two minutes later, they did. "You have five minutes to talk with them then we have to get you to your room." I nodded my head frantically and walked past them and into the door.

"Mom?" I called out. "Talan?"

"Darling!" I heard a voice yell. "Over here!"

I ran towards the voice and gasped when I came to two metal cells next to each other, Talan was in the first one, sitting on the edge of the ragged bed with his head in his hands. "Talan?" He lifted his head and stared at me with a shocked expression. "Oh Talan, you are okay! I thought something had happened to you."

He jumped up from the bed and ran towards me and held onto the cell. "Me," he asked. "I was worried about you! I am so sorry I failed you Ralin, I should've protected you better."

A tear escaped his eyes and I shook my head. "It was me, I went even though you told me not to. Talan, how did they find you?"

He wiped his tear away and took a deep breath. "It was those assholes, They came back with Palace guards. They were working with the King and I couldn't fight them off. The guards arrested me and turned on the others too. They were going to arrest them but they fought too great."