Hidden Heirs and Fallen Crowns (Complete)

Chapter 19

Dedication goes to Georgia. Sorry I deleted the prologue, along with your dedictation :D Glad you're liking the story so far!!

Chapter 19

He didn't answer.

"Look, Zed, I know you're in a bit of a mood with me, but there's really no need to get so heated up. I just went for a walk, then I realised that my shadow was showing and I went to the fountain. No big deal. And you're the one that suggested that I hid with that family's shadows, so really what happened next was kind of your fault. And there was nothing for it when they saw my shadow - I had to run before they caught me. OK, that girl did catch me in the end, but she won't tell on me now, she promised."

"You're telling me everything except what I want to know," he said quietly.

"Huh?" I asked, trying to sound innocent but really knowing what he meant. "Which bit do you want to know?"

"Stop pretending you don't know what I'm talking about," he said curtly. "Where were you?"

"I was hiding behind that family," I replied, my heart beating faster than normal.

"Before that."

"Before that I was on my way to the fountain. I went through the back alleys of Raven's Stone Square, just like you said."

"Before that."

"You don't need to know!" I suddenly snapped.

"Yes we do," came Jasmine's voice, right next to Zed. All of a sudden, they both came fully into view. I looked down at my hand and realised that I was visible, too.

"Hey, someone might see us!" I hissed, glancing around fugitively.

"Come here, then," said Zed, leading us deeper into the woods. I followed him reluctantly. The trees became thicker and thicker by the minute, and the grass grew fiercer and taller. Wild flowers started showing up after a while, the kind that you'd never see on the pavement or in the park. Sunlight squeezed through the thick canopy with difficulty.

We walked on for more than twenty minutes in total silence. I didn't want to engage in conversation in case they started questioning me again, even though I was burning to know where we were going. Why did they want to know, anyway? Where I had been was none of their business! OK, maybe they were my guardians or whatever, but that didn't mean they had to pry into everything I did every single day.

Maybe it did. I sighed - that was one of the many prices of being a princess, I guess.

Thankfully, we didn't meet any picnicking families, which was a relief. After another five minutes of walking through dense trees and wild grasses, my curiosity got the better of me.

"Where are we going?" I asked, breaking the deep silence. Zed glared at me to be quiet. "Just asking," I muttered. That got me another glare, this time from Jasmine. I didn't say anything from then on.

Another few minutes passed. I was now seriously regretting having come to Jays Woods - I even started think of slipping away to stop this silent torture.

"We'll stop here," Zed told us quietly. I looked around, and gaped in wonder. We were in a sort of clearing, surrounded by massively tall trees. The clear sky was just above our heads, the plump clouds passing overhead lazily. But that wasn't the amazing this: the clearing floor was covered in fully-bloomed blue flowers. Trust me; it was a sight to take your breath away.

I didn't want to walk through it for fear of ruining this perfectly preserves place. Not many people came here - that was obvious. I looked around again, taking in the wall of trees protecting the clearing, the delicacy of the rose-like blue flowers, the buzzing bumble-bees and the clash of colours from every part of the clearing.