Half Complete

A Spectacular Landing

I looked around. The only place to hide was the trees around the clearing. But they were not thick enough to hide behind. Unless..... I undid the sash around my waist and hid my sword behind the tree. I always wore a sash around my waist made of really thick material. I tied it loosely around myself and said" Ciel give me a lift. We're going to hide on the tree."

       " Just show me where it is first " Ciel said holding out his hands. I put them on the bark right under a big branch. "Go up" he said and l climbed on his shoulders and reached for the bough. I caught it with my hand and Ciel pushed me ,high enough to wrap my arm round it. I stood like that for a moment, my feet dangling above the ground and then I pulled myself up.
              Then I lowered the cloth to Ciel's face and with some difficulty ,tied the other end to the tree. Ciel held it tightly and braced his foot on the bark. Slowly he began to climb up and finally sat on the thick branch with me.

              This was not the first time we had climbed a tree. We used to do it quite a lot when we were younger.  One time, we had climbed on an old tree and the branch cracked. We fell and I had sprained my ankle. I was really scared as there was a party the next day. My mother would punish me if she saw me limping. But Mary had helped me. She took all the blame saying that she had accidentally pushed me down the stairs and was punished harshly too. I felt my eyes sting again as I thought about Mary.

            " Hey Clarie, who are you dreaming about?" Ciel grinned. That idiot! He really knew when I was unhappy."Now tell me " I said.

              "Tell you what?" Ciel asked."Ciel...." I started when he smiled and said." There's not much to say. Dorian is Mary's father. Her mother and Dorian had quarreled long ago and they lived separately. It happened around the time you were born Clarie, I don't have much memory of it and Dorian never spoke about it. Then she worked as an attendant in the castle but after her mother's death, Mary would never talk to Dorian, as though he had done her some wrong."

      I was about to interrupt him when I heard a voice saying something and a familiar laugh. " Are you sure that this is safe sire?" Someone said.
" Oh, don't be such a scardy cat. No attacker is going to fall through the trees. Now leave us alone." Another replied.
   
           I peered down through the trees and to my shock I saw my sister walking towards the tree accompanied by none other than the king! I leaned farther and farther forward and my hand slipped. I screamed, Ciel called my name and tried to catch me. But he slipped too. Both of us fell to the ground.

             I closed my eyes and waited for the inevitable landing. But I fell on something soft. I heard a yelp and a scream. I opened my eyes. Ciel had landed on a pile of leaves and was on all fours searching with his hands. My sister stood in front of me, hands on her heart and her eyes wide as saucers with shock. I looked down and jumped a mile in the air and scrambled away. There sprawled on the ground in an undignified heap was the king. I had landed right on top of him.

         " Me and my big mouth. Of course someone would fall from the trees on top of me", he grumbled as he got up , rubbing his back."L......lo...lord" I squeaked. He turned to me surprised. " That's your sister, isn't it Cat? "He said. " She may be a petite thing but she sure weighs a lot" he said ,with a dry smile.
 
       My sister called by her nickname? I turned sharply. Was she blushing? I had the vague feeling that we had intruded upon something. I felt my protective feelings rise. No matter who he was, if that man tried anything on my sweet older sister then I'll beat him black and blue.

        "Clarie? Ciel?" My sister asked, coming and hugging me." I was so worried." She said. The king grabbed  Ciel and pulled him up gently. There was something unreadable on his expression. Ciel, on the other hand looked plain confused." My lord?" He asked. He was holding his left hand in his right.

       "Now boy," the king said," Can you explain why you had the princess alone with you on the high tree? I'm sure it had nothing to do with your sword practice." My face reddened. I understood what he was implying. King or not, this man needed somebody to slap him.

         "Excuse me, my lord." I said a bit angrily " But for Ciel's help, it would have been impossible to escape from the carriage."

         "Anyway, said my sister, giving the king a pointed look, " I think we should go back now. These kids look really worse for wear and I'm sure there is something wrong with Ciel's arm."

    "Oh no Miss, I'm perfectly fine" Ciel said , dropping us hand but wincing at the movement.
"Perfectly fine with a sprained hand I see. Now co!e with us to the carriage you two." Said the king

     "Carriage???" Both of us screamed at the same time. The king raised an eyebrow." You kids needn't worry. We aren't going to tie you up. But on one condition." He smiled his devilish smile again. How all those teen girls in town could gush about his looks I never know. I wanted to strangle him.

     "You both should stop your servile cringing tone and call me Steffan. After all Clarie, I'm going to be your brother"........
 
Hello!! How are the new characters? Hope the story is good. Please vote and comment.
         ~~~Crazyrak.