How to Princess - Series

Chapter 5

1 year later

Saph's POV

I sat in the tree and huffed. We were back in the forest and Felix and Caelan were rolling around like animals fighting. Again. I can't say that I dont enjoy a good fight but I was growing bored of their arguments.

"Guys!" I yelled down. "For God's sake please stop fighting for 2 seconds!" I jumped out of the tree and grabbed Felix by the ear and Caelan by his hair. I yanked them away from each other and they both yelped in pain. I let go of them.

Caelan's hair had changed in the past year. It was now short at the sides but still quite long and curly at the top instead of his scruffy longish hair he'd had before. Felix hadn't changed much. Both boys looked older slightly. Caelan had a small scar on his top lip from when Felix had thrown a rock at him and Felix had a healing gash in his forehead from where Caelan had tried to bash his face in with a tree.

They both scowled at me and I fell into the grass. "I want Willow back as much as you do. So stop fighting and figure out how to bring her back to us"

Felix stood up and went over to the box where Willow's body lay. Felix had carved it and we left her in the forest. Well, Caelan stayed with her.

The past year was hard. People were afraid of me as I still had to figure out how to make my eyes look normal and most of all things between myself and Caelan were nothing short of awkward. I had the same feeling for him as Willow did. Or does. But he would never feel the same way about me. He was too caught up in getting Willow back he never thought twice about me.

Felix sighed. "I can try again but I doubt it will work" he said and I nodded in response. He brought his hands up and closed his eyes. I sighed and watched whilst Caelan retook his place beside Willow. Her steady breaths seemed to calm him.

I began to feel a dull throbbing at the back of my head and I groaned. "It's not working! I can't get to her! Every time I try it goes straight to Saph!" Felix said throwing his hands in the air.

Caelan walked over to us. "How is she feeling?" He asked me. He had asked me daily since we figured out that I could feel her emotions if I concentrated hard enough. I sighed and scrunched up my eyes and tried to focus on Willow.

Fear and adrenaline coursed through my veins and I wanted to cry. I was terrified. My breathing quickened and my heart felt like it was going to burst out my chest. I snapped my eyes open and felt the feelings leave my body. "She's petrified. Same as yesterday, the day before that and the day before that" I sighed.

Caelan ran his hands through his hair. "I want to see her again" he said finally.

"Caelan. Don't torture yourself. We do this every day and it doesnt help" Felix pleaded.

Caelan's face hardened. "I said do it" he hissed. I looked at the ground. Felix looked at me.

"I'll need the hook" he said. I nodded and reached into my backpack and pulled out my fathers hook. We had found that Felix had it and was drawing magic from it. I had to carry it about with me everywhere because without magic I simply don't exist.

I handed it to Felix and he gripped it tight. "Hold on" he said and I grabbed his arm. Caelan took mine and we felt a feeling of tiredness before we fell to the ground.

When we opened our eyes Felix stood and Caelan and myself picked ourselves off the ground. After a year we still werent able to have a graceful landing. Caelan looked around the dead forest.

Grey trees loomed over our heads. No leaves were on their branches. Strange sounds could be heard and it made me feel uneasy. Caelan glared at Felix. "She's not here"

"She will be. Have patience" Felix sighed. I looked around and heard a clock chime. My heart dropped. "Tea time" Felix said.

I heard the thudding of footsteps charging towards us and Caelan snapped to the direction of the sound. A girl with a head of messy brown hair sprinted into view. Her face was covered in dirt and her clothes with ripped. Her white shirt was no longer white and her black skirt was torn. Her black tights were riddled with holes and one of her knees were scraped and bleeding. Scars on her arms were visible as she covered her head from the birds that were diving on her from the skies.

"Willow" Caelan breathed.

"Time for tea Willow!" Someone shouted.

"You can't miss tea!" Someone else giggled.

Willow fell and curled up as the birds clawed at her. They weren't harming her severly. Simply warning her. One hand began running through the muck and my head cocked to the side as I watched her.

Her hand gripped something and she swung it up at the birds. It hit one of them at the shrieked as it hit the ground. She giggled and started swinging at the other birds. They flew away and she smiled and fell back against a tree and began assessing her injuries.

It was the same every day. It pained me to watch it. Caelan watched and looked like someone had killed a puppy in front of him. I couldn't stand it anymore. I crept towards Willow as she looked around. She bit her lip and I watched Caelan as his face softened. He looked like he wanted to cry. I looked back at my other half and saw as she covered her face with her hands. Her body shook gently as she cried.

We hadn't seen her cry since she'd got here. It was a strange sight. She moved her hands and leaned forward to begin writing something in the dirt. We walked forward to see what she was writing. She finished and sat back before returning to be curled up and crying.

Caelan pushed past us to see what was written and fell to the ground when he saw it. I leaned over him and saw what was written.

Happy 18th Birthday Caelan

I gasped and looked at Caelan. "She left a year yesterday" he whispered. "It's her birthday tomorrow and I'll miss it again"

I felt something in my chest when he said her birthday. I sighed remembering that Caelan would never think of me. Never remember that it was also my birthday tomorrow. I sighed loudly before stepping forward and placing a hand on her shoulder. She wouldnt feel it but I could.

I scrunched up my eyes and concentrated as hard as I could. I felt a strange feeling and then a rush of familiarity came over me as I became comfortable back in Willow's mind.