Nadine's Journey

Chapter Five

Nadine

The first few minutes of our journey are silent. Unspoken questions leave a rather uncomfortable feeling in the pit of my stomach. Finally, Agustin speaks. "Now will you tell me what this is all about?"

"The first part is this." I hand him Rachel's journal, sifting through until I find the passage that I need.

Unexpectedly, Agustin reads it aloud. "Today is the day that I not only save my own neck, but the princess's too. The bonus is the sacks of gold coins that I will receive. Why anyone would contract me to kill the princess, I do not know. But, what I do know is that whoever contracted me will hire another if he does not believe the job is done. Later. I have just returned from the palace. The infant princess is with me, and she has not made a sound other than the occasional mumble. She is so beautiful, but I know that I cannot keep her forever. But in the meantime, I have found a house suitable for raising a child. Even better is the fact that it is far from the palace. It is, in fact, on the outskirts of the kingdom. I will raise Princess Nadine as my own. She will keep her name, but I am afraid that I cannot tell her of her true title until she is ready. I fear, though, that I will not be able to let her go when the time is right. She will know me as her mother, and I will give her all the love that a mother would give her offspring. She will know no evil. My only hope is that the evil man that hired me to kill her does not find out that she lives. My heart cries out with sorrow when I think of King Raven and Queen Helen, who by now are most likely deeply mourning the loss of their daughter. I am sorry for what I have done to them, but in order to save their child, I must do this." He looks at me in shock. "P-p-please tell me that you are not," his words are choked.

"I am," I confirm. His eyes squeeze shut.

"Are you positive?" His desperate question makes me want to laugh and cry at the same time.

My tone turns dark, "I would not be, if not for the events that led me here. Only a couple days ago, I woke up with the intention of making my mother breakfast and thanking her for having patience with me and for loving me... only, she had an important matter to discuss with me." I take a shaky breathe. "She told me about her past, and the events that led up to me. She explained that she was an assassin, but she chose not to kill the baby she was hired to kill, which was me. I couldn't even process the reality of that statement, of her story, before screams rang out. She gave me supplies, a journal of hers, weapons, and a journal of my own in case I needed to record anything that happens to me. She sent me through a hidden tunnel beneath the floorboards. When I finally emerged, one last scream rang out, a scream that haunts my memories... it was the scream of the woman that raised me. I could see the smoke from my village in the distance. I did the only thing I could think to do... I ran."

I look over to see Agustin on his knees. Shock rolls through my body. "Princess," he says, his head bowed.

"Please, please don't call me that."
"But that is what you are, princess. It is your title, and it would not be respectful of me if I did not acknowledge your title."
    "Listen," I sigh. "I just found out days ago that the woman who raised me is not my mother. That was a shock, but I have come to accept it. Then Rachel and the entire village was slaughtered. That was an even bigger shock... and yet I have also come to accept it. I have, however, not accepted my title. At least give me some time to think about it before you start following traditions. Besides, as we pass through towns and villages, I must keep my true identity a secret."

He still is on his knees, his eyes glued to the ground. "But princess, it would be disreputable."

"Fine, then." I throw my hands up. "I order you, as your sovereign, to call me Nadine. Not Princess Nadine. Not Princess. Just Nadine." I grab his hands and pull. He gives way and stands up. "What are you calling me?"