The Princess and the Writer

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Chelle and Lupa were worried. Though Anne was no longer the same scared girl they had brought to Redeem, her new found confidence was fast turning into cockiness. If the girl was not showing off her skills, she was bragging about them. If she was not bragging about them, she was making declarations about how she would squash Nadira under the soles of her feet. 

They worried because the more Anne focused on herself and how amazing and powerful she was, the less she thought about what was really important; freeing the prisoners, ending Nadira's rule, and finding the Great Book. They wondered if she even truly cared anymore. 

Not to mention the villagers. They had begun to whisper among themselves of how different the princess was. She had grown proud and arrogant, and spoke more from her mind and less from the Book. Discomfort was stirring up in the crowd though no one had the courage to bring it up...no one but Chelle and Lupa.

She had just come back from playing with some children and was hungrily gorging through a meal. Her two friends watched her in silence. Did she even care about Redeem anymore? Anne noticed the silence and looked up from her plate. She arched her brows quizzically.

"What?" she asked with her mouth full. 

"Anne," Chelle began.

"Who?" Anne said cheekily. 

Chelle sighed. "Writer."

"That's better," Anne said then giggled. "I'm kidding. Talk to me."

"We're worried about you," Chelle told her.

"Why?"

"You've changed. You're not the same girl we brought to Redeem."

Anne snorted. "Of course I'm not. The girl you brought was cowardly and weak. She was a nobody."

"That's not true," Lupa said with a frown.

Anne rolled her eyes. "Debatable. Anyway, the girl you brought was not going to free Redeem and you know it. She was too scared of Sandra. Now, I can take on anybody with both hands behind my back!"

"This isn't about you, Anne," Chelle said.

"I know," Anne said, bored with the conversation already. "This is about putting Sandra in her place."

Lupa furrowed his brows. "Who is this Sandra you keep talking about?"

Anne blinked. "Nadira. I meant Nadira."

Chelle shook her head. "Vengeance cannot be what you're after, Anne. It won't work. Do not forget that you are here to protect the people, to free the land."

"By getting rid of Nadira once and for all," Anne responded. "I can do it now. I'm stronger than her, and way smarter. I am the writer, after all."

"Nena would never talk like this," Lupa said with a frown.

"I am not Nena. I am the writer.  Without me there is no her."

"You are not yourself either," Lupa went on. "You never used to be this proud. What happened to relying on the words of the Great Book?"

Anne shrugged.  "Who needs the Great Book when I control everything?"

"They guided Nena. They can guide you."

"I don't need the guidance of a book I don't even know!" Anne retorted.

"If you fixed it in the story, then you must have known it's importance," Chelle said. "Don't ignore it. Pride goes before a fall."

"And where did you get that?" Anne asked.

"From the Great Book."

Anne shook her head. She was in no mood for a lecture from people who did not understand. She now had the power to overcome her bullies, and to be amazing. For once, she would come out on top. What was so wrong with that? She stood.

"Thanks for lunch, but I lost my appetite."

"Where are you going?" Chelle asked in exasperation. 

"To find more supportive company," Anne shot back and walked out.

Chelle and Lupa sighed. Would Redeem ever be freed at this rate?

Anne sulked as she trudged across the plain. So much for friendship. They thought she was proud? She was not proud. She was merely honest. Honesty was the true sign of humility, not deception.

She stopped at the huge gulley that separated the rich part of the land from the dead wasteland. She stared at it and frowned, the knowledge that she was the one responsible for the ruination ruining her mood even more. Her fists clenched.

"Am I the writer or am I not?" She asked herself.

Accepting the silent challenge she made herself, Anne took a few steps back. She narrowed her eyes, studying the terrain across from her and took a deep breath. Then she burst into a sprint towards the gulley. She reached the edge and leapt with all her might.

The result was as she expected. She leapt over the gulley and landed safely on the other side.

"Well, I am not the long jump champion in school for nothing," she mumbled under her breath.

Looking around, she saw that things were much worse up close. The fire had completely ruined the soil. Nothing would grow there for years...not if she could help it, that is.

She spread out her arms and smiled in self assurance.

"I am the writer," she declared. "I can do all things."

Then she smiled and swept her arms over the terrain before her.

Nothing happened.

Anne furrowed her brows. What was going on? Why wasn't anything happening? She tried again, this time focusing her attention on one spot. Still nothing.

"This is ridiculous. This is my world. I can do whatever I want," she muttered.

'Clearly not anymore,' she thought as she unsuccessfully attempted to grow a tree from a stump. She shook her head. She had controlled water and bent trees just the other day, for goodness sake; how was fixing a damaged piece of land out of her job descrition?!

Her heart beginning to race, Anne looked at the sky and saw a flock of birds. She reached out to them with the intention of them fluttering around her like the last time. They did not respond to the gesture. It was like they hardly were aware of her presence.

Something was definitely amiss. She couldn't expect to go against Nadira and beat her if she was no longer the powerful writer. Without her abilities, she would go back to being plain old cowardly Anne that couldn't stand up for herself if her life depended on it. She couldn't afford to be that now. Chelle and Lupa; they would know something about this, she was sure. She needed to go back to Chelle and Lupa, and get to the bottom of this.

Anne gave herself some running space, her mind already churning with all sorts of fears and worries. Was she losing her powers? If so, why? Had Nadira actually found the Great Book and was using it against her right now?

Her mind filled with all sorts of thoughts, the girl ran to the edge and leaped like before. However this time, she dropped midair, inches away from the other side. Anne's eyes widened in panic and she let out a scream as she flung her arms wildly, desperate to grab onto something.

Somebody grabbed her hand just in time. Anne struggled to grab onto something.

"Relax," the someone said. "The more you struggle, the harder it will be for me to pull you up."

"How can you expect me to not struggle!" Anne exclaimed.

No response was given, only a grunt as the person pulled her out of danger.

"Thank you! Thank you so much!" Anne said, still panting from the near death experience.

She lifted her eyes to behold her saviour, and blinked.

"Nick?" She said in surprise.

She was in even more surprise when Khin pulled her to him in a hug.

"You're alive," he said in genuine relief. "Thank goodness you're alive."

Anne's brows shot high up her forehead. Just what kind of twist in the story was this?