More Than a World Away

All over again

Gabriella awoke to her room and the summer sun on her face. She felt very happy, very happy until she realized that Trey was in her room.

"Hey. I didn't want to wake you but we are needed downstairs." Trey stood up and waved goodbye and Gabriella stood up and hugged him. Then he left and she went about trying to find something to wear. Gabriella decided on the blue outfit and her regular riding boots. She barely brushed her hair beforr heading down. Not eating dinner did not go so well, half way down the hall her stomach howled.

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Jacob had a horrible feeling. It was as if someone kept little by little trying to convince him of something unspeakable. When he reached for the other consciousness it slipped from his hold. It was maddening and then when he saw Gabriella those horrible thoughts took over for a moment and he bacame a different person.

  Gaby saw it in his eyes. His pupils dilated so much she could barely see the brown and blue. A sadistic smild crept onto his face and he licked his lips hungrily. This scared her for a moment but then she knew what she had to do. She slowly and almost undetectabley entered his mind. It was a whirlwind of thoughts, one set of ideas fighting of another. Gaby subtly suppressed the stronger (and very disturbing) thoughts back into the deepest places of his mind and then released her hold all together. Once again she looked at his face and he was normal, although he looked tired and ashamed. She had no sympathy for him because those thoughts were evil, morbid, and unspeakable.

   Jacob felt horrible. Like someone had gone into his head and molded his brain into knots and now he had to untie them. It was exhausting work and when he finished "untying the knots", he felt drained. It was like whatever had caused these thoughts was still actively trying to force them into his mind. Gabriella gave him a concerned look but he grabbed her hand and squeezed it reassuring her.  After a moment he lost his serious demeanor.He playfully raised an eyebrow and lead Gabriella through the dinning room door.

  It was very difficult to avoid Trey and Jacobs glancing. Jacob would try and look at Gabriella then Trey would glare and then Jacob would start yelling at him telepathically. Now that Trey obviously couldn't have a relationship with Gabriella, he had become one of those overprotective brothers. Gabriella was sick of it sick of not being able to kiss Jacob, of not being able to hold his hand, she just was angry so she started to block them out.

"Mother, we have to do something! I already sent Maura and Gracie to be mediators between the governors and dukes and lords but the pressure is rising and they are becoming violent. King Redom is initiating it. I say we should start enlisting troops."

  "Nicholai it isn't that dire yet! We still can negotiate! " Nicholai's face was angry, this was one of those times it was obvious he was a king but then he stood and his voice got deathly calm.

  "Fine. But if this country is ambushed and unprepared, it is on your head." His voice dripped with venom as he turned and stalked out of the dinning room, not a bite of breakfast eaten. Helena's eyes welled with tears and she covered her face with her hands.

"Oh dears...*sob sob* he's too young for this! He can't be king during a war! He is just a boy, just a boy..." She trailed off, weeping into her hands. Gabriella went after Nicholai worried for his emotions and how he had affected Helena. Jacob pulled at her mind warning her but she just ignored him.

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Nicholai really wished she hadn't come. He was a king after all and to be vulnerable about your problems in front of a girl and one not even from your own kingdom was just embarrassing. It had been very tedious finding Nicholai because the castle was so huge. She finally sww him sitting on one of the outer walls of the main building where they could see the city and the ocean. The late summer sun was very warm and the blue sky was very comforting. When Gabriella came to sit by him he tried to hide his tears and wipe them off his cheeks. But Gabriella gently turned his head towards hers and cupped his chin in her hands.  She smiled warmly at him and wiped his tears with her thumbs. This kindness only caused more fat tears to spill out of his eyes. The corners of her mouth tugged upwards and she pulled him into an embrace. He cried silently into her shoulder for what seemed like hours until he couldn't cry anymore.