More Than a World Away

Daddy's Little Boy

Gabriella really didn't want to go. It was going to be dangerous, terrifying, and oh so very awkward to see her...*gulp* step dad? The only person who seemed more nervous than Gabriella was Trey. He'd never known his parents so it hadn't been such a shock that Earth was fake, but the fact that Gaby was his sister and his parents were a king and queen was absolutely mind boggling. Trey couldn't eat, he couldn't sleep, and he couldn't meet eyes with anyone in the castle. He mostly avoided Gaby and Jacob. How degrading, to break down and cry onto an acquaintance's shoulder. Well, since they weren't battling over Gabriella anymore then maybe Trey could call him a friend.

It was still a horrible blow to his dignity and Trey wasn't doing so well. Once, any woman would have called him handsome, but now he was so thin Helena was afraid he might break if he tripped. His cheeks were hollow and his face gaunt, the scruffy sort of unshaveness that he had was now almost a full grown beard. The worst part was his eyes,the once lively and fierce blue eyes were now sad and always a grayish blue, like the winter clouds were blocking out the blue sky underneath. As Trey walked to the dinning room his clothes hung very loosely around his figure. When Gabriella saw him around the corner she almost screamed. He litterly appeared to be the walking dead. Gabriella looked to Jacob, her own worry reflected in his face.

  "Trey, are you okay?" The worry VERY apparent in her voice.

   His voice hoarse and quiet, he replied,"I'll be fine." Gabriella put on her determined face and walked towards him.

  "No. You are not well let's take you back to your room." At that Trey tried to stand straight and look at her but his heart was pounding with the small effort and just as her face came into view he colapsed in exhaustion, the world going black.

  Gabriella screamed as she ran to catch him. "Jacob help me take him to the hospital wing!" They haphazardly carried him around the corner and up the stairs (along with help from the guards). Once they got there, all of them were out of breath and Trey was even paler than he had been. The healer came and pushed all the spectators away.

  "How come he hasn't come here sooner! He could've died!"She then told Gabriella and Jacob to leave(along with the guards) so she could get him on medicines and keep him from starving. Gabriella's heart was pounding and she became very nervous. But we're supposed to leave for Wicoing today! Gabriella didn't realize she'd said that to Jacob until he answered.

  I don't think we should go. Trey is not well the king must understand that.

  No. Jacob I think that would just make him furious, we will just have to go without him.

    I still don't think it's a good idea.

What other choice do we have?

Jacob didn't answer and just put his arm around Gaby's shoulders. It was comforting to know that he cared about Trey and about her. She looked up at him, into his eyes while he studied the nurse. They were strong and fierce and lively and Gabriella didn't think she'd loved anyone more then she loved Jacob.

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Trey's nightmares were horrible. All of them ended with him in chains watching Nicholai, Gaby, Jacob, Helena, and Winter (she was basically just a silhouette but he knew it was her)  beaten and murdered over and over. The worst part was that he couldn't wake up. When one ended another began over and over the screams were almost unbearable. Until one dream was different. It was a wedding, everyone was smiling as he and Gaby walked down the aisle towards Jacob and Nicholai, Helena off to one side. It was bright, so bright it was if darkness never existed and Trey got a rest from the horror of his nightmares. Finally, the effects of Trey's malnutrition and the medicine he was taking wore off and he awoke. The nurse informed him (quite rudely) that he could have died and that he wasn't well enough to go back to his room. When he asked where Gaby was she told him that His majesty the King, Lady Gabriella, and Jacob left four days ago for The Ancient City, Wicoing. It goes without saying, Trey was pissed.

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Wicoing was much farther away than Gaby had anticipated. It took about three hours just to get out to the plains of Maldov and another day and a half to arrive at the foot hills of the Colomain Mountains. Traveling the mountain pass took the most time. Even though to reach the Ancient City they didn't have to go all the way through the mountains, the path to the city was complicated and it took about two days to reach the outskirts of the Ancient City.

  The city resembled a fortress. The walls were twenty feet tall and the inner city was full of ill-looking people and markets. The walls of the buildings were gray and worn with age. The only thing that looked alive and shinning was the palace itself. The walls were made of blue stone and glass panels. The shudders and fountains shone with new paint while the trees and bushes and flowers were alive and colorful. It was an amazing site but it didn't feel as comfortable and warm as Riften Castle. The guards at the front gate had cruel expressions and were suspicious of the carriage driver until Nicholai looked out to see what the hold up was and the guard let them pass. The doors that led into the Castle were huge and took eight minutes to open so that the Travelling Maldovians could pass. They left the carriage at the main building with the foyer and walked to the King's office.The desk was enormous. it filled the room and was flanked by two lion statues that had evil expressions on their faces like If you move we will tear you apart. The king was not in so the three of them waited in the dark office. The sky outside had become gray and a steady rain began to fall. They waited nervously for thirty minutes and then the king was announced. The enormous wooden doors swung inwards and revealed the King of Wicoing. He was not extremely large, infact he was a little shorter than average. He had a well groomed beard and cold hard eyes. They were a stormy blue like Trey's but not in any way as lighthearted. He wore a sort of open chested shirt and tunic his boots were large and made him ever so taller (Not really). Gaby had a rather bad feeling that he was wearing the royal crown just to show them he had the power. As he came around the desk Gaby followed him with her eyes. She could see how he was related to Trey in the set of his jaw and the shape of his nose but his face and expression was immensely different. When he spoke his voice sounded like rocks scraping against each other or thunder rumbling.

  "So as I assume my son is not here. Unless he has two different colred eyes."He grumbled gesturing to Jacob. Gaby was going to speak but Nicholai stopped her.

  "Yes. He had fallen ill the day we were scheduled to leave. I felt we should still come to see what you, your majesty, wanted from us."

  "That is too bad." He didn't sound disappointed."I would've enjoyed meeting my son." He directed his words at Gabriella.

  "Gabriella and you there," Can go meet with Her Highness Queen Winter. I have Kingly buisness to discuss with you Nicholai." He then called the guard to escort them out.

"Well, my stepfather is nice." Gabriella cried sarcastically.

  "Yeah. I don't know if he "likes" either of us." The guard prodded them in the backs but didn't speak. His face was covered by a helmet and Gabriella had a feeling that his mind was purposely blocked from her. He lead them to a pair of ornately carved doors, opened one, and gestured for them to go inside. Right after he closed the door on them Gabriella realized how he was familiar.

  "Wait! Jacob we have to-" A hand was clamped over her mouth and Jacob was sprawled on the floor unconscious.

  "Really Gabriella, I thought you were better than that." The guard pulled off his helmet and the same perverted smile of the spy she'd caught was revealed. Apparently her eyes asked her question because his smile widened."We were trained together here. He was my partner in crime. And you took him away from me, now you will feel more pain than anyone in history." His smile became crazy and angry. He licked her face and put his hand up her tunic. She closed her eyes and thought to herself I'm going to die now. I never got to meet my mother and I never- I never told  jacob-. She began to sob as the man took out a dagger and brushed its cold surface against her cheek. Just when she knew the pain would start, the doors burst open. A woman with a crazed terror In her eyes,stood in the doorway with the same auburn hair and green eyes as Gabriella. She chucked a dagger into the man's back and he fell to the ground, dead. Gabriella began to shake violently and crumpled to the ground in terror and relief. The woman came and wrapped her arms gently around Gabriella's crying form.

  "It's alright sweety. Mother's here now." And they sat there together, Gaby weeping into her mother's arms.