The Red Queen's Daughter: Book One

Chapter 9

I slip down to the library to read some books on Uplanders. Erin says they're good books. I take down a book called, Uplanders: They're Just Like Us...Maybe.

I sit down and start reading: Uplanders. We know them as the strange creatures frm above. The thing is, they're just like us. Some of them speak our language, Unlish. Up there, it's called English. Our vocabulary has a few words more than theirs. Such as, Unlish and Underland.

They have strange motor devices called cars. They have four wheels and run on a strange thing called gas. They also have transportations such as bikes, motorcycles, scooters, skateboards and some others

They have foods like us, too. Such as cookies, fruits, meats, and others.

Something that we really have in common is something called friendship. Good old friendship. The sad part is, friendship doesn't always last. The friends may fight and separate. One may be mean to the other. One may judge the other. But friendship has some ups, too. The friends can have fun together. Friends usually share some things in common. That's usually what makes them friends.

I stop reading. I've read enough. I run back up to my room, to find that the blue fire torches have gone out. "Dangit!" I exclaim. I walk onto the balcony. The moon is high, the stars are out, it's a clear night. I hear my bedroom door open and close. I whip my head around. I squint my eyes, trying to make out their face in the dark.

Since I can't make out a face, I close and lock the doors that lead to the balcony. Now I'm out here on the balcony, all alone because some idiot figured out how to pick a lock.

I see there's a empty, small flower pot out here. I pick it up, unlock the doors, and head into my room. I look around but can't find anyone... Or anything. I sit on my bed, ready to throw the flowerpot if needed.

"Who's there?" I ask the dark. "It's Nick, I'm going to the armory, I'll be right back, go on the balcony and don't ask questions. There's Red Knights in the castle. Put on a dark gown and stay on the balcony." he says nervously.

After he's gone, I throw on a black nightgown and matching slippers and head to the balcony. Great, Red Knights. I get to face them. A sit down on the balcony.

More shadows enter my room. I see two people come on the balcony. Charlotte, and Nate. "Bad news, really bad news, Charlie and Danny got caught by two knights. Nick's going to the armory to get weaponry." Charlotte says, sitting down next to me Nate sits on the other side of me. I notice Nate's cut on his forearm.

"Knights?" I ask him, pointing to his arm. He looks at his arm and groans. "I'm just noticing that. We fought the knights. Got some swords from the armory. We dropped them." he says. I race inside my room and reach into the bag I brought, my hand lands on some gauze. Did I forget to mention I packed that?

I head out on the balcony and wrap up Nate's arm. "Thanks," he says.

I head back in my room and get some more gauze after seeing a large cut on Charlotte's foot.

Nick heads back with armloads of weaponry."Who here is good with a bow and arrow?" he asks. I raise my hand. He gives me the bow and a sheath of arrows. I sling the sheath over my shoulder.

Nick ends up goring a sword and shield to Charlotte. And another bow and arrow to Nate.

"We need to go and fight them before they destroy the castle." Nick says. I gladly stand and walk out my door. A hand pulls me back into my room. "What the heck, Nate?" I say after finding out it was him.

"You have to wait for us," he says.

"No, I don't have to. The castle is being destroyed right now and I'm gonna go save it!" I race down the steps.

"Wait!" I here him yell.

I don't turn around, I head straight into battle, my most hated thing next to death.

"There she is!" I hear a knight yell.

I start shooting a knights. They start falling, Nate comes out behind me and starts shooting. Charlotte starts taking off the knights' limbs with the sword. I need to kill the Knights, but I hate it.

Somebody picks me up from behind, by the cold fingers I'm guessing a Knight. I struggle to fight free, kicking and screaming, smashing the bow onto his helmet, but his grip on my arms is tight. 'He' lifts up the helmot. It's not a he, it's my aunt. "Miss me?!"she asks, making the sharp points on the fingertips of her armor go into my skin. I cringe.

"No!" I scream, kicking the chest piece of he armor. This makes her grip go loose. I pry off her fingers one-by-one, run behind my friends, and start shooting again. I feel the warm trickle of blood down my arms, I look at it. My aunt left five deep marks on each of my arms. I race up to my room, wash my arms, put gauze on them, grip the gauze in my hand, then run back downstairs.

I set the gauze in a corner and start shooting again.

We fight for a long time, until there's one Knight left. The Red Queen.

***

Blood on her face, she says,"So, little Nikki, where has your mommy been this whole time?"

"I've been right here, Carmon." We look to the right and see my mother, sword in hand. "I've been fighting, though I hate it. Because I care about my subjects. Now I suggest you leave before we have you removed by our knights," mother says with the sweet voice that got things practically handed to her.

"Look at me with those eyes, and you think I'll melt like mom and dad, wrong. Take this as a warning, Anna. I have worse plans," she says, looking at my friends.

As she walks away out the doors, I pull back my last arrow, aim for her head and yell,"Off with your head!"

I drop the bow. I just killed the Red Queen. End to all reigns of terror. She drops. Mouths drop.

Is this a good or bad thing that I've just done?

"Nicole, why?" my mother asks, expression hidden.

I don't know what to do, I just run up to my room.