The Red Queen's Daughter: Book One

Chapter 12: Journey

"There's one word to describe you: mad. You're mad! Go to the Red Kingdom? Oh yeah, you're mad," Danny says.

"No, I'm not. We'll sneak out, we have to, to save Charlie before--- who knows what?" I say with a firm grip on my belief that we can get Charlie back.

Danny purses his lips,"Fine, Nicole, we don't tell anyone, but we take Charlotte, you, myself, and Nick and Nate, OK?"

"I was going to say those names anyway, so, sure. I'll be in charge of stuff like gauze and bandages, I'll grab a good cream for cuts. Danny, you'll be in charge of food. Charlotte, I'm going to need you to get three bows and arrows, a sword and shield, and two extra swords. Oh, and grab a few belts that you put the swords in. I still need a dictionary," I say, planning things out. "I'll tell Nick and Nate the plan. We'll leave at 11:45 tonight. But come to my room at 11:20 so we can plan more out. I don't know where Erin could be, so, yeah." I say.

Charlotte leaves to grab the weapons, Danny leaves to get food, and I'm off to get bandages and things and tell Nick and Nate the plan.

My plans are always so extreme, in case it wasn't obvious before. But I'll go there if its to save the lives of innocents.

I pack a bag of two pairs of shoes, a black dress and a red dress, and gauze and that good cream for cuts.

I race to tell Nick when no one's around. He simply nods when I tell him the plan. He says he's not surprised because he actually wants to go and save Charlie. He's been a good friend to him. He says he'll meet me at 11:20, our planned time to meet.

After I tell Nate, I return to my room.

Charlotte comes to my room early to deliver the weapons,"Perfect, thank you, Charlotte, you'll get a sword and shield, I'll make sure of it," I say.

She bows and leaves. I could really go without the bowing. Since I'm the White Queen's daughter, everyone is required to, but I seriously could go without it.

11:00. 11:10. 11:20. I hear a knock on my door, I answer it. Everyone's there. They're loyal. They're keepers as friends.

I tell them to come on the balcony, we sit in a circle. I give a belt to Charlotte and Danny, who are highly skilled with swords, they've practiced. I give them swords and shields. I give Nate, Nick, and myself a sheath of arrows and a bow. These weapons are so finely crafted, the arrows are crafted of wood, as the bow.

"I have extra clothes, do you guys?" I ask them. They nod, I'm now noticing the bags slung across their shoulders. Danny and Charlotte put their shields on their backs and the swords in their belt. Nae, Nick, and I put the sheath of arrows on our backs. I keep an arrow out and in my hand.

"OK, so when we leave, we find a good camp to stay at, I have blue fire torches. Danny has food, I also have bandages. When we get there, I have a plan, it's outrageous. I tell some guy named Nathan that loved my mother and tried to get me back that I've decided to return and that I was wrong. After a few days, I ask to see the prisoners. I'll bring my bow. I'll tell him I have the bow in case the prisoners have any ideas. While this is all happening, you guys will stay at the apple orchard, it's only about thirty minutes or an hour away from the Red Castle. I'll be safe. Nathan isn't aloud to kill me, no matter how bad he wants to. It's about some curse or whatever... It's eleven-forty five, let's go. Please, no objections about my plan, I'll be safe." I say.

I must be mad to think that's going to work, but it might work. We head out.

We make it across the moat and I'm leading the way.

We've been walking for a bit, and we found a good resting place, I set up my torches and Nate and Nick take guard.

I've slept for a while, and I'm about to tell them I'll take guard when I hear them talking, I can't help but eavesdrop.

"Do you think Nicole will let me go in the castle with her and pose as you? I don't want Nicole to be in there unprotected, something bad always happens." I hear Nate say. Ok, enough with the sappy stuff, Nate, cause I really have had enough sappiness (I don't know if that's a word) for a while.

"Nate, you're my best friend ever, and I respect you, but if she knew you wanted to protect her, well, let's just say, if she hears us right know, she probably thinks you're being sappy," Nick says, supporting my thoughts.

"Well, still, she can't be unprotected," Nate tells Nick.

"Even or, she'd want Charlotte with her, she's her best friend, she'd figure something out to sneak her along with her."

"Whatever, Nick." and that ends the conversation.

I open my eyes a crack, Nate's looking right at me, I quickly close my eyes.

"I saw that, Nicole. What'd you hear?" he asks me. This steals Nick's attention from a slowly dying torch right to me.

"Hear what?" I ask, playing the I-didn't-hear-anything-what-are-you-talking-about act.

"Come on, we know you heard that."

"Heard what?

"You're playing that act, I know you heard."

I shrug and go back to sleep.

When we all wake up, we travel to the apple orchard. When we reach it, I say goodbye to everyone but Charlotte, I ask her to come with. This makes Nate purse his lips. "Really, Nicole? Now I know you heard Nick and I talking last night." he says with formed eyebrows. His amber eyes burn into my skin, making the truth come out of me,"Maybe I did hear you, but, you know what? Maybe I do want Charlotte to come with me, considering we're best friends, we're going to leave now, so you can talk to Danny and Nick about how mad you are," I say, being pretty snotty, considering Nate was being kind've mean.

Charlotte and I set off, looking back at nothing, not even looking back when we hear rocks hit the tree. OK, this angers me, I waste an arrow by shooting an apple out of a tree right in front of Nate,"Knock it off!" I yell, before turning and finally not turning around, not even when we hear bark cracking...

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-Maddie (a.k.a.- Author :P)