The Adventure of Fel

chapter thirteen

       Alan and I spend the next few hours of night in the log-cabin dining hall, eating snacks and talking. He asks a lot about the Village and the Market, and I, in turn, pester him about his castle. Apparently, it has a grand total of five secret staircases, fifty bedrooms, and not one, but two indoor pools. After talking for a bit, Alan seems a bit sleepier, so I suggest we go to bed. 

       "No!" Alan protests, rubbing his eyes. "I want to play prince." 

       "Play?" I ask, raising an eyebrow. "You're rich and you live in a castle. You practically are a prince." Alan giggles - over the past few hours, I've concluded that little kids can't laugh, or snort, or chuckle - only giggle. 

       "You can be the princess!" Alan says. 

       "Princess? Alan, you must be confused. I'm the Queen." 

       And so we run around the castle, fighting imaginary villains and dragons; we duel on top of the dining room table, me barely catching Alan when he slips, letting out a happy squeal. We sail across oceans on pool floats and discuss matters of the kingdom from bean-bag thrones. We're just in the middle of Alan's dramatic death scene in the fourth floor hallway - he's just sacrificed himself to save the people of Bunny Kingdom - when there's a large bang. 

       "What in Pisces is going on?" I look up from my place on the floor, where I've been mourning Prince Alan, to see a very tired looking Eb standing in an open doorway. 

       "Oh, shoot," I breathe. I grin at Alan. "Prince Alan, it's time for you to be laid to rest in the great Tomb of Princes, so that your soul can join past mighty rulers in the stars. Let's go!" I grab his hand and we get up, running towards the staircase. 

       "Hey!" Eb calls out. 

       We dash up the stairs and to the fifth floor, where Alan says his room is the sixth to the right. It's not the same room we were in before with the snow-globe - this room is much, much larger, which is the first thing I notice despite how dark it is. Then Alan snaps his tiny fingers and the room comes to life. 

       The floors are a plain brown wood, and hanging from the ceiling is a classic chandelier. The bed in the far left corner is your typical four-poster. But the walls. Each wall is a new life. On the one opposite to the door is a glittering ocean that gets darker the further down you look. My gaze falls on each section of it individually - it's too much to take in as a whole. From the leaping dolphin to the tiny deep-sea creatures, it's easily the most beautiful painting I've ever seen. Until I move on to the next wall, a jungle with a judgmental tiger and carefree parrot. I've never seen so much green. On the wall with the balcony is the Kingdom's lush desert, the only place in the Lands that can grow the Desert Dragon Berry, the sweetest piece of fruit in the world. 

       "Alan, this is - "

       "What are you two doing still awake?" Eb enters the room and pushes past me, picking up Alan and carrying him to bed. 

       "Alan, what did I tell you?" he whispers. Alan doesn't meet his eyes, instead looking at the ground guiltily.

       "When the sky turns black, Alans hit the sack," he says. I'm not sure whether to laugh or cry at the silly rhyme in his pitiful tone. 

       "That's right. What were you doing up in the first place?" 

       "I was trying to finish my painting!" Alan cries, pointing to me. I startle and then turn around - Alan is actually pointing at the wall behind me, which has what looks to be a half-painted icy landscape. On the ground by the wall are several opened cans of paint and a bunch of towels, upon which are several wet paintbrushes. 

       "So why did you leave your room?" Eb asks. 

       "I wanted to see the new person! And then we ate food and played prince - "

       "Okay, okay. Just go to bed now, alright?" 

       "Okay, Ebony." 

       "I told you not to call me that, kid," Eb says, though he's grinning. He then turns to me. I try to smile, but he frowns. I follow him out of the room. 

       "So he has a painting ability?" I ask as soon as the door closes behind us. 

       "Yes. And he also has a problem going to bed when he's supposed to, which you're not helping." 

       "I'm sorry, I guess, but we were just having fun. Alan's a good kid. And his paintings! How does he even know what the ocean looks like?"

       "Books, mostly. A few family vacations from back in the day," Eb says, hands clutching at his gray long-sleeved shirt. "Anyway, I'd appreciate it if you could just give him the letter tomorrow and then - "

       "Get on my way. I got you," I say, suddenly exhausted. "I just wanted to talk to him. He's kind of like Birdy, you know. Very passionate." 

       "Go to bed please, Fel," Eb says, though I can tell he's not really mad. 

       "Ok, fine. Just one more question. How long are you planning on taking care of Alan? He seems like he's kind of cooped up in here, you know, as cooped up as a palace can be. And why are you so grumpy all the time? Just let him be a child." I step away from Eb, afraid he'll feel insulted. But he just sighs, meeting my gaze. 

       "I'll be here until he doesn't need me anymore. I still haven't found my ability, so it's not like I have anything else to do, and my parents are both dead, which is why Alan's parents took me in. I love Alan, and that means taking care of him, even if he hates me for it. Try to understand." 

       I flinch. There's that word again. Understand. 

       "I do," I say, though I don't, not really. No ability or parents. I give Eb an awkward pat on the back and then turn, heading back to my room. I'm surprised to find that I'm going to be sad to leave this place. 

       Back in my room, Gwen and Leo are snoozing away like no time has passed whatsoever. I collapse into the white bed and, the second my eyelids fall, plummet into a much-needed sleep.