Royal Alley

Extra Ordinary

I lay on the hard ground, thinking, unable to fall asleep. Finally, at around eleven that night I got up and wandered around the city in the dark, watching Cooper's defenses and still searching for any weaknesses. Having found none, I walked back to camp. As I made my way down roads, keeping to the shadows, I couldn't help but feel like I was being watched. My instincts had kept me alive this long, I knew I wasn't wrong. So as I turned a corner, I quickly ducked into a nearby doorway and listened. Sure enough, a pair of barely distinct footsteps padded silently down the street, just a few feet from me.

       Then I heard Cooper's distinct voice, "You've evaded me once before, Rose."

       I flattened myself farther against the wall.

       "I know you're there, hiding. You've run away from your people, abandoned them. If you would've joined me, I would've gladly let you rule Royal Alley with me."

I hesitated. Isn't this what I wanted, to be marry someone like me? Cooper's way of ruling was wrong, but if I didn't go to the castle, maybe things could go back to what they used to be. Maybe leaving Royal Alley would create more death and chaos than I could fix as Queen. If the King sent Eean and his soldiers here to try to fix this place, it's obvious that it hasn't worked. What if I can't do better.

"Rose, I was wrong. If you become Princess, you can help us even more."

       I walked slowly out into the street, facing Cooper. As he saw me he turned to face me. I didn't know whether he was serious or not. Cooper put up his hands, holding his uzi up above his head.

"Look. I was wrong," Cooper said.  "When I first saw you with that Royal, I thought that you two were a thing. But I see now, that I was wrong, no one could ever love a Royal. I'm sorry that I betrayed you."

"What do you want?" I said coldly.

"Why?"

"Because if you become Princess, you can send money to Royal Alley. We could become better off than we've ever been."

I looked into Cooper's handsome, boyish face, his red lips, the way he always had one eyebrow raised. I could marry someone the same as me. Or I could suffer for a nobler cause, that might not help anyone anyway.

"I'm already planning on becoming Princess," I said.

Cooper nodded, "Then will you send us help?"

"Of course," I said. "I'll try."

"But what if your parents don't agree?"

"Then I'll find another way."

Cooper looked down, nodding. "I know that what I'm suggesting is difficult-"

"I won't kill my parents," I said sternly.

Cooper looked into my eyes. "If you're not with me, then you're against me."

I didn't move, and we continued to look at each other. Then he swung his uzi over his shoulder as I jerked my pistol out of my belt. But before we could fire at each other, gunshots ricocheted into the alley from above and we raised our guns to the roof. Three people were on the roof, and began ducking between shots as we returned fire. I shot at one man and dove to the ground as shots fired above my head. I rolled and fired blindly at them, only looking to see if I hit when I was back on my feet. Two of them lay on the roof, and the third one glanced at his dead friends and ran off into the night. I exhaled, but remembering that I still had a threat I turned around and saw Cooper laying on the ground, gun tossed at his side. I froze. I heard him coughing and he groped for his pistol. I walked cautiously to his side and kicked his gun away. His face was contorted in pain and he look up at me through narrowed eyes, flinching when I knelt down, tugged my sweater off, and pressed it over his stomach where blood was oozing from a bullet wound.

       I grabbed his gun from off the ground a little ways away, and fired it in the air in SOS Morse code. I rose to my feet, discharging the bullet case, and tossed Cooper the gun.

       I turned away and raced back into the night.