Innocent

Chapter Twenty

In my past when I was still a child, I remember the joyful feeling of when my parents would wake me up on a certain day early in the morning and urge me to follow them outside. My selfish protests of staying in bed all day often made them force me to wake up. My mother would use her magic, since she was gifted with them since birth, to summon cold water and sprinkle them lightly on my face. However, my father with his unordinary strength and iron grip would carry me off the bed without hesitation.

They both would take me outside while the sun is still partially peaking through the morning sky. On that day, I knew already what was waiting for me once they reached their destination. Every year, I get the same surprise: a batch of strawberries and other varieties of fruits handpicked by them in the Eastern Kingdom, an old plaited blanket settled on top of the grass that were sprinkled with morning dew, and a light blue balloon.

We'd eat the fruits as a family but not before we recite a brief prayer for more joyful days in the future to a small, pocket-sized wooden figure carved into a man with humongous wings. It's eyes were perfectly carved out along with its nose. I don't recall ever seeing if it had a mouth though. I remember this small figure clearly and often feel guilty of the many times I dropped and scratched it unintentionally.

My mother wasn't a too superstitious woman but she said that the wooden man with wings would always protect those who worship him. He served as our guardian through our darkest and unluckiest days.

Those kinds of days filled my heart with joy and happiness. Each year my parents do this, it gets easier to wake up early because I want to be there with them laughing and smiling.

I miss those days so much. Now, I'm stuck with a cocky, prideful, Northern Prince who decided to drag me outside for no damn reason. He might of had one, but he doesn't seem like he'd be telling me sooner.

"What are we doing here?" I grumbled, noticing my mistake of going outside with Alexander. He had brought us into a clearing in the forest at the back of the castle. The trees above towered over us, blocking the sunlight with their broad leaves and thick branches. We weren't far from the castle. However, there was no one close to us for me to run for help to in case Alexander even tries to do something to me.

I eyed the maroon bag slung over his shoulder with curiosity and caution. Bad scenarios began to run through my head at the different possible reasons why he would drag me outside with him alone. Nervously, I looked around trying to figure out how I would escape if worse comes to worse. "Geez, relax! I'm not going to do anything. You'll be the one doing the work today," Alexander rolled his eyes and finally stopped walking, dropping the bag on the ground. The bag landed with an exhausted thud on the dirt and slouched lazily against an old tree.

I narrowed my eyes as Alexander unzipped the bag and took out its contents one by one. From time to time, he would take a few of the equipment and set them on the ground right in front of the tree the bag was resting on. As he began to assemble what seemed like a newly-made target, he took out a small, black object with a long muzzle from somewhere in the bag which caused the blood from my face to drain. My heart began to pound in my ribcage at the sight of the firearm held securely between his fingers as he began to load the bullets in it.

"What the hell!?"

Alexander gave me a flat look, "Seriously? Don't tell me this is the first time you saw a gun before."

"Oh, I have seen many, but just not this close," I explained in my defense. Alexander only rolled his eyes once more and continued to dig through the bag. He pulled out a silver box which had a lock on it. He toyed with the numbers until a click was heard. He eyed the neatly placed silver bullets inside.