It's My Life

Chapter 28 - Time to go home.

"Princess, thank the Gods you're safe." The man said. My jaw dropped, as did Tom's, and I heard Brad, Shields and Jones gasp in shock.
"Princess?" Jones stammered. I kept my eyes on the man, trying to see if it was a joke or a prank, but the eyes held nothing but sincerity and determination.
"I...I don't understand." I said. I looked at Jones, whose mouth was opening and closing like a fish, then looked at Shields and Brad, identical stunned looks on their faces. Before the man could say anything the phone rang. Jones stared at it a moment, as though forgetting how to use a telephone, but picked up the handset.
"J..Jones here." He said, and listened to the voice on the other end. "Tell them to come up to Conference Room 1." He added, and put the phone down, then looked at me. "Your parents are here." Jones said and I blinked my eyes rapidly to stop myself crying more, the overwhelming emotions flooding through me making me feel a little dizzy. I heard the lift ping and looked around, seeing a group of people exit it, but my eyes went straight to the two familiar faces at the front. When my parents saw me they let out identical cries of shock and anger. I tried to stand to go to them but Brad put a hand on my shoulder.
"You're too weak. Take it easy." He said. Mum and Dad ran down the hall, and Mum collapsed to the floor at my feet, pulling me to her, and I hugged her tight, body shaking from sobs. It felt like an eternity since I'd last seen them. Dad moved over and wrapped his arms around the two of us, and we just stayed in that position, not wanting to move.
After a few hours, or so it felt, Mum and Dad let go, then Dad turned to Brad.
"What the hell did you do to her? She's skin and bone!" He yelled. Jones opened his mouth, but the man next to Tom moved over to Dad.
"Please calm yourself, Mr. Silver. All will be well now. Please sit and we can talk." He said. Dad looked at him.
"Who are you?" Dad asked.
"I am Andreas White, Ambassador to the Royal family of Crystallia, and I'm here to take the princess home." He said. Dad looked at him, then to me. Mum gasped, a hand going to her mouth.
"Princess?" Dad repeated.
"Yes. She is the lost princess of our kingdom. If you would kindly sit down, I can explain." Andreas said. Tom pulled a chair over for Mum to sit in, figuring she'd want to stay close to me, and then sat down next to the other woman, who I had to guess was his mum. Mum sat down and Dad sat in a chair on my other side, both of them holding my hands.
"Just over nineteen years ago Queen Mallora fell pregnant. Knowing she would need a nurse for the baby she hired Sulea again, who had been nurse to the other children, a prince and another princess. Sulea was in a relationship at the time with a very...the best word to use would be domineering...man. He wanted money, but he also wanted all of Sulea's attention, rather greedy and selfish that he was. When the baby was born Sulea's attention was on her, and not on him, which he obviously hated. So when everyone had gone to bed the second day he slipped into the nursery whilst Sulea was asleep and stole the baby from her crib. No one had questioned why Monterry was at the palace, he often came there to be with Sulea in the days before the baby had arrived, no one suspected anything. He may have been arrogant, but trustworthy." Andreas said. Everyone was silent, listening avidly to the story.
"The princess, still yet unnamed, was discovered missing the next morning, but by then it was too late, the trail had gone cold, not to mention no one could find Monterry. He had managed to block himself off from everyone. Guards went in all directions, searching for days, but she was never found. We didn't even think it was Monterry until Sulea said that she couldn't find him or feel him. The search went on for years, but we had lost hope. We found Monterry a few years ago, but he was dead, and all knowledge of where the princess might be had gone to the grave with him." Andreas finished. I watched him during the story, feeling overwhelmed.
"I have older siblings." I said.
"Yes. A brother, Shanthe, and a sister, Leira." Andreas said. I felt tears well up, and was a little surprised I had any left. I wiped the tears away, and a guard came down the hall, carrying my things. He placed them inside the room, looking around at everyone, and then left.
"So what now?" I asked.
"First thing we need to do is get you to the ocean, another day and you will surely die." Andreas said.
"But I can't...I can't leave just yet." I said. Jones looked at me as I spoke, as did others.
"Why not?" Andreas asked. I glanced at Brad, then at my lap. Brad sighed.
"She has a tracking chip in her lower back." Brad said. I felt anger flow all around me.
"Then you had better take her to your lab or whatever and remove it immediately. One of my men will accompany you so you don't try anything." Andreas said. Brad looked at Shields, who nodded.
"Okay." Brad said, and both he and Shields moved towards me, as did a guard.
"While they are gone, we have some things to discuss, Director Andrew Jones, regarding the safety of Louise, Jeremy, and Cassandra." Andreas said. Jones nodded. As I was wheeled out Tom moved over to me.
"Thank you for keeping your promise." I said to him. He smiled to me.
"It was my pleasure, my princess." He said. I smiled tearfully and I wondered if he thought as I did. Would we be allowed to be together? Brad started to move me away, but Tom stopped him.
"I love you. You have to get better, for me, for yourself." He said. I nodded.
"I will try." I replied. Brad wheeled me down the hall, Shields and the guard  behind us. As we entered the lift I kept my eyes on my parents and Tom until the doors closed, then started to cry again.
"Wow." Shields breathed. Brad was nodding.
"I reckon." I said softly. They both looked at me.
"We are very sorry, Cass." Brad said. I kept my head lowered.
"I know." I said. I was wheeled out and into the lab. Tucker and Warden were there, destroying the evidence, another guard watching them.
"What's going on?" Tucker demanded. Brad and Shields looked at me.
"Cassi is leaving, and the records are to be destroyed. Everything about her is to  be eradicated." Brad said. Tucker frowned, but Warden smiled.
"Everything? Then what was the last week for? A waste of time and resources." Tucker said.
"Circumstances change. Do as you're told." Shields snapped. Tucker frowned, but didn't answer. She continued deleting records, burning the documents and samples. I was wheeled through to the lab and Shields and Brad grabbed scrubs, gloves and masks.
"Up on the table." Shields directed. The guard beside me helped me up out of the chair, over to the table, and lifted me up. I lay on my stomach and tried to relax as they pulled up my top just enough to expose the area, then draped a cloth over it.
"You will feel a cold wet feeling, but that's just to numb the area. It will hurt sadly, but we don't have time to knock you out for the duration. It'll only take a few minutes." Shields said. I bit my lip, trying to stay still, clenching my hands together. I heard them move around behind me, and jumped slightly at the cold swab that touched my lower back. I tried to relax.
"Okay Cass. We're going to make the cut now. Dr. Shields be ready with the spreader." Brad said. I took a deep  breath and felt the scalpel cut through my skin, though it was more a pull than a painful cut.
"Spreader." Brad said, and I felt something push into the wound. I gasped, but stayed still. I felt them move about, and yelped slightly as I felt them pull something out.
"Okay, we have the chip. Remove the spreader." Brad said, and the instrument was removed. The area was wiped, and they started cleaning up. A few minutes later Brad patted my shoulder.
"All healed. You can stay here as long as you like, Cass. I'm sure they'll understand." He said. I sat up slowly.
"Take it easy." He said, and I looked at him as I sat on the edge of the table.
"I'll be fine. Are you going to tell Jenny or Tabby anything? I don't know how to keep in touch with them from...there, though I might end up living on land. Depends on my...parents." I said. Brad smiled.
"I completely understand. A big blow to the head. And I don't know if I will tell Jenny or Tabby anything. They don't need to know. Unless you tell them." Brad said.
"You got that right." I said. Brad chuckled.
"Can I get you anything?" Brad asked. I shook my head.
"It is time to reconvene." The guard spoke gruffly, and Brad nodded.
"All right. Come on Cass, into the chair. Think you can manage?" He asked, but before I could reply the guard came over and scooped me up off the table and moved me to the chair gently.
"Oh, thank you."  I said. He positioned himself behind me and grabbed the handles.
"Let's go." Brad said. He led the way down the hall and to the lift, the guard pushing me along.