Princess with a Gun

Chapter 3

Noah POV

I smiled at my sleeping wife and kissed her forehead before getting dressed. I smiled at the guards as I exited our chambers and walked through the halls with our conversations running through my head of our daughter. She is so strong-willed but it seems that her light has been dying since she's arrived. I don't want to lose her again, I don't know what it would do to my sweet Miranda. These years have been tough on her as a mother. She was the only one to still believe Anja could still be alive to get her back and not be anything we ever imagined.

 We thought the worse case was if we found her alive would be she'd be broken and skittish. We thought our daughter would be scared but through loving her we would help her to a normal life. Or that she'd be safe but not want to leave her new family. It would be tough but at least she'd be safe. 

But in reality, our daughter was trained to be a criminal. She doesn't show any love. She tries to hide any moment she gets with no care to how we feel. When we talk to her it's like talking to a wall. I let out a sigh I hadn't realized I was holding. I just want to understand or just see any sign of hope. I was deep in my thoughts when I noticed someone barreling towards me. 

"Anja!"I cried out in shock. "What are you doing here?" I stood there waiting for an explanation as to why she wasn't in her bed. And I could see her pulling into herself again when all I wanted to do is hold her.

"That's not my name, Noah." I flinched at her tone.  

"Sorry, darling." I sighed feeling defeated as I watched her trying to think of how to reach her. "Will you come with me?" I asked not even sure what the point would be. 

I was surprised when she nodded in agreement. I slowly walked us towards my study trying to think of what to say. Should I reprimand her for not being in her room? Should I ask her what she was doing? Would she even answer? I sat behind my desk and waved her to sit. She walked in and leaned against the furthest wall from me telling me she didn't really want to be in here. I let out a sigh deciding to just go for the truth.

"You're not happy here." He spoke softly trying to pick my words carefully. "I don't know why or what we could do... Roxanne. But you are our daughter, we are trying to understand. When you first showed up at our doorstep you seemed so excited to meet us, and we were so happy to have you home safely. So what has changed?"I stared at her daring her to tell me. Just tell me something I can work with. She moved forward and sat down surprising me further as she seemed to actually be thinking my words over. 

 "I feel like a prisoner." She started breaking the silence. I was shocked at her words. Not understanding how she could possibly feel this way. She sounded angry about the thought of being a prisoner, but her demeanor didn't change. She still looked as if she could be a statue devoid of any emotion. " It's worse than the Program, at least no one there was bothered enough to follow my every move. I'm not allowed to go anywhere except the allotted schedule you give me and I have to be supervised all day long."

 I nodded, slowly seeing her point. Miranda has been crazy about keeping track of her and wanting to give her everything she needs. She's so worried about her kidnappers coming back Miranda tripled the guard once we heard our daughter was coming home. 

"Anything else" I asked.

"I'm not Anja, I don't know that name. I know she was your daughter and I was her, but I'm not her now. And I want to know where Harry is?"She finished. We stared at each other in silence for a while.

"Harry is training." I finally said, "He will be back when he is ready."

"For?"

I frowned in frustration because it wasn't my place to tell her, but I also had the urge to console her. She was obviously upset over her friend being gone. I shook my head clearing my thoughts.

"You'll have to ask him when he gets back. As for the rest, please understand the world knows our missing daughter Anja. We are trying to adjust it will take time. As for your schedule... I will speak to your mother. She is so scared to lose you again, I don't think we've realized we have been suffocating you." I stopped to see if I could spot any emotion on her delicate face, but like always found none. "Please give us some more time." I stood up to escort her out, not sure how our conversation had gone. I felt like I gained a new understanding of her, but I just don't know what that means.

"Can I ask for one more thing?" She spoke hesitantly which caught my attention. I nodded knowing whatever she asked was going to be important to her.  "I'd like to have my weapons back, I feel on edge without them."I held back my flinch knowing what Miranda was going to say about this, but I nodded in agreement. I watched her stand up gracefully and walk to the door stopping in the doorway she glanced back at me meeting my eyes. "Thank you, Noah." I smiled relieved as she left. 

Maybe this will be a turning point for us, I thought.

....

"You did what?!!!" Miranda yelled at me as I finished telling her about my earlier conversation with An... Roxanne. " She doesn't need them anymore. She's not with those... those... HEATHENS!" I haven't seen Miranda this angry in a long time. She threw her hands up in the air pacing. "What if she hurts herself?!" 

"Darling, she was trained with them." She gave me a look that told me to shut up now. 

"I can't believe you did this behind my back." She glared at me.

"Sweetheart, she doesn't feel right without them. What if this is how we get her to open up?" I asked. She looked at me defeated before sitting next to me on our bed. 

"I'm not dropping the guards." She said in a small voice.

"No one is asking you too. Just give her some room to breathe. This is her home too." She looked at me with such frightened eyes. I pulled her close to me holding her tightly. "We will get through this Miranda, but we must remember she wasn't raised with us. We are strangers to her." She nodded sadly as tears rolled down her face, breaking my heart. I kissed her forehead and held her tighter.