The Legend Of The Five Queens : Arabella's tale

Chapter 17

Arabella chases her dad into the barn.
"Stop now! I know it is you, father!" She screams at him. The man stops in his tracks and slowly turns around in place revealing his face. Arabella hearts beats rapidity at the sight of the man's face. After all this time she has finally found her father. Her head starts to spin as hundreds of questions go through her head this moment. For years she had believed that she would never truly see him again.
   "Please, you have the wrong man. I am no preist for I am just a common man," His voice snaps her back into reality. She manages to quiet down all of the questions in her head and collect herself.
   "Dad it is me, your Arabella," She pulls down back her hood letting her long hair flow down to her shoulders. Her father's eyes begin to tear up as his eyes widen.
   "My god it really is you, Daughter. What are you doing here? You should be home helping your mother running the kingdom," Arabella's blood begins to boil as he speaks. Her fists ball up without her making the effort.
   "How could you say such things to me?! You should be the one running the kingdom with mom. Is this where you have been for past 5 years dad? What could you have possibly been doing that allowed you to abandoned mom and I? Tell me dad!" She takes slow steps towards him while channeling the power of her stone throughout her body.
   "Honey, you know what I have been doing here. I have been trying to convince the King to form and alliance with us. We have a deal that will allow us to work together," He slowly backs away as if he is afraid.
   "You are lying. I know you are lying to me. How could some deal be important enough that you abandon your daughter for years?" She beings to cry as all of her emotions begin to pour out. Gerald looks down and frowns.
   "I-I had to. Our business is very important for the betterment of our kingdoms," He tries to desperately barren with her. Arabella snaps and runs at him quickly shoving him against the wooden wall.
   "Damnit I told you not to lie! Now tell me the truth before things get ugly, father!" She holds out her dagger in one hand.
   "Okay okay! During my time here trying to make negotiations work I met a woman lived close to the kingdom. When I save her eyes I instantly fell in love with her. I could not leave this place," Arabella tightens her grip on his shirt. Her angers rises at his response. A woman? Seriously? How could he be married to someone for years only to fall in love with someone else? It just does not make sense to at all.
"Is that really your reason? You fell in love with another woman despite being married? Did your cowardliness keep you from coming back to mom?" She finds herself putting the dagger to his throat. Sweat covers her dads face as he tries to move his head away from the blade. He whimpers to himself as he feels the blade press hard against his throat.
"There is one more thing you should know. You-you-you have a 5 year old sister," Arabella's heart feels as though it has stopped as she hears his words. She instantly lets her father go and backs away from him with her eyes wide open. She takes a moment to process the information that she just hear.
"What? A sister? You had a child with another woman?" Guilt covers her dads face.
   "I did not mean to have a child with her but things just happened. I could not just leave her with a child. So I decided to hide my identity and live a new life. I was too ashamed to continue being a King. Please you must understand Arabella," Arabella stays silent allowing only the sound of silence to fill the room.
   "But why? Did you not love my mother? I just do not understand any of this! I refuse to believe any reason you could possibly give me!" The both of them do not budge at all. Her father continues to stay silent with a look of shame plastered on his face. A quiet breeze blows through the cracks of the windows.
   "Dad, I really missed you. I was hoping that after all these years that our reunion would be much better than this. I missed out on so much time with you. I was hoping that my father would of been there in my life to teach me how to be a proper Queen. You have no idea how much stress you caused mom these past years,"
   "I can only imagine that-"
   "You could never imagine! I had to grow up without a father! And she had to live not knowing the truth about what you have been doing," Arabella anger rises to the point that her hands catch on fire and starts she starts to approach her father. Her father puts his hands up in a defensive state and steps back in horror.
   "Arabella, what has become of you? How did you acquire such power? How did my little girl end up like this?"
"What happened? I lost my only father figure and had growing up in this cruel world. What else was I suppose to do?" She screams at him as the fire glows brighter. Based on the look that her father is giving her it is safe to assume that her eyes are glowing bright as well.
"Honey please calm down. If I were to return home I would most imprisoned or executed and I can not do that to your sister,"
"Oh so you are concerned about how my sister would feel but now how I feel?" Her fists tighten as hard as they can as this conversation continues.
"I care about both of you! It just that I-"
"Enough dad! I do not want to hear anymore of your reasons. I get it, you have another child and woman to care for," Arabella cuts the flow of her power and allows her muscles to relax.
   "I will allow you to stay here in hiding on the terms that you will give my sister a great life. I will be back in the future to take her from you when the time is right," She turns around and starts to leave.
"Wait! Do you not wish to meet your sister?" He walks towards her trying desperately to plead with her. She stops moving and turns her head halfway to him.
"I do not wish to meet her now. That time will come in the future. Goodbye, father," She walks through the side door leaving the barn.