Arriana's Return

Arriana's Return - Chapter 47

Chapter 47

"When do we leave?" Cartra stood up and looked at her.

"Now." Arriana turned and headed out the door. She mounted Arion as Cartra and Edgar took off into the sky.

"Arriana, I wish you would rethink this," Barwick said.

She turned to look at him, her expression set. "Barwick, this has to be done. I have to."

"Arriana Marie, you are not going! Do you understand me?" Scott stomped across the yard.

"Dad, you can't stop me. This is something I have to do. I'll be alright. Cartra and Edgar will be there."

"What if he hurts you?" Danni stepped from behind their father.

"He can try but he won't. I'll be back in a little bit."

"Are you ready majesty?"Arion asked as he trotted towards the woods.

Arriana turned and looked at her friends and family that watched as they rode away. "Do you think we should bring someone else with us?"

"No, we'll do fine," Arion said.

"Then let's go."

Arion broke out into a gallop. The small village quickly disappeared behind them. The deeper they went into the woods, the thicker the trees became. At one point the sun was blocked completely from reaching the forest floor. Arriana glanced up and saw the thick treetops casting their ominous shadows down. Arion eventually began to slow to a trot and stopped completely.

"Are you ok?" She rubbed his neck.

"I'm fine, majesty; it's just that beyond those trees is a field which is directly in front of the castle." He finished as Cartra and Edgar landed near them.

"Are you ready, Arriana?" Cartra looked towards the castle.

"No."

"Do you want to go back to the village?" Edgar asked, desperate that the queen would go that far just to turn around.

"No, I want to go. I just don't know what to say or do. I hate speaking in front of people," She panicked.

"You're going to be fine. We're with you. Remember who you are. You are the queen of Coresova. You belong in that castle, in your parents' castle. Not him," Cartra told her.

"Yeah I suppose so. Why does this have to be so hard?"

"Life was never meant to be easy. If it was, what would you learn from it?" Arion asked.

"Let's go get this done," Arriana replied.

They walked out of the woods and across the field. Once they were on the road in front of the castle guards rushed out of the gate and onto the drawbridge.

"Stop! Don't move or you will be shot where you stand," the guard at the top of the archway hollered at them.

Swallowing hard and taking a deep breath, Arriana gathered all the courage she could.

"Do not threaten me!" she shouted at him. "Get Lucas, tell him Arriana Bawors is here and wants a sit down. Immediately."

"His majesty, King Lucas is busy," he replied.

"I don't care what he is doing, get him now! Otherwise I will. Do you understand?" Arriana dismounted Arion and began to walk onto the drawbridge.

Cartra and Edgar on either side of her. "Get out of my way."

Three of the guards unsheathed their swords and stalked towards the small group. Cartra and Edgar moved in front of Arriana, who also unsheathed her sword.

"Don't be foolish girl! You are outnumbered. What are your little kitty and birdie going to do?" a tall fat man asked sarcastically.

"My little kitty and birdie? Cartra, Edgar show the nice man what you will do."

Cartra stood on her hind legs, spread her wings and roared while letting her claws out. Edgar spread his wings and screeched at the man. Arriana could see them take a few steps back and as they did so she stepped forward.

"Do you really want to test them? I didn't think so. Now get out of my way." She stormed past them followed by her small entourage.

Once in the castle courtyard she looked around. Her hardened face became full of sadness as she looked around the courtyard. The castle grounds were a mess. There was no way this is how it looked when her parents ruled. The towers were crumbling, the grass and trees dead. Aside from the monsters that were in the surrounding area it seemed devoid of life.

"My god what has he done to this place?" Cartra asked, astounded by what she was seeing.

"He has ruined the castle and the grounds! This is not castle Karine. It can't be," Edgar replied in disbelief.

"Lucas where the hell are you? Get out here you worthless piece of shit!" she shouted letting her anger boil over.

"Well, well, well, what have we got here? My dear Arriana, I never expected to see you...alive. I would have preferred a dead body but alas, here you stand. Suppose I can do the deed myself. I'm glad to see that you have decided to deliver yourself to me? A very grown up choice for such a little girl."

Arriana turned and saw a man descending what looked to be the main staircase leading into the actual castle. He was tall with dark brown hair which he kept cut short. What he wore on his head made her sick. She had to choke back the vomit. It was a crown. She hoped and prayed it wasn't her fathers.

"No, Lucas. I am not here to give up. I am here to sit down and discuss when we will go to war unless you want to step down before I kill you." Arriana scrunched her nose as if his name coming out of her mouth was disgusting.

"Discuss things or I should step down? Oh you are too much like your father. He always wanted to play by the rules as well. Luckily I took care of that, didn't I? Tell me Arriana, how was it finding out that you were actually an orphan?" Lucas sneered at her.

"Probably the same way it feels you knowing your lover failed at killing me." She shot back at him.