Heritage (9 page)

“Logan!” I grunted as I read the name card that was to the left of me. Of course, I thought my day couldn’t get any worse, and it was only half ten. Taking a seat on the floor in front of the table with the card in my hand. I pictured the boy I had seen the night before and my stomach started to clench.

“So this is the new hang out now.”

“What,” I jumped up and placed the card back on the table. Turning around towards the voice, I saw Josh lingering in the doorway.

“Hey I was just… You know what I don’t know,” I mumbled making my way towards him.

“So this guy, Logan.” He said as he walked towards the head table and picked up the card that I had just placed back down.

“What’s his story?”

“Like I know or care.” I exclaimed as I took the card from his hand and placed it back on the table, for the second time.

“Alright, alright!” He smirked holding his hands up in the air. “Don’t shoot.”

This was the room which we had huge family filled, festive occasions. It was filled with happy memories and now, after today it was going to be tainted. Of course I had no say in the matter and as it’s a tradition, it will go ahead whether people like it or not. That’s the thing with traditions, they have to be upheld, especially royal ones.

“Oh shut up,” I laughed and led him out of the room. “A feast though?”

“I know, lets dine with our enemies. Who ever thought of that was an optimist.”

“Or delusional,” I put in.

“What is your plan for today?” Josh asked.

“I don’t know, I might take Peggy out for a run or something,” I shrugged, making my way through the crowds of servants,
as we made our way out of the hall and into the corridor.
I
do not
know why they were even bothering, why should we care what the demons thought of
our
house.

“Hey guys wait up!” Shouted Alex as she pushed her way through the corridor. Puffing and panting, she handed me an envelope.

“What’s this?” I asked, holding it up to the light.

“What do I look like a psychic?” She grumbled tying her hair up into an untidy bun.

“Sorry, on my way over here a dwarf stood on my foot. A fairy shut a door on me and to top it all
off an ogre bumped me with his knee” She huffed. “What?!”

“There’s me thinking my day was bad,” I chuckled, looking back at the envelope that I held in my hand. I tore open the seal and pulled out a piece of paper.

“Drawing room, 5 o’clock be there, alone!” I read out loud.

"Ok that's not odd at all," Josh said sarcastically.             

“Who gave this to you Alex?”

“A Faun.” She replied chewing her nails.

“What one? Duh,” Josh taunted.

“I
don’t
know, they are half goat, half human they all look the damn same.”

“They
don’t
all look the same Alex,” I mumbled, still looking at the letter.

“Whatever.”

“Ok I’m going to knock some cheer back into this girl and you go take Peggy for a run, clear your head. Ok?” Josh suggested, leading Alex down the now empty corridor. They were half way round the corner before I noticed they were gone. I decided to do what Josh had said and headed down towards the stables, which was considerable difficult as the number of servants that were decorating and cleaning had increased down all the other corridors.

As I reached the stables a pair of Fauns were draping dark blue voile over the stable doors, I passed under them as they bid me good day, one of them dropped their side of the voile in the process. I entered the stables leaving the squabbling Fauns to their banter. Walking the short path to Peggy’s stable, I picked up some carrots from a hanging basket.

“Hey Peggy,” I chimed as the mare met me half way.

“Fancy a ride?” I asked reaching for the saddle and my blue and pink cloak that was hanging on the wall in her pen. I strapped her up and mounted her, with a flick of my wrist I opened the stable doors and Peggy galloped right out.

My cloak flapped in the wind as we raced past trees and over hedges surrounding the castle. We picked up speed as we raced towards the gates separating the castle from our kingdom. As we approached the gate, Peggy spread out her wings and flew over the iron bars keeping us closed in. The houses below were filled with people going about their day to day business. Standing outside one house was a young woman and her child, they waved as we flew over them. A flying horse wasn’t unusual to them as I usually went flying over the kingdom from time to time, and they all saw Peggy at King speeches that were held every month. As we flew higher and higher, I felt the freedom of being in the empty sky, the Terihan Ocean seemed to stretch on forever underneath us. I closed my eyes and took in the ocean scent. Peggy flew lower so that her hoofs skimmed the ocean, leaving a rippling trail. She began to turn around back towards the kingdom,
before she reached the edge of the beach I breathed in and dived into the ice cold water.

I heard her cries as she surrounded the area I had landed, the cool water lapped on my skin as I surfaced. I just needed time to think, I thought as I ducked down back into the water. There’s no way I can have that at home now these arrangements are happening. I swam deeper and deeper into the ocean as an array of creatures swam around me as I touched the seabed. I scoured the rocks and coral wreaths in search of anything that caught my eye. The colours and textures of the different types of coral and seaweed amazed me, everything in the Ocean had a place and that place was exactly where it wanted to be. The fish swam where they wanted to swim,
and
the underwater plants were growing in the places where they were able to grow. Out of the corner of my eye I spotted a glistening of silver light, I swam towards it,
but
before I could reach it, I felt the need for air. I had been down in the water for longer than I had realised
,
I swam towards the surface and emerged two inches in front of Peggy’s
mussel
.

“Sorry Pegs,” I said breathlessly. “I just need time alone, Go home and rest, I’ll swim back.”

She neighed in disagreement.

“I’ll be fine, scout’s honour,” I saluted and pointed the way to the beach. Peggy was an extremely obedient horse, so she did exactly what I told her. I watched as she passed over the beach, then took a deep breath and let the cool water drag me under. Back under the Ocean I scanned the bed in search of a glint of silver among the ray of multi coloured plants. This is stupid, it was most likely a figment of my imagination. I wanted to see something, find something that would take me mind off today, obviously so much that I was seeing things that weren’t in fact there. Before I had time to come to the conclusion that I was going insane, I saw it. I swam towards the silver light and picked the silver bracelet that had been caught on a sharp rock. Holding it in my hand I made my way towards the surface.

Inches from the surface I felt a tug on my arm, and I was pulled out of the safety of the water and on to the back of a black horse. We landed on the sandy beach before I could wriggle free from the persons hold.

“Get off! What the hell?” I shouted trying desperately to regain my regular breathing pattern.

“A simple thanks would be splendid,” He said. I raised my head so that I could look at him. I knew I recognised his voice, standing in front of me was the boy from the alley way. His dark brown hair was windswept, and he was leaning against his horse, staring at me with a bemused expression.

“Thank you? Thanks for what, pulling me out from the water with so much force you could have taken my arm off?” I hissed straightening myself out.

“You were drowning, I saved you. Geez talk about ungrateful.”

“Saved me? I wasn’t drowning you utter moron,” I bellowed. He shifted against his horse and started laughing, the sound of his laughter sounded too loud and made me shiver.

“Well it looked like you were drowning,” He chuckled and mounted his horse.” Want a ride back to your castle Princess,” Logan asked holding out his hand.

“I think I’ll walk,” I scowled as I walked towards the sandy path leading to the village. I heard the sound of his horse’s hooves as I walked and turned to see him trotting along beside me.

“What do you want?” I breathed as I hadn’t yet recovered from my swim.

“World peace... You're right that would be dull, how about you,” Logan smirked pushing his hand through his hair.

“Right... What do you want with me,” I muttered.

“Obviously not your lack of humour or your dress sense,” He mocked looking at my now soaked clothes and cloak that I hadn’t changed from this morning. I tugged at my cloak and tried to ring the bottom of my pyjamas.

“Now did you want to walk through the village soaked or you can gallop in on my horse?” He asked very politely, which shocked me for a second before I answered.

“Fine! But I’m only taking the offer because I’m getting cold ok!” I frowned.

“Sure Hop on and I won’t try and kill you,” He smirked as he pulled me aboard his horse.

Before I knew it we were entering the castle gates,
Logan
’s body stiffened as we
entered
the castle walls. We stopped at the stables, and I was greeted by a moody Peggy. I patted her mane and gave her and Logan’s horse some carrots and walked over to the stable doors where he was standing looking at me.

“What?” I questioned feeling uncomfortable as he continued to look at me.

“You’re not what I imagined,” He smiled.

“Nor are you,” I confessed.

“What were you expecting?” He asked.

“A dick.”

“So my first impression was good then?”

“No, I still think you’re a dick,
but
I imagined you with longer hair,” I mocked.

“Well I was expecting a well presented and pleasant princess, but I got you, an out spoken brat who doesn’t have any manners.”

“I beg your pardon....” I lunged towards him and was surprised when I saw Josh had stepped in between us.

“Now, Now your majesty’s, no blood shall be shed today,” He calmly suggested that Logan went to see his father as he had wondered when he would arrive, and Logan left the room winking at me before he left.

“Yup definitely a dick,” I muttered as I stormed out of the stables, closely followed by Josh.

“Who cares he will be out of here by tomorrow.”

“Yeah you’re right, I don’t know why I’m stressing.”

“Err question, why are you wet?” He
asked trying
to hide a smile.

“Oh erm, I went for a swim,” I mumbled slightly embarrassed about the fact that two people had commented on my soaked appearance. I muttered an excuse about getting dry and left him standing in the corridor as I made my way to my bedroom.

In the safety of my own room, I grabbed a towel from my cupboard and went to my bathroom. Looking In the mirror I pulled back my hair off my face. I looked like a right state
,
no wonder Logan had laughed at me. I turned on my shower and undressed. As I stepped into the shower, the hot water seemed to warm my bones. After washing my hair I stood in the shower for a couple of minutes, not wanting to step out into the cold air.

“Elle? Elle you in here?”

Great I hadn’t locked the door thank god it was Alex and not Josh.

“I’m in the shower, I’ll be out in a minute,” I called to her stepping out of the shower into the dreaded cold air. Wrapping the towel around me, I reached out the door for my dressing gown.

“Sorry the door was open,” she smiled awkwardly going over to sit on the bed.

“Don’t worry about it. Not that, you haven’t done it before,” I mocked sticking my tongue out to her. She returned the expression and rearranged herself so that she was leaning on my pillows at the head of the bed.

“I hear you went for a swim earlier and bumped into our guest of honour,” She chuckled. News travels like the speed of light in this place. Mainly because most people living here are angels, we tend to be faster than most beings. Apparently it’s on account of the fact we have extra wind power. What with the invisible wings and stuff.

“Bumped, no. Was grabbed out of the water whilst swimming, yes,” I muttered picking up the dress Emerald had laid out for me and holding it against myself in the mirror. She was right it was a lovely dress, but I wasn’t going to do it any justice. I sighed and placed it back on its hanger before turning to sit next to Alex.

“So he just randomly dragged you out of the water?” She asked confused, about as confused as I was when it happened.

“Pretty much, yeah! He said he thought I was drowning!”

“He sounds like a dick.”

“Yup he is.” I agreed.