A/n: I don't own Ella Enchanted characters or anything. There
probably will be grammar mistakes and OOC-ness in some of the characters. I
just edited some of it to fix some of the problems. Please review if you
think I should correct it some more. Thanx.
"Mother!" Tsylatac cries. "I refuse to marry just any man! I refuse to marry at all! How can I possibly find love when both you and Father keep me locked in the castle? I can take care of myself!"
"I know better than anyone that anything can happen out there. Especially with all that's going on now a days."
"I don't care, Mother! I will not marry these plain, boring men that come every day, asking for my hand as if I were some sort of sculpture. A priceless, and beautiful sculpture, sure. But a sculpture all the same."
"It is not their fault they can not get to know you! You are so cold to them. You barely speak a word."
"Because I do not WANT to marry such men. Would they want to even look at me with their haughty little faces if I weren't a princess?"
Ella doesn't answer. She sighs and pats Tsylatac's are as she stands. "Please. They are all not as bad you think they are. Look at your father, for instance. Try, and you will find love. And if you are lucky, it may find you." With that said and done Ella walks out of the room.
Tsylatac stays seated for a moment. When she's sure that her mother's out of hearing-range. Then she runs over to the window. She opens it, struggling for a moment before it pops up. She sticks her head out, gingerly. 'Would I be able to jump from here?' she asks herself.
"Perhaps. Come on down T. I've missed you," says a voice from below.
She looks down at the bushes. "Shawn!" she whispers angrily. "I told you I'd meet you out in the village!"
She can practically see his grin, even though he was hidden from view. "Come on, T. Calm down. I'll wait for you there if you're so passionate about it."
She rolls her eyes. "Very funny, Shawn. As if it matters now, you're already here."
"Well, are you coming down or not?"
She looks down at the ground, carefully, unsure if she truly could make it.
"You can, T. I'll catch you."
She glares at the bush. "If you keep reading my mind I won't come down! That'll show you!"
"Are you too much of a princess? You think it affects me whether of not you jump?"
I grin. "Of coarse it does! You think I'm go-o-orgeous, you want to lo-o-ove me, you want to hu-u-ug me....." [A/n: I'm sorry, people! I had to put that!!!!]
"Well, then hurry down!"
So she builds up her courage and flips her legs over the sill. "Here I come!" she warns Shawn before she falls. She falls straight into the bush and on Shawn.
"Oof!" he groans as he pushes her off. A few months before she would have thrown a fit had he even as much as touch her roughly. But now she knew more of how to deal with his roughness. She pushed him back grins when he groans.
"Thanks. I hurt enough already. And I thought princesses didn't push."
Sitting up and brushing herself off, she laughs. "Well, you're a good teacher."
"Oh, of coarse."
She rolls her eyes. "I wish your talents were as large as your ego."
He takes her hand and pulls her close. "And I wish your mouth didn't run.....like we have to!" He stands and pulls her to her feet. "Let's go!"
As soon as they are clear of the bushes he takes off at a sprint, dragging her along. She laughs as they begin to run, running as fast as they could. Running for the thrill. They get as far as they can and they both sit down on the dirt.
Tsylatac leans her head on his shoulder. "Why didn't you meet me in the village?"
"Do I look like some sort of lady in waiting?" he asks with a short, deep laugh. "No. I liked it better having to meet you. So, how was your day?"
"Horrible." Tsylatac moans. "Absolutely horrible. My mother expects me to pick out a man. And soon. But I refuse to."
"And I know why." Shawn interrupts, "You are smitten with me. You cannot do without me. You will love no other." He grins mischievously at her.
"Oh, that was funny." Tsylatac answers sarcastically.
"Well, you do like me.." He continues, still grinning at her.
"Can you stop reading my mind? It's annoying."
"I don't need to. I see it in your eyes." He replies, looking in her brown eyes.
She leans over and kisses him quickly. "Come on. I want to go to the village quickly and get back before my mother notices." She stands and begins to walk off.
Shawn stands and laughs. "Tsylatac! Come back!"
"Why should I?" she replies, without turning around.
"Because you're going the wrong way." He says, laughing as he points the other way. Tyslatac turns and follows Shawn's pointing finger, blushing.
Ella watches them run from a window in the castle. This wasn't the first time that this had happened. She knew there was a chance that her daughter had fallen in love with this boy. And for the first time of the many times she had seen them together she had heard the boy's name.
Shawn.
That name was not uncommon in the village. It was the name of an ex- thief. Ex-thief not because he had given up on his skills, but because he had been shot. But there had been rumors of a son. Could this be the son of the thief? The age certainly fit what it should. She turns away from the windowsill, letting the curtain fall back into its place. She walks swiftly, her skirts swishing with every step. Finally she reaches the doorway of the bedroom Char had shared with her for almost twenty years. There she hesitates. She knows that Char would be angered greatly by this news. And his anger sometimes made him make decisions that were at times harsh. He tried to contain it but sometimes it got out of hand.
Char puts down his book. "What is it Ella? You seem flustered. Sit down."
"I'm worried about Tsylatac."
"Well, that's quite not unexpected. She is very stubborn."
"But there is more to the story, Char." She reaches out and takes his hand in hers.
Char looks at her with interest. "What story, Ella?"
"Char, you won't like what you hear. I didn't want to tell you. But I believe you can make a just decision. There a boy, and his not a prince or anyone of royal blood."
"Ella! I'm surprised at you. I didn't think you would worry so much about the blood of the boy of out daughter's choice. I married you didn't I? You're father wasn't very royal."
"I don't care. But the thing is WHO this boy is. Or more specifically, who this boy's father is. "
"And what father do you speak of? He asks, now frowning.
"Char you won't like it."
"Don't you trust me, Ella?"
Ella sighs. "Yes, I do, Char. With all my heart. So I will tell you think young man's name. Shawn. Shawn Mismore."
"Shawn Mishore. Shawn? But he's dead, Ella. He was killed."
"Yes, Char. I know. But this is his son."
A silence follows her words. "Tsylatac could be in danger. He could want revenge, after all. Where is Tsylatac now?"
"With Shawn."
"What?!" he cries. "You let her go? She could be dead, now, this very moment!"
Ella puts a hand on his arm. "Calm yourself, Char. We will find a way to end this peaceful. Please, Char."
But he doesn't listen. "Guards! Go to the village and search for my daughter. And bring the boy with her here."
"Char! No!" Ella cries, knowing that her husband's anger and fear for his daughter had taken control. "Stop it!" She watches helplessly as the men that walk our the palace follow his orders, taking their horses to the village to search for the princess.
"Char! Revoke your decision. She has feelings for this boy. This will not end happily."
"As long as my daughter may be in danger, I don't care for what she may think. She will be angry, but she will be safe."
Tsylatac leans over to sniff the roses, careful not let her hood slide off her head. She could not risk getting caught. "Hmmm. I have always hated flowers. They are too feminine for me."
Shawn snakes his hand into hers. "Then if I ever think of getting you flowers I'll think of that and get you twice as many."
Tsylatac laughs. She is glad to escape the pressures of the palace. Of the lessons, of the people. Of the royalty in general.
"Hey. Let's go inside, how 'bout it, T?" Shawn asks. He is looking towards a tavern. Tsylatac is unsure. She had stories of taverns. About the men, the drink that could make men mad. But Shawn's reassuring hand persuaded her that she would come to no harm.
As they entered the darkness of the building, the smells of the small tavern reached her nose. She had to try hard to not have her breakfast rush out through her mouth. It smelled like some sort of giant chamber pot of a drunk. And there was the smell of sweat. But she let Shawn lead her through the throng of people to a table in the back.
"How long do you want to say in a place like this?" Tsylatac asks quietly, not trusting her mouth.
"I've got short business to attend to. That's all." He doesn't continue. Tsylatac sighs and takes a quick look around. It was very warm under her hood in this humid place, but she knew the danger of putting her hood down. How knew what guards spent their time here. She did not want to be discovered.
"Shawn! I see you have brought a guest." A big man with a hearty voice approaches them and Tsylatac looks at the man suspiciously. What did this old man have to do with Shawn?
Shawn stands. "I have to do this quickly. Give me the time and place, then leave. They are being very careful. You could be caught. Both of us could."
The man sighs. "Shawn, Shawn, Shawn. There is always time to be polite. At least us the name of your lady friend." His small pig-ish eyes look at her hungrily. She does not like the looks this man is giving her. But she will not be weak in front of Shawn. She will show she is strong.
Even though she wants to bite her tongue and remain seated, she stands. "Hello sir. I am....Olga." Tsylatac answers, giving the name of her grandmother.
Then the man leans over and gives her a sloppy kiss. In her surprise she crashes in the table behind her. Shawn grabs the man's arm angrily.
"That was not necessary, Dan." He says tightly. The man, Dan, and Shawn stare at each other for a moment. Dan looks away first and Shawn let's go of his arm.
"It is etiquette for us." Dan says quietly. It is obvious that Shawn didn't believe a word that came out of that fat man's mouth. But he let the whole thing go anyway.
"Please. I need the location, unless you wish me to go blind."
Dan nods. Out of his cloak he pulls out some parchment. "Here it is. I suppose you will not join me in a toast, correct?"
"Correct. We are leaving now. Say good-bye, T-Olga." He took her hand, a bit roughly, and dragged her out of there. She couldn't say she wasn't glad to be rid of the smell and warmth of the tavern.
"Do you always go to places like this? Meet people like this." She asks, curious now that she had gotten a sight of the life of Shawn. But Shawn remained quiet. "Shawn, are you alright?"
"Yeah," he says quietly.
"No, you're not. Come on, it just a kiss. What, you think I would ditch you for that man?" She laughs. But her laugh is cut short by a loud yell.
"There she is! Grab him!" In Shawn's hurry to get out of the tavern, she had forgotten about replacing her hood back on her head. 'Stupid, stupid,' she reprimanded herself. Rough hands grab Shawn, pulling him away from her. She cries out in surprise.
"No! Let go of him!"
"I'm sorry, Princess. Orders of the King."
"No! SHAWN!" She tries to run after him, but another guard grabs her and pulls her back.
He is silent as they take him away. He gives her a backwards glance as one of the guards push him onto a large gray mare. Shawn was never fond of horses, nor they of him. The mare bucked, wanting the extra weight off. But eventually Shawn rode off with the guards, on the irritated gray mare.
Tsylatac struggles, but it doesn't work. Then she remembers one of Shawn's first lessons. Groin. She kicks her feet to her guard's sensitive area. He groans and his grip loosens. She tries to run, but even in pain he doesn't let her go. "Shawn!" she cries one last time before the guard leads her to his own horse.
This had all happened because of her. How would Shawn ever forgive her?
Ella was trying to get her daughter to look at her. "Tsylatac, please. Your father was only worried about your safety. Who knows what kind of company that boy keeps with?"
"He would never hurt me." Tsylatac sniffed.
"Please, Tsylatac, look at me. We were only worried about you. You are to be the queen. Nothing can possibly happen to you, since you are the heir to own throne. You must be here to rule, for no one else can. Unless you wish you cousin Lisa or Hank to rule the kingdom."
Tsylatac cringes at the thoughts of her fat-obtuse as her mother wished to call him- cousin Hank ruling the kingdom. Everyone would starve! And Lisa would be a worse leader. She enjoys only the thought of seeing people suffer. What a horrible sadistic freak.
"Tsylatac?" Ella says gingerly. But Tsylatac will not let her mother be forgiven. Although deep inside, she is trying to forgive herself. Her mother had helped her father lock up her, as she winced in thinking this, boyfriend. Gentleman friend. Anything that fit that term. But if she thought about it, she had also help lock Shawn up. It seemed that Shawn was known as a thief. I had known, of coarse. I just hadn't known how notorious he was.
"Can I see Shawn?" she asks simply.
"I doubt you father will allow it now. But later." Ella begins.
"By 'later' Shawn will be hanged by a hostile tree branch on a desolate tree in the middle of no where," she sighs and stands up from her soft and comfortable seat. That's what they did with thieves. "I have nothing else to speak of with you."
But she hasn't even imagined giving up.
"Sam," she whispers through the keyhole. "I just need it. I need those keys. We're friends. I won't set loose any mass murderers, I promise." The only way her friend Sam and she could talk privately was through the keyhole of Sam's door. Well, Sam could always come out, but if was safer if he didn't.
Sam hesitated. "Come on, Lata. I can't just STEAL them. It's not that easy. My dad will whup me with an inch of my life if he finds out. And just to save a common thief."
"Sam, you may not understand this, or be able to get this through your thick skull, but I love Shawn. Like I refuse to love those shallow princes that come all the time. And I will do anything to help him."
"Thanks," Sam mutters bitterly, "It's good to know I'm so important to you. A man you've known a month earns to much more care than someone you've known your whole life."
"I'm not saying you're not important." She adds quickly. "I just-I need to show him I'm not completely useless."
Sam sighs. "Ok, Lata. But only because this is you." He opens the door slowly and grins. "I'll be back." He sneaks off and after a while, Tsylatac can no longer see him.
As Sam walks off he utters under his breath, "And I'm doing this because I love you, Tsylatac. And always will. I do understand what it is to love." Then he slips through the small crack in his father's office.
After a long while, of which Tsylatac was impatiently waiting, Sam shows up again. He looks quite pale. But Tsylatac barely notices, all her thoughts concentrated on how she was going to help Shawn get out. Tsylatac's face breaks up in a smile. "Sam!
Thank you!" She throws her arms around him. "I love you! Thank you, thank you!" Sam hopes that Tsylatac can't feel his heart beating so fast. This is the closet they'd probably ever been. But he knew that Tsylatac didn't like him as anything more than a friend. He places the keys to all the cells in Tsylatac's hand. "Here you go. But give it back to me extra quick in the morning, or else I'll get it and never be able to help you at all."
"I promise!" Tsylatac whispers, already jogging off towards the dungeons. "I'll give them to you tomorrow morning! Promise!" She rushes off, leaving Sam to go inside his room again, lie in bed, and think about the night.
Tsylatac goes through the doors that lead to the descending steps. She goes down and down for what seems like forever. Finally she feels the ground is straight. She regrets not bringing a candle. She slips through to the others doors. Some of the doors asked her name. Strange, a common thief usually didn't get this much protection.
At last she reaches the outside of Shawn's cell.
"Shawn?" She whispered. "Where are you?"
"T? What are you doing here?!" he cries. She follows the voice and soon makes out the outline of Shawn against the right part of the cell.
"I've come to free you." I began to take out the keys.
"No, T. I can't. I-I need to escape on my own. It's the only way I'll learn. I've never been so well guarded. This can be a good lesson."
"Lesson?" I squeak. "What?"
"Just, Tsylatac. I can't escape now. Not with you holding the key and making it easy."
Tsylatac doesn't answer for a moment. He hadn't called her by her full name since he had first met her. What had happened? Had this trip to jail changed his feelings for her? Did he really hate her?
"Is something wrong, Shawn?" Shawn shakes his head.
Tsylatac sighs. She gets up to go. She bites her lip hard to stop the tears from coming from her eyes. And she had thought she was strong.
"T. You don't have to go. I just don't want to leave. Not by your key." Tsylatac doesn't look back. She opens the other door that she had let herself in from. Then she silently locks it again. She goes all the way back, her enthusiasm gone. Walking up the stairs in silence, she goes over the same sentence. 'Why? Why, why why why?!' Halfway up the stairs, she lets go and sits down on the she was on. She presses her face into her hands to muffle the sound of her sobs. When she gets herself back together, she stands up and finished her walk up the stairs. She goes through the dark halls the same thought still rebounding in her head. She reached her bedroom, opening the door without caring whether or not anyone heard the squeak. She lies in her bed, her open eyes looking up at the ceiling. She still couldn't quite believe it.
The next morning, she passes Sam the keys from under the breakfast table, not really concentrating. Sam could see that something had happened the night before. And from the lack of news he knew that Shawn hadn't left the cell. And Tsylatac was definitely wearing dark circles under her eyes.
But Sam hardly ever had time to talk to Tsylatac until late. So it took him all day to find out about Shawn's rejection of Tsylatac's help. He tries to comfort his friend but it's hard since he secretly and guiltily feels good. He feels ashamed that he's glad of Tsylatac's sadness. "Look, Lata. Maybe Shawn wasn't worth you. Isn't worth you."
"Whose side are you one anyway?" Tsylatac asks angrily. "You think one of those princes would be better suited for me? Huh? IS THAT WHAT YOU THINK?" she ends her sentence almost screaming, and Sam looks around nervously to make sure that no one was listening.
"Lata, quiet down. You know I only want you to be happy. But if you get us caught-"
"I don't care. I doubt I can even count on you anymore." Tsylatac answers stiffly.
Sam feels anger flare up and he can't help but retort her comment. "Oh yeah? Who got you those keys? You helped you set your plan to help Shawn's escape? Me. But no, now I can't even be trusted. Thank you, Lata. Thank you so much." His eye disappears from the keyhole.
"No, Sam! I didn't mean it like that." But Sam's black eyes don't show up again. Tsylatac gives up on him and goes back to her own room. She lies on her bed, thinking. Unable to sleep once again. She can't but feels that somehow she's making everyone hate her because a spell was cast on her. Hey, a spell was cast on her mother. Why not on her?
But she knew that this day was caused not by a spell, but by her.
"Mother!" Tsylatac cries. "I refuse to marry just any man! I refuse to marry at all! How can I possibly find love when both you and Father keep me locked in the castle? I can take care of myself!"
"I know better than anyone that anything can happen out there. Especially with all that's going on now a days."
"I don't care, Mother! I will not marry these plain, boring men that come every day, asking for my hand as if I were some sort of sculpture. A priceless, and beautiful sculpture, sure. But a sculpture all the same."
"It is not their fault they can not get to know you! You are so cold to them. You barely speak a word."
"Because I do not WANT to marry such men. Would they want to even look at me with their haughty little faces if I weren't a princess?"
Ella doesn't answer. She sighs and pats Tsylatac's are as she stands. "Please. They are all not as bad you think they are. Look at your father, for instance. Try, and you will find love. And if you are lucky, it may find you." With that said and done Ella walks out of the room.
Tsylatac stays seated for a moment. When she's sure that her mother's out of hearing-range. Then she runs over to the window. She opens it, struggling for a moment before it pops up. She sticks her head out, gingerly. 'Would I be able to jump from here?' she asks herself.
"Perhaps. Come on down T. I've missed you," says a voice from below.
She looks down at the bushes. "Shawn!" she whispers angrily. "I told you I'd meet you out in the village!"
She can practically see his grin, even though he was hidden from view. "Come on, T. Calm down. I'll wait for you there if you're so passionate about it."
She rolls her eyes. "Very funny, Shawn. As if it matters now, you're already here."
"Well, are you coming down or not?"
She looks down at the ground, carefully, unsure if she truly could make it.
"You can, T. I'll catch you."
She glares at the bush. "If you keep reading my mind I won't come down! That'll show you!"
"Are you too much of a princess? You think it affects me whether of not you jump?"
I grin. "Of coarse it does! You think I'm go-o-orgeous, you want to lo-o-ove me, you want to hu-u-ug me....." [A/n: I'm sorry, people! I had to put that!!!!]
"Well, then hurry down!"
So she builds up her courage and flips her legs over the sill. "Here I come!" she warns Shawn before she falls. She falls straight into the bush and on Shawn.
"Oof!" he groans as he pushes her off. A few months before she would have thrown a fit had he even as much as touch her roughly. But now she knew more of how to deal with his roughness. She pushed him back grins when he groans.
"Thanks. I hurt enough already. And I thought princesses didn't push."
Sitting up and brushing herself off, she laughs. "Well, you're a good teacher."
"Oh, of coarse."
She rolls her eyes. "I wish your talents were as large as your ego."
He takes her hand and pulls her close. "And I wish your mouth didn't run.....like we have to!" He stands and pulls her to her feet. "Let's go!"
As soon as they are clear of the bushes he takes off at a sprint, dragging her along. She laughs as they begin to run, running as fast as they could. Running for the thrill. They get as far as they can and they both sit down on the dirt.
Tsylatac leans her head on his shoulder. "Why didn't you meet me in the village?"
"Do I look like some sort of lady in waiting?" he asks with a short, deep laugh. "No. I liked it better having to meet you. So, how was your day?"
"Horrible." Tsylatac moans. "Absolutely horrible. My mother expects me to pick out a man. And soon. But I refuse to."
"And I know why." Shawn interrupts, "You are smitten with me. You cannot do without me. You will love no other." He grins mischievously at her.
"Oh, that was funny." Tsylatac answers sarcastically.
"Well, you do like me.." He continues, still grinning at her.
"Can you stop reading my mind? It's annoying."
"I don't need to. I see it in your eyes." He replies, looking in her brown eyes.
She leans over and kisses him quickly. "Come on. I want to go to the village quickly and get back before my mother notices." She stands and begins to walk off.
Shawn stands and laughs. "Tsylatac! Come back!"
"Why should I?" she replies, without turning around.
"Because you're going the wrong way." He says, laughing as he points the other way. Tyslatac turns and follows Shawn's pointing finger, blushing.
Ella watches them run from a window in the castle. This wasn't the first time that this had happened. She knew there was a chance that her daughter had fallen in love with this boy. And for the first time of the many times she had seen them together she had heard the boy's name.
Shawn.
That name was not uncommon in the village. It was the name of an ex- thief. Ex-thief not because he had given up on his skills, but because he had been shot. But there had been rumors of a son. Could this be the son of the thief? The age certainly fit what it should. She turns away from the windowsill, letting the curtain fall back into its place. She walks swiftly, her skirts swishing with every step. Finally she reaches the doorway of the bedroom Char had shared with her for almost twenty years. There she hesitates. She knows that Char would be angered greatly by this news. And his anger sometimes made him make decisions that were at times harsh. He tried to contain it but sometimes it got out of hand.
Char puts down his book. "What is it Ella? You seem flustered. Sit down."
"I'm worried about Tsylatac."
"Well, that's quite not unexpected. She is very stubborn."
"But there is more to the story, Char." She reaches out and takes his hand in hers.
Char looks at her with interest. "What story, Ella?"
"Char, you won't like what you hear. I didn't want to tell you. But I believe you can make a just decision. There a boy, and his not a prince or anyone of royal blood."
"Ella! I'm surprised at you. I didn't think you would worry so much about the blood of the boy of out daughter's choice. I married you didn't I? You're father wasn't very royal."
"I don't care. But the thing is WHO this boy is. Or more specifically, who this boy's father is. "
"And what father do you speak of? He asks, now frowning.
"Char you won't like it."
"Don't you trust me, Ella?"
Ella sighs. "Yes, I do, Char. With all my heart. So I will tell you think young man's name. Shawn. Shawn Mismore."
"Shawn Mishore. Shawn? But he's dead, Ella. He was killed."
"Yes, Char. I know. But this is his son."
A silence follows her words. "Tsylatac could be in danger. He could want revenge, after all. Where is Tsylatac now?"
"With Shawn."
"What?!" he cries. "You let her go? She could be dead, now, this very moment!"
Ella puts a hand on his arm. "Calm yourself, Char. We will find a way to end this peaceful. Please, Char."
But he doesn't listen. "Guards! Go to the village and search for my daughter. And bring the boy with her here."
"Char! No!" Ella cries, knowing that her husband's anger and fear for his daughter had taken control. "Stop it!" She watches helplessly as the men that walk our the palace follow his orders, taking their horses to the village to search for the princess.
"Char! Revoke your decision. She has feelings for this boy. This will not end happily."
"As long as my daughter may be in danger, I don't care for what she may think. She will be angry, but she will be safe."
Tsylatac leans over to sniff the roses, careful not let her hood slide off her head. She could not risk getting caught. "Hmmm. I have always hated flowers. They are too feminine for me."
Shawn snakes his hand into hers. "Then if I ever think of getting you flowers I'll think of that and get you twice as many."
Tsylatac laughs. She is glad to escape the pressures of the palace. Of the lessons, of the people. Of the royalty in general.
"Hey. Let's go inside, how 'bout it, T?" Shawn asks. He is looking towards a tavern. Tsylatac is unsure. She had stories of taverns. About the men, the drink that could make men mad. But Shawn's reassuring hand persuaded her that she would come to no harm.
As they entered the darkness of the building, the smells of the small tavern reached her nose. She had to try hard to not have her breakfast rush out through her mouth. It smelled like some sort of giant chamber pot of a drunk. And there was the smell of sweat. But she let Shawn lead her through the throng of people to a table in the back.
"How long do you want to say in a place like this?" Tsylatac asks quietly, not trusting her mouth.
"I've got short business to attend to. That's all." He doesn't continue. Tsylatac sighs and takes a quick look around. It was very warm under her hood in this humid place, but she knew the danger of putting her hood down. How knew what guards spent their time here. She did not want to be discovered.
"Shawn! I see you have brought a guest." A big man with a hearty voice approaches them and Tsylatac looks at the man suspiciously. What did this old man have to do with Shawn?
Shawn stands. "I have to do this quickly. Give me the time and place, then leave. They are being very careful. You could be caught. Both of us could."
The man sighs. "Shawn, Shawn, Shawn. There is always time to be polite. At least us the name of your lady friend." His small pig-ish eyes look at her hungrily. She does not like the looks this man is giving her. But she will not be weak in front of Shawn. She will show she is strong.
Even though she wants to bite her tongue and remain seated, she stands. "Hello sir. I am....Olga." Tsylatac answers, giving the name of her grandmother.
Then the man leans over and gives her a sloppy kiss. In her surprise she crashes in the table behind her. Shawn grabs the man's arm angrily.
"That was not necessary, Dan." He says tightly. The man, Dan, and Shawn stare at each other for a moment. Dan looks away first and Shawn let's go of his arm.
"It is etiquette for us." Dan says quietly. It is obvious that Shawn didn't believe a word that came out of that fat man's mouth. But he let the whole thing go anyway.
"Please. I need the location, unless you wish me to go blind."
Dan nods. Out of his cloak he pulls out some parchment. "Here it is. I suppose you will not join me in a toast, correct?"
"Correct. We are leaving now. Say good-bye, T-Olga." He took her hand, a bit roughly, and dragged her out of there. She couldn't say she wasn't glad to be rid of the smell and warmth of the tavern.
"Do you always go to places like this? Meet people like this." She asks, curious now that she had gotten a sight of the life of Shawn. But Shawn remained quiet. "Shawn, are you alright?"
"Yeah," he says quietly.
"No, you're not. Come on, it just a kiss. What, you think I would ditch you for that man?" She laughs. But her laugh is cut short by a loud yell.
"There she is! Grab him!" In Shawn's hurry to get out of the tavern, she had forgotten about replacing her hood back on her head. 'Stupid, stupid,' she reprimanded herself. Rough hands grab Shawn, pulling him away from her. She cries out in surprise.
"No! Let go of him!"
"I'm sorry, Princess. Orders of the King."
"No! SHAWN!" She tries to run after him, but another guard grabs her and pulls her back.
He is silent as they take him away. He gives her a backwards glance as one of the guards push him onto a large gray mare. Shawn was never fond of horses, nor they of him. The mare bucked, wanting the extra weight off. But eventually Shawn rode off with the guards, on the irritated gray mare.
Tsylatac struggles, but it doesn't work. Then she remembers one of Shawn's first lessons. Groin. She kicks her feet to her guard's sensitive area. He groans and his grip loosens. She tries to run, but even in pain he doesn't let her go. "Shawn!" she cries one last time before the guard leads her to his own horse.
This had all happened because of her. How would Shawn ever forgive her?
Ella was trying to get her daughter to look at her. "Tsylatac, please. Your father was only worried about your safety. Who knows what kind of company that boy keeps with?"
"He would never hurt me." Tsylatac sniffed.
"Please, Tsylatac, look at me. We were only worried about you. You are to be the queen. Nothing can possibly happen to you, since you are the heir to own throne. You must be here to rule, for no one else can. Unless you wish you cousin Lisa or Hank to rule the kingdom."
Tsylatac cringes at the thoughts of her fat-obtuse as her mother wished to call him- cousin Hank ruling the kingdom. Everyone would starve! And Lisa would be a worse leader. She enjoys only the thought of seeing people suffer. What a horrible sadistic freak.
"Tsylatac?" Ella says gingerly. But Tsylatac will not let her mother be forgiven. Although deep inside, she is trying to forgive herself. Her mother had helped her father lock up her, as she winced in thinking this, boyfriend. Gentleman friend. Anything that fit that term. But if she thought about it, she had also help lock Shawn up. It seemed that Shawn was known as a thief. I had known, of coarse. I just hadn't known how notorious he was.
"Can I see Shawn?" she asks simply.
"I doubt you father will allow it now. But later." Ella begins.
"By 'later' Shawn will be hanged by a hostile tree branch on a desolate tree in the middle of no where," she sighs and stands up from her soft and comfortable seat. That's what they did with thieves. "I have nothing else to speak of with you."
But she hasn't even imagined giving up.
"Sam," she whispers through the keyhole. "I just need it. I need those keys. We're friends. I won't set loose any mass murderers, I promise." The only way her friend Sam and she could talk privately was through the keyhole of Sam's door. Well, Sam could always come out, but if was safer if he didn't.
Sam hesitated. "Come on, Lata. I can't just STEAL them. It's not that easy. My dad will whup me with an inch of my life if he finds out. And just to save a common thief."
"Sam, you may not understand this, or be able to get this through your thick skull, but I love Shawn. Like I refuse to love those shallow princes that come all the time. And I will do anything to help him."
"Thanks," Sam mutters bitterly, "It's good to know I'm so important to you. A man you've known a month earns to much more care than someone you've known your whole life."
"I'm not saying you're not important." She adds quickly. "I just-I need to show him I'm not completely useless."
Sam sighs. "Ok, Lata. But only because this is you." He opens the door slowly and grins. "I'll be back." He sneaks off and after a while, Tsylatac can no longer see him.
As Sam walks off he utters under his breath, "And I'm doing this because I love you, Tsylatac. And always will. I do understand what it is to love." Then he slips through the small crack in his father's office.
After a long while, of which Tsylatac was impatiently waiting, Sam shows up again. He looks quite pale. But Tsylatac barely notices, all her thoughts concentrated on how she was going to help Shawn get out. Tsylatac's face breaks up in a smile. "Sam!
Thank you!" She throws her arms around him. "I love you! Thank you, thank you!" Sam hopes that Tsylatac can't feel his heart beating so fast. This is the closet they'd probably ever been. But he knew that Tsylatac didn't like him as anything more than a friend. He places the keys to all the cells in Tsylatac's hand. "Here you go. But give it back to me extra quick in the morning, or else I'll get it and never be able to help you at all."
"I promise!" Tsylatac whispers, already jogging off towards the dungeons. "I'll give them to you tomorrow morning! Promise!" She rushes off, leaving Sam to go inside his room again, lie in bed, and think about the night.
Tsylatac goes through the doors that lead to the descending steps. She goes down and down for what seems like forever. Finally she feels the ground is straight. She regrets not bringing a candle. She slips through to the others doors. Some of the doors asked her name. Strange, a common thief usually didn't get this much protection.
At last she reaches the outside of Shawn's cell.
"Shawn?" She whispered. "Where are you?"
"T? What are you doing here?!" he cries. She follows the voice and soon makes out the outline of Shawn against the right part of the cell.
"I've come to free you." I began to take out the keys.
"No, T. I can't. I-I need to escape on my own. It's the only way I'll learn. I've never been so well guarded. This can be a good lesson."
"Lesson?" I squeak. "What?"
"Just, Tsylatac. I can't escape now. Not with you holding the key and making it easy."
Tsylatac doesn't answer for a moment. He hadn't called her by her full name since he had first met her. What had happened? Had this trip to jail changed his feelings for her? Did he really hate her?
"Is something wrong, Shawn?" Shawn shakes his head.
Tsylatac sighs. She gets up to go. She bites her lip hard to stop the tears from coming from her eyes. And she had thought she was strong.
"T. You don't have to go. I just don't want to leave. Not by your key." Tsylatac doesn't look back. She opens the other door that she had let herself in from. Then she silently locks it again. She goes all the way back, her enthusiasm gone. Walking up the stairs in silence, she goes over the same sentence. 'Why? Why, why why why?!' Halfway up the stairs, she lets go and sits down on the she was on. She presses her face into her hands to muffle the sound of her sobs. When she gets herself back together, she stands up and finished her walk up the stairs. She goes through the dark halls the same thought still rebounding in her head. She reached her bedroom, opening the door without caring whether or not anyone heard the squeak. She lies in her bed, her open eyes looking up at the ceiling. She still couldn't quite believe it.
The next morning, she passes Sam the keys from under the breakfast table, not really concentrating. Sam could see that something had happened the night before. And from the lack of news he knew that Shawn hadn't left the cell. And Tsylatac was definitely wearing dark circles under her eyes.
But Sam hardly ever had time to talk to Tsylatac until late. So it took him all day to find out about Shawn's rejection of Tsylatac's help. He tries to comfort his friend but it's hard since he secretly and guiltily feels good. He feels ashamed that he's glad of Tsylatac's sadness. "Look, Lata. Maybe Shawn wasn't worth you. Isn't worth you."
"Whose side are you one anyway?" Tsylatac asks angrily. "You think one of those princes would be better suited for me? Huh? IS THAT WHAT YOU THINK?" she ends her sentence almost screaming, and Sam looks around nervously to make sure that no one was listening.
"Lata, quiet down. You know I only want you to be happy. But if you get us caught-"
"I don't care. I doubt I can even count on you anymore." Tsylatac answers stiffly.
Sam feels anger flare up and he can't help but retort her comment. "Oh yeah? Who got you those keys? You helped you set your plan to help Shawn's escape? Me. But no, now I can't even be trusted. Thank you, Lata. Thank you so much." His eye disappears from the keyhole.
"No, Sam! I didn't mean it like that." But Sam's black eyes don't show up again. Tsylatac gives up on him and goes back to her own room. She lies on her bed, thinking. Unable to sleep once again. She can't but feels that somehow she's making everyone hate her because a spell was cast on her. Hey, a spell was cast on her mother. Why not on her?
But she knew that this day was caused not by a spell, but by her.