4.1. The White Princess
'Horse?' Lillian murmured in disbelief as she looked at the forest surrounding her. Lavi followed her gaze but still remained focus on the dirt road underneath their feet. With his ears, he could pick up the sound clearer than the others and slowly confirmed that there were possibly four horses.
'There's a few of them,' Komui barked in confirmation but his small body gave away his uncertainty. Kanda responded by placing his hand on the hilt of his katana. His eyes were narrowing in on the direction of the sound.
It didn't take long before a hooded figure broke through the coverage of the tall trees, their pace was frantic and they hurried blindly towards the group. Then several mounted horses were cantering on the figure's heels.
The figure was doing a good job keeping ahead of a horse but they suddenly tripped with their hood falling off and revealing snow-white locks.
'It's Allen!' Lenalee reacted quickly by activating her innocence and propelling herself forward. She was by the girl's side in seconds and wrapped her hands around her waist and hoisted them both into the air.
Lavi reacted next as the riders confusedly glanced above their heads probably wondering why the girls were in the sky.
'Big hammer, little hammer extend!' Lavi's hammer stretched out and pinned itself between two trees, at the exact same height as the riders. One rider was lucky enough to glance back in front of him while his fellows were knocked off their horses. He pulled back the reins for the horse to reverse but Lillian was by his side in a jiffy and quickly mounted the animal.
She used the Queen's scepter to lock around the rider's neck and slowly suffocate him. His hands flew towards her to try and pry her off in his panic but she was smaller than he was and out of his reach.
Kanda dealt quickly with the riders that had fallen off their horses and Lenalee descended to the ground assuming everything was safe. They gathered around, with the exception for Kanda whom watched over the single surviving rider that Lillian stopped.
'Allen, are you alright?' Lenalee asked as she pawed over the girl standing in front of her. Allen just stared at her with an annoyed look on her face.
'Of course not! Try waking up to someone holding a dagger above your chest!' Lenalee was taken back by her friend's words as Lavi just placed an arm around the white head.
'At least you're safe, I think that counts,' Lavi exclaimed cheerfully only to receive a hard bonk on the head by Lillian.
'You stupid rabbit, we're suppose to be asking about what story we are in,' Lillian growled holding the scepter in a threatening manner. Komui trotted up to them and gazed up with a small cough to catch their attention.
'What exactly happened, Allen?' Komui barked as Allen blinked down at his doggy form and a small smile twitched the corner of her mouth.
'That is Komui right?'
'Yes now answer my question,' Komui snapped impatiently probably getting fed up with people taking their time registering his appearance.
'I woke up in that castle over there and at first I was confused but it didn't last long because some person in black tried to take my heart out…' Allen shivered and her face paled further to a sickening white. Lenalee wrapped her arms around Allen to comfort her friend but seemed just as disturbed.
Lavi didn't say anything but studied the long cloak that hugged around Allen's slender frame. Her hair hung loose just above her shoulder and a small silver tiara adorned her head. He also caught a glimpse of the pale blue dress underneath the cloak.
'Allen seems to be a princess and she was almost lost her heart… sounds like the plot in Snow White, you know with the jealous Queen?' Lavi added with slight concern but Lillian moaned aloud.
'Not another Queen, one was enough trouble,' Lillian was probably remembering about their fight against the Queen of Hearts.
'But that isn't the real problem… we need to find the object that'll get us to the next story and to Phoenix,' Lavi reminded them as Allen glanced at them, wondering what they were getting at.
'Of course it is baka usagi, the Queen didn't fucking give up until Snow White was killed,' Kanda snapped causing Lavi to flinch under the murderous aura. Allen just paled further as the information sank in.
'I know that, we just need to hurry before that happens is all,' Lavi meekly said as his rabbit ears drooped and he stared at his feet.
'Listen, Lenalee and I will head to the castle and see what we can find while you guys stay here and watch Allen. If it is true, then the Queen will no doubt try something else,' Lillian seemed to be explaining a plan to them but they were just staring at her with doubtful glances.
'I don't know Lil, maybe Yuu and I should go instead,' Lavi said but froze when he felt the tip of mugen pushing against the back of his neck. Lillian frowned at Kanda and knocked the katana away with the scepter.
'If anything bad happens, Lenalee can get away quickly with one person using her dark boots, anymore questions?' Lillian growled as Lavi just shook his head not wanting to anger the finder further. The others didn't have much to complain either so Lillian and Lenalee headed off towards the castle.
….
After separating, Lillian and Lenalee followed the road to the castle. The closer they got the larger the fortress seemed to be.
The walls were thick slabs of rock many meters above the ground with guards sanctioned on the walkways. The gates were barred by a large iron grate, which was mostly pulled up by a lifting mechanism.
But despite the menacing looks of the guards, the girls had managed to get into the town surrounding the castle without too much suspicion… yet.
Lillian gazed about her trying to memorize the layout of the winding streets.
It wasn't much different to any other town Lillian had visited, there were people going about their business buying or selling items at the variety of stalls and opened shops.
'What are we looking for Lillian?' Lenalee asked as they paused and pretended to browse at a shop full of rugs and tapestries. Lillian tilted her head to the side.
'I was hoping it would come to me but frankly, I haven't a clue,' Lenalee frowned at her before they moved on becoming wary as they spotted several royal guards rounding the corner.
'You're saying this is pointless,'
'No, we need to understand our situation better before blindly charging into smoke,' Lillian snapped but sealed her lips quickly when the guards slowly passed by. Lenalee didn't say anything either as they continued to browse around or listened to the talk amongst the people.
But they still couldn't find or understand what the key would look like in this story. Lillian searched her brain desperate for answers that wouldn't come any time soon. By the time they decided to head back to the others, it was already getting dark.
Lenalee sighed beside her as they made their way to the town entrance only to find that it had been locked.
'Is there a curfew?' Lenalee gazed up at the gate in hope of being able to scale it but the number of guards assigned on the wall discouraged her.
'We can't get out without someone seeing us,' Lenalee muttered as Lillian nodded and gazed around her.
'We really need to keep a low profile and look for a place to stay,' Lillian agreed as they began to retrace their steps in the opposite direction of the gate. But Lillian caught sight of something slinking around the shadows of the buildings.
'Lenalee!' Lillian hissed in urgency as she pulled the Chinese girl behind her and tried her best to follow this suspicious figure. It led them to the other side of town and towards part of the wall where there happened to be a blind spot.
'What's going on…?' Lillian slapped her hand over Lenalee's mouth as they stopped at the corner just as the figure turned around. Lenalee glared at her but the young Finder didn't say anything as she checked the figure again.
The figure pulled down is hood revealing the head of an attractive looking woman with straight dark hair pulled off her face by an elaborate crown of gold. Lenalee and Lillian froze to the spot. There was no mistaking it… this was the Queen trying to kill Allen whom was Snow White!
The Queen lifted her hand out of her cloak and a small black vortex began to swirl above her palm. Lillian strained her ear and could here the incomprehensible chanting of a spell. Soon something solid appeared in her hand and it looked to be a snake of some sort.
'Find the princess and kill her,' Lillian had to once again cover Lenalee's mouth as the girl began to protest.
'Don't blow our cover or we cannot help them,' she whispered into Lenalee's ear but the sounds of feet interrupted them. Lenalee and Lillian tried to move but were quickly surrounded by guards.
'How…?'
'You do know it's rude to eavesdrop on others,' the guards moved out of the way as the Queen came forward. Lillian and Lenalee stiffened in fear.
….
Lavi, Kanda, Komui and Allen moved off and away from the road shortly after Lenalee and Lillian left. They had found a small cave facing away from the dirt track. Lavi then lit a fire for them and blocked the entrance with Allen's cloak despite the white-haired girl putting up some protest for this.
She wasn't exactly comfortable with what she was wearing and when Lavi said otherwise, she just called him a pervert. This amused Kanda and it could be seen by the smirk creeping up onto his lips.
'Come on Allen, you actually look good in that dress,' Lavi pleaded as Allen glared at him while her innocence danced about her. Her claw threatened to slice the rabbit into ribbons.
'Lavi please leave Allen alone, she's already been through enough today,' Komui turned his head towards the bickering two as he sat beside the fire to warm his small body. Allen sighed and stopped her activation by closing her fist hand into a fist.
It revealed her off-the-shoulder dress as she sat down beside the fire and Komui trotted up to her and sat next to her.
'Thank you,' Allen muttered under her breath as she gazed at the crackling fire. Lavi stood off towards the entrance though he still wore his playful grin on his face he seemed to have settled down.
'I hope Lillian knows what she's doing,' Lavi commented to break the silence as he peeked through the cloak.
'If she doesn't then she's fucked,' Kanda snorted as he meditated across from Allen and Komui.
'That isn't a nice thing to say Bakanda…' Allen eyed the samurai dangerously. She didn't like Kanda being so rude about their friends whom were doing this on her behalf.
'Did you say something Moyashi?'
'My name's Allen, idiot and get your ears checked!'
'Che, they work perfectly find Moyashi,' Allen growled out her frustration and snapped her head so she couldn't see Kanda anymore. Kanda seemed more than happy to be left alone finally. Or that's what Komui and Lavi thought anyway when the silence fell between the two.
'So…? I wonder if Lillian is right and the Queen might strike again,'
'Do. Not. Start. Baka usagi!' Kanda snarled as his hand instinctively reached for mugen lying beside him. Allen just slumped against the cave wall and closed her eyes.
'What? I was just saying that we need to be watchful,' Lavi persuaded as Kanda proceeded to pull his katana from its sheath.
'We'll deal with it when it happens now shut up!' Komui seemed to sigh at the tension rising from the two male exorcists and stared at Allen. The girl's eyes were closed and her breathing had relaxed… she was probably sleeping now.
'Hold it you two and let's rest up until Lenalee and Lillian return,' Komui spoke loud enough for the two boys to hear but low enough so that he didn't disturb Allen. Kanda silently 'che' and Lavi ruffled his red hair as he resumed his post by the cave entrance.
The night grew late and there was still no sign of Lenalee and Lillian's return. It slightly worried Lavi whom sat near the entrance. Allen was fast asleep against the wall with canine-Komui curled up in her lap as the fire slowly died down to embers.
Kanda seemed to be asleep but Lavi wasn't going to try anything useless he wasn't, which could be either…
Lavi was beginning to nod off as well but he tried to stay awake. What if the Queen tried to make a move now? Allen could defend her self, there was no questioning that but even sleep could render the fierce of warriors vulnerable.
His eyes slowly drooped again and Lavi shook his head to wake himself up but his body was slowly slouching against the wall. No, he couldn't… he… Lavi's chin touched his chest as he finally succumbed to sleep.
Unbeknown to them, something slithered from under the cloak hanging in front of the cave. It paused and lifted its triangular head to gaze at the occupants in the room. It had been waiting for a while for the rabbit to fall asleep and now was its chance.
Surveying the room again and with satisfaction continued to move towards its target nestled against the wall. The small figure was easy to see in the darkness because they stood out with the whiteness of their skin and hair.
It moved forward slowly and cautiously getting closer and closer…
….
And cut! Hi everyone hope you enjoy this chapter XD
Just a question for you all but… I've been thinking about the 14th and should I add him to the story?
If you think so then he already has a role within this story so let me hear about your opinions in you REVIEWS! (If not then it's okay)