The Royal Guardian

By: Sokai

Disclaimer: I, Sokai, do not claim ownership to the workings of W.I.T.C.H. -- I leave that honor up to Elisabetta Gnone. Nor do I own Meg Cabot's "The Princess Diaries" series (even though this story isn't even really related to the series. Just don't want to hear law suit claims LoL). However, I can and DO claim to own this story and its inspired ideas FROM said series.

Note: Sweet. 51 reviews. Up for not even a week. Rock it. :Dances: LoL Anyway, nothing more need be said. Read the thingie. LoL

This chapter was created in November 2006.

Chapter Ten

Wednesday Evening,

Galleria Cineplex

What a major dork I am, hiding out inside of an old and rundown movie theatre, with nothing but the little key chain flashlight (that I'm using to write this entry, being that it's so dark in here) to protect me in case, God forbid, some crazy homeless guy comes in here looking for shelter in addition to a "good time."

Regardless, there is just no way that I can go back home right now. I can't. I know that it's wrong and not really fair to my mom, I guess, since she's been calling my cellphone over and over. But still. I can't deal with trying to cram in even more information than what was already jammed into my brain.

And I definitely can't go to any of the girls' houses. They've also been calling me alongside Mom, since she apparently called each of them to see if I had maybe gone to see one of them.

Ha! Right. And say what? That not only am I a mystical being, also known as a Guardian of the Veil, but I am now evidently a descendant of royalty?

Oh, wow. I can't believe this. All this time I've just been so focused upon the fact that my mother is a princess, that I actually forgot for a second that, because she is one, then so am I.

Okay. Okay, Will. Just breathe. You can do this.

I just . . . I just can't believe this is all happening, though. Crap like this only happens within the movies or books or something, like that one about a regular girl my age who also ironically found out that she was a princess.

When I went inside of the plaza, as I'd said, every employee within the lobby were all too eager to help me get to my mother. And again, as I'd said, I found their behavior extremely puzzling but did not truly think much of it.

So anyway, even though I had no clue as to precisely where my mom had wanted to meet me, I just automatically assumed that it would be somewhere within the lobby, like in the fancy, beautiful dining court I saw on my way inside. I mean, I didn't think that she would have gotten a room or anything like that, if all that she wanted was for me to pick her up, or whatever, like I'd originally thought, you know?

Boy, was I wrong.

Not only did Mom get a room, but it was one of the biggest rooms within the entire hotel, the Presidential Suite.

Yeah, okay. Obviously, by now I am over the shock of that, at least. But, at the time, when I was being led into the elevator instead of the dining court, and didn't emerge from said elevator until I was at the very top of the plaza, I kept thinking to myself: Oh, my God. What if these people aren't staff of the hotel? What if they're going to lead me to my death or something? And here I was, worried that I'd be without Mom! Now she's going to be without me!

So, while my paranoia was flaring up, I'd managed to say to the two uniformed females on either side of me and escorting me to the suite, "U-uh . . . I d-don't have much on me, b-because I don't get paid until next week, but I can give you the twenty-five dollars that I do have i-if you'll just let me go."

I know. Completely lame. But, hey! The next time that you might believe that you're about to be kidnapped and hacked up into fish bait, we'll see how calm you are.

Thankfully, though, the ladies seemed to find my indirect accusation of foul play amusing, because they only giggled and blushed profusely before the lady on my left, a tall blonde who sort of looked a bit like Cornelia said, "Oh, don't be silly! Yvette and I would never dream of taking money from someone like you!"

Now, this remark had honestly made me a bit mad as well as offended. Because I mean, I know that I'm just a "lowly teenager," whose financial value isn't exactly all that much as it now stands, but still. That was no reason for blatant disrespect.

So, right when I was about to open my mouth to say so to Blonde-Lady, her raven haired companion on my right, apparently known as Yvette, chimed in and was all, "Of course not! Natasha's right! We are just so honored that we have this opportunity to 'socialize' and bask within your greatness!"

Obviously yes, it was at this point in time that I'd begun to grow a tad suspicious, at the the same time that my curiosity had certainly peaked. It's not everyday that I'm essentially treated like a celebrity, and so, I will admit that, while everything was incomprehensible, I did still find it to be a bit cool.

I even began to think that, maybe my mom really was having a secret love affair, but with a famous person , and could no longer keep it hidden from her daughter any longer, and so that's why she sent for me.

It certainly would have explained why I had to meet her at the plaza of all places; why everyone already seemed to know me and had been mesmerized by my mere presence; (Now, if only Caleb could adopt that sort of behavior whenever he'd see me coming, then I would be set.) and now why Yvette and Natasha were "basking within my greatness," as they'd put it.

I was going to ask them if that was what was going on, but we had finally reached the very top floor, the fifty-first, at that moment. It's a good thing that I'm not really afraid of heights, or else I probably would have been freaking when I'd gotten out of the elevator and curiously gazed out of the broad, elegant window that had greeted me to my right and featured the busy population below that honestly appeared ant-size.

The top floor truly is reserved for only the "special people" or what have you, because there were only like, a small handful of rooms that I'd taken notice of as I followed Natasha and Yvette down the vast hall (which really wasn't a hall, in my opinion, the way it was so glamorous. If any of the guests on that floor ever had a dispute with whomever they might be traveling with, there was certainly enough room as well as comfort for him or her to stay out there, instead).

Finally, after walking for what felt like ages, I found myself accidentally bumping into Yvette's back, who had suddenly stopped with Natasha. That was because they had both led me to this grand, beige colored set of double doors, that were without the biggest of all of the other doors I had passed throughout my "journey."

I guess it makes sense that those doors would be super sized, considering that it had this golden plague with the words "Presidential Suite" written in script decorating the wall next to them.

When I saw this and where the three of us were I was all, "Oh! S-sorry about that. I take it that we're finally here and I can go see my mother and her boyfriend now?" You know, because I still had the notion of my mother dating some illustrious individual. (Although, when I think on it, now that I know that she's a princess, she probably could date some high profile guy if she wanted to -- and probably has in the past, who knows.)

However, both women only found my remark to be humorous (just like everything else I've said to them) and each moved to seize one of the two identical brass doorhandles.

"Please remember us once you make it big!" Natasha said to me with a huge grin after twisting the doorknob.

"Yeah! Your secret is safe with us, and everyone else here at the Infinity Crowne Plaza Hotel!" Yvette chimed in after curtsying and simultaneously pulling open the door with Natasha.

I must be monumentally thick, here. Honestly. Because even an infant probably would have been able to tell that what was going on was of the massively heralded variety, if those two nut cases were going on and on about remembering him or her and secrets being kept.

But, oh no. Not me. Not self-absorbed Will who, in one hour flat managed to shatter her vow to be less self-involved and is now diving head first back into her obsession of how anything that could go wrong can and does.

Anyway, for that moment at least, I'd forgotten all about me and my worries and hesitantly entered the suite. One thing I must say, though, is that had I gone there under better circumstances, I would have absolutely fallen in love with it.

I can remember once reading, in one of the random magazines set out within the waiting room of my dentist's office, that this place, the Presidential, has over seven bedrooms, six bathrooms, three living rooms and two kitchens. And as though that isn't enough, the suite also has three marble fireplaces, one sauna and a terrace that has an Inground swimming pool.

I can also recall feeling super astounded and envious of anyone who would ever get to stay in such a place.

And now look. It turns out that my mother, of all people, and the presumed celebrity lover I thought she was seeing had been staying there all along.

Mom (who apparently felt "safe" enough to discard her trench coat and glasses, since she was no longer wearing either of them) was standing near what I assumed was the first of the three fireplaces scattered inside of the suite, with her back facing me as well as a dark haired man seated upon a red vanity couch that was placed before the hearth.

I guess the suite was too big, because it did not really seem to register to either of them just yet that I had entered the room. Especially since they were right in the middle of a pretty heated debate that I am quite positive they would not want me to be privy to, had they had known that I was present.

"I can't believe you, Elisud. Did it ever occur to you to maintain a low profile while staying here? You didn't have to inform absolutely everyone about it. What if some madman ends up targeting Will in order to get to you?" my mom asked while peering into the roaring fireplace.

Her voice was riddled with a mixture of annoyance and apprehension, which made me instantly begin to worry for her all over again. Plus, I also felt a little less foolish in thinking that I was going to be kidnapped earlier, now that I had just overheard my mother thinking the very same thing.

"Oh, come now, Almira. I can hardly regard a mere handful of the plaza's personnel as 'everyone.' And forgive me for not being quite accomplished in the ways of -- what was it that you said? Ah, yes: 'maintaining a low profile.' I suppose after twenty-one years of . . . 'living abroad,' one is bound to pick up a few . . . 'tricks of the trade,'" the man seated upon the couch said to Mom's back with a slight condescending and self righteous tone, as well as an unrecognizable accent.

Even though this guy seemed to be giving my mother a hard time, I still found myself nonetheless intrigued by him. Like I was either connected to him or knew him somehow, I don't know (although, once again, I now know why).

As I continued to listen to their conversation in secret, I thought to myself, For lovers, they sure argue a lot. And what a bizarre pet name to give to Mom . . ."Almira . . ."

At the time, I'd thought that Mom apparently agreed, because she suddenly whirled around and glared daggers at the guy known as Elisud.

"My name is not 'Almira,' Elisud! It's Susan! If you've come here for the sole purpose of belittling me for the choice that I had made all those years ago, then --"

"-- Calm yourself, 'Susan.' My word, I cannot believe that you would honestly favor being referred to by such a name. Almira is such a strong, proud name," Elisud rudely commented, dismissively waving a bejeweled, tawny hand towards my mother, who looked positively livid by that point.

I couldn't blame her. I mean, this stranger was coming off as pretty jerky and judgmental the longer I listened to him. Personally, I have always liked my mother's name. It was short, easy to pronounce, attractive, and wasn't something overly fancy like "Wilhelmina . . ."

But it was obvious that this Elisud character completely disagreed.

"And anyhow, while it is true that you and I have a bit of . . . lingering stagnancy between the two of us, Almira, you know very well why I have come. In fact, you were not at all thrilled to come meet with me when I had first contacted you this past summer after finally finding you. But you have always known that eventually this day would come," Elisud finished with a surprising sigh, which was shared with my mother, who had also exhaled sadly in reflection.

Even though I had wanted to eavesdrop a little bit more, I could no longer stand. My paranoia had reached critical.

So, taking a deep breath, I hesitantly cleared my throat and moved towards my mother and her . . . "friend."

"U-uh . . . Mom? You wanted to see me?" I asked, startling both my mother and the mysterious, aristocratic-like man in the process. "What's going on? Why did you want me to meet you here of all places? How can we afford it? And who is this guy and why does he keep calling you 'Almira' for?"

My mom immediately rushed to my side the moment that she saw me, and embraced me tightly for the first time in such a long while. Meanwhile, Elisud slowly rose to his feet and turned to face the two of us.

Now that I could get a better look at him, I instantly thought to myself, Yikes, does this guy look like Mom's twin! Which, of course was super gross to think, since I originally thought he was Mom's boyfriend.

Still, Elisud really did resemble a possible long lost twin or something, what with sharing the same dark, mesmerizing eyes; same wavy, jet black hair (with his short and slicked back, versus Mom's longtime preference to a shoulder length style); and naturally tan complexion (or, what I assume was Elisud's natural tan, anyway).

Even height was something the two seemed to share, except that Mom was around five foot, eight inches tall, and her male counterpart was definitely far more taller than that, such as six foot, three inches or whatever.

After Mom finally let me go I was able to get an even better look at Elisud and the fancy threads he had on. He was wearing a dark colored, Armani-resembling type of suit that probably cost him a billion bucks or something. The more I looked at him, especially after taking in his current attire, the more he totally looked like that one Irish actor who played that fictional British spy in that one movie. And for a second I was even wondering how could Mom, or anyone else for that matter, ever dream of fighting with someone as charming as this guy (übergross again, to think like that, but at the time it was "okay" because I didn't know).

Like a total idiot, I just stood there, staring at this stranger staring at me with a growing, warm smile spreading across his face, while Mom began to uncomfortably shift her weight next to me.

Remember when I said that I had strangely felt drawn or connected to Elisud, even though I didn't know why? Yeah. Well, I was about to find out.

Before I knew what was happening, I could hear Mom shakily say as she rested both of her curiously quaking hands upon my shoulders, ". . . Elisud . . . I would like you to meet my daughter, Wilhelmina . . . Will, honey . . . this . . . is my little brother, Elisud . . ."

You know, normally, after learning about something so life-altering, such as having a long lost relative, the natural reaction one assumes is stupefaction. Or, at the very least, intrigue.

Apparently, however, those emotions do not seem to cut it for me or what have you, because it didn't even initially phase me. All I said was, "Oh. Hi. So then, he's not your new boyfriend or whatever then, Mom?"

How morbid am I, still hung up on the whole "this is Mom's boyfriend" scenario, when I just found out that they're blood related? But my brain was honestly trying to figure out what was going on still, and firmly grasp the concept that I was standing in a lavish room that was definitely bigger than my entire loft.

Anyway, so Mom goes, "Um . . . no, Will. Elisud is most certainly not my boyfriend. What made you think that he was, anyhow?"

"Huh? Oh, because Matt had supposedly seen you outside of the hotel when he was driving by on his way to the market earlier today, and saw you dressed all incognito-like. So then he text messaged me while I was in math class to tell me so. He said that maybe you were there to meet with a 'secret lover' or something," I told her automatically, while still gazing without expression at Elisud, who began to chuckle upon hearing this.

"Good Heavens, Almira! She reminds me so much of you when you and I were children -- so outspoken and observant. And she certainly looks like you, as well. Well, with the exception of her cardinal, a bit unruly hair, of course. Her father must have quite the fortified genes to 'outdo,' if you will, that of the DeMontaimont bloodline. How unique then, that your daughter will be the first relatively fair-haired ruler then, do you not agree?" Elisud said with another amused laugh, advancing from his spot and gently placed a tender kiss upon each of my cheeks.

Mom, however, was none too thrilled to hear mention of my dad, and began to make a big deal out of it while I tried to effectively follow and understand what was rapidly unfolding before me.

"Elisud, please! I agreed to meet with you, as I have no choice in the matter as you had so kindly pointed out to me. But I will ask that you refrain from referring to Thomas any further from this point on," she said, protectively pulling me towards her chest as Elisud backed up a bit. "He has nothing to do with this, anyhow."

"Too right. Of course, my condolences on your failed espousal, Almira. Perhaps, had you stayed at home and married one of your many suitors -- instead of gallivanting around the world like some commoner -- then maybe --"

"-- Wow! Okay, then! I'm sorry here, but I'm getting pretty tired of being confused and in the dark about everything here! Not to mention alsotired of having you rag on my mother like this. You're her supposed brother, dude -- have a little more respect, will you?" I found myself blurting out before I could stop myself. My cheeks instantly flushed with blood due to embarrassment after that.

I still meant every word, though. Because it seriously was becoming beyond ridiculous at how much this lost uncle of mine continued to ridicule my mother, in the same way that he'd been doing ever since I'd stepped into the suite and perhaps well before that.

It was rude and disrespectful.

Nonetheless, I can't help but to always become supremely discomposed whenever I happen to call attention to myself (even if it's for a good reason or cause, like defending the "little man." Or, in this case, the little woman . . . or mother . . . something).

Mom squeezed me lightly in appreciation from behind, while Elisud lightly gasped in surprise before lightly frowning and curiously smiling at the same time.

"Well! I admire your forthrightness . . . and obviously immense loyalty to those who reside within your heart. You have certainly raised your daughter well, Almira . . . Of course, her manners could use improvement -- such as not rudely interrupting others, especially those deemed her superiors. But that is something we can and will fix, once everything is underway," he said cryptically as his dark blue eyes shone happily while focusing upon me once more.

Whatever Elisud had been referring to, Mom certainly was aware of, because she moved from behind me and placed herself in between her alleged brother and myself.

"Now, listen, Elisud -- truly listen this time. I may have abdicated my right to the throne, but that in no way means that I have also relented my right to my only daughter. So don't you go and make any 'royal-related' plans for her just yet," she delivered boldly to Elisud, whom I guess nodded from what I could see since Mom was in my way.

"Very well. Regardless, since young Wilhelmina is not yet eighteen as you had informed me, she is still Marsily's child as well, and so I very well can go right on ahead and make plans for her if I see fit. I am, after all, King, thanks to you," I heard him say with a nonchalant air in the beginning, but then suddenly trailed off with a faint but still detectable resentfulness.

This was the final straw for me. Now that my mind was finally working back to full capacity, I couldn't take another minute of their impromptu riddles.

Too bad, because I think I would have preferred to remain in the dark about something this astronomic.

I moved from my spot and did the first thing that had popped into my head. So, like a lunatic, I stood on top of one of the room's nearby, elegant-looking chairs and waved my hands into the air to get my mother and uncle's attention.

"Will someone please just tell me what's the deal? Right now, or I'm walking!" I shouted, still swinging my arms around like a mental patient.

You know how, in those old cartoons where one of the characters' eyes will bulge out of their sockets in alarm? Yeah, well that's exactly what happened to Elisud. Because as soon as he saw me standing on that particular piece of furniture, his eyes practically jutted out in a utterly unnatural fashion, and his once calm and collected demeanor was shattered as he waved his own arms violently at me.

"Ah! What is the meaning of this? That is a five thousand dollar chair! Get down from there this instant!"

At least Mom found the entire scene hilarious in contrast, apparently, because she looked as though she was about to pop from all of her lurid laughter.

"It is nice to see that you have retained your sense of humor, Almira, but this -- this is far from amusing! Could you imagine the absolute field day the press would have if they saw our beloved country's possible future ruler romping around upon a wonderful work of art such as this, like some sort of Jezebel?

And you are not helping the situation by basically encouraging it with your lack of proper action, or at least one that does not include raucous guffawing! A marvel at what two decades away from proper discipline and etiquette can truly do to one so formally sound!" Elisud gushed heatedly as he rushed forward to, I guess, pull me off of his beloved chair.

But he didn't need to, because as soon as I heard the words "future ruler" in reference to me, I'd completely lost my balance and fell straight onto my back onto the hard, cold floor.

"Oh, my God, Will! Are you all right?" Mom asked frantically, both her and Elisud helping me up onto my feet. At least this was one embarrassing debacle that my unsympathetic high school wasn't ever going to know about.

". . . Y-yeah . . . I'm fine . . . physically, anyway," I told her as I this time took a proper seat within the chair instead of standing upon it. "But emotionally is a whole other ballpark. Please . . . for the last time just spit it out! Why did . . . um . . . my uncle just say that I'd be ruler one day? For what, Mom?"

Mom sighed heavily again. She only profusely did that whenever she was about to tell me something really upsetting, like the time she had to break the news to me that my pet goldfish had died while I was away at camp back when I was seven, and she tried to replace it before I got back, but it too had died.

But I highly doubted that she was going to tell me something that "not-so-epic" right then (not that I didn't love my goldfish, of course).

"Will . . . I don't really know how to say this," she began weakly, which honestly would have made me thought that she was about to tell me that she' was dying or whatever, had I not been privy to all of that ruling mumbo-jumbo before. "It's . . . it's kind of -- well, it is an extremely long story . . . But, I . . . I, well . . . I am a princess."

And, despite all of the words that had alluded to this moment, like "king," and "rule," I was still stupidly like, ". . . Okay."

Mom, looking super perplexed, was all, ". . . N-no . . . Honey, I . . . Do you understand what I'm trying to tell you?"

". . . Yeah . . . You said that you're a princess," I replied in a skeptic daze, looking around the room as it suddenly and for some reason fascinated all the more than it previously had. (I guess my brain was having a relapse or something.)

Mom raised an eyebrow in curiosity, probably because she was finding it a bit amazing that I was taking the news of her hidden royal heritage so well.

"Will . . . I . . . I kind of thought that you'd be freaking out or something over this . . . Especially for . . . well, you know, what it means for you, personally."

I looked at her blankly a moment, my mind trying to reboot itself for the umpteenth time to try to better process this additional news.

I started to mentally dissect it like a science experiment: Okay. My mother, Susan Vandom, is a real life, actual princess . . . And so then I, as a result of being born to her, am naturally also . . . a princess.

Wait a second!

My mother is a princess, and so too, am I??

Welcome back at long last, cognizance and logic.

It was then, at that moment that I finally understood what my mother and her brother had been prattling on about all this time and, quite frankly, the rest of my senses could not at all handle it. Because the next thing I know, I could feel my eyes rolling straight into the back of my head at the same time that my insides grew tingly, queasy and teetering over to the right of the chair as I began to fall out of it once more.

And then everything just went black.

And so now here I am, after being abruptly woken up through the use of super strong smelling salts that some bulky guy I did not recognize and previously was not within the suite (at least, not that I had been aware of, anyway) before I'd passed out, while Mom cradled me within her lap.

Like I said, I still feel minutely bad about storming out on her and her brother the way that I had the moment that my head had stopped spinning long enough for me to do so. But I just couldn't take hearing the "explanation" that Mom frantically tried to deliver onto me as I fled from the suite and hotel, altogether.

I mean, if you were in my shoes, I know that you would have reacted the same way -- or worse, even . . .

Man, is it getting cold. Even though I really don't want to, I had better go home, finally. I've been able to dodge Mom's proverbial bullets before in the past, so I'm sure that I can avoid talking about this debacle any further.

Besides, I have a truckload of homework to finish.

Oh, my God, am I truly a geek or something. I can't believe that I'm actually worried about completing my freaking homework before tomorrow.

There are far more important things going on right now, like the fact that my life as I had once known it is swiftly flying straight out of the window!

-- End of Chapter Ten

(A.N. There's more, so please to be relaxing. I didn't want to overload everyone's brains by giving the entire "story" in one shot. But of course you know that I will, and it will also, for the most part, make sense. LoL So plllllllllllllllllllease, I'm begging of you: no "how is this possible?/What's the deal with Susan's name?/What the hell is Marsily?" questions in your reviews you might leave me, cuz you know I love you, and wouldn't leave you confused as I ALWAYS am 24/7. That'd be too cruel. LoL)