All Rights to Kiera Cass
Chapter Ten- Home Again
When we left the rebel's base, but by the time we get to the palace it's night.
The guards rush me into the palace and straight to the infirmary. When I get there no one seems to be ready for my arrival. This puzzles me.
"Dr. Ashlar!" General Leger calls.
The doctor rushes forward and, upon seeing me, begins to assemble a team.
"Lady Alaina!" He calls out.
"Shh!" General Leger shushes him. "You'll wake everyone up!"
"Well, won't The Prince be expecting her?"
"Not for another week. We're going to surprise him."
I smile a little. I can't imagine his face when he finds out that I'm here again. The doctor simply nods and gets me into a bed.
"I'm going to do a routine check-up, okay?" He asks me.
"Okay," I say, but my voice is scratchy still.
The doctor pokes and prods and I yelp anywhere it hurts. After a while he leaves and I'm left with some bandages, and pain killers. Nothing too serious was damaged.
Minus my side. It was slightly infected so he had to put some ointment on it, and of course take out the bullet. After that though, I was just okay. And I slept, for the first time in ten days.
When I wake up its three days later. General Leger walks over to my bed as soon as my eyes open.
"Are you ready?" He asks. I'm slightly confused until I realize, he's going to tell The Prince that I'm here.
"Yes," I say. My voice is getting better.
The General nods and comes back a few minutes later.
"He's on his way," he informs me. "I told him that were doing some routine check ups so to come down here. He also thinks that it was a failed mission when we went after you."
"That's a bit mean," I say, shocked.
"Makes for a better surprise," General Leger shrugs.
Suddenly we hear footsteps coming down the hallway. General Leger stands in front of me so that Prince Glenn can't see me.
"I'm hear," The Prince says gloomily.
"Good, we have something that will help with how you're feeling, the doctor prescribed it," General Leger says calmly, but I can hear the excitement. He moves out of the way so that Glenn can see me.
Prince Glenn isn't looking at me though. He's looking at the floor. General Leger clears his throat.
"Just give me the medicine so I can go," Prince Glenn says quietly.
"I don't know if I can do that," The General says, shocked.
"Yeah, I'm pretty sure only family can do that," I say.
Prince Glenn's head snaps up and when he sees me his whole expression lights up.
"Alaina?" He asks. "Oh my gosh!"
He runs straight for me and pulls me into a bone-crushing hug. For a few moments all he does is hug me, and I think that he may be crying a little bit.
Finally, he lets me go and looks into my eyes.
"You're okay," he whispers.
I smile. "Of course I'm okay. Why wouldn't I be?"
"Alaina, you've been gone for ten days," The Prince says, suddenly very serious.
I look at him for a long time and tell him what words can't. I'm fine, I always was. Don't worry.
Prince Glenn seems to get it and nods. I look around and see that The General isn't there anymore. He must have left us on our own.
"Does anyone else know that you're here?" He asks. I shake my head. "Okay, I'll be right back, I promise."
He doesn't give me time to argue, knowing that I would. Minutes later, Diana, Vivian, and Simone run through the doors.
"Alaina!" They shout in unison. They too give me a too-tight hug. They all pull back and j give them a closer look. They're injured.
Diana has a black eye, Simone's foot's in a cast, and Vivian has a knee brace.
"What happened to you?" I ask in a whisper.
"Us? You're worried about us? After what you've been through?" Vivian asks. How do they know?
"What do you know? I mean, all you know is that I was taken by rebels, right?" I ask hopefully.
"No Alaina, we saw it, everyone saw it. They aired it over the nation," Diana says quietly. I slowly sit back and think. I don't want anyone else to know what I've gone through. That's my business.
"Alaina?" Simone asks.
"Hm?" I reply.
"Are you alright?" I look at the clock. I've been sitting here for half an hour.
"Yeah, I probably just need some sleep," I reply with what I hope is exhaustion in my voice. The girls nod and head off. I don't know what happened to them still.
The next day, The King and Queen come to see me.
"Are you alright?" The Queen asks as she rushes to my side.
"Yes, thank you, though you shouldn't be so concerned," I reply quickly. "Oh- Your Majesty!"
"Please," The Queen laughs. "Just call me America."
"Alright," I say cautiously.
"And why shouldn't I be concerned?"
"It's just that I don't matter all that much."
"Darling, when you were away, my son lost sleep, didn't eat, and stayed in his room, talking with The Rebels. Those three girls that you're always talking to ran into the forest to try and find you, but only hurt themselves in the process. Half of the country went looking for you, of course you matter."
I sit thinking for a moment and then, "Do you know where the guard who took the rebel down is?"
The Queen sits there for a moment and bites her lip, as if she's afraid of something.
"He's, not with us anymore," she says cautiously.
"Why?" I ask worriedly, sitting up.
"He, he was very upset with himself for letting you get taken away."
"Meaning?"
"He, he blamed himself and took his own life."
I collapse onto my bed and stare wide eyed at the ceiling. I think that I hear The Queen call out to me, twice, but I don't answer.
The next thing I know I'm surrounded by nurses and I fall asleep thinking, all of these people did these things, and I still don't know why.