After a moment, he turned the horses back towards the castle. There was nothing else to do here.
He put the horses in the stable, groomed and fed them, then went inside. He walked down the hall where Trist's and Derek's rooms were. He heard voices.
"I went a long ways, but I didn't see them!" The first was Trist's.
"Oh, don't worry, they were right over the hill," Derek replied.
"Can you give me a charm for speed tonight?" Trist asked.
Derek sighed. "I suppose I could," he said lazily.
"Do it!"
"Alright, alright," Derek replied.
"You seem to be forgetting the rules of your own kind," Trist said sharply. "Remember, you have to do everything I want you to. If you're not satisfactory to me, you'll never be free. You tricked me once, and you're paying for it now, stupid fairy."
There was some mumbling, and then the sound of turning the doorknob. Ben quickly hopped behind the door. It opened, hiding him. Derek and Trist walked out. Trist had a new, shiny necklace on. Ben could guess what it was. A charm for speed. They walked down the hallway and out of sight.
Ben took a deep breath. Derek was a fairy with a debt to Trist. That was his only real reason for being here. Going through the obstacle course was probably just to understand it for Trist. Ben had to tell Sophia. He started off down the hall.
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Sophia sat with her sisters, embroidering. She was making a flowered handkerchief. Not exactly exciting, but she was good at it, and she had the perfect model for the flowers. Derek had sent her roses this morning. They sat next to her, on the table. They were lovely...although she preferred daisies.
A knock sounded on the door.
Xavia ran to it, accepting any excuse for stopping embroidering. Ben was at the door.
"Ben, is there something you need?" Sophia asked.
"I need to talk to you, Sophia!" he said.
Sophia blushed slightly. "I—alright," she said. She stood up and began walking towards the door. Some of the girls giggled. She ignored them.
"What is it?" Sophia asked, once they were outside the room, walking down the hall.
"Derek is a fairy," Ben said.
Sophia blinked. "What?"
"He's under debt to Trist. He's helping him win, that was his whole point in being here!"
"But Derek—it can't be!" Sophia exclaimed.
"It is; I heard them discussing it! Trist was asking Derek for a charm for speed so that he can win tonight!"
"But—then why would he be so—nice to me?"
"Look, I don't know why he's acting like he's in love with you, but it was probably just so he could use you as an excuse to stay after his time to find the curse was over."
Sophia shook her head. "He wouldn't!"
"Sophia, please, he's up to no good! We need to stop them!"
Sophia met Ben's eyes levelly. "Derek is not evil, Ben. He can't be," she said adamantly.
"Sophia!"
She shook her head adamantly.
Ben sighed, clenched his fist and walked away.
Sophia watched him, then looked at the floor. She felt bad. It wasn't really that she didn't believe him, she just...didn't want to believe him.
Heidi walked down the halls, rather aimlessly. She had nowhere in particular that she was going, she just didn't feel like sitting in her room with her sisters. Trist would probably find them tonight, and she would probably have to marry him. It wasn't much to cheer one's spirits.
"Heidi," Trist came up behind her.
She spun around. "Trist," she met his tone and eye contact evenly, then dropped her gaze. Who was she fooling? She wasn't brave enough to challenge him.
"Walk with me," Trist commanded, placing his hand on her back.
Heidi did as she was told.
"I think I'm going to find the curse," Trist said. "I think I was very close last night. And if I do...I'm planning on marrying you, Heidi," he stated bluntly.
Heidi pursed her lips. "And what makes you think that I would consent?" she asked, trying to sound like Sara.
Trist laughed. "I don't think your consent was ever agreed upon in the rules."
Heidi hung her head. "And is that all it is to you? Just a game? Win the princess and live happily ever after?"
"I don't know about happily ever after, but I suppose it's something like that, yes."
"Well, Trist, I'll have you know that I am not simply an object for winning. At the end of the game, you may have more than you bargained for." Heidi was rather proud of herself for making a threat, but Trist did not seem at all phased.
He smiled slightly. "Heidi, Heidi, you try so hard to be brave. But you're not. It won't take much to break you, my dear." His hand slid up her back and made a strong grip on her shoulder. "You will marry me," he said adamantly. He pulled her toward him and kissed her rudely.
She tried to scream, but she couldn't. She wasn't strong enough the pull away.
Something pushed into them, knocking Trist away from her. It was Drew. He pushed Trist to the ground, punching him hard in the stomach. Trist groaned, then lay upon the ground, unmoving.
"Is he...dead?" Heidi asked.
Drew shook his head. "Not even close. Just in pain. He'll be up again in a second. Let's go," he took her hand and led her away.
They went to the library.
"Are you...ok?" Drew asked when they were seated on the sofa.
"Yes," Heidi said. "And no," she sobbed. "I tried to be brave, Drew, I really did! I tried to not let other people control me, but I just can't! And now—now I'm going to be married to the most awful man and—I'm just so—so tired of it all! I don't want to do it anymore, I just want to—to—leave!"
"What do you want?" Drew asked quietly.
"I—I—I want to get on a boat, and sail around the world," Heidi said. "And to build my own house and live in it. And grow flowers on the roof. And have a dog. A big, black one. And I want to be able to run without fainting."
"Then do it," Drew replied.
"What?" Heidi asked.
"Then do it," Drew said, standing and up and grabbing her hands. He pulled up next to him. "We'll do it together. I'm not a servant, Heidi. I was waiting for my chance at finding the curse, but I don't want it anymore. I know the curse isn't real, I just want you. We can sail around the world together! Then we'll come back here and build a house together, and get a dog! And I might not be able to stop you from fainting, but I can take care of you when it happens. We can run together, and if you faint, well, I'll just stay and wait with you until you're better. It'll be perfect! Will you do it with me, Heidi? Will you...marry me?"
Heidi smiled. She wasn't sure what to say. It all sounded so wild and wonderful, but could she really do it? For a moment the thought of what other people would think came into her head, but she shook it away. "Yes, Drew, I'll marry you."
Drew grinned and picked her up and twirled her around.
Heidi laughed.
The door swung open, and Travis and Sara walked in.
They paused when they saw Drew and Heidi.
"Uh—sorry to interrupt anything," Travis said.
"Nonsense," Drew said. "Come in. We're getting married," he said boldly.
"Oh?" Travis said.
"What?!" Sara exclaimed. She walked over to Heidi.
Heidi smiled. "We're...getting married," she repeated.
"Well, that's all very well and good," Travis said, "but that means you'll have to run today. If Trist is going to find you, like everyone seems to think..."
"Well...then we'll go today," Drew said, looking at Heidi.
"Then Trist will have to choose someone else," Sara remarked.
"Drew, we can't..." Heidi started.
"I know," he replied. "Come with me, all of you." He started out the door. The others hastily followed.
"What's he doing?" Travis questioned.
"I don't know," the girls replied.
They followed Drew to the throne room. They bypassed the guards and simply stepped in without announcement.
King Edward seemed rather unpleasantly surprised to see them. "Who—girls—what's going on?!" he demanded.
"Sir," Drew started, "I'm in love with your daughter and I want to marry her."
"Well, you can't!" the king said sharply.
Drew nodded. "I can find the curse," he said. "Give me one night."
"Well, if you would wait your turn!"
Drew stepped up next to him and spoke in a low voice, "Look, you and I both know there is no curse."
The king's eyes went wide.
"Why don't you just listen to me?"
"How do you know?"
"Your daughter told me. If the other men knew...I don't think they'd be too happy."
"What do you want me to do, I'm not going to just let you marry my daughter because you threatened me!"
"I'll go through the obstacle course. One night. To prove my worth."
The king frowned. "After Trist is done," he said begrudgingly.
"No, tonight," Drew insisted. "Or else I'll tell everyone that this is all a hoax."
"Fine!" King Edward said, though he was obviously not happy about it.
Drew nodded and walked back down the walkway. Travis, Sara, and Heidi followed suit.
"One night, Man, that's impossible!" Travis said. "I'll tell you everything I learned from my night, but I'm afraid its not much."
"I have to do it," Drew said simply.
"I'll help." Ben was coming towards. "I helped build it, afterall."
"Well, that could be helpful," Travis remarked.
"He what?!" Trist exclaimed angrily.
"He said you can resume your turn tomorrow night, but first he has to let someone else go," Derek said.
"Well, persuade him otherwise!"
"I tried, but I can't. He's quite set on it."
"Well, can't you at least get him to let me go at the same time? Surely, this—this boy won't get anywhere anyways. He doesn't have the charms that I have. We don't have to leave from the same place. In fact, this way...you could go with me, to assist me."
Derek nodded. "I could do that."
"Good. Go convince the king. And don't let me down," Trist said.
Sophia sat in the front of the carriage with Ben, considering this strange turn of events. Tonight there were two men going out looking for them. Trist, and some mysterious stranger. Sara and Heidi kept smiling suspiciously at each other, though they had seemed a bit worried when they heard that both Trist and the other man were searching tonight. Sophia felt rather out of what was going on, but she figured that she would find out sometime tonight.
"Here we are, Ladies," Ben said, as the girls all jumped out of the carriage, in the same spot as always. He nodded a bit stiffly at Sophia, who returned the greeting. "I'll see you in the morning," he awkwardly parted.
He drove away.
Drew lit a match to see the map better. Ben had drawn it for him, to help him get through faster. He was standing at the wall now. There was a an underground passage to get across somewhere. He walked towards the direction it should have been, keeping one hand on the wall to avoid falling in the various traps.
In a minute, his foot struck something hollow. He bent down and lifted up a door. He jumped down, walked a ways, then located the other door. He came up on the other side of the wall. There were spikes on the ground. He climbed up one of the trees. There was a fairly direct path through them that he could see now. He walked through, keeping a strong grip on the branches so as not to fall. When the spikes were gone, he jumped down to the ground.
There was a steep hill he would have to climb next. Parts of it looked like they were straight up and down. It would be a tough climb. He started upwards.
"What if he doesn't make it?" Heidi asked nervously as the sky started to turn from black to grey.
"He has to make it," Sara reassured her.
"What if Trist makes it?"
"Drew will make it," Sara replied.
Heidi nodded.
"And you'll marry him and live happily ever after."
"What about you?" Heidi asked.
"What about me?" Sara replied.
"Will you get married?"
Sara shrugged. "If I feel like it."
"That's not a real answer," Heidi said.
"It is now," Sara said, with a mysterious grin.
"Look, there they are!" Heidi exclaimed.
They were climbing up the ravine, both Drew and Trist.
"Is that Derek?" Sara asked, seeing that there was someone else, too, standing at the bottom.
"Derek? What's he doing here?" Sophia asked, coming over by them.
Sara shrugged and pointed down.
"And is that Drew?" Sophia asked.
Sara grinned and glanced at Heidi. "Yup. Heidi's betrothed."
"What?!"
Heidi laughed. "I'm—well, we're—if he makes it..."
"And you never told me?!" Sophia exclaimed.
Heidi shrugged. "It just happened today."
"Well, still!"
The other princesses started to gather around as well, and they turned their eyes to Drew and Trist. They were both close, both at parts where they were hanging, and both coming at about the same speed. Trist looked over at Drew. He swung and kicked him. Drew lost his grip and fell to one of the flatter areas. Trist started climbing faster.
Drew calmly grabbed a cleft and started climbing again. He went quicker this time, already knowing where all of the outcrops were. Soon Trist and him were neck and neck again. The girls held their breath and backed up. The men were almost to the top.
A hand appeared on the top. It was Drew. A moment after, Trist's hand also appeared. Drew swung himself up onto the flat ground. Heidi rushed over and hugged him. Trist was only a minute after Drew.
"I worked long and hard for this," Trist said, "and you'll not take it from me!"
He ran and pushed Drew from Heidi and towards the cliff edge. They struggled; Drew fell, but didn't let go of Trist. They both tumbled down the cliff.
"Drew!" Heidi screamed. "No..."
After a moment a hand appeared again, coming over the edge.
Drew pulled himself up.
"Drew!"
"I'm alright," he said.
"So it all worked out."
The girls turned. Travis and Ben were coming out from the trees.
"Yes, it did," Drew replied with a smile at them.
"You were right about Derek, Ben," Sophia admitted. "I'm sorry I didn't believe you."
Ben shrugged. "I understand why you didn't."
Sophia nodded and walked toward him. "Can you—forgive me?"
"I don't know. Can you marry me?" he asked, pulling daisies out from behind him
Sophia smiled and blushed. "I think—that could be arranged."
They smiled at each other and kissed.
"What will happen to Derek, then?" Sara asked.
Ben turned from Sophia for a moment, "I told convinced the king about what was going on and he said that he'd send men after them both. They'll find Derek, and Trist if he's alive, and they'll be locked up."
Sara nodded, and walked over to Travis. "Travis...will you marry me?"
Travis laughed. "I thought you'd never ask."
They hugged.
Drew and Heidi looked at each other. They smiled.
"So, we'll get married," Drew said.
Heidi nodded. "And sail around the world."
"And build a house, have a dog, and run," Drew finished.
Heidi nodded. "Happily ever after."
Tis finished! I hope you enjoyed it. I'll probably start Golden Sands pretty soon, I have part of the first chapter done. I think Golden Sands will be better than this, cuz there won't be so many people to get confused with. So...read it, cuz I have some very interesting ideas for it! I might wait until alerts start working to put it up though. (Everyone else is having this problem, right? Its not just me?)