*Important and explaining A/N today. Please read!*
A/N: So, I'm relenting. I am now going to put whose POV it is at the beginning of each section, (unless it's a mystery and I don't want you to know.) Mostly because the POV's are going to be changing so much in the next few chapters that I've decided it will just be much easier to just let you know who it is in advance. So, everybody cheer.
Readers: Hip Hip Hooray! Yey Capella for finally giving in to our demands!
Capella: Yeah, yeah.
LOL. : ) Anyway, this chapter will be dealing with what's been going on with our other characters back at the palace all that day while the whole deal with Edward and Bella was happening at the docks. At the end of the chappie, we'll come back to our favorite characters, Edward and Bella.
Just to clear things up on where the timeline is right now: We're at the capital of Weidinhun. The whole scene where Emmett saved Carlisle's life has just taken place. Alice and Esme were whisked away somewhere by the men hiding in the toy store, and Jasper, Edward and Jacob have just went through the tunnels to find Bella. Seth realized Jacob disappeared and took off to find him. Most of the citizens are trapped inside the capital because the Belai soldiers are blocking the exit.
P.S: Jazzette fans are going to be SOOOOOOOOO mad at me after this chapter… hee hee hee… (that was an evil laugh in case you were wondering. Yes, be afraid… be very afraid…)
Disclaimer:
Capella: (storms angrily into fan fiction world)
Edward: (follows in hesitantly behind) Capella… I'm sorry… I didn't mean to.
Capella: (turns sharply toward Edward) Are you kidding me? Are you freaking kidding me? I told you Edward! I asked you if you could handle it, and you said… and you said… Oh I'm so mad! I'm angry and humiliated and embarrassed and did I mention humiliated?
Edward: (sheepishly) Yeah, I think you did…
Capella: How will I ever face my friends again? How will I ever explain? Oh my gosh, I can't believe you…. AAARRRRRGGGHHHH!
Edward: I said I was sorry. What can I do? A date? (smiles hopefully)
Capella: Oh no Edward Cullen… There is nothing on this earth that can make up for this. How on earth am I going to explain?
Edward: I don't know why you're so worried. I put my whole family in danger.
Capella: Yeah, but you all can just disappear. I can't. I have to face my friends, and I… and I… AAAARRRRRGGGGGHHHHH!
Edward: (is a little hurt that Capella doesn't seem hurt at the mention of Edward disappearing) What, are you a pirate all of the sudden?
Capella: Don't try to be funny. You're not funny.
Edward: I am too funny.
Capella: Not even a little bit you stupid, brooding vampire. Oh my gosh! What am I going to do?
Edward: I'm sure we can figure this out.
Capella: You ate the shark Edward!
Edward: (shrinks back)
Capella: You flippen killed the shark with your bare hands and then drained it right in front of my friends. Humans just don't do that.
Edward: I'm not human. Besides, what was I supposed to do? Your friend shot it with a spear, and it started bleeding and you know how I get around blood…
Capella: (throws her pink wet suit over at Edward)
Edward: (catches the pink wet suit)
Capella: You just had to keep complaining didn't you… There's a reason I don't take you on my human adventures Edward. And I asked you! I asked if you could handle it and I went against my better judgment because I wanted to make you happy, and now I have to figure a way to explain why my "friend" is able to wrestle sharks and why he made out with the fish's neck.
Edward: (grumpily) I didn't make out with the shark.
Capella: You know what I meant.
Edward: (silent)
Capella: (silent)
Edward: Maybe spear fishing was a bad idea…
Capella: Ya think?
Edward: What now?
Capella: I don't know.
Edward: Maybe we should just start the chapter?
Capella: Sure.
Edward: Can I…
Capella: No. I don't own Twilight… and Edward ate a shark today in front of everyone I know. (walks stalks off angrily)
Edward: It wasn't everyone. She's being a bit dramatic. (whispers) Don't tell Capella, but shark is delicious. I think if I was a human, I would have been a big fan of sushi.
Chapter 36: The Fading Hope
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Carlisle POV
"Father?" he replied.
I let out a surprised cry and he was at my side instantly helping me to my feet.
Before he had a chance to say anything I pulled my son to me in a tight embrace and fought back the tears that threatened to fall.
After a moment he pulled back but didn't release my shoulders from his grip.
"Where's mother?" he asked.
I looked back past the flames to the back of the store. "Her and Alice went out the back," I responded and he moved his attention in that direction.
The fire was too intense for us to go through the store, so Emmett started pulling me toward the front, while the other soldier grabbed the toy shop owner. "Come on," he ordered. "We have to get you out of here."
I willingly let my son guide me out of the store. He used his arms to cover my head and shield me from the rafters that were falling after being broken by the flames.
I caught a glance at the toy shop owner once we'd finally exited his store. He was staring back at his little shop wistfully, and I recognized the look. It was the same look I'd given my farm after the last storm had shredded it almost beyond repair. I sighed in mourning for him, but I didn't feel completely hopeless. I couldn't. If we won this battle today, we would rebuild. We'd been rebuilding this country for hundreds of years. We dug our hands into the rubble that resulted from war after war, and whole heartedly laid stone upon stone until it was beautiful once more. We'd done it before. We would do it again. The old man would rebuild his shop, and we would rebuild our farm.
I hoped.
Emmett removed his arm from shielding my head, and then grabbed my arm in his tight grip.
"This way," he commanded, and I didn't question.
The other soldier had the old man in tow, and we started moving out of the square and behind the main buildings until we reached the back alley behind the toy store.
"Where do you think they took mom and Alice?" my son asked stopping.
I looked around. Though there were no particular battles going on in this part of the alley, you could still hear the echoes of men and screams and clashing swords all around you.
I looked around, but there was no trace of my wife or daughter.
"I don't know," I answered sadly, and I saw Emmett jerk his body in frustration.
"We have to get you safe," he said more to his companion than myself.
The second soldier nodded still holding onto the arm of the toy shop soldier.
"Afterwards," Emmett continued as he began moving towards one of the houses in the alleys, still not talking to me, "we need to get a raid together to go to the main gate. There are too many Belai soldiers blocking the bridge, and citizens can't get out. There's not enough room in the city for the whole country to hide and people are still getting slaughtered in the streets."
I could hear the anger in my son's voice, and it matched exactly what I was feeling.
"Why hasn't it been taken care of already?" his friend asked.
Emmett tried to open the door to the first house, but found it locked.
"Please open the door," he shouted while pounding on it's wooden frame. "We're Weidinhun soldiers, and we have citizens that need hiding."
He was quiet for a moment but no one answered. I looked around for fear that Belai soldiers would have heard and found us in the alleyway.
Emmett pulled me forward and moved towards the next stone house, answering his friends question in the process. "The soldiers are too distracted in the battle. I'm not sure many have noticed they've blocked the entrance. Citizens have tried, but their bodies have ended up in the moat."
Again the anger in that voice. I didn't recognize it coming from my son.
He pounded on the next door, much harsher than the previous. "Please, open. I have citizens that need cover. Please!"
I could hear his voice becoming desperate, and I wondered if his arms weren't capable of knocking the whole door down as his hits became rougher.
"Hey," called a voice to our left.
Our whole company looked over and found a man peeking out his door from a few houses down.
"Bring them here," he whispered roughly peering around with a paranoid look on his face.
I could almost feel the relief radiating off of Emmett as he gripped my elbow and pulled me once more, the second soldier and toy shop owner trailing close behind.
"Thank you sir," Emmett replied in gratitude as he almost threw me through the doorway.
The man nodded to him and tried to close the door but I got in his way.
"Son," I said as Emmett just started to turn around. He turned back to me, his eyes looking pleading and lost for the first time in the last five minutes. I put a hand on his neck. "I'm proud of you."
We both paused a moment and I saw the muscles in his face tightened.
"Be safe," I commanded.
He put his hand on my outstretched arm and nodded to me, then in a flash he was down the stairs, and the owner of the house was pulling me back to shut the door.
I turned toward him and took in his fearful expression. He looked about ten years older than myself, perhaps the same age as the toy shop owner.
"Thank you for taking us."
He nodded without answering, and the toy shop owner came and stood by my side.
"I'm Carlisle," I introduced myself reaching out my hand, which he took shakily.
"I'm Garret," said the old toy shop owner taking his hand next.
"Marcus," said the home owner finally introducing himself.
"Are there others?" I asked looking around the silent house.
"In the back," Marcus answered already heading in that direction.
I tried not to let my hope grow too much as he led us to a room at the very back of the house. I was surprised when he opened the door and I found the room empty.
"This way," he said and went to the center of the floor, where he knelt down and lifted up a rug revealing a secret wooden door. On the door a latch had been carved in so that you could open it easily, and yet with the rug laid down, there would be no bump giving away the door's existence.
He pulled it up and then began climbing down a dark entrance. Garret went next, and I followed close after. There was a ladder that led down, and the further we went, the lighter it got. I felt a knot in the pit of my stomach. Had my wife and child also found there way here?
When my feet hit the floor, I called out to Marcus, and my voice echoed throughout the room.
I looked around, the room being lit by candles, instantly taking in the faces around me, searching for two in particular. Of the twenty I found, there's weren't among them. I tried not to let my disappointment show. There were a few elderly present, a few more young women and many children.
"We were lucky to have found you," Garret said towards Marcus, and I nodded in response though I wasn't sure if he saw it or not.
The sound of a crying child off to the side caught my attention. I turned toward the noise and found a little girl in the arms of a young woman.
"What's wrong with her?" I asked in my typical soothing voice, my automatic response to anyone in pain.
"She fell in the chaos and was trampled." There were tears in her eyes, and I noticed that she was holding the child very carefully. "I'm not sure if she's broken anything, but she hasn't stopped crying since."
Marcus was suddenly at my side.
"She's not the only one," he whispered in my ear also staring at the woman and the child. "We have a few wounded, but no one knows what to do."
I turned to once again take in the faces of the people around me, a new sense of purpose rising up. A flash of everything I'd ever learned about medicines and broken bones and being a doctor rushed through my mind, and it was enough to dull the intense worry I was feeling for my loved ones.
I looked back to the woman and child. "May I?"
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Alice's POV
I could hear my mother screaming for my father at my side, but I knew she would have no more success pulling away from her captor as myself. Nevertheless, it didn't stop me from trying.
The panic was overwhelming. The last thing I saw before the man who had his arms around me was my father running straight towards the blade of a sword. My mother wasn't the only one crying out for him.
I pushed and kicked and struggled against my captor, but I knew it was no use. His grip was too strong.
"Please," I begged still struggling against him, trying everything I could think of to break away. My legs flailed in the air as he pulled me back. "Please!" I pleaded again. "Let me go! Father!"
My voice was broken and choked as it cried out for him, but the man was continuously pulling me back.
I barely noticed that we were now in some sort of alley, surrounded by buildings of businesses on one side, and houses on the other.
"We have to get them out of here," I heard the man behind me call out to someone else.
"Where?" called another voice over the screams of my mother.
He didn't answer the other man. Instead he turned his attention back to me. My mother had finally stopped screaming and was now sobbing violently off to the side.
"Please," I cried out again, but my pleas were becoming weaker as hopelessness began to settle in. I knew I could not escape this man's arms, and I knew my mind couldn't escape the image of my father running toward the Belai soldier who stood with his arms raised high, a sword aimed right for his heart.
"Please," I said again, this time just barely above a whisper, and I stopped struggling.
I don't know who the man who was holding me captive was, I didn't even look at his face, but I suddenly broke into a bout of reckless, uncontrollable sobs, and fell limply into his arms. I didn't even have the capacity to feel grateful that he didn't push me away. The only emotion I had room for was grief. Behind that door I was sure now lie my dead father. I winced. It hurt too much to even think the word.
I felt the man's strong arms wrap tightly around me and I buried my head into his chest, barely listening to the words the two men were saying over my cries.
"We can't stay here," the one holding my mother said worriedly. "It won't be long till the battle makes its' way out of the square. He whispered something next that I didn't catch.
"We're not leaving them," the one who was holding me said fiercely. "We promised him we'd get them to safety. We're not cowards. We're not going to abandon them."
"Jack," said the other one sounding like he was ready to argue. "They're not our responsibility. We should be out there fighting. Father's not here to stop us anymore, so let's go. We can go to the weaponry in the palace and get swords. They're probably giving them out freely to anyone who will fight."
"That's perfect!" exclaimed the one who was supposedly named Jack. "The palace! We can hide them there!"
"And then we can get the swords?" the guy added sounding more like a question than an agreement.
"Fine," Jack answered, appeasing him. "But first we get the girls to safety."
"Fine," the other man answered, and I opened my eyes to glare up at him. My mother was clinging to one of his arms, her sobs now much more silent He held her, but you could see on his face he didn't care a lick about her or her pain.
I wanted to fly at him in a blind rage, but I held tighter onto the one called Jack, using him as an anchor.
My own sobs had quieted and I felt a hand reach down to my chin and gently lift up my face until I finally met my captor eye to eye. I don't know what I had been expecting, but it surely wasn't this incredibly beautiful, deep blue eyed, dark haired, brawny young man before me. Though you could detect it before easily in his voice, I hadn't expected to see the compassion in his eyes.
"Hello," he said, looking softly at me. I didn't answer. "What's your name?"
"Alice," I answered weakly after a moment.
"I'm so sorry. I know this is hard, and I know the last thing you want to do right now is be strong, but I need you to Alice. For your mother. We have to get you and her to safety, and then I promise you can break down all you want."
His voice was tender. It reminded me of my father's, which brought on a new bout of hysteria, but also gave me a sort of strength to fight it back.
"Can you do that for me Alice?"
My hands gripped tighter around his arms still grasping for anything to hold me together in this moment. Instead of answering audibly, I nodded, and he took it as all the confirmation he needed.
"Alright then," he said looking back to his friend, who I noticed now for the first time, looked much like him. "This is Riley," Jack said motioning to the second man, who I felt an unnatural loathing building up inside me for.
I finally broke away from Jack's grasp and he let me go freely. It took all I had to move forward, but I still couldn't prevent myself from stumbling as I walked weakly over to my mother.
I fell to my knees in front of her, and she looked up at my face. Her cheeks were swollen, her eyes were red from the crying and her whole face looked completely hopeless and lost.
"Mother," I said fighting to use my voice, raspy from my screams. "Mother, we have to go. These men are going to take us to safety. I need you to keep your head. Remember? That's how we survive."
She didn't say anything, just held my stare for what seemed like an eternity. I reached out and put a hand on the back of her head. "It's going to be okay mother." I said it, but I didn't believe it for a second.
I reached down and then took her hand. "Come on," I whispered and pulled her away from Riley, which was my main goal. I didn't want either of us near someone who seemed so uncaring.
She reluctantly let go of her own captor, and stood silently to my side. I turned back to Jack, mustering all the strength I possibly could in the act and faced him as bravely as I could.
"We're ready," I said, but again, didn't believe it.
"Where are the others from the toy shop?" my mother asked, her voice surprising me.
"They fled as soon as we got out the back door," Riley answered, impatience in his voice.
I didn't turn to him, closing my eyes to fight back the anger his voice seemed to inflict. When I opened my eyes again, Jack was making his way closer to us.
"Alice," he said as soon as we were standing face to face. He put a hand on my shoulder, and again, the touch was like an anchor to my soul, keeping my feet planted on this earth, keeping my mind from going as crazy as it wanted. "We have to go now. We have a bit of a journey ahead of us, and I promised I would get you two safety, and I intend to keep that promise."
I squeezed my mother's hand, not taking my eyes off Jack.
"Okay," I answered finally, and he replied with a smile that made me feel like just maybe, in some impossible way, things were going to be okay.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Emmett's POV
I tried to push back my concerns for my family as I threw myself back into battle. I had thought that we could have gone straight for the main gate, but that wasn't the case. As soon as we got back into the square we were immediately attacked.
The soldier who had helped me get my father to safety suddenly disappeared from my sight, and I felt as if I were suddenly fighting alone.
I tried to search for a hole through the battle so I could make my way towards my destination, but to no avail. Even when I managed to get towards the outer skirts of the square, there were more soldiers fighting there as well.
I broke through into the courts closer to where the king had been married that morning, (I couldn't think her name without more pain than I could bear shooting through me like lighting) but the battle had returned there as well, exactly where it had started.
It was as if all of Belai had intruded into Weidinhun, coming under the pretension that they were here to protect their king, and were now fighting all of us, even though I knew not all of the Weidinhun soldiers were here. Even on the day of the king's wedding, there still had to be men posted throughout the country.
It hit me that there seemed to be more soldiers here from Belai than there had been this morning, as if more were flooding in by the hour. I looked around me, and again, it seemed strange. I was sure there hadn't been this many this morning at the wedding. Where were they all coming from?
I finally made my way to the end of the courts, and the gate was finally in sight, but it was barely visible from behind a wall of Belai soldiers, who were fighting and killing any Weidinhun who tried to get past them. Had enough escaped from the battle in the city, than maybe we would have had enough to break through them, but that just wasn't the case, and I'd never get past them by myself.
Behind them, right at the main gate, my previous question had been answered. The Belai soldiers blocking the bridge were letting more of their own into our city. Suddenly, things started began to click. Why we were still fighting. Why there seemed to be more Belai soldiers than there had been this morning. Why we couldn't seem to break past them.
They were flooding in by the hour, and no one else was getting out. It was the perfect trap. Most of the country was in the capital today, as well as most of the soldiers, and none of us had been prepared for the attack. Besides the soldiers, no one was armed. It was the perfect strike.
There had to be more soldiers in the country, and somehow they had to have found out about what was going on in the city, or if not, someone had to find them and get them here for help. We needed more men, and right now that seemed like our best option. The only problem was, how was I going to get out of the city?
I ran back into the battle. If there was a way, I was going to need more soldiers, and the thought of taking any of the men away from this battle, disheartened me greatly. No matter which way my thoughts ran, no matter how I tried to plan it, getting anyone in or out of this city seemed absolutely impossible.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Alice POV
Jack and Riley took the lead, and my mother and I didn't fall too far behind. She hadn't said a single word since we took off toward the castle, but she was moving just like the rest of us.
We had been running pretty fluidly for the last ten minutes, making good success at staying out of sight, but suddenly our rescuers, (as I had transitioned into calling them instead of captors) stopped abruptly and pulled my mother and I down behind a hay filled cart that had fallen on its' side motioning for us to be quiet.
My mother pulled into herself and closed her eyes tightly as if she was wishing for all this to go away, but luckily she wasn't making any noise.
I looked over to Jack and Riley who were peering intently around the other side of the cart.
"Jack?" I whispered, and he again held his fingers up to his lips to silence me.
I moved to the other side of the cart and looked around it.
My mouth dropped open in horror. We were outside the square, but it was another area with a few shops. There were only a couple of those. Most of the outskirts of the capital were the fancier houses belonging to the elite of our country. The battle hadn't spread to this area yet, but before my very eyes there were two Belai soldiers taunting a Weidinhun woman, and the look on their faces made it clear what their intentions were.
One of them hit her and she fell down to the ground with a scream.
I almost cried out but something abruptly jerked me back and there was a hand over my mouth preventing me from making a sound.
Instinctively I wanted to fight against him, but I made myself be still knowing that would only put us in further danger. When I had calmed enough, the hand released itself from over my mouth, but the arms didn't completely let me go.
I turned back to meet Jack face to face and glared angrily at him.
"We have to help her," I whispered in quiet desperation, and he stared intently back at me. I knew he agreed, but I knew as much as he did that we were weaponless.
He finally let me go and we both peered back around the cart, Jack only inches above me. The woman was still fighting to get away, but suddenly one of the soldiers whipped out a sword and held it at her neck.
I felt my breath catch in my throat as my eyes grew wide at the sight, and then without warning, Jack brushed past me and then he was gone.
"Jack!" I heard Riley cry out, stopping me from doing the same.
I didn't let my eyes leave Jack, and out of my peripheral vision I saw Riley take off after him. Even though I had been the one to demand that we needed to help the woman, it was now me internally arguing with myself that this was a bad idea, until I saw where Jack was headed.
The body of a soldier I hadn't noticed before was lying off to the side, and in one quick, fluid motion, Jack grabbed the man's sword which was laying just next to him, and then with a shout, ran towards the two soldiers that were attacking the woman.
My eyes widened even more as Jack jumped in front of the woman on the ground and began a dangerous dance that echoed with blade upon blade.
Riley had almost reached him, and I knew very well that without a sword there wasn't much he could do, but I could see in his eyes he cared very much what happened to Jack. It shifted my oppinion of him just slightly.
I felt hope prick at my heart when I realized that my rescuer was not an amateur swordsman. He handled the weapon as if he'd practiced many an hour on his own, just as Jasper and Edward had done over the years they had grown up together, although Jasper had had some previous training at the palace.
He pushed the men back enough away from the woman, but the heat of the battle was becoming more dangerous as the men took him on together.
Realizing there was nothing he could do for Jack, Riley helped the woman up to her feet and brought her back to my mother and I behind the cart. Neither of the soldiers turned after him, and it was as if they hadn't noticed him at all.
My fear for Jack increased as their fight intensified. I could see that combating the two together was taking its' toll on him. He wasn't making much leeway and he wouldn't survive much longer.
Without thinking I jumped out from behind the cart.
"Alice!" I heard my mother scream from behind me, and I could feel Riley staring at me in shock.
I ran straight for the three men in front of me, my feet taking action before my brain could think.
"Hey!" I shouted as loud and as forcefully as I possibly could, though I wasn't sure exactly what it would accomplish.
By some miracle, it was enough to distract at least one of them, and he turned to face me.
With only one soldier at hand, Jack was easily able to finish the man off, and then before the second soldier took three steps toward me, Jack struck and he was down before he knew what hit him.
He stared at me with a look of awe and fear on his face, as well as pleasant surprise. He was breathing deeply in an out, his shoulders rising as his grip tightened against the sword.
Finally, his breathing calmed, and he said in genuine wonder, "I think you just saved my life."
I felt my lips pull slightly up, and I took in the scene before me; two men dead on the ground, and Jack standing there with a grin on his face, working tirelessly to save our lives.
We stood there for a few moments, neither of us saying a word, and suddenly, things were starting to feel a bit uncomfortable.
"We should go," I said turning quickly away from him and back to my mother, who was looking at me angrily.
"Alice Cullen," she said and I shuddered. She only used my full name when I was in dire trouble. "How dare you do anything that could take yourself away from me. Do you think I could survive losing you too?"
I felt hot tears well up in my eyes as I ran into my mother's arms and embraced her. "I'm sorry," I whispered even though I knew that given the chance, I would have done the same thing all over again.
"Let's go," came Jack's voice from right behind me and I instantly released my mother and turned to him. He was still smiling, but he didn't say anything else.
I turned to the woman who he had just saved and she was looking at the two men as if there were no two greater heroes in all of Weidinhun. Her cheeks were tearstained and she didn't look much older than me.
"Are you alright dear?" my mother said going to the girl, her nurturing nature taking over as it always did when someone else was hurting, no matter how much pain she was in herself.
I felt a small sense of relief knowing this would be enough to distract her from the loss of my father for the time being, although thinking of him brought back more pain for me. I fought it back, but the look on Jack's face confirmed that my features must have twisted into pain.
He took a step closer and put a hand on my shoulder.
"We had a another brother. He was older than both of us," Jack told me not removing his hand, and it seemed silly to me that I hadn't caught on earlier that Jack and Riley were brothers. They had looked so much alike. "We lost him today."
I swallowed back my pain and automatically reached up my hand to grip his that was rested on my shoulder in an attempt to comfort him.
"I understand what you're going through," he said softly, and I saw Riley tapping impatiently off to the side. "But we have to push past that pain if we're going to survive this. I need to get you to safety." He said the word "need" as if more was resting on that promise than he was letting on. As if it was more for him than for us that he was doing this. "I promise, there'll be a time to grieve later, but for your sake, and your mother's, I need you to hold on a little bit longer."
I let go of his hand and he moved it to cup the back of my neck. "I promise, I will make you safe again."
I tried to tear my eyes away, but I couldn't. He smiled that same charming smile that did something to my insides that I didn't like… but at the same time I did.
"And hey," he added to his speech, "thanks, for back there. That was very brave. You really did save my life Alice Cullen." I stopped at hearing my last name come from this stranger, but then remembered my mother had just yelled it at me. I shuddered again at the memory. (I always hated being in trouble, perhaps more so than the normal child.)
I don't know how I found the strength, but I finally managed to gently pull myself away from his hypnotic grasp. "Well, as soon as you get my mother and I to the palace, I guess we'll call it even."
"Yes! That sounds like an excellent idea," rang Riley's impatient voice finally pulling my face away from Jack's. He pointed with a sword he now had in his hand, (presumably one of the guards) towards the direction of the palace.
I looked back to Jack who shrugged, and then we were all on our way again.
At one point, we even ran right past a large group of men who had been fighting. Being wrapped up in the battle, no one seemed to notice us, though it didn't stop my heart from pounding the entire time. And then finally, we were at the palace.
The battle hadn't seemed to have spread here yet, but I suddenly had an ominous feeling that it would, especially if Weidinhun lost. That thought alone caused me to gulp, and my heart to spasm. I hadn't even considered the fact that we might not be the winners of this war, and what that would mean for my country if we weren't.
We went through the entrance, and it irked me that there was no one guarding the door. It was a sight I'd never seen before. Even when we entered inside, the palace seemed so empty. I'd never actually been inside it, but still, I had always imagined it to have much more flurry of activity than this.
Then another thought hit me. How many years had I dreamt of being in this place? How many times had I fantasized about dancing with the prince in the great ball room? Here I was now, in the one place I'd wanted to be more than any other in the world, and the circumstances were far from anything I'd ever imagined or wanted. It almost made me want to cry.
As our rescuers led us forward, I made bit of an effort to look around me. If this was the most I'd ever get to see the inside of the palace, I wanted to at least remember some parts of it. I'd wished I'd had more time to look at the tapestries. I could tell even at a swift glance they were lovely.
For two seconds we passed the entrance to the great ball room, and it took all I had not to stop and admire it. I felt silly. This was no time to be admiring the palace, but I couldn't shake off sixteen years of longing.
"How do you know where your going?" the woman we had saved yelled out to the men leading us, and I realized it was the first time I'd heard her speak, besides her screams.
"Our father's a member of the court," Jack answered patiently, although no one stopped running. "He's kind of the head of it actually."
Even with the adrenalin pumping through my veins as we ran, I could still feel the shock at this new knowledge.
"We've spent a bit of time here growing up," he added, and I could hear a kind of frustration in his voice. He said no more on the matter.
They led us up a few flights of stairs which I knew if I hadn't of spent all my life working on a farm, would have taken my breath away at the rate we were flying up them. Even my mother was doing alright, but the woman on the other hand was obviously struggling to keep up.
I slowed a bit until she reached my side and then took her arm and helped pull her up. She smiled gratefully at me. "I'm Heidi," she said.
"Alice," I replied.
We finally stopped in front of a great big wooden door, which Riley opened easily. We stepped inside and found ourselves in a room that was bigger than any of the rooms in our house, but still probably small for the palace.
Jack and Riley ushered us inside, and then started moving around as if they couldn't be more comfortable in this place.
My mother, Heidi and I followed the boys confusedly with our eyes as they went through drawers and cabinets pulling out random items and packing them faster than I could tell what they were.
Riley went to a tall cabinet and rummaged through some clothes inside, while Jack came over to us.
I felt Heidi straighten at my side, and noticed her tuck a few strands of hair behind her ears out of the corner of my eye. I found this bothered me more than it should.
"It's ours," Jack said motioning around us.
I took a minute to scan the room, and than brought my eyes back to Jack.
"A bit of time here…" I repeated his earlier sentiments sarcastically.
He chuckled in response. "Okay," he said, "maybe a little bit more than a bit."
I shook my head back and forth, and then looked back up at him. Every part of my body felt exhausted, and I could see the same exhaustion in his eyes.
"We won't need to find swords since we took these from the soldiers," Riley said capturing all our attention. He walked over and threw a thin coat to Jack, then went back to rummaging through another drawer.
Jack turned back to me, slipping his arms through the coat in the process. He opened his mouth, about to say something, but then seemed to think better of it and stopped. He took a step forward, surprising me and then began to push me gently towards the door away from the others.
When we were out of the room I turned to see my mother and Heidi both staring curiously after us, but Jack spoke low so that they couldn't hear his words.
"Alice," he began with concern in his voice. I turned my eyes to him, and was taken aback for a moment at the intensity of his stare. "The door locks from the inside. Don't open it for anyone until this is all over. You can watch how the battle is fairing from our window. I don't know how this is going to end, but if it ends badly, you need to get out of here safely.
"There's a tapestry in our room. You'll see it when you walk back in. Behind it, the wall pushes back. There are tunnels that lead through the palace walls. Go right, and keep your hand on the left wall. Take the first left and you'll come to a set of stairs that lead to the bottom of the palace. The stairs drop onto different floors, but you won't be on the right floor until you hear water dripping." I felt tears well in my eyes as I started to understand where this was going.
"When you hear dripping in the distance, you've come to the right floor. Go right, all the way to the end of the hall, and you'll find another wall that pushes back and leads into another tunnel. You'll hear water above your head, and you'll know you're in the right place.
"Follow this tunnel all the way to the end. It will spit you out at a waterfall, and you'll be in the Southern part of the country. Can you find your way home from there?"
The tears were falling now, and Jack put a hand on my cheek. "Alice?"
"Jack, come on," Riley demanded appearing suddenly.
"One moment," Jack spat back not taking his eyes off me.
"Jack…"
"I'll meet you at the entrance of the palace. Just give me one minute. I promise."
I heard Riley sigh in frustration and then the echo of his retreating footsteps as he disappeared down the hall.
"Yes," I said finally answering his question.
He pulled back his hand. "Can you remember those directions?"
"Yes," I answered softly as the fear of Weidinhun losing began to consume. What did that mean for us?
Suddenly I felt both Jack's hands on my cheeks and he lifted up my face till I met his eyes. I felt my heart skip a beat. What was he doing? This wasn't right. The way he was looking at me… had he taken my tears the wrong way? I tried to pull away, but I couldn't make myself do it.
"If we had met today under any other circumstance, I would have tread hell and high water just to find out your name, and I would have done anything I could possibly have done to make you fall in love with me." He laughed lightly, still holding onto my face. "You're the bravest, most beautiful woman I've ever met Alice Cullen, and I pray to God I'll get a chance to see you again. To have a chance to get to know you. But if I don't…"
And suddenly his lips were on mine and he was holding my face firmly yet gently, and I didn't pull away. I didn't kiss him back, but I didn't pull away. I couldn't. I felt heat flood through my body and suddenly I found my hands making there way forward and gently rest themselves against his elbows, and I knew right then that I was no longer not responding. For the first time this whole day, I felt safe, and I relished in that.
And then he pulled away, and all that safety turned into a substantial amount of confusion I couldn't weave my way through.
Jack wiped away the tears from my face and I laced my fingers around his wrists.
"Be safe," he said giving me one last look, and then he was gone.
Stunned, I slowly made my way back into the room and met my mother's bewildered face. Heidi ran past me and pushed the door shut, locking it from the inside, just as Jack had said.
"Alice?" my mother questioned, and her gentle voice wasn't enough to break through my trance.
I thought of Jack, of the way he'd so valiantly kept his promise and gotten us to safety. They way he'd risked his life against the two men and had saved Heidi. The way he seemed awed that I'd tried to help him, instead of angry because I was a woman. I thought of his warm lips against mine, and for a moment, I saw the two of us at court, and it was he that I was dancing around the ball room with instead of the prince. I saw myself in the magical dress I had once dreamt up, and Jack, looking handsome in the apparal of a nobleman.
And then I thought of Jasper, and how much I loved him.
And finally, I fell to the floor in a sobbing heap, as all the weight of the day finally came crashing down on me.
Jasper…
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Emmett's POV
The hours dragged on. I could sense the men around me on both sides growing weary. I knew we couldn't keep this up forever, and yet there seemed to be no end in sight. The numbers of Belai's were still growing impossibly, and yet I couldn't tell if either country was gaining any sort of advantage. Every where I looked was red and blue.
Each time I made my way to the gate, it was still heavily guarded. No one had broken through. The sky was darkening, the streets were filled with blood, and I felt as if at any moment I was going to drop from exhaustion.
And then, I became aware that Weidinhun was definitely falling by the wayside. I began to see more red than blue on the ground, coats blending in with the blood that had been shed. I watched before my very eyes men from my country being struck at the edge of a sword, and every sign pointed to Belai as the victor.
I felt all my hope fading. The moon was starting to show, and I knew that at this time, if some miracle didn't make itself known, Weidinhun was going to lose. Weidinhun was going to fall.
Our hope was fading.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Jasper's POV
I was after Seth and The Guardian's through the forest before I saw Edward disappear with Bella on the horse.
So many things were rushing through my mind at the moment, I found it hard to concentrate on where I was going, and hoped the horse had enough sense to follow the other's.
The first though was that just at the front of the line, Seth was on his horse with my dead king lain across the back. Jacob was dead, and I wasn't just mourning the death of my king, but of my childhood friend as well. I hadn't thought of him in that way in a long time, but here now, with the reality of him gone, I couldn't help it.
My second prominent thought was of Edward. I had no idea what was going to become of him. In that last moment, I couldn't help but wonder if we would ever see each other again. I knew with the king gone, and Bella back in his arms, the chances that he would take himself from her were pretty slim, and even I did survive this night, who knew that he would still be in Weidinhun in the morning.
The most dominant of all my thoughts though, was Alice. Watching Bella and Edward reunited, seeing the way she looked at him, I couldn't help but think of my love. I'd fought against my feelings for her for so long, and the moment I finally succumb to them, the moment I finally tell her how I really feel, I take myself away from her. I took myself away from the one thing that ever brought me any sort of peace. Her face, her kindness, the way she often looked at me, I never confessed it to Edward, but in those moments I would find myself in an indefensible state of bliss.
I didn't know where she was or if she was okay, and that thought terrified me, but not as much as the thought that I might never get to see her again. I might never get to hold her in my arms, or feel her soft lips against my own. I might never get to look in those big, emerald eyes or touch the silk locks of her hair. I might never again hear the lovely tenors of her voice or the chimes of her laughter.
Alice could be gone from me forever, and I suddenly knew that I hadn't had as much time as I'd wanted. I thought of Emmett and Rosalie, and how they'd never been afraid to be together, and how even with my sister gone, she died knowing exactly how much Emmett wanted her. She'd experienced a lifetime of love that you couldn't put a price on.
Edward and Bella had two short weeks together, and even less of that time devoted to their love, and yet they too had experienced such love which had affected them so deeply it was plain they would never be the same.
I gave Alice five minutes. I spent years avoiding the love I felt toward her, ignoring her, and then when I couldn't fight it any loner, I gave her a kiss, a promise, and then I was out the door and haven't stopped thinking of her since.
It wasn't enough.
I needed her. If my life was going to have any meaning I needed to love her.
The horses stopped in front of me and I jerked mine to a halt, wondering that I didn't fly off.
The men made a path way so that Seth could ride forward.
"Spread throughout the country as fast as you can. Call every soldier you can find to battle. In one hour I want each of you back at the palace. We're going to finish this."
He then turned his attention to me. I felt my whole body freeze as an unnatural fear took over even though I knew we were fighting on the same side. He pulled something out of his satchel that looked like a giant shell. He tossed it into the air and it landed perfectly in my hands.
"You blow on the end," he said in a matter of fact. "Call them to war Jasper," he commissioned.
He brought his fingers into a fist and slammed it against his chest. "For Weidinhun!" he exclaimed, and his men repeated the manner.
"For Weidinhun," their voices echoed around me, dark and gruff as they looked.
"For the king," he said again, softer this time.
The men didn't say a word, but they each bowed their heads in respect.
Then they were off, each in a different direction, and at first I wasn't sure of what to do.
I pulled up the giant shell looking thing and stared at it thoughtfully. I thought of Seth's words, and placed the end against my lips. I blew softly at first, and nothing happened. I blew harder, and suddenly a deep sound like the wind whistling over the ocean resonated around me.
I pulled it back surprised and looked at it in shock. The sound was beautiful, yet intimidating.
The echo finally died down and the forest was silent for a moment, and then a noise rustled in the distance. I turned my head in its' direction, and there before my eyes, with an expression that appeared just as confused as my own as he took in the sight of me, was who I was sure was unmistakably another Guardian.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Bella POV
I don't know what time of the night it was when I woke up, but it took a few moments for me to remember where I was and how I got there.
I felt a pair of warm arms wrapped around me and I heard the echo of deep breathing just behind my head.
Edward…
I smiled as the memories came flooding in. It felt impossible, but I knew it was real. I was here in Edward's arms and nothing was going to tear me away. I knew at some point I needed to make a decision about what I was going to do next, but I refused to think about that now. All I wanted in this moment was Edward, and I wasn't taking myself away from him.
I nestled in deeper into his chest content to lie awake comfortably next to him till morning, but like the rooster in the morning, my body had other ideas.
I had to go, and I had to go badly.
I cursed annoying, tedious, mundane human needs and after a deep sigh, carefully and unwillingly unwrapped myself from Edward's arms so that I wouldn't wake him up.
I took a moment to stare down at him, to take in the perfection of his face, wondering if this beautiful creature could ever really be mine, but my bladder was still screaming at me.
"Okay, okay," I whispered abrasively at it and then made my way out the door to the outhouse.
I smiled at the instant relief I felt when I was finished, and then quickly made my way out anxious to get back to my love.
I looked up at the sky as I made my way toward the house, and wondered for a moment how the battle was fairing back at the palace, or if a victor had been decided by now. If Weidinhun had lost, I wondered if Edward and I were safe here. Perhaps we should have left the country. I felt somewhat guilty for only thinking of Edward and myself, knowing that I was queen, and needed to care about the welfare of this country, but I was trying not to think of myself as queen at the moment. I just wanted to be Bella again, so I pushed my concerns aside and ran back to the house.
Somewhere along the way, something came out of no where and knocked me in the stomach so forcefully all the wind had blown out of me in one hit. I struggled for air but I couldn't even find enough to scream.
Fear overtook me at once and then two strong arms were lifting me up and throwing me over a pair of sturdy shoulders, making fighting for air even more painful as the jerking movements of the walking caused the shoulder of my kidnapper to press against my stomach.
I watched in despair as the Cullen's house, and Edward inside, disappeared before my very eyes, and I was completely powerless to call for help.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
(A/N: Wow, I think this may have been the longest chapter of the story so far, so if you made it this far, congratulations! Okay, I know what you are all thinking, (besides not another freaking cliff hanger)… Jack… I don't doubt that some of you might be a little pissed off about that, but here's the thing, Jasper's an idiot and I think he needs a little healthy competition. Jack is everything Alice has ever wanted in her dream man, (even though she's madly in love with Jasper) and Jack isn't afraid of speaking what he feels. He's heroic, and valiant and a man that could give Alice the life she's always dreamed of. It's a love triangle, (which I can't believe I've done to myself because like I need to add any more plot to this story. I swear it's never going to end and I'm so ready to be done, but I had a feeling I would do this to myself) and love triangles are fun, and won't it be entertaining when Jack and Jasper meet, because oh ho ho they will. ; ) So maybe you don't like him, maybe you do, but I love him. Then again, I'm a little biased. I've always had a thing for guys named Jack. Please review!)