Disclaimer: Everything you recognise from the book belongs to Gail Carson
Levine, and not me! And, also, I also want to thank all of you for the
encouraging emails!!!
::Chapter 7: The Book::
A few months later. . .
I stared out the window, leaning my elbow on the wooden worktable and resting my chin on my palm, barely hearing Brayden's dull voice faintly droning on in the background. I couldn't help but feel a little excited as I saw the first snowflakes of the winter fall lightly to the ground.
Brayden seemed to be ignoring my behavior, for he kept reading on and on about useless information on ogres.
Suddenly there was a knock on the door.
I lifted my head off my hand and looked towards the door. Brayden did the same.
"Yes, come on in," he replied, looking slightly grateful for the interruption.
The door slowly creaked open. I saw that it was Annabelle who had stepped into the room.
She curtsied gracefully. "Your Highness," she said looking at me. Then she glanced at Brayden. "Sir."
"Yes, what is it, Annabelle?" I asked.
She cleared her throat. "Her royal highness the queen wishes to see you," she said with a slight smile, glancing at me.
Brayden sighed, shutting the book on ogres he was reading aloud. "Alright, I guess I'll see you at our next lesson, Princess," he said, getting up and bowing.
I nodded. I quickly stood up, relieved for the early ending of the lesson. I headed for the door, adding a "Thank you," before I left for mother's bedchamber.
I found the door closed, so I softly knocked on the door twice.
There were a few coughs and a clearing of a throat. "Come on in," said a weary voice.
I slowly creaked the door open, shutting it carefully behind me. I spotted Mother still in bed, where she had spent most of her time since she was sick. "You wished to see me, Mother?"
She smiled warmly, coughing again before she spoke. "It's that time of year again, Mena," she said with a grin on her face.
I smile spread across my face. "The Christmas Ball." The Christmas Ball was tradition in Kyyria, for as long as I could remember.
Mother nodded, still smiling. "I-I'm afraid I'm not well enough to plan for it this year, but the servants have it all taken care of." She smiled again, and then coughed.
I frowned. "That's not why you wanted to see me."
The smiled slowly left her face. Tears welled up in her eyes as she stared at me.
"Mother?" I cried anxiously as I quickly ran beside her. "Mother? What's wrong? Are you alright? Do you want me to get the doctor?"
Mother shook her head, coughing. "N-No, dear, it's not that."
I frowned. "Mother, what's going on?"
A tear rolled down her cheek as she continued to stare at me. She wiped her eyes. "I-I'm sorry."
"Mother?"
She sighed deeply. "I want you to see something I should have shown you month's ago."
I nodded. "What is it?"
She coughed again. "At the bottom of my dresser," she said, pointing, "You will find a book. It will have a plain brown cover. . ."
"A book?"
She nodded. "I want you to flip to the first page, and you will find a few pictures."
I nodded, heading towards it. I dug into her dresser, until I came across something hard. I pulled out the book and stared at the filthy, brown cover. I could tell by it's condition that it was extremely old and has not been used in quite some time.
"Do not view them yet. . ." she said softly.
I looked up at her. "Why not?"
She shook her head. "Wait. . . until the time is right. You will know. But please. . . just wait for the right time."
I nodded, yet still confused.
Suddenly she went into a fit of coughs.
"Mother, you should rest," I said, "I'll get Mandy."
Mother nodded, still coughing.
I headed out the door, the book safely tucked under my arm.
As I was about to shut the door Mother spoke in an almost inaudible voice that I barely heard her last words. "Please, Amena, do not get mad at him."
A/N: Hey! PLEASE REVIEW!!
::Chapter 7: The Book::
A few months later. . .
I stared out the window, leaning my elbow on the wooden worktable and resting my chin on my palm, barely hearing Brayden's dull voice faintly droning on in the background. I couldn't help but feel a little excited as I saw the first snowflakes of the winter fall lightly to the ground.
Brayden seemed to be ignoring my behavior, for he kept reading on and on about useless information on ogres.
Suddenly there was a knock on the door.
I lifted my head off my hand and looked towards the door. Brayden did the same.
"Yes, come on in," he replied, looking slightly grateful for the interruption.
The door slowly creaked open. I saw that it was Annabelle who had stepped into the room.
She curtsied gracefully. "Your Highness," she said looking at me. Then she glanced at Brayden. "Sir."
"Yes, what is it, Annabelle?" I asked.
She cleared her throat. "Her royal highness the queen wishes to see you," she said with a slight smile, glancing at me.
Brayden sighed, shutting the book on ogres he was reading aloud. "Alright, I guess I'll see you at our next lesson, Princess," he said, getting up and bowing.
I nodded. I quickly stood up, relieved for the early ending of the lesson. I headed for the door, adding a "Thank you," before I left for mother's bedchamber.
I found the door closed, so I softly knocked on the door twice.
There were a few coughs and a clearing of a throat. "Come on in," said a weary voice.
I slowly creaked the door open, shutting it carefully behind me. I spotted Mother still in bed, where she had spent most of her time since she was sick. "You wished to see me, Mother?"
She smiled warmly, coughing again before she spoke. "It's that time of year again, Mena," she said with a grin on her face.
I smile spread across my face. "The Christmas Ball." The Christmas Ball was tradition in Kyyria, for as long as I could remember.
Mother nodded, still smiling. "I-I'm afraid I'm not well enough to plan for it this year, but the servants have it all taken care of." She smiled again, and then coughed.
I frowned. "That's not why you wanted to see me."
The smiled slowly left her face. Tears welled up in her eyes as she stared at me.
"Mother?" I cried anxiously as I quickly ran beside her. "Mother? What's wrong? Are you alright? Do you want me to get the doctor?"
Mother shook her head, coughing. "N-No, dear, it's not that."
I frowned. "Mother, what's going on?"
A tear rolled down her cheek as she continued to stare at me. She wiped her eyes. "I-I'm sorry."
"Mother?"
She sighed deeply. "I want you to see something I should have shown you month's ago."
I nodded. "What is it?"
She coughed again. "At the bottom of my dresser," she said, pointing, "You will find a book. It will have a plain brown cover. . ."
"A book?"
She nodded. "I want you to flip to the first page, and you will find a few pictures."
I nodded, heading towards it. I dug into her dresser, until I came across something hard. I pulled out the book and stared at the filthy, brown cover. I could tell by it's condition that it was extremely old and has not been used in quite some time.
"Do not view them yet. . ." she said softly.
I looked up at her. "Why not?"
She shook her head. "Wait. . . until the time is right. You will know. But please. . . just wait for the right time."
I nodded, yet still confused.
Suddenly she went into a fit of coughs.
"Mother, you should rest," I said, "I'll get Mandy."
Mother nodded, still coughing.
I headed out the door, the book safely tucked under my arm.
As I was about to shut the door Mother spoke in an almost inaudible voice that I barely heard her last words. "Please, Amena, do not get mad at him."
A/N: Hey! PLEASE REVIEW!!
