A/N: sorry about the lack of updates, I've been going through a lot lately.
Hope you enjoy this chapter. Please review!
Disclaimer: Anything you recognize from the book belongs to Gail Carson Levine, and not me!
::Chapter 11: Mayleah::
I couldn't believe what I saw. I studied the man's face. . . swarthy skin, not unlike my own, with a spread of freckles across his nose. Piercing green eyes. I recognized those eyes. I had seen them the last time I looked in the mirror.
We both stood there silently, just staring at eachother with wide eyes. Neither of us said another word.
A few minutes passed when I finally realized I was crying.
"F-Father. . .?!" I repeated, my voice unsteady and hoarse.
"A-Amena, my little girl. . ." his eyes started to glisten. "Well, I-I'm back. . ." I shuddered as I recognized the familiarity of his voice.
I couldn't believe it. This was my father. . . my FATHER. . . the same father who left to fight ogres about years ago. . . the same father who was suppose to have been DEAD. . . was standing right in front of me.
I had so many questions for him, but no words came out of my mouth. Where were you? What took you so long?! Who's the girl that's with you?!!
"Ahh. . ." he gestured towards the young girl he was holding hands with. She looked a few years younger than me, maybe about eleven. I couldn't help but notice that she and I shared the same swarthy skin, and sparkling green eyes. "This would be Mayleah. . . you're sister."
Suddenly there was this cold, cold piercing in my heart. . . no, worse. I couldn't explain it, it was like nothing I had ever felt before. His words echoed in my head. My sister. This was my sister.
A warn tear trickle down my cheek, and I was overcome with anger. He had left our family for ten years, and that's all he could say? He didn't even bother to say he missed me or-
"Amena, let me explain," he spoke nervously, noticing my unnatural silence.
Suddenly it wasn't just the tears anymore. I was heaving, my whole body shaking. "I-I c-c-can't be-l-lieve y-you would DO s-something l-li-" I sobbed, falling to my knees. 'N-no. . . n-n-no. . ." I repeated to myself, facing the floor, afraid to look up. Maybe it was all a dream! Yes, it was a dream. ALL of it. I closed my eyes tightly shut, yet the tears still managed to pour out. A dream. It was all a dream. In the morning, I would wake up. Mother would be waiting for me at the breakfast table, Mandy would be in the kitchen fixing up a delicious breakfast, Nate and the Duke would never have came here, there would be no betrothal, and Father would still be on his mission to rid of the ogres. There. Perfect. It was all a dream.
I felt a hand on my shoulder. I unsteadily looked to see who it was. My eyes met a pair of sparkling green eyes, not unlike my own. "A-Amena, dear, please, l-let me-"
I jumped up, shrieking. "N-no! G-Go away!" I slapped the hand off my shoulder, continuing to furiously rub at it as if it were contaminated with germs. "D-Don't touch me!"
I struggled to stand up straight. It as getting harder to breathe as my whole body shook violently.
I staggered backwards. Mandy. I needed Mandy. She was the only one I had left. I gasped for breath as I slowly backed away, only to trip on my own two feet. I waited for the fall, yet it never came. To strong arms caught me under my arms, pulling me up.
"LET ME GO! DON'T TOUCH ME!" I cried, blinded my the tears. I unsuccessfully tried to let loose from the person's grasp.
"What the. . ." I heard a familiar voice speak. "I thought I heard someone screaming so I-" he stopped. "A-Amena? I-Is that you? Woah. . . why are you- "
I pounded on the person's arm. "Make him go away! MAKE HIM GO AWAY!" I shrieked. I continued to sob. "Please. . . just make it all go away. . ." I slowly looked up to see who I was talking to.
Nate.
"Are you feeling alright? What are you talking abo-"
His eyes met another pair from behind me. I watched as his yes grew larger and larger, his mouth slightly gaping open.
"Nathaniel?" said the voice I dreaded to hear. "Wow, you sure grew up to into a handsome young man. . ."
Nate stood silent, looking almost as shocked as I was.
"Get me to Mandy," I whispered, still heaving heavily.
He slowly nodded once, his eyes still locked on Father.
After what seemed like an eternity, he quickly walked me over to the kitchen.
We burst open the door, finding a tired looking Mandy sitting silently by herself, sipping a cup of tea.
"What brings you two-" she started cheerfully. Her voice lowered. "Sweets? W-What's the matter?" She quickly stood up and rushed towards me. Soon I was engulfed in her warm embrace.
"M-Mandy! H-He's back!" I managed to say in between sobs.
"Who is, dear?"
I blinked a few times before speaking. "Father! H-He's here!"
I felt her loosen her embrace. "W-What do you mean?"
I felt even more tears pour out. "I mean FATHER is HERE! He's back! He's not dead! He's okay! He's back from ridding of the ogres, but that's NOT ALL HE DID!" I cried. "He brought b-back. . . someone else. . ."
"Who dear?"
"MY SISTER!"
Mandy's face fell. "Oh no. . . please don't tell me this is what I think it means. . ."
"YES, IT DOES!" I said, burying my face in Mandy's shoulder. "Please, go, talk to him, do ANYTHING! Just make him go away. . . I-I don't want him here. . . please. . ."
Mandy had a stern look on her face. She bit her lower lip. "Nathaniel, would you please stay here with her while I go see what's go on?"
I almost forgot he was here.
He nodded, still silent and probably just as shocked as I was.
Mandy quickly left the kitchen.
"N-No. . . no. . . please, no. . ." I repeated softly over and over to myself. It's quite surprising that one can produce as many tears as I had in this short period of time.
Suddenly I felt someone wrap their arms around my shoulder, bringing my face towards their chest. "It's okay to cry."
My heart jumped. Nate. Was this NATE speaking? The same Nate that had done nothing but shown hate and annoyance towards me? I didn't care. I just wanted everything to be as it was a week ago.
We stood their like that for a few minutes, with Nate occasionally gently drumming his fingers on my back, trying to calm me down.
After a few minutes, though it seemed MUCH longer, I pulled away, soaking my remaining tears with my sleeve. "I-I'm sorry. . ."
He shook his head. "No, no. I'm the one who should be sorry. I know I've been a jerk and. . . I-I'm sorry."
I shook my head. "No-"
Just then the door swung open. Mandy had returned. But she wasn't alone.
Tears streaked her face as she led in Father and the other girl, who I was told to be my sister.
Mandy managed an unsteady smile. "Amena, I would like you to meet Mayleah. She and your father will be spending their time here with us, from now on."
No. NO. Was I hearing this from Mandy?! The one person I thought I could count on. . .
I stared at the girl. She seemed to be as nervous and shocked as I was. She looked a few years younger than me, with the same swarthy skin, freckles, and eyes as I had. I admit, she was pretty. . . she had long, natural blonde curls that hung down to her waist.
"H-Hello, y-your majesty. . ." she spoke softly, sweeping into an unsteady curtsey.
A/N: PLEASE REVIEW!!
Disclaimer: Anything you recognize from the book belongs to Gail Carson Levine, and not me!
::Chapter 11: Mayleah::
I couldn't believe what I saw. I studied the man's face. . . swarthy skin, not unlike my own, with a spread of freckles across his nose. Piercing green eyes. I recognized those eyes. I had seen them the last time I looked in the mirror.
We both stood there silently, just staring at eachother with wide eyes. Neither of us said another word.
A few minutes passed when I finally realized I was crying.
"F-Father. . .?!" I repeated, my voice unsteady and hoarse.
"A-Amena, my little girl. . ." his eyes started to glisten. "Well, I-I'm back. . ." I shuddered as I recognized the familiarity of his voice.
I couldn't believe it. This was my father. . . my FATHER. . . the same father who left to fight ogres about years ago. . . the same father who was suppose to have been DEAD. . . was standing right in front of me.
I had so many questions for him, but no words came out of my mouth. Where were you? What took you so long?! Who's the girl that's with you?!!
"Ahh. . ." he gestured towards the young girl he was holding hands with. She looked a few years younger than me, maybe about eleven. I couldn't help but notice that she and I shared the same swarthy skin, and sparkling green eyes. "This would be Mayleah. . . you're sister."
Suddenly there was this cold, cold piercing in my heart. . . no, worse. I couldn't explain it, it was like nothing I had ever felt before. His words echoed in my head. My sister. This was my sister.
A warn tear trickle down my cheek, and I was overcome with anger. He had left our family for ten years, and that's all he could say? He didn't even bother to say he missed me or-
"Amena, let me explain," he spoke nervously, noticing my unnatural silence.
Suddenly it wasn't just the tears anymore. I was heaving, my whole body shaking. "I-I c-c-can't be-l-lieve y-you would DO s-something l-li-" I sobbed, falling to my knees. 'N-no. . . n-n-no. . ." I repeated to myself, facing the floor, afraid to look up. Maybe it was all a dream! Yes, it was a dream. ALL of it. I closed my eyes tightly shut, yet the tears still managed to pour out. A dream. It was all a dream. In the morning, I would wake up. Mother would be waiting for me at the breakfast table, Mandy would be in the kitchen fixing up a delicious breakfast, Nate and the Duke would never have came here, there would be no betrothal, and Father would still be on his mission to rid of the ogres. There. Perfect. It was all a dream.
I felt a hand on my shoulder. I unsteadily looked to see who it was. My eyes met a pair of sparkling green eyes, not unlike my own. "A-Amena, dear, please, l-let me-"
I jumped up, shrieking. "N-no! G-Go away!" I slapped the hand off my shoulder, continuing to furiously rub at it as if it were contaminated with germs. "D-Don't touch me!"
I struggled to stand up straight. It as getting harder to breathe as my whole body shook violently.
I staggered backwards. Mandy. I needed Mandy. She was the only one I had left. I gasped for breath as I slowly backed away, only to trip on my own two feet. I waited for the fall, yet it never came. To strong arms caught me under my arms, pulling me up.
"LET ME GO! DON'T TOUCH ME!" I cried, blinded my the tears. I unsuccessfully tried to let loose from the person's grasp.
"What the. . ." I heard a familiar voice speak. "I thought I heard someone screaming so I-" he stopped. "A-Amena? I-Is that you? Woah. . . why are you- "
I pounded on the person's arm. "Make him go away! MAKE HIM GO AWAY!" I shrieked. I continued to sob. "Please. . . just make it all go away. . ." I slowly looked up to see who I was talking to.
Nate.
"Are you feeling alright? What are you talking abo-"
His eyes met another pair from behind me. I watched as his yes grew larger and larger, his mouth slightly gaping open.
"Nathaniel?" said the voice I dreaded to hear. "Wow, you sure grew up to into a handsome young man. . ."
Nate stood silent, looking almost as shocked as I was.
"Get me to Mandy," I whispered, still heaving heavily.
He slowly nodded once, his eyes still locked on Father.
After what seemed like an eternity, he quickly walked me over to the kitchen.
We burst open the door, finding a tired looking Mandy sitting silently by herself, sipping a cup of tea.
"What brings you two-" she started cheerfully. Her voice lowered. "Sweets? W-What's the matter?" She quickly stood up and rushed towards me. Soon I was engulfed in her warm embrace.
"M-Mandy! H-He's back!" I managed to say in between sobs.
"Who is, dear?"
I blinked a few times before speaking. "Father! H-He's here!"
I felt her loosen her embrace. "W-What do you mean?"
I felt even more tears pour out. "I mean FATHER is HERE! He's back! He's not dead! He's okay! He's back from ridding of the ogres, but that's NOT ALL HE DID!" I cried. "He brought b-back. . . someone else. . ."
"Who dear?"
"MY SISTER!"
Mandy's face fell. "Oh no. . . please don't tell me this is what I think it means. . ."
"YES, IT DOES!" I said, burying my face in Mandy's shoulder. "Please, go, talk to him, do ANYTHING! Just make him go away. . . I-I don't want him here. . . please. . ."
Mandy had a stern look on her face. She bit her lower lip. "Nathaniel, would you please stay here with her while I go see what's go on?"
I almost forgot he was here.
He nodded, still silent and probably just as shocked as I was.
Mandy quickly left the kitchen.
"N-No. . . no. . . please, no. . ." I repeated softly over and over to myself. It's quite surprising that one can produce as many tears as I had in this short period of time.
Suddenly I felt someone wrap their arms around my shoulder, bringing my face towards their chest. "It's okay to cry."
My heart jumped. Nate. Was this NATE speaking? The same Nate that had done nothing but shown hate and annoyance towards me? I didn't care. I just wanted everything to be as it was a week ago.
We stood their like that for a few minutes, with Nate occasionally gently drumming his fingers on my back, trying to calm me down.
After a few minutes, though it seemed MUCH longer, I pulled away, soaking my remaining tears with my sleeve. "I-I'm sorry. . ."
He shook his head. "No, no. I'm the one who should be sorry. I know I've been a jerk and. . . I-I'm sorry."
I shook my head. "No-"
Just then the door swung open. Mandy had returned. But she wasn't alone.
Tears streaked her face as she led in Father and the other girl, who I was told to be my sister.
Mandy managed an unsteady smile. "Amena, I would like you to meet Mayleah. She and your father will be spending their time here with us, from now on."
No. NO. Was I hearing this from Mandy?! The one person I thought I could count on. . .
I stared at the girl. She seemed to be as nervous and shocked as I was. She looked a few years younger than me, with the same swarthy skin, freckles, and eyes as I had. I admit, she was pretty. . . she had long, natural blonde curls that hung down to her waist.
"H-Hello, y-your majesty. . ." she spoke softly, sweeping into an unsteady curtsey.
A/N: PLEASE REVIEW!!
