Alecie stared out of the window of the second story of the cloudrunner palace. Why her father insisted on having her sit in on these meeting was beyond her, but he was her father and what father said goes. She placed her chin in her hand and fluttered her white wings aggravatedly as she watched two small girls chasing after one another. The two girls would disappear and reappear sporadically hiding from the other among the clouds and giving a squeal of delight when tagged. Alecie gave a small laugh. How she would rather be out there soaring in the sky then sitting in this stuffy room, listening to things that really weren't any of her concern.
"Lecie, are you listening?" Her father's voice asked. Alecie didn't hear his voice as she continued to be lost in her daydream.
"Alecie!" her father tried again rising to his feet.
"ALECIE LYNETTE RYDER!" he father yelled. Alecie snapped to attention turning her head to look at her mother and father's disappointed face and at the faces of the numerous generals and high ranking officers in the room.
"Yes sir?" she asked obediently.
Alecie's father sat back down with a plop, rubbing his temples with his fingers. "Lecie, are you listening?"
"Yes sir." She replied promptly.
"Then what do you think we should do?" he asked. Alecie panicked. She had stopped listening hours ago.
"Umm…" she stalled as the eighteen year old cloudrunner nervously laced her fingers together. "I think we should….um…."
"Have you listened to anything we have been saying?" her father asked wearily.
"Yes, I have, I just kinda got distracted." She said her voice trailing off.
"Alecie, this is very important." Her father said trying to persuade her to start showing more of an interest in this. "Not just our future, but the future of the entire cloudrunner race is at stake. And as princess of the cloudrunners, the people's problem is your problem"
"I know." Alecie said hanging her head. It was true. She was the princess of the cloudrunners and it was her duty to do everything in her power to help her people.
"But I still don't see what any of these strategic battle plans have to do with me." She said bringing her head up to stare at her father. "I mean, Marcus is the one who is next in line to rule, not me, and besides I'm not allowed to fight anyway." She said as she crossed her arms. Her father, King Tallas, shook his head; there was just no reasoning with her sometimes.
"I don't even know how that stupid Illusionist found his way here anyway. We are a floating colony for Pete's sake!" she added. King Tallas sighed, she had a good point. They were a floating colony, as were all the cloudrunner colonies, and besides that there was the fact that the only way to find one, was to follow someone who already knew where it was to begin with.
"That is why we are having these meetings." King Tallas said. "To find out how they know about us, and who is leading them."
"I still don't understand why I have to be here." Alecie replied stubbornly.
"Because you…."
"Are the princess." Alecie finished. "Yeah….so what? How come none of the others have to be here?" she challenged standing up.
"Alecie." Her mother's voice cut in showing her disapproval of her tone of voice.
"We have been through this." King Tallas said with a sigh his massive grey wings twitching in aggravation at his daughter's show of unconcern for her people. "Your brother is out scouting and Elizabeth and Minda are too young." Alecie sighed as she sat back down. Nobody said anything for a few minutes as the room filled with the awkward silence of rustling of papers and polite coughs.
"Now, getting back to business." The king said as he slowly lowered himself in his throne. "One of our spies, Joren," the king said gesturing to the handsome man in the corner. "Has brought us back information that the Illusionist plans on attacking the capitol, Skybax City, tonight."
"But your highness," one general spoke up. "Tonight is a full moon!"
"Yes, I know." The King replied unhappily.
"But we can not fly during a full moon!" another general protested.
"How did he find out?" a captain asked. King Tallas shrugged.
"I do not know, all I know is that we must be ready and prepare ourselves and defend our capitol the best we can given the circumstances."
"Why don't we go get help?" Alecie spoke up. Every eye turned to look at the teenage princess.
"We have already asked our neighboring colonies for help, they are doing the best they can." The king replied.
"No." Alecie said. "I mean help from someone other than a cloudrunner."
"Absolutely not!" The King roared as he stood to his feet.
"But, father…." Alecie tried but her father cut her off.
"You know the law, no cloudrunner is to come into contact with anyone other than a cloudrunner." The king said.
"But why?" Alecie challenged rising to her feet as well, staring at her father. "I mean we need help, so why not go find it else where? Isn't the safety of our people more important than remaining a secret from the earthwalker world?" she asked.
"My answer in no!" King Tallas answered sternly. Alecie scowled at his answer as she stormed out of the room, slamming the doors behind her.
