CHAPTER TEN

Amanda opened her eyes and looked around. She saw Tara and Crystal sleeping next to her, their hands tied. They were in a tent that was closed from three sides and one side led to the center of the camp.

Amanda tried to call for help, but failed. She decided to put her feet into action. She kicked Tara, as she was closer to her. Tara immediately woke up and turned around.

"Amanda! What happened?" she whispered. Amanda motioned to help her get rid of the cloth on her mouth. Tara managed to slide her legs through her arms, and her hands were in front of her now. She took the cloth off Amanda's mouth.

"Thanks." Amanda whispered.

"It's nothing. How are we supposed to get out of here?" Tara asked, and started to release Amanda's hands. When she was done, Amanda released Tara's hands.

"I don't know. I don't even see David or max around here." Amanda kept looking around. She could smell them, but couldn't see them.

Tara turned to Crystal, who was still sleeping. "Crystal, wake up."

Crystal opened her eyes. "What happened? Oh, my back hurts!"

"That's because you've been lying on your back for God knows how much time! And your hands are tied up. Let me help." Tara helped Crystal to sit and then she released her hands.

"Where are the guys?" Crystal asked.

"That's what I'm trying to figure out." Amanda replied and sniffed the air.

"The camp is silent." Tara said.

"And that's making me nervous." Amanda said with a growl. "There's no one close, let's get out."

They went out of the tent. Amanda was leading the way. She walked slowly, making sure that they won't be noticed by anyone. The passed a few carriages and then Amanda felt a scent.

"They're close." She said.

"Are they alone?" Crystal asked.

"No. There are many gypsies with them. But we have to see them." Amanda replied and they continued to walk.

"Looks like you're awake already." Leo blocked their way.

Amanda growled. "Get out of my way wolf."

"You're a wolf as much as I am. So, why are you acting like you're a full blooded human?" Leo replied in a sarcastic tone.

"Where's David?" Amanda asked, ignoring Leo's question.

"With the queen. They're having a royal conversation."

Amanda walked closer to him and grabbed his shirt collar. "If you mentioned in front of these girls that he is the prince, I will burn your dirty tail after cutting it into pieces by my bare hands." She whispered to him.

Leo grabbed Amanda's hand and pulled it away from his shirt. "I'll do whatever I want, and no one can stop me." His face was almost an inch away from hers. Amanda growled and walked back to the girls.

"I hate them!" she said with a growl.

"Amanda calm down. We don't know what will they do to us." Tara said.

"You want to see your friends?" Leo asked.

"Yes." Tara replied.

"Follow me."

Leo took them to the place where David and Max were.

"Mama, the girls are awake!" Leo said.

"What a nice surprise." The gypsy queen replied.

"Mama? He's her son?" Crystal asked.

"Maybe adopted son. They don't smell like each other." Amanda replied.

The girls sat in front of the gypsy queen near a small table. After a moment David and Max came with Lucas. As soon as Amanda saw David she jumped into his arms.

"Dave! Oh my God, I thought I lost you."

"I'm fine kid. Everything is fine. We'll get out of here." He replied as he stroke her hair.

"What a sweet scene." The gypsy queen said. "Have a seat please."

Amanda and David sat next to each other. She was holding his hand. Something in her was changed at this moment. She felt helpless. She was scared of something that she didn't know.

"What are you going to do to us?" Crystal asked.

"Nothing that would cause harm my dear." The queen replied. "I want to read your future child." She turned to Tara.

"Why me?" Tara asked.

"Because I see sorrow in your eyes. Come, let's see what would my crystal ball say."

Tara looked at Crystal and then she got closer to the queen. She sat on a chair that was right in front of her. The queen put her hands on the ball and murmured some words that only the crystal ball could understand. Then, she looked at it as she was watching some kind of story being told in pictures. Then she looked at Tara, who didn't seem to understand what was going on.

"You have come from a far place. You have lost so much, but you will reach your goal. But, it will cost you so much. As I see death coming your way. Although you have a protector, but, be careful."

"Death?" Tara was surprised. "But my parents are dead already."

"The crystal doesn't show persons. I can't say who is death coming for."

"Oh, OK. Thanks." Tara said and got up. Crystal came and sat in her place.

"What does the future has for me?" she asked.

The queen put her hands on the crystal again and started to say different words now. She looked into it and pulled back horrified.

"What is it?" Crystal asked, noticing the queen's pale face.

"All black. I don't see anything. The crystal shows only black." She looked at Crystal. "You have committed a crime and you shall be punished."

"Are you kidding? I have never committed a crime in my life! I don't believe what you're saying. What does a glass know anyway?" she got up and walked away. Tara looked at her and wondered what has the queen said that made her so angry. She was sitting a little bit far from them and that's why she couldn't hear the conversation. Lucas came and sat next to her.

"What's your name?" he asked.

"Tara."

"Nice name. I'm Lucas."

"I can't say it's nice to meet you. As it wasn't nice at all."

"I know. I'm sorry. We had to bring you here. And we didn't know how."

"You could've just asked instead of throwing some dirty pink dust. If you ever use that on me again, you'll be able to see your funeral from the sky."

"Hey, hey. Calm down. First, I did ask. And second, you saw how that wolf girl acted. We had no choice. And why does the troll dust bother you that much?"

Tara looked away. A tear came down on her cheek as she remembered the scene at her house. "The trolls used it on my parents before… killing them."

"Oh. I'm sorry. I didn't know." He handed her a napkin. "Here, use this. It's clean."

Tara took the napkin and wiped her eyes. "Thanks."

The queen called Amanda and David. They sat in front of her together. Amanda was still holding David's hand.

"Calm down child. Something has changed inside of you. Although I cannot say what it is, but you are scared to admit it." The queen spoke to Amanda.

"What do you mean? Nothing has changed except for our trip plans." Amanda replied.

"I am not speaking about your trip my dear. This has something to do with your heart. Only you should know what am I talking about." Then she turned to David. "You have been having some difficulties with someone that is close to your heart. He doesn't seem to trust you. But when you see him again, everything will change."

"To the better?" David asked.

"Yes. You have a bright future." She put a cloth on the crystal. "I don't want to say more. When someone has a bright future, it isn't allowed to continue."

"Why?" David asked.

"Because you already have everything in white. Anything you do is going to succeed. So there's no need to tell anything else."

"I understand."

"And how is your father doing now?"

"You know him?"

"Who doesn't? He's the ruler of this kingdom."

"No, I mean do you know him in person."

"We met twice." A big smile went on the queen's old face.

"Really? Well, he's doing fine in turning my life into hell."

"Everything will change my son."

"But how do you know him?" David asked.

"You were brought into this life by these hands." She showed her hands.

David's eyes opened wide. "Really? It's a pleasure to meet you!" he got up and hugged the queen.

"When I saw your carriage going across the forest, I couldn't resist myself from bringing you here."

"By using troll dust?" Amanda asked.

"My son didn't think in another way I guess. I only feel sorry for you to have that fairy with you on your trip."

"Why?"

"She doesn't seem good."

"She haven't caused any trouble to us." David said.

"I hope that she wouldn't cause any."

"May I ask you a favor?"

"Of course."

"I don't want for Tara and Crystal to know that I am the king's son. They think I just work in the palace, as well as Amanda. So, can you keep it a secret from them?"

"Sure. But why aren't you telling them the truth?"

"I just don't want them to know. I am sick of being treated as royalty. I never had friends. I guess this is a chance."

"Alright my dear. They will never know by me." The queen smiled.

"By the way, you said that you met my father twice. When was the second one?"

"It was three months before your birth." She looked at Amanda and smiled.

"You delivered her too?" David asked.

"I did. Are your parents here?" she turned to Amanda.

"Yeah. They have settled here for a few years now. I'm the only one going to the 10th kingdom and coming back here."

"And how are they? Do you have any brothers or sisters?"

"They're fine. And I'm the only child."

Crystal walked between the carriages. She thought about what the queen has just told her. She was going to die. She knew that. A fairy wasn't allowed to use a gypsy method of telling the future. And once they knew their future by a gypsy, it meant death to them.

"But I didn't mean to know everything." She said to herself. "I just hope I can live long enough to get home. I wouldn't like to be dead in another kingdom." She sat near the tent where she and the others woke up a couple of hours ago. Knowing about her own death scared her. She had a mission to accomplish. She has to do it as soon as possible.