Hey again everybody! Told you it wouldn't be long before chapter 4!
CHAPTER 4
*ATTACK*
Veronica ran out of the Treehouse after Roxton. "Roxton, come back, you can't do this."
He stopped in his tracks and turned to see Veronica. "Roxton, please," she said as she came to his side. "Please don't do this."
~*****~
Marguerite walked alongside her parents. They had been walking for what seemed like ages. None of them had spoken for the entire journey. Marguerite wanted to stop but refused to speak to her parents, so on they marched. Her parents had offered to take her bags but she had declined this offer saying that she could do things herself. They knew she was angry with them more than anything, but they wouldn't give up on her.
It had seemed like forever since they left the Treehouse but it still hadn't sunk in to Marguerite that she would never see her friends again. Each time she saw a beetle she expected Challenger to pop out from behind a bush desperately stalking it, or she'd hear the sound of a distant raptor waiting to be shot by Roxton. It all seemed so strange.
"Do you want to have a rest?" asked Marguerite's mother cautiously, aiming the question slightly more at her husband who she knew would answer.
"Yes, we have been walking for quite a while now." He paused. "Is that alright Marguerite?"
She shrugged and looked at him. "Fine," she said with a blank tone.
They sat in a clearing without a word. After a while, her father tried to make conversation. "I know this is hard Marguerite but you have to understand." Marguerite stood up and turned away from them. Tears collected in her eyes. She just wanted to go home.
"It's no good, Eamon, our little girl's grown up now, and she's not coming back," she whispered as she looked down at the ground. A tear came to her eye. Her husband took her in his arms.
"It's not too late to start now, Elita." He smiled at her and she smiled back.
Marguerite turned round to see her parents again. She saw the strong bond they shared, their love, their whole life. She had never had that choice, until now, but now it had gone again. Her mother became aware of her daughter's eyes and looked up at her. She saw that she was crying. Standing up, her mother moved towards her daughter and offered a smile. "I love you Marguerite, I always have," she whispered, carefully wrapping an arm around her daughter's waist. Marguerite was too upset to care. Her mother took her into her arms and held her. "I'm sorry," she said. Marguerite was almost ready to forgive her until she remembered her anger. She broke the embrace.
"You think that it's all alright now do you? You take me away from my family, my real family, just so that I can save you? Do you have any idea what my life has been like? I was finally happy and now it's gone." As the reality of the situation set in, she began to break down. Tears were rolling down her cheeks. She sat down again.
Her mother looked shocked. She sat next to her daughter and gently touched her back. "No, I don't have any idea what your life's been like, but I'd like to know." She paused. "That is if you can ever forgive me for what I did. I thought I was doing it for you, for your safety. I never wanted anything bad to happen to you. I just wanted you to be happy. We both did."
~*****~
Veronica sat down next to Roxton on a felled tree stump. She held him in her arms. "It's gonna be ok Roxton," she kept repeating, but she knew it would never be ok. She had seen the way they felt about each other from the moment she first met them. She saw the way they looked at each other so longingly day after day.
"I love her, how can this happen?" he kept asking. She had never seen Roxton like this before. To her he had always been the strong backbone of the family, but she guessed that it was Marguerite who had held him up. They supported each other, held each other up. It had taken Roxton so long to gain Marguerite's trust. They were finally together and now this.
Roxton's tears began to fall. Veronica held him tighter, trying to control her own emotions. She had to be strong for Roxton; right now nothing else mattered.
~*****~
Marguerite looked into the distance. Above the trees, she could make out a few buildings elevated on a small hill.
"Is that the village?" she asked.
She had decided to make some kind of effort. After all, this was going to be her family for the rest of her life. That thought filled her with grief and she pushed it out of mind. 'It could be worse,' she thought.
~
As they entered the village, Marguerite was overcome by their welcome. They were cheering and laughing, even though that night their village was promised with war. She felt fulfilment that she'd actually done something right, that people wanted her, that she was needed. She put on a smile but she wasn't in the mood for this at all. She just wanted to be alone. Her parents, sensing her mood did not stop to introduce her but continued to walk on to their home, Marguerite's home, for now anyway.
They entered a large building to the right of the village. It was thatched and the walls were made of wood with stone supports. It reminded Marguerite of the Treehouse and the first time they had met Veronica. She smiled at the thought of the jungle princess and how she, herself, had reacted that day. That had turned out to be the best experience of her life. She wondered if this situation could ever be the same, could ever make her happy.
They walked up some polished steps to the upper floor. They stopped outside an empty room, empty but carefully decorated. There was a four-poster bed in the middle and a beautiful diamond chandelier on the ceiling. The floor was carpeted with a soft, tasteful woollen rug. There were two wardrobes each with golden handles, and a large vanity desk that supported a stunning, silver coated mirror. For a moment Marguerite was lost in awe. 'This is the life,' she thought, before snapping back into the reality.
"This will be your room until the wedding," presented Elita.
Marguerite's heart leapt. She had temporarily forgotten about the wedding. Now it all came back to her. Her life had turned three-sixty degrees, flipped upside down in only one day, just as things were starting to settle at last.
"We'll be just downstairs if you need anything," they assured her. With that, they turned away, her mother giving her a smile before walking back down the landing.
Marguerite swallowed hard and flopped down on the bed. It had been a long day. She was finally content with who she was. Her anger for her parents had gone but she still felt they had betrayed her. Why had they waited until now before making contact? They had known she was on the plateau. Why had they waited until they needed her help? These questions would have to wait until later. Right now she desperately needed rest. She lay back and pushed her head into the pile of pillows collected at the end of her bed. She closed her eyes, trying to blank everything that had happened that day. Her body drifted into a restless sleep.
~*****~
Veronica and Roxton slowly headed back toward the Treehouse. They had been out for longer than either of them had thought, reminiscing about the good times (and the bad!) of Marguerite's time with them. After a lot of talking and even more crying, they finally decided that it would be best to head back before the others became worried about them. After all, they had left in quite a rush. Veronica had managed to get Roxton to see that life could go on without Marguerite but only because she would always be with him in his heart. Although Roxton had agreed with Veronica's loving words of support, he had no intention of leaving Marguerite now, even if she would always be 'in his heart.' In fact, he never would be truly ready to forget her, move on from her. It hurt him that she would be pushed to do that so quickly, marrying a stranger in return for the village's many lives. He was happy for her but at the same time a jealousy penetrated somewhere deep down. He had worked so hard to gain Marguerite's careful trust and now she had been taken from him in a second. He would never be able to live without her. He had to come up with a plan.
As they walked with the day's events running through their heads, Veronica suddenly stopped dead in her tracks.
"Did you hear that?" she whispered, so quietly that Roxton had wondered if she had even spoken.
"Hear what?" he replied.
But before she could answer, rustling began through the nearby undergrowth, and before long the intruders came into view. They charged out of the jungle and into the path in front of the two walkers. There must have been about ten of them, all dressed in brown robes and carrying hefty swords. Immediately Veronica stepped back, addressing them with a violent kick as she flung herself backwards into the trees. Roxton alerted himself, quickly pulling out his gun, shooting rapidly into the air. The motion of the men quickly came to a halt as they looked at his weapon in awe. They looked longingly at their leader, waiting for a signal. The leader stepped forward, holding a hand up to his troops. He stepped slowly towards Roxton, his hands now above his head in a sign of amity. Roxton still held the rifle out directly in front of him, carefully watching the leader's every move.
"What do you want?" asked Roxton in a solemn voice.
~
And I love to leave you hanging!! get the next chapter up by R&R ing!! (nothing like a bit of black-mail now and then!! Lol! ;-) )
CHAPTER 4
*ATTACK*
Veronica ran out of the Treehouse after Roxton. "Roxton, come back, you can't do this."
He stopped in his tracks and turned to see Veronica. "Roxton, please," she said as she came to his side. "Please don't do this."
~*****~
Marguerite walked alongside her parents. They had been walking for what seemed like ages. None of them had spoken for the entire journey. Marguerite wanted to stop but refused to speak to her parents, so on they marched. Her parents had offered to take her bags but she had declined this offer saying that she could do things herself. They knew she was angry with them more than anything, but they wouldn't give up on her.
It had seemed like forever since they left the Treehouse but it still hadn't sunk in to Marguerite that she would never see her friends again. Each time she saw a beetle she expected Challenger to pop out from behind a bush desperately stalking it, or she'd hear the sound of a distant raptor waiting to be shot by Roxton. It all seemed so strange.
"Do you want to have a rest?" asked Marguerite's mother cautiously, aiming the question slightly more at her husband who she knew would answer.
"Yes, we have been walking for quite a while now." He paused. "Is that alright Marguerite?"
She shrugged and looked at him. "Fine," she said with a blank tone.
They sat in a clearing without a word. After a while, her father tried to make conversation. "I know this is hard Marguerite but you have to understand." Marguerite stood up and turned away from them. Tears collected in her eyes. She just wanted to go home.
"It's no good, Eamon, our little girl's grown up now, and she's not coming back," she whispered as she looked down at the ground. A tear came to her eye. Her husband took her in his arms.
"It's not too late to start now, Elita." He smiled at her and she smiled back.
Marguerite turned round to see her parents again. She saw the strong bond they shared, their love, their whole life. She had never had that choice, until now, but now it had gone again. Her mother became aware of her daughter's eyes and looked up at her. She saw that she was crying. Standing up, her mother moved towards her daughter and offered a smile. "I love you Marguerite, I always have," she whispered, carefully wrapping an arm around her daughter's waist. Marguerite was too upset to care. Her mother took her into her arms and held her. "I'm sorry," she said. Marguerite was almost ready to forgive her until she remembered her anger. She broke the embrace.
"You think that it's all alright now do you? You take me away from my family, my real family, just so that I can save you? Do you have any idea what my life has been like? I was finally happy and now it's gone." As the reality of the situation set in, she began to break down. Tears were rolling down her cheeks. She sat down again.
Her mother looked shocked. She sat next to her daughter and gently touched her back. "No, I don't have any idea what your life's been like, but I'd like to know." She paused. "That is if you can ever forgive me for what I did. I thought I was doing it for you, for your safety. I never wanted anything bad to happen to you. I just wanted you to be happy. We both did."
~*****~
Veronica sat down next to Roxton on a felled tree stump. She held him in her arms. "It's gonna be ok Roxton," she kept repeating, but she knew it would never be ok. She had seen the way they felt about each other from the moment she first met them. She saw the way they looked at each other so longingly day after day.
"I love her, how can this happen?" he kept asking. She had never seen Roxton like this before. To her he had always been the strong backbone of the family, but she guessed that it was Marguerite who had held him up. They supported each other, held each other up. It had taken Roxton so long to gain Marguerite's trust. They were finally together and now this.
Roxton's tears began to fall. Veronica held him tighter, trying to control her own emotions. She had to be strong for Roxton; right now nothing else mattered.
~*****~
Marguerite looked into the distance. Above the trees, she could make out a few buildings elevated on a small hill.
"Is that the village?" she asked.
She had decided to make some kind of effort. After all, this was going to be her family for the rest of her life. That thought filled her with grief and she pushed it out of mind. 'It could be worse,' she thought.
~
As they entered the village, Marguerite was overcome by their welcome. They were cheering and laughing, even though that night their village was promised with war. She felt fulfilment that she'd actually done something right, that people wanted her, that she was needed. She put on a smile but she wasn't in the mood for this at all. She just wanted to be alone. Her parents, sensing her mood did not stop to introduce her but continued to walk on to their home, Marguerite's home, for now anyway.
They entered a large building to the right of the village. It was thatched and the walls were made of wood with stone supports. It reminded Marguerite of the Treehouse and the first time they had met Veronica. She smiled at the thought of the jungle princess and how she, herself, had reacted that day. That had turned out to be the best experience of her life. She wondered if this situation could ever be the same, could ever make her happy.
They walked up some polished steps to the upper floor. They stopped outside an empty room, empty but carefully decorated. There was a four-poster bed in the middle and a beautiful diamond chandelier on the ceiling. The floor was carpeted with a soft, tasteful woollen rug. There were two wardrobes each with golden handles, and a large vanity desk that supported a stunning, silver coated mirror. For a moment Marguerite was lost in awe. 'This is the life,' she thought, before snapping back into the reality.
"This will be your room until the wedding," presented Elita.
Marguerite's heart leapt. She had temporarily forgotten about the wedding. Now it all came back to her. Her life had turned three-sixty degrees, flipped upside down in only one day, just as things were starting to settle at last.
"We'll be just downstairs if you need anything," they assured her. With that, they turned away, her mother giving her a smile before walking back down the landing.
Marguerite swallowed hard and flopped down on the bed. It had been a long day. She was finally content with who she was. Her anger for her parents had gone but she still felt they had betrayed her. Why had they waited until now before making contact? They had known she was on the plateau. Why had they waited until they needed her help? These questions would have to wait until later. Right now she desperately needed rest. She lay back and pushed her head into the pile of pillows collected at the end of her bed. She closed her eyes, trying to blank everything that had happened that day. Her body drifted into a restless sleep.
~*****~
Veronica and Roxton slowly headed back toward the Treehouse. They had been out for longer than either of them had thought, reminiscing about the good times (and the bad!) of Marguerite's time with them. After a lot of talking and even more crying, they finally decided that it would be best to head back before the others became worried about them. After all, they had left in quite a rush. Veronica had managed to get Roxton to see that life could go on without Marguerite but only because she would always be with him in his heart. Although Roxton had agreed with Veronica's loving words of support, he had no intention of leaving Marguerite now, even if she would always be 'in his heart.' In fact, he never would be truly ready to forget her, move on from her. It hurt him that she would be pushed to do that so quickly, marrying a stranger in return for the village's many lives. He was happy for her but at the same time a jealousy penetrated somewhere deep down. He had worked so hard to gain Marguerite's careful trust and now she had been taken from him in a second. He would never be able to live without her. He had to come up with a plan.
As they walked with the day's events running through their heads, Veronica suddenly stopped dead in her tracks.
"Did you hear that?" she whispered, so quietly that Roxton had wondered if she had even spoken.
"Hear what?" he replied.
But before she could answer, rustling began through the nearby undergrowth, and before long the intruders came into view. They charged out of the jungle and into the path in front of the two walkers. There must have been about ten of them, all dressed in brown robes and carrying hefty swords. Immediately Veronica stepped back, addressing them with a violent kick as she flung herself backwards into the trees. Roxton alerted himself, quickly pulling out his gun, shooting rapidly into the air. The motion of the men quickly came to a halt as they looked at his weapon in awe. They looked longingly at their leader, waiting for a signal. The leader stepped forward, holding a hand up to his troops. He stepped slowly towards Roxton, his hands now above his head in a sign of amity. Roxton still held the rifle out directly in front of him, carefully watching the leader's every move.
"What do you want?" asked Roxton in a solemn voice.
~
And I love to leave you hanging!! get the next chapter up by R&R ing!! (nothing like a bit of black-mail now and then!! Lol! ;-) )