HUZZAH FOR REVIEWS! So exciting… ((sighs happily)) Gotta love it. O, how I love cliffhangers! But I am sorry I haven't updated sooner… it's been a very long couple of weeks… I have a big A/N that I'll put at the end so that everyone will remember to read it… anyway… before I start thanking people; I want to let you know that I really appreciate everyone who has reviewed… reviews always make my day and make me so much happier about my writing skills (especially after I read a really good book by Tamora Pierce, J.K. Rowling, or Gail Carson Levine, because their books are awesome and they make me sad that I can't write like that). Anywayz… onto the thank-yous! Much thanks to: JamSack (your review made me smile! lol), Smittened by Marauders (once again, you made me laugh! Sorry… no bubble gum or popcorn this chapter…), little mimi, anonymous girl, Masked Dragonfly 0926, Indian Ink (I'm glad you noticed! I was hoping someone would see the connection from LOTR ), Heather, jubli pebble (wow… I'm glad you caught that error! Thank you! I'm fixing it right now…) eleanor (I apologize for not being kind and updating sooner…), sis14 (I am confused by your review but thanks anyway!). TO THE STORY!
"Can I help you?" I snapped in Elfian.
Evidently Amelia had been taking lessons in Elfian from Lou, because in very slow, bad Elfian with a huge Kyrrian accent, she said, "I know you. Come with me. Now, and quickly."
What! She knew me? How? No one else has recognized me! Not even my own sister! Amelia began walking away, and, of course, I followed, thinking quickly. Where was John?
"In here," she snapped. It was the inner courtyard garden. The guards opened the doors for us after Amelia sweetly explained that we needed to talk privately, and we would only be gone a minute. Why they bought that, I don't know, but I expected it was because of Amelia's flirty nature, and loads of cosmetics to beautify herself.
"Are you Elisa or Emma? Tell me the truth." She asked in Kyrrian as soon as the doors closed. The cold air hit me like a hammer, and I shivered slightly in my sleeveless tunic and a type of breeches that Elfian Warriors were known to wear.
"I'm sorry, I don't speak Kyrrian. I don't understand you." The pain began, but I ignored it for as long as I could. Then I said in quick Elfian (to make it harder for her to understand me), "I'm Elisa, if you must know."
"Speak in Kyrrian. You can change your hair and eye color, but I know it's you. You forgot what Lou told you to forget, and I saw the scars on your back from where my mother taught you a valuable lesson, did she not?" she asked smugly.
How the heck could she see them! The tunic has a wide neck, yes, but my hair… I realized that I actually had brought my hair over my shoulder to get it off my neck. I reached back and gently felt the tops of the scars from the whiplashes. Oh.
"You've caused your family much grief with your disappearance." Amelia commented, as if we were talking about the weather.
"Why do you say that?" I shot at her. "You don't care. All you want is a very obedient slave! You have so much money and yet your aim in life is to make mine miserable and remind me of just how much I hate this-" I had to stop there, because of my mother's order.
"Oh, but that's what makes it so fun." She said with a wicked smile. "You are stubborn, strong, thin," here she glared at my figure enviously, "and you have as much pride as a dragon and yet- you have to obey any order given to you, whether you want to or not. It's fascinating watching you fight against a battle that you know you will lose. Your obedience controls your whole life, and it gives me control over you. No servant or slave will ever obey me exactly the way I want him or her to. I have complete control over you, and now, I have found you again. What a wonderful end to the ball! Now, let us-"
Emma and Prince Caspian came striding into the courtyard.
"Is everything all right?" Prince Caspian asked. He turned to me. "Is this lady bothering you, Adrianna?"
Amelia ruffled up indignantly. "I'm not bothering her. She's bothering me!"
Emma said coldly in her slight Arani accent, "Oh, I'm sure. I saw you dragging her in here, Ame-"
Emma cut herself off, but it was too late. Amelia stared at her, then asked slowly, "How did you know my name?"
Rilean walked through the doorway, with Lindaeyan coming shyly behind him. "Caspian, come on. We have to 'see to the guests.' I don't feel like doing it myself, and you certainly aren't going to get away without doing so." He looked questioningly at our little group. "What's going on here, anyway?"
Caspian shrugged. "Heck if I know. Lisa saw Adrianna coming in here with this lady, and we came to check on things, I suppose. But it seems like the two of you know this lady or something. Would you mind explaining?"
Before either one of us opened our mouths, we heard an argument outside. John's annoyed voice drifted out to us. Rilean called to the guards, "Let him in! He's with us."
John stormed through the door. "There you are, E- Adrianna! I was looking for you, and-"
His face paled when he saw Amelia. He coughed. "Am, uh, I interrupting something?"
Amelia eyed him suspiciously. "Your voice sounds familiar. Do I know you?"
"What is going on!" Caspian cried out in frustration.
"Someone explain… now." Rilean said with a frown, for a moment looking like his father.
Well, it was a general order, so Emma and I began talking at once, explaining that we knew Amelia from one thing or the other. Rilean and Caspian both folded their arms and looked at us accusingly. "Tell us the truth." They said at the same time.
Great, I thought. Just perfect. This couldn't possibly- no, I'm not going to say that. Too late, though. In came Lou, searching for Amelia.
"Oh, for a dragon's sake!" Emma cried, exasperated, and she took off her veil with a flourish. John and I looked at her as if she was crazy, and everyone else gasped. Emma looked at me. "Well, it was obvious Amelia knew who you were, so there was no chance of getting away with it anymore. Besides, we're going to have to explain everything, especially to Lou."
I was about to ask her how the heck she suddenly knew it was me, when Lou interrupted. "Emma? Elisa? What in the Creator's name is going on!"
"I would like to know that as well." We all turned to see the King and Queen coming through with their bodyguards. "We came in to check where you two," they glared accusingly at their sons, "had run off to, and we heard all of the commotion out here. What's going on?"
"Oh good!" I muttered sarcastically. "Now the whole group is here! Wonderful."
Emma stood beside me as we faced the now fairly large group. "Well, we might as well explain now. It's no use anymore, Elisa. I'll tell you all what I know, and Elisa will tell you the rest. The two of us ran away from-" the curse wouldn't let Emma say who, because it was "telling Lou about this" as Amelia had put it, "um, someone, and became mail carriers for a few months. That's when we met Prince Caspian and Prince Rilean. When you, your highness and the two princes asked us to become their royal mail carriers, we ran away because we knew that you would find out who we really were. But why am I telling you? I'm sure Prince Rilean here told you all about us."
"Emma…" I moaned. Rilean coughed slightly and looked at the ground, looking guilty. I began talking instead, summarizing quickly how we met and our meetings after that. I don't know who was more embarrassed, Rilean or me. I continued, "Anyway, we ran away because although Prince Rilean insisted that your majesties would understand, I didn't think you would. We traveled all the way to Gnome Caverns, where Emma" I glared at her, and she glared back, "decided to run away from me and came all the way back just to see Prince Caspian."
"Elisa!" Emma looked very embarrassed now. "I told you not to come! And what did you do? You dressed up as an Elfian warrior and came down here after me! Did-"
"How did you even know it was me, anyway!" I demanded, interrupting her.
"Elisa, I'm your sister! I knew from the very first day who you really were. Did you not think I could take care of myself!"
"And did neither of you think that your parents and I would be worried about the two of you!" Lou shouted. I had never seen him this angry. "By the Creator! Was this all fun and games to you? We were worried sick!"
Now Emma and I turned on him. "Are you always so oblivious, Lou? Hello!" I retorted. Emma told me under her breath, "Elisa, we can't tell him, remember?"
Lou stared at us blankly. "What are you talking about? Oblivious to what? Te-"
Before he could order us to tell him, Amelia cut in smoothly, "We all missed you, and we were so worried about you! What on earth are you two talking about! I see no reason for the two of you two run away for almost five months!"
Emma and I rolled our eyes and ignored her.
"Okay, can I get this straight?" Prince Caspian asked. "You two," he pointed at us, "ran away from someone – and you won't say who – and came to us, then ran away from us, then you," he pointed to Emma, "came back to the ball to see us, then you," he pointed to me, "came after her," he pointed at Emma with a flourish to finish off his summary.
Emma and I looked at each other and gave a "that just about covers everything" shrug.
"Well, that's all." I said quietly. "Can we go now? I've been humiliated enough, and I'm sorry I've deceived you, but now that you know just about everything maybe you'll understand. Anyway, I'd like to retain enough dignity to leave quietly."
"One more thing." King Charmount looked at his son Rilean accusingly. "Now exactly what were you two doing at these meetings?"
I noticed Lindaeyan raise her eyebrows and she looked at Rilean accusingly.
"Dad…" Rilean said in the tone of voice embarrassed teenagers reserved for their parents. "We were just talking. And if this will make you feel better, here."
Rilean strode up to me confidently, but when he began speaking, it was in a "manly" yet shy voice. "Elisa, I, um, our last meeting… I'm sorry. I respect the fact that you just want to be friends. I don't think it would have worked out anyway… please forgive me. Friends?"
He extended his hand out to mine, and I accepted it, returning his strong grip. John looked at this with a blank expression; I couldn't read what he was thinking.
"Prince Caspian," Emma looked at her feet as she addressed him. "I'm sorry for not being who you thought I was. I did have a wonderful time with you."
"Are you mad?" He looked at her incredulously. "I think you are even better than before because you aren't who I thought you were! That is awesome!"
Emma blinked at him. Prince Caspian, being blunt and confident, smiled at her and said, "Lisa of Pakist, or whoever you are, I love you!"
For a moment, Emma didn't react. Everyone was grinning at her and Prince Caspian (except for Amelia, who stared dumb-founded). Then, Emma smiled and said quietly, "Well it took you long enough. And my name is Emma." Prince Caspian breathed the name "Emma" as if it was a beautiful, sacred word. He came up as if to kiss her, then he saw the small crowd around them, and he blushed. "Well, I guess that wasn't the best time and place for a confession of love, was it?"
Even the king and queen laughed at this comment. Now John approached me. My insides quivered as he came near. I smiled at him and said jokingly, "Well, now's the time, John. After all, it's the best time and place for a confession of love."
There was laughter, but it stopped when everyone saw that John did not laugh, he just smiled at me. It was a smile that I had seen Prince Caspian give Emma, the smile Rilean had given Lindaeyan, but…
I stuttered, "John… wait, I-I was joking… y-you-." I stopped, took a deep breath, and tried again, "You really do?"
John sighed exasperatedly, looking up to the heavens as he shouted, "How long must it take you to notice! By the Creator, I have loved you since you first swore your head off at Amelia! Do you not love me as well? I see it in your eyes, Elisa; do not lie to me! I love you! Do you love me?"
With those words I knew I loved him. It was deeper than my liking of Rilean, more mysterious than the love of family, and vaster than any emotion I had ever experienced. It was definitely true love.
"John…" I whispered. "I do love you."
John grinned. Now I really thought he was going to kiss me. And, for once in my entire life, I WAS RIGHT! He did not hesitate as Prince Caspian had done. He came up to me, put his arms around me and kissed me. It was the best kiss of my life. It was the most passionate, with an explosion of emotions to follow.
Before our lips parted I heard Prince Caspian say to Emma, "Well, are you going to stare open-mouthed at your sister or will you kiss me, too?"
When we finally separated we were both red, and so was everyone else who had felt awkward during our expression of love for each other. Prince Caspian and Emma were red as well. A gust of wind blew through the courtyard and an amused voice like singing shouted to us over the wind:
"True Love's First Kiss breaks the spell!
I am Madria, as you can tell,
And I will return!
Remember me, Ruth!
Oh, dear, my rhyming is off. Farewell!"
The voice's laughter echoed off the courtyard's walls. We all stared open mouthed at the sky, but there was no one there. Everyone began asking questions at once. "Who was that?" "What was that voice talking about?" "Who's Madria? What does she mean by 'I will return'?" "Who's Ruth?" "What spell? Broken? True love's first kiss?"
"Elisa… do you think…" Emma asked me thoughtfully. "I wonder…"
Amelia, surprisingly, was the first to recover from the strange encounter. "Well, then, Elisa and Emma, come. We're leaving."
Emma and I both were going to stand as long as the curse would let us, but then I realized that no pain swept over me. I was disobeying an order!
"My Creator… that's it! It's over! O, thank the stars above!" Emma cried out, and the two of us rejoiced in our newly found freedom. We both danced through the courtyard, shouting and laughing, bringing curious stares from the small crowd.
"Elisa and Emma, come!" Amelia said in a low voice.
Emma and I looked at each other and grinned. Just like we had always planned in the many years when we talked about what we would do as soon as we were free of the curse, we walked up to her, coming very close to her face and shouted, "NO!" and walked proudly away.
MAJOR-MUST-READ A/N: And so the end draws near! BUT IT IS NOT OVER! If you think it is, I believe you are forgetting part of the story. I am predicting two more chapters, maybe one more depending on how short the two chapters are. As a Christmas present to all my readers, I am making sure (or at least trying my best!) that my final update for the last chapter is on December 25 (unless, of course, my computer decides to be stupid again). I'm so happy and so sad that my story is almost complete! ((cheers and cries at the same time)) Continue reviewing! I love you all!