Chapter Nine

Zephyria pulled him back up and wrapped her arms around him. She could face anything as long as she knew Christophe loved her. "I just want you to know I love you, and don't ever forget that." She smiled and then stood on tip toe to kiss his cheek. How could she have ever doubted him?

Someone cleared their throat from behind them, and they pulled apart, only to see Brenna and Jesse standing there, holding hands and smiling.

"You gave me a start." Zephyria said smiling, "What brings you two here?"

"Saw you heading this way. Thought I should warn you that Rueben's getting the camp packed up. We'll be leaving soon," Brenna said.

"Thanks for the warning. We better all get back then. Oh, what were you and father talking about Christophe?" Zephyria's eyes lit with curiosity.

Christophe exchanged a smile with Brenna. "You'll see," was all he said.

Zephyria's mind raced with a thousand things they could have talked about. She was so lost in thought she had not realized she was walking out of the forest with the other in front of her. She snapped back to reality at the sound of hushed angry voices as if someone was arguing but they were too far away for her to hear. Little did she know the arguing was between Rueben and Lukas. "Do you hear that or is it just me," she asked quietly as if she didn't want the people arguing to hear her.

"It's been going on all morning you missed most of it going down to the stream and then back to the woods with me to talk," Christophe answered, taking her hand and gently squeezing it to reassure her that she is safe.

"What are they arguing about?" Brenna questioned, turning back to him.

"Lukas thinks we are headed the wrong direction and Rueben told him he didn't need a punk telling him where to go," Christophe informed them.

"We are going in the wrong direction," Brenna said with a laugh. "We have been since yesterday morning."

"Well, I am sorry but I would tell him exactly where he could go if I was Lukas," Zephyria's eye lit with rage as she spoke then she was calm again

"He can go to hell," Brenna muttered as they reached the camp. Jesse shot her a surprised look, but shrugged it off as Lukas walked up to them.

"We're leaving," he snapped at them. "Brenna, Grissom needs a horse today, he twisted his ankle. Are you alright walking for a little while?"

"Yes," she replied. "I'm perfectly fine walking."

And walk she did. They all did, for what seemed like weeks, but was really only the rest of the day. They stopped for the night, the sisters sharing a tent and the boys sharing another.

The days dragged by, turning into weeks. As the weeks passed, Brenna's stomach began to grow. It was clear now she was pregnant, and there was no hiding it. As the time went by, they got closer and closer to the southern shore. Their captors would go into the towns ahead of them, and when they all would pass through, the sight was horrible. They murdered the men, took women captive, and killed them days later. The only people safe were the children, and they were starving.

One evening, Brenna slipped out in the middle of the night, unable to sleep. She was about to pass by Rueben's tent when she heard arguing coming from inside, so she paused.

"I told you, do what I tell you to and I won't kill your sisters or that pathetic father of yours," came Rueben's voice. "I don't see why you wish him to live, anyway. He's holding you back."

"I don't want to do this anymore," my brother said. "You've seen how ill my father is. He's not a threat to you."

"Yes, but that prince is. As long as he's alive, I can't do shit in this country. We have to keep him alive, at least until we get to the shore. You help me take over, and I'll let you and your sisters and father leave. Your son will be king one day, you know that. You will be part of the new royal bloodline. And we'll bring in technology from the other countries."

"Is it worth it?" Lukas demanded. There was a slap and a thud.

"You will do what I tell you, boy. I am your father in law."

Brenna took a step closer, only to hear a twig crack, and the voices inside stop. She ran back to the tent and laid down next to Zephyria, breathing hard.

"What happened?" Zephyria whispered gently to her sister . "Did someone see you?"

"I don't know," Brenna whispered back.

The girls then heard footsteps outside their tent they curled into each other and hid their faces. There were now two sets of footsteps not just one. The door of the tent flew open.

"Rueben, they're asleep," Lukas said. "Let's just forget about it, alright? It was probably an animal."

"Lukas, my dear boy you have so much to learn. You can't let your feelings for someone in the way of running a successful country," Rueben answered him almost as if this were all just a big game played to teach Lukas how to rule a kingdom.

"Let's just go, alright?" Lukas said, glancing at his sisters. "Besides, even if it was them, they didn't learn anything."

Rueben shot one last nasty look toward the girls bed then abruptly turned and left. Moments later there were more footsteps and the tent door flew open again. then they heard, "Brenna, Zephyria, I think we need to let Lukas in on what you girls want. He still believes everything is still by King Jasper's and my plan and it's not."

Brenna sat up. "What?"

"Lukas is on our side. He may not know everything but he thinks it is crazy Jesse freaked when he said you were expecting. He also thinks it odd that Zephyria and Christophe are inseparable," Lord Henrie looked between the girls. "He is better knowing than not."

Brenna sighed, pulling her blanket up. "I don't know, Father. Sometimes he seems to be on our side, but we are in the middle of war, as much as you wish we weren't. We don't know who we can trust."

"Your brother is carrying scars and bruises because he doesn't want you, your sister or I dead," Lord Henrie began to tear up. "I can't protect my own son but I will not stand back and let another suffer. It is not right that Jesse suffers every time that baby is mentioned, and all of you do every time the engagement is mentioned. Do you now see why I say tell him?"

She looked at Zephyria. "What do you think?" she asked her. "It might be a good idea to let him know, but what if word gets back to Rueben? He hasn't harmed me yet because of the baby I'm carrying, but Zephyria doesn't have that."

"I will be fine, I can handle it as long as he doesn't hurt you, Bren." Zephyria answered.

"But if you hurts you..." She stopped. "Fine," she said finally. "We can tell him. But Zeph and I will do it, Father."

Zephyria looked at her sister. How would they get Lukas alone long enough to tell him what they needed to? Would he believe them or just think it a joke? She opened her mouth but the words wouldn't come out. She wanted to say something, anything to kill the silence

"Today, then," Brenna said. "When it's time to fetch water. We'll ask to talk to Lukas." Their father kissed his girls then hurried back to his tent before Rueben came around to wake everyone. He barged in the girl's tent and in a very deep, singsong voice said, "Time to rise and shine my fair ladies."

Brenna sat up and rubbed her eyes, pretending to just wake up. Then the nausea hit her, and she grabbed the pan beside the bed and threw up. "Sorry," she muttered, wiping her mouth when she was done.

"No problem," Rueben spoke with his hand over his mouth, "I am going to wake the others."

As the day dragged by, Brenna found she was getting exhausted from walking. Someone else had her horse. But, she reasoned, better her then her father. Near lunchtime, Rueben shouted for them to halt. "Now," Brenna whispered to her sister.

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