Chapter 4

Karida walked into Alexa's chamber and opened the curtains to let the sun in.

"Good morning, miss." Karida said as she walked up to Alexa to see if she was awake.

"No, not yet." She growled as she rolled over.

"Alexa." Karida said warningly.

"Fine." Alexa got up with a yawn, she went to go and put on her hunting dress. She didn't want to wear her nice blue dress just yet; she would only put it on for tea with the King.

"I'm going to go to the library for now Karida, I'll be back in time to get ready for tea." She said assuring Karida that she wouldn't be late as she tied her belt around her waist. She adjusted her tiara and was off to the library.

Once in the library she found her favorite reading chair and took the letter out of her belt.

'Round like an apple, deep like a cup,

Yet all the kings' horses can't pull it up.

Follow the tunnel and there you will find;

What force and strength cannot get through

In with a gentle touch can do,

And many in the street would stand

Were I not a friend in hand.'

For now her job was to figure out this riddle, yet she couldn't find any book to help her solve this riddle. It looked like she would have to figure this one on her own. She decided to read it out loud, that's when she noticed something queer.

"This riddle has two riming patterns, yet the sentence in the middle doesn't rime with anything in this riddle." Alexa said.

"Perhaps it's used to separate both riddles, if I am correct then that would mean the first riddle would be:

'Round like an apple, deep like a cup,

Yet all the kings' horses can't pull it up.'

And the second one would be:

'What force and strength cannot get through

In with a gentle touch can do,

And many in the street would stand

Were I not a friend in hand.'

Even if I am right I still have to figure out both riddles.

"The only thing that I can think of that's round like an apple and deep like a cup is a bowl." Alexa said, two hours went by and she was getting very frustrated. She didn't know how she was going to solve this, or rather, these riddles.

Alexa walked back to her room to get ready for tea, she was excited and nervous all at the same time. She also tried to forget this silly riddle, at least for tea, she wanted to enjoy her time with the king, then after she could stress some more about the riddle.

"Any luck, miss?" Karida asked as Alexa returned to her chambers.

"Not exactly, but I do believe the riddle is really two riddles. Except I still won't be able to figure it out." Alexa said as she took the dress from Karida and went to put it on.

"Not with that attitude, the answer could be right under your nose."

"Is this another riddle?" Alexa asked sarcastically.

"It means that your probably looking too hard for the answer, it will come to you when you least expect it too." Karida said as she went to go put on Alexa's corset.

"Ouf, who says these things anyway?" Karida chuckled at Alexa's response; 'She could be really sarcastic when she wanted too.' She thought.

"Excited for tea?" Karida said trying to change the subject. Alexa let out an exasperated breath.

"I suppose, mostly nervous. What should I say?" she asked.

"You'll find something to say, don't worry." Karida said as she turned Alexa around to get a good look at her.

"You look beautiful, miss!" The royal blue really complemented Alexa's hair and it really showed of her wonderful curves. Alexa looked into the mirror uncertain, she didn't really like wearing other colors except for green.

"Now go before you're late, have fun." Karida said smiling. Alexa walked on until she reached the balcony on the second floor, it had an amazing view of the garden. Her heart was in her throat and she saw Edmund already sitting down at the table. Once he saw her his eyes lit up. 'She looks gorgeous.' He thought.

"You majesty." Alexa said as she gave a small curtsy.

"It's Edmund remember." He said smiling and took her hand to place a small and gentle kiss. Alexa blushed a bit as he did this and she took a seat across from him.

"How are enjoying your stay?" Alexa asked.

"I'm enjoying it, Telmar is very beautiful. What a wonderful view of the gardens too."

"That is true, I love Telmar's gardens, they are one of my favorite places of the castle."

"And what would be the other?" he asked taking a sip of his tea.

"The library, I love reading the books."

"Read any good one's lately?" he asked.

"Of course, there was this one about Aslan." She replied

"Really?"

"Yes, I was wondering, have you ever met him in person?"

"Yes I have, but that was a while back."

"What was it like? I mean, weren't you scared?"

"I suppose I was a bit" he admitted, "He really is a great lion."

Alexa smiled at the thought of Aslan, the name seemed to make her think of when the flowers would start to bloom and everything would look so colorful and beautiful.

"I hope to meet him some day." She said

"Perhaps you will."

They talked a bit more about Telmar, Edmund asked a lot of questions about the hunger in Telmar and Alexa tried to give him as much information as she could. It had mostly been information from Karida or other servants she heard talking. She looked into the gardens, which looked beautiful, she thought, that's when she saw it. Normally, she wouldn't have cared much about the garden's old well, yet today was different.

'Round like an apple and deep like a cup! Yet all the men's horses can't pull it up', they must mean the bucket in the well. Of course that was the answer! The well!

"Are you alright?" Edmund asked. She seemed to be daydreaming.

"Hmm...Oh yes I'm fine really. Sorry about that but I just remembered that I'm late." Alexa said as she started to get up. She hated leaving Edmund like this, she really did, but this was important.

"For what?" he asked. 'What could a princess have that's so important?'

"Ahh… princess lessons. I completely forgot and my instructor will have my head if I'm late again. I'm sorry."

"That's alright, may I see you again tomorrow?" he asked not wanting to break his 'deal' with the King Hagan.

"Of course. What time?" she asked

"Same time yet in the gardens?"

"Wonderful. I'll see you tomorrow." She said as she curtsied and walked away, she looked behind and waited until he was out of sight. As soon as he was she lifted her skirt and ran down to the gardens. There was no time to change; she needed to get down to the well before it was too late.

Once she was at the well she looked down into the black hole, it seemed to go on forever. She pulled up the bucket and checked to see if the was a letter or something of the sort. Nothing. 'Follow the tunnel and there you will find….' She remembered from the riddle. 'That's what the verse is there for' she thought 'as instructions.'

The next thing she knew she was looking down again, then she took the rope and started to climb on down. Alexa couldn't believe what she was doing; if anyone saw her she would be killed. Yet she was not worried about being caught, at the moment she was more terrified at what she might find at the bottom. She carefully kept going down the rope; as soon as it ended she had to let go. She closed her eyes and held her breath then the next thing she knew her feet were in water. It wasn't deep; it only went up to her ankles. It was however very dark. She squinted around her and tried to look for a tunnel, which she eventually found. It wasn't big however, she would have to crawl.

Alexa tried to concentrate on the task and ignore her fears. She was very scared down there and she knew her dress would be ruined, 'But wouldn't it be worth it to save all those dragons.' She kept on thinking.

She crawled on down the tunnel, she wasn't exactly sure what she was looking for, she just knew that there was something here. 'Mother sure put a lot of thought in hiding the diamond, couldn't she just dig a hole somewhere.' There were a few turns in the tunnel and Alexa as very wet right now, but she kept on going. After a while she could see a dim light coming from ahead.

"Oh no!" Alexa realized she was near the end of the tunnel; it would soon come to a river.

"Impossible" she whispered, "I haven't found anything yet!" She was getting quite angry, all this for nothing, she ruined a dress for nothing!

She looked beside her and could now see a heart on a brick of the wall. "That's odd" she said. Every other brick was just ordinary yet this one was different. She placed her fingers inside and tried with all of her might to pull the brick out. Nothing. She gave it another try and the brick remained.

"Third time's the charm" she said "One, two, three" and she pulled with every muscle in her body. The brick at first moved a bit, and it kept on moving until it was out completely. There was some dust now that covered Alexa, she looked inside the dark hole but could see nothing, so she placed her hand in to try and find something.

Inside there was a chest; it wasn't locked which was good because Alexa had no key. She took out the chest and put the brick back into place. Once the chest was opened she could see a key and a letter.

"A key? In a chest? That is odd." She remarked. She took out the letter and began to read.

'Underneath the soils of the earth I lie. My neighbors are silent yet they scream out Take A Chance.'

"Great another riddle." Alexa thought sarcastically, she was really getting sick of riddles, and this one seemed to have been harder than the lasts.

'What force and strength cannot get through

in which a gentle touch can do,

and many in the street would stand

were I not a friend in hand.'

"Of course, the second riddle was a key." Alexa realized. She took the chest and put the third letter back inside. Then she made her way out of the tunnel and ended up in the river.

By the time she got back to the castle it was late, she realized that she must of missed supper. She made her way back to her chamber trying not to run into anybody. She was a mess and she didn't want to get scrolled at for ruining the dress. 'Perhaps Karida can clean it and no one will know.'

She got back to her chambers but no one was there, she placed the chest under the pillow for now and went to go and get her hunting dress. Before she could put it on there was a knock on her door.

"Who is it?" she asked hoping that it was Karida.

"It's your mother." Alexa hated it when Ophira referred herself as her mother, she was NOT her mother.

"One minute, I'm just changing." Yet Ophira did not wait, she opened the door and nearly fainted at the look of Alexa. Soaked to the bone and her dress that was once beautiful was torn and all muddy.

Ophira closed the door and glared at Alexa.

"I came to see why you weren't at diner tonight, but more importantly what happened to your dress!?" she nearly shouted.

"It was an accident." Alexa said, tears burning in her eyes, her heart was pounding.

"I will not tolerate this behavior, you need to be thought a lesson." She said as she advanced towards Alexa.

"No please! I promise it won't happen again." Alexa said as tears started to fall.

"Your right, it won't." Ophira said and she hit Alexa until she fell to the ground. She turned near the fireplace and took the metal fire poker; she turned to Alexa who was on the floor shaking.

Alexa was used to getting hit by Ophira, yet she hated it when this happened. It never seemed to end and she never knew if she would live to see tomorrow. She could feel a sharp pain on her back as Ophira whipped her with the fire poker. After a few hits Alexa could not contain herself anymore and she let out a piercing scream as the pain kept on coming, harder every time. She opened her eyes and could see bloodstains on her dress.

"Ever since you were born you were such a burden." Ophira said before she gave Alexa another hit. Alexa wished it would stop, she couldn't move anymore and just kept on crying. She prayed to Aslan to come and save her, yet Alexa was starting to lose hope in faith.

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Karida hated this; she waited outside Alexa's room trying not to cry. It was hard to contain her tears every time she heard that piercing scream. She felt so helpless, Ophira would kill her if she went into the room, she had to wait until that monster was finished. It killed her to hear Alexa scream, Karida had become sort of a mother to the girl, she had looked after Alexa ever since she was a baby. Another scream was heard and Karida blocked her ears, tears escaped but she didn't care. She just wished it were all over so she could tend to Alexa.

After a while the sound stopped. Karida waited a bit to see if she could hear anything but no sound came from the room. 'Was Alexa dead?' she thought 'NO! Don't think such things' Karida thought mentally.

The door opened and Ophira walked out not even bothering to look at Karida.

She ran inside and closed the door; over by the window laid a small figure, it once belonged to a beautiful young lady. Now the figure seemed so worn, there were bloodstains and many bruises.

"What has she done." muttered Karida as she advanced towards Alexa's motionless body, afraid of what she might discover.

She bent down and checked to see if there was a pulse, she could feel Alexa breathing.

"Thank you." Karida said as she changed Alexa into her nightgown.

Karida couldn't give the girl a bath because she was unconscious, it would have to wait for tomorrow morning.

"Get well Alexa." Karida said as she placed her in her bed and went to sit in the chair. She could not sleep anyway so decided to stay up all night and tend to Alexa, she felt guilty for letting this happen to her all these years, and yet what was she to do?

"If only there was a way I could help you." Karida whispered.

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