Keep Her Safe Chapter Ten
Lady Prin
Disclaimer Applies.
"Some thing's wrong." Mina whispered to Serena.
They were standing in the open courtyard. Prince Endymion had left them there to go and gather his troops and ready them for battle. He had promised to return to them in a few hours. Three hours had gone by, and they were expecting him any moment.
"I know. My parents wouldn't do something like that." Serena responded. "They're against war, just like they are against slavery."
"What can we do about it?" Mina asked. "Without giving away who we are?"
"You don't trust Endy?" Serena asked.
"Endy!? You're calling him Endy now?" Mina asked wide-eyed. "He's the Prince of the World!!!"
"And I'm a Princess!" Serena retorted. "Besides, it's not like I'm gonna' call him that to his face! Or in public! Anyway, back to the problem. I doubt he's going to take us along into battle, but I'm still going to ask."
Before Mina could reply, Endymion arrived.
"I'm sorry I'm so late!" He said breathlessly. He was dressed in full black armor, with a sword hanging at his side. "The troops are due to leave in a few minutes."
"Can we come with you?" Serena asked without hesitation.
Mina cringed at her bluntness. Endymion looked at her surprised.
"Why would you want to?" He asked wide-eyed.
Serena really didn't have an answer for that that wouldn't give her away.
"Well," She started.
"Because she just wants to. . ." Mina muttered, looking in the opposite direction, while scratching her neck.
Serena stuck her tongue out at her.
But when Mina glanced at her, Serena was looking away, tongue back in her mouth.
Endymion smiled slightly.
"Well, I'm afraid I can't let you." He replied. "Women don't belong in war." Mina glowered at him, but if he noticed her didn't show it. "Besides, do you either of you know how to fight?"
Mina looked down, while Serena looked up. Neither replied to that.
"See? You wouldn't last five minutes out there!" Endymion stated. "No, you'll stay here in the palace where it's safe till I return. We have allot to talk about." He looked directly at Serena, who looked back at him with wide-blue eyes, her head tilted down slightly.
"I told you he say no." Mina told Serena.
"You never said any such thing!" Serena replied.
Mina blinked.
"Well, I meant to." She said.
Endymion was trying hard not to smile right now.
Two guards walked up to them then.
Endymion was thankful for the interruption.
"These guards will take you back to your rooms."
"Okay." Serena said. "But we won't stay here."
"Oh, really?" Endymion asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Yeah, I mean yes." Serena said defiantly. "Even locked up in the highest tower, it won't stop us! We'll be at the site of the battle field by the time you get there!"
"We will?" Mina asked, looking at her.
Serena stepped on her foot.
"We will." Mina stated, looking away.
"Well, it just so happens that your rooms are in the highest tower, though not intentional. That's where the guest rooms are. Also, I'll make sure that my best guards in the palace will be at your door, both to get you what you need, and to keep you in the palace."
"Won't work."
"Why won't it? How will you get out of the palace unnoticed?" Endymion asked.
"I don't know yet." Serena admitted. "But we have resources."
"What resources?" Mina asked, looking at her.
Serena stepped on her foot again.
"Oh, those resources." Mina stated, looking away.
By this time the two guards have backed away, in an effort not to hear anymore, or else they will start laughing. Sadly, they are still able to hear every word.
"Well, I'll make a promise to you, Lady Rena." Endymion said. "If you do manage to get out of the palace, if you do make it to the battle field before we do, and if you are there for more than five minutes, then I'll let you stay at the camp."
"Deal!" Serena accepted.
"It is?!" Mina asked incredulously.
And before Serena even had time to raise her foot off the ground.
"It is." Mina said, stepping away from Serena.
"She's catching on." Endymion said with a smile at Serena.
Mina glared at him, while Serena smiled at him smugly.
Then they notice that someone is trying to muffle laughter as coughing. They look toward the guards who are doubled over in fits of mirth.
"Guards!" Endymion called.
They stood straight backed and at attention. But their shoulders still shook with silent laughter.
"Take these girls to their rooms, please." Endymion commanded.
"Yes, my Lord!" They both saluted, and then bowed slightly to the girls, motioning for them to follow.
As they started to walk away, Serena stopped and turned to look back at Endymion.
"And if we do manage to do all this," She started. "Will you please stop calling us girls?"
"I promise." Endymion said.
"Thank you." Serena said with a nod.
Then she turned and walked down the garden path, straight backed, head held high, walking like she was floating. Just as her mother taught her.
For a minute they all saw her as the Princess she was. A glorious sight.
That is, until she tripped over her own feet, and landed with a 'umf!' on the cobblestone walk.
Mina's eyes went wide and she rushed over to Serena's side.
Endymion and the two guards were on their way, but stopped when Serena stood up, waving off Mina's helping hand, and dusted herself off. Then she continued down the path.
"Come on! I wanna' be out of this place and gone by tonight!" She yelled back.
Mina started walking slowly back wards, looking at Endymion with an exasperated facial expression.
"Sorry." She finally said with a shrug, and ran to catch up with Serena and the two guards.
"They scare me." Andrew muttered over Endymion's shoulder.
Endymion looked at him with a slightly surprised expression.
"I didn't hear you come up." He stated.
"I know. You were too caught up in promising them things I'm not sure you should've." Andrew said, with a worried expression.
"You think they can get out of the highest tower, find out where the battle is going to take place, and get there at least five minutes before we do, when we are leaving right now?" Endymion asked. "We'll be there by tomorrow at noon. They won't make it there five minutes before we do."
"You hope! Remember Mani healing her own ankle?" Andrew asked.
"I can do that!" Endymion stated. "With the power of the Earth, for it flows in my veins, as my mother puts it all the time." He muttered. "Anyway, even if they were stupid enough to try to climb the tower walls down, they won't get more than half way down. Helios's enchantment will see to that."
"You have more faith in that enchantment stuff then I do." Andrew stated.
"You're a man of war, Andrew. You know how to use swords and strategies, and you understand them. Helios understands magic, just like you understand swords and strategy. Besides, I've already told him to keep a watch on the girls, and report to me if they try anything."
With that Endymion started walking in the opposite direction from where the girls were heading.
"Come on. War's awaiting." Endymion said grimly.
"Okay, what's your questions?" Serena asked Mina as the door to their room was closed, and locked.
"I'm afraid to ask them." Mina said pout-idly, taking her weight off her right foot.
Serena giggled.
"Don't worry. You can ask freely here. Just be quick."
"First of all, how do you plan on getting out of this tower?"
"Climb down."
"Right. . . ."
"Remember when we used to do it all the time?"
"Yeah, up until you fell from a forty story tower!!! Broke an arm, a leg, and about five ribs!"
"But I still lived, and nothing was permanent."
"Yeah, but. . . "
"There's a reason why I lived."
"What?"
"Magic."
Mina stared at her in shock.
"What?" She whispered.
"When I was falling, I heard a voice in my head. It was a calm voice, neutral. It told me to say a certain phrase. I did. In doing so, I managed to cushion my fall. Enough so that when I hit the ground, I bounced, and didn't break anything vital like my neck."
"A voice. . . "
"Yes. That voice, though I only heard her once, gave me a way to use powers I didn't know I had. I altered the phrase whenever I needed to use magic, to match what I needed from it."
"What was the phrase?" Mina asked.
"I call upon my forbidden birthright."
Mina sat down on the bed with a thump.
"I think I can now make since out of a dream I had a long time ago." Serena came and sat down beside Mina. "I told Rei about it, she thought it was just a nightmare. But I think it's something more than that. For one thing, I heard a women say that she was taking away my birthright, until she saw fit to give it back. At the time I thought the women might be taking away my birthright as Princess of England. I was afraid I wouldn't be able to take care of my people, when my parents stepped down. But I see now, that women meant magic! But though it may be forbidden to me, I still can use it. And I plan on using it, to stop this war!"
Serena took Mina's hands in her own.
"I know you have magic too, I saw you use it when you healed your ankle. Maybe you can help me with my magic, learn to use it better."
Mina stared at her with fearful eyes.
"I can't." Mina whispered. "I can't use my magic without something terrible happening. That's why I haven't used it for over eleven years. I know it may not seem like anything bad happened when I healed my ankle, but it did. Trust me, it did! And I don't know why nothing bad happened when you use your magic, for it should've. I can't teach you anything of magic, not right now."
"It's okay, I'll learn as I go." Serena assured her.
"I wish Rei was here." Mina wined. "Or better yet, Ami."
"Ami? Isn't that the name of the girl at the medicine shop?"
"No, her name was Aquesta. Though, she did look like Ami. But it's been years since I last saw Ami."
"Hmmmm. Lita mentioned you, Rei, and an Ami when I first met her. She said she'd gotten separated from her before you and Rei came to the palace."
"I'm not even sure your Lita is the same Lita I know."
"I think she is. And I trust her! But anyway, I told Aquesta that her real name was Ami."
"You did? How'd you figure that?"
"She just looked like an Ami to me. . ." Serena shrugged at a loss for words.
"Well, anyway. If we're leaving, we should go now."
They stood up and walked to the window.
"We'll climb down as far as we can. Then we'll jump." Serena explained.
"Right." Mina replied.
First Serena started climbing down, then Mina followed.
They were a fourth of their way down, when the guards poked their heads out the window.
"That won't work!" One of them yelled.
"We're trying it anyway!" Mina yelled back.
The two guards just watched them as they continued their climb down.
About half way down, they kept moving, but they were going nowhere.
"He's right. This isn't working." Mina told Serena.
"Now we jump." Serena told her.
Serena reached her hand up to Mina, and Mina took her hand.
"Now." They both whispered.
And they jumped.