Note: We are past the halfway point of this story, if you didn't already figure it out. I have the rest planned and figured, and an ending to make you all piss yourself; I just need to get it written down. And when I'm done? Mega intense re-editing. The entire thing, especially the beginning chapters because I had no concrete direction when I started this (some five months ago) and the exposition sucks. I probably will not post the super-polished version anywhere for someone to read and/or steal, and you can all see it when it is /hopefully/ published. Again, this is my original idea and plot and characters. I will not stand for anyone to copy, steal, or manipulate the idea or it's characters and claim it/them as their own. Side stories or tributes, however, are a different situation if credit to the original author is given. Thank you.
And just to get your taste buds watering, as we suffer through these next few transition chapters, (which introduce you to a new setting, new characters, dumping a shit-load of boring stuff on you to make you grasp the change of the narrator...) Luke's POV will appear again. Yes, you heard me correctly. Now suffer.
Chapter 18 – Arrival
The infinitude of darkness that had captured my dreams before had swallowed them again as I slept on the plane. I was wandering again, aimlessly, in this blackness that seemed to have no escape, no seam to rip through and find the light. I wasn't sure how long I'd spent in this dream...or nightmare... these sorts of things usually have no real sense of time. When the dread, building within my doubt, had nearly completely taken over my senses, a spot light appeared right in front of me. I stopped, my eyes taking in the brightness, and into the spotlight she stepped. She, the most beautiful woman and devil I'd ever laid eyes upon. Pale skin radiated, as perfect and smooth as pure white marble, her curves more perfect than anatomy described, eyes a beautiful deep blue that were like the night sky, twinkling with false stars and misleading beauty.
She wore a wolf pelt. It was a soft and gorgeous gray colored fur that rested over her shoulders and fell down her backside, with the stuffed head of the animal looming over her head, on top of her silky curls, like a hood.
This was all she wore.
She was smiling. A simple smile, on that perfect face without flaw. Her eyes blinked once just to annunciate the lashes, and she moved her thin arms to fold them under her breasts. "Why would Luke chose anyone else over me." She didn't ask it. It was a declarative statement that told me she was confident she was going to win, whatever little war or game we were in. Her body shifted, and she shrugged the beautiful fur from her shoulders to leave her draped in nothing but her lovely hair over her smooth shoulders and backside. Her deep blue eyes were beautiful but so empty and glacial; to stare into her eyes was to stare into the morose bleakness of Sheol itself. "I suppose it is time to stop denying Luke the pleasures he deserves from me... I am so very grateful that he chose me to be beautiful and forever with him. My gratitude toward him for giving me eternal beauty can only be matched by the hate I feel for the blood in your veins that isn't my own." Her voice was like the eye of a terrible storm, calm but part of a deadly force. "But I haven't acted grateful towards him for all of these years... How selfish of me."
She uncrossed her arms and threw a handful of her silky curls over her shoulder; then she closed the space between us by reaching out her arm and clasping her hand underneath my chin, against my throat. I knew this was only a nightmare, but I felt the cold of her hand and it was as if I couldn't breath when the pressure was applied. Were my feet still touching the ground? I gasped and tried to bring my arms up to fight her. My body wouldn't move! "I think that once I kill you, Allison, my child, my "mirror image," and I have no one else to hate, besides the vile males on this planet, I will cease my vengeance and pronounce the love Luke wants from me. Because he's already chosen me; and you're a few centuries too late." The pressure from her hand increased as she narrowed her blue eyes... Was I really choking or what this just an illusion? No, it was a nightmare... I had to remember I was dreaming, I was only dreaming!
"Allison? Allison! Wake up."
I did as the voice commanded and my sapphire eyes flew open. Luke's wonderful and concerned icy blue stared back. My body had broken into a cold sweat and I was laying perfectly safe in the fine white-leather seats of the first-class jet I recalled boarding. Luke knelt before me on one knee, his eyes flicking back and forth from left to right as he quickly looked over my features to see if I was alright. My rapid breathing still worried him, however. My own eyes darted around... I saw the top of Taylor's gelled head beyond Luke's body, the yellow artificial lights of the plane turned on because the sky was dark, an empty wine glass in Lucy's hand who was passed out just a seat away from me. I was concerned for a moment but the slow rise and fall of her chest told me she was alive.
"Your heartbeat... it's sporadic." Luke told me, eyes now glued to my heaving chest. I wondered momentarily if he could see the veins and the blood that rushed through them, if he could see my skin actually moving over the heartbeat, thumping with the adrenaline and the fear the nightmare provoked.
I heard Taylor cough in his seat behind Luke and the icy eyes ripped away from my chest. Luke turned to see what Taylor wanted, and the dark haired man held a glass bottle of blood in his hand for Lucas to take.
"No thanks, I'll pass on the crap," he replied bluntly and turned back to me.
I felt a little more relaxed the more I breathed, in and out. Luke's voice helped with that. Please keep talking, I thought.
"Allison." he said, as a declarative statement to let me know of my own name. I was still a bit shocked when I stared back into his eyes, mine probably a little wide and his... a little more curious to what was wrong. Because I must have been obvious about something being wrong in the first place. "Can I see?" he asked now in a whisper. The question would have been odd if one didn't know Luke's power. Luckily I did.
I nodded once and was silent as his cool hands raised and gently touched my cheeks. I relived the nightmare in fast motion, and then I felt faint when it was done. He mouthed an apology as his touch withdrew and I lay my head against the headrest of the seat. My eyes carefully looked over his facial features, trying to decipher what he thought of the vision/nightmare. I didn't have any doubts on his part, but Courtney was putting up a threat; a threat to the relationship of myself and Luke, a relationship I wanted to keep.
The subject seemed to slip from us as Luke took a seat next to me and put a hand over my hand. "We just hit the mainland. It'll be another hour or so." he informed me calmly. I nodded as a yawn escaped and I stretched a little bit; damn, I slept over the entire ocean! "How are we looking on time, Hal- er, Taylor?"
I was surprised at his change in what to call the dark haired vampire. Normally Luke just spat out his last name in disdain. Now his words were more of a forced kindness.
"We'll have enough time to get to the inn and that's it. I made arrangements at the finest inn in the capital city, so the palace won't be that far off. I recommend waiting until night again so Lucas and I can escort you and your friend, but I doubt Courtney reached your country before us, so I suppose you going to the palace during the day and then the two of us meeting you there wouldn't be a problem." He explained.
I shifted and nodded in understanding, but there was an issue I needed to address... "No offense, but having two men who won't be seen around the palace, except at night, right after the Lockett queen returned won't be a good influence for the media. My country drowns itself in folklore; the tiniest rumor in a time of great news could stir horrible things, about me as well as yourselves. It would, perhaps, resurface legends you might want to keep hidden, Taylor."
"Are you suggesting we keep our presence unknown?" he asked defensively.
"Precisely that." I replied. "Luke, understand that there can't be a whisper about me and you. That's another reason I want you to keep yourself a secret. My people don't need a distraction from what is going to come by knowing who the Queen has a love interest in."
He didn't seem too enthralled about not being able to reveal himself, and us, but he would abide. "Shouldn't be too difficult. We've walked through the palace before." He said toward Taylor. "We know places where we would be able to hide ourselves safely from mortals and the sun."
"Very well." he replied sharply, folding his white hand together in his lap.
"One more thing."
Both men looked toward me.
"I need to know a couple things about the nature and survival of vampires before I can make this request."
"What do you wish to know, exactly?" Taylor inquired first, black eyes narrowing to make sure I wasn't thinking of questions that no mortal should ever know the answers too. Luke's eyes were more capable, more willing to explain things to me.
"I know that a vampire can survive off... those bottles of blood." Luke made a small face. "Which I'm guessing is human blood." He nodded toward me. "Would the two of you be able to live off animals? Or, is human blood the only substance for a vampire to sustain themselves with?"
The both of them exchanged glances. Luke shifted so that he was facing me and Taylor leaned forward in his seat. Now I felt like a child who had asked an adult-like question and they were the parents thinking of a way to phrase the answer to my satisfactory.
"Animal blood can... aid in sustaining a vampire." Luke started carefully.
"But vampires cannot survive on it alone." Taylor interjected sharply.
"If at all; only larger animals will have any sort of effect on a vampire's thirst. Anything else is like eating dirt."
"Blood of an animal should only be drunk if it is needed; an alternate source of energy until we are able to get to the main source, a humans blood. Take caffeine, for example; it keeps one awake but it not a substitute for sleep. If a vampire drinks animal blood repeatedly without drinking human blood in between, they can become very ill."
"I thought vampires aren't touched by sickness..." I stated to the both of them.
Luke chuckled. "You also thought a vampire didn't have a reflection..."
I glared but thankfully the dark-haired vampire elaborated. "Reflections are something we do have, but curiously enough Courtney does not. That fact puzzles me... and I have no theories, so don't ask." My interest for the question died in my throat. "But anyway, we are not touched by human sickness. The only thing that comes close to sickness with us is when other substances besides human blood are taken in; we get the equivalent of a stomach flu and only human blood can make it pass."
"And allergies. Lingering rays of sun in the air burn our insides if we breath them in." Luke told me, explaining a little more on his sneezing sometimes. The sun in the air must burn his nose. Taylor continued when he stopped.
"Any sort of direct sunlight burns us, starting with the insides and then out, but indirect sunlight is withstood except for a newborn... Sometimes certain artificial lights can make us uncomfortable, but again, that's mostly newborns."
What I'd been wondering had been answered, but why pass on the opportunity for a perfectly good Q&A?
"And aging and reproduction? Vampires can't have babies because, you're dead, right?"
"No, two vampires cannot have children. Females do not have any sort of cycle for pregnancy to occur." Taylor explained in a completely detached manner.
"And vampires don't age. What we're turned as is what we stay. Forever." Luke finished, putting mild emphasis on the last word.
"All of those other silly legends are preposterous too. No crosses, no garlic, submersion in water does not render us immobile, holy water just feels a like regular water, and we do not have to sleep in coffins; although Luke enjoys to partake in that tradition unlike the rest of us."
I glanced at Luke. He was grinning and his white fangs were perfectly exposed only inches away. My heart lurched.
"Then just how does one kill a vampire, then? Besides sunlight, the obvious answer... There must be other ways." I asked now, turning back to Taylor. He shifted uncomfortably and his black eyes darted to Luke's. They both gave me my answer with their glances and silence. "You can't tell me." Luke nodded. I scratched the side of my head and decided to change my tone to a little more persuasive style. "What if I said it were crucial to destroying Courtney?"
Luke caved first when my sapphire eyes flaunted up towards his gorgeous white face. "If we told you the methods," Ah, so there was more than one way. "You cannot repeat them or record them. Ever."
I made a motion of zipping my lips together. Taylor did not seemed pleased one bit but he did not make a gesture to stop Luke from revealing more than the uptight rule-executioner wanted.
"Fire and decapitation, are the only sure ways to terminate a vampire from ever resurrecting. Stabbing and shooting heal instantly in us, but when the head is separated, not just snapped, from the spinal column, or when fire turns our flesh to ash is when we are truly dead. And, obviously, direct overexposure to sunlight."
"What were you going to request of us, Allison?" Taylor now asked. His tone was sharp, his expression blank and hard. He thought we'd gone far enough into the subject of a vampire.
I'd almost forgotten my request when all of this information came my way. "I wanted to make sure it was possible to not have to take human life for survival. I knew Taylor had the bottled blood, but not enough to last the time we'll be in my country..."
"Get to the point." the dark haired vampire snapped now. His patience was running thin.
"I don't want my people to be fed upon." I announced in a strong voice. This time I turned to Luke. Taylor would be fine with his bottled crap, as Luke called it. But Luke took live victims, I knew. And I was the ruler of these people; it was my duty to protect them.
"What about donors, and the murderers and the rapists?" he asked. His expression looked cheated, like I'd just accused him of a crime he didn't commit.
Taylor began speaking to Luke in French, a language I did understand and he assumed I did not. I had been purposely excluded from the conversation at that point. "Luke, do you really believe there will be other vampires in her country, when the mortals believe in and loathe us so strongly? And if there are no vampires, there are not going to be any donors for a creature the people detest." the tall man spat at him. "Besides, you shouldn't have to listen to her. She's not your superior and you're on your hands and knees for her. It's disgraceful for a vampire of your age." He was threatening Luke's manhood now. What a conniving trick. "Vampires feed to survive, and although I've become accustom to not taking life, you haven't. Therefore, you must continue to do so. Didn't you already make her understand that?"
I rose and stood in between the two of them before Luke had a chance to open his mouth in reply to the other vampire. "I am requesting, and yes I could understand you, you sick bastard," I snapped in reply to the response on Taylor's face, "I am requesting that the good of my people are not turned into breakfast. I have the responsibility of the queen now, and my responsibility is to protect them from whatever harm." My tone softened when I turned to Luke, but I was still commanding. "Rapists and murderers are my people too, Luke. But they are going to be my only exception. For you." I emphasized this because I knew Taylor could go without. "And only those who are guilty and going to cause harm. Ex-murderers and reformed rapists who are trying to better their lives do not fall in the category of edible."
His expression sunk now. Blond hair tangled over blue eyes and altogether he looked... punished.
"Please?" My entire tone and body language shifted, melting to the point of begging. I sunk back into the seat next to him and placed my hand on his knee. I wouldn't deny the intimacy that existed between the two of us; I suppose to any other person, wanting to know and be as close to a vampire as I had come wouldn't be something done. But I was no other person, and the fact was that I enjoyed my time with Luke as much as he enjoyed it with me, and no one would deny the two of us those pleasures, though they would try. He didn't shift an inch when I craned my head and kissed his lips gently, genuinely. "Please." I repeated, eyes locked to his, our faces inches apart. Yes, irrevocable intimacy were the words for us. His cool hand slid over mine on his knee as his expression warmed.
"Alright." Luke audited, to assure me he meant agreement to the request. A pause came between us as we simply stared, perhaps as deeply as we possibly could, into the other's eyes until Taylor clenched the silence in his hands.
"Succubus." the dark-haired vampire muttered in French. I shot him a glare and for once, I felt my blue eyes actually penetrate his black with the sudden anger behind mine. The power of the hatred inside of me startled myself for a moment. That strong surge of such a negative emotion... it didn't feel right.
Luke caught my attention again by rubbing the top of my wrist lightly. "I won't want to leave you alone for very long after the sun sets, so my eating habits will decrease anyway. Another reason we needed Halling to come is so I will be able to go out and eat; I don't want you left alone at any moment of the night after Courtney arrives."
"How long do you think we'll have until she figures out we're back where she wants me?"
"Probably only a few days. Maybe less." He turned his head toward Taylor. "You might want to have Julia send over a few cases of your beverage. Label them as wine to get them into the country or something. I might need my own supply... depending on how long we'll be under hidden conditions in the palace."
"Which will most likely be a couple months. I have already arranged for a few cases to be sent over and I'll need to pick them up at a disclosed location when the time comes... But I don't know if you can handle drinking only the minimum amount of blood for that long, Lucas; not with your style of feeding you've become accustom too. You want to protect Allison, but you may just end up being the only immediate danger to her if your blood lust is challenged."
There was an uncomfortable silence that came over the three of us as Taylor pointed this out. Before we had time to dwell, I was distracted when my sleeping angel began to become conscience again. "What's all the ruckus?" Lucy muttered tiredly. "Are we there yet?" she added, loosing grip of the wine glass when her hand came to her face to rub her aqua eyes.
"No Luce. Almost, though."
The plane flew closer and closer to the border of my country. And as the space between myself and my home became smaller, I became more and more apprehensive just as well as excited. I was so eager to see all the faces that were etched into my memory, and see all of the architecture and monuments and scenery my homeland offered. To know what has happened since, if things were still the same, in a sense, or had life here drastically changed. Who would the knew Prime Minister would be, if all of the legislature was still together or if new members had carried on in the seats of the elders? Nicolas, my oldest friend, what would he think when he saw me; disappointed in my length of absence, overjoyed I had returned? I became more and more nervous as I thought over the scenarios. Then what would my people think of me, as a whole? Would they even want me to sit at their throne over them again or would they reject me for my cowardliness and abandonment? How will Luis Salvador, the man holding my royal place at the moment, feel when I relieve him of the monarch duties I was supposed to be attending too? The letter he sent my mother said he would fully support me, but had that gracious notion passed with the faithful ticking of the grandfather clock in the main hallway of the palace?
"Reina Allison, hem creuat els límits d'Aldorra." Luke's soothing voice washed over my apprehension like silky honey over a fresh roll; sweet and flossy. The flexible syllables of my native tongue awoke me from my trance; I had been staring out of the window, watching the moon-lit clouds and the darkness block my view of the wonderful Pyrenees mountains. Once I translated the phrase in my mind "Queen Allison, we have crossed the border of Aldorra," I was sunken when I could not even see the aerial view of my home as I'd always dreamed I would when I returned.
Luke rested next to me, his body was parallel to mine as I leaned over with my elbow propped up on the armrest nearest the window, chin in hand. His firm, cold hand hooked underneath my knee and I turned my head over my shoulder to flash him a small smile and prove my gratitude to him.
"I can guess you won't be speaking in English for the rest of the flight?"
His toned shoulders lifted, then fell again. He resumed his lazy position in the chair and smirked. "S'ha de fur." he muttered darkly. I shuddered at the complete uselessness I had to resist.
"Roughly twenty-five minutes." Taylor announced as he snapped his golden pocket-watch shut and dropped it back in his coat.
"'Bout time." Lucy replied while stretching on the other side of the space.
My heart flourished faster with every second for that next half hour.
But those painfully slow minutes did eventually tick away.
I had always hated descent when in a plane... Not sure why. My place had moved from attached-to-Luke's-hip next to Lucy, where she eased my discomfort with a piece of gum. The blonde seemed very pleasant, excited in a different way than I was because I'd been here before, but she hadn't. She had no idea what to expect, but the sparkle in the oceanic blue of her eyes screamed she would not be disappointed.
My attention shifted from Lucy and her bubble-popping with her own piece of gum to Luke and Taylor; they seemed to be mapping out every last detail of what they needed to do before dawn... which was very very soon. One more thing to worry myself over; boyfriend and the helping hand turning to dust when the good old sun says "hello" for the day. Luke nodded once or twice as Taylor said a few things; when his beautiful gaze shifted and recognized me staring, I looked away and flushed a tiny bit with a grin on my face.
What was it with me and acting like a teenager around him? Ah, well, least of my worries right now. That reminded me.
"Lucy, do you happen to have a pair of shades I could borrow?" I asked when turning back to her. She thought for a moment before tearing through her carry-on bag.
"It's not sunny out there, Ally." I noticed the plane stopped moving as she pulled out a big pair of darkened glasses with little stars on the side of the frames.
"It's not for brightness. I don't want anyone to recognize me." I told her while taking the glasses. "Chances are, I will run into someone who will right away. You'll see; my people are born with the sixth sense on its highest level, I swear... They're extremely superstitious, too. Very much into folklore as much as they are a part of the Catholic church..." My voice trailed as I slipped on the glasses and looked around. Were we ready to get off? I glanced at the men with this question in my eyes.
Luke seemed to approve of my new accessory by chuckling once when he looked at me. Instantly the light-hearted smile faded as Taylor rose and he followed before I could register movement from either of them.
"It's going to be close, so we have to hurry... Have the girls take only what they need to the inn; the rest we will move straight to the palace tomorrow night."
I heard this instruction and repeated it to Lucy. "I have everything I need right here." She motioned to her respectably sized carry-on. Luke caught my attention and began to lead, almost shove, Lucy and I from the jet with much haste.
I had a bit of trouble translating as he spoke very quickly. He seemed so rushed... "Taylor and I have to hurry because the sun is rising. We will not be able to escort you to where we all will be staying, but you have a map and you've been in the capital city before, so I don't doubt you'll find your way safely."
Luke explained this and more to me as we stepped off the jet and hurried across the concrete toward the airport building. I glanced at the horizon beyond the mountains in the distance; dawn's early rays were threatening the peaks of those rocks far away. When my eyes lay upon Luke, I saw his smooth face slightly twisted; in discomfort, maybe more pain but not enough to be torture. I wished for a moment I could understand his pain, that of a vampire, because of those miraculous first rays of the dawn.
I glanced behind me to see Taylor instructing a group of men of a few things before quickly catching up with us. His usual calm and false pleasantness masked over his white face was replaced with almost a panic. I had to remember he was younger than Luke and it was probably much harder for him, than Luke, to be outside right now. "Hurry; the cab is waiting." The urgency of Luke's words quickened my pace without my thinking.
Lucy tugged on my sleeve as she half-jogged beside me. "What did Luke say?" she whispered in slight confusion. Right, the American friend could not understand a single word he was saying! She'd probably need me to be her translator later on... "There's a cab for us in the front of the airport; he keeps telling us to hurry."
"Sunlight bad. Got it." Her breaths were getting quicker. With Lucy being shorter, she had to make more effort to keep up with my pace; and she had even more difficulty trying to move at the speed Luke was pushing us to. Taylor began to stress the 'hurry' part of our instruction as well when his extremely long legs out-reached all of ours within a few simple strides.
Correction; two cabs waited for us in the front. As soon as I'd seen this and Taylor shuffled into the first one, Luke turned to me. I knew this would be where we parted; at least until the sun set again. There was no more time in this night. "Here is your room key. Room 43. We'll be right next door in 44." He explained in thick Catalan and held out a key card and a map for me. As soon as my hand slid around the plastic to take it into my possession, he took my body into his grasp and placed a chaste kiss on my lips.
I could hear Taylor hiss for Luke to hurry in the background as the world faded out for a moment and I pressed back against his thin, cold lips with the same urgency in mine.
"Quedi's bonic, i segur." (Stay beautiful, and safe) he muttered against me. His voice in my native tongue whispering such compliments against my body was more stimulating than I'd ever thought it to be; but that would definitely have to wait.
We separated and he reluctantly turned to hurry away; he forced himself to not look back, for he would surely pause and waste more time if he did, as he jumped into the first cab with Taylor and they sped away. Lucy had already shuffled over to our cab, grinning at me with a teasing face. I grinned back with a tiny bit of bashfulness, a tiny bit of worry.
"Don't worry. They'll be fine. Where's this inn at, anyway?"
I glanced at the map and told the driver where we were headed. I might have just been paranoid, but during the ride I felt like the driver's eyes kept darting upon me like I was some sort of wanted criminal. The plaza couldn't seem further away, could it?
My leery side just wanted to get to my room and hide once we arrived to the inn; where hopefully Taylor and Luke where safely inside of. The other part of me wanted nothing more but to walk through the town and experience the economic and social aspects of my country all over again; to retrace my steps, so to speak.
How did I know my angel on earth would want to partake in the latter?
Lucy was dripping with excitement once we were finally out of the cab. I was too, but she showed her emotions far more than I did in the present time. When we reached the inn, I knocked on the door next to our room and received a quick and sharp knock in return to prove the males had indeed made it in time; then as soon as we walked into our room and my face collided with the soft spread of the bed, Lucy proposed we go out and see just what my country had to offer.
"If you expected to sleep, you thought wrong, sister. How can you want to lie down after coming to a totally different country?!" Her flurry radiated not just from her voice, but I could almost feel a tingling in my body from her positive rays.
Of course, the part of me that wanted to hide was easily overpowered once Lucy bargained in her proposal that I already had in mind, so naturally I played the role of the tour guide and translator once we left the safety of the inn. I gave her a tour of the capital during that morning.
Aldorra in one word? Breathtaking. We were a rather small, isolated country kept safe inside the Pyrenees mountains, north of Spain and south of France. In fact, in the winter time when snow layered the land like stacked pancakes, there were only two roads safely accessible to get in and out of the country. Planes were favored during that time of year for travel, only over trains. The biggest economic attraction during the heavy, isolated cold months was skiing; Aldorra was famous for its ski resorts located on the mountain tops. But once the snow thawed in the valley region, when spring and summer came, tourism fluttered as it was now. Besides being attracted for the architecture, (which in certain places could rival Barcelona, Spain), tourists crowded the capital because it was filled with vendors and all sorts of little shops and side-walk performers for the guests of the country. Cars and buses did their best to navigate through the streets laid out for them, but there was so much economic activity this time of year that certain streets were blocked off to vehicles bigger than a motorcycle simply for vendor settlement. These "selling" streets were legendary and excellent shopping resources; I knew Lucy would be in love.
I had to drill a new concept into Lucy's Americanized head several times throughout that morning: Europe was not America. There were no fast food places to eat quickly; one must sit down and make time to enjoy what they eat. There would be malls but they were not as big as the ones in America were; they were more like small Courts that supplied only the wanted brand name items, that most of the time were not favored over the local vendors and small family-owned shops. Cars were a part of the transportation, but in Aldorra and its old-fashioned-like design, of one huge inner city to every twenty villages, trains were preferred to move people across the valley. Vehicles were mostly needed in the larger cities like the capital for people who traveled there daily for work against the train schedule. Besides, according to recent polls located in this issue of the newspaper I picked up on the tour I was giving Lucy, people preferred trains because of the scenery they could admire on their way through the day. The land in the valley was wide, beautiful, with open hills not cluttered with housing in every square inch my country could offer like America could be; within the mountains that served as a natural barrier lay excellent camping and hiking grounds. If I ever had the chance just to take a round-about train ride of the entire country, which would only take one day, I would just for the sake of misplaced memories.
"Okay okay, I get it... Europeans hate silly Americans like me."
"I did not say that! Was that really all you retained?" I countered at her.
"Okay, they don't hate me. But apparently if I act as "American" as you say I act, they will try and milk me for all the money I'm worth because I'm ignorant to the ways of the country?"
"That happens in any and every foreign country you will go to. I'm just trying to warn you so you don't get ripped off once I take you to the shopping district."
The two of us took a break from our tour for lunch, and were seated outside in the chairs of a local cafe, as I went over tips for Lucy to know about my country before we ventured out into the legendary shopping area I know the blonde would be happy to die within. I was enjoying a cup of the "traditional" tea. She refused the tea and settled for "the special." As she waited on her food, I glanced up the main street we were seated near.
My eyes landed upon the Cathedral. It was the largest place for worship in the country, and the only church in the capital city. People came from the other side of the country some days just to attend a service, though there were smaller churches in other areas, there was only one official cathedral left. There were no other religious buildings (like temples for other faiths) because no one was open if they had different beliefs than the Catholic (or some other Christian) church. I wondered vaguely if I would be able to walk inside that religious monument and hold my keep, maybe not after Danny... Beyond the wondrous cathedral was the Royal Palace, much further back in the distance, set upon a large hill that overlooked the entire capital city. It would take half an hour to drive there, on the good traffic day. Half an hour up that hill to the palace, and I would never turn back and hide, ever again...
"So, can you have anyone you want beheaded?" My angel's curious question broke my thoughts abruptly and I was caught off guard by the blunt nature of the question.
I laughed at her misplaced enthusiasm after a moment. "Not quite. It's a constitutional monarchy here, meaning we do have a parliament to keep the monarchy in check. Here, I retain privileges like sovereign immunity, the power to grant pardons, to appoint titles of nobility... I can also withhold Royal Assent, which means I can veto any law the parliament wants to pass, and I can dismiss a prime minister." I glanced up to see if Lucy was still following me. I don't think she was. "And more, but I don't think you need to know. Basically I'll be a ceremonial figurehead with some reserve powers stashed in my crown." I winked and made a motion to shove something into an invisible hat and put it on my head. She giggled.
When our waiter arrived with Lucy's food, I reminded her to say thank you the way I taught her to say it; in Catalan. She hesitantly sputtered a Gràcies out. The young waiter chuckled at her attempt, figuring out when we sat down she was not from the country, and replied a 'Era el meu plaer,' with a pleasant bow of his head. When his eyes looked over me, they lingered with a suspicious look on his features. I felt my heart flutter with sheer anticipation of being discovered. I was relieved when he turned to go wait on other customers.
Lucy didn't even understand was he said, but she blushed. Probably with more embarrassment than anything else. Once he walked away, I told her what he said, (It was my pleasure), and she complained about me talking her into speaking my language when she could hardly manage Spanish I in high school.
"Catalan is very similar to Spanish! You'll be fine; besides, I'm here to translate for you." I replied with a smile. "Just remember "No ho entenc," I don't understand, and you'll be okay. When we make our way to the palace, everyone there will know English; anyone working or living within the palace is required to know English, Catalan, then their choice of Spanish or French because the two are so similar; so don't worry about feeling awkward about not knowing five-million languages."
She touched her food as I spoke but wanted to change the subject. Just by her body language I could tell she wanted to be shopping and exploring, not sitting. She began to eat quickly, though still proper for a public place. I sighed. "So if your mother ran away all those years ago, who has been ruling your country since?"
I had to think for a moment. "Well, his name is Luis Salvador. He's the regent for my country." She seemed confused. I sighed, this was getting difficult to explain. "A regent is a person who holds the position of monarchy if the monarch is not present or of age. My mother trusted and appointed him with the powers... His son Nicolas and I were taught privately together and we played all of the time as kids. I wonder if he remembers what good friends we were..." I trailed off into thought again. I seemed to be doing that a lot lately.
Lucy swallowed the bit of food she had in her mouth to reply sharply. "Of course he will!" she snapped loudly. A couple next to us looked over. I begged for her to quiet down before she gave my identity away... Thankfully she did and whispered the next part to me. "You were the Princess! Who wouldn't remember being friends with a princess?"
"Technically I was "Her Royal Highness Princess Allison," and if my people want me, I will be "Her Royal Majesty the Queen Allison." But I won't bother you with titles, just call me Allison or Ally like you always have. Heck, Nicki called me Al, but I always absolutely hated it." Another thoughtful sigh came from me as I rested my chin on my hand.
Lucy glanced over me and my own body language. "Girl, what are we still doing here, then? You wanted to bring everyone here so bad; let's go." She took a few more quick bites before standing. She began to dig into her bag for her wallet, but stopped. "Oh no...we don't have the right currency unless this place accepts American dollars..." She pointed out to me with almost a disappointed look on her face.
"That is why God created banks, my child..." I said mockingly to her. I pulled out my wallet, which had just the right amount of correct currency, and lay a few bills on the table for the meal and a tip. The blonde gave me a face as I stood and told me to point her in the right direction. I strode by her and took the lead to where the map said possible banks could be located. When we crossed a busy street and came around the cobblestone corner, I pointed out a bank I knew would understand English (aka, the tourist's bank) to Lucy and she slipped inside to descend one step closer to the shopping pleasures she wanted to indulge in.
I stayed on the street, standing under the sunlight with the crisp mountainous air of early spring in my hair, Lucy's sunglasses covering the only proof of my identity for the locals who glanced upon me and maybe assumed I was someone of significance. I surveyed my people and a fair amount of tourists in this part of the plaza and how they went upon their daily routines... To the left was a busy intersection next to several little cafes like the one we came from and a few decent inns down the way. To the right were the streets too small for cars to fit in, full of vendors and people walking on foot or riding by on scooter.
When I looked ahead, at the people walking toward me from the across the street, I practically froze when my eyes caught a glimpse of him.
Auburn hair, the unique mixture of brown locks with red tint, flashed in front of my eyes for just a moment. I recognized the mess of straight, roughly styled hair without a doubt in my mind.
"We'll need to get those documents legalized for my father..." He said to a man next to him, who in turn nodded and began to take a different direction. His large hand waved the man off before the deep brown eyes looked forward again at the path in front of him. He walked right passed me without even a glance.
I turned quickly, afraid he'd disappear in the crowd. "Nicki." My voice stated his name more than called it out.
The music of scattered plaza performers, the acceleration of vehicles, the steps and conversations of the other people crowded here all faded as my voice traveled to him and he turned around to answer the informality of his name.
I removed the sunglasses for his eyes to gaze into mine and the realization dawned before his shock did. "Al."
Tears blurred in my eyes as I couldn't contain my excitement, I had to prove he was real and I was real and... just try to physically reconnect the way we've been lost for all of these years. I ran at him and flung my arms around his neck; his shock overcame as he responded to me by lifting me and spinning me around several times.
"It took you long enough to come back!" Nicolas hollered in Catalan. His strong arms did not release me.
"I know..." I replied hesitantly. "I always meant to return, I did..."
"I believe you." he answered curtly. No doubt was in his character toward my feeble excuses. I understood no stupid reasons mattered for my absence for him right now, only that I was back.
We began to make a scene to the nosier of the people; and we hardly noticed.
For several more seconds we embraced before he pulled us apart to properly look over me and I the same for him. The last time I saw him, he did not have a little patch of hair on his chin, his face as not as matured and handsome, he did not have a male physic quite like the one he had now! He was probably thinking something along the same lines of my graceful transition into womanhood compared to the last time he'd seen me. The fond way for me to greet him in our country was to place a quick kiss on each of his cheeks; I did so, and in return he placed several on both of mine as if to make up for all of the time separated.
"I'm home..." I finally responded in a whisper.
Several people stopped around us and began to examine me; probably wondering why the son of the regent was holding a woman whom they sensed was fairly familiar... "You're home." he repeated.
"És ella?"
"La Reina?"
I heard these questions from the crowd as they came in hushed whispers of disbelief, of relief... Nicolas turned my body toward my people and raised my right hand high into the air as the referee's do to the winner of a wrestling match. And he shouted, "Her Royal Majesty has returned!" in a booming voice.
I was shaking too much to decide whether the rise of volume was for joyous applause or the beginning of an angry mob.