Liana pushed open the window to the small cottage and smiled "It's a beautiful day, Alexa. Don't you think?"
Alexa nodded in agreement "It is. How do the flowers look?"
"Perfect." Liana walked over to her bed and picked up the basket that was sitting beside it "We'd better get busy." she gently scratched the ears of her sleeping spaniel "Come on Sparkles. Time to start the day."
The dog yawned, then stood up and jumped to the floor, wagging her tail happily.
Alexa rubbed her white Westland Terrier's head, but the dog kept on sleeping.
"Lilly." she said "Wake up."
The dog didn't stir.
"I think she's starting to pick up your sleeping habits." Liana teased.
Alexa rolled her eyes, then picked the dog up off the bed "Come on girl. Let's go."
Lilly yawned and looked around warily, then she followed the girls out the door.
The girls began their daily chores and tending to their flower gardens.
"I still can't believe these flowers have diamonds in them." Alexa commented as she picked a yellow rose.
Liana laughed "I know."
Just then, their attention was drawn to the sound of their dogs barking back behind their house.
"They must have found another gopher hole." Alexa said, rolling her eyes slightly.
Liana frowned "That's not their gopher bark. That's what they sound like when someone comes into the yard." she stood up and dusted her hands off on her skirt.
Alexa followed "Are you sure?"
The two dogs came scurrying up to them barking, then spun around and ran back into the woods.
"Posistive." Liana answered, then she ran.
The dogs led them back to an old dirt road that was several yards behind their home, and into the woods on the other side.
"Oh no." Alexa gasped as they spotted a person laying in the ditch beside the road.
"How did she get there?" Liana asked as she and Alexa jumped down into the gully.
The ditch wasn't terribly deep. It went about two feet down. But it was still a little difficult to pull the girl out.
After they got her up onto flat ground, they sat back to catch a breath.
"She's not that heavy." Alexa said "But that was not easy."
Liana nodded in agreement "We need to get her to the house and make sure she's okay."
Alexa nodded in agreement.
Once they finally got her back to the house they laid her on Liana's bed,
"I'm started to wish Ian and Jeremy were here." Alexa said teasingly "One of them could have carried her."
Liana glanced at the unconscious girl "I wonder who she is... and where she came from."
"We'll find out more when she wakes up." Alexa answered as she stood up "Do you think she'll be okay?"
Liana nodded "She has quite a knot on the back of her head, but it's not too serious." she stood up and tossed the rag over onto the nearby table "Come on. We need to get to work on the garden." she took one last look down at the girl, then walked out the door, Alexa right behind her.
Corinne tried not to move as she started trying to wake herself up, just in case whoever had hit her before was still around.
The sound of a dog barking in the near distance reached her ears as a slight breeze blew across her face.
She opened her eyes and looked around. She was laying on a bed in a small cabin. She sat up slowly and looked around. There was another bed about three feet away from the one she was on. A window over top of the other bed was open, letting in the cool breeze. Two guitars were leaning against the wall. There was also a small table that had two small stools on either side.
"Okay." She said slowly "Wherever I am, I'm not with a criminal." she stood up from the bed and waited for a slight dizzy spell to pass before she tried walking "Okay. A way out." she spotted a wooden door off to her left "A door. How convenient." she walked over to it and turned the knob "Better yet. It's unlocked." she pushed the door open and stepped outside. She was instantly met with the fragrance of the massive amounts of flowers that were planted across the yard.
She couldn't help but smile as she took in the view. An array of rainbow flowers filled the yard, which came up to a river. Beyond the river was several trees, and the top of the mountains beyond could be seen over the top. It looked like it had been taken out of one of Aramina's books. It was quite breathtaking.
She walked over to the river and splashed some of the cold refreshing water on her face. She looked towards the right side of the yard as the sound of humming reached her.
Weeding one of the flower gardens were two girls. One was brunette and the other, who's back was to her, was blond.
Corinne slowly approached the two "Hi."
Alexa looked up at her shocked "Oh! You're awake!"
Corinne nodded and smiled "I take it you own the house?"
Alexa nodded as she stood "Yes. I'm Alexa and this is my friend, Liana."
Liana stood up and dusted her hands off on her skirt, then turned to face Corinne "Hello..."
Corinne's eyes widened as she came face to face with the girl "H... I."
"This is insanely weird." Alexa said "You two look a lot alike."
Corinne took a step back and shook her head to clear it "Um... Hi. I'm Corinne."
"Like Alexa said, I'm Liana." Liana mentally pushed a strand of loose hair behind her ear about the same time Corinne did. The two stared at each other, then quickly returned their hands to their sides.
"Do... where am I?" Corinne asked a few seconds later.
Alexa snorted slightly "In the middle of nowhere... literally."
"How do I get to Paris?"
Liana and Alexa glanced at each other "Paris?"
"Yeah. You know... France?" Corinne stared at the girls in disbelief "You've never heard of Paris? Big city? King Louis? The Romance Capital of the World, as Aramina likes to put it."
"Maybe in passing." Liana answered slowly "It rings a slight bell, but nothing definite."
"Maybe we can go into town and get a map." Alexa suggested "We were going to heading there today anyways."
"Thank you." Corinne smiled slightly. She was starting to wonder how far away she was from Paris if these girls hardly knew about it.
"Just make yourself comfortable." Liana said "We're gathering up some flowers to sell in town."
"Would you like me to help?" Corinne asked "I grew up on a farm, so I know the difference between a plant and a weed."
"If you want to." Alexa smiled "We'll get done quicker."
So, Corinne joined in the work.
After a few minutes, Liana started humming. Then Alexa joined her. It wasn't long til they were singing.
Corinne sat back on her heels and listened:
If I could wish for one thing,
I'd take the smile that you bring
Wherever you go in this world I'll come along
Together we dream the same dream
forever I'm here for you you're here for me
Oh whoa-oh two voices one song.
Corinne smiled slightly. That made her think of her friends in Paris. They had stuck together like glue since they had met. Not to mention they had all had the same dream, right up til it came true.
"Corinne?" Liana said gently "You okay?"
Corinne looked up at her and nodded "Yeah. I was just thinking of my friends. Ever since we became friends, we've always been there for each other. I don't know what I would do without them."
Alexa smiled "We know that feeling. It's not easy being apart."
Liana laughed slightly "In fact. It's dangerous."
Corinne shook her head then returned to picking flowers "You have no idea."
"What do you mean, you lost her?" A tall, broad man shouted "How did you lose her?"
"We were traveling through some woods. And when we got to the docks, she was gone!" One of his servants answered "We did hit a pretty big bump in those woods."
"And you didn't check to make sure you still had your cargo!?" The big man pounded his fists into the stone wall of his castle "You idiots! Without that girl, I can't use her as a bribe to get Louis to hand over his kingdom! She's the only thing that is more important to him that his crown! Get out there! Find that girl and bring her to me!"
The two started to scurry off, but their King stopped them "And if you have to kill her, just do it. I can still use her as a bribe. Then once he hands over the run of France to keep that musketeer from harm... he'll figure out he's been tricked."
(Figured I'd go ahead and give you the next chapter since the Prologue was so short. I hope you liked!)