Princess Bella - Chapter Four
Before me stood the woman I had met in the lake. Her long, red hair was held up in a lazy bun and her red eyes watched me curiously. I stared at her as well. Much to my shock, she seemed to have normal, human legs but my eyes could be deceiving me. She wore black pants and a black hoodie and didn't look like the typical burglar. But what would I know about them?
¨Me?¨ she asked, and her voice sounded angelic as well. I was so blown away by her beauty that I didn't dare to speak to her.
¨What? Cat caught your tongue?¨ she responded annoyed.
I shook my head. ¨You… you´re the woman from the lake!¨
She laughed, and it sounded like a bell. The one Father made me practice when I was a child. I was never quite good at that instrument.
¨Well, yes. I indeed am. What's in it to you?¨
¨You saved me. Thank you.¨
I held my hand to my heart to show my gratitude. The woman laughed again.
¨It was no problem, princess. Mermaids tend to help humans as much as they can.¨
The shock must have been written all over my face, as the woman laughed again. ¨Ah yes. You didn't know yet that we existed. I should have warned you, but don´t look so shocked, child.¨
I frowned, ignoring her remarks about mermaids and all the new questions that had now formed in my head. ¨How dare you? I am not a child anymore! I´m already seventeen years old and I will soon be the Queen of Forks.¨
¨You sure look like a tiny human.¨
I turned on my heel and pretended to walk away from her. I wasn't here to let myself be fooled by this woman! I was here to get my brownies back, but I think I could forget about those.
¨Princess Bella, wait!¨
I turned around. ¨How do you know my name?¨
¨Everyone in the Kingdom does,¨ she winked at me. ¨Pardon my rudeness. I hadn't even introduced myself. I am Victoria and you might need my help.¨
I thought about Prince Edward and our upcoming marriage. I sure needed help. In fact, I needed all the help I could get. ¨I'm listening.¨
Victoria sighed. ¨I know you can use magic.¨
I quickly looked around us, to see if anyone could hear us and throw me away in jail for it.
¨Be quiet,¨ I whispered. ¨Someone might hear you. And how do you know that?¨
¨There is no one here, Princess Bella. And I felt it the minute your body hit the waters. I felt you had magic in you….¨
Victoria took one brownie from the bag and blew on it. It looked so absurd, I almost giggled. But the minute I thought it was hilarious, the brownie suddenly took another shape. Before my eyes, it grew and grew and became the most mesmerizing fireworks I had even seen.
I held my breath, afraid the sudden lights would attract others and lead them to us.
¨…. Because I also have magic in me,¨ Victoria continued. ¨And I could see that rabbit of yours, Sophie wasn't it?¨
¨Sophia,¨ I corrected her.
Victoria raised her perfectly shaped eyebrow. ¨Right. Sophia. Do you still have her?¨
I dived deep into my pockets and held the remains of Sophia in my hand. I didn't dare to hope, but I couldn't stop myself.
Victoria took a step in my direction and held her hands out. I didn't trust her fully, so I couldn´t just give her my only friend, afraid she might ruin her.
Victoria sighed and blew in my direction. Her breath smelled sweet and for a second, that was all I could think of.
Something hurt in my hand and I looked down.
¨Sophia!¨ I screamed, happy she bit me.
Sophia looked happy as well, or at least, I hoped she was. She hugged my thumb and even danced in the palm of my hand.
¨How did you do that? I tried everything?¨ I asked Victoria.
¨I could always teach you,¨ she proposed.
My mouth fell open. ¨Really, you would want that?¨
¨Sure. Come by the lake tomorrow when your brothers are practising their sword fights and your father attends his daily meeting. And whatever you do, do not get caught by your mother!¨ Victoria warned me.
I didn't pay any attention to her warning, or to the fact that she knew so much about me while I didn't know a lot about her, because I could hear Jacob in the distance.
¨Princess Bella!¨
¨Oh no!¨ I whispered while I hid Sophia in my sleeve again. ¨I´m here, Jake!¨ I shouted.
¨Tomorrow, by the lake,¨ Victoria said again, and she turned away to leave.
¨What about my brownies?¨ I asked, while I pointed at the bag she still held.
She smiled wickedly. ¨See it as payment. Don´t be late.¨
And with that, she left.
Over the course of the next few days, I met with Victoria to practice my magic. I managed to sneak away after lunch, and Mother hadn't seen me.
Even though I tried everything Victoria showed me, I still sucked at it. But, after three whole days, I could finally blossom a dead rose in my hands. The flower was dead, but I could bring it back to life if I thought about all the things that made me happy.
¨Great job, Princess,¨ Victoria encouraged me, but it felt useless. I mean, I practiced for days and this is what I got? It was almost nothing!
Sophia caressed my neck, where she stayed hidden underneath my hair. I guess she was also proud of me and this was how she showed it.
¨It's useless,¨ I complained as I looked at the flower in my hand.
¨It's hard to do, but it's not useless,¨ Victoria told me. She patted my back.
I looked at the lake and ignored her encouragement. ¨When will you tell me what you are?¨
She raised her brows, amazed by my change of subject. ¨You already know what I am.¨
¨You know what I mean.¨
A cloud formed before the sun, changing the atmosphere immediately to something much more gloomy. Victoria opened her mouth to answer me and I eagerly leaned in. Her eyes grew wide and she suddenly dashed in the lake, leaving me all by myself. I couldn't even see her anymore, so she must have changed into a mermaid, I guess.
I frowned. Why did she leave? Before I could open my mouth to call her, I heard Mother.
¨Princess Bella, come quick. Prince Edward has arrived!¨