I'm so so sorry this is late! –If I dare to say it- School has kicked my arse! I haven't told you guys but I am doing the IBDP –also known as International Baccalaureate Diploma Program- If anyone know anything about it I blame the Written task 1 proposal draft along with CAS! I have signed up for Red Cross and that is taking up a lot of my time now. I have to pass basic courses in order to join it and that is what I am doing basically every weekend now on.
I promise you I write whenever I can but school goes first. Therefore, my chapters might be delayed in the future, but I promise you I will publish an author's note if there will a long period before I can write!
A HUGE shout-out to: Pumkingking5, Simone and Gwen Meinford for her encouraging words and pointing out one spelling mistake I have made! Yes I meant to write Decathlon and not declaration.
Friday December 21st
Looking out the window again I noticed we were going to the right away from the airport and to a secluded area of the airport where there also were two massive hangars. "Are you ready?" Troy asked me as the plane slowed down to a complete stop. "I'm ready," I told him more confident than I was.
The first thing I noticed as I walked out of the plane was how cold it was. Wrapping the jacket more around myself, we walked down the stairs, and again there was two black cars waiting on us. This time there were two SUV's with tinted windows, and I had a feeling they were bulletproof. It sure looked like it.
Beside the cars there were several security people including Ted. Ted was holding the door open for us, and Troy let me get in first, before he sat down beside me. Just as Ted had done in Albuquerque he got into the passenger seat, and the car drove off. As it turned out of the airport an onto the main road, a cop car with blue lights drove in front of us. Everything seemed so surreal as the scenery passed by us. The landscape was beautifully covered in snow, almost like in a fairy-tale.
As we had been driving for almost twenty minutes we exited the main highway, and by the looks of it we were driving just outside of the town. The roads didn't look to be old because there were two lanes going in each direction. Suddenly the cop car turned off its light and continued ahead as we turned to the left and up ahead I saw a beautiful snow covered castle.
"Wow," I said amazed looking out the window as we drove up the long hill.
The front of the castle had a big yard that was fenced off from the public, with the exception of two large gates. The front of the building was painted orange and was approximately four stories tall, with black frames around the windows. At least that was the colour that shone through the snow that was laying on the windows. The rest of the castle appeared to be white and at least three to four stories tall. Excluding the towers that stood out from the rest of the castle.
One of the gates were open as we passed through it and around to a large set of stairs, that I assumed were the main entrance. The car stopped and Ted got out to open the door for us as Troy walked out first and me following him. He lead me straight up towards the front door, if you could even call it that. The door was a double oak door and it was at least two stories tall. Troy pushed the door open easily and we walked inside. The foyer inside was huge. By the looks of it you could easily have fit a family house inside. The walls were a light beige colour with white trims and details on the wall. The room must have been two stories at least, because when I looked up the ceiling was white with golden accented details in the four corners and a huge chandelier was lightning up the room along with some lights on the wall. I also noticed a couple of candelabras hanging around. The entire floor had a beautiful red carpet that looked to continuing down the hallway on the opposite side.
A woman entered from a door to our right and she appeared to be about the same height as Troy. She had a beautiful mix of dark red and brown coloured hair that reached her shoulders. She was casually dressed in a pair of black jeans with a white and blue striped shirt.
"Oh it is good to see you again Troy," the woman said hugging Troy. "It is good seeing you as well ma," Troy said with a smile kissing his mother's cheek. The woman turned to me and gave me a warm. reassuring smile and it was then I saw that her eyes was a dark green colour.
"You must be Gabriella. I am Lucille Bolton," she said shaking my hand.
"It's a pleasure to meet you Mrs. Bolton," I told her giving her a nervous smile. I didn't know if I was supposed to curtesy or not!
"Oh please call me Lucille dear," she said with a smile that made me feel better at once.
"How was the flight?" Lucille asked the two of us. "It was great. Very easy going." "I am glad to hear that. Now come on, we do not have all day," Lucille answered and we followed her.
We walked across the room and down the hallway on the other side. It was different ancient pictures and beautiful lights along the hallway. Lucille told me a couple of things as we walk past certain paintings and I had to admit I was really fascinated how much they knew about their family, dating back centuries.
Opening another door, this only being slightly taller than an average door, we stepped inside this beautiful room with a grand staircase in the middle. It opened onto a platform, before it went on to the right and left, and onto the second floor with several doors on each side. The floor was a light hardwood and the walls were a baby blue colour, all matched my white coloured candelabras that was converted into normal 21st century lights.
"Why don't you show her to her room Troy and then the two of you can join us latter?" Lucille asked and Troy nodded with a smile. "Of course." "Come on," he said taking my hand before lading me up the staircase and to the right. There were three doors and we walked past the first one and he opened the second one leading me inside "This is your room," he told me stepping aside.
Walking inside looking around it was enormous. A large queen sized bed stood on the wall to the right and the room was beautifully decorated with dark wooden items. It looked beautiful against the royal blue wallpaper. Three relatively big windows were on the wall with white thick curtains. A door was also on the same wall as the bed.
"Wow. It's beautiful," I said looking around once more. "If you go inside that door there is a bathroom," he told me watching me look around.
"Really?" I asked amazed still taking in my surroundings. "Mhm, and if there should be anything my room is right next door," he told me walking out. Curiously I followed him and he opened the last door walking inside. His room was pretty much the same except the walls had a different colour and he had photos of himself and some of his friends, a bookshelf with books along with some other personal items.
"It's different," I said looking around. "Yeah," he said scratching the back of his neck and I gave him a smile.
Meanwhile:
Lucille had left the two teens and she could clearly sense that Gabriella was nervous. Walking back to where she last saw her husband she found him along with Alexander and Amelia all talking. "Ah there you are," Jack said as she closed the door to the sitting room.
"I was starting to wonder where you had wandered off," he said and Lucille shook her head. "I did not. It is almost twelve, Troy and Gabriella arrived," she said and both Alexander and Amelia smiled.
"Splendid! How are they?" Alexander asked looking at Lucille as she sat down on the couch opposite of them.
"Good, except that I think poor Gabriella is terrified."
"Oh I could only imagine. I remember when I was meeting Alexanders family for the first time," Amelia said placing a hand on her chest.
Troy pushed open the door and the two of us walked inside the room where I saw both is parents and grand-parents. "Hello," he said as we walked up to them.
"Oh Troy it is so good to see you again," his grand-mother said and went over to hug her.
"You too sobo," he said giving her a hug before kissing her cheek. "Grandma, grandpa this is Gabriella. Gabriella this is my grandparents," Troy introduced us.
"Pleasure to meet you. I am Alexander," Troy's grandfather introduced himself. Alexander was tall and I would say he was about 5'7 feet. He had black short hair, with some grey along the edges and the same blue eyes as Troy had. He too was casually dressed in dark jeans, a shirt with a sweater overtop.
"It's a pleasure meeting you too sir," I told him politely and all he did was giving me a small chuckle. "Please everyone in the family calls me Alex," he said with a smile.
"Hello, I am Amelia," Troy's grandmother introduced herself and I shook her hand. Amelia had brown grey hair, green eyes and appeared to be around 5'5 feet. She was dressed in a dark blue cardigan, a pair of white jeans and some sort of pendant around her neck, that appeared to have the same seal as the one I saw on the plane.
"Pleasure meeting you," I said giving her a smile before I turned towards his dad greeting him. Jack Bolton was even taller than his parents. I estimated he was around 6'2 and with me only being 5'0, it was a little intimidating. Jack, like his father, had the same blue eyes but his hair was dark brown, almost black.
"Please just call me Jack," he said to me after I had formally greeted him as Mr. Bolton as well. Troy and I sat down beside each other in the third couch there that stood vertically of the two other couches.
"How is America?" Amelia asked interested looking at the two of us. "It is great. Actually quite different from here but a good kind of different. The biggest part is how engaged everyone is in different after-school clubs and activities," Troy answered looking at his grandmother.
"What about you Gabriella. Are you participating in any activities?" Alexander asked. "I am. Me and one of my close friend is leading the scholastic decathlon team and this past semester I was in the school's musical along with Troy," I told them and Amelia smiled.
"I heard about that event. Amusing situation really," she said with a smile and I nodded agreeing. "It is a shame your mother could not join us in celebrating. We would all have loved to meet her," Alexander told me.
"Yeah, it was unfortunate that she couldn't get time off work. I am sure she would have loved to come," I told him agreeing.
"So I wanted to hear, how did you meet?" Amelia questioned and it took me by surprise. "Grandma!" Troy exclaimed surprised.
"Oh I am just messing with you," Amelia chuckled. "I already heard the story," she added with a wink towards us.
"Troy have you showed her around and down towards the stables?" Lucille asked curiously and I looked at Troy who shook his head.
"No we have not gotten that far." "I think you should do that today before the rest of my family arrives tomorrow," Lucille answered. "It could be a bit much tomorrow. Also, have a look and see if you spot Misty. I was down there a couple of days ago because it was freezing and she did not show herself," Lucille said and Troy frowned.
"That is highly un usual. I will see if I can see something," Troy said and rose from the couch. I followed him and I think we walked the same way back to our rooms.
"I hope they didn't intimidate you too much," Troy apologized to me. "No I wouldn't say that…" I trailed off not knowing what to say next.
"Ok, so why don't you grab a warm jacket before we head outside?" he asked and I nodded.
I was quick in finding my jacket and scarf, and Troy stood waiting outside of my door. "We are just taking a quick detour inside the kitchen," he told me and we walked inside the first door. The room was just a smile library and Troy walked over to the bookshelf and pulled one book to the side. Taking a step back the bookshelf opened revealing a secret hallway that was lit up by torches.
"Where is this going?" I questioned following him along the narrow brick halls. "Down to the kitchen," he told me and we walked down a spiral staircase. It was much steeper than I had anticipated and at the bottom he grabbed the base of a torch and yanked it downwards, revealing a door.
Walking out of there and towards the right Troy walked into the empty kitchen. Walking into what looked like a giant pantry he came out with two apples. "I have to make it up to someone," he said with a smile and I raised an eyebrow.
"Who and what did you do?" I questioned curiously and a little confused.
"I have a horse named Domino and I used to ride her quit a lot. I bet she is angry I just left her. I did tell her though," he said with a small laugh.
The path down towards the stables was partially free for snow, but at some point we both had snow well up our legs. Of course I let Troy go first and I tried as best to walk into his footprints.
Sliding the door open we walked inside the stable. The inside was a beautiful white stone walls with cobblestones on the ground along with hay patches here and there. The boxes for the horses was made out of dark wood and wrought iron. As I could see there was approximately five horses there, but a total of twenty horse boxes. Troy walked over to a beautiful black horse with a white line running down it's muzzle.
"Hey," he greeted the horse who looked up at him and neighed. "I brought you something," he said giving her the apple in his right hand.
Troy looked over at me who stoop a couple of feet away. "You can come over if you want to," he said to me and slowly I walked over to the two of them. "Give her this," Troy said handing me the other apple.
"Keep your palm open and just lay the apple there." Troy told me and put the apple in the palm of my hand. "There, and now slowly just hold it out in front of her," he said and the horse took the apple out of my hand and ate it.
"Her name is Domino and she's an Arabian horse," Troy told me and I reached my hand out to pet her muzzle.
"She's beautiful," I said in awe looking at her. I thought I heard a cat's meow and I looked over at Troy. "Was that a cat?" I questioned confused.
"That might have been Misty. She must have heard out voices," Troy explained and we went into a search to find the cat. Following the cat meow we rounded a corner and by the hay a mocha coloured cat with black stripes tended to three tiny kittens.
"Aww," I said looking at them while Troy bent down and let Misty sniff at Troy before he started petting her. "That is why mom didn't see you here the other day," he said petting Misty.
Suddenly I felt something push into my shoes and looking down there was a tiny kitten. Wait, there was still three kittens with Misty… Picking up the small kitten I walked over to one of the stables and looked inside. There all curled together on top of the hay was four more kittens all looking like Misty. Placing the kitten down with its siblings I walked back to Troy.
"Um Troy, Misty didn't just get three kitten," I called out to him and he came over to me looking down in the horse box.
"Oh wow. So Misty have three and here it is five, which makes it eight kittens. They don't look to be particularly old," Troy said. "Maybe a week?" he suggested.
"Does it get cold in the night?" I wondered a little concerned because of the temperature now. "A little, the stable is heated but I strongly think we should get them inside," Troy said and I tried to think of the best way to get them inside.
"We could use my scarf to carry some of them and keep them warm until we get them inside," I suggested. "Great idea and I can take Misty with me now so she knows we're not stealing her kittens," Troy said and he went over to take her. I managed to carefully carry three of the kittens in my scarf at a time and we started walking back up towards the castle.
"This way," Troy said as he had Misty inside his jacket, only with her head sticking out. He opened a wooden door and we walked inside and to the right where we came into the kitchen. We put the cats down on the floor and Misty walked over to her children at once.
"If you go inside there," Troy said and pointed towards what looked like a pantry, "you will find a box and I can find a thick blanket," he continued and I found the box. I opened it and the edges wasn't more than an inch high. Troy cane back with the blanket and put them inside the box. Placing it into a warm corner we put Misty and her kittens inside the box.
Walking back to the stable we managed to get the reaming five kittens with us.
"There," I said putting the last one inside the box Misty was happily tending to her children and I could imagine she was happy about being somewhere warmer.
"What are we going to do when we go back to America?" I questioned Troy looking at the cats. "I have no clue."
That was it! Long chapter I know!
Please leave a review and tell me what you think, I greatly appreciate it!
-FreeFlyingWriter