Chapter 4

Chapter 4

“Amazing,” he said, gazing down at me. “I don’t believe it.” He laughed.

“Don’t believe what?” I asked, feigning innocence.

His laughter ceased abruptly. “You don’t want to toy with me, Helena.” There was malice in his gaze, and his usual smirk was gone.

I glared at him defiantly. “My name is Rose, your highness.”

The smirk came back, full-force. “Of course, it is.”

“And you don’t know me.”

“No, I don’t.”

I pulled against him slightly. “So, you’re going to let go of my arm.”

“Absolutely… not.”

I pulled against him with more force. “You’re going to cause a scene!”

“I do believe that you are the one causing the scene…Helena.”

My gaze shot back up to his. Even tired, he was gorgeous. “Call me Rose,” I urged.

“I’m sure that Cordie, Robert, and Francis would love to meet you.”

What about Eve?

“Wasn’t there another companion with you?” I asked him, smiling sweetly while trying to escape his grip.

“Was there? I don’t seem to recall… Perhaps you could refresh my memory.”

“Eve!” I cried out. “Where’s Eve?”

He looked like a cat that had caught a mouse and was now toying with it. A large grin spread across his face, and he pulled me closer to him. My hands were caught against his chest, and his arms enveloped me.

“Don’t you ever do that again,” he ordered. “If I say that I’m going to find a way out, I mean that I’ll find a way out.”

“And Eve?” I persisted, my voice muffled.

“She’s also there, waiting to see you.” He hugged me tighter, and it was starting to hurt.

“You’re hugging too tightly!” I gasped.

“I know,” he crooned.

“Stop it!”

“I’m punishing you. Do you know what I’ve been though? Has the thought even entered your minuscule brain? I thought I’d never see you again, you idiot!”

“You have, now let me go!” I cried.

“What is going on?” Lily demanded, angry. “It’s as if the two of you are in your own little world. Are the two of you betrothed?”

That was when Vinny released me as if I burned him. “Who are you?” he asked, frowning at her as if he’d only now seen her.

Lily was fuming as she regarded him, but suddenly her gaze brightened. A small smile crossed her lips as she spoke in a taunting voice. “I’m the one who has your gold pieces, and I’m not going to give them back until you tell me who you are…and what your relationship is to Rose.”

Vinny’s face turned pale as he saw the bag of gold in her hand. He reached toward his side, and his mouth opened in shock. “How did you…?”

“I’m waiting,” she returned, no longer amused.

“I’m…the future king of Astaire, Prince Vincent.”

“And how do you know Rose?” Lily persisted.

“I’ve known Helena-”

“Rose.”

“Helena,” he repeated stubbornly.

She glared at him. “Have you noticed the guards circling this town like flies on a dead carcass?”

His mouth turned up slightly in a smirk. “Helena since I was extremely young. My mother is Drusilla’s sister, and Helena was raised by Alexander and-”

“Yes, I know that part,” she retorted. “But why are you searching for her?”

“I already told you. We’ve been friends-”

“You don’t act like friends. You act like the two of you are lovers.”

My heart stopped beating.

“There is no way I could ever be her lover,” Vinny replied, scoffing.

I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry at that statement. What was wrong with me?

Lily tossed the coin pouch in her hand, watching his eyes follow her movements. “Why? Do you think that she’s beneath you? Is she not good enough?”

“And you speak this way to royalty?” Vinny demanded, changing the subject. “All I have to do is talk to those guards over there, and you’ll suddenly find yourself in the dungeon, brat.”

She smiled. “Oh, I see. You really think you’re not good enough for her. Sorry. I never would’ve thought that someone as high and mighty as yourself would’ve-”

“Gua-ards,” Vinny called, turning his head to the group, “my money’s been stolen! What’s a prince to do?”

“Let’s go,” I said to Lily. “Give him his money back.”

She nodded and tossed him back the pouch. As we were walking away, I was suddenly pulled backward. My back hit his chest, and his arms went around me. He rested his chin on my head.

“Not you,” he said. “You’re not disappearing again.”

Lily stopped.

“You can go,” he said, making a shooing motion with one hand, while locking me tightly in place with the other. “Bring back Melina. Tell her to come to the Rosewood Inn if she wants to see her precious bargain through.”

Lily stood where she was, eyes flashing angrily.

“Lily,” I called. “I’ll be fine, I promise.”

She nodded and dragged the horses behind her down the street.

“We have to get you back to normal,” Vinny declared.

“Why?” I asked, turning my head to look up at him.

“You look like a dog with your hair like that,” he said, smirking.

He pulled away from me, and I felt strangely cold by the loss of his body. Then, his hand was grabbing mine, and he was leading me down the street. I gazed at him, wondering if it was a dream. Would I wake up to find that he wasn’t around? I didn’t want that. If it was a dream, I refused to wake up.

“You’re staring,” he noted.

“You’re not,” I noted in return.

He smirked. “There isn’t much to stare at.”

“I never imagined you to be so shallow,” I replied, glancing away.

“I never imagined you to look like a dog,” he retorted.

I glared at him. “I do not look like a dog.”

“And you really don’t look like Helena, but you are. You still act like her. You can never hide yourself from me. I’d never have known it was you if you hadn’t confronted me.”

“You’re the one who made a rude comment,” I said sullenly.

“Even if I didn’t make a rude comment, you’d still have chased after me.” For some reason, there was a smile on his face.

“Yes,” I agreed, turning my gaze from him. He irritated me, and I wanted nothing more than to hit him and knock some sensitivity into him.

My gaze settled on the group of guards now leaving the blonde girl. She looked so small and frightened, but Vinny was right. She looked nothing like me. Her appearance was completely wrong: nose too large, face too long, and gray eyes bearing no resemblance to the ocean. She was trembling as we passed her, and I couldn’t help but feel sorry for her. This was my fault. Any girl with blonde hair was being subjected to this harassment, and it was all because I left the castle.

“Don’t worry about her. She’ll be fine,” Vinny’s voice cut into my thoughts.

“It’s my fault, though,” I said softly. “If I hadn’t left the castle…”

“You’d have been a pawn of Cinderella’s. No, you did the right thing. Stop worrying about the trouble you’re causing. You’ve never worried about it before.”

His words cut me, and I wondered if he was still mad at me. “Would you rather have had me stay?” I asked, watching him from the corner of my eye. “If you turn me in, you can return home. It isn’t as if you’ve worried about my feelings before.”

That was a lie.

“True,” he replied nonchalantly. The only indication that my words hit him was the narrowing of his eyes. His hand remained encircling mine with not even the slightest twitch of anger. “But Eve wouldn’t allow such a thing. She’s been worried about you.”

My chest felt heavy with the weight of his words and my guilt. I had worried Eve. Of course she would be worried. What kind of friend was I? I should have taken her with me, no matter how unsettled Melina had made me. I had left her behind…to the whims and will of my mother.

The sharp contrast to the cool air stirred me from my thoughts. We had already entered the inn and were making our way past a curious innkeeper. Butterflies fluttered in my stomach as he nodded at me, a large grin on his face. My footing slipped momentarily, but I didn’t fall. Vinny stopped walking and caught me before I could make the acquaintance of the dirty wood floor.

“What are you worrying about now?” he demanded, a scowl on his face. “I don’t have the patience for this.”

A couple stared openly at us as they walked by, and, flustered, I struggled against him. “Don’t hold me so close!” I ordered, my cheeks heating in a blush.

It took a moment before realization dawned on him, and he pulled away. Somehow, though, he appeared much more collected than I did, as if being near me didn’t disconcert him. Perhaps it didn’t. As I gazed around the room, he was the center of attention, not me. It was as if I didn’t exist, as if I was unimportant.

Of course nobody would pay me attention. I didn’t resemble Helena in the slightest: only my eye color was the same, but nobody would be able to discern that. For some reason, that saddened me far more than I thought it would. If I was honest with myself, I missed the jealous looks, the wistful gazes, and the open admiration. Now I was merely one of them: plain, poor, and uninteresting.

As I was tugged along up the stairs, my thoughts wandered to him. What was he doing all this time? How long had he been looking for me? And Cordie: was she still with him? Didn’t she have school to attend at home?

We continued down a hall, and he paused outside a doorway, fishing out a key from his pocket. His hand never let go of mine, though. Was he afraid that I’d run away? Or was it that he didn’t truly believe I was Helena? No, he had already figured out who I was. I was merely confusing myself by asking all these questions, but my mind was restless. I’d go mad if I didn’t occupy it in some way.

The door opened effortlessly in his hand, and he pocketed the key before glancing quickly at me. His hand tightened on mine momentarily, as if for reassurance. Then, he led me inside. The light was a startling contrast to the dim hallway. My eyes were blinded, and I shielded them as I stumbled inside.

“I don’t recall you being so clumsy,” Vinny said, frowning down at me.

“At least you’ve remained the same,” I replied, angry. “And I’m not normally so clumsy. I’m tired, and being in hiding isn’t nearly as easy as you’d imagine.”

A slight smirk tipped the corner of his mouth. “And here I thought that you were affected by my overpowering charm and natural good looks.”

I laughed and shook my head. “Have you always been so modest?”

He opened his mouth to reply, but didn’t get the chance.

“Who’s the girl?” a voice asked lazily.

We focused our gazes on Francis: a taller, stronger looking Francis than I remembered. His brown hair hung loosely around his face. A few strands were obstructing his vision, but he seemed to ignore them. His eyes were a light brown color, slightly lighter than his hair. Funny, I’d never taken much notice of his appearance before. He turned his attention from me to Vinny.

“I know that I told you to find yourself a girl to occupy your time, but…couldn’t you have found one with a little more…appeal?”

My mouth fell open in shock, and I found that I couldn’t even voice my surprise.

From beside me, Vinny raised an eyebrow. A smirk crossed his lips, and he regarded me with a twinkle of amusement in his gaze. “Apparently you have no appeal….Rose.”

I gritted my teeth and tried to pull from his grasp. “Then release me!”

“No.” His smile left his face, and he turned his attention back to Francis. “Where are Eve and Cordele?”

“They went out looking for Helena,” a voice said from behind us. “What are you doing with that girl?”

I turned and my mouth once again fell open in shock. It was Robert, but he looked so different: so much taller, more muscular… Everything about him screamed that he was a dedicated knight, and a handsome one at that. His hair and eyes remained the same: blonde and blue. But the angles of his face had become so much more pronounced. Glancing between him and Vinny, I was shocked. He looked so much more mature than Vinny did.

As I thought these things, Vinny’s gaze narrowed, and he pulled me close, an almost possessive glint in his gaze. “I am doing nothing with her,” he declared. “This doesn’t concern you.” Snickering sounded from the bed, and he added, “Either of you.”

“She doesn’t even look like Helena,” Francis declared. “If you wanted a girl to occupy your time, I’d suggest-”

“I don’t want your suggestions,” Vinny cut in harshly. “Where is Eve?”

Robert sighed and stepped closer to us, but with each step he took forward, Vinny took a step back. “You must be exhausted, sire. Why don’t you let the girl go?” His words were said in a slow, soothing voice.

Vinny glared at him. “What are you implying? I’m not going mad.”

Instead of answering him, Robert turned his attention to me. “What is your name, girl?”

“Rose,” I replied.

“And how did you meet the young prince?”

I glanced at Vinny, and an idea came to my mind. A grin spread across my face, and he must’ve recognized the grin, because Vinny’s face suddenly paled. “He just grabbed me from the street. I don’t know who he is! Is he a prince?” I shot a shy glance at Vinny, who smirked in return. “I’ve never met a prince before.”

“Liar,” he whispered.

My smile widened. “What are you going to do about it?”

“Have you forgotten who you’re dealing with?” he asked softly. In a louder voice, he directed to the other two, “Leave us. This wench doesn’t know her place.”

It was my turn to pale. What had I done?

Francis laughed and shook his head, but did Vin’s bidding all the same.

Robert, however, seemed reluctant to leave. “Do you think it’s such a good idea to-”

“Are you disobeying an order?” Vinny inquired softly. Any sign of amusement was bereft of his face.

Giving me one last sympathetic gaze, Robert left the room. Once the door was closed, I slipped out of Vinny’s grasp easily.

“You made them believe that I was an…indecent girl!”

Instead of answering me, he sat on one of the beds, cradling his head in his hands. “Don’t even think of running off, Helena,” he ordered in an exhausted voice.

The silence that stretched between us was awkward. What could I say to him? My mind could come up with nothing as I regarded his appearance.

He lifted his head and gazed openly at me, making me feel strangely self-conscious. After a long time, he finally spoke. “Are you really Helena?” Running a hand through his hair in agitation, he looked away from me. “I can’t even trust my own mind.” His hand trembled slightly, but he quickly hid the weakness by clasping both hands together.

When I didn’t speak, his gaze returned to me. “Well?”

I sighed and pulled out the one item that I knew he’d recognize. “Does this answer your question? You should know that you’re never wrong.” The dove necklace glinted in the light. I looked away from him, irritated with him but feeling strangely sympathetic at the same time. Why did he look so…lost?

“Good. I can worry about more pressing matters now.” His voice had lost the edge of uncertainty that tore at my heart only moments before. This was the Vinny I remembered: the callous, blunt prince who rarely considered me important.

“What do you mean?” I asked, confused. What was possibly more pressing than the quest I was on? I watched his expression for some hint: any hint. Only the infuriating smirk remained on his face.

“There are more important things than you, Helena. You should know that I have other responsibilities.”

I glared at him. How could he imply that I was selfish? Had I imagined the overly possessive, uncertain boy from earlier? “No, I’ve never forgotten who you are, your highness,” I replied, instantly regretting my harsh words. But once I said them, I couldn’t stop. “Apparently the only one who has forgotten them is you. You are the one who has been following me. I never asked for you to accompany me. You took it upon yourself to do so.”

He let out a soft chuckle, and I couldn’t tell if he really was amused or not. “Uncle Alex and Aunt Dru asked me to escort you to Exultia. The other times were only because of my mother’s urging. Do not assume that I did all of this on my own. You should know me better than that.”

His words stung.

The smirk was on his face, but his eyes were cold and angry. “Apparently they don’t trust you to take care of your own affairs. But they do spoil you so, don’t they? I think it’s time you grew up, Helena. You need to accept who you are—what you are—instead of always trying to change it. You aren’t a child anymore, and I can’t continue watching over you like some guard dog. The choices you make have consequences.”

“I know that!” I replied, my hands clenching at my sides. “If I was such a bother to you, why didn’t you just say-?”

“But it isn’t just me,” he continued, letting out a harsh laugh. “Do you know how long Cordie’s been gone? She has lessons to attend, and she has a boy that she’s fond of in Astaire. She should be home right now, but she’s looking for you instead.”

“She could’ve gone home,” I interjected, unshed tears blurring my image of him.

“You know she wouldn’t. She loves you too much to leave without knowing that you’re safe. It seems like you keep making mistakes, but you never learn from them. You haven’t been truly hurt, and it could be my fault. I haven’t let you deal with your problems on your own.”

“I know you’re angry at me, and you have every right to be,” I said, my voice wobbly and meek to my ears. I winced. Why hadn’t he said those things when he first found me? Instead, he made me feel special, like he had missed me and cared about me.

“Mad at you? I’m irritated more than anything else.”

“I understand,” I said softly. I would’ve been angry, too.

He scoffed. “No, I doubt you do. You see, while you were missing…” He fell silent and acquired a strange, glazed look. His smirk dropped from his face, and I was instantly reminded of his trembling hand from earlier. He looked so afraid.

“What?” I asked hesitantly. The pain from his words was forgotten, as were my unshed tears. “What happened when I was gone?”

He continued his vacant stare, lost in his own thoughts. He hadn’t heard me, and that frightened me. He always heard me, always was attentive. Now he seemed…lost.

I made my way to where he was sitting and knelt in front of him, worried. Even then, he didn’t acknowledge me. It wasn’t until I took his hand in mine that he jumped and looked directly at me. His eyes held so many emotions: pain, terror, remorse, regret. But it was the words he uttered that shook me to the core.

“My father’s ill. The doctors say that they expect him to die within the next two years. My family needs me…to take the throne. Do you understand? I won’t be able to help you anymore: not with your whimsical little games. This is what the real world is about, Helena. It’s about responsibilities. I’ll have to marry and take over where my father left off. The things that are important to you matter little to me or to anyone else. Now that I’ve found you, I’m leaving for Astaire. You’re coming with me. My mother’s going to need a distraction from her pain, and she likes you for some reason.”

I nodded, unable to disagree. “When did you find out?”

“A week ago,” he replied. “My mother wrote to me. I’d have left, but she requested that you come with me.”

Surprisingly, I felt numb. I thought that having my heart broken would be painful. With Robert, I had cried when he dismissed me. So, why was I feeling so empty when he said that he wanted to leave without finding me? Had he been saying those words only because he was feeling pain? Dare I not believe his words when his earlier actions contradicted them?

Which were his true feelings about me? Did he feel nothing for me? He could’ve been relieved by finding me. He’d be able to return home just as Aunt Stacey requested. Or did he really love me? Were his first actions his true feelings and the latter merely a way to release his frustration?

I’d be lying if I said that his words didn’t hurt me. Realizing that I was still holding his hand in mine, I quickly dropped it as if it burned me. A wry smile came to his lips, but he said nothing about it. Unable to tolerate his gaze, I looked away. “How are we going to leave? This place is crawling with guards, and soldiers are probably patrolling the main roads.”

“We won’t take the main roads,” a clear, strong voice said from behind me. Perhaps it was the amount of time I spent with her, but for some reason, I was pleased to hear her voice. I turned and was surprised to find the door open.

Melina stood in the doorway with Lily on one side of her and Eve and Cordie on the other. I left Vinny’s side and walked over to her. While it was the witch who had spoken, it wasn’t her that I was most excited to see.

Eve smiled softly. “You look different, Miss Helena. Or should I say Rose?”

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Author’s note: Oh, the part where I had writer’s block was right after Vinny scolded Helena and told her about his father. I wasn’t sure how to go on after that. Then I listened to Three Days Grace (awesome band!), and my writer’s block melted away. Strange isn’t it? I just needed a change of scenery (change of music, actually). Right, well that’s the secret to getting rid of writer’s block (listening to music, not just Three Days Grace). At least for me it is. I don’t know, other people might have different ideas. But I’ll listen to a song and be all like…I can picture my characters to this song.

I wonder if I’ve gone nuts, though. Is it wrong to think that you miss your characters when you’ve been away from writing for a while? I mean, they’re not real people, but I still missed them on my slight hiatus. Then again, I have Vinny-incarnate-as-a-girl living with me... My beta/sister did the whole “Heeey, why does Vinny say the same things I say” thing again when she was editing this. Ah, so fun!

So, yes, the character of Vincent is modeled after my sister. Young Helena was based off my other (much younger) sister. And Cindy’s based on me (joking)! Sadly, I have no other characters based off real-life people. Alex has a slight basis on a guy I once liked. He was so funny! But I was sure that there had to be a much darker side to him, too. I also noticed something: Vin looks nothing like Aimee (heh, would be scary if he did), Helena doesn’t look like Kaity, and Alex doesn’t look like…the guy I won’t mention on here.

Just thought I’d end this chapter on some happy little ramblings. I’m taking summer classes (all summer long). So, I think that I really am crazy. Oh well, they’re just Organic Chemistry and Italian II. Shouldn’t be too hard, right? Plus I have to get a job. I’ll still update, though, don’t worry. Should I give you a little insight on what’s ahead? Let’s see…there will be: death, betrayal, more bargains, falling asleep for eternity, and (perhaps) a kiss. Hah! Yeah, that’s the gist of it.

Well, now that I’ve dragged this on for as long as I can without seeming like an incompetent moron, I’ll leave you readers/reviewers in peace until the next update. Seriously, did you think that I’d give everything away? You know I’m not that much of a pushover…

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“…Twilight. It’s the moment when the world holds its breath, the time between daylight and night—between life and death. I deemed it fitting for your eternal slumber…”

--Melina (in a future chapter)