Eclipsed Fates of Ever After

CH 8: Message In A Bottle

~Beth~

Another wave of nausea. They don’t look right. I'm not as nauseous but still. Why are these people making me nauseated?

“Have another cup, darling.” Mrs. King hands me another cup of tea. She doesn’t look old enough to be his Mom. “You may call me Queenie. Alright?" I nod and blush.

“No, Mother. We did not come for that. It is a happy twist of fate. Miss Beth has a matter of great importance to communicate. Please, keep yourself in check.” He turns to me after warning her. Could she be a drama-bomb? “Miss Beth, I asked before, may I speak with Mr. David on your behalf.” He quickly changes the subject. She must not know.

“I would appreciate it.” I nod. He smiles brightly. Wow! Ella will be so happy if he shows up. That smile can brighten anyone’s day. I finish my tea as quickly as I can without seeming impolite.

I have a feeling these people are high on manners. Thankfully, Ms. G taught me more strict manners than my family… I rub my chest. It hurts thinking about them. A large, warm hand envelopes my own. I look up to see Mr. King’s worried eyes.

“Are you alright?” I nod.

“It is fine.” I take a deep breath and steel myself. My family can't come back, but maybe theirs can. “We have much to discuss.” He squeezes my hand gently before pulling back. I pull out the bottles, setting them carefully on the table. I hand the papers and pictures to Mr. King. Everyone watches cautiously.

“Ella!” He gasps. I made sure the pictures were on top.

“Ella! What?” Queenie runs to his side. She cries out when she sees them before looking up at me. She rushes over and hugs me tightly while crying. I rub her back and pull her to the couch. Good heavens, she’s over 6’ too! Mr. King sits on her other side. The other man stands behind us. They go through the papers, reading and talking in their own language.

Ms. G and Suri seem to understand them. They keep looking at me with gratitude and worry. The man behind us is smiling brightly. He pats my shoulder in an encouraging way. It’s funny. They almost sound like they’re speaking Elvish from one of my favorite movie series.

“Apologies, Miss Beth. We are excited. We believe your suspicion is correct. The date on here puts the boy, Dash, at 6 years old. Ella would have been a month or two along. It seems the one who took her renamed her Rani. The diary pages tell how he has tried to brainwash her. He believes she holds no memories of before he took her.

“The island is somewhere in the Atlantic Ocean. It seems to be a private island near the North of Africa and south of Europe. The people there were able to communicate a general location. Unfortunately, he has the island well guarded. She and Dash are kept confined to the palace.” Mr. King explains.

“There are some very disturbing bits of information in here.” Queenie is silently crying. I wipe her tears and hug her. “I was terrible. She deserved better.”

“Maybe that’s why she sent those bottles. One has sand in it. Sand is unique to every beach. You can use it to find them.” I point to the bottle. Queenie quickly opens the bottle. Her sudden scream and the smell of blood have me jumping away.

“Mother, please don’t upset yourself. She sent this so we can find her and confirm it’s her.” He closes the bottle and sets it aside. How did she get it off that rope? I tried, and it wouldn’t budge! “Ellis, take these to the team, if you will. I still need to meet with an officer about the blood around the coast.”

“It’s… it’s Ella’s?” Mrs. G gasps. Her and Suri both tear up.

“Mr. King…”

“Please, call me Val. You are now dear to our family.” I smile and nod.

“Ellis.” The nice guy that looks like a big bodybuilder puts his hand out. “If you ever need help, call me. I’ll be there. After my ma… wife has our baby, I’m sure she’ll come with.” I blush and nod as I shake his hand.

“Please, call me Beth. No need for formalities with me, but not using Ms. before a woman’s name is difficult. It’s how I was raised.”

“We understand. I, and most males in our community, will probably still use Miss. You may wish to be warned.” Val laughs. It’s deep and soothing. I smile and nod.

“I think the ladies should rest. Suri is having a baby, and stress is bad for her.” This snaps, Ms. G and Queenie out of their panic. They quickly fuss over Suri and take her to lay down. Val suggests they join her. They agree quickly. “Val,” I say quietly, “Ms. Lisa, Mr. David’s wife, wanted to be here to meet you. She said she would handle bringing Lieutenant Starr.” He smiles warmly and seems to sigh in relief.

“I am glad of it. Would you like to call them and invite them over?” I nod and quickly text Ms. Lisa. My phone dings and I look at it in surprise. “They’re around the corner. They planned to come for lunch and see when you were arriving.” He smiles mischievously.

“Oops.” I laugh. He seems like a little kid who got caught sneaking cookies. A few minutes later, the doorbell rings. I quickly answer it.

“Ms. Lisa, Mr. David, Hannah! I hug them as they each come in. Lieutenant.” I curtly address her and wave her in. She looks down and comes in. Everyone changes into slippers. Ms. Gershowitz’s rules. My shoes are new, so I’m allowed to break them in. I also trip over smooth surfaces unless I’m in heels.

Mr. David is a little geeky looking, but he’s like Superman. Secretly built ‘like a brick shịt house.’ As Ms. Lisa says. He has curly sandy-blonde hair, mocha brown eyes, and a bit of a tan. Ms. Lisa is a thin and tall woman. She has straight brown hair that she normally keeps tied back. No one knows the exact length. She has beautiful hazel eyes and freckles across her nose and shoulders. She’s wearing a dress today!

Hannah is a nice mix of them. She has her Mom’s almond shaped hazel eyes, thinness, freckles, and full peaked lips. It's paired well with her Dad's curly blonde hair, athleticism, petite nose, and tan skin. She’s only about 4’10” and completely adorable! Lieutenant Starr is tall and a typical island beauty.

“Ms. G, Suri, and Mrs. King are laying down. Mr. King and Mr. Ellis are in here.” Lieutenant Starr stiffens, and her eyes widen. I escort them into the sitting room. She immediately bows.

“S-sire!” she stutters. He sighs and rubs his head in frustration. Sire? Yeah, that makes sense. I shrug.

“Raise your head. We are keeping a low profile for obvious reasons. Please, come sit.” He gestures me to sit beside him, earning a few looks. “Are you alright?” He pats my hand.

“Yes. It makes sense. I should warn you,” I say, holding back my smirk. He stiffens and looks scared for a moment. I smile and say in a teasing tone, “I’m not treating you any differently.” He and Ellis laugh, causing Lieutenant Starr to look surprised. Everyone else smirks and chuckles.

“That’s our girl.” David’s voice isn’t as deep as one would think. It’s also soft. Everyone settles in after a moment. I offer them tea, coffee, and treats.

“First thing we need to speak about.” I straighten when Val starts talking. “Lieutenant Starr, the blood is that of our missing Princess Ella. Miss Beth has provided us with a treasure trove of proof.” She glares at me a moment. He squeezes my hand in support.

“Some messages in bottles wound up in my crushed home out back.” She looks shocked seeing my little home and all the blood I point to. “They had Val’s number on it, so I called him and turned them over.” Her eyes bugged when I called him Val.

“That being said,” he looks at her firmly, “you will report the blood as being that of a pod of whales caught in the storm. Their bodies will be found at sea being consumed by sharks and such.” I stiffen. Will whales be killed for a cover-up? I want to cry. Val’s next words calm me.

“Here are the pictures and fishermen’s reports. Do not fear. This pod passed earlier in the year from old age. We saved the young ones and relocated them with another pod.” I beam at him. His people are good! I frown. “What is it, Beth?” He asks softly.

“You’re such a good person. How did you end up with a shịtty brother. You’re twins. He shouldn’t be such a…” I stop, realizing I blurted out my thoughts. Lieutenant Starr looks horrified. Everyone else is trying to hide their smirks. Val bursts out laughing, triggering everyone else.

“Unfortunately, I left home at a young age for school. My brother was kept at home. He is more… to the kingdom’s liking.”

“You two look alike, but he looks thinner and cọckier. Not that you’re, I mean…” I bury my face in my hands.

“He’s a spoiled pretty boy. You’re handsome, not pretty.” Ms. Lisa jumps in. I look to her gratefully.

“He doesn’t work out. I do. He was kept home, pampered, tutors, and a playboy. He’s charming but a complete waste. I learned to fight and protect our people. Politics, strategy, agriculture, economics, I studied all of it. He just slept his way into other’s good graces. It didn’t stop when he took Ella from me.” Val growls. I Knew It! It seems no one else did. I squeeze his hand to comfort him. He smiles, thankfully.

“What In The Goddess’s Name Do You Mean By That?!” We all freeze.