Heart desired

//Chapter 13//

Going on a bus ride for two days was not fun at all.

We had to change the bus for three times. From our last bus, we would have to get off at a countryside bus stop. After that, walking a mile would get us to the border.

I was dozing on Daniel's shoulder. He had his head back on the seat, his eyes closed. This going back home thing reminded me so much of things I always tried to forgot. I closed my eyes, seeking sleep in order to escape the reality.

"Father! Kill me too. I am as much as in the wrong as them!" I was yelling as I was dragged away from king's throne room. I thrashed, trying to set myself free. I had just seen all my friends and twenty five others get executed, Andrea's and Tristan's blood still fresh on my clothes. I did not care about anything else. I wanted to die with them.

Instead, I was to be exiled.

They had to die because they were not of royal blood. I knew my father only chose a lesser punishment for me because I was the only heir to the throne. It was so unfair. We all committed this crime, so I had to be equally punished.

The doors closed behind me, but I did not stop my screams or struggling. Cara, Daniel, Matt, Andrea, Warren, Nick, Katie, Tristan, Lovy and Cicily. They were all going to die. Cara was already gone. And I should be with them.

The guards took me to my room and bolted the door so I could not get out. The food was already there, some fruits and payasam. I stared at them. My friends are going to die and I'm supposed to eat?

After thinking for sometime, I came to a conclusion.

I quickly ate some fruit and drank the payasam quickly. The food kept coming up but I kept them forcefully down. Digest. Digest. Digest. Don't come up.

Then I took the tray out. The guards went full alert seeing me. I showed them the empty plates. "Take them out."

They exchanged looks and after what felt like an hour, one of them came and took the them from me. Then I went back in to my room and waited.

In less than five minutes, the guards opened my doors again. "Princess, the king had ordered you to come to the main palace where the execution would take place in ten minutes."

Ten minutes. That's all I had to get them out.

Of course there was no order telling me to come to their execution. The guards were under my illusion. The walls here were fused with insfi stones, preventing magic from going out. All the elves for insfi fused jewellery, making us almost immune to our own magic. Unless I had any direct skin contact with the wearer, my magic would work. I just touched the fingertip of the guard who took my empty plates, and now I was out of my room.

First step, success.

I made my shoulders curl. My posture had to be one of grieve stricken. Someone who cried fifteen minutes ago did not look like she was going to burn her enemies alive.

When I arrived at the grounds, they were already kneeled, ready to be beheaded. I ran towards the nearest one. Daniel. I touched his executioner. You are done. He is dead. He lowered his huge scythe. Daniel was looking at me with huge eyes, terrified. I could see his eyes wet. "Get Andrea."

I turned. I can save them. I ran to next one, Warren. He still looked at me with that boyish charm he had when he pretended he was not afraid of anything. I touched his executioner as well,

the next second, I was pinned to the ground. I did used all my training, trying to get away. Totally fifteen guards were unconscious around me when I heared minister Nave's voice.

"Proceed. Now."

"Don't!" I screamed. My eyes locked with Tristan's blue eyes. I was closest to him and Andrea. I reached out to his executioner. Just one step. That's all I needed. Just one-

It felt like the world slowed down. One moment, Tristan was winking at me, and Andrea smiled sideways, a tear sliding down her eyes. Then there heads were on the ground, those expressions frozen. Blood gushed from sliced necks, dying my white fighting cloths dark red. I could not turn my head, not as Tristan's eyes lost the light, and Andrea's fluttering lashed stopped. Those blue eyes. They would never look at me or wink at me ever again. Andrea would never bake anything for us to test.

Before I knew it, I was on the ground. I may have cried, or screamed, but all that was a blur. I heard someone else screaming. Must be Daniel.

Daniel. I looked up. He was alive, and he was screaming. Seeing him alive, something inside shattered me, I crawled to him. The guards let me go, as if they were burned from my skin.

He was still bound, and I hugged his legs as I wept. I was not aware of anything else.

"There's one left." Nave said, clicking his toungue. As soon as I heard him, I hugged Daniel harder.

"No, You can't have him." I was going into a panic attack. NonononotDanieltooI willnotlethimdie-

"Move away, princess." Nave said. "I have places to be."

I did not move. I could not move. I couldn't even breath as the one who killed Warren turned to Daniel. I looked at Daniel. He was looking at me. His eyes asked me to let him go, to let him die and join the others. I selfishly held on to him tighter. I'msorryI'msorryI'msorry.

"Leave the boy be." My father said. I hadn't even noticed the fact that he came. All I heard was his words. Relief and hope flooded me, and I sobbed harder from relief.

"Why, your Majesty?" Nave asked, clicking his toungue again. "Are you showing sympathy to a criminal?"

"Are you questioning my orders now, Nave?" My father's voice sounded angry and annoyed. "Take them both to her chambers. Both of them will be exiled tonight." He said, before he left.

We were taken to my chambers-

Someone was tapping my shoulder. I opened my eyes slowly. I was still on the bus, my head banging softly against the window as the bus took turns. Daniel was looking at me, tapping on my shoulder. "Wake up. You are sweating a lot. Are you okay?"

I straightened up and swallowd, trying to get some moisture in to my dry mouth. How long was I sleeping? "Bad dreams." I responded.

He gave me a knowing sad smile. "Drink some water. We are getting off in a bit."

I quickly drank some water and adjusted the straps of my backpack. I stood up as Daniel did. He went up to the driver and told something. I knew he was planting the idea to get us off here, where an official stop was not located.

When the driver stopped the bus, the three of us got off the bus.

Hm. Something was wrong here.

I looked at Daniel. There was a warning sign blasting in my head, but still nothing seemed to be wrong. Daniel also didn't look alarmed. I took the hand of the other one, his hand rougher than any other hand I've ever touched. I slid my other hand to my pocket. I felt Tristan's dagger on my hand.

Why was I looking for a dagger again? Daniel smiled at the one holding my hand. "I'm so glad that you are here with us." He said to him. He nodded.

Get away from him!

My instincts were yelling now. But why would I go away from my friend? Daniel was my best friend. Hand holding buddy was my friend. And together the three of us were going home.