“How many?” he calls over his shoulder.
The princess turns to look into the darkness and she counts the men chasing them on horseback.
“Fifteen,” she cries. “At least.”
They sound a horn and his heart drops. They are calling for back up and he knows that it is her they want.
“Yah!” He yells to his horse to spur it on. He whips with the reigns and they run down to the bottom of the hill where a small creek is sheltered by trees. The army are still climbing behind on the other side and cannot see them at this stage.
He stops and jumps off the horse.
“What are you doing?” she whispers.
“Get off the horse, my love,” he whispers calmly.
Her eyes widen. “‘What are you doing?” she whispers in a panic.
“I want you to hide. Find a spot in this creek and hide.”
She shakes her head frantically. “No.” She shakes her head as she cries. He is going to sacrifice his life for her.
“Look at me,” he whispers as he holds her jaw, bringing her eyes to meet his.
Through bleary eyes she looks into his perfect face.
His right eye is slightly turned. “I love you, Emmaline,” he whispers as he pulls her to him for one last kiss.
She shakes her head frantically. “No. NO! Alastar… No., she cries as she tries to hold him to her. “Please… No.”
He jumps back onto the horse. “Run. Hide. And remember… I am always with you.” He draws his sword and races up the hill toward the oncoming enemy. The princess screws up her face in pain as she hears the clanging of the swords and the sound of the barbaric enemy screaming their victory.
* * *
With shaking hands, I drop the letter and I put my hands over my mouth. The tears slowly stream down my face.
It was him. It was Alastar all along.
The A on the letters stood for Alastar, not Alchron.
I close my eyes to try and block out the frightening reality. This can’t be happening.
The Princess. I was her.
I was Elizabeth.
We didn’t meet by accident.
I drop to my window seat, unable to stand any longer. I stare into the darkness in complete bewilderment. Everything I thought I knew has been a lie. Everything that I thought I’d imagined was, is, my reality.
I am in complete shock.
We’ve been here before.
Chapter 26
My heart is about to jump from my chest as I run to my wardrobe and rip out my clothes. “Oh my God,” I whisper in a frantic panic.
Suddenly everything is crystal clear. It’s like an awakening. The paintings are of me. I am the woman above his bed. Alastar painted these paintings… of me. I dress as I half laugh and half cry realizing he was right. Never, in a million years, would I have believed this if he had told me. This is the kind of mumbo jumbo shit that movies are made of. This isn’t real life for a normal girl from Australia. I throw on a jacket and pull on jeans underneath my nightdress, grab my bag and run out of the apartment. I run as fast as I can down the stairs two at a time. I jump off the bottom step and scare the hell out of a man just coming in through the front doors.
“Are you okay, Miss?” he asks.
“I’m fine,” I cry as I run for the door. “I’m fucking perfect, actually.”
I run onto the street, out into the pouring rain, and look both ways down the busy road. It’s 2am on a Saturday night and I desperately need a cab.
I need to get to him.
My love. I’m here, my love. I remember.
Running down the road, I search. What must I look like running around in my nightdress in the rain. A cab. A cab. I look around frantically. “Where are all the fucking cabs?” I yell.
One finally drives past and I run out onto the road to hail it down. He stops suddenly and winds down the window. “What are you doing?” he yells. “You are going to get yourself killed.”
“Please. Please you have to take me to the… the…the west side,” I stammer in desperation.
He frowns. “I’ve finished for the night.”
The rain is pouring down and I am sopping wet. “Please. I beg you. This is a desperate time”
He looks at me for a moment and frowns unimpressed. “Get in.” He sighs.
I laugh out loud and run to the back of the car and jump in and slam the door.
* * *
Ten minutes later, I bang the brass knocker on Alastar’s door with all of my might. His house is all in darkness and I only have the small torch on my phone on. I hope he’s home.
Please be home.
The rain is really coming down and I am frantic to see him.
Bang. Bang. Bang. Bang. I slam the knocker.
“Alastar! Where are you?” I yell desperately over the rain.
I knock again. Bang. Bang. Bang.
The upstairs light eventually comes on and I jump up and down in excitement. After waiting for what seems like eternity, he comes into sight, wearing flannelette pajama pants and no shirt. He sees me and runs to open the door in a rush. I’m soaking wet and the rain is hitting me from behind.
“Emerson.,” he asks hopefully.
“My name is Emmaline,” I reply.