faces. To them, all hope was lost. “And the bravest soldiers in your kingdom are afraid of these things?”
“Why … yes. Who wouldn’t be?”
Sheepishly, Savannah raised her hand for the second time. On her lead, Rupert did the same. “Rupert, don’t bother. Your father and I had asked you to go and you refused … repeatedly.” The prince then put his hand down, a bit embarrassed. Quickly, the queen turned her attention back over to her guest. “You are truly not afraid?”
Savannah bit her bottom lip, wondering if what she thought was not that big a deal really was something much worse. No matter, she shook it off and decided that no fairytale creature could actually be so gruesome. “No, I’m not.”
The royals glanced up at one another, first with worry, and then in wonder. Turning to her, the king gave Savannah a thorough search as he contemplated his thoughts. She wasn’t much in size, but what she lacked in both build and knowledge of the land, she compensated for in bravery … or possibly stupidity. Still, hope glistened in their eyes, and, not long after, the king spoke. “Miss Morgan, would you do us the great honor of crossing through the Mysterious Forest, bringing back our general, and saving our kingdom from total annihilation?”
She knew the words would come. She had to after just confessing that everything that was scaring the town did not frighten her. But how could she think to do such a task? This place wasn’t even real! She couldn’t possibly save a kingdom that didn’t exist. Even if it were real, she thought, why would I want to risk my life to save a place I’ve never been to and people I’ve never seen?
Because her mother had been raised here, that was why.
If her mother was supposedly born and raised here, if this was her hometown, then she should protect it. Assuming for a moment that this world was actually real. Obviously this was a place her mother loved, which anyone could see by the way she decorated her house to resemble the same tone and atmosphere that this world held. Savannah wanted, no, she needed to protect all that her mother had loved. It would feel almost disloyal to simply let it be destroyed. That, and you couldn’t get the answers to your questions if you didn’t have people to ask. Since she still didn’t know much about her mother or the life she had lived here, Savannah wanted to learn as much as she could from as many people as she could talk to.
In resignation, she nodded her head, hoping she hadn’t just signed her death contract.
“Oh, thank you, Savannah!” King Fredrick shouted as he ran over and embraced her. “You have no idea how much this means to us!”
“I can guess,” she was barely able to reply, nearly strangling for air. When he eventually let go, she asked, “So, when do I start?”
“Tonight.” The king and queen said simultaneously.
“Tonight? Are you serious?” Savannah took a deep breath, looking for a little sympathy from any of their faces. “Now?”
“Oh, no,” the king replied. Savannah exhaled a sigh of relief. “In a few minutes, when Lance comes back with your things.” He motioned for a servant.
As the king was making the arrangements with his servants, the queen came to Savannah’s side, precociously aware of the extremely tense rush running through her. “Do not worry, my dear, you have ten times the courage than any soldier who’s entered the forest. Believe me, I have seen some of the men before they embarked on their journeys, and they were nervous wrecks! And even though none of them came back alive, and I did not get a chance to see them suffer through their undoubtedly painful tortures, I have a feeling that you will not surrender as easily. You look like the kind of girl who holds her head up high and does not go down without a fight … even against man-eating ogres.”
Savannah flashed her an even more uncomfortable look. “Why is that not making me feel any better?” she said to
“Why … yes. Who wouldn’t be?”
Sheepishly, Savannah raised her hand for the second time. On her lead, Rupert did the same. “Rupert, don’t bother. Your father and I had asked you to go and you refused … repeatedly.” The prince then put his hand down, a bit embarrassed. Quickly, the queen turned her attention back over to her guest. “You are truly not afraid?”
Savannah bit her bottom lip, wondering if what she thought was not that big a deal really was something much worse. No matter, she shook it off and decided that no fairytale creature could actually be so gruesome. “No, I’m not.”
The royals glanced up at one another, first with worry, and then in wonder. Turning to her, the king gave Savannah a thorough search as he contemplated his thoughts. She wasn’t much in size, but what she lacked in both build and knowledge of the land, she compensated for in bravery … or possibly stupidity. Still, hope glistened in their eyes, and, not long after, the king spoke. “Miss Morgan, would you do us the great honor of crossing through the Mysterious Forest, bringing back our general, and saving our kingdom from total annihilation?”
She knew the words would come. She had to after just confessing that everything that was scaring the town did not frighten her. But how could she think to do such a task? This place wasn’t even real! She couldn’t possibly save a kingdom that didn’t exist. Even if it were real, she thought, why would I want to risk my life to save a place I’ve never been to and people I’ve never seen?
Because her mother had been raised here, that was why.
If her mother was supposedly born and raised here, if this was her hometown, then she should protect it. Assuming for a moment that this world was actually real. Obviously this was a place her mother loved, which anyone could see by the way she decorated her house to resemble the same tone and atmosphere that this world held. Savannah wanted, no, she needed to protect all that her mother had loved. It would feel almost disloyal to simply let it be destroyed. That, and you couldn’t get the answers to your questions if you didn’t have people to ask. Since she still didn’t know much about her mother or the life she had lived here, Savannah wanted to learn as much as she could from as many people as she could talk to.
In resignation, she nodded her head, hoping she hadn’t just signed her death contract.
“Oh, thank you, Savannah!” King Fredrick shouted as he ran over and embraced her. “You have no idea how much this means to us!”
“I can guess,” she was barely able to reply, nearly strangling for air. When he eventually let go, she asked, “So, when do I start?”
“Tonight.” The king and queen said simultaneously.
“Tonight? Are you serious?” Savannah took a deep breath, looking for a little sympathy from any of their faces. “Now?”
“Oh, no,” the king replied. Savannah exhaled a sigh of relief. “In a few minutes, when Lance comes back with your things.” He motioned for a servant.
As the king was making the arrangements with his servants, the queen came to Savannah’s side, precociously aware of the extremely tense rush running through her. “Do not worry, my dear, you have ten times the courage than any soldier who’s entered the forest. Believe me, I have seen some of the men before they embarked on their journeys, and they were nervous wrecks! And even though none of them came back alive, and I did not get a chance to see them suffer through their undoubtedly painful tortures, I have a feeling that you will not surrender as easily. You look like the kind of girl who holds her head up high and does not go down without a fight … even against man-eating ogres.”
Savannah flashed her an even more uncomfortable look. “Why is that not making me feel any better?” she said to
Similar Books
