Chapter Seven
Kidnapped!
Melane heard a knock at her bedroom door (yet AGAIN! What was it, the SIXTH time that week?) just past midnight, and opened it to see the unexpected (and rather welcome) face of Arone. "Arone. Wha-what are you doing here?" she asked in confusion.
"I am just a messanger of my Lord, Emperor of Carthak. Emperor Ozrone wishes your presence at the palace immediately!"
"But...but..I was just there three weeks ago! So soon?"
"I'm sorry, but he assured me that he will not take up much of your time," Arone said aologeticly.
Melane nodded, resigned. "Fine. But let me dress first. I can't exactly go riding in this!"
Not long after, the two set off at a quick pace towards the capital of Carthak.
Arone turned it into a race for fun, just as the two were leaving the forest bordering the Dejune lands. Melane grinned at the idea, and she set off at a sharp gallop. Arone was ahead, but Melane was gaining on him. Suddenly, a flash of white streaked past her and around the oak tree in front of them. A Deer! But her filly reared in surprise, and dumped Melane off onto a thorn bush.
"What is it?" Melane asked fearfully, knowing that the deer couldn't answer.
Two-leggers, a whole group of them, back in the clearing! I must protect my fawn!, the almost hysterical deer cried to Melane as she ran off. At least, that's what Melane thought. But I must have been imagining it, shouldn't I? I mean, deer can't TALK! she told herself uncertaintly.
Melane looked confusedly in the direction the deer had ran from, and wondered who it could possibly be. But then she looked around and realized that Arone wasn't with her, she called his name softly. "Arone! ARONE! Are you here?!"
All of a sudden, a twig snapped behind her, and a tall, black haired man stood in front of Melane.
"She's here!" he cried, and Melane saw a large army materialize in front of her. She tried to speak, but she could just move her jaw wordlessly. The man reached forward to lay his hand on her shoulder, but she jerked away. However, the sudden movement, together with her just falling off a horse and finding a large number of troops in front of her, combined to make her weaker than a newborn foal.
"Who, who are you?" she cried in agony, but the world went black as she fainted.
Arone frowned as he turned around to watch for Melane coming up the path. He hadn't been THAT far ahead of her, had he? He still couldn't see any trace of her coming up the path or even in the forest below...
Without warning, Honour appeared riderless out of the brush, and Aronen took in a sharp intake of breath. Lady Melane was lost somewhere in the forest....
Numair sighed as he looked over the shoulder of Alanna. Why hadn't she seemed to know him?
Melane stirred, and muttered "Arone why didn't you wait for me? I saw some weird men...why did you let me get kidnapped again!"
Numair's brow furrowed, and he said softly, "It's alright Daine, everything's fine now, we have you back." But his words only seemed to make her thrash more. "Alanna-What in the hell is wrong!" he cried anxiously.
"I think it's just shock. I'm not sure though...we should wait a few days. If it's shock, she'll likely be fine by then. If it's not...well, her condition won't worsen. When she's concious we can she what she says.
Numair nodded, but he was not reassured at all. But he told himself that she knew more than he did...about healing anyway.
The Emperor was pacing his chambers calmly, which did not look to be a good sign to Arone of Chalvaside's Bay, standing in front of him.
"So..." Ozrone began. Arone gulped. "I've heard that you...misplaced my noble. Are these rumors truthfull?"
Arone nodded slightly. Ozorne blew up in a flash of anger. "You LOST her! How could you LOSE her? I REQUESTED a simple task, yet you can not handle EVEN that. What's preventing me from stripping you of your ranks and titles right now, and sending you out on the streets!" Arone refrained himself from commenting that he wasn't a citizen of Carthak, he was a visiting prince, so Ozrone couldn't make good on his threats in anyway, and really, he couldn't do anything remotely unpleasant without starting a very bloody war. Arone refrained himself. Barely.
But Ozrone was talking again. "Because you are still slightly usefull. Although if you mess up again, you will regret the fact that you were ever born!" he said dangerously. Arone nodded, and slipped quietly from the room at the Emperor's dismissal.
As Melane was on the brink of waking, she felt something stir inside her chest. She felt an absence, something missing...and something added. She almost remembered something, but she heard quiet whispers above her head, which was enough noise to wake her out of her reverie. And then she remembered.
She opened her eyes to see the tall man and a strong, red-haired woman beside him. She shivvered, and closed her eyes again. "Just-just leave me alone. Please!" she murmered fearfully.
To her astonishment, the man did stand up abruptly as he stalked away. The woman sighed. "I feel like doing the same thing. What's gotten into you, child? You've hurt Numair, and you're hurting me. I don't know what you think you have to gain by this act, as I can tell there's nothing physically wrong with you. It's not even shock. It's a state of mind." By now, Melane could tell, the woman was talking to herself. She probably thought that Melane was asleep.
"Who are you?" Melane whispered quietly.
The woman shook her head in confusion. "I just don't get it!" she cried in frustration, and she stomped off.
Melane had the feeling that she was missing something here.
