Aligning Stars (Fate's Intent Book 1) (20 page)

Chapter 28

Adele

I just knew something was up. I saw Troy earlier, leaving Jaylyn’s side. He walked right passed me to the only thing that was behind me; Zayden.

I was curious about what was going on, wondering why we had to do this again and waited silently for someone to explain. I sat on the ground since it was easier than standing inside here and everyone seemed to follow after me.

Zayden sat right in front of me but didn’t focus his eyes directly on me. He spoke as if speaking to us all. “Now, I’ve called this little meeting to discuss a different path we may take. It would seem the team no longer sees you as prisoners but as guests and therefore our mission has changed.”

I jumped to one instant conclusion. “Oh, good. So, we can just go then?”

“No. We’re too close to the city and some of the King’s spies could have spotted us so we’ll have to go through with part of the plan and bring you to Randal.”

“So, we are in fact still prisoners because you’re making us go.”

“All right, maybe you are but—”

I was getting heated already and didn’t mind interrupting him. “And what awaits us in the White City other than death?”

“Would you just listen?” It was an arguing voice and I sat quietly, letting him continue. I didn’t want to get into it completely right now because I did want to hear about this. “Thank you. Now, we’ve decided to stop for the night because we’ve come up with a plan that will save you from the deaths you
may
or may not deserve.”

He looked right at me when he said it but I just couldn’t understand. I didn’t expect this would be the reason we stopped again. “Why? Why do you now suddenly give a damn about us?” I was watching Zayden’s reaction. It was almost emotionless and I continued with a little sarcasm. “Oh, no, Jaylyn! Quick! Do something!”

“What?”

“He must be sick or something. It might be some kind of fever from being out here so long.”

Zayden sighed and rolled his eyes. “Fuck, Love. I’m not sick.”

“Well, that’s the worst part! You don’t even know it!”

“I’m not sick!” He shouted. “Can’t a person just change their mind?”

My voice lost its sarcasm and I became serious with my anger as an enemy would. “Sure they can but changing one’s mind about this is completely immoral. If you’re planning on lying about who we are then that’s means of treason for the three of you. No one in their right mind would do that.”

“Do you want to hear the plan?”

I sighed and laid back just so he wouldn’t be in my line of sight. “Kind of pointless but since you’re going to do it anyway, you should make it quick. I want us to get back to not talking to each other. I miss it.”

There was a pause before he went on like he was seriously thinking of saying something mean back but to my surprise he didn’t. “Okay, well, to secure that the three of you are not caught, it’s provided that you’ll have to pose as Leccan soldiers.”

I quickly sat up to hear that so-called
plan
. “What?! You do know there’s a penalty for impersonating a soldier, right?”

“Yeah.”

“The penalty being death! Oh, that’s a brilliant plan!”

“I never said this was simple but it’s doable.”

“Doable? For how long?”

“Just until we get the time to take you back.”

“Are you crazy? You might as well get it over with and just kill us now because there’s no way that will work!”

“It will. You’ll just have to trust us.”

I laughed like his request were a joke because in my mind, it really sounded like one. “Trust you? Really? Okay, I think I’m just having a hard time understanding why you would do this at all. Maybe you’ve forgotten because you’ve been in the sun too long today but we’re your
enemy
. Don’t throw that away because of what they think they feel about each other. It’s not going to work.”

“Fine, then death is what will be waiting for you when we arrive.”

“Good.”

“Adele!” Ruby and Jaylyn both gasped at the same time but I didn’t back down.

“No! I’d rather die. You’re ruining my death if we go through with it. I just want all of this to be ended, okay?”

“But what about what we want?” Jaylyn asked with her stupid pouting lips. “Don’t you love us anymore?”

They were both giving me those baby faces and I’ve never appreciated them. I rolled my eyes just hating their persistence. “You realize something will go wrong, don’t you? It always does. Can’t pretend to be someone you’re not, especially here.”

“But it could be fun. Please?” Ruby begged with her hands together.

“Fun is overvalued and it’d only be fun for you for reasons I can’t even come to say.”

“Please?” They begged.

I sighed and looked forward at Zayden in front of me. He raised an eyebrow and looked at them at my sides still making the sad pouting faces. I could see them out of the corner of my eye and slowly turned my head with a disapproved voice. “Fine. If you find it necessary to get involved with this idiotic plan in hopes that it’s going to save you then go right ahead.”

“Really?” Jaylyn smiled excitedly.

“Mmm hmm.” I got up and brushed myself off casually before saying the next thing. “But you’re doing it alone.”

“Adele—”

“No!” I cut Ruby off from saying anything to try and convince me. I wouldn’t be convinced. “This is by far the stupidest thing you could possibly ever consider doing. Why should I suffer yet again for one of your mistakes? You should already know how this is going to end.”

“You don’t even know that and you can’t say it with knowing for sure.” Jaylyn said in a whining begging way. “It could be different.”

“That’s your problem, Jaylyn. You’ve always had this thing for
hope
. It shades your mind and you tend to forget things like, oh, I don’t know,
we’re at war
!”

“Please. It’s hardly a war anymore. We weren’t even alive for the last major campaigned battle on an open field.”

“I don’t necessarily think that’s the point!”

“Look, Love.” Zayden said, watching me pace back and forth. “I can assure you—”

“I don’t want you to assure me of anything because you can’t! This plan of yours doesn’t have a guaranteed end and I don’t care how much
you say
it will work. You’re going to get us all killed unless maybe that’s the real goal here.”

“It’s not going to be like that.”

I just huffed and continued to pace, losing myself in my mind. Turning them against this idea didn’t seem to be working and I was cornered; five against one. Normally, in a life or death situation like this, I would have chosen death for the five against me but some of them were my family and I just couldn’t. There was only one thing left to do as sad and depressing as it was. I had to comply and see this through no matter how much I hated it and I did hate it.

“I can’t believe this is happening to me.”

“We can do it?” Jaylyn asked with her smile.

“Fine.”

They both reacted silently to my decision and easily became excited.

“But!” My eyes found Zayden. “Know this; if I go down, don’t think I won’t hesitate to take the entire city and everyone in it with me.”

“That won’t happen.”

“You of all people better hope not.”

“This will be fun.” Ruby said. “We can totally be Leccan.”

“Are you sure that’s what you really want, Love?” Zayden asked.

I laughed to keep myself from breaking down and crying in frustration about it. “Do you honestly believe that I’ve gotten a damn thing I’ve wanted so far? What I want apparently doesn’t matter. Let’s just get this over with. So, what exactly will this lie of treason entail?”

“Well, once we get there, we’ll go straight to the palace and have an audience with the King, explaining your arrival and he’ll make you his honored guests. You’ll be able to return to Kalu in a few days. So, as long as you don’t say anything about who you really are, things will be fine but I can’t stress enough how important it is that you don’t speak a word of your country, not even to each other. There’s always someone listening in the palace.”

Jaylyn smiled. “We get to stay in the palace?”

“Yes.”

“Wait a minute.” I didn’t like the sounds of that. “Is that necessary?”

“That’s where we’ll be.”

“So, we
have to
stay where you are?”

“Have somewhere else in mind?”

“Yeah, like a tavern where I can get wasted around a bunch of guys that aren’t you and really make this fun.”

“It’s for the tension.” Ruby whispered.

I still heard her and elbowed her with a voice just as quiet. “Shut up.”

“Keeping you confined to the palace will be best.” Zayden said. “I can’t allow you to follow through on your plan and make a mockery of who you’ll be pretending to be.”

I sighed and looked over at Ruby. “Not fun.”

“Don’t worry. You’ll have plenty to do to keep busy.”

“Like what? You going to make us wear some ridiculous outfit and scrub the floors?”

“Of course not.” Zayden laughed. “If I was going to make you scrub the floors, you’d be naked.”

My mouth wanted to drop open. “Better not.”

“That was a joke, Love. Shit, you still need to relax. You’ll be honored guests. You can do whatever you want except leave.”

“Are all honored guests held prisoner?”

“No but you’ll be.”

“We’ll at least get room service there, right?” Jaylyn asked.

“Yes, as honored guests you’ll be living like the King himself and be offered the services as well.”

“Oh, good. Then it won’t be that much different from home. You almost had me worry.”

The Senians among us all gave an unusual facial expression towards her.

“Sorry about her.” Ruby said. “She needs to think she can’t live without those things.”

“Well, if they’re there, use them right? I mean, that is their job.”

“So, you three live in the palace back home?” Darius asked.

“You mean live within the same walls as the Queen? Are you crazy? That would be the worst punishment ever. Of course we don’t. We live at Balwin Manor.”

“The General’s place?”

“Do you have a problem with that?” I looked at Zayden, getting back into the conversation when word of my father came up. How dare he even speak of him?

“No. I didn’t say I had a problem with it.”

“Well, you sounded like you did and I’m really not surprised. It’s so like a Prince to think normal people like us can’t live like you. Well, you couldn’t be more wrong.”

“You knew about me?”

“Know the enemy, Zayden but I think you’re missing the point. Just admit that you’re shallow.”

“No. I never said any of those things. You’re just assuming that’s how I am.”

“Well, aren’t you?”

“Of course not. Anyone can live like me. They live there too.”

“Wow, I’m so excited for you but it’s not going to change anything.”

“Sure, fine but don’t make me change my mind about saving you.”

“Well, that wouldn’t bother me at all. I never asked you to save me.”

“So, would you rather be killed because that’s what will happen if you prefer it that way?”

“Maybe it would be better than staying alive and having to be around you.”

“You say that like you really know me but you don’t.”

“I don’t have to know you to have an opinion of you just like you’ve been doing to me since we’ve been out here.”

“Well, maybe you should. I’m not as bad as you’ve been making me out to be.”

I silently laughed and looked away. “Yeah, tell that to my father.”

“I did when I let him go.”

What?! I was instantly confused. I looked back and met Zayden’s eyes. They seemed calm and caring like looking right into the southern waters on a clear sunny day but I somehow couldn’t grasp what he was saying. Was it true? I never knew that Zayden chose to let my father go from his terrible ordeal. I thought that somehow he escaped.

“Oh, he didn’t tell you? Maybe that’s because he didn’t remember my good deed from being unconscious. So, forgive me if I was wrong. I’ll remember next time to just kill him. It would have been easy.” He got up and walked outside, leaving me sitting almost speechless.

“That’s true, you know.” Troy said. “It was Zayden’s intent to send him back alive and it was actually because of you that he did; the General having a daughter and all.”

I looked over and Ruby started to smile. “Well, this changes something if not, perhaps, everything.”