BPD4- The Impossible Choice

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The Impossible Choice

By Kaira Anne

 An empty boat.

An empty heart.

Can I ever find them? I stepped carefully, staring at the boat just to my right floating aimlessly in the murky water. Was this the boat my parents had taken so long ago? When they entered this forest never to return? What terrible thing could make people vanish, leaving no trace of the King and Queen of Aridna? Questions raced through my mind, a kilometer a second, but the quiet serene forest whispered.

"Nothing to fear. Nothing to fear. Take in the beauty. Nothing to fear."

"Help!" A panicked scream rang though the quietness, making the forest atmosphere seem cold and foreboding. I ran through the forest, not stopping to make sure I moved noiselessly. No one was in sight. I searched the ground frantically, looking for any signs that might give me a clue, but the forest whispered it had all been a dream.

 “Nothing to fear. Nothing to fear. Take in the beauty. Nothing to fear.”

A hand reached for me, grabbing my arms, roughly pinning me down. I screamed, but two men came into view, their rugged faces all too familiar. So this is what happened to everyone in the forest. The voice had been a trap.

 He drew a knife, holding it to my back, I staggered forwards as the other man pushed me. “You know what we want with you.”

 I stared up at him defiantly, refusing to back down. “You've taken my parents, you've ravaged the kingdom. What more can you take that I care about?”

“Maybe your parents aren't dead.” he said, and I started. “Maybe they're right over there,” my eyes followed his pointing finger.

“Mom? Dad?” I struggled against the men holding me down, trying to run to them.

“Even!” Mom called, but it wasn't joyous. It was a warning. I screamed as I saw the chains binding her and Dad, and the knife a man I hadn't noticed before held at their throats.

“Get us into the castle, Princess, and your parents will live.”

I couldn't let these people into the castle. I couldn't betray my country. I glanced over at my parents. My mom wept, and my father shook his head.

I couldn't finally find my parents—only to have them killed.

Logically, it should be easy. Don't give him what he wants.

But it wasn't that easy. It never was that easy.

I can't choose, I can't betray either one, I turned towards him, agonized, “Free my parents, and I will show you into the castle.”

“You can't do that,” cried my father.
My captor laughed, “We can't let them go free until the kingdom is firmly under my control.”

“How can I trust you?” I asked.

“Think about it logically. Letting the royal family go will make us look good. Other than that, you'll need to trust us.” he turned towards one of the other men. “Tie her up, we'll go tomorrow 

I nod—hoping desperately that he'll live long enough to see my plan;  but it would be too dangerous to say it now. Maybe, just maybe, I could save both.

I had to warn the castle, but my captors watched me too closely for me to be able to try anything.

******************

I stood on the hill overlooking the castle. I still hadn't managed to get word to the castle, and now it was nearly too late.

The weight of a kingdom still rested on my choice.

And I still didn't know what to do.

I couldn't settle for saving my parents, and not for simply the kingdom.

My captors lead me towards the castle, stopping in the small town in which it is situated.

“Where is this secret entrance you speak of. We need to hurry.” said the leader.

“What's the hurry,” I asked, “The castle isn't going anywhere.”

I couldn't put it off much longer, but I try for more time. “I know roughly, but it will take me a few minutes to find it. We should wait until the cover of nightfall.”

They know I'm stalling, but don't say anything.

*******************

I walked around the castle for half an hour, and my captors started to get impatient.

I beckoned them over, I'd need to take the risk of letting them in the castle.

“You find it?” asked one of my captors.

I nodded, “Come on,” 

I led them through winding tunnels through the dungeons, walking into one of the cells.

They hesitated, but followed me.

I groped along the wall, pretending to look for a secret door into the main castle, “Just a minute, I think it's in the next cell over.”

The next cell was occupied, so I motioned them into the third cell. All but one went into the cell, the last one watching me, as if guessing what I was up to.

I had no choice but to enter the cell.

“Look along the back wall—there won't be much of a clue as to where the door is, just a crack.” All the men were examining the wall for a non-existent secret door. I ran out of the cell and slammed the door, locking it with the key hidden just beneath the floor tile, as all the castle keys were.

“Stop!” the leader screamed at me, pulling on the bars, but I just kept running.

I ran as quickly as possible back to the forest, where my parents were.

“Mom, Dad,” I whispered, “I trapped them, I came back to get you.”

My father whispered back, “Run!” I stayed put—then I saw the man standing guard besides him, turning around at the sound of my voice.

“Go, please.” my mother said.

I ran into the forest, and crouched behind a large outcrop of rocks. I heard the sounds of searchers scuffling in the bushes near me, but I stayed silent. I'd learned that much in my years of searching for my parents.

Eventually they seemed to give up—evidently thinking I hadn't been there after all.

I crawled back to the clearing, to the large oak my parents had been tied to. I froze—someone was with them.

“...now that we've got the castle and the princess,” I overheard the end of a deep, husky man's sentence.

I crept to where I could see better. My father, despite his chains, struggled to shield my mother. I knew that man. I'd run into him once before, and I could never forget. He cared for no one. No one but his family. They'd been starving, so I'd been told, and he began his hunt for power and wealth to feed them.

We were both on different sides, but fighting for the same thing. For our family.

He drew back his sword, and I realized to late what he was doing.

My mother screamed, but only for a moment. He wiped the bloody sword on the grass and walked away, leaving only two blood stained bodies next to the tree.

I collapsed into quiet sobs.

Everything I'd wanted had come to nothing. After all these years of searching, I'd found them, only to lose them again. 

I stood, choking down sobs; I'd still be hunted, I needed to get back to the castle.