CHAPTER 2: BOYS
Melody slowly sat up from her bed, clutching her nauseous stomach. She looked around at her surroundings- satin curtains, fluffy pink furniture, and a marble vanity. Anger flooded her body, and she flung her body out of her bed. Her stomach lurched, and before she could realize that she was going to see the previous day's food, it appeared on her floor. She drooped back onto her bed. A light knocking came at her bedroom door, and a stout woman with a crow-like face waddled in.
“Here you go Princess. Chicken broth, it’s to sooth the stomach. And ginger ale. Drink both, now,” she ordered. Melody looked at the woman and debated on whether or not she would obey. Her parents had been the only people to order her around, other than her Grandfather Triton and her aunts, so she felt no need to obey this stranger. She took a sip of the ginger ale and strolled over to her dresser, ignoring the blubbering of a very mad fat lady.
Melody walked over to the connecting bathroom carrying a few different outfits, with the lady in tow. When she reached the bathroom she turned around to see that the woman had been so mad her face began to turn purple. She laughed and shut the door in the woman's face. Now all she needed to do was think things through. Melody had been kidnapped by her Grandfather Charles. Now she would be stuck here unless she escaped or someone rescued her. With what seemed like one movement, she dropped her clothes onto the counter and turned on the hot water to her Jacuzzi, slowly pouring water lily scented bubble bath into the tub. The pounding began again at the door, and she could hear the woman's high pitched chatter through it. “Princess if you don't come out and eat, I... I'll get your Grandfather! I really will, and boy, will he be angry!” Melody rolled her eyes and sunk into her bubble bath, ignoring the woman. To her left, she found her stereo, and plugged it in. She listened to the soothing tunes as she just lay in the water.
The door connecting the bathroom to the hallway flew open and a boy strolled in, half dancing to his mp3. He was holding a bucket with a mop, and set it onto the floor, proceeding to the counter, where he noticed the clothes sitting there. A scream shattered his calm, and he slipped backwards into the jacuzzi, landing right on top of Melody. She grabbed a towel on a shelf and threw it over his head, as she jumped out and wrapped herself in the curtain, continuing to scream. The door that connected to her bedroom flew open with the fat woman and two guards behind her.
“Get out!” Melody shrieked at the boy, woman and guards. “Get out now before I... before... just get out!”
The woman and guards bolted through the bedroom and slammed the door behind them. Melody spun to face the soaked boy, who just stared at her with his deep blue eyes just staring at her. “Well?” she yelled. He scrambled to his feet and grabbed his stuff, stumbling out of the bathroom. Furious, Melody dried herself off and looked through the pile of clothes she had brought in with her. She picked a simple sapphire cocktail dress with a black shrug, and headed back into her room. Somehow she knew this was going to be a very bad day.
* * * * * * * *
Harmony stopped running, and slumped to the ground. She was parched, and she was stuck on some trail leading to some really rich building. Groaning, she lied down on the ground hoping for a catnap.
“Hello Princess.” a rough voice whispered into her ear. Slowly, Harmony opened her eyes and smiled.
“Daemyn! How'd you...?” She reached up and put her arms around his neck as he set her on his lap. His black hair curled ever so slightly... Harmony had always found it quite attractive.
“I asked the King for permission... well... not quite... I stole some of Princess Aquata's formula,” she stared at his gorgeous brown eyes while she combed her fingers through his hair. “I wanted to make sure you were okay... I heard about your outburst in the palace. Well... everyone heard about your outburst in the palace actually. So now I'm here to stay. Thirsty?” he asked as he reached into a bag on the ground.
“Parched.” Harmony gulped down the water bottle he handed her, and stood up. “Alright. We need to find Melody. Grandfather Charles took her, and I'm following this path because I think it might lead to my sister.”
“Did it ever occur to you that he took her to his castle?”
“Of course it did! That would explain why this whole trip has seemed familiar...” Harmony's voice trailed off in thought, until a look of realization covered her face. “Wow. Now don't I feel stupid.” The two walked on through the path, until they came upon a castle quite familiar to the princess. “Well,” she announced. “Here we are.”
“Now what?”
“I didn't think that far ahead. I just figured I'd barge in and grab Melody- then run out.”
“Great plan.” Daemyn snickered. Harmony turned around and playfully slapped him in the shoulder.
“Stop that! Now help me think of something!” she ordered. She looked towards the castle and froze. “I can't believe it. I just don't believe it!”
“What?”
“There she is, leaving the castle!” Harmony pointed to the great marble steps, and sure enough, there was Melody walking toward the garden with a couple of guards. “Now all we gotta do is snag her, right Daemyn? Daemyn?” She looked around until she saw him running towards Melody. “Idiot!” she muttered and stumbled after him.
* * * * * * * *
The doors to Charles' presence chamber burst in with his two most loyal guards dragging two teens in, and Melody casually strolling behind them. In the grips of the guards was a boy and a girl, the boy was somewhat presentable to the old King, while the girl on the other hand- well let's just say he was lucky to even realize she was a girl.
“Unhand me! I swear, when I'm free you will be in so much trouble! Do you have any idea who you're dealing with?” the girl demanded of the guard that held her captive.
“Yea, two trouble making teenagers trying to hurt the Princess,” he turned towards the Charles, “We found this boy just waltzing out of the woods, with the girl following him, highness.” Charles looked at the two, finding nothing recognizable.
“Well... I don't know who they are. What about you, Melody my dear?” Charles asked his Granddaughter.
“Don't act all friendly with me Grandfather. You kidnapped me... but I don't know them either.”
“Then it’s to the dungeon with them.” Charles ordered. The guards came forward to take the teens when the boy jumped in between them and the girls.
“Run! You and Melody get somewhere safe!” he ordered the girl.
“But, Daemyn!”
“Harm, NOW!” he roared at his girlfriend. Harmony looked towards Melody and ran, grabbing her wrist and bolting through the door.
“What are you doing?” Melody snapped at Harmony.
“Getting you out of here, now stop arguing, we’ll be with Mom and Dad soon!”
“I don’t want to see your parents. I want to go home!”
“You idiot!” Harmony yelled at her sister. “I’m taking you to our parents!” Melody stopped dead in her tracks.
“Harmony?”
“Don’t just stand there, let’s go! They’re gaining!” She glanced over Melody’s shoulder and could see that the guards had turned the corner and coming upon them fast.
“But… how’d you find me? How did you know where to look?” Harmony tried to drag her, but Melody refused to budge. They had stalled too long, Harmony was sure of that. Now they’d be caught for sure.
“Nice job Melody. Your stupidity has caused us to be caught.”
“What?” Melody turned only to find that the guards were standing behind her. They grabbed her and Harmony around the waist and slung the princesses over their shoulders. They then proceeded to Melody’s bedroom. Once they reached the bedroom, the princesses were dropped inside on the floor. Harmony jumped up, lunging at the doorway, which the guards were leaving. As she reached it, the door got slammed in her face, knocking her back on the floor. She jumped back up and yanked at the doorknob, attempting to wrench it open.
“It won’t work. I tried it when I first got here.” Melody sat on the floor watching as Harmony banged against the solid entrance. “You look disgusting. How can I be sure you really are my sister? I mean, you’re caked with so much mud and leaves…”
“Seriously, you are getting on my nerves.” Harmony undid the locket around her neck and threw it at Melody, who examined it. “Happy? It’s the same as yours.”
“No, it’s gold, with a pearl ‘H’. I have silver with a diamond ‘M’.”
“What does it matter? It proves that I’m me.” Harmony headed towards the bathroom.
“Yea, I guess it does. Pretty ugly though.” Melody threw the locket at her sister, hitting her square in the back of the head. Harmony stopped in her tracks, and spun on her heels to face her sister.
“Are you trying to start something?”
“Perhaps.”
“You’d lose. I’m stronger.”
“You most definitely are not!” Melody jumped to her feet, and Harmony strode back to her sister.
“Listen; don’t piss me off, because it’ll end badly for you. Quite frankly you are annoying me to no end right now, so stop. I’m going to get cleaned up and try to think of a way out of this mess. When I come back, you better have some ideas.” Harmony turned, went to the closet and grabbed a set of clothes- a teal tank and white shorts- picked her necklace up off the floor and strode into the bathroom, locking the door behind her.
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