The Little Princess Chapter 3
Jun. 5th, 2020 06:31 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
fatandnerdy30The two were silent for most of the ride, the only sound once again the radio playing softly, besides when it was static due to the span across towns. They passed fields of crops and some farms that let their animals out on the warm summer day, but there was something Hannah couldn't quite put her finger on. They passed a billboard and suddenly Hannah sat up straight, her eyes wide in horror. "I don't have a passport!"
Susan jumped at her outburst, staring at her for a few seconds before falling into loud laughter. "Oh don't worry about that. With me, you don't need one." She patted the girl's thigh before returning both hands to the steering wheel.
Hannah shivered and her eyes involuntarily found the new suitcase sitting on the back seat, looming in her thoughts. Should she try and run? Would she have to?
"There's the town up ahead," Susan pointed out the windshield. "There's a diner there that makes the most excellent breakfast burritos." She glanced at the clock. "And it's a good thing since we'll have to get them on the go. It's getting late."
It took a few minutes to reach the town, and they pulled up to the diner. "Stay in the car, I'll be right back." Susan got out of the car, shutting the door behind her, hurrying into the diner.
Hannah felt her nerves fray with every passing second the woman was gone. During the whole trip, besides sleeping, she'd never been away from her. Would this be a good chance to run? What if she did and Susan found her? Or worse, her mind was playing tricks on her? She could hurt the woman's feelings and ruin her own chances at having a family. It was all so confusing. She glanced at the clock, surprised to see the time. Susan had been gone a while.
She looked around, watching some of the people walk by the car. There were many people who looked just like Susan, at least height-wise. Was it something in the water around there? Speaking of which, should Hannah go find the woman? She was just reaching for the door handle when Susan reappeared, rushing toward the car to get out of the heat.
"I got you a veggie burrito, is that okay?"
Hannah nodded and took the bag the woman held out for her. Susan was already pulling out, her own bag in her lap. Once they were on the road, the woman opened her bag and started eating quickly, keeping her eyes on the road.
The girl took that as an okay and pulled her own breakfast out, unwrapping it to take a bite. She made a face at the odd taste that made Susan laugh.
"It's a spice they use," the woman explained, though her eyes never met Hannah's. "It tastes odd at the first bite. Eat up, we've still got a long way to go today."
Hannah took another bite, then another, but after about halfway through the burrito she started feeling a little funny. The world seemed to blur around her, her head swimming in a fog. She glanced at Susan, who went from watching the road to her, her teeth worrying her bottom lip.
"Aunt Susan," Hannah gasped. "Why?" She couldn't even her sentence and she dropped what was left of her breakfast. What was happening? Had she been wrong?
"Shhh," Susan's voice echoed through the girl's head. "Just sleep, honey. I promise everything will be all right. You'll be home soon."
Those were the last words Hannah heard before she slipped into drug-induced darkness.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The rest of the ride Susan's guilt ate at her every minute, worsening whenever she looked at her niece. The girl was so small, obviously shorter than other girls her own age. She felt something akin to irony at the thought, thinking of her father's height compared to even Susan. She smiled at that thought, holding onto it for the rest of the ride. This was Christopher's daughter.
Hannah was the only link the man had to the woman he loved. Plenty of other women threw themselves at her brother all the time, but they were only looking for his power. Michelle, Hannah's mother, had been different. It could have been that she was human, but Susan knew differently.
It always made her smile whenever she remembered how happy Christopher was with Michelle, whenever he called she could hear it in his voice. She brought the best out in him.
She glanced at the unconscious girl in the passenger seat. She had the perfect mixture of her parents. Except she didn't know the truth. Michelle had been an amazing human, one of the best Susan knew, so why hadn't she ever told Hannah the truth? She knew for a fact that Christopher had told her what he was and his position in their world. It was the main reason why he'd come back when their father passed away. But, there was no way they could have known they were going to have a baby, and once Christopher left, there would be no way for Michelle to contact him. And then she met her untimely end...Who knew it would ever end up like this?
She looked at Hannah again. A human had never been into their world, the sheer shock alone would have been too much for one. Yet, the council had given the okay. Maybe because Hannah was Christopher's blood. The blood of Royalty. Susan had to smile, running a hand through the girl's hair lovingly. She would be great.
The last checkpoint came before the portal and Susan parked the car, getting out to be greeted by three men, two in suits, the third taking the keys from her.
"Lady Dereks. It's good to see you again." The older of the two bowed low, his shadow engulfing her.
"Thank you, Franklin. Is everything ready?"
"Yes ma'am. But if I may, is it true?"
The second of the suited pair leaned in, trying to be inconspicuous to hear what she had to say.
Susan nodded proudly. "Yes. Your king has an heir."
The two men shared a pleased look, watching her every move as she went back to the car, opening the back door, dragging out the suitcase she'd purchased. Hannah would need something to protect her from the pressure of the portal, and it seemed this was the best thing for her. Unlatching it, she opened the front door and caught the girl as she fell, the seat belt the only thing from keeping her strapped in fully.
Freeing her, Susan pulled the girl gently into her arms, smiling down at her peaceful face. "You'll be great," she whispered, carding a hand through the girl's hair.
"Ma'am? There isn't much time left. We have to go soon."
Susan nodded and gently put the girl into the suitcase. Her feet just laid flush with the bottom of it, her head safely away from the top. She was so tiny. Just wait until Christopher saw her. She pulled a pillow out of the trunk and tucked it around the girl's head. She kissed Hannah's forehead before closing the case and locking it tight.
At her nod, a hand came down from the sky and picked up the suitcase between two tree trunk sized fingers. Another hand was placed next to Susan palm up, and she gladly stepped up. "Let me go when we're halfway through," she instructed and the man nodded. "Let's go home."
They stepped through the portal, the only proof of it being the ripple the was sent through the air before everything stilled.
Susan jumped at her outburst, staring at her for a few seconds before falling into loud laughter. "Oh don't worry about that. With me, you don't need one." She patted the girl's thigh before returning both hands to the steering wheel.
Hannah shivered and her eyes involuntarily found the new suitcase sitting on the back seat, looming in her thoughts. Should she try and run? Would she have to?
"There's the town up ahead," Susan pointed out the windshield. "There's a diner there that makes the most excellent breakfast burritos." She glanced at the clock. "And it's a good thing since we'll have to get them on the go. It's getting late."
It took a few minutes to reach the town, and they pulled up to the diner. "Stay in the car, I'll be right back." Susan got out of the car, shutting the door behind her, hurrying into the diner.
Hannah felt her nerves fray with every passing second the woman was gone. During the whole trip, besides sleeping, she'd never been away from her. Would this be a good chance to run? What if she did and Susan found her? Or worse, her mind was playing tricks on her? She could hurt the woman's feelings and ruin her own chances at having a family. It was all so confusing. She glanced at the clock, surprised to see the time. Susan had been gone a while.
She looked around, watching some of the people walk by the car. There were many people who looked just like Susan, at least height-wise. Was it something in the water around there? Speaking of which, should Hannah go find the woman? She was just reaching for the door handle when Susan reappeared, rushing toward the car to get out of the heat.
"I got you a veggie burrito, is that okay?"
Hannah nodded and took the bag the woman held out for her. Susan was already pulling out, her own bag in her lap. Once they were on the road, the woman opened her bag and started eating quickly, keeping her eyes on the road.
The girl took that as an okay and pulled her own breakfast out, unwrapping it to take a bite. She made a face at the odd taste that made Susan laugh.
"It's a spice they use," the woman explained, though her eyes never met Hannah's. "It tastes odd at the first bite. Eat up, we've still got a long way to go today."
Hannah took another bite, then another, but after about halfway through the burrito she started feeling a little funny. The world seemed to blur around her, her head swimming in a fog. She glanced at Susan, who went from watching the road to her, her teeth worrying her bottom lip.
"Aunt Susan," Hannah gasped. "Why?" She couldn't even her sentence and she dropped what was left of her breakfast. What was happening? Had she been wrong?
"Shhh," Susan's voice echoed through the girl's head. "Just sleep, honey. I promise everything will be all right. You'll be home soon."
Those were the last words Hannah heard before she slipped into drug-induced darkness.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The rest of the ride Susan's guilt ate at her every minute, worsening whenever she looked at her niece. The girl was so small, obviously shorter than other girls her own age. She felt something akin to irony at the thought, thinking of her father's height compared to even Susan. She smiled at that thought, holding onto it for the rest of the ride. This was Christopher's daughter.
Hannah was the only link the man had to the woman he loved. Plenty of other women threw themselves at her brother all the time, but they were only looking for his power. Michelle, Hannah's mother, had been different. It could have been that she was human, but Susan knew differently.
It always made her smile whenever she remembered how happy Christopher was with Michelle, whenever he called she could hear it in his voice. She brought the best out in him.
She glanced at the unconscious girl in the passenger seat. She had the perfect mixture of her parents. Except she didn't know the truth. Michelle had been an amazing human, one of the best Susan knew, so why hadn't she ever told Hannah the truth? She knew for a fact that Christopher had told her what he was and his position in their world. It was the main reason why he'd come back when their father passed away. But, there was no way they could have known they were going to have a baby, and once Christopher left, there would be no way for Michelle to contact him. And then she met her untimely end...Who knew it would ever end up like this?
She looked at Hannah again. A human had never been into their world, the sheer shock alone would have been too much for one. Yet, the council had given the okay. Maybe because Hannah was Christopher's blood. The blood of Royalty. Susan had to smile, running a hand through the girl's hair lovingly. She would be great.
The last checkpoint came before the portal and Susan parked the car, getting out to be greeted by three men, two in suits, the third taking the keys from her.
"Lady Dereks. It's good to see you again." The older of the two bowed low, his shadow engulfing her.
"Thank you, Franklin. Is everything ready?"
"Yes ma'am. But if I may, is it true?"
The second of the suited pair leaned in, trying to be inconspicuous to hear what she had to say.
Susan nodded proudly. "Yes. Your king has an heir."
The two men shared a pleased look, watching her every move as she went back to the car, opening the back door, dragging out the suitcase she'd purchased. Hannah would need something to protect her from the pressure of the portal, and it seemed this was the best thing for her. Unlatching it, she opened the front door and caught the girl as she fell, the seat belt the only thing from keeping her strapped in fully.
Freeing her, Susan pulled the girl gently into her arms, smiling down at her peaceful face. "You'll be great," she whispered, carding a hand through the girl's hair.
"Ma'am? There isn't much time left. We have to go soon."
Susan nodded and gently put the girl into the suitcase. Her feet just laid flush with the bottom of it, her head safely away from the top. She was so tiny. Just wait until Christopher saw her. She pulled a pillow out of the trunk and tucked it around the girl's head. She kissed Hannah's forehead before closing the case and locking it tight.
At her nod, a hand came down from the sky and picked up the suitcase between two tree trunk sized fingers. Another hand was placed next to Susan palm up, and she gladly stepped up. "Let me go when we're halfway through," she instructed and the man nodded. "Let's go home."
They stepped through the portal, the only proof of it being the ripple the was sent through the air before everything stilled.
