Page 27 of Binding Fate

“See? I told you someone was coming,” Airon said as she jumped up and down. Then she ran to the door while Isabella followed close behind her. They opened the door and in front of them stood a new face. She looked nice enough.

“Hey, there. I’m Mrs. Turner, and I’m your new neighbor.” Isabella noted that she had a silvery voice. It was rather pleasant, clear, and light-hearted.

“Oh, come on in,” Isabella ushered her forward with a wave of her hand. As she escorted her into the house she saw that Mrs. Turner wore a stylish pleated dress and designer ankle boots. “I’m Mrs. Henderson, and this is my husband, Daniel, and our daughter, Airon,” she pointed as Daniel walked over to join them. Daniel gave Mrs. Turner a quick shake of her smooth hand.

“It’s nice to meet you. My husband and I just moved in. I thought it would be nice to introduce myself to the neighbors. Also, I have a little girl, too. Her name is Emilia. Maybe the girls can play together sometime?” Mrs. Turner smiled, wide. Then she tucked a loose strand of her black hair behind her ear.

“Oh, of course. That would be great.” They looked down at Airon who was beaming.

“Oh, thank you. My husband and I don’t want Emilia to have a hard time making friends.” She clasped her hands together. “Anyway, I will call about the play date, but I probably should get going, seeing as it’s late and we should be eating dinner soon.”

“Of course, no problem.”

They said their good-byes and closed the door.

BREAK-IN

B

ack at the palace, the king and queen were talking. Alzerion walked past their room, heard them, and decided to place his ear to the door to listen.

“It’s just … so hard,” said Queen Evalyn in a disgusted tone.

“I know, dearest, but we have to figure something out,” King Francisco sighed.

Alzerion noticed a small crack and realized the door wasn’t closed all the way. So, he peaked through. He saw Queen Evalyn resting her head on her husband’s chest, breathing him in. He knew that the queen always found comfort when she laid her head on the king. If there was anything obvious about their behavior, it was that the king and queen were getting tired and worn out. He could see it on their faces. They both had lines that greased their forehead and this heaviness about their eyes. He hated to see them look so defeated. They always treated him so well. He felt this pain in his chest, as he thought about what he was about to do.

In the end, it hurt Alzerion even more because he knew he was adding to their troubles. This whole scenario was his fault. His idea. With his help, their troubles would continue to grow before they would end. He started to walk away to his bedroom, and he knew he did not want to cause them anymore heartache. He continued passed West Wing corridor, entered his room, and sat on his bed.

“All I wanted to do was help them,” Alzerion said to nobody but himself. “I thought getting Aironell out of harm’s way was best. But now… her parents are in more trouble than ever. All of their problems are my fault, damn it! I have to make things right; I need to figure something out.”

Then Alzerion stood up and picked up a pitch-black leather-bound bag. He walked out into the corridor and started trudging through the palace. He went into a room that had been Aironell’s playroom, but now it contained all reminders that she ever existed in the palace.

Alzerion peered around the cramped room. He knew what he was looking for, but to find it was a different story. It was a necklace that had been lost since Aironell was at the palace. It was the one he gave her on the day she was born. Somehow, in the midst of all the planning, packing, and trying to protect Aironell, the necklace had disappeared.

It had an ornate exterior. The engravings were quite detailed. The necklace became the symbol for Lost Hope. For the queen, the hope of being with her little girl seemed far away, like something that would never happen again. While looking for the Lost Hope, Alzerion noticed Aironell’s baby blanket. It was the one that she loved most. He had given it to her. He hated looking in this room because it brought back sad memories. As if that could not be bad enough, it always made him think about the memories he would never get back.

Alzerion felt this piercing feeling in his chest. Was it his guilt? His own grief? He shook his head. These were the times that he had wondered what it would have been like if he had helped raise Aironell, as was the original plan. The painful memories of his past flooded through his mind and made him want to burst into tears.

By trying to help the situation, he had only made it worse. Suddenly, Alzerion felt a strong urge to turn. He threw down the blanket and spun around. Then he saw it staring at him, taunting him. There on top of Aironell’s basinet laid the necklace that glistened and sparkled as light shone on it. He walked over, picked it up, and placed it gently in his bag. Then he headed out the door and into the corridor. He disappeared in a puff of red smoke out of the palace and landed where all the trouble started six years ago. He stood outside the palace by the window and looked in.

He looked down at his feet and continued walking down Founders Path toward Abandon Alley where Ulbrick would be waiting. He could only imagine the sorrow that would encompass and befall the palace.What if they found out I took it? They may think I was the reason it was missing.But when would the melancholic atmosphere lift? When would the cloud of despair disappear and be replaced by bright, cheerful times? Then in seconds, all went black.

AN UNEXPECTED VISIT

A

fter her play date with Emilia, Isabella had Airon change clothes. Airon changed into a black long sleeve shirt that was silky in feel and ruffled like peplum at the bottom. She went downstairs as Airon put on a pair of black, white, and gray colored leggings with a pair of short black boots that ruffled at the top and had a bow near the foot. Airon played by herself in the living room. The doorbell rang.

“I’m going to get it, Mom,” she called.

“Alright,” replied Isabella, as she sat at the dining room table. She had a clear view of Airon.

Airon opened the door. She froze. Isabella saw her kneel down and then scream. “He’s hurt!”

Isabella got there first. It was Alzerion lying there on the front porch.

“How bad is it?” Daniel probed as he got there.

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