A Request

**Natalie POV**

Sent here. I was sent here to cut fruit. There is none? A maid misinformed me, I swear!
Jesus, my own lies sound fake in my own head. This life was not meant for me!
*Okay, just stick to the truth, maybe. Sir Ellice sent me with his humblest of apologies. Oh, this knife? Yes, I was cutting fruit for the celebration. We are welcoming you and Sir Trevor's return. I'm still freaking out, but at least I sound convincing now.*
The door flung open.
Princess Aileen stood tall, looking fierce. A tight hand in the pocket of her long delicate purple dress bunched in the shape of a fist. Her other hand lifted an apple to her pink-painted lips. Juice slipped off the fruit and trickled down her lilac-covered gloves. A distraction for whatever she was clutching under her dress pocket.
Her dark gaze shifted to my twitching, still holding the fruit knife. Why didn't I just throw the damn thing! That would have made the most sense!
Wait, she had a fruit!
"What are you doing here? I granted no one permission." One of her children poked his head out. Tiny hands grabbed at her elbow, nudging her down to him. "Go back inside this second." Not a shout, but full of authority and confidence. Like in the past, I couldn't help but admire those attributes.
"For your fruit." I held up my small dull knife, but she wasn't paying attention to the possible weapon.
Full of loathing, Aileen snarled, "Trevor's dead when I see him!"
Enraged, Aileen slapped the back of my head. The human could move almost as quickly as a demon filled with blood lust. As I ducked from her next blow, she changed trajectory, pulled back her fist, and tackled me. A flat hand shoved my forehead down, pinning me to the cool stones.
I kicked up, trying to fling her off me, but she held tight. Moving a hand around my body, I instantly tensed up. Diana used to toy with my curves right before humiliating or hurting me.
I have no mark binding me this time. I wasn't going to be tortured again!
As I prepared to strike back, a strange lightning sensation rippled around me. Both shades of purple biting away at my aura were fading.
Everything…cleared.
The purple was never mine.
Aileen was breathing heavily as she got to her feet. "Omission, redirecting, reaching into someone's mind; they are all the same. These tricks destroy people, yet idiots dare use them?" She gritted her teeth. "I'd suggest you tell me the absolute fecking truth about why you are here."
Gulping down bitter saliva, I rose to my feet. "The table knights. Umm, Sir Ellice and I don't remember the other's name. They are sorry for failing to protect their Princess. They fear for their King's judgment when involving his daughter. They beg for their Princess' forgiveness and understanding." I said robotically, too stunned by my colors reemerging.
A second freedom?
"That's the most I ever heard you talk. My brother would be jealous. You'll have to excuse me when I rub this in his smug face!" She quipped, showing me a million-dollar smile.
"As for Ellice and Bryant, I shall discuss the matter personally. No reason to involve my Father. He accepts zero failure. As if his men aren't human."
I caught myself authentically smiling with the Princess. Please, don't let this be a cruel performance.
"Ugh, tell me you aren't picturing dirty things with my brother. I'll barf right here." My face became blank once again as my veins iced over. Why wasn't my inner voice shouting at me for trusting her? "And the mask's back up."
Uncertain of what was wrong with me, I answered as basically and politely as possible. "Sorry, my Princess."
This only irritated Aileen further. "Some people belittle others to hide insecurities; others bully or act perfect. I know someone who pretends to be a Godsend but is really lonely, another with an ice barrier around his heart, one who used to follow all orders and act indifferent, and a girl who hid her trauma behind letters and arrogance. She trusts only those deemed her family. Then there's this sweet girl who hides her intelligence, thoughts, and opinions. She hides her real self despite how miserable it makes her. She, too, has trust issues."
It was hard to keep myself still. There was no doubting who the last girl she spoke of was.
"Come on, let's get to the banquet. You can sit where Lord Devon normally would as my guest."
Her face lit up, looking down at her children. “Shion, Kalum, it’s time to go!”
Two energetic children barreled straight at me, observing whether I was a threat or not. Determining if I was Robbie or Sporticus.
The shorter child had blonde hair, chubby cheeks, and ocean-blue eyes. A miniature Devon. The older one was his polar opposite. Black hair framed a sharp face. His skin was tanner, and the boy's eyes were gray and soul-piercing. A perfect mix of Aileen and Demon Lord Shiuku.
Lord Devon was in denial, convincing himself and this world Shion was his.
We all left Princess Aileen's wing of the castle. Shion leaped down the stairs taking several at a time. Kalum pulled on his Mom's skirts, silently pleading to be held. Tension filled the small gap between the Princess and me. I was sure she could sense my unease. I did not want her to mistake it for malice, so I handed her the fruit knife.
"Where did the music come from?" I chose to start a conversation to distract from my wavering intentions.
A bit too late. Aileen's hand went back into her hidden pocket. "I snagged a few DVDs and a battery-powered player. One of my suitcases was filled with nothing but long-lasting batteries. A much more thought-out plan than Trevor's cellphone and charger."
This time I completely forgot about her horrendous deeds. The veil lifted. "Trevor didn't realize a medieval-like dimension wouldn't have outlets! Ya know, I guess I can see that. He was probably super worried about coming here, ya know! Everything was so different, and he must have forgotten about the movies he watched about old castles, knights, dragons, and princesses. Or maybe he assumed this place would be like Shrek with random technology that made no sense in the time period. That would be rather cool. Combining technology from our time with the systems in place here! It would really be a challenge to convince the church these improvements aren't witchcraft, ya know, and then we could-"

Crap! I just started babbling! What was wrong with me all of a sudden? It has been years since I lost track of myself like that. Thanks to Diana, the girl I used to be was buried deep. Diana literally burned up that girl. So why was I acting a fool in front of Aileen again?

She brought a finger to her chin as if debating something serious. Did she remember the graveyard now? I'm sure the Princess hasn't met too many socially awkward people who don't know how to speak correctly.

Kalum poked her cheeks, unsure of his Mom's shift in demeanor. Ahead of us, Shion was hovering mid-air after missing a step. He gave a proud smirk seconds before falling on his face. It's hard to control power while gloating, especially when you're a toddler who can't handle it entirely yet. I did have to give the tike this. He was a prodigy.

Aileen ignored her fuming child and told me, "Trevor has his own mask. Not many can see through it. Everyone assumes he's a womanizing horn ball. But I've known him for most of my life. That's not him."

My ears perked up hearing Trevor's name. "Really?"

"Yeah, he acts all high and mighty, worse than some of the faces in Father's court. Unlike them, though, he is both charming and caring. In front of others, he'll brag, unfortunately including me, about his most recent conquest in bed or how handsome his designer jacket looks on him. However, if you ever saw him alone in his room back in the other dimension, you'd see a Disney movie on his T.V. He won't be watching for the goofy songs but for the happily ever after. He will never admit it publicly, but his goal in life is to have a family to welcome him home after a mission to protect the weak."
"Why tell me this?"
In front of us were two guards clad in blue. Their horns each had a raven engraved. They stood statue-still on either side of a giant metal door. Aileen pulled me back behind a corner.
"Several years ago, the day we rescued all of you, Trevor hasn't been the same. But he won't ask for help. Trevor thinks he always has to be happy. He assumes he has no right to complain about his life because of his great childhood. It's absurd. His mask is so thick, no one sees the real him anymore."
Before continuing, she took a shaky breath, "my brother is a great guy. I don't know why you are afraid of him."
A pause before adding, "I'm positive you've seen how Trevor can melt a girl with one look from those deep green eyes; imagine how irresistible he'll be to you when they shine."
"Why tell me this?" I repeated my question. She had no idea Trevor was my true love. Earlier today, I figured out he wasn't my enemy, and I had been foolish to push him away in fear. The real enemy stood a foot from me, acting innocent, defending him like a sister.
Her lips thinned, and her shoulders slumped like a giant brick had landed on them. "I don't know what you are hiding, and I don't trust you." She paused to glimpse her children, kicking the dust off the ground. Realizing they were safe, she acknowledged my question at last. "But I'm incapable of saving him from himself like he did me. Give Trevor a chance." In a hushed tone, she said again, "please."
A lone tear slipped down her cheeks. At that moment, the untouchable woman seemed fragile and desperate. The way she spoke of Trevor was full of love. Her pain seemed genuine.
No threats, no punishments, no orders; the Princess pleaded with me.
The monster princess then bowed deeply to me. Princess Aileen, who's hurt many, set her pride aside to request my help and shed tears.
"Bring my brother back."