This tribal fairytale is dedicated to the Mall Rats. Thank you for letting me join, thank you for keeping the dream alive 
@Amber @Ash @Bray @Danni @Jack @Catha @MallRatMatt @Patsy @Prometheus @Trudy (I know there are some others, but we havenât come across till nowâŚ)
Character-list:
In town:
Princess Brady : the princess discovers the truth on her eighteenth birthday and has to decide for her own life
The guardian : The priest wants to full-fill his own will, claiming still to hear ZOOT
Master Luke : the princessâ teacher
Tina(Martina) : the princessâ maid
Sword : the princessâ bodyguard
several Chosen and servants
In the woods:
Bray and Amber : leaders of the on going rebellion against the Chosen
Hawk : closest friend to Bray and Amber, leader of the GAIANS
Gaia : medicine woman of the GAIANS, Hawks wife
Kilian : Brays and Amber first born son, now 16
Faith : sister of Kilian, Brays and Ambers daughter, now 12
Quinn : Brays and Ambers second son, brother to Kilian and Faith. Only six months old
Nathan : adopted son of Bray and Amber, adopted brother to Kilian, Faith and Quinn, now 18
Orion : son of Hawk and Gaia, Kilians love
Lex : friend of Bray and Amber, Mall Rat, leader of the security for the children
Tai-San : his wife, good friend of Gaia, medicine woman too
Mai-Lan : their daughter, now 13
Ryan : Mall Rat, guard
Salene : Mall Rat, teacher , his wife
Bastian : their son, now 14
May : Mall Rat, spy in the city
KC : Mall Rat, spy in the city
Pride : GAIAN, teacher for nature
Mariana : his wife
Archie and Rory: their mixed twins, now 6
Alice : Mall Rat, lives on her old farm, food resources
Scott: her husband
Matthew : called Matt, their 13 year old son
Cloe : Mall Rat, lives on the farm too, pregnant
Phil : her husband
Patsy : their first born child, 5 years
Jack: Mall Rat, chief of intercommunication between the rebel outposts.
Ellie : Mall Rat, his wife , teacher, chronist of the rebellion
Joel : their son, now 8
Kylie : their daughter, now 6
several other ECOS
The princess who chased the chaos away
Once upon a time â for that is how a good fairytale starts â lived a princess in a world very much like ours. To the same time this world was as different from that you and me grew up in, as you are able to imagine.
This princess didnât live in an impressive castle, she didnât wear a crown, she wasnât even born to a king or a queen. No, her parents had been lost young people, trying to survive in a world after all adults had died because of an aggressive virus. The princessâ father had been something like a tyrant about the city he lived in. He had collected strong people around him, using them as warriors to suppress the other youths of town. Her mother was the girl he loved in school. One fateful night , after a ball â just like a fairytale would like you to dream of - had been enough to give live to the princess.
Trudy â that was the name of her mother â couldnât stand the human her boyfriend had become and ran away, searching help in the older brother of the self-crowned king of the city. Together they had found shelter within a group of mixed youths. The princess had been born in the home of the group that called themselves Mall Rats later on. They called themselves like that, for their home was an old shopping mall.
When the girl had been only a few days old her father had followed his brothers pleads one night to meet her mother within the mall. Her father had first doubted, but then he had held her. But they had been discovered and in a fight â the habitants of the mall all feared her father â it happened that her father died.
Given that she was so small then, she had never missed him. All members of the tribe helped her mother in caring for her. But one day a priest appeared, him and his followers believed her father to be a god.
It didnât take long till the city was taken over by them. The baby girl had become the middle point of their religious cult. The divine child should be their future queen. That was why the girl was a princess. Her mother had one day, when the girl was still a baby, already been called high up into heaven to be reunited with her father. The priest told her later, she had to grow up without her parents to become strong for the future. To become a warrior queen.
Her uncle had denied joining in right at once and ever since he was in a rebellion against the CHOSEN and her people. Him, his wife and the rest of the Mall Rats denied her father being a god. The priest â called the Guardian â had managed to hold the mall and the city for sixteen years now. Her uncle held reign about the surrounding woods. His children about to follow in their fathers footsteps.
Our fairytale starts on the day of the eighteenth birthday of the princess :
While the sun was slowly raising into the blue sky the princess woke up in her room. She stretched her arms above her head with a yawn. Her long brown hair fell down in cascading waves over her back. Golden braids weaved in by her maid sparkled in the sunlight, little pearls and crystals shimmered softly in it. Her brown eyes fell at once at the magnificent robe dress that waited to be worn for her coronation today. At once she hopped out of the bed, dancing through the room. âI am an adultâŚno commands more for me! YAY!â She wriggled her hips in a way that would let the Guardian tell her off at once. The priest was ultra conservative and didnât approve of any fun at all. But soon this would be her kingdom and he would have to step back and accept that the queen approved of fun very much.
Her door opened and her maid walked in, carrying a tray with her breakfast. âGood morning princessâŚâ She bowed a little. âAnd all the best for your special birthday!â âOh come in Tina and let the stiffness outsideâŚâ The princess pulled her in, took the tray from her and whirled around with her. The maid laughed âPrincessâŚyou are quiet happy I seeâŚâ âWhy do you call me princess? The door is closed!â When alone her maid called her by her birth name. More being a friend to her then a servant. Tina was one of the first âbornâ Chosen and therefore had a name that originated in her father birth name. But the girl disliked Martina, something the princess could understand and so she was mostly called Tina. âIt is not appropriate any more nowâŚyouâre eighteenâŚâ âOh please TinaâŚyouâre only a bit younger then meâŚpleaseâŚif you start to be stiff and absolute correct all the timeâŚâ She took her maids hands. âPleaseâŚsay you still are my friend! Not only an admiring servant!?â âIâŚprincessâŚif any one hears meâŚcalling you your nameâŚâ âWhat should happen?â âThe guardianâŚâ Setting on a snobbish face the young queen- to- be , looked at her. âIn some hours time I make the rules here. My word will be the law! And if I want my maid to call me my nameâŚâ Tina smiled, making a curtsey âAs you wish your majestyâŚsoâŚhappy birthday BradyâŚâ
Meanwhile in the woods life had already started for the young people close the age of the princess. Their life was way different to hers. No servants. None bowing them. Everyone had chores, event he children had duties. But different then in the mall, here everywhere was laughter, loud voices, sometimes discussions.
A young girl with Zulu knots in which bopped many colourful feathers, sneaked up to the man who sat in silence on the river. His eyes were closed, his breathing relaxed. She knew he probably was trying to mediate, having some moments alone. But she loved so much to play tricks on him.
The man grinned, feeling the moving behind him. When the girl was close lifting her hands up, holding a cup of water, he grabbed her arms and threw her over him, right into his arms. She giggled. âDAAAD! HihiâŚlet go!â She wriggled under his tickling fingers. âNo complaintsâŚyou wanted to bath meâŚyou deserve some good ticklingâŚâ âDaddyâŚdaddy let me go!â âNo use for the âdaddyâ voiceâŚI am not falling for your little girl charm any moreâŚâ She shrieked with laughter, till there was a shout from their hut. Both jumped up at once, both the same guarded expression on the face. But it was only his wife shouting at their older sons.
âKILIAN! NATHAN! Stop it now! STOP THAT OR YOUâLL FACE YOUR FATHER!â The two young men held each other in a headlock, each trying to win about the other. âOhoh!â The girl looked wide eyed, just like her father. His sons were usually the best of friends, always sticking off for each other. People around looked confused at the fighting guys too. âLIAN! Get off him!â Another guy tried to pull them apart, but seemed not to manage to grab them for real. The leader of the rebellion shook his head short to get clear in a way and ran then up. He grabbed each into the neck âHEY! HEY STOP IT NOW YOU TWO BESERKS!â He knocked their head to each other, what made both recoil with a groan.
âOUCH Daaaad!â âYeah OUCH is all you deserveâŚwhat the hell got into you!?â Angry he looked at the older guy. âNATHAN?â âYou tell him Kilian or should I?â âThere is nothingâŚdadâŚjust brothers quarrelâŚâ âBrothers quarrel? Donât give me such a lousy explanation! My sons brawling around! NathanâŚyou tell me NOW!â âHe wanted to goâŚlook! He wears his bow and all of itâŚhe wanted to go into the city! Should I have let him?â The leader looked at his other son. Their eyes were almost the same. âKilian? Say something!â âIâŚit it notâŚI wasnâtâŚâ âSo you say Nathan is lying?â Kilian looked at his brother, who looked earnestly back. They were only two years apart and trusted each other deeply. Nathan would never lie about Kilian and Kilian wouldnât lie about him, even if he knew he would make his father beyond angry with telling him that Nathan told the truth.
The leader looked from one another, in their eyes he saw that none wanted the other to get into trouble with him. And besides his anger now, it warmed him from head to toe. It wasnât so very normal that they were so close. Nathan with his dark long hair, dark eyes and tanned skin, Kilian looking so much like the leader himself with brown hair and the ocean eyes. The brothers looking so different had reason in that Nathan wasnât the biological child of the couple, but an orphan from Maori decent. The leader had found him one day in the wood. No one knew what happened to his family, but they all assumed they had been Chosen victims. His own son had been only half a year then, but his wife and him had fallen in love with the cute little toddler at once and raised him like their own from then on.
âOkayâŚyes okayâŚso I was planning to go into the cityâŚâ âKILIAN!â His mother looked shocked at him. âDonât start even dadâŚI know you want to go there tooâŚitâs her coronationâŚthey will all be out and aboutâŚit will be the perfect opportunity to do itâŚâ The leader grabbed his sons arms hard. âWhat for? To shoot the guardian? With like a billions of guards? What if you hit her? What if you hit someone innocent?â âWhy do you care if I hit her? She is their princess! She will be called their queen from today on! She was raised from them dad! Brady is lost to usâŚwe canât go on forever like thisâŚdo you want my little brother to grow up in constant fights too? Brady doesnât care about usâŚwhy should we care for her?â His eyes going small the leader took away the bow from his sonâs shoulder. âYouâve got no idea at allâŚyou were lucky having a loving family, caring parentsâŚyouâve got so much more then she ever had. Are you asking me to go and murder my own niece? Could you live with the knowledge your father murdered a girl who had no own doing to the use she was put to? Brady was never free to chose. I failed to get her into safety. I know you donât understand that nowâŚbut it is not only killing the Guardian or her. If they are gone that doesnât mean the Chosen fall at once. There is more to changing the world then just doing one little thing. If the leaders of the Chosen are killed or whateverâŚdo you think all those who are brainwashed, those who even grown up with their ideology like the children born in the last sixteen yearsâŚjust are normal then? There will be a new vacuum, asking someone to step in againâŚyouâre sixteen years oldâŚâ âAS OLD AS YOU WERE WHEN YOU BECAME THE LEADER AND SEARCHED THE ANTIDOTE!â âYES AND I WAS JUST SUCH A SMALL MINDED DREAMER LIKE YOU ARE NOW! THINKING I COULD SAVE THE WORLD! IF I WOULD HAVE BEEN MORE THE LEADER I AM NOW. THE CHOSEN WOULD HAVE NEVER COME SO FAR! I DIDNâT ACT THE RIGHT WAY. IF I WOULD HAVE TAKEN THE HARD DECISION AND SAVED TRUDY AND BRADY INSTEAD OF LEXâŚâ Kilian stepped back from his father, his eyes full of hurt.
âBrayâŚâ his wife touched his arm and the leader saw that his old comrade Lex was looking at him from the side. The one held up his hands âNo bad feelingsâŚâ Bray breathed one time. âLianâŚâ he used his sons nickname. He grabbed him on the shoulders âI amâŚsorry. OnlyâŚonlyâŚdoing such a actâŚgoing and plan to kill someoneâŚyouâre my beloved sonâŚshould I watch you become an angry violent man? Someone who easily kills? Would you want me to be such a man, for real?â Kilian shook his head. âNoâŚbutâŚbut I heard you and mom tonightâŚyou spoke about itâŚand soâŚsoâŚâ The leader sighed. âDear meâŚwe were talking theoretical about our optionsâŚyour mom is my best friend, my fiercest critic, my best adviser. I speak about just everything with her.â âBut it sounded likeâŚâ âSo you wantedâŚto do it yourself so I wouldnât do it?â His son shrugged helpless. âI know you would never be able to live with itâŚI want my siblings to have a full hearted man for a dad. Not one with a broken heartâŚâ Kilian gasped when his father hugged him tightly. âYou donât have to fight my fightsâŚâ He grabbed his chin and held it strongly, looking intently in the young manâs eyes. âThere is a meeting in two days. We will indeed soon strike in a way. I guess there will be changes with Brady taking reign. It might be our real chance to get hold over the city again. But NOT today. Today everyone will expect usâŚtoday there will be more guard then ever. Nathan and youâŚyou will join the meeting thenâŚâ âMe too?â At once his son looked like he had always done as little boy.
Nathan would be welcomed into the meeting for he had turned eighteen just a week ago. But usually no one under eighteen was allowed in battle tactic talks. âYesâŚyou remembered me that doing nothingâŚsitting back and waitingâŚjust doesnât run in your blood. We should probably more look at a personality alone then on the simple age. Your mother and me had a lot of responsibility in your age too. Why shouldnât you be able to carry some more? I trust you to take the right decisions! And after allâŚI was only told today what a superb fighter and chaser you areâŚâ Kilian beamed and looked then at his mother. âAndâŚyou mom?â âI trust your father to have an eye on youâŚso I will agreeâŚâ âGREAT!â He hugged both his parents and then just hugged Nathan tightly âSorry manâŚâ âItâs okayâŚâ Nathan hugged him back. âIt is what big brothers doâŚlook out for the younger onesâŚâ
âYes and because of that you bothâŚyou now look after your sister and your baby brother so that your father and me can have finally some lunch!â Their mother told them giving them a look that clearly told them to better not argue.
âI really think it is better when he can be in the rebellion for realâŚâ He told her silently, taking her hand. Their sons had sat down with Faith and their baby brother Quinn â safely tucked in a little basket- on one of the cooking fires. âI knowâŚheâs got a hot heartâŚâ âHmmâŚI fear he has some of the impatience my brother hadâŚâ He embraced her tightly âNothing will happen to our boysâŚthey are a good teamâŚâ âHmmmâŚoh I can understand him so good BrayâŚI wish we could get Brady out of thereâŚI am scared that when she takes over for realâŚshe will be too far in the darkness to reach her ever againâŚand that would mean to fail TrudyâŚâ He held his wife when she hid her face on his chest. âI knowâŚwe have to hopeâŚâ
In the mall the princess sat , dressed up in her beautiful dress robe, her hair curled up in big waves. Her maid had fashioned up a beautiful pattern of shimmering crystals around her eyes. âYour majestyâŚâ a blue haired man bowed deeply to her. âMaster LukeâŚlast check if I am ready?â The master smiled warmly. âNoâŚI know you are prepared. I only want to wish you happy birthday andâŚâ He sat down, the smile vanishing from his lips he grabbed her hands. âPrincessâŚwhat I tell you nowâŚyou must never let any one here know I told you. Not even the GuardianâŚâ âExcuse me?â âBradyâŚâ the master never used her name to her, he always showed the deepest respect to her title. It intrigued her that he spoke so differently now. âI will listenâŚâ she told him and the man took a deep breath. âYour motherâŚwhat the guardian told youâŚthe official story about her being called to join your father to sit beside him on a throneâŚâ âYes?â âIt is a lie Brady. I know that for I was there. Back when we started here in the mall. Your mother âŚshe never believed in ZOOT being a god. The only reason she stayed with the CHOSEN was you. With timeâŚshe was brainwashed. But even then she never was just a follower. She was fierce and tried to get into a better position. She tried everything to ensure you a safe status. A girl named Tai-SanâŚone of the Mall Rats who were held captive here in that time, tried to charm up the Guardian to that time. Your mother tried to work against it, tried to open the Guardians eyes. But he was just angry and ordered her to be executed. IâŚI couldnât watch this happening. He had told us she was a holy womanâŚhe had told us how she had been the one in the mighty ones heartâŚand she was your mother. I couldnât accept that a mother should be burntâŚI contacted the rebelsâŚyour uncle came and tried to get you both awayâŚbut I couldnât give you upâŚI only disagreed to let your mother be executed, but not with you being our gods daughter. Your mother wouldnât leave. She told your uncle to leave and when he didnât budgeâŚshe even sent guards after himâŚshe went silently back to her roomâŚI left her with youâŚlet her held you all through the night. I suffered a hard punishment for the Guardian because of that later. The next dayâŚyour motherâŚyour mother faced death. She was burnt on a pire, just like the Guardian had wanted to burn your uncle months before. Your uncle was there hidden beneath some rocks, there were too many guards and he was all alone. I guess none of the other rebels really saw a reason to rescue the supreme mother who had betrayed them after all. After that âŚI met him. He made me swear I would protect you the best I could. And even when he despised the whole Chosen idea, he trusted me with your life. And I think I did wellâŚâ
âWhyâŚwhy do youâŚ? Youâre lying!â She flared up, her eyes full of anger. âHOW DARE YOU LYING TO YOUR PRINCESS? TO YOUR FUTURE QUEEN?â He held her gaze when she slapped him hard. âYouâve got your mothers temperamentâŚâ he smiled ruefully. âBut I am not lying princessâŚyour mother wasnât called to your fathers sideâŚâ âAre you really telling meâŚall those storiesâŚeverything the Guardian saysâŚare lies? That my fatherâŚnever speaks to him?â âBradyâŚthink for realâŚif ZOOT would be a god speaking to the guardianâŚwhy wouldnât he speak to you? You his own flesh and blood?â âSo you literally come telling me that all I ever believed is a lieâŚthat you never believed in the CHOSENâŚthat you are a traitor to the course?â Her face was a mask of ice, but her eyes spread with a fury that the master knew would be able to burn the whole city down.
The young woman wasnât aware that she possessed the same charisma her father and uncle had. Her uncle had always been leaded by light, while her father had turned to darkness. The princess own path was undecided still. Kneeling down to her he took her hands. âMy princessâŚI stayed for your sakeâŚI was disenchanted right the moment your mother faced deathâŚI swore to her and to your uncle I would play my role and I did. I saw you grow up in a strong minded woman. You already take your own decisions. There are things you want to changeâŚyou are my hope that the whole CHOSEN cult can change indeed in some decent way. If you become the good queen you are able to beâŚyou can unite the different sidesâŚtogether with your uncle and cousins you can lead all of us in an era of true wealth and peaceâŚyou have to know the truth. You have to see the Guardian as the mislead person he is. A person who has no problem with killing off people just for they have a different sight on life.â âLeave me nowâŚâ She whispered, pulling her hands from his. âPrincess?â âLEAVE!â She screamed and smashed the door into his face after pushing him out. With a sob she fell down into the big throne like chair.
âPrincess? Brady? I move something under your doorâŚpleaseâŚread and dispose it afterwards? It is all I ask you tooâŚpleaseâŚâ He put the envelope through, hoping he hadnât lost the young woman.
Full of sorrow the master made his way from the princess room. âLuke?â âGuardian?â âWhere you in Bradyâs room? Didnât I say she has to be in silence before the ceremony?â âYes you didâŚand the princess follows it. I only had to check a last time if she is able to recite her oathâŚâ âAh yesâŚgood thinking. Everything should be perfect todayâŚâ The Guardian nestled on his own collar. He wore a golden coat and dress. All in all the mighty priest. âLukeâŚthe princessâŚshe is intelligent or?â âYesâŚshe is as well educated as we are able to ensure in our worldâŚâ âI mean intelligenceâŚnot knowledgeâŚI mean she is able to realise necessary measuresâŚshe is able to use her intelligence above her heart?â âIâŚI guess soâŚ?!â âGoodâŚshe can control herself better then her mother could?â âIn a wayâŚsheâŚwhy you ask that? There will be no need for her to control herself too muchâŚshe will be the queen. She makes the rules. If anyone steps out of line he or she will face wrath. There wonât be tantrums from her because she is the one making the lawsâŚâ âIn a wayâŚyes. But a wife throwing tantrumsâŚyou knowâŚthatâs no pleasure for a husbandâŚâ âHus-husband?â Confused the master stared at his leader.
âLuke I just had a talk with the mighty oneâŚhe thinks his daughter needs a man on her sideâŚyou knowâŚthe balance of male and femaleâŚying and yang. He knows his daughter feels pity with people, what is okay when living in peace. But we mustnât forget the rebels are still active. There needs to be hard hand tooâŚâ âButâŚbut whoâŚI meanâŚwhat man would be worthâŚ?â âIt was a surprise for me tooâŚbut the mighty one choose oneâŚâ With a bad feeling the master asked silently. âWho?â âDo you really need to ask that?â Master Luke swallowed. âButâŚyouâŚyou are sworn to be abstinent!â âIndeedâŚthat is why my priesthood will end today. For of course the princess and me will have the duty to continue with holy bloodline. You will then rise up and take over from meâŚâ âME?!â âYes youâŚwho would be more able? I trust youâŚshe trusts youâŚyour first official act will be to lead our weddingâŚso you better prepare yourself like I do nowâŚâ
Unable to move the master stared after him. Just when he had thought the dark times were ending, it seemed to become even darker. Balling his fist he knew he couldnât let that happen. He rushed out, with only and hour left he hurried through the streets trying to find the spies.
Unknowing all of that the princess sat in her room. Her tears had dried for now while she looked through the only things she had left from her parents. A hat with goggles her father had worn in his days of ZOOT and a piece of the supreme mother robe of her mother Trudy. Nothing more. No memories for real. She took hold of the envelope. She could just and simple threw it away, but then again she was longing for some hold. There were two sheets of paper. One looked like torn out hastily from an old book. The backside was written on.
â My beloved baby,
if you read this letter Luke has held the promise he gave me. You will be eighteen now. Happy
birthday my sweetheart. I know the story he told you will probably have shaken your world. Believe me I know about that. When your grandparents died and I was left alone, pregnant in that new terrible world, my world was shattered around me. I struggled hard, but after a whileâŚwhen I had get used to being a motherâŚyou became all that is good to me. Because of you I lived with the Chosen, I betrayed my tribe, your uncle who has always been so good to usâŚonly to see you again. I didnât always good thingsâŚbut I did them out of love to you. I sacrificed my soul for you and I donât regret it a moment. I couldnât just leave with your uncle and leave you behind. I had to take matters with Luke. I had to make him promise. I had to write this letter to you. I had to hold you a last long night.
Brady you must be strong, you must be stronger then I ever was. Donât let yourself be blinded by promises of power. Look behind it. See the humans sufferings. I canât give you a real advice, unknowing how the world will really be. I also hope your uncle might succeed and you never grow up within the ChosenâŚbut for the possibility that this wish doesnât come trueâŚlisten to your heart. Follow it even if the path seems to hard to take. And trust your uncleâŚno matter what the Guardian told you for lies about BrayâŚhe is the one person in this world who really knew your father and who really loved himâŚ
I am sorry my girlâŚso sorry for all of it. But be sureâŚyou are the best in my life. I love you and will watch you all your lifeâŚ
I wish I could hold you in my arms foreverâŚbut insteadâŚI have to let you go and hope it will turn out good for you in the end. I will be the wind that dances around you, I will be in the sunlight that struggles your skin, I will be in the rain drops that clean away the dust of a long day. I will be with you where-ever life takes you my girl.
With love, mom*
The princess sobbed, pressing the letter to herself. But she had awareness that her time was running up and stroke the tears away to unfold the second sheet. That paper looked newer, cleaner.
*Dear Brady,
I hope that letter reaches you. The last sixteen years there hasnât been anything I regretted more then not being able to free you out of the prison you live in. My hope is now that you will change the Chosen. Luke ensured me you are of different stuff then the Guardian thinks. Your father would have never let himself be ruled by that maniac. ZOOT was a warrior, he could be really cruel. But he was open about it. He was honest. He had honour. Not like that man who tries to tell the world my dead brother talks to him. You have to realiseâŚthat way he brushes off all his own cruelty. He apologizes kind of for being cruel, by telling the world he only does what ZOOT tells him. He never takes the responsibility for his own decisions.
Please BradyâŚI know it must be scary to face a change. I know you will ask yourself why you should trust me more then the man who raised you in a way. I only can sayâŚeven when my own life has been full of love from my own family the last yearsâŚeven when we were mostly truly happyâŚthere always came those momentsâŚwhen I thought of my little niece âŚand then I wanted to run and tore the mall apart, getting you into safety. But you must know nowâŚthere is another reason why you had to stay in the mallâŚbut that is something to tell you face to face I guess.
I will be there. We will have peace if you only want it. And your family will greet you with open arms. I loved your father, I loved your mother and I love you. No matter that we do not know each other for real. Take care my beloved nieceâŚ
With hope, your uncle Bray*
Inside were battered old photographies. One of two young boys, a caption said. âYour father and me when we were ten and eightâ another showed a teenage couple, dressed up fine. âYour father and your mother on the night of the school danceâ and one pale Polaroid, obviously don with one of those left over vehicles of the old world. It showed a family. âOur â your family-â She stared at the picture of a good looking couple, blazing with happiness, two young man aside them, a teenage girl
and a new born baby. âCan I really meet you all? In peace? Can we be a family?â She stroke over the picture, her heart yearning at once to meet them. How often had she wondered about it. Why her family wasnât beside her. Why her uncle denied her fathers reign. The Guardian had always told her that Bray had stolen her mother in the first place, that he had held her captured and the Chosen had to free her. But those letters nowâŚ?
Well the more reason she had now to become queen. Then she would be able to find out everything. Like Luke had told her she burnt the letters up, but stuck the pictures into her little bag. Then she refreshed herself and right in time left her room. It would be now some praying asked of her before she would be called to the coronation stage.
The hooded woman breathed with relief when she found her male comrade in one of the bars on the harbour. âKC!â she hissed what made him follow her into a dark corner. âMayâŚwhatâs the matter? Missed me?â He gave her a charming smile, but the woman only rolled her eyes. âHow often do we have to play that little guy? You and me? Not gonna happen!â âHate to break it to youâŚbut it already happened.â âWe were both drunkâŚthat doesnât really countâŚâ âMayâŚto ME it means somethingâŚand I know you feel more for me too!â He was quiet confident, but he could be, handsome as he had turned out to be. âI am still too old to be with you!â âThat was maybe of interest when I was thirteen and you sixteenâŚbut now? Youâre thirty- two and I am twenty â nineâŚno one will be saying anything to that!â Choosing to ignore his logic the female spy looked short around âListenâŚthis is about BradyâŚâ âWhatâs with her? Do you want to give her a present or what?!â âI canât understand how you can be so hard about her! She was a baby when she got in their handsâŚYOU acted the freaking oracle!â âThatâs my pointâŚI ACTEDâŚshe IS their lovely princessâŚâ âWellâŚthe lovely princess wonât have such a lovely prince I fearâŚâ âWhat do you mean?â âLuke just told meâŚthe Guardian plans to marry her!â âHe what? Damn itâŚthat will do it for BrayâŚthat will mean war!â âYesâŚLuke pleaded with meâŚbut I told him I wonât be able to alarm them nowâŚnot on such short noticeâŚyou donât know if any of the rebels runs around?â âNot that I would be awareâŚBray permitted them to come to the city todayâŚand right he was. Way too many guards!â âThen we can only hope on a wonderâŚâ âLuckily that is my second name!â
The spies turned their heads, staring right at the rebellion leaders son. âKilian?!â âYou idiot!â
âNATHAN?!â the three shouted, each then covering their mouth. The older guy stepped closer, pulling down his hood. He grabbed his younger brothers cape âI know you better then anyone elseâŚsaying something about going to huntâŚtsâŚgood I followed you! Youâll come back with me now and if we are lucky our parents donât notice anything!â âBut Nathan! I canât let that happenâŚBrady is only eighteenâŚthat man isâŚwhatâŚthirty four?!â âSuddenly you care? You just told dad there is nothing to hope on her!â âIâŚokay I said that in frustrationâŚshe is my cousinâŚand dad hopes she can be the change. But she will never be free to choose with that bastardâŚand imagineâŚif they get children! Our family will be related to him! Dad will go beserk! If he hears that nowâŚway too late to do somethingâŚâ Nathan eyed his brother with worry. âYouâre rightâŚokayâŚokayâŚsoâŚthenâŚMay, KCâŚlead usâŚwe willâŚsafe her!â âSafe her? How do you want to do that?â âThat is our worry not yours!â Nathan told in a voice that let them know he wouldnât take a ânoâ from them. Even when he wasnât Brays biological son, he had taken on all the authority his father had gained over the last sixteen years. While Kilian looked like he was their fathers younger brother, Nathan was Bray through and through in his behaviour.
Together the brothers were a team that no one dared to challenge, no matter their age. âOkayâŚbut it will be your heads!â KC grunted to them, leading them to the hidden passages.
âYou want to what?â The princess stared in shocked perplexion at the priest. âItâs not my wanting that counts here BradyâŚit is your fathers wish that you have a worthy man on your sideâŚthink of the duty to lead on the bloodlineâŚâ âAnd my father choose you? A man as double as old as me? Sure NOT!â She stepped her foot hard on the floor. âI am just becoming queenâŚI am just eighteenâŚtaking over reign is enough change in my life. On no account I will also become a wife alreadyâŚand the more worseâŚa mother! Its years time for that! And you are the priestâŚwho should take the spiritual lead?â âMaster Luke will take that BradyâŚâ âI donât recall we both are on the matters of first namesâŚyou will call me princess like I call you Guardian!â Her voice had a certain commanding tone to it. She had been taught all her life that she held a special and unique position and that people had to respect her to all times. âBut you will soon be my wifeâŚâ âI WONâT!â âSO YOU ARE DENYING THE MIGHTY ONES WISH? ARE YOU SAYING THAT OUR GOD, YOUR FATHER, TOOK THE WRONG DECISION?â The princess stepped back, looking at her teacher who stood in the back, looking sorrowful. He had no chance to warn her. And in his eyes she saw the hopelessness.
âIâŚâ âRememberâŚit is me who makes you the queenâŚbut if you act that selfishly I might come to the conclusion that you arenât that far alreadyâŚI might postpone your coronationâŚI might think of not granting your wish!â Horrorfied she looked at him. âNO! You promised!â For her coronation she had made him promise to let go fifty slaves. âWell⌠and you promised to never doubt ZOOT!â âI am not doubting him! I onlyâŚonlyâŚâ âGuardian?â Master Luke spoke silently. âIt is only overwhelming herâŚshe is so youngâŚshe is pureâŚof course she is scared at the prospectâŚâ âYou think? But silly girlâŚâ He stroke her cheek and she fought against her will to slap him away. âWe are even on being pureâŚI might have more experience in matters of lifeâŚbut not in the life of two humans together. We have to trust our god and keep faith.â He smiled a sick smile. âAndâŚto make it sweeter for youâŚwhat would you say if I double up the people who will be set free?â âYou will let go hundred slaves?â âYesâŚâ âAnd you swearâŚI will have a say in the future too? It is not likeâŚI become your queen and you the king and take all the decisions now? I am not only the one being used as a breeding machine?â âBradyâŚyou are ZOOTâs daughter! You are a goddess on earth. Your body is holy to me. I will hail you. Nothing will happen that you donât want!â After a long look at master Luke she finally nodded. âOkay âŚâ Master Luke closed his eyes seeing the triumphant expression in the crazy guys eyes, when the young princess reached him her hand.
Facing an excited crowd the princess stared into the far. She couldnât look right into anyone faces, scared tears might escape for real. âWelcome to the day we all waited so yearningly forâŚthe coronation of ZOOTâs daughterâŚfinally the holy blood will reign us again! Finally Brady will take power and lead the chaos to its greatest!â A moment it was dead silent and she got aware that everyone was looking at her. âPrincess?!â The gleam in the Guardians eyes let her freeze. She had never been afraid of him, for he had always been just so adoring her. But now it seemed like he was someone else. Not the high idealising priest, but a hidden monster that she soon would have to share a bed with. Her eyes met those of her maid. Tina looked worried and confused, crossing her arms in front. Moving into action at once the princess lifted her arms, crossed them above her head and chanted the well trained âPower& ChaosâŚâ People chanted back. Was she so confused already or where most people not saying it from the heart? The words suddenly sounded empty.
Then there was suddenly smoke and paniked shrieks. âGuardian? What is going on?â âDonât knowâŚSWORD!â he screamed for her bodyguard. âTake the princess awayâŚâ Thinking that it was Swords hand who grabbed hers, the princess only was able to take hold of her maids hand to pull her with her. Coughing the girls followed the guy, but the princess stopped when there were suddenly three other people too. âWho are you? Where is SWORD?!â âYou mean that ugly giant? Knocked out âŚmy little brother has quiet a hard knock!â
âI KNOW YOU!â She gasped. âYouâre one ofâŚyou areâŚBrayâsâŚson? Did he sent you?â Taken aback the guy stared at her. âYou know how we look?â âPrincessâŚwhat isâŚwhat is going on here?â Her maid pressed herself between the princess and the guy. âI hold him off princessâŚrun!â âDonât be foolish!â The woman that was among them hissed. âDo you want your princess to marry the crazy priest?!â âWhat?â The other older guy with them sighed. âGuysâŚcan we have the saying hello ceremony once we are out of here?â âTrueâŚcomeâŚâ She stood rotted to the spot when the younger guy took her hand. âI am going no whereâŚâ âFINE!â The guy hissed. âHere you are KilianâŚtryâŚshe is your blood after all!â The guy named Kilian grinned a bit. âCareful dear cousinâŚI pissed Nate off quiet a lot todayâŚyou better be a nice girlâŚâ âNate?â âNathan for youâŚâ he snarled a bit and she stuck her nose up in the air. âThen its princess for you then!â The woman with them chuckled âShe has a lot from Trudy obviously!â âYou knew my mom?â The princess seemed to soften right at once. âKC and me knew herâŚwhere we are going many knew herâŚwe all know You too BradyâŚwe all held you when you were a babyâŚâ The older guy weighed his head âMe notâŚTrudy wouldnât trust me with her babyâŚwhatâŚermâŚwas probably wiseâŚâ âcan we hurry on now or do you want to make some tea and biscuits?â Nate snarled again. âMan what has bitten you today?â KC shook his head, but said then âBut lets goâŚBray is going to behead May and me if we lose his precious sons!â Both young men made a âHEY!â shout, obviously pissed for being spoken about like some little boys. The princess and Tina grabbed each others hand and were then leaded through the dark tunnels all under the city till they finally came out somewhere in the woods.
âSo thatâs how the rebels always succeed to come inâŚâ the princess mused loudly. âThe Guardian always went in rages when you had again succeeded to ruin some resourcesâŚhe was always wonderingâŚâ She shook her head. âAnd he never thought about looking underground?â There was anger in her voice. âSuch a foolâŚit is really time he steps backâŚts!â âWell wanna go back and say âyesâ to him then?â She ignored the question of Nate and ignored him all the way.
Nathan didnât know himself why he was so snappy towards her. But he couldnât stop flicking his eyes at the beautiful young woman. Why did she have such smooth long brown hair, such captivating eyes? She belonged to the family! He couldnât swarm for her. But Nathan wasnât inexperienced with girls. He knew that he felt drawn to her and it freaked him out. Out of all girls on this planet, he wanted just the one he shouldnât want?
âWhere are we here?â âIts the farm of Alice and EllieâŚold Mall Rats tooâŚAlice, her husband Scott and their son Matt live here. Cloe â also an old Mall Rat â her husband Phil and their daughter Patsy live here too. Those guys here help dad to keep the stomachs of all rebels full!â Kilian explained to her. âOkayâŚbut why did we go here? Donât you trust me to show me the rebel camp?â âErmâŚactuallyâŚâ Kilian stared a little around and Nate seemed to be looking around sheepish too. âYour father doesnât know what you did?! He doesnât know you probably activated a war by kidnapping the princess?â Tina sighed. Nathan rounded on her. âOh kidnapping? WellâŚso the princessâŚ" he noted the word dramatically ââŚactually wanted to marry the Guardian right then? Well thenâŚgoodbye you twoâŚthe city is over in that direction!â he pointed his thumb behind him, shrugging. âActuallyâŚâ princess Brady built herself up before him, poking her finger hard into his chest ââŚthe princess wants you to be more polite. There is no reason for you to be so snappy, especially not to my maid who is my best friend! Werenât you taught manners by your father?â
I am pleased to see Brady was rescued, the letter from Trudy was just beautiful by the way. Another fun, intriguing story achieved gurl! 
Who knowsâŚ