Chapter 4 - Luka

(Alicia)

I’m trying my best to leave the palace unnoticed, but that plan quickly gets thwarted when I turn a corner and the patter of little feet rushing in my direction forces a halt to my escape.

“Lecia! Lecia! You’re here!” the adorable little voice rings out before I am assaulted by a tiny little body catapulting full tilt into mine. Luka. I hug him tightly – my favourite person in the entire world. Then my hug lingers as the surge of protectiveness rushes through me.

“Ow, Lecia. You squish!” he squeaks out and starts wriggling to get free. I let him go, dropping down to one knee so that I’m at his level. He grins at me now that he is free from my clutches.

“Hey buddy. Did you know I was coming?” I ask him, my suspicion confirmed as he nods eagerly. “Daddy said you will come.”

Yes, I bet Daddy dearest had strategically dropped that little nugget just to rub his threat in a bit more; make sure that I’m reminded of the rich tapestry of possibilities he could unleash on this innocent little boy if I don’t do his bidding.

I swallow past the lump in my throat, determined to push back those hot tears of anger and frustration.

Checkmate.

“Will you play with me?” Luka asks, and there’s no dimension in existence where I could refuse him.

“Of course, buddy. Where would you like to go?” I stand up and take his chubby little hand in mine. His grin splits his darling face as he looks up at me.

“Playroom! I have a new truck!”

I spend an hour playing pickup-trucks with Luka on the floor of the playroom, a room I never had the privilege of using when I grew up. Family pictures of all six of my golden-blonde siblings line the walls: a brash Daniel with his fighter jet, the twins Archer and Angus in cute dungarees, perfect Charmaine in all-white with flowers in her hands and hair, a serious Timothy stacking building blocks and a recent one of Luka and his favourite truck. No photo of me.

It doesn’t get to me anymore, not as much as it used to. But the anger rises again unwillingly when I think of my so-called father’s demand. I’m not part of the family unless it suits him. I want to scream at the walls and tear this perfect playroom to shreds and tell him where exactly he can stick his fucking order. But Luka’s giggles and big blue eyes and trusting hugs rip me back to that threat.

Think, Alicia, think! How do I get out of this one? I always have a plan, and a backup, and a backup for the backup. Think!

My mind goes back to Luka. Can I just take him and run? Get him away somewhere safe, make us both disappear? But truly disappearing with a kidnapped prince in a kingdom where everyone is kind of connected would take years of planning, which I don’t have.

Can I get a witch to put a protective spell on him? How much would that cost? And I’m fairly sure they can’t protect him from everything. Daddy dearest can be very creative in his torturing methods.

What if I go along with the whole wedding thing and then just ditch the groom at the earliest opportunity? It can’t be said that I didn’t do my duty then, can it? And who the heck am I supposed to marry, anyway?

I say goodbye to little Luka who looks like I’ve kicked him in the guts by doing that, but I need to get back home. I need to get out of this viper’s nest. And it is time for his afternoon nap.

“I’ll see you again soon, okay?” I say as I hug him one last time. “Remember, I love you lots and lots and lots!”

“Bye-bye Lecia. I love you too!”

With my heart clenching and mind spinning I hop into the chauffeured car that takes me back to my own space, far away from the Kingdom of Siannodel and its trappings. I wonder how late the naked ones I left this morning woke up. I wonder how I can get out of this marriage business without endangering Luka. I wonder if I should still get that pizza I wanted for lunch – only for dinner this time; the muesli bar only lasted that long. I wonder how I can kill my sperm-donor of a father and get away with it.