Letters

Camden

Camden arrived at the overcast gray docks, waving to Oliver. "Shipment come in today?"

"Sure did," Oliver sighed. "You sure she's gonna write to you? She's living it up with the pretty boys I bet you. She won't remember someone from the island."

Camden chuckled. He wasn't worried, not about Gisa. "I'm sure Oliver. Mail bag...?"

"Already got picked up. That way." Oliver pointed without looking, shaking his head.

Camden knew Oliver thought he was some lovesick kid about to experience a big heartbreak, but Gisa was different. He smiled as he thought back to their last night together. She'd given him all of her weapons. Even the bejeweled dagger she'd always sworn she'd bury before anyone else had it... he put a hand against his belt where it was securely sheathed.

The mail clerk rolled his eyes as Camden approached. "Letters for Camden?" He said sarcastically.

He only nodded. His chest was tight. Just as it was every day for the past few weeks. He hadn't gotten a letter yet, but he knew she was probably settling in, and that letters could take at least a week to get there.

"Well, well," the clerk said, "looks like this relationship with Gisa exists after all." He handed an off-white parchment envelope to Camden. "Now will you leave me be for at least a few days?"

Camden smirked, "wish I could, but not a chance." His heart soared as he raced home to read it. He didn't know if there was anything in the letter that he couldn't read here for fear of prying eyes. The five minute jog to his house felt like an hour.

He opened the letter as soon as his door shut behind him.

Dear Camden,

I miss you so very much. I almost hate to say it… but this has not been at all what I expected. I told you what my mother charged me with, the others also know as well. I am waiting for the Mother Guardian's Daughter to come back to me on whether or not she convinced her mother to let her use and train with the wand or whatever. Still no response. The people here are nice enough I suppose. Some people still need to be put in their place. They're blatantly rude and condescending. Just because their parents were the heroes and victims of their stories, doesn't mean their children are. Some of them are just as mean as the children of the island. I didn't think about that before, but it does make sense. Your parents don't determine who you are.

Camden nodded as he read the last line. Very true. Gisa knew it better than most people did also.

And, well, we're in trouble.

His heart stopped as he read the next line. Did they get caught plotting about the wand? If they only knew about the blood oath… Camden stopped himself short. If they knew, they'd lock the four of them up, they'd allow the four of them to go insane, to let that oath kill them. What had happened?

We were trying to help Emma, who had been called into a courtroom while I was gone. She was alone in a new place. And the Prince? I used to believe in him, but not anymore. I can't believe someone here could think we were different. He helped us get to the judicial building, but once we started to enact our plan, Ron said he waltzed right into the lobby. Exactly where he was not supposed to be. Jamison and I were trying to get to the courtroom where we, well it doesn't matter anymore. I don't know how the fire started, but we didn't do it. Somehow the building caught on fire. But the Prince, and everyone else it seems, think we did it. It makes no sense, Emma was rushed to the hospital because her lungs were so full of smoke. I burned my left leg badly enough that I can barely hobble. They're going to have another courtroom trial tomorrow. I will write as soon as I hear how it comes out. Camden I'm so worried they will just pin it on us because they can. We're the easy target.

Camden I'm worried. If they charge us with that, they'll throw us back here. And my mother… Camden I didn't say it, but if I come back having failed? Mother promised to kill me. And nobody on the Continent will believe it. They're all so blind. Don't they understand that whether they like us or not, we're still part of the same nation? I'm so sick of it. Camden, I wish we'd never left the island. You and I would still be together, and we could have had a life together. Now we're left to the mercy of the people who hate us for having done nothing other than being born on the wrong side of the barrier.

Camden sucked in a breath. No. He wouldn't let it happen. He got out a sheet of paper before finishing her letter. Orders to the gang. They were just as numerous as Audenzitios and her goons. They were younger, but they were feisty and ready to defend any member of that family until their last breath. Nobody would threaten them and get away with it. Especially not Gisa. Especially not her. He wrote down his orders. Protection orders. Threatening anyone who would help lead Audenzitios's men to their four fugitives and should they be sent back, he would hand the orders out to everyone in their jurisdiction.

Baby I'm so sorry it came out like this. I didn't mean for any of this to happen. And Emma isn't even my sister. Someone did some digging and called the court's attention to it. They had confirmation from a woman that filed her papers, birth certificates… She's the Queen Gloriannagon's daughter. The woman who my mother killed when I was only little. I'd heard rumours of her having personally murdered some of the convicted villains on the island, but I wasn't sure they were true…

I'm so tired Camden. I miss you so very much.

-Gisa

Camden nodded, trying to keep the emotions at bay. He noticed a few spots where the ink was blurred. Tears. His strong, young woman, his girl reduced to tears by these arrogant princes. He wanted to be able to hold her so badly. He wanted to cradle her little figure in his arms and tell her it was going to be okay. His heart physically ached as he thought of her far away, at the mercy of these idiots.

He slammed his fist so hard on the table that the glasses rattled. His roommate snapped up his head, "Cam…?"

"They're such idiots. The twit heads from above the wall think they're better than us. They're not. We're all humans. They're putting these four through hell right now. You know Gisa, that girl doesn't cry. Not ever. Her? Man, I'm furious. I'm so angry. It's taking so much self control not to put my fist through the wall. I've written up commands in case they get thrown back here, so we need to act prudently. They'd do the same for us."

His roommate nodded, "I'm confused."

Camden explained as much as he could before sighing and running a hand through his hair. "I'm powerless. I can do absolutely nothing but listen and watch as they put my girl through this abuse. Look at this!" He read some of her letter. "Gisa is scared. Gisa. They're hurting her and I can't change it. I can only watch. It's killing me…" He rested his forehead on the table, opening and closing his fist. Powerless. So completely useless.

If she came back, he would never let her go. Whatever she needed… If only to make up for this… if only to change this.

He took out a pencil, scrounging for a piece of paper. And as soon as he found it, he responded, barely able to keep his own tears at bay.