CHAPTER NINE

“We just need some food. I hope that is not too much to ask for,” Miles asked with a pleasant voice. 

Now she knew it! The dream prince was Miles. Holy Christ! It was making her feel more uncomfortable. Why am I dreaming about him? Does he dream about me? Why were these kinds of questions the only thing in my head! 

“Angela are you okay?” Justin looked concerned as she came out of her thoughts. 

“Me? I am fine.” Angela faced them again. “It is not my decision to make, it is my…” Angela hesitated again. She wanted to say her mother’s but yet again Isabella wasn’t her real mother neither was Robert but still, they agreed to take care of her and treat her like she was their own child. They deserved being called parents. If they get to have children again, they should be called the world’s best parents because that was what they were. “…mother’s decision.”

“You have a mother,” Kale said surprised. “Lucky,” she whispered looking a little sad. 

“Are you orphans?” Angela asked in a surprised tone.

“Yes, our parents were killed by our rulers.” Justin sucked in his lower lip. 

Angela couldn’t imagine rulers killing her parents but again, they weren’t her biological parents. She needed to stop reminding herself of that. Still, they will always be her parents in any situation and any world.  

“That is terrible,” Angela said heartbroken.

“It is not a big deal.” Justin had one hand in his pocket and the look he was giving Angela made her feel comforted. His smile was reassuring.  

He opened his mouth to say something but decided against it. 

“Yes it is. I cannot imagine anything happening to my parents.”

“Whatever, can we take the food or not?” Kale asked in an angry tone. 

“Will it be okay if I take you to my parent’s house?” Angela asked.

Miles was not in the mood to say anything. He wanted to keep looking at Angela. He kept his eyes on her unable to take them off.  

They looked undecided at the decision they wanted to make. Angela had only two reasons why they were acting that way. Either because they were scared of parents or it would feel weird being around parents when they had none. 

“Is there no other way?” Miles scratched his hair nervously. 

“That is the only way.” The three of them sighed, all looking confused. “Do you not want to come?” Angela asked once more. 

“Let us go, what do you say?” Justin said turning to the rest as they nodded.

“Follow me.” Angela took the lead. 

*** 

HER parents were worried and disturbed. Though she hadn’t stayed long they were worried. They had been avoiding this day for a long time. They wished it wouldn’t come. The hands of the clock moved very fast. 

It felt to them like it was still fifteen years ago when they found her on their roof, crying and begging them to take care of her which they did gladly. Angela was like their own child. They loved Angela more than anything else in the world and would do anything to protect her. 

Isabella didn’t like the idea of telling Angela but she had to know the truth. It would be very wrong for them to take such a right from her. Robert didn’t want her to go, to leave them and move into the world but they couldn’t keep her hidden forever.

She was a bird and like a bird, she needed to spread her wings and fly but he never knew the day would come soon. They weren’t selfish and would never be. Angela deserves a free life and a chance to become what she’s always wanted.

A princess and that’s exactly what they will give her, her dream even though it meant risking their happiness. They would miss their baby girl, their precious baby girl. 

Life without her wouldn’t be living. She was all they lived for. 

The door knocked. There were two soft knocks. That was Angela’s signature door knock. Isabella didn’t hesitate and went to open the door immediately. She was glad to see her daughter smiling at her. 

“Come in sweetie.” Her mother's voice was soft; she smiled at Angela. 

“Sure but…” Angela looked jittery and a little nervous. “…I need to show you something.”

Her mother’s smile came down on hearing her statement.

“Is something wrong, are you hurt?”

“No mama I am fine, it is just…” Angela raised her head to face her mother giving her straight eye contact. “…I have some friends.”

Friends? Her mother thought. She had a confused expression on her face as she folded her hands. 

“You mean the chickens?” 

There was laughter from the background that made Angela clear her throat and her father join the duo. 

“No Mama! They are humans.”

What else would they be? Her parents thought. 

The three of them came out. An eighteen-year-old redhead boy, a sixteen-year-old blonde, and a ten-year-old mean redhead. Both parents were shocked on seeing them. They didn’t know how to react to such a situation, being angry was not an option. 

“How did you meet them?” her mother asked with her eyes kept on the three strange people.

What would Angela say? Was she going to lie to them? 

“She saved our little sister from drowning,” Justin spoke. 

Angela looked back as he winked making her smile. Mile pinched him from behind as Justin growled at him. 

“Is that so Angela?” Robert asked as she gave a simple nod.

“Are they indigenes of Uji?” Isabella asked curiously.

“Yes, we are!” Miles answered.

“A friend of Angela is a friend of ours. Come in,” Isabella said gladly as Robert gave the strangers a questioning look. 

Miles loved the way their house was furnished. Their sofa looked soft and comfy. He couldn’t remember the last time he saw something so soft and he was quick to take a seat beside Angela before Justin did. 

Miles didn’t understand Justin’s problem. Did he like her? What did he want with her? If he didn’t like her then why can’t he leave her for him? This was going to cause a rift between them but anything is worth his new-found angel. 

“What are you children doing in the forest?” Robert said giving Miles and Justin suspicious looks.

“Love to ask you that question,” Kale mumbled in an extremely silent tone.

Even with how quiet she said it, Angela still heard. 

“We are looking for something worth our time,” Miles answered sincerely but everyone knows there was more to the answer. 

“Really? What do your parents think about letting you roam around such a forest alone?” Isabella’s statement made sad looks grow on their faces. Isabella and Robert suspected something was wrong. “Was it something I said?”

“It is just we…” Justin cleared his throat. “We do not have parents.” 

Isabella looked over to Robert who still kept his gaze on Miles. He was wondering while Miles was being close to his princess. 

“I am sorry to hear that.” Isabella apologized as Robert nodded in agreement with his wife.

“We live with it.”

Kale wasn’t talking because she knew the only words that could come out of her mouth were pure evil and that won’t be good for any of them. 

“Then who takes care of your needs?” Robert asked taking his eyes from Miles ever since everyone settled in the living room. 

Miles signaled Justin to talk but Justin shrugged saying nothing. The boys were having a silent signal fight on who to talk. Kale rolled her eyes. 

“We take care of our own needs.”

Isabella and Robert looked at each other in shock. 

“Really?” Robert adjusted himself on his seat. 

“Yes sir,” Miles answered taking a look at the silent Angela.

Who knew such calmness and beauty existed. Miles said to himself looking back to her parents. He didn’t understand. She said they were her parents but there was no specific resemblance. Her parents both had brown hair and hazel eyes while she had beautiful blonde hair and unique blue eyes. 

It didn’t make any sense. There was no shape, face, or body resemblance. 

“That must be hard for you.” Isabella had sympathy in her voice. 

“We do whatever it takes to survive,” Kale said in her usual mean tone.

“Who is the oldest among you?” Robert asked.

“I am,” Justin answered with a trembling voice.

“I have an offer for you but first…” Robert turned over to his wife. “We need to discuss it.” Robert raised a brow at them. “Will it be okay if we can take a few minutes away?”

“Yes sir, this is your house. You can do whatever you want,” Miles answered as Kale brought out an exhausted yawn. 

Robert nodded as he and Isabella left the living room for their rooms. Miles sighed in relief once they had left. 

“No offense but your father is really scary.” Miles placed his hand on his chest. 

“He is not usually like that.” Angela looked into Miles’ crystal blue eyes. “Do not know why?”

“He must be surprised I guess,” Miles said placing his hand on Angela’s lap making her dart her eyes from his nervously. “Oh sorry.” Miles lifted his hand from her lap as she blushed. 

Justin joined the duo as Kale stood in front of them. 

“When are the oldies going to be finished?”

“Kale be nice. Remember this is their house,” Justin warned her, resting his back on the chair. “When last did we sit on something this soft?”

“I do not know…” Miles breathed in. “…years?”

“I am hungry, is there something I can eat for now?” Kale cutely rubbed her stomach. 

The girl had a soft part to her. Normally she would be a soft ten-year-old girl if not for their parents’ death. She was angry. She couldn’t heal the wound herself. She needed help and Angela was willing to give her. At least she could have something other than boys in her life. 

“Try to be patient Kale,” Angela said as she huffed.

“Patient? You can say that because you have eaten.”

Have I eaten? That was when Angela remembered her muffins? She was beginning to have an appetite for them and she could share it with the bandits since they were crying of hunger. 

“I will be right back.” Angela stood up from the tight corner the boys had kept her in and walked to her room. 

“Where do you think she is going to?” Justin asked watching Angela walk away gracefully.

“Hopefully to get some food, I am starving,” Kale said rubbing her stomach again.

Angela carried the muffins she had kept in her room counting four. Just enough for them. She went back to the living room on fast feet. Kale’s eyes were kept on the covered tray of unknown food kept inside. 

Angela is walking too slow I need some food! She thought angrily as Angela placed the tray on the table, opening the cover to reveal a set of delicious-looking chocolate chip muffins. 

Kale frowned. “They are too small." 

Mile took one and had a bite. 

The smile he had on his face while taking a bite was contagious, making a smile form on Angela’s face too.

“This is amazing!” Mile exclaimed as Justin took his first bite.

“Heavenly,” he mumbled silently.

Kale wasted no further time and took one of the muffins, moving it closer to her mouth in slow motion. As she took the first bite her stomach bubbled in excitement. In the blink of an eye, she had devoured the whole muffin up. 

“More!” she cried in a zombie-like manner that scared them. 

“You will need to talk to my mother about that,” Angela said laughing.