and tear his bed apart. The only good nights were when he was with Mr. Jett, but as his anger worsened even Mr. Jett didn’t want him. Ackerley watched the situation with intrigue as he still wondered what punishment was worse than cleaning the floors.
All the anxiety caused by Thrindle and Murdo seemed to vanish one day as Ackerley was going up to his room for a nap instead of going to third task. With the nights being so terrible he had to get as much sleep during the days as he could. As he opened the door to the third floor he saw Cerise poking her head out of a closet. She quickly ducked inside, and then upon realizing who it was, she waved him over.
“What happened with Thrindle?” Ackerley burst out.
“I need you to come with me.” She exclaimed breathlessly.
“Did you think of a new place to look for that necklace?”
“Come on, we need to get there as soon as possible.”
She led the way back down the stairs to the second floor. Ackerley figured they were going to a secret door hidden in the wall and was surprised to see that they were instead going to her residence.
Cerise stopped at the door. “I need you to do something for me, alright?”
“What is it?” He said, growing nervous.
“That morning we got back from the fourth floor Madame Thrindle was waiting for me. She was really mad and figured I’d been kidnapped. She kept grilling me about who I was with and where I went. I told her that I was alone and that I just wanted to walk around a little. She didn’t buy it. For the last few weeks I’ve been in meditation ten hours a day. She plans on keeping me there until a reply comes from a letter she wrote my parents. She knows as well as I that that won’t happen.”
“She’s going to keep you prisoner here.” Ackerley said.
“Exactly. So I need you to do something for me. I need you to—maybe it’s best if we just go on in. Follow what I say and agree with me, alright?”
“Wait a second. You want me to talk to that crazy old witch? You want me to tell her that I was the person you were with. No way, I’m not going anywhere near her.”
“It won’t be so bad.” Cerise stressed. “I’ve got a plan that will help both of us.”
“Don’t drag me into this.”
“She already knows it was you.”
Ackerley stared in disbelief. “She what?”
“I told her this morning. We got in an argument over meditation—”
Ackerley paced back and forth muttering to himself, completely baffled that Cerise would sell him out like that.
“—I said I didn’t want to meditate for ten hours anymore—”
“I can’t believe you told her about me.”
“—I got angry and said she didn’t have any right to keep me locked away. It’s been so great going on adventures with you and I don’t want that to stop—”
“She’s gonna kill me. She’ll have Yinnib kill me.”
“—I need you to tell her that you were trained by your brother and by the guards of the king. She’ll only let me out of meditation if she thinks I’m safe. You need to be my guard.”
“She’ll hire Welgos to kill me.”
“Are you listening?” Cerise asked haughtily.
“Listening? I’ve listened to far too much of this. You sold me out. Why don’t I go get someone you don’t like and sell you out?”
She rolled her eyes. “This is going to work out, I promise you.”
“And if it doesn’t?”
She shrugged. “Then I’m sorry and I hope you don’t get in too much trouble.”
“Oh that’s nice of you.”
“Listen to me!” She cried angrily. “I’m in way more trouble than you are. I’ve found a way that we can both benefit from this. I’m going in there and you better be with me. It’s only going to get worse if you don’t.”
Ackerley bounced on the balls of his feet apprehensively. “But if this goes south I’m running straight to the fourth floor and people will be starting rumors that I’m dead.”
“That’s fine.”
Ackerley took a deep breath and nodded. Cerise did the same and opened the door as quietly as she could. They tiptoed through the dark residence until they came out into the columned room. Madame Thrindle stood against the far wall with her arms crossed and her expression full of anger and resentment.
Ackerley fought the urge to sprint from the castle and look for that forest he liked so much. He could survive in a forest by himself; he had no doubt about it. He would make friends with all the furry animals and teach them how to hunt barbarians and food. It would be an ideal life that he would one day write about. He, little Ackerley Morzha, would one day be the greatest writer in all of Chell and thousands of children would be forced to read about his cat obsession in breezy cloisters the world over.
Cerise put a stop to his fantasy by stepping bravely toward her handler. “Before you say anything—”
“I figured it was this little fool.” Thrindle said nastily. “I should have gone straight to Yinnib to have him thrown out for good. It’s about time he learn some—”
“Shut up!” Cerise bellowed.
There was an awkward silence as Thrindle looked at the princess in wonder and rage. “I—I wouldn’t—I can’t even imagine—”
“Ackerley Morzha is the brother of Kenton Morzha, the head guard that protects the king at all times. You know this. Before coming here, he was trained in the art of protection by the king’s guards. When I found out about this I went to Ackerley in the night and requested his protection. I know that my parents are under attack and what they want for me more than anything is a well-trained guard to protect me should anything happen.” She paused, awaiting a response.
“I don’t like him.” Thrindle said flatly.
“He’s the best in the kingdom not fighting for the king directly.” Cerise added.
Thrindle pursed her lips and stared evilly at Ackerley. “How long were you trained by the guards of the king?”
“Several months.” He said bravely. “While awaiting word of my acceptance into this castle I was fully trained. My brother thought that if I was not allowed here then I would be safer in the army.”
“That’s very sensible.” Thrindle said. “And that’s why you approached the princess before, was it? To see if she needed protection?”
“Indeed it was.” He responded.
“Hmm, your brother is very brave and very smart. I suppose you must have gotten some of that. It would put the king and queen of Indigo at ease knowing that a true guard of King Chellias is watching over their daughter. I am willing to try this on a trial basis, but there will be rules.”
Ackerley almost laughed out loud at how well this worked out. Somehow he contained himself.
“You will watch over the princess from a distance of at least ten yards during the hours of your third task. This will be daily, and all day on Sunday. You both will not leave this room and there will be no talking. I will be down the hall and noise travels there very well. If there is any talking, then I will know that you are not fully trained. We will see how this goes for one week. If all goes well then perhaps you will be expected to stand on the back porch while the princess takes her walk on Sunday afternoons. Is everything clear?”
It sounded awfully boring to stand around and not be able to say anything for so long. Cerise, who was just glad to no longer be in so much trouble, agreed quickly. She apologized many times for her recent attitude, blaming it on her worry for her parents. Thrindle begrudgingly accepted the apology and set out the rules several more times to make sure they both understood. The first trial day was going to be that Sunday.
Thrindle rubbed her head and left them alone for a minute, telling Ackerley that he needed to leave at once.
“Thanks a lot.” Cerise whispered.
“It should be interesting.”
“After the week is over I’ll see if I can push this a lit
tle further. I still really want that necklace.”
Ackerley meandered through the gardens for the rest of third task. When he went back inside Yinnib stopped him and congratulated him for his service to both Chell and Indigo.
“And to think that you never mentioned that your amazing brother trained you to be a real warrior. You’re the bind that’s keeping these two kingdoms together. With your brother protecting the king and you protecting the princess of Indigo—why, we’ll prosper together forever. Wait until your brother hears about this, young Morzha. The Great Spirit has found you in its wanderings, I’m sure of it.”
Ackerley nodded and agreed as Yinnib went on for a full ten minutes. When he jauntily skipped out of site Ackerley finally felt the anxiety drip away. Somehow he got himself a position as a guard. He just hoped Thrindle didn’t look too far into it.
14.
The first day of guard duty dawned with thunder lashing the sky and ground with all its might. Ackerley could have taken this as a sign to resign his post before it began, but instead he took it as the sky demanding he awaken early to better prepare himself. He dressed in his formal tunic and was the first person into and out of the breakfast room. He knocked at the door to Cerise’s residence and greeted Madame Thrindle with the friendliest bow he ever managed. And then began a full day of standing in the corner making sure no misplaced Welgo sprang upon the princess.
The first hour passed silently. Every now and then Cerise would move slightly closer to Ackerley, but remained far enough away so as to not break the ten-yard rule. By