In This Style 10/6 Chapter 22 when I open my eyes the next morning I'm alone. It's sunny and warm and the light shines through the space between the blue leaves. I hear a crunch beneath me and I jump. I awkwardly cling to the tree and look down to find giant game pieces, pieces from a chess board, marching by. The first in the parade is the king, then the bishop, then the tower. Following them are several pawns and the queen. Behind her are the knights and the rest of the pawns and other pieces. They're huge, taller than me even. "Ches!" I whisper "where are you!?" I panic and begin to shake. They may be other guards of the queen. She may be after me or Ches or Mirana! "Boo." I hear the slight whisper in my ear. I jump in my skin and chills run up my spine and slip from the tree. I drop with a shriek and try to catch the branches below me as I fall. I'm caught and gently set on my feet. The hands that catch me stay connected to my side as I turn around to find Ches. He hugs me while he laughs at how clumsy I am. "Are you alright?" He asks pulling leaves out of my hair. "Yea just fine." I say angrily. Ches and I follow behind the last of the parade into the garden. The may pieces guard the cottage and Ches has to evaporate us to get us inside. "Quick go get your mask." Chess says to me. "Why?" I ask. "We're leaving." He says. I quickly run upstairs and grab my mask and put in on as well as my shoes, hat, and gloves. By the time I reach the bottom of the steps everyone is walking out the door. "So what exactly is going on?" I ask. "We're going to Mowmorial." He announces. "We're taking Mirana home." we hurry outside and hop on a horse following Mirana, the hare, and Beyard and nana. The large chess pieces surround us and protect us as we go along. "Are we there yet?" Ches wines to Beyard. "It's at least a three day journey." Says Beyard. "Three days!?" Ches's draw drops. I tighten my arms around him and I feel him relax. "So what's going to happen when we get there?" I ask leaning my head against his back. "Hide out there i guess." He says. I yawn. "Tired?" He asks. "A little. I guess I'm not accustom to sleeping in trees." I joke. later, after the sky gets dark we stop and rest for the night. The hare goes to a near by bush and sleeps while nana and Beyard sleep against a tree. Mirana just lies on the ground as the guards surround her. I spend my time walking around the wet sand of the beach that's about a mile away from where we stop. I look out over the ocean and see the reflection if the pink#moonon the water. The stars twirl about the sky, illuminating the distance beyond them. The moons face half cries as the crescent shape hangs is the dark. I cool water runs over my bare feet and the soft sand climbs between my toes as the wind messes with my hair. Ches walks up beside me in his pajama pants rolled up to his knees and walks into the water until it reaches the top of his shins. "I thought that cats hated the water." I mock. "Where do you think that all started." I look at him quizzically. "I killed a girl by drowning her in water. Every time I see my reflection I see a monster worth fearing." He says grinding his teeth together. I make my way over to him. The waves get a little bigger as the#moongets higher. The end of my dress is wet now. He looks at me and grabs my shoulders and turns me around. A chill runs up my back as he traces a claw along the scar on my back from Dilah. "It's all my fault-" "Stop it!" I yell shoving him into the water. a wave brushes over his head, making him soaked from head to toe. "I'm sorry for that." He says standing up and having to hold has pants up as well. "Just stop talking like that. Please!" I beg dropping to my knees. he bends down and holds me tight to him. A wave topples us over now drenching me. He pulls my head in and kisses me. He stands and pulls me up with him. "Ches!" I yelp. "Ahh, what's the problem?" He asks slyly. "Your pants!" I laugh. "Pull them up!" he pulls them up, but they still sit low on him. he suddenly becomes serious. "Were you scared?" "Which time?" I ask. "When you fell here. When I abandon you. When i transformed. When the queen came to the garden. When we were at the castle." He catalogues. "Terrified to the point of almost being petrified." "Don't be scared anymore. Because I'm here. I will always protect you, no matter what. I'll never let you go again!" He says grabbing my hand and squeezing it. I roll into his arms. "And I; you." I say. in that moment he seems to relax. His tense body falls limp in my arms and he drops to his knees. I hoist him up, but find that he's unconscious. His mouth hangs open. His eyes lazily droop shut. His tail turns to string and floats with the waves of the water. "Ches! Ches!" I shake him to get him to wake up. I slap his face and dunk his head under the water. His body doesn't move. I drag his wet, sagging body to the sand and place him gently down. I sprint to the camp sight and look for the hare. I rummage through the bush and grab his ears and cover his mouth as I run as to make sure he doesn't wake the others. He squirms out of my grasp. "Eye'! What do yee think you're doing lassi?!" "Please! Ches is hurt! Something happened!" he gives me a strange look. "Where is he?" "The beach." I answer. And the hare makes off into the woods to the beach and I follow at his heals. I maul him over when I don't realize he stopped and I land in the wet and cold sand. The hare cocks his head. I follow his gaze to Ches, who is standing erect on the water. "Ches!" I cry. "He can't hear you." Says the hare putting a hand on my shoulder. "Alice!" Ches yells. "Bring her to me!" I stare in amazement at the sight before me. "The queens usin' his blood to control him! She can read his heart!" Exclaims the hare. "Ahhh smart one!" Mocks Ches. "Bring her to me!" He says before clumsily falling back into the water. I run to him, resisting the push of the waves. The water is cold like ice and stings my body. The water is at my neck and the break of the waves is too strong. I grab his half conscious body. I cling to him and shake him and beg him to wake up. His eye lids flutter and a wave violently breaks on outlet heads. I open my eyes under the water to see nothing but sand at the bottom, and I have to admit I'm surprised. I feel a hand on me and before I know it I'm back on the sand. I look around to see Ches on his hands and knees trying to catch his breath and the hare helps me up. Chess's yellow eyes glow brighter than usual and he looks at me as they widen with fear. "I didn't know she could do that." He gasps. "Laddi..." I crawl over to him and hug him tight. He's soaked to the bone and so am I. I shiver from the cold water and air and he holds me closer. He's warm. He passes out again and the hare helps me carry him to the site where everyone else is. The light starts to break through the blackened sky by the time we get there. "Oh good heavens!" Nana panics as she rushes over to us. "Whatever happened?" the hare explains the situation to her. Mirana slowly walks over to me. "My sister is cruel." She says. "Even to mess with ones feelings by torturing their loved one is harsh, even for her. I know that without Hebert she would be devastated." "The king I'm assuming." "Yes." She says. "But why Ches?" I ask. "Simple, she wants something from you and she doesn't have it. And she won't stop until the two of you are either dead or she has alice. Whichever comes first." "But are we not already dead?" "True your bodies are, but the figure you inhabit now is your souls form. The more damaged it has the more likely you won't be able to wake up. Ches's soul is so broken that his 'body' even shows it." "We'll I won't let anything happen to him!" I say determined. Mirana smiles up at me then walks over to her guards. She is lifted on to her tall white horse and nana and Beyard and the hare mount theirs. One of the knight pieces grabs Ches to carry him the rest of the way. "Hey! Be gentler!" I say. Mirana looks back at me and smiles. "It's okay. He's in good hands." She reassures me. I climb up on the horse I rode the previous day and we start going. the rest of the journey is quiet and lonesome.