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Alicia didn’t like the people here. Not one bit. They were all so rude at anyone and everyone at all times. And whenever she would get something wrong accidentally and when she tried to ask what she did wrong, they would always answer with “You should just know better.” If Alicia wanted to be lectured about how she should know things she didn’t, she would’ve stayed home.
As if it couldn’t get any worse, she and the Iguana she had followed were framed for eating the Queen’s tembleque. What a stupid reason to want to execute someone. It was so clearly in the Knave’s mouth, one might have to be blind to not see it was him. Though one could say she was blinded with rage, but for her, that was such a poor reason for her childish behavior.
She only really liked one person, the man who had saved her and Mr. Iguana, Sergio. She had first met him when she(debatably) broke into his family’s house. He seemed to be well off, with his mother being the Duchess and all, so it was very touching to her that he would allow himself to be chased by the Queen’s and his mother’s men.
Mr. Iguana was also not thrilled but for a somewhat different reason. He’s obviously extremely mad and anxious about his head getting possibly chopped off, but he was more mad at Sergio for coming along with them. Not only did they have the Queen’s guards but they also had the Duchess on their tail. It seemed that Mr. Iguana was more scared of the Duchess than the Queen which she didn’t understand as the Queen would threaten anyone who breathed to have their head chopped off. From the little she saw of the Duchess, she wasn’t that bad.
Overall barely anybody in this party was happy. And with being in such a dense forest, Alicia was surprised that Sergio could still so elegantly prance around. Mr. Iguana stared down at Chejo(as he currently looked like a cat). Alicia decided to move next to her cat friend instead of Mr. Iguana as her bad mood wasn’t going to improve being near him.
“¿Acho mano, tienes un problema conmigo que me sigues mirándome?” preguntó Sergio, finally acknowledging the Iguana’s staring.
“Yes, yes I do actually! We’ve been walking aimlessly in this god forsaken forest because of your reckless decision!” the Iguana fired back.
“¿Con permiso?”
“You heard me! If you didn’t make a whole big scene back at that party, we wouldn’t be running from both the card guards and your mother’s guards!”
“I saved both you and Alicia from beheadment!? Are you mad that I saved you from being beheaded?? Cause let me tell you it isn’t fun!” Sergio, at this point, looked like a man again and was rubbing his neck.
“I’m MAD that you didn’t let me at least negotiate with her! Then maybe we wouldn’t be lost!”
“Oh please, negotiate?! With her highness?? Do you think that if you tried to be super uber nice, she’ll give you a raise?”
“Oh, incredibly mature,” Mr. Iguana said tiredly as he rolled his eyes and crossed his arms.
Sergio got closer to him and placed his hand on his shoulder, “And you don’t have to worry about getting lost, I know exactly where we’re going.”
“Sure you do,” the Iguana said sarcastically as he removed Sergio’s hand from his shoulder.
“You don’t trust me?” replied el gato Chejo coyly.
“No, you are known to be incredibly irresponsible, immature, and impulsive. You’re just bluffing at this point.”
“Please, impulsivity breeds courage.”
“Impulsivity only breeds idiocy!” Iguana exploded.
Sergio then felt a tug at his shirt to see Alicia looking incredibly uncomfortable. He bent down to be able to talk to her on her level.
“¿Qué pasó mama?”
Alicia pat her hand on her belly as a loud rumbling was heard. Sergio thought for a second and brought out 20 dollars from his pocket to give to Alicia.
“We’ll stop over there on those logs while you go buy something to eat. There should be a green tree that’s actually a bakery somewhere around here.”
Alicia complied as she was really hungry and didn’t want to be around her companions. It took a bit but she eventually did find the tree that Sergio was talking about. She knocked on the trunk and a squirrel opened it, asking what she wanted. She decided to buy pan sobao. She didn’t want to use up all the money her friend had in case they needed it.
She however didn’t go immediately back and was stalling to return to her group. It might’ve seem cruel to keep her companions from eating, but that argument that Sergio and Mr. Iguana tired her out. She really didn’t want to sit in that tense and awkward air that would surely be present when she got back.
It seemed she was stalling for too long as Mr. Iguana had come to find her. He sat next to her while Alicia was trying hard to not face him. He didn’t talk for a while and seemed to be deep in thought, trying to think of something appropriate.
“Why haven’t you come back with the food?” Mr. Iguana finally spoke up.
Alicia didn’t speak and just took a piece of el pan sobao that she bought.
“Are you upset about something?”
“Yes,” replied Alicia.
“Do you want to expand on what that is exactly?”
“You.”
The Iguana was taken a little aback. How does one respond to that? He thought on it again, not wanting to make the little girl more upset.
“Was it the things I said to Sergio?”
Alicia nodded.
“Look, sometimes we can’t always just run on instincts. We could’ve talked things out with the Queen.”
“She didn’t seem too keen on negotiating,” Alicia replied.
“Well, how do you know that hm?”
“You work for her. Has she ever been a negotiable woman?”
“. . . no.”
“Ah pues. I think what Sergio did was pretty brave of him and you're just being ungrateful.”
“I’m not ungrateful but I’m also not happy being stuck in these woods.”
“Me neither! But at least it’s better than being dead! Sergio is about the only nice person here!”
Mr. Iguana took offense to this, “You can’t just make such a broad generalization about us!”
“Can’t I?! Because ever since I’ve gotten here, all I’ve experienced is being screamed at, threatened, and being expected to know everything ever when I’m 7!” Alicia screamed. So loud she swore she could see some birds fly off getting scared of her voice.
Mr. Iguana once again didn’t say anything for a while which Alicia was a little thankful for as that screaming tired her voice a little.
“I’m sorry,” Mr. Iguana finally replied, “that you had to experience that. I swear most people are nice here.”
Alicia groaned a little to herself.
“But maybe I was a bad first impression,” the Iguana continued.
Mr. Iguana extended his hand for Alicia to shake. Alicia accepted the hand.
“My name is Fabian Nieves. ¿Y tú?”
“Alicia Luciano,” she replied with a smile.
“Now, how about we go back to Sergio,” said Fabian while standing up.
The peace was disrupted by pitter pattering of horses and the roar of a vehicle. Fabian and Alicia looked confused as Sergio was running towards, yelling,
“It’s Jaime! Run! Now!”
As quickly as possible, both Alicia and Fabian ran straight forward. Sergio caught up to them eventually. Fabian seem to get a bit behind from Sergio and Alicia. It wasn’t until they go to an open area where Fabian just seem to become stuck and start coughing and having trouble breathing. The Duchess’ youngest son hadn’t caught up to them but they were getting close as Sergio and Alicia stop to check on Fabian.
Sergio turned to Alicia, looking incredibly startled.
“Alicia, you’re going to have to keep running without us ok?”
“Wait, what if I get lost and I won’t be able to find you?” Alicia asked.
“Don’t worry, I’ll be right behind you.”
Alicia nodded as she ran towards another covered part of the forest that was next to a waterfall. The last thing she saw of her group was Sergio running towards Fabian as fast as he could.
Alicia ran, and ran, and ran without looking back until she couldn’t hear anything. She felt exhausted after running for so long to only look back and find. . .
No one was there. He didn’t follow her like he said he would. And now Alicia was lost in the dark forest. With no one to coax her fears.