It has been a long time since I came to visit the market here in Hazel. Nostalgia hit me differently because there were good and bad memories that I had here. One of them is where I had my first fight with Fred, and the other one is where I finally realized that Custard was indeed following me at that time.
“Nora, stop removing your cloak. People will see that you’re a royal.” I chided her as I fixed her cloak. Before leaving, I asked the servants to bring us some cloaks just to hide our dresses. We didn’t have much time to change since Nora seemed like she was in a hurry.
“I’m hungry.” She pouted.
“Me too.” I agreed. “Let’s go look for something to eat.” I was a bit surprised when Nora smiled and started pulling on my hand as if she already knows where to go. I was both surprised and baffled when I saw that she let me at a specific area in the market that sells food.
“That one!” She says and pointed towards the barbeque stalls right in front of us.
I looked at her. “Nora. How did you know where to go?”
“I followed the scent of food!” She grinned.
Alright. She has a point there.
I took my pouch that was attached to the side of my dress as we were headed to the stall. Viex and Custard were following behind us closely. I bought 3 skewers. One for me, one for Nora, and one for both Viex and Custard. Nora ran for another stall that sells sandwiches, and I have to buy her that one too.
I looked up at the sky. I wonder if the others arrived yet? I wonder if I’ll get to see Fred before his coronation tomorrow?
“Wose? Dessewt!” Nora waved at me from an ice cream shop. Custard and Viex are with her and the three of them were looking at me expectantly since I was the one with the money.
I sighed. Thank God my aunt gave me a bit of allowance before we left. Otherwise, how am I suppose to pay for all my expenses with a sister that isn’t mine?
As I was headed towards them, a man suddenly bumped into me. “Sorry.” He muttered and hurried on to move.
I frowned and grabbed him by the collar of his shirt. “Excuse me, but I think you should return my money back.” I was sure of it. This guy just took my pouch.
“What? Don’t be ridiculous!” The guy whirled around to face me. He made his voice louder so that everyone could hear. “Is this how you nobles earn? To scam poor people like us for our hard-earned money?”
I narrowed my eyes dangerously at him as I drew the hood of my cloak over my head. Does he dare challenge me through acting?! I didn’t become Princess Mississipi Bloom Shakalaka and Goddess Rose for nothing!
I’ll show him how it’s done! Stupid Amateur.
I let out a cry as I threw myself to the ground as if I was pushed and sobbed. The thief looked surprised at my action that he took a step back “Sir, that money is the last of mine and my sister’s money! Yes, we are nobles, but we were chased away from our country when the Rogues attack! We seek refuge in Hazel, hoping that the Prince could help us. Our parents are dead and if we lose that money, how are we suppose to support ourselves!? My sister is so young!” I covered my face with my hands and started to cry. At that moment, Nora came and poked my cheek.
“Wose?” She questioned me.
Perfect timing.
Nora let out a frightened squeal when I pulled her towards me in an embrace. “Oh my dear sister, Prudence! Forgive your older sister for I have lost our money. So young...and you are going to die in hunger because SOMEONE can’t keep their hands in their own pocket!” I glared at the man who stole my pouch briefly before crying again.
“Hey! Give the sisters back their money you thief!”
“They are an honest buyer. Give them back their money!”
“Sir, have you no shame? Bullying two hungry women!”
A lot of people were screaming curses at the guy. The guy looked troubled and seemed like he was in a panic. He wanted to run, but people blocked his path. When he looked at me, I gave him an evil grin. The man was furious when he found out that I was lying.
“She’s playing you all!”
I let out a heartfelt gasp and clutched my heart. I started convulsing. “Oh, my heart! I cannot bear to receive such hateful treatment. Please! If I die, do not let my sister starve!” I laid down on the ground and started breathing heavily. Nora’s face was red in embarrassment that she pulled her own hood up to cover her face.
“Wose, this is..embarrassing.” She mumbled and started to shake me gently to urge me to get up from the ground, but I didn’t.
Geez. It’s really hard to find an assistant actress these days.
“PRUDENCE!” I said loudly and clasped her hands. Tears swell from my eyes. Not from sadness but from trying to contain my laughter at how well this was going.
Nora was surprised that she screamed. “Promise me that even if you starve, you will never steal like that man over there.” I said and pointed a finger at the thief, who was still murdering me with his gaze.
“That’s it. You want to die? I’ll make sure that you die right here.” The man pulled out a knife from his belt. My hands were just about to unbind my whip when another man came into the picture and grabbed the thief’s wrist.
“Who do you think you’re pointing your knife at?” Ace asked menacingly and I heard some bones breaking when he tightened his grip on the man’s wrist. The man screamed in pain and dropped the knife. His legs gave in but he was still standing because Ace still has his wrist.
“W-Who...Who are you?!” The thief demanded.
With the hood covering Ace’s face, it was hard for me to see his expression that I was gambling on my life when I said the next words. “Knight Bruno...Jupiter… He’s our bodyguard.” I coughed because I was running out of names for my bullshits and almost laughed at this one. “That man stole our life savings!”
Ace raised a brow at me.
“Bwother?” Nora turned around and beamed brightly at her brother. Ace smiled briefly at her before returning his gaze to me and pointed at his ears. I nodded in understanding and turned Nora’s gaze back on me and covered her ears.
Then I heard more snapping of bones and the man screamed in pain that he was starting to tear up. “I asked you a question. Who were you pointing your knife at?”
“N-No one!” The thief fearfully replied.
“You take me for a fool?”
“I’m sorry! I’ll return the money and I swear to never steal again.” He promised.
Ace clicked his tongue in annoyance and dropped the man to the ground while picking up my pouch. “I doubt that you can even try and steal with that broken hand anyway.” He says and hurried towards his sister.
“What are you all looking at? Shows over! The next pair of eyes that I see looking at us will become blind!” He threatened them. Thankfully, our faces were hidden, otherwise, someone might report that the elf prince is threatening the lives of Fred’s subjects.
Which may or may not cause a conflict between the two kingdoms.
Ace returned my pouch to me while he carried Nora in his arms as soon as the crowd dispersed. As I got up and finished dusting my clothes, I saw Ace staring at me. “You really are shameless no matter where you go, are you?”
“True. But everything turned out fine.” I said proudly.
‘Princess, you could have asked for our help. We would have taken care of that thief without all this trouble.’ Viex says.
‘I prefer not to fight with anyone if that could be avoided.’ Came my response.
“Well now, since you two are finally acquainted, I best be on my way and yet some shut-eye.” I yawned and waved at them both. “See you guys back at the palace.” I started to walk away when someone grabbed the back of my hood, pulling my hair along in the process.
I bit back all the wonderful arrays of curses that were about to shot out of my mouth because Nora is here.
When I looked back, I saw that it was Nora who grabbed my hair. Seriously? What is up with these Feradins! Do they have something against blondes!?
Or maybe just me.
“Um...Nora? You should know that you should not grab people’s hair. Unless you mean them harm, then grab it until they’re bald.” I said as soon as I was free from her grasp. I saw Ace’s eyes narrowed in warning at what I was teaching his sister. “What?” I complained. “At least I am teaching her how to not be a pus - I mean - wimp!”
“Wose, come. Shop with me and Aish.” She pleaded.
Two questions arose at this point. Nora or sleep? Sleep definitely.
“Sorry, Nora, but I-”
“Ehem!” I was cut off when Ace called for my attention. He was giving me a warning glare for upsetting his sister. He even made a slicing gesture through his neck.
I gulped. “So, where are we going, Nora?” I said in a very high-pitched tone.
Nora grinned happily as Ace placed her back on the ground. She grabbed each of our hands as she guided us through the town. Custard and Viex were still following behind us closely.
Nora would stop at multiple shops and Ace would buy her tons of ribbons and hair clips that he thinks would best suit her. Next, Nora pulled us into a weapon shop where she bought a small cheap dagger for her brother. I mean, what do you expect that a child like her to buy with her allowance? Nonetheless, Ace was too happy and vowed to make it a family heirloom.
What a simp.
As we continued to explore, I could not help but notice that Nora is somehow acting strange. One moment we are walking on a straight path, but then she would immediately turn around, grab our hands, and run in the opposite direction. This happened quite a lot that I decided to look back one time.
Then, I saw Dan running at us with a very murderous glare, but Eltur and Darem would haul him up and whisk him away.
Are they playing some sort of game?
By the time that we returned to the palace, I noticed that Viex was missing. I stopped and turned to Custard. “Where’s Viex?”
‘He says that he wants to do a bit of exploring.’ Custard responded.
“Why didn’t he ask me?”
“What’s wrong?” Ace asked me when he and Nora noticed that I stopped moving.
“Viex is gone.” I answered them.
‘He says he’ll be back in a few days. I think he wants to see Gija.’
“Oh.” I responded solemnly. I guess no matter how stubborn Viex acts, he still longs for his old home. “Well, Viex is old enough to take care of himself. Besides, I can summon him any time.” Then looked at the siblings, I said, “Let’s go. Before it gets really late.”
********[KINGDOM OF TEREAU]*******
Kellar gently poured some clean water with a disinfecting solution on Stella’s wounds. The poor girl did not even react or cry. He guessed that she must have no more tears left.
The young prince felt bad because this wall all that he could do for her at the moment. He wished that he could do something more.
All of a sudden, Kaya was floating in and out of his view, trying to catch his attention. Kellar felt irritated and waved his hands in the air. “Not now, Kaya.” He mumbled. But Kaya did not stop, it hit Kellar on the forehead.
Now that certainly caught his attention.
Kellar looked at Kaya angrily until he noticed that that glowing light spirit became bigger and bigger, until it dropped a small white fox on the floor.
Kellar and Stella gasped at the sudden appearance of the fox. It shook its fur and glared at Kaya. ‘How dare you treat a royal guardian this way!’ It hissed.
A royal guardian? Could it be…
“Excuse me, fox spirit. Are you perhaps Princess Rose’s familiar?” Kellar asked.
The fox turned it’s head to him and snorted. ‘Yes, I am one of her contracted spirits. What of it, boy?’ It says. ‘My name is Viex, but not that you could understand me anyway.’
“I can. Nice to meet you, Viex. My name is...Leo and I am a servant here in Tereau.”
‘Tereau!?’ Viex’s eyes widened before it glared at Kaya. ‘Why would you bring me in enemy territory!?’
“Please.” Kellar begged, making the fox spirit turn its gaze back at him. “This is her highness sister. She’s hurt and I want her to escape from this place. Is there a way for you to contact her?”
‘Sister?’ Again, Viex was surprised as he regarded the younger girl in the prison. Viex went through the bars since he was small enough to fit within the gaps. He came closer and sniffed her hand. It’s true, there’s a slight resemblance in her scent.
Stella was looking at the fox and absent-mindedly petted him. Viex allowed her to until he saw the fresh wounds on her arm. Viex calculated the amount of magic that he has inside of him before reaching out with his tails and healed her wounds. But because of the limited amount of magic that he has, all he managed to do was stop the bleeding.
Viex immediately fell to the ground. He could not contact his master at the moment because he was too far away, and he cannot use some of her magic to fully heal her sister.
“Thank you, fox. It doesn’t hurt anymore.” Stella thanked him and pulled him into a hug.
Viex looked at Kellar. ‘Boy, I must return to my master. I must let her know of this.’ Viex carefully pulled himself away from the girl and started to walk away.
“Wait. Please. I want to send her a letter. A message.”
‘You don’t have to. I will deliver this message to her clearly.’
“It’s not that. I have a plan. I already wrote it on paper, but I do not know how to deliver it to the princess until you came along. Please, can you send it to her?” Kellar begged and tried to be respectful to the spirit guardian.
Viex regarded the boy with scrutinizing eyes. From what he saw, this boy seemed to be helping his master’s sister in his own way. And if he can understand and see Kaya, then he must not be such a bad person.
‘Very well.’ Viex agreed.