J16: Well, here we go. My next big fic, The Journey of the Destined.
Takato: Boy, what a corny name.
J16: Shut up. *Ahem* Anyway, this is set in a fantasy world, called Aramenia, run by three different kingdoms. The Kingdoms of Delali, Bransworth, and Justines. They are all in peace, except for Delali, who's newly instated king plans to...
Ryo: Who's spoiling now, huh?
J16: Um... On a last note, don't worry, I'll still finish "Friendship and Love," so don't worry about that.
Chapter 1: An Unexpected Birthday Party
Newly claimed eighteen-year-old Takato Matsuki didn't expect anyone to celebrate for his annual birth date. But he was proven wrong that night, when he entered his run-down house.
Takato was a short boy for his age, but he still towered over most females. Speaking of females, he had a way with the womanly eye, getting their attention in the most positive way. Usually his charm would end up getting a temporary mate or two, but seldom did his relationships last for more than a moon's day. He carried a pair of daggers that he used with efficient accuracy whenever he journeyed across the plains of Aramenia and encountered deadly monsters, for example the dinosaur-like Black Tyrannos, whom were usually feared by others.
Takato was one with lots of courage and confidence in whatever he did, which would also get him in trouble during times. But being a skilled thief, he got his way around perils and usually escaped unscathed.
The sun was beginning its westward journey as the brown-haired boy approached his shelter alongside his two friends, Kazu and Kenta. They too, were thieves, and they also used daggers to defend themselves. Though not as skilled as Takato was at the job, they weren't incompetent.
"So, Chumley," Kazu started, "what say we go into your house for a minute and talk? I got a half-hour or so."
Takato looked at him. "Kazu, Kenta, friends of mine, I wouldn't mind if you stayed over for the night, for I enjoy the company of you guys."
"Well," said Kenta, "better for us, I guess."
Kazu held the front door to Takato's house open with his right hand as he held his other up in the air, "Your humble abode, sire," he mocked. Takato gave a derided smile, then shrugged as he walked in, followed by Kenta, then finally Kazu.
"Surprise!" The deafening exclamation of revelation echoed throughout the house. Takato closed his eyes out of surprise, but then eased up as he looked around and saw tens of his good friends smiling and holding gifts for which he assumed was for him.
He shook his head in surprise, which probably made his companions' mission to shock him successful. "What is this about?" he queried, though he already knew the answer to that already.
His friend Kazu sighed. "Does a man forget his own birthday? Sheesh, Chumley, you sure know your dates."
Takato shrugged his latest stupidity off and looked at his table. It was full of goodies, snacks, drinks, and meats in a quantity that was sure to satisfy the occupants. His stomach ached, for he had not eaten his supper yet.
"When do we dig in?" he asked his friends.
Kenta shrugged. "Whenever you want."
Takato greatly obliged as he grabbed a plate and snatched some salad and pasta. He had a large appetite that could only be matched by his friends and no one else. Usually at the parties he had been invited to-which was rare because of his status as a thief-he was the first at the table, snatching some food faster than he snatches money.
********
Three plates later, Takato had his fill, but he hadn't counted on dessert.
"Alright!" Kazu sat up from his seat, mouth full of chips. "Bring on the cake!" He then looked at Takato, who already looked like he was going to pass out for overdosing on food. "You like chocolate, don't you?"
Takato sighed. "Too full," he moaned.
Kazu ignored his partner and went into the dining room and pulled out a double layer cake from there, widening Takato's eyes even more.
"I told you, I can't eat anymore!" He complained. Again Kazu ignored him.
"Do you need me to force feed you? At least let us sing in celebration. It's your eighteenth birthday, for crying out loud."
"Well," answered Takato, "do what you must, just don't stuff my face with that concoction. I'll bet you made that cake."
"Heavens, no," retorted Kazu. "I can't cook worth a damn. Freddy here made it."
Takato looked at his superior, "You can cook, boss?"
Freddy, a middle aged man, laughed. "There are some things you didn't know about me before."
Takato shrugged as the other dozen in the room merrily sang "Birthday to You."
*********
The moon was directly above the world when the people began to leave Takato's house. He himself, however, was asleep on the living room settee, slumbering peacefully.
Kazu looked at the expired boy, then at his friend Kenta. "He sure gets worn out easily."
The blue-haired thief nodded. "Kind of makes me tired just looking at him," said he.
Kazu snickered to a minimum. "Come, let us go back to our houses, for our friend needs his sleep." Kenta nodded as he and his friend left Takato asleep on the couch, dreaming about princesses and generals.
*********
A week's journey away, the renowned airship Griddenburg sailed through the starlit sky, making no trace but the change of wind direction it blew.
Seventeen-year-old Henry Wong, son of renowned airship inventor Janyu Wong, stood outside and looked out at the starry void, with nothing but the muffled sounds of engines as the airship sailed on to neighborly kingdom Justines.
Henry heard the sounds of approaching footsteps, and abruptly turned around and saw his pre-teen redheaded sister standing a good thirty feet away. "Suzy, you know I can hear you from this far away, even when you're trying to be stealthy."
"I know," she answered, "I just wanted to check you. You know, make sure you're alert. It's about midnight, and you're not even tired?"
The blue-haired boy turned back around away from his sister and looked over again. "I've been staying up late recently, helping father put the finishing touches on this airship. I guess I'm used to it." He hung his head down. "You should be tired, you probably ought to go to bed right now."
Suzy smiled, then walked up to Henry, who then looked back at her. "Will you take me to bed, then?" she cheerfully asked.
"Goodness, Suzy, you're twelve, not six," he smiled, taking her hand and leading her down the deck.
"Yeah, but it's your job as my brother," she returned.
*********
Henry looked at his sister, who was slumbering soundly in her bed on the middle floor of the airship. He loved her, yes, but she shouldn't be going on this job with him. This was a newly built airship, and despite the ingenious technologies and ideas their father had come up with in the past, it wasn't completely flawless, and he kept getting the notion that something could go wrong.
Henry quickly shrugged the pessimistic thoughts from his mind and went back up to the engine room, proceeding to check on his employees.
"So how are we this fine morning?" Henry nodded to his workers.
"Technically, it's still the evening," one guy answered.
"Enough with sarcasm, just make sure everything runs smoothly," he answered, as he retreated up to the deck to observe the stars once again.
Henry noticed that it was to get colder the next half-hour, so he got his jacket and put it on, as he looked out again. 'Those idiots,' he thought to himself, scoffing here and there. 'Just goes to show you how stupid lower class people are. I don't even know why my father hired them in the first place.'
Because of his father's success in the invention business, most particularly the airship, the Wong family had received much wealth in the past several years, giving them the status of the highest class. Despite the extreme volume of fortune his father raked in, he and Suzy still felt as if that the wealth did not buy everything he wanted. Ok, he had his own module of transportation, and soon he might have an airship of his own, but for the majority of his life, Henry had been neglected by his parents. Of course, his father was too busy to even pay a decent amount of attention to his own son, but then their mother...
Henry and Suzy's mother had become an explorer during the waxing years of their lives. She was very successful in journeying and collecting forgotten artifacts, until that one day, when their father came home one day, crying for the first time that Henry and Suzy had ever seen. He remembered those words that came out of his father's mouth for his lifetime-
"It was snowy. She decided to leave the kingdom."
Ever since then, Henry had felt a bit of insecureness, even when Janyu had raked in the huge fortune. Having a nice dwelling and lots of friends was good, but still...
"Captain Wong!" Came a cry from down under. "One of the engines is failing!"
Henry immediately struck himself awake as he raced down the deck and to the engine room.
"What cursed luck has befallen us, worker?" he demanded.
"One of the engines just blew out all of a sudden, it seems that there is a minor malfunction in its operating power!"
"Minor?" asked Henry. "Minor? It seems that if things don't get resolved soon, this 'minor' malfunction is going to destroy this airship! Get the hell to work, everyone, if you want to live another day!" Suddenly his credo was abruptly interrupted by the violent shake of the airship.
"What the hell is that?" he demanded. "Figure out what that is, this instant!"
On cue, about ten workers raced out of the engine room and down the hall to the pressure gauge storage, where Henry suspected the blast originated from.
"Henry!" Came the feminine voice that Henry managed to discover as his sister, despite the ruckus. "What's going on?"
"Come here," he beckoned to her. Suzy ran up to Henry and put her arms around him. "Don't worry, it'll be okay."
Henry's nerves shook him as well as Suzy. He didn't know what to do; although he had piloted these mechanisms before, he had never been in this situation, nor was he trained for it. It could also have been for lack of experience.
Fire immediately lit up the room as Henry and Suzy looked behind them and saw an explosion litter the darkness of the night up. He instantaneously realized where the source of the blast came from. "The pressure storage!" he exclaimed. "This place is going to blow!" He looked at his kid sister, who had the look of shock on her face. It had to be coming from her face, but he and she needed to get out. "Come, Suzy, let us make haste and get our parachutes."
Suzy didn't need to be told twice as Henry led her to the emergency storage room, shakes of little force and of big magnitude echoing and vibrating through the ship. Henry grabbed a pair of parachutes, giving one to her, who made no hesitation to put it on. "Where's everyone else?" she questioned, but Henry shrugged her off.
"They're a bit slow, let's go!" exclaimed Henry as they reached the top deck, despite the noise and explosions throughout the airship. He got the gut feeling that his father's airship, the Griddenburg, wasn't going to hold up for much longer. Looking over the rail of the burning ship, he looked at his sister. "Let us jump now! May God's grace be with you, Suzy!" he said, hopping over the edge, leaving Suzy behind.
Suzy held her breath for a second, then leaped off her father's burning ship, not knowing the dangers she and her brother would face on the land.
**********
There was much talk in the kingdom of Justines, for the lonely princess would finally have a prince to be with.
For the male, he was of course excited, that he would be part of the royal family, and that he got to marry a beautiful princess; an event that every boy dreamed of. This boy's name was Grant Juranio.
The higher royal family, the king and queen, were of course happy for this occasion, as well as the boy's parents. But there was one who objected the whole wedding plan.
That was the princess, Jeri Musami. She was a little before seventeen, and she had a lot of spunk to go with it. Her adolescent actions included yelling at her own parents, sneaking out at night, among other extremities.
She was beautiful, indeed. Long auburn hair went down to her shoulders and her face was looked primarily upon the male gender, but there were female eyes as well who sought her in jealousy and envy. Through all this however, Jeri kept a cool head for her citizens, for whenever she roamed the streets at day, she would give a welcome gesture or start a conversation with one.
When Jeri had heard news of her new fiancée, she was livid to say the least. She shut the door to her room, opening it only to her servant who served her three-a-day meals.
In fact, the only person Jeri liked in the castle was her own handmaiden, the one who took care of her, gave her food, and the like. She talked with her throughout one night about the absurd decision her parents had made pertaining to the courtship of she and Grant, offering her opinions on the whole thing.
"What the hell were they thinking?"
"They must have been asleep the whole meeting."
Yes, that was what the conversation mostly held of, but they couldn't resist feeding off the other's negativeness. Jeri, of course, liked it because she had someone who agreed that the whole thing was stupid, while the handmaiden thought of it as good fortune to have an extended conversation with the princess.
"Maiden Ella," Princess Jeri said one night up in her quarters. "You know how long it is until I am to be married to this Sir Juranio, do you not?"
The middle-aged woman nodded. "Yes, your majesty. Five days."
Jeri got up in her seat immediately, a move that flinched Ella. "I shall run away from this kingdom. I am not to be married to a man whom I barely know."
Ella sat up, worry showing in her eyes. "What are you saying?"
"I don't want to be a part of this...this...monarchy where the royal family can just marry a man to their daughter for the benefits of their kingdom!"
"But, Princess, I beg of you-"
"Hold your tongue, servant!" exclaimed the princess, holding her hand up.
The maiden got down on her knees. "I plead forgiveness, my lady. I am sorry."
Jeri eased up a good degree and offered a hand to the servant. "Please rise." Immediately, Ella sat up and nodded her head. "I know it may not sound good, but I shall return when I feel things may be better again."
"How long do you plan to be gone?" The maiden asked.
"I don't know," said the princess. "Whenever Father and Mother get their schedules down to see me fit." With that, Jeri kissed Ella on the forehead. "I bid thee farewell, that I shall see you soon."
"Princess, please be careful."
**********
The princess did not want this to happen, but she felt it was for the better, seeing that it might put some sense into her parents that one cannot be married by force, and that it had to come together, like a puzzle.
As weird as it was to see a princess at the height of moon running through the kingdom of Justines, the wandering citizens and explorers gave little attention to the sixteen-year old young princess. She liked it better that way; no one disturbs her, she disturbs no one.
A good twenty yards away, there stood a small group, no more than six, people dressed in black robes, watching Princess Jeri's every move.
"We shall get her when she's a good ten leagues away from Justine borderline," the one in front said.
***********
To be continued...
Takato: Boy, what a corny name.
J16: Shut up. *Ahem* Anyway, this is set in a fantasy world, called Aramenia, run by three different kingdoms. The Kingdoms of Delali, Bransworth, and Justines. They are all in peace, except for Delali, who's newly instated king plans to...
Ryo: Who's spoiling now, huh?
J16: Um... On a last note, don't worry, I'll still finish "Friendship and Love," so don't worry about that.
Chapter 1: An Unexpected Birthday Party
Newly claimed eighteen-year-old Takato Matsuki didn't expect anyone to celebrate for his annual birth date. But he was proven wrong that night, when he entered his run-down house.
Takato was a short boy for his age, but he still towered over most females. Speaking of females, he had a way with the womanly eye, getting their attention in the most positive way. Usually his charm would end up getting a temporary mate or two, but seldom did his relationships last for more than a moon's day. He carried a pair of daggers that he used with efficient accuracy whenever he journeyed across the plains of Aramenia and encountered deadly monsters, for example the dinosaur-like Black Tyrannos, whom were usually feared by others.
Takato was one with lots of courage and confidence in whatever he did, which would also get him in trouble during times. But being a skilled thief, he got his way around perils and usually escaped unscathed.
The sun was beginning its westward journey as the brown-haired boy approached his shelter alongside his two friends, Kazu and Kenta. They too, were thieves, and they also used daggers to defend themselves. Though not as skilled as Takato was at the job, they weren't incompetent.
"So, Chumley," Kazu started, "what say we go into your house for a minute and talk? I got a half-hour or so."
Takato looked at him. "Kazu, Kenta, friends of mine, I wouldn't mind if you stayed over for the night, for I enjoy the company of you guys."
"Well," said Kenta, "better for us, I guess."
Kazu held the front door to Takato's house open with his right hand as he held his other up in the air, "Your humble abode, sire," he mocked. Takato gave a derided smile, then shrugged as he walked in, followed by Kenta, then finally Kazu.
"Surprise!" The deafening exclamation of revelation echoed throughout the house. Takato closed his eyes out of surprise, but then eased up as he looked around and saw tens of his good friends smiling and holding gifts for which he assumed was for him.
He shook his head in surprise, which probably made his companions' mission to shock him successful. "What is this about?" he queried, though he already knew the answer to that already.
His friend Kazu sighed. "Does a man forget his own birthday? Sheesh, Chumley, you sure know your dates."
Takato shrugged his latest stupidity off and looked at his table. It was full of goodies, snacks, drinks, and meats in a quantity that was sure to satisfy the occupants. His stomach ached, for he had not eaten his supper yet.
"When do we dig in?" he asked his friends.
Kenta shrugged. "Whenever you want."
Takato greatly obliged as he grabbed a plate and snatched some salad and pasta. He had a large appetite that could only be matched by his friends and no one else. Usually at the parties he had been invited to-which was rare because of his status as a thief-he was the first at the table, snatching some food faster than he snatches money.
********
Three plates later, Takato had his fill, but he hadn't counted on dessert.
"Alright!" Kazu sat up from his seat, mouth full of chips. "Bring on the cake!" He then looked at Takato, who already looked like he was going to pass out for overdosing on food. "You like chocolate, don't you?"
Takato sighed. "Too full," he moaned.
Kazu ignored his partner and went into the dining room and pulled out a double layer cake from there, widening Takato's eyes even more.
"I told you, I can't eat anymore!" He complained. Again Kazu ignored him.
"Do you need me to force feed you? At least let us sing in celebration. It's your eighteenth birthday, for crying out loud."
"Well," answered Takato, "do what you must, just don't stuff my face with that concoction. I'll bet you made that cake."
"Heavens, no," retorted Kazu. "I can't cook worth a damn. Freddy here made it."
Takato looked at his superior, "You can cook, boss?"
Freddy, a middle aged man, laughed. "There are some things you didn't know about me before."
Takato shrugged as the other dozen in the room merrily sang "Birthday to You."
*********
The moon was directly above the world when the people began to leave Takato's house. He himself, however, was asleep on the living room settee, slumbering peacefully.
Kazu looked at the expired boy, then at his friend Kenta. "He sure gets worn out easily."
The blue-haired thief nodded. "Kind of makes me tired just looking at him," said he.
Kazu snickered to a minimum. "Come, let us go back to our houses, for our friend needs his sleep." Kenta nodded as he and his friend left Takato asleep on the couch, dreaming about princesses and generals.
*********
A week's journey away, the renowned airship Griddenburg sailed through the starlit sky, making no trace but the change of wind direction it blew.
Seventeen-year-old Henry Wong, son of renowned airship inventor Janyu Wong, stood outside and looked out at the starry void, with nothing but the muffled sounds of engines as the airship sailed on to neighborly kingdom Justines.
Henry heard the sounds of approaching footsteps, and abruptly turned around and saw his pre-teen redheaded sister standing a good thirty feet away. "Suzy, you know I can hear you from this far away, even when you're trying to be stealthy."
"I know," she answered, "I just wanted to check you. You know, make sure you're alert. It's about midnight, and you're not even tired?"
The blue-haired boy turned back around away from his sister and looked over again. "I've been staying up late recently, helping father put the finishing touches on this airship. I guess I'm used to it." He hung his head down. "You should be tired, you probably ought to go to bed right now."
Suzy smiled, then walked up to Henry, who then looked back at her. "Will you take me to bed, then?" she cheerfully asked.
"Goodness, Suzy, you're twelve, not six," he smiled, taking her hand and leading her down the deck.
"Yeah, but it's your job as my brother," she returned.
*********
Henry looked at his sister, who was slumbering soundly in her bed on the middle floor of the airship. He loved her, yes, but she shouldn't be going on this job with him. This was a newly built airship, and despite the ingenious technologies and ideas their father had come up with in the past, it wasn't completely flawless, and he kept getting the notion that something could go wrong.
Henry quickly shrugged the pessimistic thoughts from his mind and went back up to the engine room, proceeding to check on his employees.
"So how are we this fine morning?" Henry nodded to his workers.
"Technically, it's still the evening," one guy answered.
"Enough with sarcasm, just make sure everything runs smoothly," he answered, as he retreated up to the deck to observe the stars once again.
Henry noticed that it was to get colder the next half-hour, so he got his jacket and put it on, as he looked out again. 'Those idiots,' he thought to himself, scoffing here and there. 'Just goes to show you how stupid lower class people are. I don't even know why my father hired them in the first place.'
Because of his father's success in the invention business, most particularly the airship, the Wong family had received much wealth in the past several years, giving them the status of the highest class. Despite the extreme volume of fortune his father raked in, he and Suzy still felt as if that the wealth did not buy everything he wanted. Ok, he had his own module of transportation, and soon he might have an airship of his own, but for the majority of his life, Henry had been neglected by his parents. Of course, his father was too busy to even pay a decent amount of attention to his own son, but then their mother...
Henry and Suzy's mother had become an explorer during the waxing years of their lives. She was very successful in journeying and collecting forgotten artifacts, until that one day, when their father came home one day, crying for the first time that Henry and Suzy had ever seen. He remembered those words that came out of his father's mouth for his lifetime-
"It was snowy. She decided to leave the kingdom."
Ever since then, Henry had felt a bit of insecureness, even when Janyu had raked in the huge fortune. Having a nice dwelling and lots of friends was good, but still...
"Captain Wong!" Came a cry from down under. "One of the engines is failing!"
Henry immediately struck himself awake as he raced down the deck and to the engine room.
"What cursed luck has befallen us, worker?" he demanded.
"One of the engines just blew out all of a sudden, it seems that there is a minor malfunction in its operating power!"
"Minor?" asked Henry. "Minor? It seems that if things don't get resolved soon, this 'minor' malfunction is going to destroy this airship! Get the hell to work, everyone, if you want to live another day!" Suddenly his credo was abruptly interrupted by the violent shake of the airship.
"What the hell is that?" he demanded. "Figure out what that is, this instant!"
On cue, about ten workers raced out of the engine room and down the hall to the pressure gauge storage, where Henry suspected the blast originated from.
"Henry!" Came the feminine voice that Henry managed to discover as his sister, despite the ruckus. "What's going on?"
"Come here," he beckoned to her. Suzy ran up to Henry and put her arms around him. "Don't worry, it'll be okay."
Henry's nerves shook him as well as Suzy. He didn't know what to do; although he had piloted these mechanisms before, he had never been in this situation, nor was he trained for it. It could also have been for lack of experience.
Fire immediately lit up the room as Henry and Suzy looked behind them and saw an explosion litter the darkness of the night up. He instantaneously realized where the source of the blast came from. "The pressure storage!" he exclaimed. "This place is going to blow!" He looked at his kid sister, who had the look of shock on her face. It had to be coming from her face, but he and she needed to get out. "Come, Suzy, let us make haste and get our parachutes."
Suzy didn't need to be told twice as Henry led her to the emergency storage room, shakes of little force and of big magnitude echoing and vibrating through the ship. Henry grabbed a pair of parachutes, giving one to her, who made no hesitation to put it on. "Where's everyone else?" she questioned, but Henry shrugged her off.
"They're a bit slow, let's go!" exclaimed Henry as they reached the top deck, despite the noise and explosions throughout the airship. He got the gut feeling that his father's airship, the Griddenburg, wasn't going to hold up for much longer. Looking over the rail of the burning ship, he looked at his sister. "Let us jump now! May God's grace be with you, Suzy!" he said, hopping over the edge, leaving Suzy behind.
Suzy held her breath for a second, then leaped off her father's burning ship, not knowing the dangers she and her brother would face on the land.
**********
There was much talk in the kingdom of Justines, for the lonely princess would finally have a prince to be with.
For the male, he was of course excited, that he would be part of the royal family, and that he got to marry a beautiful princess; an event that every boy dreamed of. This boy's name was Grant Juranio.
The higher royal family, the king and queen, were of course happy for this occasion, as well as the boy's parents. But there was one who objected the whole wedding plan.
That was the princess, Jeri Musami. She was a little before seventeen, and she had a lot of spunk to go with it. Her adolescent actions included yelling at her own parents, sneaking out at night, among other extremities.
She was beautiful, indeed. Long auburn hair went down to her shoulders and her face was looked primarily upon the male gender, but there were female eyes as well who sought her in jealousy and envy. Through all this however, Jeri kept a cool head for her citizens, for whenever she roamed the streets at day, she would give a welcome gesture or start a conversation with one.
When Jeri had heard news of her new fiancée, she was livid to say the least. She shut the door to her room, opening it only to her servant who served her three-a-day meals.
In fact, the only person Jeri liked in the castle was her own handmaiden, the one who took care of her, gave her food, and the like. She talked with her throughout one night about the absurd decision her parents had made pertaining to the courtship of she and Grant, offering her opinions on the whole thing.
"What the hell were they thinking?"
"They must have been asleep the whole meeting."
Yes, that was what the conversation mostly held of, but they couldn't resist feeding off the other's negativeness. Jeri, of course, liked it because she had someone who agreed that the whole thing was stupid, while the handmaiden thought of it as good fortune to have an extended conversation with the princess.
"Maiden Ella," Princess Jeri said one night up in her quarters. "You know how long it is until I am to be married to this Sir Juranio, do you not?"
The middle-aged woman nodded. "Yes, your majesty. Five days."
Jeri got up in her seat immediately, a move that flinched Ella. "I shall run away from this kingdom. I am not to be married to a man whom I barely know."
Ella sat up, worry showing in her eyes. "What are you saying?"
"I don't want to be a part of this...this...monarchy where the royal family can just marry a man to their daughter for the benefits of their kingdom!"
"But, Princess, I beg of you-"
"Hold your tongue, servant!" exclaimed the princess, holding her hand up.
The maiden got down on her knees. "I plead forgiveness, my lady. I am sorry."
Jeri eased up a good degree and offered a hand to the servant. "Please rise." Immediately, Ella sat up and nodded her head. "I know it may not sound good, but I shall return when I feel things may be better again."
"How long do you plan to be gone?" The maiden asked.
"I don't know," said the princess. "Whenever Father and Mother get their schedules down to see me fit." With that, Jeri kissed Ella on the forehead. "I bid thee farewell, that I shall see you soon."
"Princess, please be careful."
**********
The princess did not want this to happen, but she felt it was for the better, seeing that it might put some sense into her parents that one cannot be married by force, and that it had to come together, like a puzzle.
As weird as it was to see a princess at the height of moon running through the kingdom of Justines, the wandering citizens and explorers gave little attention to the sixteen-year old young princess. She liked it better that way; no one disturbs her, she disturbs no one.
A good twenty yards away, there stood a small group, no more than six, people dressed in black robes, watching Princess Jeri's every move.
"We shall get her when she's a good ten leagues away from Justine borderline," the one in front said.
***********
To be continued...