Two days later
Queen Elise: Lissabelle!
The queen rushed into her daughter’s bedroom and found the princess sobbing on her bed, her dress tattered and torn from her journey.
Queen Elise: Oh my goodness sweetheart! I’ve been worried sick! Are you alright?
She threw her arms around the girl, who sniffled a few times, then continued to cry, though trying to suppress the tears to speak.
Lissabelle: I…I…
Queen Elise: I know, dear… It’s alright… Maybe if we try hard enough we can convince Prince Aderas to…
Lissabelle: He…He’s gone! And…and h-he’s n-never coming back!
She hid her face on her mother’s shoulder and sobbed like she’d never stop.
Queen Elise: Aderas?
Lissabelle: No… It…it was…
She took a pause to sniffle and clear her throat.
Lissabelle: He—he didn’t even know me! He t-took me all the way to Sapphire Lake, put himself in d-danger to k-keep me safe… And…and Aderas killed him!
Queen Elise: Oh, sweetheart…
The queen hugged her daughter closer as the tears came streaming down the sides of her face.
Queen Elise: Come now, darling… Tell me the whole story. I want to know everything.
Lissabelle: Everything?
She dried her eyes and sniffled a bit, hoping that maybe talking about it would soften the pain.
Queen Elise: Everything.
Lissabelle: Well you’re going to want to sit down then. It’s a long story…
The queen took a seat on the bed next to her daughter and tucked her curly hair behind her ears.
Queen Elise: I’m listening…
The young princess wiped the last few tears from her cheeks. With a final deep breath, she began to tell her tale.
Lissabelle: Well…It all started when I first came out of the tunnel. It was hard to breathe down there… I almost fainted, actually, but I finally found my way. I had just gotten to the surface, but I was still short of breath, and I knew I was going to fall soon, but I saw a young man nearby… He was tall and thin, with thick, shaggy hair that hung in his eyes—he had the most beautiful blue eyes… I started walking to him, and he asked if I was okay. I thought I was, but before I knew it, I couldn’t stand anymore. The last thing I remember before I fainted was him reaching out to catch me…
Queen Elise: Who was he, darling?
A smile lit the sad girl’s face as she pictured his cute smirking face once again.
Lissabelle: Cal. Cal Mitchell.
Queen Elise: He slept by you through the whole night so you’d stay warm?
Lissabelle: Yeah…
She let out a long, wistful sigh.
Lissabelle: Well, we rode on and met up with Jessina and Chase again, then we made it to the lake…
Her heart panged at the thought. She had mixed feelings of the place, now.
Lissabelle: He took me down by the water. Chase and Jessina decided to leave us alone. He…he told me that he wanted to protect me, that he would let nothing happen to me….that…that he loved me…
She let out a quick breath of air, still trying to come to reality that he actually did love her.
Lissabelle: Then he kissed me…
She paused, remembering his soft lips, his strong arms holding her tightly, keeping her safe.
Lissabelle: And...that’s when Aderas found us.
Queen Elise: Oh, sweetheart…
Lissabelle: He was furious. He tried to strike me! He would have, had Cal have not been there to stop him. Then he tried to pull me away, and then Cal turned his sword on him. I wish he just would’ve let me go…
She shook her head, trying to ward off the tears.
Lissabelle: They fought for a bit, Cal was obviously the more experienced duelist. But then a guard started pulling me away, and I started screaming… Cal looked over to me for a moment and Aderas used the open opportunity to…to…
She refused to say the next line. She instead hung her head and stared at the ground.
Queen Elise: I know, sweetheart, I know…
Lissabelle: It was my fault!
Queen Elise: No, no it wasn’t! You can’t blame yourself for this. It was Aderas’ deed, not yours.
Lissabelle: But if it weren’t for me, he would’ve never gotten the chance!
Queen Elise: Now, now, no need to…
She took a pause as there was a knock at the door. It opened, revealing the face of the prince’s cousin.
Aidan: Highness. Your return is a happy one.
He bowed slightly towards the princess, and then waited for the door to close before sighing.
Aidan: Yeah okay I know you’re not too happy about it. Me neither. I know my cousin, and I feel terribly sorry for you.
Lissabelle: Thank you, Aidan.
Aidan: Huh?
Lissabelle: For helping Jessina.
Aidan: Oh, yes, you’re welcome, Princess.
He cleared his throat.
Aidan: However, I do have some bad news… Um…due to your escape, in worry that you might try to pull a fast one on him again, Aderas has moved up the wedding date…
Lissabelle’s eyes widened at his words, as did her mothers’.
Queen Elise: To when?
Aidan: Tomorrow…
Queen Elise: Tomorrow!? That’s absurd! There’s no way he can get together a wedding in….!
Aidan: Oh this guy has a knack at getting what he wants when he wants it.
Lissabelle: He…he’s not going to take me…
Aidan: Got any bright ideas?
Lissabelle thought deep into her heart, searching for a way out.
Lissabelle: (My love is gone, my heart will never love again… There’s no way around it…) I suppose there's no way around it... I…I will marry him…not for love, but for the good of the nation.
Queen Elise: Lissabelle no! You can’t! He…he’s going to…
Lissabelle: Mother. This is my decision. You can’t change my mind for me. Tomorrow, I will marry the prince… (But he will not lay a finger on me, for the moment we enter his chamber, I’ll stab myself in the heart, ridding myself of this cruel world, and reuniting with my lost love.)
Aderas: Little harlot thought she’d run away from me, hm? Thought she’d run away to Adria with her little peasant boyfriend and live happily ever after. Too bad. She’s mine now. And she will be officially mine by tomorrow…
He sneered as he sat down in an easy chair by the fireplace.
Aidan: You do know she still hates you, right?
Aderas: I don’t care. She’s going to be my wife tomorrow. She’ll just have to live with it.
Aidan: She also thinks you killed her “little peasant boyfriend.” You do realize that this’ll make her hate you even more, correct?
Aderas: But she did agree to wed me, correct?
Aidan: She did, however, she’s not happy to do it, and she’s not doing it for love.
Aderas: Neither am I.
Aidan: Yes, but she’s doing it for her country, and you’re doing it to fulfill your private fantasies.
Aderas: And I’ve succeeded. She tried to stop it, but she couldn’t help but cave in to my demands.
Aidan: Something tells me that you haven’t won yet.
Aderas: Oh but I have.
The cold-hearted man chuckled sinisterly as he swirled the wine in his glass and took a long swig from the crystalline goblet.
Chase: So... Tomorrow we’re going to storm the dungeon, right?
Jessina: Right.
Chase poked the fire with a long stick from his seat right next to Jessina, who was watching the flames as the sparks shot from the kindling. It was the clearest night they’d seen—save for the sky above Sapphire Lake, but that place was always sparkling—since they had begun their journey.
Chase: And do you have a plan?
Jessina: Duh.
Chase: Well?
Jessina: Well, while I’m going into town to buy a pretty dress—
She grimaced.
Jessina: You’re going to rough up one of the guards and steal his uniform. Then we put them on and I’ll pretend to be Lissabelle going to visit Cal in prison while you’re going to be the guard watching me.
Chase: Not bad. However, won’t they recognize that I’m not a soldier?
Jessina: There are hundreds of them, all crawling all over the place. Remember how you said you’ve always wanted to be a knight? Well here’s your chance. Just pretend to be a numbskull and you’ll fit in just fine. Actually—just be yourself and you’ll fit in just fine.
Chase: Gee, thanks.
He spoke sarcastically as he tossed the fire poker to the side and lay out on the ground, staring up at the sky.
Jessina: Going to sleep already?
Chase: Nah…just looking at the stars. They’re really bright tonight.
Jessina: Yeah…Guess so…
She lay down next to him, her shoulder gently brushing against his.
Jessina: Oh, sorry.
Chase: No worries.
He scooted over a bit, though he wished he didn’t have to.
Chase: I dunno about you, but I’m a little scared about doing this tomorrow…
Jessina: Ah, the great Chase has fears, does he?
Chase: Hey, so much could go wrong. We could get caught—you’ll end up back in fairy tale land and I’ll be shipped off to the dungeon to share a cell with Cal. And of course we could be too late. Lissabelle’ll actually end up with that son of a—
Jessina: I guess we’ll just hafta close our eyes, take a deep breath, and do what we can do.
Chase: Yeah…I guess so… Still….I fear this may be the last time I see the night sky…
They lay silent for a few moments, just looking up to the starry sky above, seeing a jet of light stream across it.
Jessina: Hm…shooting star…
Chase: Cool. Make a wish…
Jessina closed her eyes tight as the thoughts raced in her mind. As she did, Chase scooted closer to her…closer than before. By the time her eyes opened again, she could feel his breath on her neck. She turned to face him and their noses touched.
Jessina: Chase…what are you—?
But before she could finish, he closed his eyes and touched his lips to hers. Her eyes flew open wide, shocked more than ever in her life.
Jessina: (OH…MY…GOD…)
She couldn’t move a muscle. He slowly pulled away, but remained close to her face, his green eyes inches from her wide, hazel ones. Neither of them knew what to say or do. They just stared.
Chase: So, didja get your wish?
She shook her head.
Jessina: Not yet.
With that, she yanked on his collar, pulling him closer and back into another kiss, slipping her tongue past his lips and feeling his do the same. She ran her fingers through his thick black hair and felt his hands move to her back, rubbing it softly as the passionate kiss continued. As they pulled away, they sat up and dusted themselves off, both blushing brighter than roses. Chase wiped off his mouth and gave a chuckle as Jessina pulled her hair back up into a ponytail.
Jessina: Okay. Now I got my wish.
Cal woke in the dungeon, clutching the wound in his chest as he sat up and looked to his surroundings. The walls and floors were dirty from years of neglect. Mice scurried across the floor at random points in time, squeaking as they searched for food. Other than the pitter patter of the creatures’ feet and the dripping from the leaky roof, the place was completely silent.
Cal: (I’m…I’m alive?)
He looked at his wound and saw the bloody cloth wrapped round it.
Cal: Why’d they treat me?
King William: Probably to keep you alive so you can rot in here for the rest of your life.
A voice came from the cell next to him. He couldn’t see the man’s face, but he could tell that the man was older, and quite weary.
Cal: Who’s there?
King William: An old man who made a stupid mistake.
Cal: I see…
King William: What are you in for?
Cal: I’m a felon…kind of… And I tried to flee the country… But I was hunted down… They got me when I was so close…
He slammed his fist on the stone ground, hearing an echo throughout the tunnels.
King William: Ah I see… Well, my mistake caused misery to another as well… My poor daughter…
He stopped speaking to shake his head and sigh.
Cal: Me too… The love of my life… I don’t even know what happened to her… But I know it’s not good…
King William: That's a shame.... So what's your name, lad?
Cal: Cal Mitchell of Sapphire Lake.
King William: Sapphire Lake….Beautiful place. Used to live there. My daughter loved it. But we had to move to the big city… business, you know?
Cal: My girl loved it too… That’s where I first kissed her… But it’s also where he caught us… And since I let her down…now she has to marry that awful man… Poor Lissabelle… Wherever you are…I’m sorry…
The king’s heart gave a jolt of excitement.
King William: My daughter is your love!?
Cal: Your highness?
King William: So it was you that took my daughter parading around the continent while my armies scoured the place to find her?
Cal gulped.
Cal: Yes, your majesty, you see, I w-was just trying to help her! I didn't kidnap her! You see, she was trying to escape from...
King William: Cal my boy.
Cal: Yes, your highness?
King William: Please....Is Lissabelle alright?
Cal: I think Aderas has her.
King William: I see...
He heaved a sigh.
King William: Tell me. How did you end up chaperoning my child?
Cal: Well... It all started when she showed up at my camp...
-PREVIEW!-
Mikona: Puu! I'm here to help Starlite give a preview for her next chapter!
What's this? Jessina and Chase go to break Cal out of prison, but will they make it in time before Lissabelle is wed to Aderas? And if she is, she's going to kill herself! HURRY!
Next time, The Conclusion of Seigoku! Chapter 20, Murderous Matrimony!
Mikona can't wait!
Mikona: Puu! I'm here to help Starlite give a preview for her next chapter!
What's this? Jessina and Chase go to break Cal out of prison, but will they make it in time before Lissabelle is wed to Aderas? And if she is, she's going to kill herself! HURRY!
Next time, The Conclusion of Seigoku! Chapter 20, Murderous Matrimony!
Mikona can't wait!
