Chapter 25: Childhood
1164 Words
Emil's POV
"Your Highness." we said, then bowed down to the princess. She's at the gazebo. "We've finished escorting the West King." We told her.
She nodded. "Good job." She said and smiled. Oril and I looked at each other. "Hmm? Is there something wrong?" she asked.
"Ah, no." I said.
"It's really nothing." Oril said.
She nodded. "Good. You can go back patrolling now." She told us and continued to read her book.
"Say, man." I told Oril when we left. "Isn't the princess on the edge today?" I asked.
He nodded. "I noticed it, too. Since yesterday." He said.
I nodded. "I wonder what happened in the forest." I said, then remembered yesterday when the princess came out of the forest.
Flashback
I sighed. "I'm wondering why she'd left us here." I said, sitting on the tree root. Oril's leaning on the tree trunk. "The last time we came here, we're with her friend, Vice – woah!" I exclaimed when the princess suddenly appeared.
Oril's face still remained poker-faced, unfazed when we saw the princess.
"Y – Your Highness!" I called, shocked. "What happened? You're sweating a lot, your face is burning, and your lips and clothes have blood. And, where is your coat - ?" I asked.
But, she ignored us and walked past us.
"Eh? Your Highness - ?" I called and was about to follow her.
"Hold on, Emil." Oril said and stopped me. We watched as the princess walked away. "She's…" he said, then looked at his shoulders. "Something happened." He said.
"A nymph?!" I said, surprised when I saw a tiny glowing creature small enough to be a firefly on Oril's shoulder. "That told you something?" I asked, pointing at the nymph.
He nodded. "He told me Rio sent him." Oril said.
"'Rio'? Who's that?" I asked.
"The fairy of this forest." Oril said. "And the princess's childhood friend." He added.
"Oh. That's right. I remember a blond-haired kid that's glowing and has pointy ears when we were kids." I said, remembering the time when all of us – me, Mickey, the princess, prince Vincent, went to the forest one time. We met a glowing kid that could fly. "So she's a fairy…" I said. "What did he say? What happened to the princess?" I asked and looked at the nymph on Oril's shoulder.
"She sort of had a fight…" Oril said as he listened to the nymph. "… against the fairy – "
I gasped.
"And someone." Oril added.
"'Someone'?" I asked.
"He said – " Oril said and listened to the nymph. "A silver-haired woman – " he stopped. "A silver-haired woman?!" he exclaimed, shocked, as he looked at the nymph. "Where is she now?" Oril asked.
"Could it be Vice?" I asked.
Oril's shoulders slumped. "The fairy doesn't want anybody to see her?" he said, then sighed. He turned to me. "Emil. Could you go look after the princess?" he asked.
"Eh? Why?" I asked.
"I'm going to see Rio." He said, then left.
"Eh?" I said, surprised when he's suddenly gone.
Flashback end
I sighed. We're walking downtown. "What happened when you came to the fairy?" I asked Oril.
He shook his head. "She just told me to stay away from the forest at the moment." he answered, then sighed. "Even I can't go there right now." he said, his shoulders slumped.
We sighed. "I wish we could help the princess's problem – " I said and stopped when I saw something. "Sydril?" I said.
"Who?" Oril said and looked at where I'm looking. "It's the poker-faced knight." He said.
"You're one to talk." I told him. He frowned. I sighed then went to Sydril. "Sydril!" I called. He's talking to a woman. "Why are you here –? Sara?" I asked when I saw the woman Sydril is talking to.
"Good timing." Sydril said as he turned to me. "You seem to know her. You talk to her." He told me. "I'm going back to the castle – " he said, then left.
"Ah, wait - !" Sara said and tried to stop Sydril, but he already left. She sighed, then smiled at me. "Hi, Emil!" she said and waved.
I didn't smile. "Why are you here?" I asked. "You should be in the West Kingdom – " I said.
She rolled her eyes. "I'm suffocating there because of my brother – " she said.
"Sara!" I said.
She looked at me, shocked, when I raised my voice. Even Oril was shocked. He had never seen me get mad, nor even raise my voice in anger.
I sighed. "Go back." I said, then walked past her. "Don't make your brother mad again – " I told her.
"I already told him it's not your fault." She said in a soft voice. I stopped. "I already told him it was my fault I fell on the river. And that you tried to help me." She said.
I sighed and turned to her. "Then it's okay." I said and smiled sadly.
She sobbed. "Why can't he forgive you?" she asked, crying.
I smiled and went to her. I messed her hair. "Thanks for visiting me." I said. "I'm alright." I told her.
"You're not, aren't you?" she said, sobbing.
I smiled. "Really. I'm okay." I said. "You go look at the shops. They sell crepes here. You love it, don't you?" I asked.
She smiled. "I'm so glad my brother has a friend like you." She said and hugged me. "I wish he forgives you – " she said, then strutted away. "See you later!" she said and waved.
I waved back. "Yeah." I said.
"Who was that?" Oril asked when we continued our patrolling.
I smiled. "Just someone from my past." I answered.
Flashback
"Emil! Mickey!" Yelena called.
"Your Highness - !" we greeted and knelt.
Princess Yelena laughed. "You, two…." She said. "You don't need to kneel. We're friends." She told us.
"But I'll be a knight - !" I said.
She laughed. "Then wait when you'll be finally a knight." She told me and smiled.
Even as a kid, she already has what it takes to be a princess. I thought. "Yes, Your Highness." I answered and bowed.
She giggled. "Oh... I just said that you don't – " she helplessly sighed. She then looked at Mickey. "How was your stay here?" she asked him.
"It was fun, Your Highness." Michel answered. "Your kingdom is great. It reminds me of the West Kingdom where I came from." He said.
The princess smiled. "I am glad." she said and did a curtsy.
Mickey and I are training under my father, the royal knight that time, tutelage. I am training to be a knight of the East Kingdom, while Mickey's in the West Kingdom, his birthplace.
"Do you want to fish?" the princess asked.
We looked at each other, then smiled. "Yes!" we answered.
- Writer
