Chapter 15
2449 Words
Thinking about Ashta, Roman walked into his room and laid back on his bed. He hoped that she was safe and not in another dungeon somewhere. To him, King Gale was a mystery to him and he wasn't sure what the king felt towards Ashta.
Was he going to be like his step-mother and have some odd hate for the girl? Why are you thinking about her? Roman wondered to himself, as he got off of his bed.
Suddenly, there was a knock at his door, and Roman walked over and opened it. His father was standing on the other side, and he moved to let Rocco come in.
"Well, son, we have been invited to Nemiph to the ceremony for the missing princess tonight," Rocco stated, and Roman laughed.
"What? I am interested in what Maya had to say about this invitation," Roman laughed, as he rubbed his chin, and Rocco looked at his son seriously.
"She does not know about this invitation, because they did not invite her."
Roman stared at his father for a moment.
"That's strange. Why would they invite us and not her?" Roman asked, and Rocco shook his head.
"Let me ask you a question. Are you scared of that woman?"
Rocco sighed heavily.
"Son, that woman has done a great deed for our family, and we are forever in her debt."
Roman looked at his father thoughtfully.
A great deed. What did he mean by that?
"What, by marrying you?" Roman asked, sarcastically.
Defeated, Rocco looked at the ground and he didn't say anything.
"Dad, what are you talking about?" he asked, as he looked at his father seriously.
Rocco didn't look at his son and Roman crossed his arms over his chest.
"Dad, what is it that you are not telling me?" Roman asked, a little annoyed, and
Rocco shook his head.
"Not here. Go to the celebration, see what king Gale is up to," Rocco mumbled under his breath, and Roman shook his head at his father.
"Maya is trying to find out everything she can about what is going to happen to her niece," he added.
"Why does she care?" Roman growled.
"Treat this like an undercover mission. We need to know," his father said quickly.
Agitated, Roman sighed and nodded.
"How many guards are coming with me?" Roman asked, and Rocco shook his head.
"Wait, let me get this straight. You want me to go into Nemiph, with no protection?" Roman exclaimed, and Rocco covered his son's mouth with his hand.
"Shsh. This is just for you to do. Don't forget your mother's necklace. Those people all wear weird little amulets around their necks. It will help you blend in."
Roman pulled his face back away from his father's hand, and he only nodded, but he thought his father was acting very strange. Evidently, Rocco left his bedroom and Roman got ready to go to the celebration in the land of the Oligarchy Slayers.
******************************
Cara led Ashta and Lashanna down the stairs to the throne room. King Gale, Damian, and Xavier turned as they entered the room.
"I present to you, the princess and her human friend,” announced Cara, as she curtsied, and then she left the room.
"My, my. You look just like your mother, especially with her necklace around your neck,” said Gale with a smile on his lips, and he bowed to Ashta.
"Thank you,” she said, as she blushed and bowed back to him.
At that moment, Ashta's eyes flickered at Damian. Dressed in red and silver armor, he smiled at her and bowed his head to her. Ashta smiled and bowed her head to him. Noticeably, there was another man in the room. This man was muscular, tall, with dirty blonde, wavy hair down to his shoulder blades, and he had green eyes. He was handsome in an eighties metal band look. The man looked at Ashta and smiled brightly.
"Wow, you are beautiful," he said with wide eyes, and Ashta blushed.
Out of the corner of her eye, Ashta saw Damian sigh and hang his head.
What was wrong? she wondered.
"Ashta, this is Prince Adam. He has chosen to become your suitor,” stated Gale proudly.
Ashta and Lashanna looked at each other in disbelief, and then Ashta looked at her uncle.
Oh, that was why he sighed like that, thought Ashta, as she stared at her uncle in disbelief.
"What?" she blurted out, as Lashanna's mouth dropped open and shook her head.
"All princesses and princes must have a suitor. How do you expect the bloodline to survive?" asked Gale matter-of-factly, and Ashta gave him a dumbfounded look.
"Wait! So, you are saying that I have to have an arranged marriage?" Ashta exclaimed.
For a moment, Gale looked at her oddly, and then he nodded.
"That is how life works. How do you think any species can survive for thousands of years?"
"Not by forcing two people into an unwanted marriage, that's for sure,” blurted out Lashanna, and everyone looked at her.
"What do you mean?" asked Xavier in confusion.
"Well, you find someone who makes your soul spark, fall in love, and then you can plan on a happy family and if you want to have children. That is how life works,” said Lashanna matter-of-factly, and Xavier smiled at her.
"Fairytales! That is what you see in fairytales. That is not real life,” said Adam, and he and Gale laughed.
Damian and Xavier stood quietly.
"I could fall in love with the princess, she is absolutely gorgeous,” said Adam, dreamily.
At that moment, Lashanna stifled a laugh, and Ashta shook her head in disbelief.
"I'm sorry, uncle Gale, but this princess has already chosen her date for tonight's celebration,” stated Ashta confidently, and clicked her tongue.
"Who?" asked Gale, as he put his hand to his chin.
Confidently, Ashta looked at Damian and raised her eyebrows at him. Gale looked at Damian and then he looked back at Ashta.
"He is a guard. The princess does not accompany herself to celebrations with a guard. My apologies Damian, but that is the rules,” said Gale.
Ashta saw Damian sigh a heavy sigh, and she gave Gale a determined look.
"Maybe it's time that you rewrote the rules. Since I am the princess or whatever, then I make my own decisions. Don't underestimate the things that I can do,” she warned, and Gale looked at her for a moment.
Suddenly, a tall man with dark hair and a beard walked into the room clapping his hands. The man looked like the man in her vision of her parents, but how could that be? That man was hanged. Ashta also noticed the man had the same blue eyes as she had.
"There is that Jerico fire!" the man exclaimed, as he stood next to the king.
Gale looked at the man, shook his head, and sighed.
"Hello, Ashta. My name is Liam, and I am your other uncle,” he introduced himself politely.
"Hello," Ashta said to him, as she bowed her head.
He bowed his head back, and then Liam turned to Gale.
"Brother, hear the kid out, before you get upset. Remember, she was not raised in our world, and some change might be good for the kingdom,” said Liam with ease.
Gale looked at his brother and nodded his head as he sighed in frustration. Adam looked at Gale and Liam, shocked.
"You can't be serious!" he exclaimed in doubt.
Liam and Gale turned to the prince and looked at him.
"Yes, son. I am afraid we are,” said Liam.
Ashta looked at them in disbelief, and then she laughed. They turned their heads toward her and looked at her in question.
"That would make you my cousin, if you are Liam's son,” she laughed, as she doubled over, and Lashanna joined in her laughter.
"We are definitely not doing this arranged marriage!" Ashta laughed.
Angrily, Adam glared at the king and his brother.
"I have staked my life on this moment, and trained hard every day waiting for the princess's return, and it was all for nothing?" he exclaimed, as his face turned beat red.
"Well, you might want to do some research on marrying your cousin!" laughed Lashanna, as tears came to her eyes.
"Then it is settled. The princess and her pet can make their own decisions, and choose whoever they want to accompany them,” stated Gale in a firm voice.
Suddenly, Lashanna and Ashta looked at each other and then they looked at Gale in question.
"Pet?" Ashta asked, as she raised an eyebrow, and Gale pointed to Lashanna.
At that moment, Lashanna and Ashta burst out laughing even harder than before.
"No, no. I'm not her pet!" laughed Lashanna.
"She's my friend,” added Ashta through her tears.
Gale and Liam exchanged looks and then looked back at the girls.
"Pets are cats and dogs," Lashanna added through her laughter.
"Okay, okay,” said Liam, as he put his hands up in defense.
After they stopped laughing and regained their senses, Ashta walked up to Damian and smiled at him slyly. In the back of her mind, she really wanted Roman to be there.
"So, there is this thing going on, and I am all dressed up, but I have a problem,” she said, as she looked into his eyes innocently.
"What seems to be the problem?" he asked with concern in his eyes.
Seemingly, she decided that maybe it was best that she and Roman were pulled away from each other, but she still wished he were there. Ashta looked up at him thoughtfully, and she bit her lower lip. Damian cleared his throat softly and looked like he was getting nervous.
"Well, the problem is, I seem to want to ask someone to go with me, but I don't think he will,” she whispered.
He looked at her, confused for a moment, and then she saw something flicker in his eyes.
"Well, maybe you should just ask him?" he whispered back, as he held her eyes, and Ashta nodded.
Was she flirting with me? wondered Damian, as he looked at the most beautiful creature he had ever seen standing before him.
"So, do you want to go to this shindig with me?" she asked, thoughtfully.
Happily, Damian grinned at her, and then he glanced at Gale as his smile began to fade. The king nodded to him, and Damian turned back to Ashta.
"Yes, I would love to accompany you,” he said with a wide grin.
He still wasn't sure if it was a good idea.
Would the king get angry at him later for agreeing to go with her, or would he be okay with it? Damian was so confused and sweat started to appear on his forehead.
"Son, it's okay. Go ahead and go get changed,” said Liam in a comforting voice, and Damian nodded.
"And take Xavier with you,” said Lashanna, and Gale looked at her, surprised.
"You two are taking our best guards!" he said in surprise, as Damian and Xavier left the throne room.
"Ashta, how is Yinlin?" asked Liam after the two guards had left, and Ashta turned to the man sadly, as tears threatened the back of her eyes.
"Two Selvempt guards killed him,” she said, sadly, as she looked at the floor.
Gale and Liam looked at each other in surprise and then back at her.
"Yinlin is dead?" Gale asked with wide eyes, and Ashta huffed a sob, as she nodded, and Lashanna lovingly wrapped her arm around her friend.
"I am so sorry,” said Liam sincerely.
At that moment, Damian and Xavier came back into the room wearing black suits. Liam sighed a heavy sigh, but then he smiled.
"Right. We will have to catch up on everything later, for now we have a celebration to attend,” said Gale, as he shook his sadness away.
Ashta took a deep breath, and she also pushed her feelings aside. She decided she would dance later when everyone was asleep, so she could find a little peace again.
Politely, Damian held out his arm, and Ashta smiled politely as she took it. Lashanna and Xavier stood behind them, and Gale and Liam took the lead. They walked out of the castle and headed toward the middle of the kingdom. Ashta looked around and she noticed that everything around her looked vaguely familiar.
However, she had never seen or been to Halondelle before, so why did she feel as though she had been there before?
At that moment, it dawned on her. This was the place she had seen in her vision, and it was the place that they brutally executed her parents. Sharply, Ashta inhaled as people gathered on the side of the road as they walked past. Damian looked down at Ashta with concern in his eyes.
"Are you alright?" he asked, as he put his free hand on top of hers.
Ashta swallowed hard and nodded.
"Well, then, can you loosen your grip? You are cutting the circulation off to my hand,” he whispered, and Ashta looked at her hand in the crook of his elbow.
She didn't realize that she had a death grip on his arm, and she relaxed her hand.
"Thank you," Damian whispered and smiled at her.
"I'm sorry,” she whispered to him, but Damian just shook his head and smiled.
As they passed by, people clapped and whispered to each other. Gale and Liam led them to a table that was in front of many other tables, and they all sat down. The Slayers came and took their seats at their own tables and faced the king as he stood up and cleared his throat.
"Welcome, welcome. My great people of Nemiph. Today is the day we celebrate, my niece, the missing princess, has finally come home,” he announced, and everyone stood up, as they clapped and cheered.
However, a few tables did not join in the celebration applause. Ashta and Lashanna looked at each other in question and then turned back to the crowd. Suddenly, Ashta noticed a dark figure standing, way in the back, by the decorated lattice. She focused on the figure, and then her eyebrows rose as she recognized the person.
What was Roman doing here? she wondered, as she rose from her chair, and Gale looked at her in question.
"Excuse me for a moment,” she said politely, and then she slipped away from the table.
- Writer
