Spirit Chronicles: A New Beginning

S2 EP 5: Royals on the Run

Rio could not believe what was happening in front of him. After years of being on the run, learning he was a prince, and saving Celia from an unwanted wedding, the young princess he'd once saved from a kidnapping scheme was now again here! "This is crazy! I had heard that Flora had left her kingdom, but she came here?!"

"Sir, you looked surprised. Is something wrong?" The way Flora phrased the question was interesting to Rio. She must not have recognized him since he was assumed to be dead by now, but the dark black hair didn't give off anything?

"I'm a little surprised you don't remember me, Princess Flora..." Rio sighed. "But no matter! I am called Rio. The boy who once saved your life at its own cost." When Rio had said his matter in it all, Flora's face lit up by 100 times!

"Rio! I can't believe that after all this time it's you!" Flora ran up to Rio and have him a tight hug, which surprised Rio on the count of the fact she had never done an act like this before. "Who knew that my savior would be hiding out in a village right next to me? It's truly sensational!"

"It's a pleasure to see my small princess again too." Rio joked. "You have gotten taller, Princess Flora. And you would take delight in seeing someone who's inside the village as well." Flora's face beamed and the two started to walk to the Beast Village. "Wait! Sir Beltrum, are you not coming also?"

The former prince laughed at Rio. "I need to take care of matters here and take up the last of our items. Depending on if Flora stays in your care, I may be leaving to go elsewhere for now. So, I bid you a due!" With that, Rio nodded and departed from him.

"So, how have you been doing all alone these past four to five years, Princess?" Rio asked Flora, starting a friendly conversation. "I was in the kingdom a few months ago and heard that you had fled for unknown reasons..."

Flora looked him curiously and sighed. "When you were exiled and wanted posters were put up, I heard that my father ended up knowing they were false charges. Still, he didn't do anything and I finally knew just how corrupt his kingdom was. I fled with my second uncle and since then have been on the run"

"Hmm..." Rio mumbled. "Well don't worry, Princess! You'll be safe for now in the village!"

"What's this village like?" Flora asked, excitedly? "Do they have knights?"

"Well..." Rio didn't exactly know how to explain the village, because he was sure Flora would find it a little odd. "Best for you to just find out when we get there. It isn't exactly like villages you may be used too."

"What do you... Oh! Wow!" Flora and Rio arrived into the edge of the village and Rio saw the look on Flora's face as she saw the number of Demi-Beasts. Rio knew that back in the Beltrum Kingdom, Demi-Beasts were rare and usually put in slavery. This must have been quite the outcome from someone like her.

"Told you it would be quite the thrill, Princess." Rio said to Flora. "Now come on! We need to try to avoid some people and get to the elders. It wouldn't be as good of a surprise if they caught us now!" Flora nodded, trying to stop her laughs, and the two snuck through the village and to the huge tree.

"Do you have to do this often, Sir Rio?" Flora asked in question.

"Not really..." Rio admitted. "Like I said though, if others in the village see you, it may be a little troublesome. Your only the sixth human to set foot in this village after all... Plus, a certain someone is here who you probably shouldn't see until this part is over." Flora nodded and the two continued their walk in secret.

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"So, I see you've brought another guest to our village." Ursula chuckled. 

"Sorry about so many new people." Rio apologized. "Flora here is an old friend of me and Celia's so when I saw her, I thought it would be right to help her. By the way, she's also a princess..."

"All good reasons to accept Flora here into our now growing village!" Syldora agreed. "All in favor, politely raise your hand." All three of the elders raised their hands in agreement, and so Flora was accepted into the village as well.

"Thank goodness!"

"We'll just have Flora stay with you, Rio!" Dominic shouted. "Better to leave those other three in your rock house peacefully and just throw Flora into the group with you other six." The elders all nodded and Rio and Flora were able to leave.

"I wonder how many times going to have to have meetings with the elders! This marks the seventh!"

"So, now what do we do?" Flora asked, looking at Rio with awestruck eyes. "We've already met the elders, so do we just follow their directions and head back to your house?" Rio looked at Flora with amaze eyes at how well she could follow directions.

"Correct." Rio answered. "There's a special someone who's currently waiting for me there. She'll be surprised to see you again, Flora. Do you remember earlier when I wanted us to keep secret about you? Well this is why..."

Flora nodded to him and looked at the ground. "You know, I'm kind of sad that I know it's not my sister, Christina. I haven't seen her in years and have felt more lonely than ever." Then she looked at him with bright eyes. "At least your here though, Rio."

Rio smiled as they reached the house. "Same to you. Now, I need to you to wait out here while I grab someone and stop something else..." Flora gave a big thumbs up to Rio as he used his magic to make it up to the balcony.

When he landed, he saw six faces inside the home that were all looking at him. "I hope Flora has the energy to wait for a while..."  

Rio stepped inside and was hugged by his adopted little sister, Latifa. "Big Brother! What took you so long to get back? Aisha said she was sensing you were in some sort of a fight and almost went after you!"

"Aisha, you know what happened! Please don't tell them about Flora or any other details yet!"  Aisha agreed to Rio's request and he was relieved when she did. "I was fine. Besides, that isn't the point right now. The point is, the elders asked everyone here besides Celia to go and hunt for some food."

"Hunting, huh?" Sara asked, almost laughing. "I'm sure they did. Come on guys! Let's go hunt!" The girls all left, leaving Rio confused. What in the world did she mean with that criticism of sarcasm?

"So, what are you and me supposed to do?" Celia asked, coming closer to Rio. "Did you have something in mind that would make you falsely send the other girls on a hunting mission?"

"So you knew huh?" Rio asked, rhetorically. "Well, I actually wanted to take you down to the forest floor for a minute. We have an unexpected visitor waiting for you down there." Celia looked at him with curious eyes, and then followed Rio down.

When they arrived, Celia was twitching and looking all around. "Who is it, Rio? Did you somehow find a search party from the kingdom when you were out in those woods?"

"Not quite. You can come out of the bushes now and greet your company." With the word, Flora came out of the shrubs, catching both of them off guard. "Flora, it's old professor Celia! Celia, I found Flora out in those woods.

For moment, both girls looked at each other with awestruck eyes. "Must be shocking to see each other after so many years. I know how I felt when Princess Flora came up on my shoulder."  Finally, after looking at each other for a few moments, both girls ran at each other and hugged.

"Flora! I can't believe that it's actually you!" Celia cried in amazement.

"Nor can I believe it's you, Professor!" Flora said, crying into Celia's shoulder. "After all of this time... it's really you! How did you end up in this village with Rio?"

"It's a bit of a long story..."

"I told you both you would enjoy the surprise!" Rio exclaimed. "And by the way, I have something to tell you both. The elders asked me to take you both by my grandparents for a few weeks. I informed Aisha who informed everyone else, so it would be sufficient if we went ahead and left tomorrow morning."

When Rio has told the two girls of their new mission, they both nodded. "I still wonder how this will go when they meet my family... Hopefully no one will get the wrong impression of me, bringing two girls."  Rio shrugged and prepared for the journey to come.