The True Ruler Of Avalor

The Princess and the Pauper

"Elena, we still need reassess treaties, allocate funds, check damages..."

"Geez, Esteban, can't we have a moment to relax?" Noami said, tossing a small ball over to Elena.

Esteban scowled. "No, Miss Turner, you may not have a moment to relax. Even though everyone else in Avalor is celebrating, you may have forgotten that Elena and the rest of the council have a kingdom to run."

"Well, everyone seems to be happy right now," Elena added with a shrug, tossing the ball back to Naomi.

"It doesn't matter if they're 'happy' right now, Elena," Esteban huffed. "We still need repair the damages you and Shuriki caused."

"You mean that Shuriki caused," Naomi corrected, sending the ball back in Elena's direction. "Elena only was defending herself."

Esteban rolled his eyes. "It doesn't matter who caused the damage. The fact of the matter is that there is damage and it needs to be fixed."

"Why can't it wait, Esteban?" Elena asked, volleying the ball back to Naomi. "Everyone is enjoying themselves because Shuriki is gone. I thought you'd be happy."

"I am happy," he pressed through clenched teeth.

"Then why can't you just lighten up?"

"Because, Elena! I can't just 'lighten up' knowing that there are things that still need to be done! You are almost old enough to take the throne and you still treat everything as a ga--WOULD YOU TWO STOP TOSSING THAT BALL AT THE BREAKFAST TABLE?!"

The ball immediately fell from Naomi's hands onto the floor. "Fine," Elena relented with a sigh. "What needs to be done now?"

Esteban's anger swiftly changed so he could give her his signature haughty grin. "I'm glad you asked." He pulled out a long sheet of parchment from his coat pocket and the list made it down Esteban's tall frame, all the way to the floor. "The first item on the list that has yet to be completed is to discuss with the villagers that in the Avaloran forests about the damage caused by the Scepter of Night."

"There's people that live out there?" Naomi said, surprised, causing Esteban to roll his eyes.

"Of course, Miss Turner. Not everyone has the luxury of living in the city."

"I didn't realize that there was damage out there," Elena admitted.

"Well, you should have seeing that you told us that you chased Shuriki through the forest when you first fought against the Scepter of Night."

"It's from that long ago?" Elena said, genuinely surprised that they haven't dealt with this when it first happened.

Esteban nodded. "But officially, they've only applied for assistance recently so I'm not surprised about the delay."

"That's strange..."

"Either way, I will be going down to the forest to talk to the villagers about the damages. I'm sure that they'll be glad to see that their crown princess has decided to help them first out of everyone that wanted her help..."

"I'm going with you then," Elena replied.

Esteban smirked. "Good. We'll be heading out in about 15 minutes."  After that, he was gone from the dining hall.

When the coast was clear, Naomi let out an annoyed huff, picking the ball up off the floor. "What's his problem?" Elena just shrugged in response.

~+~+~+~

Later that morning, Elena and Esteban rode the royal carriage to the outskirts of the kingdom where the forest was. In the distance as they approached, Elena witnessed some of the villagers cutting down lumber from the forest. As they grew closer, she noticed that the wood that they were cutting was also burning a bright violet flame.