Luz's POV
"Eda!" I shouted before jogging and hugging her tightly.
"Hey kid. It's great to see you again."
"You scared me. You didn't send back a letter to us today."
"Sorry about. I didn't have enough time to write a letter. I had to deal with some of Belo's scums. There were some that were going to burn down the farmer's land and try to kidnap them. Good thing we made it on time."
"That's great to hear."
"Well well well. If it isn't Edalyn Clawthorne," Alador approached us.
"Hey there old man. How's it going?"
"Pretty well. How was the battle with Belo's army?"
"It went well. A few knights were slightly injured but none were severe. How's my kid doing as Amity's protector?" Eda was patting my head.
"Luz is doing well. She's keeping Amity entertained and happy."
"Well that's good to hear. Soon enough it'll be hard to separate those two haha."
"Yes it will."
"Heh yeah. Is there anything you need from me, Alador? I would like to go home to my wife and kid to see how they are doing."
"No, there's nothing I need from you Edalyn. You can go home and rest. You deserve it."
"Thanks friend. Then I'll be off. What time will you come over kid?"
"I'll leave right after the rain is over if that's fine with King Alador."
"Oh no worries. If you end up staying overnight, it'll be fine."
"Thank you so much Alador."
"Anytime Luz."
"I will see you later, kid. Have a nice evening everyone."
"Thank you Edalyn. You as well and greet Vee and Camila for us."
"Yes sir!" Eda left the hallway while Alador and the others were about to head back to the kitchen.
"Your mother and I will be making dinner. We'll let you know when it's ready.
"Would you like me to assist King Alador?"
"No need to, Luz. You've done enough for us. Amity, give Luz a tour. You have enough time to check out the entire castle while we are finishing up dinner."
"Yes father. Let's go Luz."
"Yes ma'am," I followed Amity to wherever she was leading me. We were going further back to the castle which I've never been to.
"Where are you taking me princess?"
"I am taking you to a room where we keep stuff that we no longer use or keep."
"I wonder what kind of things you guys have hidden in there."
"There's a good amount of items inside. You'll be amazed to see what we've stored. Good thing we're right here," Amity stopped in front of a door that says 'stored goods.' She opened the door to reveal many objects in one room. There were shelves with things on top and different paintings on the walls. There were even dolls, broken swords, mirrors, clothing, blankets, anything you can find.
"I didn't expect that many things to be in a single room," I was taken back.
"Yeah, there are many things here. We're planning to give some of these away to our people as a donation."
"That's nice of you guys. Woah, are these baby clothes?" I held up a little white dress.
"Yes it is. They used to be mine," Amity admitted.
"Oh my goodness. I bet you looked super adorable wearing this when you were a baby."
"My mother would agree with you."
"So how come you still have your baby clothes?" I searched more in the box.
"My parents thought it would be best to keep them in case the twins or I ever end up having kids in the future."
"That is a good idea. My moms did that for Vee and I."
"Looks like we're not the only ones."
"Not at all princess. Woah! Look at this!" I pulled out a necklace.
"That's my great great grandmother's necklace. Apparently, she said that it didn't suit her look, so she put it away somewhere."
"They look valuable."
"But the necklace is not surprisingly. She bought it off a merchant."
"I love this little history lesson you're teaching me," I flashed a smile.
"Why thank you. It's better for you to know more about these items than not knowing a single thing."
"You're right about that." Amity kept explaining to me the history behind the items I kept finding. The facts she told me were interesting, tragic, and mind blowing. I didn't expect one item could have many meanings to it.
"This is my father's tent and the cushions he used to take whenever he went camping in the middle of the forest."
"It's still in good shape. Maybe we can take it for tomorrow's adventure" I winked at Amity.
"Did I hear that right or are my ears deceiving me?"
"You heard correctly princess because we will be leaving tomorrow night."
"You're the best Luz! But wait a minute. Isn't it the worst time to go at night?"
"Yeah and no because monsters come out during the day, and they'll be hidden during the night. We can leave once the sun is about to set. We'll have dinner, so we can have enough energy to walk a couple of miles," I suggested.
"I'm with you on that idea."
"Perfect! It'll be fun camping together. Why don't we take these and pack them up for tomorrow? We'll be prepared and won't have to worry about it at the last minute."
"We can do that. I'll pack up food for us, so we can be ready to leave. Also, I will tell my father that you and I decided to leave tomorrow when the sun goes down."
"Go ahead and do that while I pack up the tent," I instructed the princess. She went off to the hallway and headed to where Alador was at. I was busy putting away the cloths and wooden parts in a bag for me to carry for tomorrow night. This is something I'm looking forward to as Amity will be with me. I hope she'll enjoy herself more than I do.
7:30 pm
"Do you have to go, Luz?"
"Why can't you stay over?" Both of the twins were upset that I was leaving.
"As much as I don't want to leave, I have my other family waiting for me to come home. I will have enough time to see you all tomorrow before Amity and I head out."
"You better come over. We'll miss you once you leave."
"Aw. I'll miss you guys too. We will hang out together the next day. Deal?"
"Deal!" Edric and Emira ran back inside with their knights. The rain stopped after dinner was over. I was able to get my armor and clothes back before I would leave.
"I'm so sorry that my siblings are such pests. They can be a handful sometimes," Amity pinched the bridge of her nose.
"It's alright. They love me," I beamed proudly.
"They do. I don't blame them."
"Does that mean you love me too?" I'm guessing my statement made her entire face red like a tomato.
"Yeah as a friend you know! You're a cool and fun knight. I mean who wouldn't love you, am I right? Heheh."
"That sounds about right, princess. Anyways, you should head inside. It's pretty chilly out tonight."
"What time will you be over?"
"I'll come around at four o'clock. I would like to spend time with my family first."
"Just come whenever you want Luz. I won't hold you back from being with your family."
"Heh, thank you," I gently grabbed Amity's hand before kissing her knuckles.
"Have a good night Amity. Sweet dreams," I let go of her hand and left without letting her say a word.
Did I really just do that? I'm such a cliche person.
I chuckled at myself for doing such a stupid idea. Too bad I can't take it back. Princess Amity will think I'm a creep or something. I sort of hope she will forget about it. Surely I won't.
Next day
6:00 pm
"We'll be off now!"
"Have fun you two and please be careful," Odalia mentioned.
"We will, mother."
"Watch over Amity Luz. I know I can count on you to bring her back home safely," Alador placed a hand on my shoulder.
"You don't need to worry about Amity. She will be in good hands," I patted the king on the back.
"Bye mittens and Luz! Bring back a souvenir for us!" The twins waved at Amity and I.
"Will do!"
"Take care and have a safe trip!"
"Bye guys!"
And we're off! Amity and I are on our way to a colorful and festive town called Bonesborough. I was telling the princess about it while we were heading there. After mentioning about Bonesborough, she seemed thrilled and eager to be there already.
"So you only went there once?"
"Yup. I went with my entire family. It was a day that we will never forget," I thought back to the trip.
"Sounds like it's the best place to travel to."
"Indeed it is. I recommended it to other travelers. Let's just say neither of them regret going."
"Hearing all of this makes me want to run until we arrive at Bonesborough."
"Be patient. It's only fifteen miles from our kingdom to Bonesborough."
"That's not bad at all. It will only take a couple of hours."
"Yeah. We will walk for two hours and settle down in an area where we can camp. Our legs will get a break."
"That means we're going to sleep out here?"
"Mhm. But don't be afraid. Your knight in shining armor will protect you," I whipped out my sword and pretended there was an enemy in front of me.
"You know, I've only seen you fight once," Amity watched as I swung my sword around.
"Soon enough you'll see a lot more action from me."
"I hope you blow my mind away with your fighting skills."
"Oh I will, princess. Just wait and see," I smirked with confidence. Amity and I moved forward with our walk and conversation. We talked about plans for what we should do in our stay at Bonesborough. Her and I thought the same thing when we talked about eating different foods they have and maybe getting some drinks. I also needed to find something for Emira and Edric to bring back to. Our adventure will be waiting for us.
"This is a wonderful area to rest at. I'll go ahead and set up the tent."
"Do you need any help?"
"Not with the tent, but if you can, bring some logs from here so we can start a fire please."
"Okay," Amity remained near me while collecting little logs and placing them in one stack. She grabbed some stones and rocks to make a circle around the logs she had placed. I was focused on building the tent which wasn't that difficult to make. I had to use a rock to push down the thick and hardened wooden sticks into the dirt to hold the tent in place. It was big enough to fit in four two people. I was able to bring some pillows and blankets since the night is cold.
"Look Luz! I made fire!"
I heard crackling behind me and turned around to see that Amity did make fire.
"You're a natural Amity. Are you sure that you didn't go camping?" I placed my hands on my hips.
"I'm sure Luz. My father actually taught me to start a fire using flint rocks."
"He taught you well. Good job Am."
"Thank you Luz."
"No problem. I just finished setting up the tent. We can relax by the fire until we feel tired."
"Agreed." Both Amity and I used a cloth to sit on together by the fire. We were getting warmed up by the flames sprouting out and embers flying in the air. I was laying on my side on the end of the cloth while Amity sat upright behind me with her legs to one side.
"Hey Luz?"
"Yes princess?" I kept my eyes on the fire.
"Do you think I will be a great queen?"
That's when I turned around to face Amity.
"Of course you will be a great queen. You have the values to become one already. Not to mention that you will be a rare type of queen."
"What do you mean by that?"
"When we first met, you were feisty. Not to mention that you stood up to yourself and said what was on your mind. You're straightforward and honest. You share what you feel in order to get rid of negativity that is hanging loose inside of you. All of that will make you a wonderful queen," I grinned.
"You know how to put a smile on my face."
"That's what I do best, princess. Your smile is the most beautiful thing in the world because it makes me smile as well," I laid myself on my back, staring at the stars in the dark sky.
"And your loyalty and kindness is what makes me want to keep you around with me all the time," Amity announced.
"I'm glad to hear that from you princess."
"As you should, Noceda," Amity laid next to me. We were stargazing and pointing out stars that caught our eyes. The princess and I laughed together as the stars above were shaped as a certain object. Clearly I was enjoying myself and so was Amity. It felt really good to be here with just us two together. For some reason, I only feel this much excitement and happiness whenever I'm with the princess. I don't know if it's because she's someone I can hang out with or maybe it's something else that's deeper than what my feelings are telling me.
"Luz?"
"Hm?"
"I'm starting to get sleepy."
"Same here. Want to head in the tent?"
"Yes please." I bent down to Amity's side and picked her up. She gasped as she didn't expect me to pick her off the ground.
"Sorry to surprise you princess. I want you to save your legs for tomorrow. We'll be walking non-stop until we find a cabin to stay at in Bonesborough," I walked inside of the tent before carefully placing her down on the spot she will be sleeping at.
"I-It's no worries. I was caught off guard for a second," Amity fumbled with her fingers.
"Haha, be aware. You'll be caught off guard plenty of times."
Ugh. Why did I have to be so cheesy? I'm making a fool of myself.
I took off my armor and set them down outside of the tent. I went back in and sat down on my spot where I would be sleeping. I fluffed my pillow up before setting it down and laying my head on top of it. I pulled my blanket over me and rolled over to the point where Amity and I were face to face.
"Ah, sorry, am I in your space?" Amity was starting to scoot back.
"Not at all princess. I was the one who rolled onto your side. I can see you're shivering, so let me offer you my blanket."
"There's no need for that. Here," Amity ended up scooting towards me and covering ourselves with our blankets together.
"If we stick together, we'll be warm enough from our body heat."
"Good idea," I pulled Amity to me with her head close to my chest and her legs entangled in mine. She didn't say anything as we were laying and hugging each other. A couple minutes later, Amity stopped shivering and went into slumber. I smiled at how peaceful she looked while sleeping. I pushed back a few strands of Amity's hair that were on her face. She was wiggling a bit before snuggling onto me.
"Buenos noches, princesa."
--------------------------------------------
8:30 am
Amity's POV
I felt myself waking up to the sunlight landing on my face. I slowly opened my eyes to see a bit of blurriness. I blinked a couple of times to notice that Luz was holding me in her sleep. Her arms were wrapped around me as she slightly snored. Luz's hair was sort of messy but just one stroke and it'll look neat. I longed to touch her hair but I've never asked. It was my chance to caress Luz's short, brown hair.
It feels so soft like a cloud. I wonder what she does to make her hair feel so soft and thick.
I was about to retrieve my hand until Luz opened her eyes. She was gazing at me then smiled.
"I felt you touching my hair. I thought it was a bug that crawled on there but turns out that it was only you."
I pulled my hand away quickly before saying, "I'm sorry about that. I wanted to know how it felt, but I didn't have the gut to tell you."
"I am okay with you touching my hair. It's quite fluffy."
"Heh, it is. Oh and um, you have your arms around me."
"Oh shit! I am so sorry princess. I tend to cuddle in my sleep but I should've grabbed a pillow or something," Luz stood up and backed away before realizing that she hit the tent which fell on top of her. She landed on the ground with her front body facing up. I couldn't see Luz now that she's covered by the tent altogether.
"Pft hahaha!" I laughed and laughed at the fact Luz stumbled and crashed with the tent on her. I got up myself to help my protector get out of the situation she was in. I removed the tent to see her laying down and looking at me.
"Are you okay?" I offered a hand while giggling.
"I am. I was half asleep and forgot that we were in a tent," Luz took my hand as I went to pull her up.
"It was my fault that I startled you. Also, it's okay if you were hugging me in your sleep. You were just keeping me warm," I smiled brightly.
"Right," Luz rubbed her neck and beamed shyly.
"Now that we're awake, let's make some breakfast before we start walking down to Bonesborough."
"Let me start taking apart the tent and putting it away while you make the fire."
"I'll go ahead and do that," I went around to collect sticks and logs, putting them all in a bunch. I grabbed the flints that I kept nearby and began making the fire. A couple of sparks and a flame was created. The fire became bigger and that's when I held out an iron pan to heat up. I grabbed some eggs that were in my food basket and cracked them open on the pan. It started sizzling and cooking right after Luz was done putting away the tent. She sat right next to me on a huge and thick log I was using as a seat.
"I feel good about today."
"Why is that?"
"Well, you and I are traveling to Bonesborough. Secondly, I was able to get a well rested night without having to push myself around. And lastly, we'll be having lots of fun exploring our destination that is nothing you would expect."
"Keep up the positivity Luz. It'll get you somewhere where you want to be."
"I'll take your word for it."
The eggs were done cooking and both Luz and I ate from the pan. We ate rather quickly, as we were eager to go to Bonesborough. Our stuff was packed so we began heading to our landing place.
"So Luz, tell me how you got that scar on the side of your face?"
"Oh this? I got it from a creature that tried to attack me before Eda killed it. It had sharp claws and ended up slicing my skin. It was painful but not to the point where I cried," Luz clarified.
"I'm not sure how you were able to handle that. It shows you're very strong and the type of person you wouldn't allow the pain to get to you."
"That sounds about right. I have other scars around my body that represent the things I have experienced. I'm actually proud to have them," Luz grinned proudly.
"It's good that you don't think of it as a negative thing. People think that it is a bad thing to have scars but I disagree."
"This is why we're friends. We have things in common."
"Yeah...friends."
I'm not sure why but hearing the word 'friends' didn't sound right to me. It was like something else is missing in 'friends'.
"Amity?"
"Yeah?"
"We're here."
"What do you mean?"
"We've made it to Bonesborough."
I looked up since I was staring at the ground and saw that Luz was right. We were at the entrance of Bonesborough with two knights staying by two gates. Luz ran up to them while I followed behind
"Good day gentlemen. My name is Luz Noceda and this is Princess Amity Blight from the Boiling Isles Kingdom. We are here to spend a day at Bonesborough," Luz said to the knights.
Both guards bowed to me before opening the tall gates. We went in to see lots of people walking on stone trails. There were markets and shops everywhere. Cattles and sheeps were roaming around with their owners. Children were chasing each other and laughing. In general, everyone seemed to be having a great time.
"Let's find a place to stay to drop off our stuff before looking around here," Luz suggested.
"Yeah, let's do that."
I felt Luz grab my hand and say, "I just want to make sure that you don't get lost in the crowd."
She pulled me to wherever we were going. Many civilians were staring at me as if I was somebody important. Oh, that's right. I am the princess. Therefore, I'm important.
"Princess Amity!"
I looked around to see who called out my name. I noticed a certain and familiar pink haired knight from afar. With her is my best friend, Willow.
"Boscha? Willow? What are you guys doing here?" I went towards them.
"I could ask you the same," Boscha folded her arms.
"I'm here to stay for the day. All I'm doing is exploring."
"You'll like it here. And hold on a minute. Is this Luz Noceda that I am seeing?"
"Sup Boscha. Long time no see."
"Likewise Noceda. What're you doing here with Amity?"
"I am her protector."
"No way! Congratulations on being the boss of Amity here," Boscha patted my head.
"Wait, how do you guys know each other?" I asked in confusion.
"We've hung out several times. Luz saved my ass when there were several monsters trying to tear me apart."
"I also know Willow. Ain't that right friend?" Luz winked at Willow.
"Yup. I'm glad to see you again," Willow smiled.
"How come you two never told me about Luz?"
Boscha and Willow shrugged their shoulders. Boscha has been a friend of mine since we were kids. Her parents passed away from a battle they had to face. She's been living with my family and I until she was able to get a place of her own at the Cuticle Kingdom. Willow has been friends with me since we were babies. She's the princess at the Cuticle Kingdom. Just like Luz, Boscha is the protector for Willow.
"I didn't know Luz would become your knight nor would I have thought you were interested in her hehe."
"Ugh, I'm going to hurt you when we're alone," I felt my face heat up.
"Good luck with that."
"Anyways, have you finished the mission for Willow's dads?" Luz intruded.
"Yes I have. It was pretty easy that Willow was able to go with me. I had to duel a couple of thieves before I could capture back the king's crown. Willow knocked out one of them which I found hilarious," Boscha chuckled.
"That's Willow for you."
"Hell yeah! Willow could be my partner to fight whoever tried to come across us."
"You two would make a great duo," I commented.
"Thanks Amity. I could say the same for you both as well," Willow winked at Luz and I.
"You could be right Princess Willow. Anyways, are you guys planning to stay here?"
"Sadly, no. We actually have to head back to my father's kingdom. He has another quest for Boscha."
"Too bad Willow can't go. This is more dangerous than the previous one," Boscha explained.
"Yes it is. Well, I hope you two stay safe. It was nice seeing you guys again," Willow gave us a hug.
"Same here Willow. Maybe we'll see each other soon," I said.
"Let's hope so. Bye Luz and Amity!" Boscha and Willow waved while leaving back to the Cuticle Kingdom.
"It was great to see them."
"I agree. When did you meet Willow and Boscha?"
"I met them four years ago with Eda. We went to visit the Cuticle Kingdom since Willow's fathers called for help from Eda. I tagged along and that's when the Park family and Boscha were introduced to me."
"You must know a lot of people from Eda."
"Sort of. We just travel a lot and meet with important people. It'll be like that for you once you become the queen."
"I hope we don't have meetings. They're very boring," I truthfully mentioned.
"I understand that princess, but you are required to attend meetings. Especially if it's about your kingdom."
"Yeah, you're right."
I kept following Luz to wherever we would be staying. There were mostly taverns and resorts where Luz and I were heading to. I was wondering why there were so many of them.
"Hey pretty little lady. Where are you heading off to?" A random man stopped in front of me. Luz noticed and seemed to focus only on the man.
"I'm being taken to an inn by my knight," I answered the man.
"Well, let me be your knight and take you somewhere else better," the man grabbed my chin roughly, making me look at him. Luz grabbed the man's wrist and pulled it away from my face.
"I suggest you do not touch her or else you'll be punished," Luz squeezed the man's wrist, letting out a painful groan. I swear I've never seen Luz give someone a death stare before. She looks as if she's going to murder someone.
"You'll be sorry for touching me." About six men that are bigger than Luz, surrounded us. Luz looked at all of them before letting go of the stranger's hand. That's when two men from the group came and held me back. Luz was about to reach her sword until the rest of the criminals pointed their own swords at her. She glared at each of them before sighing.
"What do you want from us?" Luz questioned.
"We want to take your sword and the girl," the male who's wrist was almost broken, demanded.
"Not going to happen."
"Oh yeah? And what are you going to do about it if we take her and your sword away?"
"I'm going to fight back. Those are the two things I cherish the most." Hearing that put a smile on my face. I was happy to see that Luz cared about me.
"Since they are something I cherish, how about we make a bet?"
"A bet you say? What is it?"
"Let's do an arm wrestling match. Whoever is able to win two matches, wins the entire game. If you win, you can take her and my sword. But if I win, I get to keep them both. Deal?" Luz proposed. Great, Luz is betting on me and her sword. I think I'm a goner.
"Deal! Men, take both of them to our favorite tavern and grab a table. We'll be having lots of fun with these two ladies," I was taken away to a nearby bar along with Luz. I was impressed that she didn't seem nervous or afraid about this idea. She must have something up in her sleeve.
"Sit her down there and make sure she doesn't do anything stupid," the man instructed. I was placed down on a chair with the two men standing right next to me. Luz and the guy were facing each other in front of a table.
"Good thing you didn't fuck up my strong hand. I'll make sure you'll pay for it."
"You're not manly enough to stop crying about it," Luz clenched her teeth.
"Shut the hell up and set your arm on the table. I'm ready to get this done and beat you."
"Same here old man," Luz and the stranger placed their elbows on the table and clasped their hands together.
"I'll be counting down to three so there won't be any foul play. Are you both ready?" The stranger's friend asked the two of us.
"Yes."
"On three. One. Two. Three!" Immediately, Luz slammed the man's hand down on the table quickly.
"What the hell?! That doesn't count!"
"Yes it does. Don't give up old man. It wouldn't look good if you lost to a more manly woman like me," Luz smirked. Seeing her being cocky awoke something in me.
"Fine! Again." They clasped their hands and prepared themselves for the next round.
"Again on three. One. Two. Three!" Once more, Luz won the second and final round. She ended up making the table fall over because of how forceful she tossed the man's arm onto the surface of it.
"Thanks for the arm wrestling. It was well needed. I'll be taking my companion and leaving," Luz grabbed my hand and took me away quickly from those horrid men. She didn't say anything until we found an inn to stay in. Luz was able to get a room from the owner of the place and paid her for it. We had to go upstairs where our bedroom was all the way down the hallway.
Luz got the keys for the room and unlocked it. Inside were a queen size bed with a small sofa and two chairs with a small table outside of the bedroom. There was a bathroom attached to the bedroom. Luz took our stuff and dropped it off on the little table before coming over to me. She did something unexpected and that was her pulling me in for a hug.
"I apologize for being such a fool. I didn't want to fight them or else they would have harmed you. Making the bet was my idea to get you away safely. Plus, I knew I would win and keep you in the end."
I held Luz and replied, "You're such an idiot Luz. You did what you needed to do in order to get me out of that situation."
"Were you scared?" I pulled back and looked Luz in the eyes.
"Surprisingly I wasn't. You'd expect the princess to be afraid of men but not me," I joked.
"Hehe, you're right. I guess this really isn't the town I hoped would be safe."
"Not a single town would be safe and that includes all the kingdoms in this world."
"I'm just hoping that this doesn't happen to you again. Not like I'll allow it because I will stop those who try to kidnap you," Luz took it seriously.
"I appreciate the things you've done for me Luz. You are a real sweetheart," I pecked her cheek before going to the single bed and laying on it. I faced away from Luz so she wouldn't see my entire face all red. The look she gave me made me feel nervous and shy. Now I'm here wanting to slowly sink into the bed and stay there forever where Luz can't find me. Why did I do that, and what the heck am I doing?