* * *
Princess Lauren was having lunch with the four bandits but she's still unaware of what they really are.
She may have a bit of suspicion, and that was based on the things she has heard and read about the island and it's habitants, but she doesn't really want to jump into conclusions so quickly without getting a much more tangible information about these people. People who let her in to their home and sit at their table to feast on their food. If they're such miscreants, they wouldn't be so kind now would they?
Unless they were planning on something sinister about her and was just simply waiting for her to get used to them . . .
"Where is Simona?"
The grumpy panda-fish whose name she heard was Camila spoke quietly.
Are they really this soft spoken or are my ears deceiving me?
Princess Lauren thought to herself.
"At the tavern. Changed her mind and said it's never too late to open for business," Normani replied just as quietly, exchanging quick glances with the panda-fish.
"So, tell us more about yourself, Laura," Dinah prompted after a weird silence.
Keeping her anonymity is imperative at the moment. Especially when she doesn't know how trustworthy these people are. She can't just blurt about her true identity to anyone when she knows someone is going after her.
And if these people are in fact criminals, she'd only make herself a high valued hostage.
"I'm an orphan," She awkwardly replied, "From an orphanage in Arcade city. I was looking for . . ." Lauren paused, thinking of what she should say next, ". . . uhmm, I was looking for an employment,"
Four sets of eyes across the dining table focused on her, she could feel them scrutinizing her, seemingly unconvinced with her statement but didn't comment much about it.
"Is that why Dinah found you outside Zaragoza's borders?" Normani asked instead.
"You can say that," Lauren isn't used to lying explicitly. She'd rather say nothing at all than utter complete lies even to a stranger.
But this situation calls for it.
"That's odd. Faeries of Zaragoza only ever requires the employ of their fellow faeries," Camila the panda-fish warily said.
"I didn't say I seek employment there. It was the only way I know to reach Weiss Tower. Passing through the kingdom of Zaragoza is the most convenient route. And that's where I was actually heading," To divert attention from her, because she's about to run out of lies to tell, she addressed Dinah instead, "What about you? What were you doing outside the borders of Zaragoza?"
"Business," Dinah simply replied as she chewed on her calamari.
"Business? Of what sort?"
"The sort that's none of yours," Camila the panda-fish retorted.
Princess Lauren glared back at the piercing russet brown eyes that are already set staring at her intently. The way this Camila person looks at her suggests that she doesn't really like her presence in her turf and she made sure it shows.
Well . . . I don't like her either even if she's really pretty . . .
There is a bit of mystery and danger to her, Lauren is almost sure of that. Kind of similar to Dinah but Dinah is somewhat reserved, kind of in an intriguing way. This Camila person however, her kind of mystery is somewhat like a simmering pot of anger that would burst into explosion when you dare try to take off the lid. She has the air of someone you shouldn't be messing with otherwise you're dead meat.
But despite this girl's obvious dislike, Lauren isn't blind to not notice the simple fact that she is beautiful.
Very beautiful and very infuriating.
"Do you practice witchcraft? Weiss Tower is a commonplace for practitioners of magic," Ally asked this time, breaking the intense glaring that's happening across the dining table.
Lauren took a moment to reply, "No. Uhm, an old friend may have been there and I was hoping to meet him there and perhaps he could help me with my predicament,"
"What's his name?" Normani asked.
"What exactly is your predicament?" Ally followed up, a mix of curiosity and confusion in her tone.
Lauren contemplated telling them of whom she was looking for. But she wouldn't dare elaborate on why she's looking for this particular person. She wondered if it's such a good idea to disclose the name of the man she was searching for in the past few days. Or if it is unwise to tell them because of the great possibility that it would cause her some trouble and raise more questions.
She thought about the pros and cons, of what more lies to tell, while munching on her crispy deep fried calamari quite uncomfortably.
"Is he a wizard?" Normani prompted.
"No, he is not,"
Now that she thought about it, Simon doesn't really have a fixed profession. He's neither a scholar nor a warrior. He knows as much literature as he knows about combat fighting. He knows a little bit of medicine and very much little about magic.
When Lauren realized that the panda-fish isn't the only one staring at her expectantly, hoping for an elaborate answer, she suddenly felt inclined to say something. It was as if all their gazes compels her to speak her mind truthfully. It was absolutely making her feel so uneasy.
"His name is Simon," Lauren finally obliged after a moment of excruciating silence, "He is an old friend who left home a long time ago to pursue his true love. I have . . . I've been, uhm . . . I've been informed that he might've been to Weiss Tower in his quest," she winced as she found herself stupidly rambling.
There couldn't be only one Simon in this world so what are the odds these people know someone named Simon anyway . . .
Princess Lauren thought.
She only mentioned the first name, and did not provide any surname. There are probably thousands of other Simons in the world who casually travels to Weiss Tower in a quest for true love. So, she thought maybe it's okay. She continued eating, trying her best to appear stoic and nonchalant with her eyes focused on her plate, quite unaware of the discreet looks of the other four people on the dining table with her exchanged.
Very, very much unaware that Camila, Dinah, Normani and Ally do know one particular Simon who has been to Weiss Tower in a quest to find his true love just about a decade ago.
And people tend to change in such a long time . . .
* * *
Simona rifled through her things. Looking for a book that the emperor of Arcadia awarded to her a long time ago for safekeeping. It was leather bound but not as thick as the old books of history and geography and medicine. It has the image of the Arcadian tree of life printed in gold on its front cover and the couldron of the blue fire in the back, also printed in gold.
It is one curious artifact of the Arcadian empire that only heirs to the throne can read. She never knew what's written in there meant but flecks of blue embers always flew out of it whenever she opens it and attempts to read what's written in its golden pages.
She remembers clearly the day when the emperor gave it to her as if it was just an hour ago. It was day in the distant past, about a decade ago, when she was still a man and hasn't been afflicted by an evil woman's curse . . .
* * *
(Flashback)
"Simon, my brother from another mother. . ."
"Don't let the priestess hear you say that," Simon chuckled, "You know how much she disapproves,"
The emperor let out a healthy laugh, "You are my brother no matter what, I don't care who approves or disapproves or what others say about you,"
"And I am truly honored. You and your family are the ones who treated me like your own flesh and blood since my mother's passing. I am more than thankful for that. You should know that you are the little brother I always wished I had,"
The emperor smiled at him.
Standing by an open balcony, looking over his ten-year old daughter beat the other archers who are mostly full grown men and women who are much more experienced in any combat, practicing their own aim in archery in the wide expanse of the imperial military training grounds, the emperor felt a great sense of pride. As well as a sense of gratitude towards the man watching over his daughter standing right next to him.
It was because of his teachings why the princess excelled in many things.
"Is this what you truly wanted, Simon?" he asked.
Simon knew it's going to be hard leaving behind the family that took him in. But this is something he must do. He must follow his heart otherwise he'll live the rest of his life in regret.
Besides, the emperor himself always advised him to do whatever feels right in his heart.
"I need to find her, Michael. You know what it's like to fall in love when you met your other half,"
"So, that's a yes then," the emperor sighed. He then pulled a book and presented it to Simon, "If you're leaving the realms of our empire, I'd like you to take this book with you,"
"Hmn, interesting . . . You did not take this from the glass case the priestess explicitly told never to touch now, did you?"
The emperor chuckled, "You know how much I don't listen to the priestess, she's too much of a traditionalist if you ask me. Anyway, I know how much you love reading. But the irony of giving you that book is that you can't read what's written in it,"
"So what's the point of giving this to me then?"
"Safekeeping. I trust you'll return home to us once you find your one true love and when you do, you'll give it back to my dear little blue fire over there," the emperor motioned his hand over towards his daughter, smiling bright and proud in the midst of the military trained archers surrounding her.
The emperor always refers to his only heir as little blue fire, a true born Jauregui meant for greatness.
Simon studied the leather bound book, and as he rifled through the pages that contained unfamiliar scribbles to him, flecks of blue embers came out of it. Then, complete recognition enlightened his face.
"This is the guide to the tree of life! Your family's heirloom!" He quietly hissed to the emperor in utter disbelief.
"I know you'll take care of it," the emperor clapped him on his shoulders before pulling him in a hug, "Safe travels my brother,"
And that was the last time he saw the man he grew up with, the great leader of a great empire, the brother Simon always longed to have . . .
* * *
Clutching on to the book, Simona couldn't help the surge of emotions attacking her chest at the moment.
Being in an old woman's body but still having the hormones of a young lady is quite a curse. Her former self would indeed never comprehend how it feels to be a woman, she wouldn't know how to handle herself if she has to go through pregnancy but luckily she never had to worry about that. And even if she didn't go through all that particular process, her respect to all of the female population still increased tenfold now that she has lived the life of a woman for a decade.
But the mood swings and cacophony of varying emotions attacking her all at once would be the least of her concern.
Because no matter how much time or distance has passed, she will always recognize those emerald eyes anywhere. No matter what happens, she will always know the princess underneath that ragged dark blue cloak, the heir to a great empire under the guise of weary traveller.
It's time for her to face the truth and find out what brought Princess Lauren, heir to the throne of the great empire of Arcadia, so far from home . . .
* * *
🙂