Plucking some wild blueberries and wild strawberries from the bushes, I gave it a taste in my mouth, with its sweet juice quenching the thirst in my throat. I tossed the wild berries inside my handmade basket, which was made out of sticks and twigs I found lying around the forest floor.664Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE42BvP9KsE
With the bright, tangerine sun shining in the lemon-coloured sky, the silver leaves on the trees began to shine like priceless jewellery. Butterflies fluttered around the flowers as the small, fuzzy bumblebees began to collect nectar, with wildflowers dancing in the breeze. I took a deep breath of the clean, crisp air around me and smiled.664Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRXD9JqHyyX
It's been a while since I found peace around me. No war, no enemy soldiers wandering around the forest, no bombings or shootings. Just quietness in the faerie realm. Ferdinand and Naomi would have loved this place. Especially Naomi. She would be running around the forest right now, while Ferdinand would be relaxing beside me, smiling at me.664Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVZIZdMeFSJ
My smile soon turned into a frown as I sat on a log and drank some water I've collected with a pail from the river. It's pretty quiet here. And lonely. I mean, Em isn't really here to bug me and Aunt Inara can't nag at me now. I chuckled as I continued to munch on my berries, listening to the crickets playing in the background and the birds chirping on the tree branches.664Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK3o0RFNnwN
I sighed as I rested my hands on my face. If only I could return home to see my family and friends again. It's been too long since I've been separated from them. I hope they're alright. I don't want to lost them like how I lose Mom, Jessie and Dad.664Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVyfKsOcThP
My head hung low as I stared at the flowers on the forest floor, my lips curved into a frown. I don't hate Aunt Inara. I didn't mean it. She's like a mother figure to me. I loved her so much. I just wished she was here.664Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDwJYFI7KHv
As tears streamed down my cheeks, I heard the leaves rustling against each other, making me rush towards the bushes and hid, tightening my lips. Taking a peek, a bunch of masked men rode towards my campsite, searching around. One of them threw a pail of water on the ground as the other emptied my basket full of berries. I clenched my fist as I felt my blood boiling inside me. How dare they take away my source of food and water? Do you know how long it took me to find those?664Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCPPnlAVwsz
"This place reeks of human," the leader spoke, wearing a black cape. "She must be close."664Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMY0cG8iv3c
I lifted my arms and took a whiff of my armpits, making my nose crinkle. Dear me, I should get other clothes for myself. I've been wearing it for God knows when.664Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlO5FrFaRoj
"We must find this human girl," the leader continued to speak to his men. "We don't want to disappoint the Crown Prince."664Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqjDPlt3t2m
As they left my campsite, I popped out of the bushes and sighed in relief, wiping my forehead. Oh dear me, I felt my heart palpitated. Looks like Nick figured out I'm here. I have to find my way out of here before they find me.664Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjx9ZxMw3kS
Before I could run off, I bumped into one of the masked men. "There you are," he spoke, grabbing my hand. "You're coming with us."664Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe7aV4Bezll
"Let me go," I demanded, as I kicked his shin, making him screamed and released me from his grasps. Catching the attention of his men, I ran away from the campsite as fast as I could, without looking back. The masked men began to tail me from behind, holding their swords.664Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHCKBeJSt9o
As I ran, I saw a young man riding a white horse across me, causing me to stop dead in my tracks. With dark skin and curly hair, he was clad with a light blue waistcoat and black tight pants. He got down from his house and glanced at me with his warm, brown eyes.664Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIjMJwL82YL
"You're a human girl," he pointed out, giving me his hands. "What are you doing here in our realm?"664Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwtccnT5eeg
Before I could answer him, a group of masked men managed to keep up with me, surrounding both of us in circles with their swords pointing at me. Prince Thadeus raised his hands in mid-air, chuckling to himself.664Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVxIQmt2NwF
"Hey Torkal," Thadeus winked. "How are you doing?"664Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCQXzXrxVjP
"We don't have to chat, Your Highness," Torkal snapped. "The Crown Prince wants us to bring this human girl to him."664Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS1fgRnvlIJ
"I see Nick found himself another human girl he could breed with," he laughed, making me uneasy. "Well, I'm not letting that happen under my watch."664Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBkNHMXuZyb
"You are currently in Arendia, Your Highness. You have no jurisdiction in this kingdom."664Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoUapxVwuCe
"Don't worry, I have a permit," Thadeus said, handing him a piece of paper to Torkel.664Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ59qJf13pu9
Reading it, he lifted his head upwards and faced Thadeus. "This just says I can do whatever I want," he reads.664Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNQPpszHT0M
Thadeus shrugged as he climbed on top of his horse, gesturing me to sit behind him. Clinging on his waist, he waved at Torkal, sticking out his tongue. "It's a nice talk with you. I should get back to my kingdom before the Queen gets angry. You don't want to make her angry."664Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeLrlI8OcfU
Torkal's fist trembled as he barked at his men to ride after us with their black horses. Plunging downhill at a gallop, I held my grip on his waistcoat tighter as I felt my hair bouncing up-and-down.664Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo6jtTQISvC
I glanced over my shoulder and saw Torkal and his men gaining the upper hand over the of us. Pulling a pistol from his holster, he fired a couple of shots towards the enemy. I lowered my head and closed my eyes, avoiding his gunshots. With one hand on the lead rope, he drove zigzagged around the silver trees, avoiding shots from the masked men.664Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvgzxViiBFK
The masked men knocked themselves on the branches of the trees, leaving Torkal alone to deal with me. He slowly stood up on his horse and reached out his hands towards me with his pistol, pointing at my face. "Give me the girl, or she'll die," he threatened.664Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAednEGz6LJ
"Nick would be really upset if you kill his beloved trophy," Thadeus scoffed, driving even faster. "He'll have your head, you know."664Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1Rl19F1Ngd
As Torkal was about to jump on him, he was flung from his horse with a tree branch above him, making him land on his back. Thadeus burst into laughter as we both rode into the meadow, surrounded by dandelions. I glanced backwards and found nothing but more dandelions tossing in the wind.664Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIYvMpqAKB1
He slowed his horse to a long trot, fast enough to keep moving down the hill briskly, but a lot easier to stay with. "So," he spoke. "What's your name?"664Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6mgvTCzB3H
"My mom calls me Bugsy," I gave my name. "Since I like rabbits so much."664Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUF4fTmy3dJ
"I think that's a cute name for a cute girl," Thadeus smiled. "Of course, you already know who I am."664Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhOh7rv8hMF
I nodded. "I didn't know they are two princes in the faerie realm. I only met Nick and his mother."664Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAQ2vCwOeet
"The Mother of Demons?" he exclaimed. "You're a lucky girl for surviving your encounter with her. Not many humans survived her wrath, you know."664Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyvBpUQRajt
My eyes widened. "Who is the Mother of Demons, anyways? I heard it from Nick when the medium banished him back to the faerie realm."664Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL1KUXrmO5j
"I'll tell you later once we've arrived at my castle."664Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3B0TiQmg3T
I gave a nod as I gazed at the sky above me, whose yellowish sky was slowly transforming into a darker pink tint. The sun began to sit in the east as the moon rose from the west end of the hills, with its luminous blue light shining above us among the star-encrusted skies. The blooming dandelions shrunk as the wind blows the seeds in the air, glowing in the night.664Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd6Ne1x5l70
Fireflies hovered above us as it brightened up the pitch-black field, paving the way to the castle. Reaching out my right hand, I held a small firefly in my palms and watched it fly away, making my lips curve into a smile. "It's beautiful here," I praised.664Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLYePD5whpE
"Not really," Thadeus lifted his shoulders. "It's always like this every night."664Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb62u3L35Cq
From a distance, I hear a familiar howling from afar, making my spine shudder. "Looks like the Unseelie Court is back," he groaned in frustration.664Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCEk9CMYW8q
"You know them?" I raised one of my eyebrows. "I always hear them every night in my realm."664Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBOeAOU0svG
"My mother banished them to your realm," he explained. "Something must've driven them back here."664Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhwmurQwA4i
Then, we reached the castle ground sometime later. As Thadeus helped me down from his horse, my eyes glimmered at the sight of his home. The castle was like the size of a baseball stadium, with its cone-shaped roof and oval windows, resembling the ones I've read about in fairy tales.664Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRzztVkygpo
I held his hand as he escorted me inside, with the guards bowing to the both of us. They were dressed in red uniforms and wore long, fuzzy hats on their heads, holding spears. We entered the throne room, with the floors made out of ruby tiles and a large chandelier made out of glimmering crystals, hanging from the ceiling as high as the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France.664Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMX2woND3ez
A dark-skinned woman with honey eyes and luscious lips sat on a throne made out of vines and daisies, facing both me and Thadeus. "My son," she spoke, with a deep and husky voice. "I see you have returned with a human girl."664Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa2nFJcnqDn
Thadeus kneels on the floor with one knee, prompting me to do the same. "Indeed, mother," he answered, placing his hand on his chest. "I found Bugsy wandering in the woods, being chased by Prince Nicholas's men."664Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOAQHvCKONk
The whole room let out a huge gasp, whispering among each other. The Queen raised her hand and stood up from the throne, sashaying towards us. "Is this the girl that Prince Nicholas wanted to breed with?"664Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVCRGo36sZF
"Yes, mother," Thadeus nodded. "This is the girl."664Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOr5zpXICid
"You both may rise now," she gestured. Thadeus and I stood up straight and faced the Queen of Angelis, her lavender gown sweeping the floor. "You look awfully young to be the Crown Prince of Arendia's bride. How old are you?"664Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNTHepDx74e
"I just turned 16, Your Majesty," I answered.664Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9xQpZ9JdWf
The nobles in the court gasped again, and the Queen raise her hand again to silence them. "What brings you here to the Faerie Kingdom? Your kind is forbidden to enter this realm."664Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhSQBxmicJc
"My home has been destroyed," I explained, my hands clasped against each other. "I was shot in the shoulders by an enemy soldier. If I hadn't dipped myself in a lagoon at the cave, I would have died of starvation and blood loss. I don't even know whether my family or friends survived the bombing from the sky."664Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ80x5DtdVnV
The Queen covered her mouth as her eyes stared at me with horror, her hands trembling. "The human realm is destroyed?"664Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrFl7SsNhNi
"Yes," I answered, bobbing my head. "There is a civil war between Blanca and the Bowans. People like me are somehow caught in between the chaos."664Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwt3xPleuUS
"The last time there was a war in your realm, creatures like the Unseelie Court and the crypt spiders roamed around the Kingdom," her eyelids moved upwards, as she stroked her chin. "And now, it's happening again."664Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyxS321UUCn
She looked at her advisor, who whispered in her ears. The Queen gave a slight nod and glanced at me. "As Queen of Angelis, you are more than welcome to stay here as long as you like," she proclaimed, her voice booming. "But with one condition, you must obey our laws and perform the tasks that will be given to you. Am I clear, Bugsy?"664Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaeg4D0xVWA
I lifted my skirt slightly and courtesy to the Queen. "Yes, Your Majesty."664Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPsEY8dDrs3
