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.603Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdinE4LXrPN
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.603Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4hdYpVmhNa
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.603Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcJVJxB1pV0
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.603Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsNgVf01Nvl
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.603Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5v1qlrgU29
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.603Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBeOABJ3tzE
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?603Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD1Fx9mNonP
"This place reeks of human," the leader spoke, wearing a black cape. "She must be close."603Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡshGgvOa0Sn
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.603Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdaaP4fhfC4
"We must find this human girl," the leader continued to speak to his men. "We don't want to disappoint the Crown Prince."603Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGZ8yb9A4Us
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.603Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZJHZClA1Bl
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."603Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmQapp26NPc
"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.603Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWL8PXxYjrX
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.603Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu9rZ6WtV3l
"You're a human girl," he pointed out, giving me his hands. "What are you doing here in our realm?"603Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw1LqOGOKnJ
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.603Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOYsRWqrKN3
"Hey Torkal," Thadeus winked. "How are you doing?"603Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxz7kLpctTe
"We don't have to chat, Your Highness," Torkal snapped. "The Crown Prince wants us to bring this human girl to him."603Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkXaWcnurt5
"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."603Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡldf3NfoYMZ
"You are currently in Arendia, Your Highness. You have no jurisdiction in this kingdom."603Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBABxK4jzir
"Don't worry, I have a permit," Thadeus said, handing him a piece of paper to Torkel.603Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTQubDWm6YI
Reading it, he lifted his head upwards and faced Thadeus. "This just says I can do whatever I want," he reads.603Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4CyVmkwHPu
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."603Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWU7Purq65f
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.603Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAhskoHJdJd
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.603Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd3ZQlkKrOF
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.603Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxpIOMxAZ3n
"Nick would be really upset if you kill his beloved trophy," Thadeus scoffed, driving even faster. "He'll have your head, you know."603Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmSrdX1xjWi
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.603Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe3iZZW5uQH
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?"603Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrEF1wA3mJy
"My mom calls me Bugsy," I gave my name. "Since I like rabbits so much."603Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE7MiIzCEOG
"I think that's a cute name for a cute girl," Thadeus smiled. "Of course, you already know who I am."603Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ74dIOVjHMl
I nodded. "I didn't know they are two princes in the faerie realm. I only met Nick and his mother."603Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6znZHHlpfq
"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."603Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH7JkFQU1hK
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."603Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp9TLeTaTBz
"I'll tell you later once we've arrived at my castle."603Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMUYzHgzpPS
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.603Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt5oaE6ai15
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.603Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT1EGlohu79
"Not really," Thadeus lifted his shoulders. "It's always like this every night."603Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi0x29DR3tl
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.603Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt0CZd7FznF
"You know them?" I raised one of my eyebrows. "I always hear them every night in my realm."603Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGRH9Nbmwtu
"My mother banished them to your realm," he explained. "Something must've driven them back here."603Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqTpv03R8Vy
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.603Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh2Ch8fQTrn
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.603Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrHyF2Icinq
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."603Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLaXJxWdXBa
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."603Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2DefiAm2Y6
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?"603Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxanImSsesg
"Yes, mother," Thadeus nodded. "This is the girl."603Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW98SYzlEsz
"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?"603Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyB2aVPJe3G
"I just turned 16, Your Majesty," I answered.603Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY4FKT3Az5i
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."603Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr29FBz9Pz6
"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."603Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJB9l7W8ioB
The Queen covered her mouth as her eyes stared at me with horror, her hands trembling. "The human realm is destroyed?"603Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc9aVaOwqU7
"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."603Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvEwHV6sxoQ
"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."603Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm0WhNDEGfq
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?"603Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrMimvhaB16
I lifted my skirt slightly and courtesy to the Queen. "Yes, Your Majesty."603Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0faoq5WRLu
