The Stick

The Princess Returns

I groan, feeling my body waking up with a diminishing heat that must be the reason I passed out in the first place. A splash of nausea runs its course in a few seconds before I slowly force my eyes open to survey the situation that I'm in.

"The princess is awake!" someone shouts out. "Get the king! Let him know that our princess is awake!"

"She's finally returned!" multiple people cry out. "We're saved!"

"What the hell?" I mumble, slowly pushing myself into a sitting position. "What is going on?" I blink, getting used to the brightness of the sun.

All around me are elves with pure joy and hope on their faces as they look down at me. The open blue sky is above us as I lie on a cot for a reason I can't quite remember. All I know is that these are my people, and I've been gone for a long time.

My eyes travel down my body to see a torn and tatter blue dress, my dirty bare feet, and strands of my dirt-filled blonde locks catch the corner of my eyes. I feel taller than I remember, and more developed in certain areas. It feels like I've aged ten years since I went unconscious, but I know that can't be possible.

I reach a hand up to push some hair behind my ear, not expecting the point that an elf has to grace my touch. "Now hold on a second," I pinch the tip of my ear, feeling the sensation that tells me it is attached.

An explosion runs through my mind as I see a young girl that must be me in a place that I barely remember. All these other young kids are fighting as I stand by and watch, rooted to the ground with no idea what to do. Then I watch as this young girl touches an object that I know as The Stick, and everything goes white. This other universe me is somehow connected to how I have ended up where I am right now.

"Princess Rosa, she needs space!" the voice of a boy I've known for my entire life crashes through the crowd. My knight that I haven't seen in years: Sir Stan. "Please, I know you all are excited to see her home, but she's been injured, so please back up!"

The crowd around me starts to react to the commands of the highest knight in the Elven Kingdom. Albeit quite slowly, but it feels good to know that I will soon have more breathing room.

I am Princess Rosa, the rightful heir to the Elven Kingdom throne that was stolen from her home many years ago by the humans of Kupa Keep. For years they raised me, tried to break me of my heritage, and failed to get me to swear allegiance to a people that had killed my parents. Now at eighteen years old, I seem to have made my escape and made my way back home. I barely remember running into the woods before a strike of magical lightning sent me into the darkness of unconsciousness. Whatever this memory of a different time and world is, that is not who I am now. I am an Elven princess that has finally arrived home, and I am ready to see those who I have been missing for years. I am Princess Rosa.

"Excuse me, I would like to see the princess," the voice of a man that sends a swarm of butterflies straight to my stomach breaks through the talking. "I take that back, I need to see her."

"My king," I gasp, looking over to the people part and King Kyle step through to me. "Oh my," I feel my eyes widen and cheeks burst with heat.

The last time I saw Kyle was the night of the human raid on our kingdom. It was meant to be a celebration of our betrothal, but it ended in death and heartache. I remember seeing him crying as I was torn away from my people. He looks nothing like that scared little boy. This Kyle stands tall with an air of confidence and control swarming around him. Even with his robes I can tell he's become strong. His face as lost that baby fat, making him a handsome young man with piercing green eyes, plump lips, and curly red hair that a twig crown sits atop. I know I used to think he was cute, but I never imagined that he would turn into this gorgeous man.