The Opal and The Genie

The Unwanted Hero

 "I'm here to grant your deepest desire."

"In return for what?"

"Nothing."

But in that moment, he knew he could never trust the savage beauty hovering before him. Anything good in this world came after hard work or an equal enough sacrifice. There were no shortcuts. Even the chance gold of luck ended up doing more harm to a man's soul than if he had worked for it.

And he wasn't about to trust something as marvelous as the love of his princess to the easy luck of a genie.

Chapter 2: The Unwanted Hero

Absolute silence followed the closing of the carriage door. Kyanna kept her face down. She felt numb, though her mind buzzed with vague images of the celebrations, of which included a tournament, though all she remembered was the crowd cheering and Einar constantly trying to catch her attention. Despite all being allowed to participate on the field, she hadn't seen any sign of her young squire Jeremy. She hadn't seen him at the feast or at the dance that ensued, where Einar's hands shook in her palm and around her waist and his elderly grandfather, the current Baron Burkinly, cooed about how lovely she was. Perhaps Jeremy couldn't handle it: watching her being given away to another without a fight. Of course he couldn't. It was stupid of her to even wonder.

She ached dully, but thought she should be feeling more. She'd crushed both their hearts, hadn't she? Where was her punishment?

She had to, as memories of Jeremy wouldn't stop flitting through her: Jeremy smiling, white toothed, twinkle-eyed, and paired by dimples. Jeremy above her, looking as shocked as she by their sudden position. Jeremy whispering to her of running away, of finding a farm, of raising children and living like everyone else. Jeremy admiring her handiwork in patchwork quilts, a secret hobby of hers...

Maybe I'm in shock.

Perhaps shock wasn't too bad.

Across from her, Einar fidgeted.

"So, I, um...guess we're married now."

Something inside her snapped soundly at the sound of his voice.

Trembling, she closed her eyes. Maybe that would give him the hint that she wasn't interested in talking.

But he kept going, somehow encouraged by the sound of himself.

"Princess, you, I mean, I've been wanting to—though it really isn't my place, though I guess it is now that I'm your husband. That's...that's weird to say."

She clenched her fists. It wouldn't do to slap him.

"What I mean to ask is, Princess, is...sorry if this is intrusive, but why were you crying? Back there when we were, uh, exchanging vows."

"I didn't want to marry you."

A stunned pause followed.

"Oh. I guess you...you didn't get much time with me beforehand, after all. I thought it a bit rushed. To-be princes are supposed to get training before marrying, aren't they? In all the whatnots and to dos in princeliness and whatnot, heh."

"If you must know," said Kyanna, too raw to care, "it's because I already had someone in mind and Father was afraid I'd run off with him or something stupid, but I didn't, so there. I'd rather not talk. This is hard enough as it is."

She tried to focus on the sound of the carriage wheels as they rolled over rocks or the clip-clopping of the horses hooves. Her fingers traced out shapes in the soft velvet of the seat. Jeremy hid with her in an empty carriage like this, once; the first time she'd been close enough to catch his scent.