a tale for love | n. riki

ten

"Damnit," Ni-ki gritted through his teeth as he kicked a bucket full of water in the royal horse stable.

"Is my father actually selling me out?" he exclaimed aloud, as he paced back and forth, "He wants me to marry Princess Isabel, who I've only met once for the record! I didn't even know she was going to be my apparent future wife. I only saw her because of a stupid monarch function! This is crazy, ridiculous even. Skipper, what the hell am I going to do?!"

Ni-ki's gorgeous Friesian horse, Skipper, just stared at him blankly as he munched on hay.

"I must be insane," he groaned in defeat, laying on top of the haystacks.

Ni-ki heard a light knock on the stable doors, turning his head.

"I thought I heard something," his friend Jay, a scholar in the Odessia Palace, walked in, "What's going on, your highness?"

"Jay," Ni-ki sighed and looked up at him, "I can't tell you."

Jay walked over to him and stared at him intently, "I know you can't keep secrets."

Ni-ki pursed his lips and let out a loud groan. For this 23 year-old prince was acting quite immature.

"You have to keep this confidential. You're probably going to get summoned about this too," he finally gave in.

"Okay," Jay exclaimed, stretching his hand out to Ni-ki.

Ni-ki accepted his hand as he stood up, now facing Jay eye to eye.

"I have to go to Eloria."

"Eloria?" Jay's head tilted in confusion, "Why would you be sent there? Zyrkon is entering their territory. Before we know it, Eloria may become a part of the Zyrkonian Empire."

"I apparently am marrying the princess."

"Marrying?!" Jay questioned, the pitch of his tone rising in surprise.

"You know what's crazy, I met the princess when she was 15. Four years have passed and she's 19! 19! This feels criminal," Ni-ki exclaimed, still unable to comprehend the news.

Jay took a seat next to Ni-ki. "Your highness," he began, "No matter how horrible this is, you have no choice."

"I know," Ni-ki sighed, "Being the only son responsible is quite burdensome, you know. Not saying my sisters have it easier, but I'm the first off to be sent to a different kingdom. My poor father looks like he's being driven to the ends of sanity and my mother has been hidden in the shadows because of the hate against Xernians. This world is falling apart."

"In all due time, things will turn out for the better. And maybe you'll even like Princess Isabel, right?" Jay responded, trying to comfort the prince.

"I suppose."

The prince sighed once more, laying back down the haystacks, his perplexed, many thoughts drifting to a world unknown.