The Ice Queen of Lessaenes (Book 5)

The Missing Ring

A/N: Hey guys! I know this is completely random, but I decided to do my nails Queen Saralee style! What do you think?

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"Excuse me," Fenorel said tersely, standing up from his seat beside Derwel at our waterside table.

Looking down at his plate, I saw that he had barely finished half of his sandwich.

"Are you alright?" I asked.

"Yes, I'm just not hungry. I won't go far."

As he left, walking hurriedly across the beach, I couldn't help but get a weird feeling. Something was wrong.

Curious, I followed him, Aura-skating lightly across the sand about five yards behind him, to avoid alerting him of my presence.

"It was in here. I swear it was right here!" Fenorel whisper-yelled, disappearing behind a large rock. So that was why he had left the lunch table so abruptly.

"What was?" Armetorius asked.

"The ring!"

"What ring?"

"The fifty thousand duvat sapphire engagement ring!" Fenorel groaned, his voice strained with worry.

"Wait, you were going to-"

"Yes, I was!" Fenorel exhaled sharply. "And now the stupid ring's missing!"

My heart fluttered when I realized what this meant, but I too began to grow tense. Fifty thousand duvats was a lot, even for the son of a Chief.

"It's okay, Fenorel," I stepped out from behind the rock, facing him.

"Saralee! You were here?" Fenorel bit his lip, embarrassed.

"I just wanted to tell you that it's fine."

"...Really?" He gave me a confused look.

"Yeah," I shrugged. "I mean, we all lose things sometimes. It's not that big of a deal."

"Yes, it is!" Selaeyah interjected, furiously storming into the tiny cove. "He lost your engagement ring! How can you trust a man who's that irresponsible!?"

"He's not irresponsible!" I retorted. "The ring probably just fell out of its box!"

"Oh, I don't think it fell out," Fenorel gave Selaeyah a vicious glare, his words laced with venom.

"And now he says I did something to it," Selaeyah rolled her eyes. "How immature. I'm Chief of the Empire's wealthiest clan. I don't need to steal."

Not again.

"Would you guys please stop!?" I sighed in frustration. "The whole reason we came here in the first place was to get you two to quit arguing about everything."

"Fenorel will be our downfall! As a loyal citizen of your Empire, it is my duty to protect you from baneful influences such as the Keeper clan."

"Look! I found it!" An excited voice called out from the beach.

I turned my head just as Raliyel entered the cove, holding a sand-covered ring in her outstretched palm.

"It was sitting out on the beach," she explained. "I think one of the sapphires is cracked, but it should do for now."

"Thank you," Fenorel beamed, taking the ring from Raliyel. "See? We may be richer and more sophisticated, but Rhenans are certainly much more practical. While we were sitting here talking our mouths off, she was actually out looking for the ring!"

"Oh, whatever," Selaeyah rolled her eyes. "Just remember, this is our world. It always has been. King Airel named it the Lessaenite Empire, not the Rhenan Empire."

"That was back in 1786! They didn't have the technology to travel to other planets. They didn't even know that Rhenans existed!" Raliyel spat.

"Can we just forget our differences for once?" Fenorel pleaded. "Today should be a happy day, for the royal family and for the Empire, regardless of what it's called and who rules it."

"Don't you dare!" Selaeyah gritted her teeth as he cleaned the sand off the ring with his fingernail, placing it carefully inside its open black box.

"Saralee..." he trailed off. "At first, I could never stand to be around you. I thought you were hopelessly evil- and don't get me wrong, you are, but something's changed. Now, I don't think I could live without you. Will you marry me?"

"How could I ever refuse someone who calls me hopelessly evil?" I grinned. "YES!!!"