The Lost Princess Of Corona

She was watching from the balcony how the lanterns were thrown by the people, lanterns that later made the sky burst into a bright golden light path.

Mothers and fathers followed by their children under the age of 8 or 9, must have been great to spend all those years with your kids but instead there she was, throwing lanterns to the sky by the company of her husband like how they'd done when their daughter was born. Waiting for the miracle of seeing her again, after 17 years of waiting.

Did she had to wait longer? Wasn't it enough all those years that she missed?

She started to wonder how that little face she saw only for a few minutes could have change in all this time.

When the last lantern disappeared by the horizon, the crowd beneath her started to go home. Mothers called their children by their names or subtle words like "honey" or "sweetie" and lend their hand to the infants who took them gently and walk with them all the way home.

She sighed and felt an arm across her waist. She turned her face to face her husband, the king, his face was drown in sorrow and so she tried to give him a smile which he returned. Though she knew her husband was aware of how all this affected her, she tried to be strong for him, for her kingdom. Sometimes she hated being the queen, not because she hated the villagers or their problems, she loved them but maybe it was too much sadness to handle inside and to try to look unbreakable to their eyes.

"Go ahead, I will to stay here some more" she replied when he took her hand.

The silence of the early night was overwhelming when she was left alone it wasn't cold at all, it was mid spring but that made her even more sick.

Why did that old lady took her? Where was she? Was she okay? what did that woman have done to her? those were the questions that roamed her head the past years.

After a few minutes of asking herself the same questions over and over again her answers lead her into the same place; no where. She had no clue, and the old lady had never come back to claim any reward or something at all. When she was willing to go, an unexpected cold breeze stroke at the time.

She could have tremble and go inside immediately if she didn't know what was it.

"Waiting for her again?" A strange male voice asked from beside her, but she didn't bother to take a look.

"As the last 17 years" she replied simply .

"You don't have to hide, you know?"

She rose and eyebrow in confusion

"What are you trying to say?" she tried

"You know"

"Maybe I am wrong. Tell me"

"You might be the queen but I guess that your people don't bother having a human one" he said

She remained silence. He was the only person that talked to her like that, he didn't beat around the bush.

"Anyways what are you doing here? It is not yet winter until a couple of moths" she said

"I just thought it might be fun to play jokes on your people"

She laughed "So that may explain the unexpected frozen roads, right?"

"Have they come to tell you?"

"More than a dozen before midday"

He chuckled

"You should have seen their faces. I swear they were hilarious"

"I don't doubt it. But you must stop doing that, its not funny for some people"

"For me it is" he said happily

She frowned.

"Don't you miss it?" he asked her

"We had fun when we could"

"But don't you?"

"Now I'm an adult, I should act like one"

"Yeah, but I remember you said you'd never wanted to grow up"

"Many things have changed"

"And have you changed?"

"You know... There's nothing bad about growing up"

"If you say so"

"Really"

"I trust you. It's just that I'll never get to know, I'm stuck in here for eternity"

"You don't need to grow older, just grow up"

"You mean get boring"

"No, just change your idea about the world"

"You know I always wanted to say..."

"Jack, please" she finally turned to see the white haired boy next to her. He had blue electric eyes and was wearing and old cloak.

"Maybe if I hadn't di..."

"Jack"

"I could have grown older with you"

"Jack, you did what was right and you were my best friend"

"I never lost faith" he stared into her deep green doe eyes.

"Haven't you seen her?" she asked

He sighed in defeat turning his face to the moon

"No, I haven't and if I had I couldn't tell you"

"Why Jack?!"

"The moon says so"

"But it hasn't even spoke to you since that night"

"Yeah, but somehow I know"

"Why are you so selfish?"

"You know I would like to tell you if I knew but I haven't seen her"

"Well then just promise me something"

He furrowed

"Promise me you would look after her"

"Though I couldn't tell you?" He asked

It was hard for her but she had to make sure her daughter was safe.

"Still. Just... protect her in the way you can and fate will decide"

"I don't know..."

"Jack, please. For the friendship we have, for me?"

He looked again into her eyes

"Okay I promise" he said caressing her light brunette hair "What was her name again?"

"Rapunzel" she said