A True Hero

24 - Guardian of Hope

Nicolette

When I realized it was Prince Richard who was standing in front of me at Princess Ripple's castle, I immediately looked away and saluted the guards standing around him instead. I refused to look at him, and, not surprisingly, he soon lost interest in me. He must not have remembered me or the horrendous day that we had met. He and I had both grown and changed, physically and mentally. Of course he wouldn't recognize me.

Soon after, my group and I were ordered to separate rooms in the east wing of the castle to await the incoming attack from Dark Matter. According to the king, it was bound to happen soon. We had to act as natural as possible so Princess Ripple wouldn't suspect anything, but it was hard to act natural when Prince Richard was there.

I walked into my room and was surprised by the luxurious bed and dresser. The bed was piled high with pillows and blankets, and the dresser had at least twenty drawers. Upon opening them, they were full of extra clothes, blankets, and jewelry. A dark blue dress hung in the walk-in closet for me to wear to a formal dinner I had to attend for the princess. The comfort of the room was strange to me. I was used to the hard cot and plain room of the army.

Flopping face-first down on the bed and throwing my mouth guard onto the pillows, I spent the next few hours imagining what had happened to Prince Richard. After my planet blew up and I joined the GSA, I never learned the real fate of the three princes. I had assumed that they had fled back to their native planets unharmed, but from Richard's condition, I knew something bad had happened. His leg was mangled and useless and he hobbled like an old man despite his age of only twenty-two years old.

His form had changed, too. I remembered him as the short prince with a loud, deep voice and English accent. Now he had grown a foot and had much more hair than the last time I had seen him. What had happened to him? Where were the other princes?

Suddenly, the answer himself knocked on my door. I gasped in surprise, jumped out of bed, threw on my mouth guard, closed my eyes, and settled my energy into the air around me. Almost immediately I saw through Prince Richard's eyes as he stood outside my door, free of any guards, looking nervously around in fear of being caught.

I opened my eyes and returned to my own mind. I thought he didn't remember me. Taking a deep breath, I said, "Come in."

The door opened and he appeared, his cape sweeping around him like a wave in the ocean, and hastily approached me where I stood next to my bed. I remained calm with my hands clasped behind my back as his dark chestnut eyes searched my sea green ones.

Finally, Prince Richard said in the same deep soothing voice, "Princess Nicolette?"

My lips parted under my mouth guard. He remembered my name. I didn't respond.

"Princess, is it you?" he asked again, bending down on his good knee and reaching for my hand. I didn't give it to him. I was beginning to feel uncomfortable. "Ma'am, please answer. I must know if it is you."

My eyes narrowed slightly as I gazed down at him, then I released one of my hands and removed my mouth guard from my face. His face lit up as he recognized me.

"It is you," he whispered, then, leaning on his cane, he stood up and studied my face, especially the scar across my eye. "What has become of you, Princess?" He lifted a hand to touch the scar, but I quickly grabbed his wrist and held it away from me.

"What has become of you, Prince Richard?" I asked, looking him over again. He dropped his arm and didn't answer me.

"So... You became a Galaxy Soldier, hmm?" he asked. I nodded once and looked away.

"It's better than running away from the war." I looked at him out of the corners of my eyes. His face turned red in shame.

"I'm so sorry about-"