Living in the Shadows

CHAPTER 4 MEGA EVOLUTION

(Jenna)

"King Darkrai!" The tall pink rock-fairy I saw in my dream exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"

Darkrai inclined his head to her respectfully. "Greetings, Princess Diancie. Forgive our intrusion-"

"Oh, my goodness!" Princess Diancie exclaimed again as she hurried over to me. "A human! A real live human!"

The stars in her eyes made me think of Zorua when we first met. She was easily impressed by . . . well, anything really.

Darkrai, the Carbink, and I all sweat-dropped.

"Um," I replied in the following silence. "How did . . ?"

"How did I know you are a human? That is easy." She waved her arm to the crystals behind me.

I turned around and saw my real reflection. These crystals must be the same as the ones in the Cave of True Reflections.

Then she gasped. "Oh my gosh! I am terribly sorry, King Darkrai!" she said as she turned to him, bowed her head, and placed her hands together. "Please forgive me for interrupting you most rudely, and in a fashion unbecoming of royalty."

Darkrai sighed. "You are forgiven, Princess Diancie."

Just then one of the Carbink hopped over to us. "If I may be so bold," he began. "What brings you to our mines, King Darkrai?"

While Darkrai and the Carbink moved a ways away from us to talk privately, Princess Diancie noticed that I couldn't move my arms. She took hold of my hands and closed her eyes. I don't know what she did, but it sure hurt.

"Ow!" I cried out as I jerked my hands out of her hold and pressed them to my head.

Darkrai and the Carbink stopped talking long enough to turn their heads, guess what had happened, and then continue their conversation.

"I apologize, most sincerely, for the pain I have unwittingly given you, Lady Jenna," Princess Diancie said. "If I had known about . . ."

Her pause had me looking her in the eye as I was rubbing the back of my head. "About what?" I asked. The pain was receding but my head still hurt.

She looked conflicted; like she wanted to tell me something but at the same time, didn't know if she should. "I am sorry," she said regally. "But I am afraid that I can not answer your question at this point in time."

I sighed. "What else is new?" I groaned quietly.

Thank her for restoring your arms' mobility, Cresselia told me.

Another sigh. "Thank you for restoring my arms, Your Highness," I said as I bowed, slightly. 

"You are welcome and you need not bow, Lady Jenna. Being King Darkrai's ward makes the two of us equals, in a way."

I felt my eyes widen to the size of dinner plates. "Say what?"

I'm pretty sure that if anyone from our group were here right now, they would have the same look of shock on their faces as I do.

Well . . . maybe not Cresselia, the fox siblings, or Darkrai.

Princess Diancie smiled. "You are quite famous in this world, Lady Jenna. Almost everyone in these mountains, as well as in the Dark Kingdom, knows who you are. They also know of your connection to King Darkrai. It is an honor to finally make your acquaintance." She finished with an elegant bow.

I felt my face turn red. They all know about me?

Looks like it will be twice as hard to keep your promise to Darkrai the closer we get to the castle, Cresselia replied.