Fallen Kingdom ✔️

Girl Talk

The morning was filled with packing for the journey. When everyone was ready, we started off again. It was noisy. The men being men. That left Rathelia and I in the rear. She kept looking at me then the ground and back, like she wanted to say something but was two shy.

"Is there something wrong, Rathelia?"

"Oh, it's nothing. Well, it is something but nothing you'd care about princess."

"I'm still Vic, and I do care. Please, tell me what's on your mind."

She sighed. "I heard you talking before, in Moira. You said that love is love, and it shouldn't matter if you are royal or not, if you love someone you should be together."

"Yes, that's true."

"I care for someone more then I should. A royal, someone who I shouldn't be with as a commoner. I want to tell him, but I don't know if I should."

I smiled at her, thinking about how Jovsin was telling me how he loved her. "I think you should tell him at our next rest. Maybe tell him in private so you won't embarrass him in front of us."

"That's a good idea, thank you Princess Victoria."

Riding off wasn't hard. After talking with Rathelia, Jovsin and I switched places so I could ride next to Prince Bowen. I found that I was pulled more ahead by Prince George. I was confused by it until he sighed.

"So, Rolande is to marry my sister?"

"Yes."

"That's sad. I would prefer you to be a direct family member. You have better morals than your brothers. They appear to be acting strangely too. I've met Jovsin and Svenon before. They never were like this. They were good, better then I was. When our parents would talk at meetings, I'd be the one to sneak away to listen while they tried to hold me back from their private conversations. Now it appears I'm the one holding them back from stupidity."

"It appears so. Whatever happened to them was serious. Jovsin isn't much different, but Svenon is like a new person. Like someone dressed up as him. It is him, but I just can't figure out why he's like this."

"Irseval has a power nobody else has. He could have done something to their minds, Svenon the most as he is to be king."

"I know our next side quest then. It will be out of our way, but it will be worth it. Whatever is inside them making them act like this will be gone after this stop." I took a deep breath in so I could yell. "In ten meters turn right!"

"What is ten meters? Rolande asked back.

"I forgot, the men don't have schooling as the women do. Turn south east in thirty seconds!"

I would have to get paper and ink in the next town. There would be one directly in front of us once we turn. Everyone started speeding up as we turned. I guess the others wanted out of the forest as soon as possible. It made sense, with their lack of training and the dangers. Striker and Rathelia were just following the group. I had fallen behind again to protect the group, and nobody really minded. I was able to get Jagg to follow the others. Striker knew that we were heading towards the small town outside the forest, so I had no need to pay attention. I started thinking about my childhood in Servania. I started thinking about what Prince Bowen said to me, about how Servania would welcome me still. I thought about how I would sneak onto royal grounds and thought about what inside would look like other then the grand room for the king and Queen to meet people in. What did Prince Bowen's childhood look like?

"... sure this is it, Victoria?"

I snapped my head up, just hearing the end of a question from Prince George. "Sorry, I was lost in thought."