The Caravan of Hope

Chapter 11: I am yours

"Tell me again why we have a new member."

It was the next day, and the caravan was welcoming Jarred to the group. And so far, Hearthfell was the only one against Jarred joining.

"I mean, we already have two other new members, and they only joined last week."

Daiko got mad at him, because she really wanted Jarred to join. "You didn't care when two new members instead of only one."

Hearthfell blushed.
Because I knew that Mary wouldn't join if George didn't, and I really wanted Mary to be a member. "That's different."

George knew that look on Hearthfell's face, and grew overprotective of Mary again. "Oh really? I'd like to know how."

As they kept fighting, Jarred figited a little. Bella noticed this, and whispered to him, "It's okay, Hearthfell doesn't mean it personally. He did it to me, so I think he does this to new members. I think he didn't do it to Mary and George because he's in love with Mary."

Jarred was a little surprised about that, but then he realized it must be why he keeps fighting with George. But instead, he shook his head and said a little too loudly, "It's not that."

Everyone turned to look at him. Even George and Hearthfell stopped fighting.

Jarred, embarrassed, coughed. "Err...I forgot to tell you that as a punishment if I ever broke free of him, that creature that took over me, he freed one townsperson so that that person would put a description in the country's wanted list. So now, I'm a wanted fugitive."

"You see, that's why-" Hearthfell started to say, but Mary interrupted and said, "No problem! I have an idea."

"-we should let Jarred be a member!" It was evident that he changed what he was saying mid-sentence.

Jarred looked over at Bella and nodded, seeing proof that Hearthfell was indeed in love with Mary.

Mary went over to Jarred and sat him down in a chair. "I'm going to give you a new look!" She opens up her notebook.

.....

....Let's just say Mary had already used her magic many times on Jarred in order to give him a new look, but she's very picky, meaning that she can't decide.

"Aug! What's wrong with me!" She sits down and thinks a little.

That is when Daiko brings out her book. A little about Daiko's book. It has a plain green cover, but the inside was full of pictures. Daiko sometimes referred to it as a "manga."

This was when Daiko opened up her book and showed a part of it to Mary. She did this by covering up everything on the inside of the book except for one picture.

Mary looked at the part of the book that Daiko showed her and immediately was inspired. She wrote a couple things in her notebook and said, "Activate!"

Jarred was changed. His clothes were transformed into that of an elegant robe, with the colors of a peacock. His hair looked like it was permanently dyed green.

His scar was gone. He still couldn't see out of one eye, but he was given fake glasses.

"Perfect!" Mary said, putting away her notebook and pen. "And to complete it, we'll call you "Diego Simms."

Bella went up to him and looked over him. Then smiling, she said, "Handsome." She kissed him on the cheek, making Jarred blush.

Daiko coughed. They all looked at her, and she said, "Look, I don't mind if you two kiss, but please don't do it in public. We call it "PDA" back home, and it is gross."

She smiled. "But on a happier note, I have the jobs for today! Since Jarred is new, he's going to learn the ropes of this work with Bella! Mary will get food with George, and Hearthfell, Alex and I will have free time! Now, chop chop peoples! We have a lot of costumers today since the people of Ikuyomi have nothing to fear anymore after we tools the police that we captured the culprit!" And with that, everyone except Bella and Jarred left.

Daiko was right; it was busy. Bella and Jarred as "Diego" worked hard to serve costumers. Finally, during lunch hour, there were no more customers. Jarred collapsed into a chair while Bella stood, unharmed.

She smiled. "It's not easy working in a guild, huh?" He just smiled weakly up at her.

Because it was a break and she wanted to conserve her energy, she sat down too. Then she remembered something she should've asked earlier. "Say... How long have you been in love with me?"

He blushed and started to twiddle his thumbs. "....I will guess that it has been ever since I met you."

Bella was surprised, and she looked it. "That long? How come you never told me before?"

Jarred sighed, wondering how he was going to phrase this. ".....Bella, you're so beautiful that alone, any man would have trouble confessing to you. On top of that, you are a princess, and I was worried that if I said something wrong, you were going to have me dead. I was going to finally confess to you, but that was the day my house burned down."

Angry, he bit his lip. "Forgive me for saying this, but a king should be kind to all his subjects and not be that jealous if one of them is with his daughter."

He leaned back and looked at Bella. "But that is in the past. I can't change it. Yet I can change what is possible to do."

And with that, he gets out off his chair and goes down on one knee, holding Bella's hand. "I will always love you; that will never change. But I am going to be a different man now. I am yours, disposable and ready." He saw Bella about to protest and he raised one finger to shush her. "But not as a knight. Surely I want to protect you like a knight does and with his ways of fighting, but it is not going to be for his reasons. I am yours because I love you. Will you accept that?"

Bella cried a little, because it was so sweet. But it was exactly what she'd always wanted: someone to protect her out off love and affection, and not because she is a princess. She nodded with a huge smile on her face.

Jarred smiled. "Good, I am glad. Now I will ask you the same question in return; how long have you been in love with me?"

Bella blushed and giggled a little. "Didn't you hear me tell my story yesterday?"

"Bella, I was too busy trying to get away from the shadowy figure; of course I did not hear it."

She giggled again. "Too bad."

"Please?"

"No!" She smiled. One day, she would tell him of how she gradually fell for him.

--------------Meanwhile--------------

Daiko was by herself, skipping and singing:

Me imagino, bata y todo, buscar telas contra la pared, el cuadro de gracia sofisticada.

She had gotten away from the rest of the group. They were wary of her going alone because of what happened to Bella, but they let her go alone because she can protect herself. She was also reading her manga book.

She was thinking: Oh, this party is coming soon; I can't wait! I will be in a gown, trying to impress Alex! He looks so handsome with that suit right now! But wait....That isn't next though.

She frowns and turns a few pages. Oh! It's Hearthfell's birthday. And after that, his story. Too bad that he doesn't even know that he had a story yet.

She grins. Well, I better make sure that he doesn't say that thing in front of George this time!

----------author note---------

Thank you for reading this! If you could vote, comment, or recommend this book, it would be nice.

Plus if you vote or comment, I will know who you are and take the time to even read your books! Thank you!