The Four Kingdoms: A Shaman King Alternate Universe

The Return of the Kaminari Prince

He was already sick of the sea --- not that kind that would make him throw up. He was bored of staring at the seemingly endless span of blue water which he had been seeing for more than a week. He needed a change of environment. His father, the king of Kaminari had sent him a telegram 9 days ago asking him to go home immediately for an important gathering. The king would be making an announcement of some sort which would require the presence of his heir. Fortunately, the Royal Patch Academy had approved of his leave. He would just have to make up for the lessons that he would miss upon his return after a month.

It was not difficult negotiating with the head master since he was one of the smartest princes enrolled in the school. If there was one thing he would boast about his academic track record, it was the consistent high marks he was getting at his War Tactics classes. However, the subject seemed to be of less importance in the academy which was why he found it odd that his father had sent him over to this institution. The king of Kaminari loved to strategize even though they were not in a state of war. A peace treaty between the four kingdoms had been decreed since a century ago and although the terms were strict, all royalties had complied and co-existed quietly if not harmoniously. However, his father always reminded him to never let his guard down and that their kingdom should always be prepared for the unexpected.

He sighed. Kaminari --- It's been three years since he last saw the kingdom. His father had sent him to study abroad in an exclusive school for royal bloods. He admitted to himself that he missed home. He missed the palace people, his queen mother, his strict father, and most of all, his best friend. He imagined how she would react the moment he showed up.

She would be surprised to see me.

His best friend, the princess of Kouku Kingdom was… a spoiled brat. He knew her well because they grew up together for their fathers were good friends. In fact, the kingdoms of Kaminari and Kouku had been allies since the peace agreement. He let out a slight smile as he recalled their childhood adventures. He would often escape through the window of the palace library while his tutor was not looking and ride his white horse to the Kouku Kingdom to play with the princess. They would explore the forest after which they will get a tremendous amount of scolding from their nannies because they went near the border. They didn't know that time that the other half of the four kingdoms lay on the other side.

They would sometimes battle each other out in a clash of words justifying their argument that one will become a better monarch than the other. He would end up being the winner because he was a boy and she was a girl, as his best friend would put it. She would sulk afterwards because at such a tender age, she knew that her parents would just marry her off to a male ruler they deemed rightful. To brighten her mood, the prince would raise his fist and declare that he would beat the unlucky guy up before he could even ask for her hand so that she won't be forced to marry him. They were truly inseparable until his 14th birthday when his father made the decision to send him off to the Royal Patch Academy.

He remembered his best friend's last words on the day he left the kingdom.

If you leave now, I won't speak to you again!

He became a little worried. He knew his best friend had that capability to mean whatever she had said. She was a strong-spirited girl anyway. She never shed a tear for anyone, not even for him. However, he held on to his high hopes that she would not take it seriously for she should have already grown into a fine young lady within his three years of absence.

Surely, she would have missed me, too.

The prince's musings were momentarily stopped with a shout from a sailor peering through his binoculars, "Land ahoy!" He squinted to verify the sailor's pronouncement. As the ship steered nearer, the magnificent palace of Kaminari situated on the mountain top became visible.

I'm home.