The Lost Princess

Episode 39: Beginning Of A Friendship

She walked down the hall in a daze as the memory of Vestin's last words repeated in her mind. Gazing out the window she saw a purple baby chim-chim perched itself on a branch facing her and began to sing. She watched it and sighed to herself. Normally, a sight like this would bring a smile to her face, but she couldn't bring herself to do such a thing. It felt wrong to even be walking down the hallway with such a peaceful aura surrounding her. Why did it feel like any other day? She knew he wasn't there, that he had gone to Serenity to confront Jayel. So why despite how she felt on the inside her outer appearance looked calm and composed.

"This is so frustrating," she watched the bird fly off towards another branch further from her growls and sighed, "Why does he think running straight into a trap is the way to save everyone? Is he that determined to die? He didn't even care to listen to any of our pleads for him to stay. He is still stubborn as ever."

She let her head collapse into her hands and covered her face. The urge to cry grew and she fought back the tears that were piling up in the corners of her eyes. Remembering the day he showed up in front of her after so many years and how she thought it to be a dream. She had come to terms that the crush she had on him as a child was merely just that. After that night in the woods, it all became clear that her attraction towards him was mostly based on a childish crush. She didn't yearn for him the way she did Robert, but there was still a piece of her heart that raced whenever he came near her. It was something she couldn't explain. Maybe instead of love it was just lust, but if that were the case then having given into her desire that night should have satisfied her curiosity. Yet it also gave false hope to him and almost cost her a dear friend in the process.

Suddenly a hand grabbed her by the shoulder and spun her around. She felt a sharp stinging pain across her face and the heat from the palm of a hand. She looked over at the person who struck her.

"Do you have some kind of unfinished business with me?"

Jensek glared at her. If not for her he'd still be back at Serenity awaiting orders with his comrades while watching his captain practice his bow skills. Because of her they were all gone and his captain was about to join them. The selfish princess that stood before him was the reason why Vestin suffered and sacrificed so much of who he really was. She was the reason why Serenity suffered so much.

"Selfish. You princess have to be the most selfish person I have met to date. I was told you had a humble upbringing, but how can that be when all you have done is think of what benefits you."

Loraz stared at Jensek her fist balled up at her side as she tried to keep her calm. She was selfish, the word didn't seem to fit her at all. She had to lose what she loved in order to save the lives of people she did not know. The memory of how she had to leave everything she had ever known to grow up in the shadows flooded her mind. She endured countless assassination attempts on her life. The mother she never got to see off to Paradise properly, her whole life thrown up in the air and she left to catch what she could and bring back just a little bit of normalcy. She never complained to anyone about any of it. All that mattered was that she freed her people and fulfill the wish of her dead mother. She took in a deep breath and released it slowly.

"So you strike me across the face like some coward? If my words have offended you they were not meant to be heard by your ears. It is your fault for listening to a conversation that didn't concern you. Have you no sense right now that you blindly strike a princess? Had anyone seen you we would not be talking right now."

Jensek's eyes narrowed as he stared a hole into her face. His glare normally sent people running, but in front of him he saw a tiny princess looking as if she were ready to attack.

"Your face is not my worry. I lost my team because of you and now I'm about to lose my captain. If he dies his blood, along with the others, is on your hands."