Love in the Woods

Chapter 3: Meet Princess Thania

"Peba! Peba!" Fabian was wet and he doesn't know what to do!

"Chosen one!"  said a cute voice.

Fabian turned around a cute humming bird appeared.

"Hey there buddy! So, let me guess, you are from Peba?"

"I am" The little bird replied.

The bird went around Fabian and settled on his shoulder. He then whispered something to him.

"Peba said that you must go to that castle over there. And he'll give you instructions once you are inside the forest."

"Forest? I didn't see any forest here. It's plain, no mountains either!" 

"oh no chosen one! there are alot of magical doors here, they are invisible" the humming bird said with a laugh.

Well, where's the horse?

The little bird didn't reply and yet he flew away.

Fabian got no choice, he had to walk from that pond in the middle of the plain to the horizon where he saw the castle .

It took him  almost a day to do that! He was very tired, of course. It's a long distance.

He didn't even feel that he was entering the invisible barrier because he was  very tired and when he saw a tree (without even noticing it) He took a rest there.

 Peba woked him with a big blow of Trumpet-like-sound. It was the sound of the elephants! Fabian woke up and ran as fast as he could. He didn't even know what direction to take.  As long as he could run as fast as he can from the elephants. 

When Fabian could no longer hear the big stamps of the elephants and their noise, he then realized that he was already at the forest. So he called Peba.

"Peba! Where are you?"

"Look Behind You, Fabian" Peba replied.

A beautiful waterfall was there. As the water falls down from a beautiful hill full of green things and flowers, the water fell silently. It was the Silent Falls of Pipalupi. From the crystal clear water, a beautiful girl appeared and as Fabian saw her, everything went into slow motion. It was the princess of Pipalupi, Thania.  Princess Thania was together with her pet, a wolf. Fabian sneeked behind the tree since he was very amazed by Thania's beuty. She was wearing a sparkling clothes of green and she had a beutiful hair. A pretty face, sparkling eyes, fair skintone and red lips. 

Thania's pet, the wolf smelled Fabian so, he searched where the smell came from and spotted it was from the tree. The wolf ran there and Thania was calling him but she can't control it so, she ran after her pet and saw Fabian hiding behind the tree. 

"Who Are You??" Thania was furious when she saw Fabian. She thought that Fabian was one of their enemies's spies. She was about to command her pet to attack Fabian but Peba appeared.

"My Princess, He's no harm!"

"Oh Peba, who is this boy?"

"Pardon me, Princess but he is sent from the prophesy. He will help you!"

"This guy? will help me? Are you sure Peba?"

"Why he is, your majesty."

"He doesn't look like the one being described there."

'He needs training, support and inspiration, my princess."

"Well then, bring him to the palace, I need some time with him."

"Time for me?" Fabian replied with a smile.

"Yes, a time to talk to you, to interview you, perhaps."

"Oh I see." 

"Peba, bring him to the palace."

"As you wish my princess"

Peba brought Fabian to the palace and set a room where the princess could talk to him.

"Since when did Peba told you about the prophesy?"

"Just last night. On my birthday."

"The kingdom waited for the 'chosen one' and I couldn't believe you are already here but not as what I have expected."

"I don't know what to do."

"You will have your training."

"And besides, who is the enemy? how did it start?" 

Thania then told Fabian the whole story about the kingdom of Pipalupi and their enemy. 

"Orin a kingdom of darkness was our enemy, the kingdom's rival."

"So how did it all start?"

"It all started during my grandfather's years. He had a very close friend, Orin. Pipalupi was once a peaceful kingdom. Orin was the representative of the west, and my grandfather, Eitri, the king's son was the Representative of the East. The Queen came from the west that's why there was no problem about the two sides. But one day, Orin and Eitri fell inlove with the same woman, Rossa. She was the most beautiful woman in the whole Pipalupi that time. They both forgot their friendship for the sake of winning Rossa's heart but Rossa chose Eitri. Orin was very jealous and he wanted to conquer the whole Pipalupi. He wanted to ruin the whole kingdom because of his hatred to Eitri. King Eitri and Queen Rossa did not lived peacefilly. So, King Eitri decided to give the west to Orin. He divided Pipalupi into two. The whole kingdom agreed about it but Orin was still aiming for everything since he wanted more. He started the war and Queen Rossa volunteered to talk to Orin for peace. orin did not listen to Rossa since he hated Rossa for choosing Eitri over him. Orin killed the Queen and Eitri was left alone together with their son, my father, Eldon. When king Eitri died, he passed the crown to my father. But Eitri made sure that before he died, Orin should be dead. My father became king when he was sixteen. The war was still on that time but it was not that worse at my grandfather's time. When I was born, he became more protective. Mother died when the Orins attacked the palace. Since then, my father built invisible walls that everything around is plain and the ones who belong here will see the castle."

"That's why i saw it when I fell in the middle of the plain?"

"Yes, chosen one.'

"But how did your father came up with the prophesy?"

"My father wrote a prophesy and marked it on his crown before he died. he wrote there that if ever he died, a boy born on the same hour he died shall be the chosen one. on his sixteenth birthday he will be called out to be prepared. And that's you  Fabian."

"So, it means, you are older than me?"

"I am, Seven years older than you. i am very pressured since I was all alone when i was seven. Good thing We have loyal servants and kind hearted people who took care of me and Peba, the one who is always beside me ready to help."

"Why did the name remained Pipalupi? Not Eitri?"

"Don't question it, this is the original kingdom. And I suppose i should be the one to interview you, Fabian. We do not know when the Orins will again attack, if they find out the secret place of this castle. well I think you should start your training tomorrow."

"tomorrow?"

"Why yes, any problem?"

"Nothing, my princess."

"You should learn how to be a warrior as soon as possible for we don't know when the Orins will discover our palace."

Thania left the room and ordered the sevants to prepare Fabian everything he needed. Fabian was still out of his mind since he had this strange feeling whenever he is with Thania. But he told himself to focus more on saving Pipalupi before his feelings.