Disclaimer: All storylines, characters and dialogues are property of their respective owners.^_^v
"Well, today is the last day we're gonna be able to have fun like this for awhile, so what should we read?"
Adrina, Van, Merle and Folken were all sitting under the giant tree by the gate that led up to the Fanelian forest. Adrina was cuddled up in Folken's left arm, Van was in his right arm and Merle was in between the two. The three children began to discuss the question that Folken had presented. Finally Adrina, the spokesperson of the group, leaned forward and picked up on of the three books laying in front of her.
"Fairytales," she said and handed the book to Folken.
"Fairytales it is," Folken agreed and opened the book. "Once upon a time..." Lulled by the sound of his voice, the three children soon fell asleep.
Adrina sleepily opened her eyes and looked around. She was still outside. She looked up and saw Folken smiling down at her.
"It's about time you woke up," he teased, "Van and Merle woke up half and hour ago."
"I'm sorry," Adrina apologized, "You could've put me on the ground if you wanted to get up."
"I know," Folken smiled, then returning to the previous subject, added, "Did you not sleep well last night?"
"No," Adrina admitted, "I had a strange dream and it kept me up most of the night."
"What was it about?" Folken inquired.
"I don't know if I should tell you," Adrina confessed.
"Why?"
"My mother told me not to say anything to upset you before you leave tomorrow," Adrina informed.
"I promise I won't let it upset me," Folken swore.
"You swear?" Adrina asked.
"I swear," Folken promised.
"Okay," Adrina started, "I had a dream about the future."
"How far into the future?" Folken prodded.
"Awhile," Adrina told him, "You were all grown up and I was about your age. We were talking about something, but I don't know what. You were dressed in dark clothes and you had a purple teardrop painted on your right cheek. The part that scared me the most was that neither one of us were happy. It doesn't make any sense. Why wouldn't I be happy if I was with you? I'm always happy when I'm with you."
"You are the sweetest eight year old I know," he said and hugged her. "And don't let that dream worry you. You're just nervous about me leaving, but don't be. Everything is going to be fine. I'll be back before you know it." He smiled again. "Now let's go get Van and Merle and play a game or something."
"Okay!" Adrina agreed. Folken lifted her onto his shoulders and they went to get them.
That night, Adrina had the same dream. She tried to ignore it like Folken said, but it kept nagging at her. Luckily, her, Merle and their parents were up early to go and see Folken off. Only the Queen, Van, Adrina's family and Balgus were going to be there, which was another good thing. Whenever her family went anywhere where there was a large group of people, they would stare at Merle and whisper among themselves. So what is Merle was half cat? She was also half human. Maybe it was the shock of a human family raising a little cat girl. Adrina didn't know, but it always made her angry.
They met Queen Varie, Folken, Van and Balgus by the gate that led to the forest. Folken was already dressed in his armor and had his horse and all his equipment ready.
"I should be back before sunset, but if not, I'll definitely be back by tomorrow afternoon," Folken told Queen Varie.
"Be careful," his mother instructed. He hugged her.
"I will," he promised. Van then reached up and pulled on Folken's shirt. Folken bent down beside him.
"When you become king," Van started, "can I have my own horse?"
"We'll see," Folken laughed and hugged his little brother. He then turned to Adrina, who was standing next to Van. "Do you have any special requests when I'm king?"
Adrina shook her head. Her mother had told her and Merle once again not to say anything to upset Prince Folken. She told them that if Prince Folken was upset, he could become distracted while fighting the dragon and get hurt. Adrina wasn't exactly sure what might upset Folken, so she had decided not to say anything. She didn't want anything to happen to him.
"I've known you your whole life and you pick today to be shy?" Folken asked her. She shrugged her shoulders, her hands in fists at her side. In one, she was clutching the necklace she had been given at birth. It was a dragon in the shape of a heart with a purple stone in the middle. She wanted to give it to Folken for good luck, but she didn't know how without saying something.
Now everyone was giving Folken encouragement and wishing him good luck. Adrina still remained silent. She wanted desperately to say something, anything, to him, but she was afraid.
Folken mounted his horse and everyone said their good-byes. Folken nudged his horse into a walk and headed toward the gate.
Adrina couldn't stand it anymore.
"Folken! Wait!" she cried and ran towards him. Her mother tried to stop her but she was too fast. Folken stopped his horse and turned around. Adrina ran up to his horse and held her hands up. Folken leaned down, picked her up and sat her in front of him on the horse.
"Finally decided to talk to me, huh?" he asked.
"Yeah," she held out her hand with the necklace in it, "I want you to have this. For good luck."
"Are you sure you want me to have this?"
"Uh huh," Adrina assured and pulled the necklace he had made her for her sixth birthday out of the front of her dress, "You gave me one."
He smiled and took the necklace from her. He put it around his neck. "Thank you."
"Your welcome."
Folken hugged her tightly. "Wait for me by the tree," he indicated to the tree they were sitting under yesterday.
"I will," Adrina promised. She kissed him on the cheek.
"Okay, it's time for you to go, Folken." Adrina and Folken looked over and saw Queen Varie standing next to the horse, smiling.
"Alright," Folken agreed.
Queen Varie held her arms out to Adrina. "Come on you." Adrina leaned forward so Queen Varie could lift her off the horse.
"I'll be back soon," Folken assured and nudged his horse into motion. Adrina and Queen Varie waved to Folken until he disappeared into the forest.
"I heard Folken tell you to wait under the tree," Queen Varie divulged to the little girl in her arms, "Can I wait with you?"
"Of course, your majesty," Adrina said. Queen Varie sat Adrina down. They turned and headed for the tree to wait, with Merle and Van close behind.
"Well, today is the last day we're gonna be able to have fun like this for awhile, so what should we read?"
Adrina, Van, Merle and Folken were all sitting under the giant tree by the gate that led up to the Fanelian forest. Adrina was cuddled up in Folken's left arm, Van was in his right arm and Merle was in between the two. The three children began to discuss the question that Folken had presented. Finally Adrina, the spokesperson of the group, leaned forward and picked up on of the three books laying in front of her.
"Fairytales," she said and handed the book to Folken.
"Fairytales it is," Folken agreed and opened the book. "Once upon a time..." Lulled by the sound of his voice, the three children soon fell asleep.
Adrina sleepily opened her eyes and looked around. She was still outside. She looked up and saw Folken smiling down at her.
"It's about time you woke up," he teased, "Van and Merle woke up half and hour ago."
"I'm sorry," Adrina apologized, "You could've put me on the ground if you wanted to get up."
"I know," Folken smiled, then returning to the previous subject, added, "Did you not sleep well last night?"
"No," Adrina admitted, "I had a strange dream and it kept me up most of the night."
"What was it about?" Folken inquired.
"I don't know if I should tell you," Adrina confessed.
"Why?"
"My mother told me not to say anything to upset you before you leave tomorrow," Adrina informed.
"I promise I won't let it upset me," Folken swore.
"You swear?" Adrina asked.
"I swear," Folken promised.
"Okay," Adrina started, "I had a dream about the future."
"How far into the future?" Folken prodded.
"Awhile," Adrina told him, "You were all grown up and I was about your age. We were talking about something, but I don't know what. You were dressed in dark clothes and you had a purple teardrop painted on your right cheek. The part that scared me the most was that neither one of us were happy. It doesn't make any sense. Why wouldn't I be happy if I was with you? I'm always happy when I'm with you."
"You are the sweetest eight year old I know," he said and hugged her. "And don't let that dream worry you. You're just nervous about me leaving, but don't be. Everything is going to be fine. I'll be back before you know it." He smiled again. "Now let's go get Van and Merle and play a game or something."
"Okay!" Adrina agreed. Folken lifted her onto his shoulders and they went to get them.
That night, Adrina had the same dream. She tried to ignore it like Folken said, but it kept nagging at her. Luckily, her, Merle and their parents were up early to go and see Folken off. Only the Queen, Van, Adrina's family and Balgus were going to be there, which was another good thing. Whenever her family went anywhere where there was a large group of people, they would stare at Merle and whisper among themselves. So what is Merle was half cat? She was also half human. Maybe it was the shock of a human family raising a little cat girl. Adrina didn't know, but it always made her angry.
They met Queen Varie, Folken, Van and Balgus by the gate that led to the forest. Folken was already dressed in his armor and had his horse and all his equipment ready.
"I should be back before sunset, but if not, I'll definitely be back by tomorrow afternoon," Folken told Queen Varie.
"Be careful," his mother instructed. He hugged her.
"I will," he promised. Van then reached up and pulled on Folken's shirt. Folken bent down beside him.
"When you become king," Van started, "can I have my own horse?"
"We'll see," Folken laughed and hugged his little brother. He then turned to Adrina, who was standing next to Van. "Do you have any special requests when I'm king?"
Adrina shook her head. Her mother had told her and Merle once again not to say anything to upset Prince Folken. She told them that if Prince Folken was upset, he could become distracted while fighting the dragon and get hurt. Adrina wasn't exactly sure what might upset Folken, so she had decided not to say anything. She didn't want anything to happen to him.
"I've known you your whole life and you pick today to be shy?" Folken asked her. She shrugged her shoulders, her hands in fists at her side. In one, she was clutching the necklace she had been given at birth. It was a dragon in the shape of a heart with a purple stone in the middle. She wanted to give it to Folken for good luck, but she didn't know how without saying something.
Now everyone was giving Folken encouragement and wishing him good luck. Adrina still remained silent. She wanted desperately to say something, anything, to him, but she was afraid.
Folken mounted his horse and everyone said their good-byes. Folken nudged his horse into a walk and headed toward the gate.
Adrina couldn't stand it anymore.
"Folken! Wait!" she cried and ran towards him. Her mother tried to stop her but she was too fast. Folken stopped his horse and turned around. Adrina ran up to his horse and held her hands up. Folken leaned down, picked her up and sat her in front of him on the horse.
"Finally decided to talk to me, huh?" he asked.
"Yeah," she held out her hand with the necklace in it, "I want you to have this. For good luck."
"Are you sure you want me to have this?"
"Uh huh," Adrina assured and pulled the necklace he had made her for her sixth birthday out of the front of her dress, "You gave me one."
He smiled and took the necklace from her. He put it around his neck. "Thank you."
"Your welcome."
Folken hugged her tightly. "Wait for me by the tree," he indicated to the tree they were sitting under yesterday.
"I will," Adrina promised. She kissed him on the cheek.
"Okay, it's time for you to go, Folken." Adrina and Folken looked over and saw Queen Varie standing next to the horse, smiling.
"Alright," Folken agreed.
Queen Varie held her arms out to Adrina. "Come on you." Adrina leaned forward so Queen Varie could lift her off the horse.
"I'll be back soon," Folken assured and nudged his horse into motion. Adrina and Queen Varie waved to Folken until he disappeared into the forest.
"I heard Folken tell you to wait under the tree," Queen Varie divulged to the little girl in her arms, "Can I wait with you?"
"Of course, your majesty," Adrina said. Queen Varie sat Adrina down. They turned and headed for the tree to wait, with Merle and Van close behind.