As the remaining guards and Prince Alonzo approached the castle walls, horns sounding and cheering could be heard from inside. Alonzo strolled up to the head guard and asked, "How did they know we were successful?"

"The King has his way of finding out certain things." The head guard said as they continued towards the gate. He added as the large gate opened, "How do you think he knew to send us to your farmhouse?"

Alonzo didn't answer but didn't stop riding alongside the head guard.

As the small group entered the castle, King Renier was there with a smile on his face and King Akira and his daughter stood beside him clapping and smiling. The head guard rode up to some waiting servants and dismounted from his horse. Alonzo followed the guard's movements and dismounted as well.

Renier opened his arms as his son approached and hugged him. Alonzo was smiling to the people and at the King and his daughter. Renier released his son and gladly said, "Well done Alonzo with that beast slain we can finally unite our kingdoms."

King Akira walked to the prince and shook his hand then stood aside and his daughter walked up to Alonzo. Alonzo's first thought was that she was pretty but something wasn't clicking for him. Something was missing.

"Prince Alonzo," King Akira said taking his daughter's hand, "My daughter Cassandra." He placed Cassandra's hand in Alonzo's and the people around them cheered and clapped even louder and the Kings stood side by side smiling at their children.

That night King Akira returned to his kingdom while Princess Cassandra stayed at King Renier's kingdom. Renier had informed Alonzo that in the morning he and Cassandra as well as a group of trained body guards were to go to the castle that the kings built for their children.


Now Renier stood in the throne room with Alonzo they were alone and spoke of whatever was on their minds. Renier spoke first, "You'll like the castle, it's made of only the best and finest material available."

Alonzo stood facing the window. He didn't want to marry Cassandra, something didn't feel right. Besides the fact of marrying a complete stranger he felt as if his heart wasn't in the same place as Renier's mind.

"I don't want to marry Cassandra." Alonzo said.

Renier looked at him and said, "The deed has already been done. You cannot stop this wedding. You will marry her and you will rule as I do."

Alonzo turned to his father, "I do not wish to rule like you do. I wasn't made for this. I don't want to be here, I don't want a royal escort," Alonzo spoke with a tone that didn't please the King, "All I want is to go home."

Renier walked to his son and placed a hand on his shoulder, "And home you shall go."

Alonzo looked at him.

"Your home is three days away from here, up in the woods, past the river."

Alonzo shrugged the king's hand off his shoulder, "That's not my home. That's just a place I will live."

"Then make it your home." Renier hissed.

"How can I make it my home without the people I love?" Alonzo asked. "If you want me to rule like you do now I want my mother by my side."

"I told you not to mention her again. She's gone from you. You are not to see her again am I understood?"

Alonzo wanted to yell at him, hit him, run away from here. He hated this life he wanted to go back to the way it was before. Before when he could wake with the sun and run with the sheep in the wide fields and climb trees and hunt without a care in the world except for his dear mother.

"Am I understood?" Renier asked again cutting Alonzo's dream with his sharp tongue.

"What am I to understand?" Alonzo questioned.

"That your mother is no longer someone you can see, someone you can touch. She's gone. Your other life is gone. And if you do not live this new and better life up to its fullest potential," Renier stopped as if he was thinking of the right word to say.

It was a while before he spoke again and Alonzo turned to look at him. Renier walked to Alonzo as two guards made their way through the throne room minding their own business. Renier put his hands on Alonzo's shoulders and pulled him closer to him.

The image the guards were seeing was a loving father hugging his son who he was proud of but to Alonzo all he heard was, "I will personally make sure your mother gets what she deserves." Renier spoke softly in Alonzo's ear then he whispered as he dug his claws into Alonzo's shirt, "I will kill her."

Renier let go of Alonzo as the head guard came into the throne room, "Your majesty?"

Renier looked at Alonzo with a look of pure mocking victory then turned to his head guard, "Yes Clyde?"

"King Akira is departing. Do you wish to see him off?"

Renier walked to his guard and the two left, "Yes of course I would." Was all Alonzo heard as the King and the head guard walk away from the throne room and down to the court yard outside.


The next morning Alonzo and Cassandra met in the court yard hoping to get to know each other before the wedding their fathers were busy planning.

Alonzo was wearing a comfortable looking red shirt tucked into black pants and boots that rose to his knee with a light jacket on whereas Cassandra wore an elegant looking purple dress and white necklace. If she were trying to impress Alonzo, it could have worked. Only with what Renier said to him about marrying her and what he'd do to his mother if he didn't play the part nothing Cassandra did would impress him.

"You look nice," Alonzo said as he and Cassandra got into hearing range.

"Thank you," She smiled, "As do you."

Alonzo and Cassandra in an awkward silence not knowing what to say to one another. Alonzo never thought he'd be in this sort of position and he certainly never thought he'd be marrying a stranger.

Alonzo cleared his throat, "So uh…did you sleep well?"

"Yes, very well. Our father's wants us to get moving as soon as possible. They want us to see the castle just after it's finished."

Alonzo noticed that Cassandra wasn't in the mood for making small talk. He had a feeling that this marriage was going to be all business and no pleasure and oddly as he thought to himself he was ok with that.