Well, I'm back. If you're wondering, I care about the latest Maltara Controversy. But not so much that I'm stressing over it. Oscar and Natara won't last that long. Any other pairings, I'm not sure. I like the Amy/Kai pairing because I usually write with that.

Anyway...did you play Dead Man Walking? Haha, it's extremely humorous. Mal's talk with Natara at the beginning at Dead Man Walking Part 1 always makes me smile. That and their costumes are hilarious!

I am also writing a new story. It'll be called the Adventures of Natalia Warden and Hal Talon. Remember those guys from Lights Camera Murder? Well, I didn't like how they were portrayed and I wanted to give each character a cool background story. So instead of Hal being obsessed with his looks and making Mal look idiotic, he's Miami's top agent. Natalia, instead of being an airhead, works for the Miami Police Agency. (I don't know if that exits, because I don't live in Florida. I'm just making stuff up.) Of course, the original characters will be included. In fact, Natara and Mal are Natalia's parents. Amy and Kai are her god-parents and Ken considers himself her uncle. This takes place when Natalia is around 24 and Ken is now in control of the SFPD. I'll update more on that, too. ) Thanks for getting this far. Thanks for the reviews too!


Chapter Seven: Separation and the Princes

The next morning, Natara and her sisters gave each other a hug as Kai, Ken and Mal watched from a distance. Despite giving the younger princesses what they wanted, they were all unpleased by Natara's action; even if it was the right action.

"Tell Aunt Cathy that I love her, alright?" Natara said to Amy, who sniffed sadly. Natara smiled slightly and wiped away a stray tear. "Look out for Neha, alright. Since I won't be there anymore, who knows how much trouble she'll get into this time."

Amy tried to laugh, but it came out more like a sob. "You don't have to do this, Natara."

"I have to," Natara informed. "I love my kingdom and will do anything to prevent blood-shed. Get Neha over here, alright?"

Amy nodded, giving Natara one last hug before running to Neha. After Amy explained, Kai pulled her into a tender embrace and Neha walked over.

"Don't get into too much trouble, sis," Natara said and Neha shrugged.

"Maybe Johnathon will sort me out," she replied and the sisters laughed feebly. "Natara, at least visit! Mom would definitely say you're doing the right thing."

"Yeah," Natara said and hugged Neha. "Mom would. Don't worry, I'll try to visit at least once a month."

The goodbyes went on. Natara told Ken to watch out for her sisters and threatened Kai about breaking Amy's heart. Neha and Amy took their place in the caravan and waved one last time before taking off.

The silence between Natara and Mal was awkward.

"Princess," Mal began but she shook her head.

"Please call me Natara. Princess just reminds me of my awful duty."

"Alright...Natara, do you need some assistance as to getting on the horse."

Natara nodded and he led her to a black stallion. After a quick tutorial, they were riding down a dirt path. Mal was the first to see a castle spire.

"My best guess of arrival will be around noon tomorrow," he informed her, shaking his head.

"Too soon," Natara muttered and he nodded slightly.

They stopped for dinner, as usual, but it was quiet. Natara sat away from Mal and he leaned against an old oak. He was used to letting people go. After all, his father was in prison, his mother was mauled by wolves...he had a rough time trusting people. He couldn't help but blame himself for falling in love with her. It made everything much more difficult. If he just declined the king's offer and lied about doing something more important-however, what was more important than escorting the King's most prized possessions-he would not have caused the princess so much hurt and depression.

"I'm going to bed," Natara announced several minutes later. She found a nice patch of grass and hugged herself, capturing whatever warmth she could find.

'She's trying to kill herself,' Mal thought angrily. 'I caused this!'. He shook his head and walked over to Natara. "Natara, we have blankets in my traveling-pack."

"I know," she responded dully. "I don't want it."

Mal didn't know how to respond, so he just sat next to her. She raised an eyebrow at this action and sat up. "What are you doing?" she asked.

"Sitting," Mal responded. "Look, I know you're depressed about the whole arranged marriage concept, but trying to freeze yourself isn't going to resolve anything."

Natara smiled and shook her head. "You don't get it Mal," she said. "Get some sleep, alright. Let's change things around and have me take first watch."

Mal didn't want to argue. Natara ended up staying awake the whole night while Mal dealt with another nightmare.

Mal was correct about arriving around noon. They approached brass gates with a lion carved in each bar. A guard greeted them warmly and bowed when he saw Natara.

The city square was packed. It looked very similar to their home kingdom, but with more people. Merchants called over eager customers and little kids ran around. One even complimented Natara and she smiled. These people were so nice, which confused Mal. All this talk about war didn't seem to effect the citizens.

Several maidens saw Mal and whispered excitedly. Since he was dressed in his normal knight attire, this caught the attention of many women.

"Hooligans," Mal muttered and Natara laughed.

They reached the castle and was instantly greeted by a very handsome man. His skin was tanned, like Natara's. He had nice black hair and soft brown eyes.

"You must be Princess Natara,"the man greeted, then frowned. "Where are your sisters, Princess Amy and Princess Neha?"

Two other man appeared by the handsome one's side. One had dark blonde hair and glasses. He didn't look too excited. The other had brown hair and glasses. He looked impressed by Natara's appearance and gave her a smile.

"I-I..." Natara began but Mal stopped her.

"Your Highnesses," he said with a bow, "I'm afraid to announce that there was a tragic accident. The bodies were sent back to their home kingdom so that their family may grieve. Princesses Natara has agreed to marry the eldest prince, however."

The handsome man frowned. "I'm sorry for your loss, Princess. But, seeing as the other two are now gone, it is fair. Our deal still holds."

Natara looked at Mal and he shrugged. 'Sorry,' he mouthed.

"Well, with the bad news out of the way," the prince said, "let us introduce ourselves. I am Prince Oscar."

"I am Prince Shawn," the brown haired man said with a nod.

"Prince Eric," the dark blonde man muttered.

"Who will I be marrying?" Natara asked nervously.

"That would be me," Oscar said, smiling brightly. "And we will be wed tonight!"