Ever Enchanted
By 101 Dalmations x
Chapter 6: The Prince in the Forest
*End of last chapter*
"You should be more careful Polka Dots" Said a deep husky voice she knew all too well
"N-Natsume?"
*End of last Chapter*
"You know this guy Mikan?" Stated a shocked Youichi as he and Mikan were placed on the ground.
"Yes i do he just so happens to be the Prince of Alice" Replied Mikan while trying to get the rope off her wrists
"OI YOU, YOU RESCUED OUR DINNER!" Shouted troll one
"You are very observant troll, but you can't hurt me!" Stated Natsume
"Hey Mikan do you know what he is talking about?" Whispered a confused Youichi
"If i am correct the trolls are allies with Alice thanks to King Jude, Natsume's Uncle, but King Jude forced them to become our allies and so the trolls have a hatred for the King, but why Natsume Sid that i haven't the foggiest idea!" Mikan whispered back to Youichi
"Well that was a lot of help Mikan" Answered an annoyed Youichi
"Well at least you know about the trolls and what Natsume has to do with them now" Replied Mikan
While those two were having their discussion Natsume had been distracting the trolls
"YOU WILL PAY FOR RESCUING OUR DINNER BOY" Bellowed troll two
"YER, HEY GUYS IF WE CAN'T HAVE THEM TWO WHY DON'T WE HAVE HIM AND HIS LITTLE PARTY OVER THERE?" Stated troll three and at that statement the other two trolls turned around to find themselves surrounded by the party that Natsume had been sent out with.
"You guys are surrounded and can't go anywhere unless i command my party to let you go." Said very proud Natsume
"And that is why i hate him, so cocky and arrogant" Thought Mikan thinking back to the debate she had in class that day against Luna.
"What would you do to us?" Asked a nervous troll one
"Oh, i don't know i might command my men hear to run you all through and they will if I give the command" When Mikan heard this she shot her head over to where Natsume was with his men and the trolls and panicked as she saw Natsume's hand rise ready to give the signal
"Oh, p-p-please d-d-don't g-g-give t-t-the o-o-order!" Said a crying troll two and three Natsume was just about to lower his hand for the signal when
"STOP" Screamed a voice which was now running towards Natsume
"Mikan what are you..."
"Don't give the order Natsume, what would your uncle think and think about the ruler of the trolls, if you kill these three now then he will surely declare war on Alice, did you think of the consequences this action could have? Well by the look on your face obviously not." Butted in Mikan defending the trolls who had just tried to eat her and Youichi
"Mikan these trolls..." Said Natsume pointing at three cowering trolls "...just tried to eat you and you are defending them? Your a weird on Polka."
"I'm not weird Prince Pervert just sympathetic now let me reason with them please!" Asked Mikan looking up at Natsume's crimson eyes as he looked at her hazel ones which were begging him to let her reason with them and as Natsume looked further into her eyes he had no choice but to agree to let her reason with the trolls otherwise he would be lost in her sight for good. With a small nod from his head he let Mikan walk over to the trolls to reason and gave the signal for his men to lower their weapons which they did. Mikan smiled one of her biggest smiles when Natsume did this as she gave him a small hug as a thank you before turning around and making her way to the trolls who were still sobbing.
"Hey why are you all crying?" Said a sympathetic Mikan to the three trolls
"H-him over t-there was g-going to g-give the o-order for h-his men t-to run u-us through." Sobbed one troll. Mikan saw this and bent down to their level and turned the slimy trolls head to face her. The features that Mikan saw that stuck out the most were his big warty nose, all the growths he had growing all over the place, but Mikan didn't care what he looked like of what she could feel on her hand she just looked at the trolls murky green eyes, smiled and said
"But look, he didn't give the order did he? So there is no need for you to cry, and that goes for you two as well." All the trolls stopped crying and looked around, she was right Natsume didn't give the order to run them through, they then turned back to look at her but before they could say anything she spoke
"Listen i have a proposition for you three, you let me and my friend go and Princey over there dosn't give the order if you refuse then i am afraid he shall give the order and i wouldn't like that, so what do you say?" And with that speech she stood up offering a helping hand to the troll who put his large green hand in her small, delicate, pale hand and she helped him up and a minuet later Mikan asked
"What are you going to do let me and my friend go or face a consequence? If i were you i would let me and my friend go."
"We shall let you and your friend go, thank you so much if you need any help with anything then we will gladly back you up young lady." Answered troll one Natsume, Youichi and the men surrounding them were surprised at what the troll said.
"Thank you very much" Replied a happy Mikan
And with that the trolls turned and walked back to their village, Natsume's men cleared the way and let them through, everyone stood there and watched three trolls turn and go back to their village. There was a silence for no one knew what to do or say Until Youichi broke it.
"Well that was interesting" Stated Youichi as he leaned on Natsume who just put away his bow and arrow as the rest of his men sorted things out. Mikan just turned the opposite way from where the troll's had gone back to the tree where her stuff was and Tsubasa. She collected her things and was about to go on her way with Youichi
"Come on Youichi i would like to find somewhere dry before it gets dark."
"Sure just coming Mikan" Replied an ecstatic Youichi as finally he was going on an adventure. Just as they were about to leave Mikan felt someone grab her wrist she turned and saw it was Natsume.
"What are you doing?" Asked a questioning Mikan
"I am holding your wrist what do you think Polka! Anyway where are you going?"
Mikan was mad that first he called her Mikan and the next he is calling her polka, but she didn't let that get the better of her she simply said "If you must know I am on my way to giant country to find someone, not that it is any of your business Prince Pervert."
"Well guess what Polka i am going in the same direction and i have two spare horses, if you want you could come with me." As Natsume said that a small blush crept across his face and he felt quite hot whilst the same thing happened to Mikan all Youichi did was stand there and giggle then eventually said/sung "Mikan and Natsume Sitting in a Tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G" at that Mikan freed herself from Natsume's hand and kicked Youichi in the shin " I thought you were trying to become a lawyer not a jester?" Yelled Mikan at Youichi, "OWWW i think i wont do that again" Stated Youichi as he was hopping around holding his shin.
"Thank you for the offer are you sure you wont mind us coming with you?" Questioned Mikan
"No problem as we are going in the same direction any way. Oh by the way can you ride a horse?"
"Of course i can i have been taught from a young age how to ride a horse" Stated Mikan as she made her way over to where Natsume was whose men had prepared two horses one for her the other for Youichi.
Mikan put Tsubasa in a little pouch that was on the right hand side of the saddle. The Horse Mikan was riding was a palomino colour with a flaxen main and tale and big blue eyes that shone like sapphires, the horse also had white socks on each of his legs and had a blaze on his face. Once Mikan had finished loading her stuff on the horse she walked round the front and saw how beautiful the horse was, she stood in front of the horse for a while gobsmacked taking in every little detail of the animal in front of her when she was disrupted from her thoughts by someone's deep voice
"Her name is Crystal, she is one of the best horses we have at the palace not only in looks but riding style as well, do you like her?" Asked Natsume as Mikan jumped about a foot in the air and back again.
"OH,GOD Natsume you scared me and to answer your question i think she is beautiful" She said as she stroked Crystal's Nose to which she responded to by nudging her hand every so often.
'A beautiful Horse, for someone as beautiful as you Mikan' Thought Natsume "I think she likes you!"
"Really, then again I do have a soft side for animals, that started when i saved a small bird that fell from a tree when i was five" Said Mikan who was busy at un-tying Crystal from the tree she was tied to. Once she did that she flipped the reins over Crystal's head as so she could hold onto them when she mounted her.
As Mikan mounted Crystal she put her left foot in the stirrup, whilst holding onto the reins and the top pommel with her left hand with her right hand on the back of the saddle (so she could lift herself up onto the saddle) she then did a few bounces before lifting herself up and placing her right leg over the lower pommel allowing for her skirt to flow gently over her legs. Natsume had never seen any girl (not even his sister who had training everyday) mount so gracefully on a horse the way Mikan just did. Natsume made sure she was on and when she was he made his way over to Youichi who just stood there looking at his horse.
"Yo , what you looking at Elf?" Asked Natsume very bluntly
"Ah, Prince, well err you see i have never errrr rode an errrr horse before and so don't know how to errrr mount one!" Said a cowering Youichi. Natsume gave him an are-you-serious look before helping him
"Alright hold onto the reins" Youichi looked all over the horse for the reins when Natsume just sighed and grabbed the reins which were in front of Youichi the whole time and put them in his hand
"I knew they were the reins" Stated Youichi who had not felt that stupid before in his life
"Yer, sure you did elf" Stated Natsume "Anyway give me you're left leg" So Youichi gave Natsume his left leg "Now i am going to count to three as i do i want you to do three small bounces, after those small bounces i want you to use all your muscle (if you have any) to lift you're self up ok " Youichi nodded in agreement "Right hear we go one, two, three" With that Youichi did exactly what Natsume said but fell straight of the other side flat on his back. Mikan was watching from afar and saw this and being concerned for Youichi who she just fell off the other side of his horse she trotted over to see if he was ok
"Youichi are you ok?" Asked a concerned Mikan
"Yer I'm ok Mikan thanks for worrying unlike someone over there" Stated Youichi who gave a glare towards Natsume as he stood up
"Well that's good to hear, next time don't use so much force to get up ok!" Said Mikan to Youichi she then turned to Natsume "Are you going to help him again or do i have to dismount to help him?"
"Hn" Was the only reply she got
"Fine then i will help him on his horse." Said Mikan as she dismounted as gracefully as she mounted and helped Youichi onto his horse and this time he didn't fall off the other side and sorted himself out in the saddle then Mikan untied Youichi's horse from the tree and re-mounted Crystal.
"OH Prince" Called Youichi "What is his name?"
"Philip, he is a horse for beginners such as you elf." Said Natsume as he mounted his own horse
" By the way i have a name it is Youichi come on spell it with me Y-O-U-I-C-H-I YOUICH." Said an angry Youichi but Natsume just ignored his comment and told the other two to walk up to the front with him. And so began their journey to Giants Country.
