***Author's Note***

***Author's Note***

Thanks for the reviews again! Thank you thank you thank you! Luv y'all! I got the name Hippolyta from Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream. And a note to Invisible_Rain, you're right. It doesn't matter if I get five or twenty reviews! I'll post up the next chapters after I finish 'em. Da heck with how many reviews I get before I post the next part. I just need more time than reviews. (Not that I want you all to stop reviewing *winks*) So thanks. Anyway, read on!

Disclaimer: I own only the people I made up.

Dedication: *~A White Rose Petal~* and you readers out there uh...reading this.


Parents' Wish

Chapter 4: The Princess of Hippolyta

By: ME jus1digigirl *Maura*


In a distant place from Fanelia, in the little town of Hippolyta, a boy at the age of nineteen sat in the apple orchard playing a flute. At first glance, anyone would know that this teen was a commoner. His muscles bulged, showing he did manual labor. Sitting under a tree, he seemed to be waiting for someone.

"Teddie! Oh I'm so sorry!" cried out a female voice. The boy, Teddie, opened his eyes and raised his head.

A girl at seventeen came running to him in tears. She was dressed in rich, royal clothes, the very opposite his own. The long, golden gown shimmered in the sun. Her long black hair, which complemented well with her fair, white skin, flew behind her in the wind and her hazel eyes were filled with sorrowful tears.

Teddie's intense, dark blue eyes filled with concern. "Kaira! What's wrong?" He opened his arms as she fell into them sobbing. "Sshh. There, there. I'm here. There's nothing to worry about." He said in a soothing voice.

Kaira lifted her face to look at him. "Oh Teddie! I'm so sorry!" she said again.

"Sorry? There's nothing to be sorry about." Teddie brushed away her tears.

"Yes there is!" Kaira wailed. "I just-I just found out that I'm engaged to someone I've never met!"

Now Teddie was worried. "What do you mean engaged? Has someone proposed to you?"

Kaira shook her head, tears flying everywhere.. "No. It was done at my birth. To-to King Van of Fanelia! He was t-two at the time. M-m-my parents told me this morning at breakfast. I tried to talk them out of it b-but all they s-said was that it's their wish for me to m-marry him and there's nothing I can do!" Kaira burst into fresh tears and clung to Teddie.

Teddie gently rubbed her back as he thought of something to say. "Kaira, there must be a way to break the engagement. There's always a way out of everything. Don't you worry."

Kaira slowly lifted her head to look at him. "Oh Teddie! I hope so. I love you so much! I can't bear the thought of being with anyone else!"

Teddie smiled. "I love you too." He brushed back a stray strand of hair behind her ears. "And together, we'll find a way out of this."

Kaira stopped crying. "I hope so. But," she hesitated.

Teddie looked down at her. "What is it?"

"You see, it was King Van's parents' wish as well to have us marry when I'm seventeen, which I am now. And even if King Van didn't want to get married, which would suit me just fine, my parents have very strong magic. They can get anything they want using it."

Teddie nodded. King and Queen Hippoly, Princess Kaira's parents, didn't deal to well with things not going their way. Though he'd only met them once when they came to inspect the country, he'd heard everything about them from Kaira.

"What about your own magic?" Teddie asked suddenly remembering that Kaira had a mixture of both her father and mother's magic.

Kaira looked buried her head into his chest and said, "Mine's not as strong as theirs. They never let me use it as much because they feared I would get stronger than them."

Teddie rested his chin on top her head. "Hmm...well, at least we know that once we get married, you won't be strong enough to make me do the housework!" he joked.

"Teddie!" Kaira laughed lifting her head. "Who knows when we will get married but once we do, we'll both do the housework together."

Teddie's eyes twinkled. "Isn't the Princess afraid to soil her hands?"

Kaira pushed him gently. "Oh dear. Whatever shall she do? Oh well. I suppose the husband will have to do all the work for her."

They laughed and then became silent. Often, they joked and dreamed and talked about marriage but the fact that Teddie was a townsman and Kaira was the princess didn't help much in making their dream come even close to true. If Kaira's parents or any of the nobles found out about her secret love for Teddie, they'd have him banished and her thrown out into the streets. The two had risked everything for their love and did everything possible to prevent anyone from ever finding out but they couldn't go on like this forever.

"I wish I knew why my parents are so dead set against me marrying this king! He can't be better than you that's for sure." Kaira said leaning against Teddie.

"I don't know. Maybe it's politics or something but when do you have to meet this king?" Teddie asked.

Kaira sighed. "Mother and Father insists that I leave tomorrow before dawn! And even though Fanelia is far, I know that Mother will use some sort of spell to get me there before the sun sets." As she said this, soft tears began trickling down her cheeks once more. "Oh! This is the worst thing that has ever happened to me!"

"Hey! I told you Kaira. We'll figure something out together. I know we will. I won't leave you on your own for this one."

Kaira said nothing and just nodded.

~*~*~*~*~*~

"Merle!" cried Torak seeing the cat-girl's flying tail disappear around the corner. "Merle will you just stay still for a minute?" Torak asked exasperated.

Merle sighed and waited at the corner. "What is it? I'm a very busy cat."

Torak rolled his eyes. The advisors never showed Merle much respect because it shamed them to see a woman at a higher level with the king than them. "I'm sure you have mice to chase but this is an urgent matter."

Merle gave Torak a pointed look. "Torak, I do NOT chase mice but if I ever happen to and catch one, you can be sure it will be your dinner." Torak shuddered. "Now, what's this urgent matter?" Merle purred.

Torak held up a scroll in one hand. "This. I must speak to King Van. Where is he? I've been searching for him for quite a while now. You must know where he is."

Merle turned around, not looking at Torak. Hmm...should I say he's in town? Or maybe down by the lake? "I saw him heading towards the market. Of course, he may have gone to the lake afterwards. Or maybe he's sleeping. Or decided to go riding. Or-" Merle stopped upon seeing Torak run for the stairs. "He's probably headed into town." She laughed and bounced away thinking that sending Torak on a wild goose chase would be just the thing to keep him from disturbing her.

Bouncing along joyfully, Merle didn't notice where she was headed or whom she was headed towards.

"Oof! Yow!" the person under Merle yelled. Merle's face flushed as she stood back up.

"I'm-I'm sorry Jair." Merle looked down.

Jair sat up and smiled. "Oh it's you Merle. That's okay."

Merle looked into Jair's sea green eyes and simply melted. He was a cat-boy, seventeen of age with sleek, brown fur. Currently, he was wearing pants and an open vest. Boxes were scattered everywhere from his collision with Merle. Standing up, he was very tall but not by much from Merle. Jair worked in the castle, helping with the work such as packaging things, cleaning, and this and that for a fair amount of pay. He wasn't a servant of the castle however and was totally independent.

"What's got you so up and jumpin'?" Jair asked as he began picking up the fallen boxes.

"Oh, nothing much." Merle said whistling and looking away purposely.

Jair looked at her with a raised eyebrow. "Aw come on Merle! Ya know I won't tell!"

Merle glanced at him quickly. He was looking at her with puppy dog eyes. Merle made her decision on the fact that he looked too cute so she had to tell him. "Oh alright!" she exclaimed pretending to be mad. "But I can't tell you hear. Too many unwanted ears."

Jair nodded and picked up the rest of the boxes, tail swishing back and forth. "Where should we go then?"

Merle thought. "Well, where're you headed with those?" she pointed to the boxes now all safely in Jair's arms.

"To the kitchen. Cook Framp wanted 'em to pack up and ship food somewhere."

Merle nodded. "Ok then. You give those boxes to Framp and meet me...hmm...we need a safe place away from eavesdroppers."

"How about by the lake?" Jair suggested, eyes twinkling.

Merle nodded again calmly but inside she was jumping. She would be meeting Jair by the lake...alone! "Great. See you later then!" and with that, she bounced away once more towards her room.

Jair watched her leave and after a while, he headed for the kitchens.


~*~ Will Kaira and Teddie be caught in the act before Kaira's departure? And if not, will they succeed in breaking the engagement? Exactly what sort of magic does Kaira and her parents posses? What will Van think about it all and what's Torak's reaction going to be when he can't find Van or will Van return before Torak can even know he was missing? Will Merle and Jair's little meeting by the lake prove to be more interesting than just a meeting? ~*~


***Author's Note***

Okay, I know I was kinda supposed to post up two chapters at once but chapter 5 isnt' finished yet. And I know, I know, I left Chapter 3 as a cliffhanger and that this chapter had nothing to do with Van and Hitomi but sorry! ::ducks rotten tomatoes:: But I promise chapter 5 has to do with them. I was trying to think of a good idea for it and then it came to me but I'm not done yet. But hey, you got to meet two new characters and now you know what the title stand for. ^_^ Anyway, I love writing all those questions. Makes you think and I know what I need to mention in later chapters. Well, hope you liked this chapter even though you didn't find out about whether or not they make it. Review please and peace until next time!

*Maura*