Chapter 1 Surprise in Manlino

"Sire, I've searched everywhere. It's not to be found!"

"You must search again. Do not give up. This can not be lost."

Gathered around the King Luciphing in the throne room were the Queen, the two eldest princesses, and the king's trusty advisors, Lorango and Boram. Guards were also posted around the corners of the room.

"Notify Princess Dalia immediately. Close all the city gates. We must not waste any time!" said the King to Boram.

Boram hurried off quickly to wake the youngest princess. He turned at a great speed around the corners, rushing past paintings of the royal family, sculptures of past kings, and scepters in a glass case. Along the way he spotted a black and white speckled rat. Unusual, but not that it mattered at the moment. Into the princess's room he went, opening the heavy dark curtains covering the windows.

"Princess Dalia, you must come instantly to the throne room. Something terrible has happened!" Boram exclaimed as he rushed over to pull the covers off of the lump under the bed.

"Princess Dalia, this is urgent!"

As Boram reached the lump under the bed and pulled off the covers, he found that Dalia was not there.

"Oh no! I might never be trusted by the king again." Boram said to aloud, noting that this might frame him.

After searching the baths, pools, dressing rooms, and linen closets, he declared Dalia missing.

Boram, flushed and scared, ran back to the throne room empty handed. As he entered the room, all eyes turned to him. He looked around at the now 16 pairs of eyes staring at him coldly.

"Where is my daughter?" shouted the king.

"S-S-Sire, I have Sear-searched long and h-hard to find your d-daughter. Sh- she is n-no-w-where to be f-found."

Out of the tiny crowd stepped a short young gentleman. His barely visible freckles matched his toasted almond hair. He spoke gently and calmly, with a hint of confidence in his words.

"If you do not mind, your highness, may I have permission to leave the castle and go outside? I think I may know where the beautiful Princess Dalia is, "this boy said.

"If you are sure that you know exactly where to look, you may. Take the guards at the draw bridge with you. Now hurry."

With this the gentleman turned, his red cloak whipping around him, and strode out of the room. All hopes of finding Princess Dalia were with him. If she was gone, they could lose their kingdom.

* * * * * * * * Meanwhile, down at the gates, four guards strode past the stables. Heads pointed forward, and marching in a straight horizontal line. There were two guards they were approaching. The guards stood by the open gate.

Gruffly, one of the four guards proposed an inquiry. "Has anyone gone through these gates?" One of the two guards answered with a frightened 'No Sir' "Very well then," replied the guard in charge," Close the gates and keep close watch for sign of any unusual scenes."

The four guards walked back to the palace, just in time to see a red cloaked man and three guards rush to the stables, and 3 speckled rats slide through the gates.

* * * * * * * * "I know she must be close to here. She would never run off," said Jacques, the boy with the red cloak. He was Dalia's best friend, and son of Boram. He and the guards ran fervently down the steps of the palace and along the pasture. Approaching the stables, Jacques began to grin, his brilliant teeth and wide smile visible for everyone to see.

For Jacques saw Princess Dalia, choosing carefully a sword from the wall, with much care. She then walked outside to the fencing area and started to whip about the sword. Jacques stood at a distance at first, hidden in the shadow of a tree, the two guards watching intently by his side. He watched her move fluently with the sword twirling, lunging, ducking, and jumping. She was practicing her technique.

"How she simply amazes me every day, I do not know," whispered Jacques to himself. He then decided to approach Princess Dalia. Moving swiftly but calmly as to not break her concentration, he moved towards the patch of green grass.

He and the guards stood at the fence, waiting until the princess noticed them. After a swoop and a lunge, she turned to them.

"And to what do I owe this great pleasure?" Dalia said. Her brunette hair waving and gleaming in the morning sun. She smiled as Jacques lifted her over the fence and set her down in front of him.

He looks calm, but serious. Not his usual self. Thought Dalia to herself. "Princess Da-"began Jacques, but Dalia cut him off. "Just Dalia, I hate that entire Princess stuff." "All right then, Dalia-Something that we have been dreading has just happened. The-"

"The crown that holds the power to the kingdom is missing, or it has been stolen. Yes, I know," sighed Dalia.

"How did you know?"

"I wasn't asleep until just now, silly. Its not that I can not hear anyone's voice from my bedchamber."

"Right. Well, your father wanted me to get you and bring you to the throne room. If you had been taken, all hope would have been lost, as you know the secret to the crown."

"All right then. Let us go," Dalia said huffily. She did not like this at all. First, she got interrupted in the middle of practicing sword fight, and now she was being treated like a child. Being taken to the throne room by two guards was not exactly fun. At least Jacques was there.

As they approached the steps, a speckled black and white rat scurried past them.





Chapter 2 On a Quest

"I want all knights to eat breakfast and then prepare for a quest. There will be fighting, so make sure their squires prepare and shine their horses and armor," the king appointed Lorango.

Lorango walked out of the throne room just as Dalia, Jacques, and the two guards approached the entranceway. Lorango quickly bowed and hurried off in a scamper.

"I want all knights to eat breakfast and then prepare for a quest. There will be fighting, so make sure their squires prepare and shine their horses and armor," the king appointed Lorango. Lorango walked out of the throne room just as Dalia, Jacques, and the two guards approached the entranceway. Lorango quickly bowed and hurried off in a scamper. "Now we must keep this quiet," the king said," No villager must-Princess Dalia, my daughter. You are here at last. Come to your father." Princess Dalia brushed past Jacques, Boram, and several of the king's council. As she came closer to the throne, her father held out his arms. She embraced him, but not before kissing him on his scraggly bearded cheek. She pulled away and he held her hands carefully. The king stared into his daughter's hazel eyes. Her pale face and red lips set them well. He lover her and Dalia returned the father and daughter love. Dalia and the king were closer than any other of the king's daughters. Luciphing would never want anything to happen to Dalia. "By now, of course, you must know what has happened." "Yes I do. What action are we going to take?" Dalia questioned. "Our greatest knight Leonardo will take command of the army of knights. They are venturing out today to discover who or what has taken the "Beholder." The squires are preparing right as we speak, and the knights are eating in the dining hall." "Yes, I see. Is there anything I can do?" "No pumpkin. I would rather keep you in one piece for now." "Oh," came Dalia's simple and depressed reply. She would have liked to go with the knights, but did not dare mention it now. Her father did not need more on his mind. With this she walked across the room and greeted her two older sisters and mother. The king then began his speech again. * * * * * * * * * * * * Two hours later, Lorango came back with food for the royal family. Dalia and Luciphing declined the lamb soup, but Nisi and Marla, Dalia's two haughty and ladylike sisters, took it greedily, along with Dalia's mother. "The food is delicious Lorango. Thank you," Queen Salience declared. "It needs more salt and pepper. Ick!" came the complaints of the sisters. They gulped their food with a disgusted look and set it down for a maid to pick up. Dalia turned and rolled her eyes. She did not necessarily like her snobbish sisters, but no one had to know that. Marla and Nisi were too concerned with fashion and looks to care about the kingdom. Their shiny dark brown hair always had to fall in the right place, and foundation had to be on their light cheeks. Nothing was complete without eye shadow on their pale eyelids-always clashing with their grey-brown eyes-and never the same outfit could be worn. When Dalia looked back, the king winked at her. Just then a booming and clanking sound came from the hallway outside, and three knights in new polished armor entered. "Ah Leonardo, so glad to see you," the king said softly," although on such unpleasant circumstances." "The horses and knights are ready. We decided to come bid you goodbye. I do not yet know where our journey will take us. We will go where our hearts say. All the while we will search. But I have a plan. If it works, we should have our country restored with the crown within a week." "That sounds wonderful. Stay safe." "Goodbye, Majesty." The three knights bowed and turned. "And uhh, Leonardo. Thank you," whispered Luciphing. "Anytime sire, anytime-" The knights strode out of the room. "God forbid they stay healthy and safe." * * * * * * * After many speeches, meetings, and new people to greet, Dalia finally was excused to go see her little cousin. Dalia and her four year old cousin Rachel were very close. Rachel had been a part of Dalia's life since she was three months old. Her mother had died a week before Rachel and her father, the duke of Westlake, came to live in the grand palace. From there, Dalia was the only person who really took care of Rachel, beside the maids. She was given warm milk everyday when she was still a baby. Now Rachel was left to get herself to meals. Her governess came in the afternoons to watch her and tutor her in mathematics, English, reading, calligraphy, history, and when she grew older, dancing and music. When Rachel was left alone, Dalia would often come by and play paper dolls. They would even sometimes have conversations about simple things, for instance how cute kittens were. Today, however, was different. Dalia had come into Rachel's nursery tired and confused. Rachel, being a smart little girl for her age, sensed something was wrong. "What happen Dalia?" came the cute squeaky voice of Rachel. "Hey, little one!" Dalia rushed over to Rachel and picked her up. She looked at the twinkling blue eyes, pudgy cheeks, stubby nose, and blonde hair pulled into pigtails. Rachel was the life of Dalia's day. Nothing better could happen today than seeing and playing with little Rachel. "Whash wrong Dalia?" "Oh, the magical crown of our country, Amancia, has been stolen. You do not have to worry about that Rachel; you are perfectly safe as long as you are in the palace. "Oh I shee. Whash the magical crown?" "Well, it is a long story. Would you like me to tell you about it?" "Yesh! Very much!" came the excited reply of Rachel. She loved stories. "Well, here it goes." Dalia said. "A long time ago when our country was not yet founded, two young men came galloping through the very pasture outside on their horses. These men came from a far off land, and had never seen this area before. They decided to make camp outside while they rested for the remainder of their journey. Night fell, and the two men had a jolly good time. They lay back and looked at the bright and illuminated stars. Marlone, the first man, fell in love with the land as soon as he set foot on the rich and futile soil. Christopher, the second man, fell in love with the land as soon as he drank from the clear and sparkling rivers. Over the night, the two men discussed how greatly they wanted the land. So, they decided to make it their claim. Christopher and Marlone hoped that their new country would flourish with people quickly. Alas, this did not happen right away. NO, as people began to settle, a disaster struck. Earthquakes, tornadoes, fires, sickness, and all types of disaster occurred. Many people in Venlin died. Marlone and Christopher prayed to their goddess of Earth to restore the land everyday. They prayed for two months straight. Finally, after praying one last time before giving up, the Earth goddess came down to them. She told them she had watched them since they very first set foot on the land. It was her favorite piece of land all around. Since she could not have it, she cursed it to have awful events occur to whoever settled it. The goddess would only take the curse away for whoever proved themselves worthy of owning the land by treating it with respect. The two men had done this. So the goddess said she would perform a counter-curse and the events would decease. This did not work! More people died each day. The goddess had to think of something. One day, a brilliant idea came to her, and she invented the magical crown. This crown was not easily worked. No, there was a secret just in case anyone tried to steal it. You might be thinking why they would want to. It was because this crown controlled the land. If any person knew the secret, all they would have to do is tell the crown what they wanted. The goddess said that there would be one "Chosen One" forever, when one dies a new chosen one would appear. This person would know the secret and this person only. So Marlone thanked the goddess and set to work. He held the crown in his hands, closed his eyes, and wished that the curse would be broken. This wish however, only lasted for as long as the crown was kept by the wisher. So every generation of kings in our country must wish for the curse to be broken, or awful events will start occurring. This is why we must retrieve the crown. If it is not back to the king's possession in two months at the most, we may have a new leader, and our family could go to the streets. "Oh no. I sure hope they um. find that crown!" "Me too Rachel, me too." Chapter 3 Trouble in the Kingdom Leonardo and his friendly knights walked out of the throne room. They quickly made their way down to the front gate, where the rest of the knights were awaiting them. "My fellow knights," Leonardo boomed, sending a hush over all of them. "I have bade farewell to the honorary king from all of us. He wishes us luck. Now, let us get to our duty." The three knights hopped on their horses, turned them around, and lead the group out. As Leonardo turned back one last time before he left, he could make out a tiny pale face in the window.Princess Dalia.

* * * * * * * * * * * * "And that is all that we can do right now." The king and the court were just finished with a long discussion. The royal family looked tired after meeting with representatives from all over Venlin. All except Dalia, who had been excused earlier to visit her cousin. "You may now retire to your quarters. I am going to get a good night's sleep and I will see you in the morning. Good night." The king stood up and everyone in the room kneeled, except for the royal family, who bowed their heads. "No need to do-that," the king said with a yawn in the middle. He left the room with this, his cloak billowing and swishing after him. "Sire I-" "Boram I am in no mood to discuss anything further about this at the moment." "But I -" "Hush Boram. I am tired. I need rest, and so do you. Good night." The king smiled and took off, leaving Boram nervous and shaking his head. * * * * * * * * * * * The knights had been traveling for only five miles when a young knight came galloping up to the three men in front. "Sir Leonardo. Something urgent has happened. You must stop immediately." "Whatever is the matter?" "Three men have just keeled over, and more men are beginning to do the same. We must head back to the palace." "Let me see where the men are." "They are down along the row. Follow me." The four men galloped hurriedly over to the men. Five men were lying on the ground, and more were falling off their horses. Now about fifteen men were on the ground. "Yes, you are right. We will turn around immediately. Young man-err" "Arthur." "Yes, Arthur. You must go ahead and tell the king or one of his council. Now hurry." The young knight nodded, turned around, and headed toward the castle. * * * * * * * * * * It was nightfall when Arthur, a freckly faced red head, reached the castle. He approached the gates and asked to see the king. "Young, foolish boy, the king is asleep right now. But you can wait in the squire's quarters until he wishes to see you. Which I doubt he ever will," the guard chuckled. "This is no joke. I need to see the king immediately." "Yes, all right. Go wait in the entrance hall for one of the maids to lead you to him." "Thank you." So Arthur made his way to the entrance hall while one guard ran ahead to tell the king of the demanding visitor. An hour later, the king was sitting on his throne, tapping his foot on the marble floor awaiting the strange visitor. Soon he heard a knocking on the door and a tiny freckle faced head appeared in the doorway. "Your Majesty," Arthur said and motioned to take a bow. "No need to waste time. What is it that you got me up in the middle of the night for?" "Well, on the knight's journey to find the crown, we encountered a serious problem. Many of the men have keeled over on their horses already. Fifteen men had fallen and more kept on before I left to notify you. Leonardo sent me to tell you of this and warn you that the knights are coming home." "I will have beds and nurses prepared immediately. Thank you, dismissed." Arthur bowed and left while the kings stayed in the throne room by himself, sobbing into his own hands. 'Why me?' he thought 'I'm the first king in two hundred years to have this happen, and even the king two hundred years ago had just misplaced it under a heap of old treasure junk!' A few hours later, a maid came in to report that fifteen men were dead, and more numbers were soon to die. The army had returned by then, and many were lying on sick beds. The king asked her to take him to the men, and she hurriedly led him to the room they were in. A doctor rushed over to the king, and whispered something in his ear. The king nodded, and the doctor left. King Luciphing walked by the beds, stopping to talk to some, passing by others. It was too hard to talk to the ones he passed by, they were the ones he knew best. As he came to the last bed, he stopped in shock. In front of him was a happy-go-lucky young man, Leonardo. His face was a pale white, and his arms hung limp off the side of the bed. The king picked up Leonardo's arms and placed them on the bed. Leonardo opened his eyes and smiled weakly at the king. He motioned for Luciphing to come closer. "I have failed you, King Luciphing. Please forgive me," whispered Leonardo hoarsely. "Shush Leonardo. You tried your best and that is all I care about." "King Luciphing, will you pass on my wishes?" Leonardo said, his voice weakening more and more. "Of course." "I just wish that you retrieve the crown and that you and the royal family stay safe and healthy." "Thank you, Leonardo. You know, I always thought of you as my son, since I never had one. I have enjoyed your company all these years." Suddenly, Leonardo smiled, laid his head back, and died. The king walked away quietly, silent tears were streaming down his cheeks. His entire army was dead. It couldn't get worse than this could it? Oh, but it could. Chapter 3 A Rude Awakening Just as the king stepped into the hall, he was pushed back in to the sick room. Many nurses were pushing three carts and Lorango and Boram followed. The carts were pushed into the room and over to the corner. The king quickly ran over to the beds and started to cry, loudly this time. Before him were his wife and two eldest daughters. Their faces were white and they were vomiting into the pans. Everyone except Dalia was dying in the King's family. "What is causing this?" he demanded, but nobody knew. So the king took a chair and sat next to his family's beds. He then called for Dalia to come and stay with her family. When Dalia came into the room, she immediately began crying. Sure, her sisters were snotty brats, but she still loved them. Most of all, she was crying because of her mother. The delicate and fragile mother figure was dying in front of Dalia's eyes, and she could do nothing about it. * * * * * * * * * * * A few hours later, the queen and daughters said their last wishes. The two princesses said that all their clothes, jewelry, and accessories would go to their sister. Dalia didn't want them, but what could she say? They motioned for Dalia and hugged her one last time. Then all of a sudden the princesses stopped breathing, and they were gone. The queen asked to talk to Dalia in private. Once everyone left the room, the queen told Dalia to come near and listen very carefully. "You, Dalia, will- be- taking on a -huge task," the queen said brassily. "What is that task?" Dalia questioned. "This is the task of being queen. You, Dalia, will take my place until your father finds a new wife. My only- wish is that you make sure everyone in the kingdom is respected and cared for. Can you be a good queen Dalia? For me?" "I will. I will fulfill your wish mama. I love you." "I love you too. Now send in your father sweet." Dalia left that room, told her father his wife wanted to see him, and never entered that room- the dreadful room that would bring back memories of this day- ever again. Minutes later, Dalia could hear mourning bells coming from the tower. The queen was dead. Through the window Dalia could see men, women, and children on their knees crying and praying for the loss. It was a dreadful day, one Dalia would never forget. But she had a large task ahead of her, which even she didn't know about. She would find out soon enough, maybe even too soon. Chapter 4 The Task Revealed For three day Dalia attended mourning services for her family and friends. It was incredibly sad, the entire kingdom was weeping, but not as much as the king. A few days later, after everyone who had passes was in their graves, the king held a meeting with all who were alive and willing to come. In the meeting, nobody discussed the loss; it was entirely about gaining back what was rightfully theirs. "We must go into action. But how? But who? Someone must go out there; someone must defeat this treacherous monster. Who will do it?" A short delicate figure stepped out of the shadows. "I will, father," came the voice of. Dalia? "No, Dalia. I will not permit you to go on this journey." "Do you know what it is like to have your mother and sisters die in front of your face? Do you!" shouted Dalia," I was helpless then, but now I am not. I can do something to show I love them. I can do something just because I CAN now." "But Dalia- I can't lose you." "So you can't lose me, but you can lose Lorango and Boram? Or peasants? Tell me your theory!" "Well- I see you have made a point. I will permit you to go, but only with a trained guard." "No, I want to go by myself. It is something I must do. And besides, what guards are there? They are all gone- to heaven!" What am I saying? Dalia thought. "Very well, you are right. There is no one to go with you. I am sorry to make you do this Dalia. You are a brave young woman." Dalia took a deep breath and walked steadily out of the room, catching a glimpse of the king fainting into Boram's arms. * * * * * * * * * * Hours later, Dalia was mounting her black stallion. The king, Lorango, Boram, and Jacques were gathered around her. She hugged each and everyone one of them. Jacques stepped forward and handed her a cage covered in cloth. "What is this?" Dalia demanded. "Take a look; it is my present to you. A going away gift." Dalia took off the cloth and inside the cage was a beautiful eagle. Its middle toes were missing. "It is beautiful Jacques! Thank you so much!" "You are welcome. This bird is not for keeping you company, though. If you are in trouble, you send this bird to the castle. It is like no other, so we will be able to tell you sent it. It can guide us to where you are, and hopefully we will be able to help you." "Thank. you," Dalia stifled with tears rolling down her cheeks. With a last hug for all of them and a wink from her father, she took off- not knowing where to go- just going and going and going. Chapter 5 The Beginning Dalia had been riding for hours; her head and hair were damp with sweat. The afternoon sun shone on her like the deadly heat from hell. But she told herself to keep going, never to give up. Not now, not in the easiest part of the journey. She kept going on and on until she had to take a break in the shade of a tree. The hip flask she was using almost needed refilling. Where to get water? Ah- right between the cracks of two bushes Dalia saw a frog hop by. There must be a creak around there somewhere. So Dalia pushed through the thorny twigs and branches to find herself in front of a large river- large enough to bathe in. She took her flask and filled it up, drank it all, then filled it up again- repeating this at least four times. Then checking to make sure no fool was around, she unclothed and stepped into the icy fresh water and washed herself. It felt so good to be in cold water. She knew she mustn't take too long in the water. The kingdom's hearts and lives were depending on her. So she finished up, clothed, and remounted on her horse. The two-plus the bird- were off again. Riding into the unknown. Riding into the most dangerous part of their lives ever. * * * * * * * * * * Meanwhile, back at the palace, the king was worrying his head off. He could only sit for two minutes, then he had to get up and pace about the room, muttering to himself the entire time. At one point, Lorango had to come and stop this nonsense, which really was not nonsense as it was typical for a father to worry about his little girl. "King Luciphing, you have got to stop. I am sure your daughter is okay. If not, she would have sent her eagle to get us" "But if she gets hurt, it is entirely my fault." "No, it is not. She said that she wanted to go and go by herself. She has chosen her destiny and pathway, now you must choose yours." Lorango then left the room, the king in awe. Chapter 6 On the Way It had been two weeks of journeying in the hot sun. Dalia still had not gotten anywhere useful or found anything helpful. One day, while Dalia was traveling the the fields of brush and dry grass, a sad message came to her through a flying bird. The bird was a white dove. Its message was bigger than itself, which says he was a pretty tiny bird. This bird flew over Dalia and dropped a cylinder shaped piece of paper on the horse she was riding. Dalia pulled her horse into the shade of a small tree shaped bush and opened the letter. It read as follows: My Dearest Dalia, Your dear friend Jacques has fallen dreadfully ill. If you wish to say goodbye, please come to the castle immediately. I am incredibly sorry. Your loving father, King Luciphing What to do? I should fulfill my task and restore the kingdom to power. I love Jacques, but I do not want to let the kingdom down. I can not, I must not, I will not! Dalia said to herself. I will pray for Jacques every night, but I will not go back. I will continue on my way in the journey. So she did. Chapter 7 An Incredible Meeting Dalia had found a tiny lake of water surrounded by trees. She had been bathing for the past few hours (she had not bathed for days!) Finally, when she felt that she was clean enough, the princess exited the cold water into the burning heat and dried off. After drying herself and putting on clothing, she decided to start off again. Her bones were sore, her neck needed rubbing, and her feet were blistering, but she would keep going until success or death occurred. Just as Dalia was mounting once again, she heard a low rumbling sound all around her, growing louder every second. When Dalia finally turned around, she shrieked. Before her were about twelve wolves, each snarling and growling in her face. They were closing in on her. THINK, she told herself. What to do? The wolves were preparing to pounce, when suddenly Dalia had a light bulb turn on in her head. Behind the pack of grown wolves were three baby wolves. Dalia, the imperial princess, got down on her hands and knees and crawled over to the baby wolves. She began to imitate their every move and sound. The grown wolves looked at her peculiarly. They moved close to her, but Dalia pretended not to notice. One of the pups skipped happily over to an adult wolf and nuzzled under its chin. Dalia crawled over to another wolf and repeated the action. Amazingly, the wolf nuzzled her right back. They were accepting her. It began to get dark, and when it got dark, Dalia would not be able to see what the pups were doing. She didn't know what to do. But the wolves provided an answer before she had time to think of one. They eventually laid down and huddled together with Dalia among them and went to sleep. Easy enough for Dalia, and she eventually joined in their slumber.

Chapter 8 On the Road Again Dalia awakened to a slobbering playful pup licking her to death on her cheeks. The rest of the pack was already awake and ready to leave this rest stop. The princess hurriedly gathered her things and put them in the saddlebags of the horse. She then mounted, for real this time, and followed the wolves. They stayed by her side for a few hours. Eventually the wolves got tired and headed toward a clearing to rest. There was food store there, and beds of leaves to sleep on. It was their home, and Dalia knew they could not and would not go any further with her. But she had to go on, whether the caring pack was with her or not. So she hugged each of the wolves and they went their separate ways. On the road again, Dalia began to realize her incredible hunger. She had not eaten since three days ago. She had to hunt because all her food was gone. So she took out her sword- not really a preferable hunting tool- and headed off. Dalia decided to look for game in the trees. She was careful not to make any loud crunching bursts of sound while stepping between the twigs and leaves. With her sword at hand, she spotted a chocolate brown antelope running from one tree to the nest. The princess went after it. She eventually broke into a run, lunging with all her might to reach the antelope. Finally, the animal began to slow down with exhaustion, but Dalia kept running her fastest. Side by side the two were now. Dalia took her sword and plunged it into the animal's sides. It stopped. Keeling over from the blow, the antelope began to take long hard breaths. Dalia had killed him, and she could have a feast, but she did not. Instead, the wise girl at only a half leg and attempted to dry the rest for the remainder of the day. Chapter 9 Civilization Dalia was lively again. After eating enough food to keep her stomach from growling, she began to travel again. This time, instead of going forward, she headed west. This was toward the mountains. The princess knew that there were many villages along the path to the mountain cliffs. Hopefully the villagers would be able to tell her of anything suspicious. But Dalia did not want to arouse any suspicion about herself. This quest was to be kept quiet. Venturing into a grazing land, for the first time in weeks (well it seemed like centuries) Dalia saw before her a real live person. The person was a hearty good old farmer man, just taking care of the day's work. "Hello there!" shouted the farmer. Dalia pushed her horse to go faster and reached the man in a matter of seconds. "Why, hello dear man. I have come from far off to your city." "What brings little lass like you to this rundown old city?" "I do not quite know exactly. I just took my horse and it led me here. I have no clue why, possibly to see what it is like in a 'rundown old city'," Dalia replied with a smile. "Well, I guess that is a pretty good explanation. Would you like to stay with my family and myself?" "Oh, I would not like to bother you." "It would be no problem. My wife gets bored a lot. She would love a lively spirit in the house for a few days." "Well, if you insist." "Come on, let's go to the house and have a rest. I've been out here all day." The farmer and the princess headed towards the house. It seemed like miles, but it was actually only a couple hundred yards. "So tell me, what is your name?" Dalia questioned. "The names Jimmy," the farmer replied as they opened the door of a tiny grey and red house. Inside, Jimmy's wife was sitting in a chair knitting a red scarf. She looked up as soon as the door closed shut. "Well, who've we got here? Charming little lass if I do say so myself," the wife declared. "Thank you miss. My name is Dalia." "Pleased to meet you. I am Claude, Jimmy's wife." "What a pleasure." "Says she came from far off not knowing' she was going to end up here," the farmer added. "Well, that is a bit funny. Come in Dalia and make yourself at home. Fell free to stay as long as you please." "That is very king of you, but I am afraid I must be off again in the morning." "How unpleasant. Well, let us have fun while you are here," Claude exclaimed. "What shall we do?" "I am going to bathe if you do not mind," Jimmy replied. "Please do," Claude joked, and the two women giggled. So Jimmy left the two to chat. "It has been so long since we have had a young woman in the house. Most people that come over are Jimmy's buddies, and they are dreadfully boring. All they do is talk about the crop." "How awful!" "Yes well, they are men!" "Well, of course. So, where exactly am I? What village is this?" "Oh dear. Are you lost?" "No, I started out not knowing where I was going, so I would not know where I was anyway." "Well you are in Sini village at the west end." "Sini?!?" "Yes, what is the matter?" "It is just that I had no idea I could come this far. I live at the other end of the kingdom." "How funny. Well, where are you going to go now?" "Most likely to the mountains to see what I can find there." Dalia was doing a good job of hiding her princess identity. "The mountain area is lovely at sunset. The mountains turn purple and prink at the tips, looking like pink and purple snow. It is beautiful." "I hope it appears tonight. I would love to see it." "Yes it most likely will." But it did not, and this only meant one thing to Dalia- the kingdom's power and beauty were fading and fast. The two women chatted until midnight, until they finally decided it was too late to talk about anything anymore. Dalia headed toward the guest room to sleep, and Claude headed to her room. They said goodnight before this, and Claude fell quickly to sleep. Dalia did not sleep at all. The only thing she could think about was how they would soon all suffer because of one person- or a tiny group of people. I hate them, Dalia thought, even though I do not know them, I hate them. Saying this to herself made her feel better. Finally, in the early hours of the morning, she drifted off to sleep. * * * * * * * * * "Dear, wake up. You should probably be going soon. It is already midmorning. You slept forever!" This got Dalia's attention. "Midmorning? Already? It can not be. Oh, I really should go then." "I am terribly sorry for not waking you earlier, but I thought you needed some rest after all the way you have come." "Well, that is alright. It is my fault for not going to sleep earlier. But I really should be going." "Yes yes. Now, how about a good hearty breakfast? Eggs, bacon, cheese, lamb, and oranges served on the side with milk and cranberry juice." "My goodness! It sounds delicious!" "Well, it is already prepared. Why don't you come into the dining room and eat some?" "I will! I have not even tasted food like that in weeks. You are so kind!" "Thank you dear. Now come and eat. Now hurry, take your time so you will not get the hiccups." Dalia headed toward the dining room. Sitting at the table already was Jimmy. "Good morning Jimmy. How are you today?" "Hello, Dalia. I am just wonderful today. How are you doing? Are you ready to set out again?" "Not really. I would much rather stay here a few more days. But, I really should go." "Eat up then. I will take you to the edge of the town with my horse you will have to go the rest of the path to the mountains yourself, I am sorry to say." "That is very kind of you to do that. I truly appreciate it," Dalia replied. "Then it is set. Once you are prepared to leave, just go upstairs and knock on the office door. I will go with you then. But now I have to work on the records." "Okay, will do. See you soon!" "Sure, I will just be upstairs. Don't hesitate to knock." Jimmy pushed his chair away from the table and headed upstairs. Dalia finished eating her meal with Claude, talking all the while. Then she packed up her things and headed out to secure them on her horse. Claude came out while Dalia was packing up and handed her a brown bag. "Here is lunch for you, your horse, and Jimmy. There is also some fruit for other days in there. I hope it keeps you from hunger." "Thank you!" Dalia exclaimed and hugged Claude dearly. After this, Dalia went into the house and up the dark wooden stairs. Directly in front of her was a shiny white door, which she hesitantly (though she wasn't supposed to) knocked. Jimmy's voice came out with a "coming!" and before Dalia could say anything else, a smiling wrinkly tan face appeared in front of her. "Are you ready?" Jimmy questioned. "To go to the mountains? Yes. To leave your warm and friendly place, no." "How nice of you to say that. You are so sweet, a little princess." Dalia could only smile. "Well, we best be getting on our way if we want to reach the edge of town by sunset with time to spare," Jimmy said smiling. "Yes we really should." The two went downstairs and Dalia said her farewells to Claude. The women said goodbye and promised to write. "Well goodbye then," Dalia said including a "thank you for all your hospitality" as well. Dalia and Jimmy left, and could only see the tiny grey and red two story house and a small speck waving a red handkerchief. * * * * * * * * * * It didn't take long for Dalia and Jimmy to reach the real village. Only an hour at the most. There were huts and tiny houses along and near the streets. Most were made of dark wood or brick. The shops were ordinary little village shops. You could find the bakery, seamstress, produce stand, and shoe shop. There was even a tiny grocery. Dalia had picked the right time to come. All along the cobblestone streets were jewelers- traveling jewelers that came only once a year. They sold rings, bracelets, necklaces, pinks, tiny tiaras, beads, cloth, leather, spices, incense, and an assortment of foods from around the continent. Some things were even made of gold. Jimmy took Dalia to see all of the beautiful and unique objects. They stopped at every stall to see what was for sale. With the few coins Dalia brought, she managed to buy a flowery silver hair ornament and a gold beaded bracelet, also buying one for Claude. "Wonderful choices miss," the jeweler commented. Jimmy and Dalia headed onward. When they got out of the main shopping area, they came to the part of town where richer people lived. It wasn't original or unique; it was just like any other section of rich houses in a different town. The houses were two or three stories. All were either grey stone, wood, or red brick. Most people had flowers and grass in their front yards; some had towering trees and stone or wooden benches. The windows of all were covered with delicate hangings, a typical rich neighborhood. When the two got out of the rich neighborhood, it was on to the poor. Shabby houses adorned the edges of sidewalks. All -no exceptions- were made of wood. The wood chipped and peeled in all directions. The roofs had tiny cracks in them and many shingles were missing. The front yards of the houses had too much ugly brown dirt. There were also tiny weeds growing around every clump of dirt. "Not the best part of town," Jimmy said in a whisper. "I agree." They tried their best to get out of this hideous section as quickly as possible. After the poorer area there were schools. Five exactly. Each was a tiny one room building with a sign in front telling the grades that were schooled in that certain building. The first was grades one to three. The second was four to six. The third read seven to nine. The fourth read ten to twelve, and the fifth read University for Men and Women. Once through here, Jimmy pulled his horse to a slow. "Dalia, this is where I leave you. I have enjoyed the past few days and wish you well. Before you say anything, I have a gift for you." Jimmy pulled out a small box from his pocket and handed it to Dalia. "I don't know what you will ever need it for, but I just thought you might like it." Jimmy was talking about Dalia's new whistle. It was a tiny light wooden balloon shaped piece. The edge stuck out with a hole for Dalia to blow through. "I blew it once, and a herd of animals came coming my way. I never blew it again," Jimmy said with a chuckle. "I have a chain for it too, so you may hang it around your neck." Jimmy took the whistle, inserted the chain, and fastened it around Dalia's neck. "It's beautiful. How very thoughtful. I shall wear it the entire trip and forever more. I love it." "I am so glad you fancy it. Well, I guess you better get going, eh? I don't want to keep you waiting." "I suppose you are right. I enjoyed my time with you too, and thank you again for the gift." "My pleasure." "Well, goodbye. Are you sure you will be okay going home by yourself?" "I'll be fine. Now run along." The two shook hands and Dalia departed. She made her horse gallop as fast as possible, to feel the cold rush of wind upon her face. Dalia looked back to see Jimmy turning around and heading home, to a nice place. How lovely her stay had been, but now she was back with nature, traveling into the unknown yet again. Chapter 10 Captured Dalia had been on her horse forever. Her neck and back ached from all the bouncing around sitting in the saddle. She had passed by many villages on her way. All of them were alike in many ways. It got boring after a while, but Dalia was glad nobody recognized her as the imperial princess. All was going well until she got out of the villages and into the forest at the foot of the mountains. Then it was trouble. * * * * * * * * * * * Dalia had been wondering closer to the mountains all week. It began to get colder and colder as she went along. Luckily, she had brought her fur coat. Until this point, she had thought she would not ever need it on her trip. Now, the sun was just rising above the peak forming a magnificently beautiful sunrise. But, time was going fast, and the crown would soon take over. The sunset and all the other beautiful things would only last for a few seconds, and then would vanish. Dalia knew that if she was going to help save the kingdom, she would have to act quickly. The beautiful sunset that had occurred just seconds ago was gone, and in its place was ugly grey fog, coming so low that it hit the ground in some places. Dalia could barely see anything. Her bird squawked aloud in the quiet of nature. Princess Dalia thought it disturbing the peace, and threw the cloth over the cage hurriedly. She was all alone, besides the horse and bird. It was creepy galloping around in the nasty fog. Well, it was! Dalia clung tighter to her horse with every step her horse took, looking back at nothing. In the distance was the cry of mother birds bringing food home to their children. Wolves howled. An owl, thinking it was night, screeched. It was unpleasant and extremely spooky for Dalia. But she made it through the day. No problems had taken place. No injuries or vicious scares. Nothing. So Dalia stopped her horse beside a willow tree. She steadily hopped off and laid out a blanket. Then, sleep overtook her, and she began to dream the most unpleasant dreams anyone could imagine. * * * * * * * * Dalia was running, running running. From what? Sweat was dripping down her face and all she could do was run. She reached for a sword lying on the ground, but it vanished into thin air. Princess Dalia kept running. She was acting like a wimp. She could not defend herself. It was time to dies. The girl kept running, and tripped over a large rock, falling to the ground. The thing came closer, closer, closer. It breathed in her face, kicking her, threw her around like a baseball. The monster- green eyes, large hairs. A giant monster. It was slimy, sticky, and smelly, and it was right near Dalia, about to finish her off. She did nothing. The monster took Dalia in his hand and put her head inside his nasty and foul smelling mouth. Dalia could see its yellowish- green teeth, rotting from who knows what. The monster opened his mouth wider, preparing to take a bite out of her sweet smelling body. A healthy piece of meat he was about to destroy. Perfect. The monster's mouth began to close. Dalia screamed and yelled shouting "help me anybody!" but nobody came. She saw the big fang teeth coming down, down, down. Closer and closer it came to her neck. Then, with a snap, it was gone, and Dalia awoke to the sound of chicken bones breaking. * * * * * * * * * * "Why, hello your highness!" said a mocking and sarcastic voice in the back of the. was it a cave? "Who are you? What is happening? Where am I? Why am I here?" "Slow down child. If you wish to know who I am, I guess I will show myself." Dalia could make out a dark figure in the shadows of the stone. It came closer to her, closer and closer- exactly like her dream. Then the light shone upon it. It was- it was- could it be? Dalia could not bring herself to say it, let alone believe it. "You are- your are- you." "Oh, what a fool. Do not act QUITE that shocked. Yes, I am Leonardo the knight. The one your father called his so called son. HA! Your father is a fool too." "But-but-but I thought you had died." "Yes well, things do not always turn out how you think they will." "How did you do it?" Dalia was in utter shock. "Wipe that silly expression off of your face. It was all magic you know." "What-magic? How?" "Well, I simply bewitched myself to die a fake death. I fell asleep for a few days, woke up in my honorary coffin, and magicked myself out." "So the others that dies, they are really not dead also?" "Ha! No they are dead. I did this just to draw suspicion away from myself. Nobody would think brave, noble, and dead Sir Leonardo would ever betray the king. I laugh in their faces, the fools." "Did you kill them?" "Of course! It was quite easy. Just set a few poisonous rats on the food and bewitch them to come right back to this cave." "Why? Why did you do this insane trick? You must tell me- I command you to tell me." "Do you see how clever I am? More clever than your father. But I must admit- you are also very clever yourself. When I forged the note, I did that to get you away from my trail. But no, you were too smart. You knew that you must fulfill your duty like a good little princess. So my plan to send you back home did not work. But I am sure my new plan will definitely work." "Wait, my best friend Jacques is not dead?" "No, you silly girl. Did I just say that or not? I forged the note to get you to leave." "O thank the lord." "Well anyway, I should be king, not your crazy father. With the crown I could rule the world. I hate the way your father runs things. Treats everyone the same, equally. My original plan was to feed HIM the poisonous food, have him die and you become queen. With a stupid girl like you running the country, I could take over easily. It was all too perfect. But my plan did not work. Your father did not eat the food I so badly wanted him to eat. So, I decided to kill myself falsely, to set suspicion elsewhere. I was free to move around without following the orders of "your highness" the bastard. I have been here for quite some time now. Do not think I could not hear what went on it the throne room. Princess Dalia, knowing the secret of the crown, would come to save the day. She would rescue the country, and everyone would be happy. But that is where you ALL went wrong. I am going to put a stop to this nonsense. I should be king. Now are there any other questions?" "What are you going to do to my father and me?" "I will keep you around, but only because you know how to work the crown. Your father will be sent to the dungeons along with anyone who refuses to accept me as king. Oh, I have been waiting all my life for this day. The day I, Sir Leonardo, become king. The day everyone respects me and bows before me on their hands and knees when I pass. I will be the ruler of the world, and nothing can stop me now that I have you here with me. Nothing." Leonardo laughed wickedly. Dalia remembered something so suddenly that her stomach jumped with joy and excitement. "Did you bring back all of my belongings?" Dalia questioned sheepishly, acting as though she were as stupid as her sisters once were. "Why, yes I did. The wolves would have come to eat all the food and would follow your tracks to the cave or would be there when we headed back to the palace." "Well, where is it?" "In the shadows of the cave. Do not even think about going back there until you give me the secret." "Well, it only works if the chosen one recites the poem. No others can do this. So I can not simply tell you, I must show you. But, I will not show you unless you let me go to my things." "Very well," Leonardo stated in an angry tone." Hurry up though, we don't have all day." Dalia stood up and brushed herself off. Dust had managed to get on everything- her clothes, shoes, hair, and even woolen socks. It took quite some time to make herself look decent enough to be a princess. When she thought she was as clean as could be, she walked over to the back of the cave and felt around in the dark for her belongings. She found them in about ten minutes. After many nasty and rude remarks from Leonardo, she took her things and walked to the front of the cave. In her right hand were her food, clothing, and brush. In her left hand was her bird in the bird cage. "Why would you want to carry around a nasty thing like that?" "It is not "nasty" as you put it. My bird is beautiful." Dalia then opened the cage and pointed north, to the direction of the castle. The bird flew out, up up and away. Dalia smiled her best ever. This was the happiest moment in all of her time. But, the moment was quickly taken away with the voice of Leonardo. "Why did you let that ugly bird fly away? We could have had a lovely meal from it you dumb girl." "I did not want MY bird getting hurt," Dalia lied," That is all." "Sure. Now back to business. This is how it will work. I will give the crown to you; you work it and wish for what I tell you. Then, you give the crown back to me, and I am king. This wishing marks the beginning of a new ruler." "And what if I do not wish for you? What if I refuse?" "Oh, I could always slit your throat with a knife. A new chosen one will come along; they always do after one dies. It would not make me said; it would just take longer to find a new chosen one. So, you see, it would be VERY wise to simply work the crown for me." "I see. Well then, if you must, bring me the crown." Dalia fingered the tiny wooden object in her pocket. Then-wait a minute, hadn't Jimmy said something unusual about this whistle? 'I blew it once and a herd of animals came coming my way!' What if some of the wilds animals were wolves? Dalia thought. The wolves would surely help me. Very slowly and carefully, Dalia took the whistle and held it up to her mouth. Then, without a moment to waste, Dalia blew the whistle as hard as she could, as loud as possible. Nothing happened. She blew again. Still nothing happened. The third time she blew the whistle Leonardo came into the light of the cave again. "Stop that awful racket," Leonardo stated," It will do you no good out here. The next civilized city is not for miles around here. Stop wasting your energy on something useless. Oh please work. Dalia thought again. Even if it summons only a few wild animals that will still be enough to stall until my eagle and human help come to save me and put him away forever. Leonardo set out the crown before her. It was glowing a bright yellow and orange. Inside the crown, Dalia could see, and her only, the kingdom falling to pieces. Peasants were in sick beds, the sun was dying, the king was crying, and terrible snow storms, tornadoes, and earthquakes were occurring all over. "Hurry on now. We do not have all day," Leonardo snapped. Dalia continued to gaze at the crown, silent tears rolling down her cheeks. "What are you staring at?" spat Leonardo," Hurry up! I am getting impatient." "I - I can not do this." "Oh? And why is that? Would you rather be killed instead?" "This is just like me killing my own father. Under my own free will!" "Oh? So you WOULD rather die. Well-" "No, I am not that silly. I have a proposal." "And what is this proposal?" "I will offer to fight you in a fencing duel. If you win, I will do you what you want for the kingdom. But," Dalia stopped to smile," if I win, you will go back with the crown, mid you, to the palace. There you will put the crown in its rightful place, and go to the dungeons forever or be executed, whichever my father chooses." Leonardo began to laugh, so hard that he began to turn red. "Well, if you insist," Leonardo said and chuckled some more. "Are you ready?" Dalia questioned fearlessly. "I must get my sword." Leonardo walked to the back of the cave and drew out a beautiful long and jeweled sword. "Now I am ready." Both Leonardo and Dalia pulled their swords out in front of themselves. "On the count of three," Dalia said. "Yes, right. 1." "2." But before they got to three, Leonardo had already started in for Dalia.

"You cheat," Dalia told Leonardo breathlessly. "It will be for the better, of course," Leonardo replied. "Hmm." Dalia said aloud, more to herself than to him. Leonardo did have a head start, he was older, he was stronger, he had a magnificent sword compared to her simple one, but she still had a chance. Dalia had a talent that Leonardo did not have. She had perseverance. Dalia's plain sword proved to be no match to Leonardo's intricate sword. But, Leonardo's sword was very large. Maybe even too large for Leonardo himself. He could not handle it very well. The jewels weighted the sword down, while Dalia's felt like a feather. Leonardo took the first plunge headed straight for the princess. Dalia jumped out of the way as fast as possible and managed to dodge the sword by a little less than an inch. This continued on for a while, with Leonardo lunging at Dalia and the princess ducking herself out of the way. Finally, Dalia took her first lunge, and she managed to tear Leonardo's left sleeve on his tunic. This is where things began to get harsh. Leonardo swirled his sword around himself five times, swiping Dalia in the stomach and creating a long deep gash. Dalia stooped down and brought her sword to move in a semicircle. She was able to tear off the sole of his shoe. But, Leonardo was too fast. He had already turned around with his sword raised above his head. Dalia stood up, but Leonardo brought his sword down hard and knocked the princess's sword completely out of her hands and across the cave where it clanked loudly on the cold grey stone wall and then fell down a few feet to the floor. "Now, will you give up? Or do I have to pin you on the ground?" Leonardo questioned, circling Dalia with his sword out and ready. "I will NOT give up." "Very well then. We will continue." And this they did. Several times Leonardo would bring her up against a wall and lunge but she would twirl out of the way, leaving him with his sword stuck in the rock. Dalia was beginning to get tired. She could no longer jump because of a cramp in her side. Leonardo pulled her down to the ground where she lay, with his sword pointed at her throat. "Well, little princess, you see now who is better. Do not mix yourself up in things you should not, such as fencing. Now enough with these foolish games and work the crown." "Never!" Dalia shouted. Leonardo pushed the sword harder into her throat. "No? Then I will kill you. Are you sure this is what you want? I am giving you the opportunity of a lifetime. You can even become my queen." "Positive," Dalia said proudly and spat at his shoe. "Very well then Princess Dalia. I hope you enjoy hell." Leonardo raised the sword high above his head. He was bringing it down now. Closer and closer it came. Suddenly, he stopped and yelped with pain. "Ow! Look what you have done, you stupid imbosol of a wild animal!" Leonardo turned to speak to the animal that caused such pain. "The wolves! They are back!" Dali acrid. The alpha came to her and she hugged him. "Oh I knew you would come if I blew that whistle. You saved my life! You bit Leonardo!" Dalia started to cry. "Oh thank you!" "It is not over yet, Princess." Leonardo said to her. "I will get to kill all of the wolves too." The wolves stiffened, as if they knew what Leonardo was saying. The alpha male got up from Dalia's lap and stood directly in front of Leonardo, gazing into his eyes coldly. Leonardo got his sword ready, actually sweating. The wolf made a motion with his ears and in one moment all the wolves were attacking Leonardo. He managed to injure a few with his sword, but didn't have enough strength to hold all the wolves off. They thrashed and clawed at him. His clothes were in shreds. Leonardo's face had many deep gashes and he began to fall over quickly. He fainted in a matter of seconds. Dalia asked all of the wolves kindly to watch over him. When he awoke, they should keep him down and not let him go anywhere. The wolves seemed to understand her, and they all huddled in a circle around Leonardo. Dalia doubted that when the former knight awakened he would even think about moving with all the wolves ready to pounce yet again. Assured that Leonardo could not go anywhere, Dalia took her horse that was tethered to a branch outside and mounted. She then took off and told the wolves she would be back soon, but was going to look for her bird and Jacques. Galloping quickly, she managed to get a mile in less than a half hour. She still saw nothing, so she continued on to find her friends. After searching for five miles, she decided to wait and set up camp here for the night. There was a large tree to sleep under, and she dismounted and set up a blanket to lie on. Dalia, being exhausted from everything and sore to the bone, fell quickly asleep. The next morning, Dalia awoke to the screech of a loud bird. She saw a tiny black speck soaring through the air. The princess stopped and waited for it to come closer. In thirty minutes she was able to see that it was her own bird, but could not see any people following it because of the tall forest of trees and bushes. Packing up her things, Dalia heard the screech again. The bird was not far off now, but it still would be at least an hour if the bird was being followed by people. So, she waited. To pass the time, Dalia would pet her horse and feed it. She would finger the tiny whistle and remembered how much it had helped her the day before. She sat with her back on the tree gazing up at the sky, thinking about her fantastic adventure. Finally, she heard her eagle's macaw above her and looked up. There was her eagle, now where were the others? Ahh.there just minutes away to her right were Boram, Lorango, Jacques, and King Luciphing. The king and Jacques rushed to her and Dalia embraced them both. "My dear child, you said you needed help, but with what?" "Father, I found the evil behind this all. It was Leonardo." "Sir Leonardo, the one who died? How can that be?" "It was him father. He bewitched himself to die, and killed the others with poisoned rats."

"Dear dear. Well where is he?" "He captured me and tried to make me make him king. But, it did not work. My wolf friends took care of him and are guarding him now in a tiny cave located in the mountain." "I see, well take us to him." Dalia mounted her horse and took the lead, riding up the hills. It took the tiny group only a few hours to get to the location of Leonardo and the wolves. The king entered the cave first looking coldly at Leonardo. "Sir I-" "No need to speak, Leonardo. Dalia has already told me the entire story. You made a deal with her, and now I expect you to follow." Dalia rushed over to the wolves and gave a heart hug to each of them in thanks. The wolves walked steadily over to the king and laid at his feet, as if they were bowing. "Get up you dirty piece of scum," Jacques said fiercely to Leonardo. Leonardo got up slowly, wiping the dust and dirt off of himself. As he did this, the wolves began to snarl at him. "Easy does it," Leonardo said to himself cautiously. He was obviously scared out of his mind about the wolves. "Come here in the light, Leonardo," the king said. Leonardo stepped forward. He looked awful. There was blood everywhere on him from the attack of the wolves. His sleeves were in rags, and his pant leg was torn off. "Well, we all know by now that you did this. So tell me, are you sorry?" "No. I hated you from the beginning and I will forever more." "Very well. Dalia, please get me the crown." Dalia searched around for the crown in the dim light. She found it, still glowing, and brought it to the king. "Will you please wish again? Wish that the kingdom is restored to its full power again and that I am the successful king again." "Yes father." Dalia held the crown with two hands directly in front of her. She closed her eyes and recited this poem: Caves of darkness Light of day Sinister evil Godly good Veshc en gossner Goort vi lissb Inti lebs pordee Liqty beev et Pivil de loor Sill I vec Poldt kaet le El ac eeght Loorg evit sho Liis sse bo I lopee vies Dalia then turned the crown over so that the smooth side faced upwards. She took her right hand, still holding the crown with her left, and with it circled the rim of the crown five times. Her eyes were still shut tight. Suddenly, the crown started to glow purple, then green, then red, and finally gold. The wish was done, and Dalia opened her eyes. In the distance she could see the sun setting, creating a purple, gold, blue, pink, and orange sky. The king, Jacques, Boram, and Lorango rushed to her and gave her a big group hug. "You did it!" they all shouted, "you saved the kingdom! All hail Dalia!" Everyone was smiling, laughing, crying, and beaming. Everyone except Leonardo. His face was grim and blackened by soot. He glared at Dalia with the deepest hatred anyone could imagine. "Well, now that we are restored Dalia, what do you say we go home?" "Wonderful!" So Dalia said goodbye to each and every one of the wolves giving a special pat to the alpha male. She thanked them with her eyes, and then the group of people left, with Leonardo in the front guarded closely on the sides by Lorango and Boram. Chapter 11 A Special Visit Dalia and her friends had been traveling for one day and had already made it to the friendly city where Dalia had found such hospitality. They stopped to eat a bite in the bakery of Sini. The group then set out again on their horses. But, Dalia already had a plan to visit her wonderful friends. When they reached the grey and red farmhouse, she dismounted her horse. "Daughter, where are you going?" "To see some old friends. Would you like to come with me?" "I don't see why not. Come on boys. Let us go meet her friends. Leonardo can stay inside by the door or something." The rest of the men got of their horses and Leonardo walked forward stiffly. Dalia went first and knocked on the door. Jimmy opened it and a wide smile appeared on his face. "What a surprise! You are back, and have you finished your quest?" "Why yes. But I feel so bad that I did not actually tell you my true purpose. May I come in and explain." Jimmy suddenly looked ashamed. "My dear king, you are the king are you not?" "Why yes." "I am incredibly sorry for not bowing to you, at first I could not recognize you." Jimmy knelt down and bowed to the king. "But- what is your connection with the king?" Jimmy asked Dalia. "He is my father." "Oh my word! I had no idea, Princess Dalia. You were so kind to us, and I have never seen a real live princess. The king came once to our village and I caught a glimpse of him, but I never saw any of his family." "Well, that is okay." Jimmy bowed low to Dalia. "Please come in," Jimmy said to them. The tiny group of nobles entered the shabby house of a farmer and his wife. "Claude, we have company. Important company!" Claude came down the stairs and gasped. She ran to Dalia but Jimmy stopped her. "She is the Princess Dalia. Do you not recognize the king?" "I am so incredibly sorry, your majesties." The king chuckled and said," No need for a bow, really. I never liked them much. It quite embarrasses me."

Claude performed a tiny curtsy anyway. "What brings you all here?" So Dalia told her the whole story, how she had started out going wherever her heart took her, running into Jimmy and not being able to speak of the quest, her capture of Leonardo, and how the kingdom was now restored to health. "Well, that is quite an adventure," Claude and Jimmy commented at the end of Dalia's story. "Thank you both, for taking in my daughter when she needed rest and comfort. I appreciate this, and for it you will earn a piece of land and a house." "You are quite welcome, but I can not accept all that for such a tiny favor," Jimmy said. "Oh please do," Dalia said," Just imagine, you could still farm, and you could still keep this piece of land, but you could have maids and servants do the dirty work in your other land. Wouldn't it be just lovely?" "Well, if you insist," Claude and Jimmy said grinning," You are so kind." "I will send you your deed in a few months. Until then, I suppose we could get a few maids out here to take care of your house. But I think we must be going, we need to get Leonardo in the dungeons." "Well, goodbye then. I will write to you Dalia, like we said we would before." "Goodbye dear friends," Dalia replied. The king, Boram, Lorango, and Dalia left with Lorango pulling Leonardo by the hand. They then made their way back to the castle. Chapter 12 Home at Last It took just one day more for the group to get home. On their way back home, villagers cheered them in every town. They would bow down and if they were able to get close enough to the riders would kiss their hands. But people spat at Leonardo. Dalia thought this is what he deserved and said nothing of it. Finally, Dalia saw her home sweet home. The castle looked just as before, wonderful. They rode up to the gates. The guards took Leonardo by the wrists and pushed him up the hill and into the dungeons, where he forever stayed. The royal family and the two noble advisors were welcomed by everyone in the castle. There was a large feast. Many people stood up to toast Dalia. She was at the honorary position at the banquet table. Her seat was cushioned and looked like her father's throne. She was truly a queen. Then a most surprising thing happened. Jacques stood up to toast, the last person to perform this. His speech was surprising. "Dalia, you are truly a queen. I have been your friend since we were little, and you were always a brave and noble girl. You were never afraid of anything. And now you have proved that to everybody in the entire kingdom. You are loved by all. You saved the kingdom. You, Dalia are truly an angel from god. Please, I have already gotten your father's permission. Will you, Princess Dalia- imperial princess of Amancia and heir to the throne- accept my proposal for marriage?" The crowd oohed and ahhed. Some of the girls' eyes glowed with jealousy, to have such a handsome and decent young man ask for your hand in marriage was a dream come true. Dalia was in utter shock. She stared directly at Jacques, considering everything. Slowly she stood up, walked over to Jacques, and said these exact words: "I do." The crowd went wild, cheering, laughing, and clapping. They stood up to give the two fiancés a pat on the back and to shake their hands. The king started to cry, a happy cry. He walked over to Dalia and kissed her on the cheek. Dalia gave him a huge hug. King Luciphing then hugged Jacques, his future son-in-law. It was a happy day for all.



















































Epilogue Dalia and Jacques got married just three months later, and had a pretty summer wedding. Many onlookers commented that she looked beautiful, and the couple acted so in love. Just seven years later, at age 56, the beloved King Luciphing died. On his deathbed he named Jacques the new king, and Dalia his queen. The two ruled well, and were known as the Jewels of Amancia. They conquered many neighboring lands such as Laplander and Collitea. Jacques and Dalia produced five children. The first born was a boy named Fonso, he grew up and married the daughter of a King in Collitea and produced three lovely children. The second born was also a boy named Sonny. As an adult he became a priest and was known as the kindest and warmest priest in all of Amancia. The third born was a girl named Alexia. When she came of age, she married the son of Lorango, but died soon after from the Black Death. The fourth child was a little boy name Alexander. He eventually married a princess from a far-off land called Pontee and became king of that region. The fifth born was a girl named Lasiandra. She married the Prince of a kingdom called Lorle and produced two healthy children. Fonso became king after Dalia's death at age 93. He set the kingdom at ease and was a very hearty, friendly, and fun ruler. Leonardo was set in the dungeons immediately after his arrival at the palace. There he stayed for five years being fed only bread and water. He eventually died from a high fever brought in by other criminals in the dungeons. The kingdom of Amancia flourished in a golden age for many years, and if you ever go to Europe, look for a rainbow. Follow it and at the end you will see a kingdom so lovely and golden you will fall in love with it. This is Amancia.