I decided to extend this story a little at the request of some people. Enjoy!
Okay, okay, Mint changes her outfit. Thanks a bunch to Liol and everyone at TOF Academia for their help, since I'm more or less fashion blind. Anyway, here's a pairing that, I think, has never been tried before.
By the way, there is slightly mature scene here...
-------------------------
The beautiful, crystalline stained windows that lined her room shone pretty colored lights on her bed. It was morning. It was quiet. Mint lay awake in her bed with barely anything but a nightgown on. She just returned home just a few hours ago, tired but elated. The dawn shift guards of the castle were rather terrified when they saw a creeping figure slowly approaching the castle gates through the mist, only to be gaily surprised when the it turned out to be the young princess. The castle was just in an uproar when Gramps found no one in the princess' room that night. They feared the worst. Hundreds of soldiers went out that night looking for the hyperactive girl in all directions. Not a single one found her. It was then she appeared almost out of nowhere. Slightly limping, teary-eyed but with a smile on her face, she greeted the guards as she entered the castle in the early morning. She was greeted by a fuming Maya and a hysterical Gramps. Maya was about to scream at Mint for disappearing the night before, but upon seeing the eyes that shed so many tears, she backed off quietly. She somehow knew what Mint had been through, yet she could see a smile behind that face as Mint apologized. Without a word more, she silently went up to her room.
"What.... to do...."
She spoke to herself as she lay on the soft sheets. She couldn't sleep, even for a minute. Thoughts pervaded, keeping her awake. She remembered what had happened the night before. She went there troubled, she returned clear-headed, like the weight upon her had been removed. Yet now, back home, the weight on her body and heart returned. She now began to ponder about life. Life after Rue. She had let him get away. She didn't want to make that same mistake again. She was afraid of making that same mistake again.
*knock**knock*
"Milady? Are you all right now"
"Yes Gramps! Just... give me a few minutes."
"Yes Milady. Just so you know, the carnival just finished setting up today. You might want to go and loosen up a bit."
"Yes, thanks. You may go now."
The Osauros Carnival group had just finished setting up that morning in the fields west of the town square. The news of their arrival in the kingdom spread far and wide, attracting many people from all corners of the kingdom. They were famous for their high-speed rides, games and the fighting competition. The last time they came to town was almost 3 years ago. They wouldn't be back for years, so thousands of people converged to town to see the wonders of the company.
Mint reached for her headband. She got up and sat by her bed. She sighed. Slowly, she walked towards the window and looked at all the commotion in town. People young and old frolicked in the streets, enjoying the sights and sounds of the carnival. Children were happily eating cotton candy as their parents tried to win them some prizes at the game stands. At the magic-driven rides people were screaming as they went up and down in super-high speeds. To the side, those who had just ridden were either talking or barfing up their breakfast. Mint looked to the left, towards the park area. It was the only area, silent as peaceful as it is, that was spared from the wild partying in the other parts of town. She saw a young couple, making out on a bench by the waterside, seemingly ignorant of the bushes barely a few feet away shaking oddly. She averted her gaze and looked down. She went to her dreeser and put on some clothes.
"Yeah, I guess I'll go there and have some fun. I need to... forget about it for a while. Haha, I can't be sad all my life!"
She took out her regular travel clothes. The same one she wore during her travelling days. She took one good look at it, and put it back.
".... No, this won't do. I need to wear something else. Let's see.... what should I wear..."
In time she decided what to wear. Tying her hair up into a ponytail, she wore a brown camisol under a poplin shirt. She dug into her dresser, into the pile of clothes she bought years ago but still somewhat fit her. She finally got out a some white chino shorts and pair leather loafers. Putting them on, she staired at herself for a few minutes in the mirror. Not really her style, she thought, but since she wanted to keep a low profile at carnival, she had to make do. Still, just in case, she took her dual rings just in case. This time, her rings were collapsable. She looked out the window and saw some tourists looking around the castle grounds. She decided to sneak out of the castle again, since she knew the guards were ordered to keep her inside.
With a soft creak, she opend her door slowly and peeked around. No one was in the hallway. If she could just get below and mingle with the tourist crowd, she'd be home free. Mustering her courage, she walked out her door casually but confidently towards the spiral staircase. Upon rounding the corner to the stairs, she suddenly passed gramps. She barely noticed him in her rush, and in her haste, she heard him whisper...
"Don't worry. I'll tell them your sick in bed. Enjoy your day."
He had just passed her a few feet when she stopped to rationalize what had happened. She held her head up, which she bowed down to try and conceal her face. She whispered to herself.
"Thanks. I owe you one."
She made it downstairs, just in time to reach the crowd that was buising clamoring over the rich decor of the palace main hall. The guards, with their hands full in just trying to keep the crowd in check, barely noticed a pink haired woman descend the stairs. To further conceal her identity, she took out a pair of glasses, and got in them middle of the tourist crowd. In a few moments, the guide bid them to leave and head for the park. As they left, Mint moved with them, easily evading the eyes of the palace guard. Within minutes, she was safely out of sight. Reaching the fork beneath the hill, the tourists headed left towards park as Mint turned to the right towards town.
The carnival was wild, to say the least. Thousands of people with their loud voices filled the area occupied by the carnival. With dozens of rides and attractions to choose from, people could spend a whole day and not even be finished. Mint walked through the entrance, and gazed in awe at the sheer majesty of the event. It looked even larger when you're in it, she thought. She looked to her side and saw the large billboard with plenty of announcements. It had notices about closures, new features, restaurants etc. However, one notice caught her eye: The Fighter's Championship.
"To join, you need a partner, you know..."
A sudden voice to her ear startled her. She looked to her side. There stood a somewhat pale man wearing blue checkered clothes. Despite his rather strange appearance, his body was relatively well-built. Mint couldn't help but stare at his face. He was busy reading the flyer, seemingly unaware that the young lady was looking at him. He reminded her of someone, she admitted to herself. Who it was, she couldn't put a finger on it. Oh well, she thought. She didn't want unnecessary thoughts plaguing her today.
In a few moments, he turned to look at Mint, who was still looking at him like he was some research specimen. Their eyes met, and Mint immediately looked away, he cheeks red. The young man too turned away, his pale cheeks highlighting even the slightest of blushing.
"Oh.... uh... sorry... haha. When I saw you looking at the flyer, I thought wanted to join or something."
He looked at her again. Mint too looked back, both of them noticing that they were still a bit red.
"You see.... The Championship requires pairs. Since I didn't have one, I was looking for someone who was also looking for a partner. When I saw you I thought..."
".... that I was gonna join? And I guess you wanted me to be your partner? Isn't that right?"
The young man blushed again.
"Well.... I..... uh..."
Mint quickly put a finger on his lips to silence him, which he did. She walked off a short distance and thought for a few moments. Her heart began to pace a little as her breathing increased. The butterflies in her stomach began their frenzied flight in her organs. That same feeling, she thought, when she first met Rue....
*This.... may be my chance! I'll get over Rue.... one way or another!"
She suddenly spun around like a ditzy schoolgirl, with everyone around looking at her with bewilderment. Even the young man who had invited her took a step back and almost fell in shock.
For some reason, she couldn't get him out of her head. He looked..... very familiar to her, but she still couldn't figure out who he reminded her off. It was his hat. She knew someone who wore a hat like that, though it was in a different color. That person also wore the same style of clothes, except his was somewhat reddish and orange. But if it was anything else, it was his face. The young man looked eerily like someone he knew. His hair was on the greyish side. His hat seemingly covers a slight sparkle on his forehead that she couldn't help but wonder about. Yet, heck, she didn't want those things ruining her day. This guy caught her eye, and to her, something might just happen....
"Okay! Looks like you could use some of my magic!"
She took out her dual rings, and twirled them around in her usual ecstatic manner. The young man smiled.
"Yeah! Thanks a lot! Well.... the matches start in 2 hours, so I'll see you at the arena and...."
Mint pulls at his arms, and pulls him close, almost to the point of a hug. The young man, terribly embarassed, tries to pull away, but as much as he struggles he couldn't get loose from Min'ts vice-like grip.
"Hey! We've got time to kill! Why not take me around the carnival? Unless of course.... you've got something to do...."
Mint loosened her grip, realizing just what she was doing. She realized she was acting like a child desperately seeking attention. She felt rather ashamed for her actions. She knew she shouldn't be acting like that. She was about to walk away when the young lad held her arm.
"Well.... I don't have anything in particular so.... okay. I would be my pleasure."
He gently took her hand to keep her from moving away. Blood suddenly surged up Mint's face, and some blood actually trickled down her nose. She immediately wiped them away with her free hand and looked at the lad. He was smiling.
*That..... smile....*
A foggy memory came to her eye. A foggy face suddenly overlapped the face of the young man. She felt as if she was looking at someone else. The fact that he resembled someone she knew further aggravated that fact. She could hear the sound of running water in the background and the soft sound of a barking dog. She could see some blades of grass waving into the gentle breeze. She knew this place, but she couldn't remember as if it was a distant memory, but she knew it was just so recent. Eventually, her hallucination faded away.
"Er.... you okay?"
"Huh? Oh sorry. I was.... just surprised you said yes."
She took his arm again, but instead of groping it, she just softly held his hand.
"Let's see..... how about the rollercoaster?"
So for the next 2 hours, the 2 of them enjoyed the rides, sights and sounds of the carnival. They rode the rollercoaster where people were barfing up their breakfasts, but it didn't seem to affect them. They laughed as they walked awat from the ride. Next they tried their hands at the various games to be found about. Mint showed her talent at archery by winning the grand prize, a large stuffed pollywog. The lad, on the other hand, was pretty good at the ring toss and won a soft fluffy pillow. He, of course, gave it to Mint. The last ride they took just before the tournament was the ferris wheel, which was boasted to be the largest in the world.
"Wow! This is so high!"
In the carnival, they called the ferris wheel as the "Lover's Ride". It happened to be the favorite ride of the romantic couples, a fact that made the young man blush like crazy when he and Mint got on the ride. The ride itself went slow. Out of sheer embarassment, they sat on opposite sides of the ride. Mint was busy admiring the view while the young man was daydreaming by the side. Mint looked at him.
"This your first time on this ride?"
The lad was startled from his imagination.
"Huh? Oh... uh yeah. I didn't think you'd want to ride in this...."
Out of nowhere, the ride suddenly stopped, shaking the entire structure. In a split second Mint fell forward, landing her face directly on the guy's lap. The man himself fell backward and hit his head on the glass. Despite the sheer scandalous position they were both in, they both didn't budge an inch. They were both too shocked to even move a muscle. However, in a few seconds, Mint felt something pushing slightly on her upper lip....
*SLAP*
"OW! Geez, what the heck was that for!?"
"PERVERT!"
"Hey, look I'm sorry ok! I'm a guy, after all! It's just natural whether I like it or not!"
"Er.... okay. I'm sorry I slapped you. Well.... boys will be boys...."
In a few hours, the ride began to move again. They finally got off when it got on the bottom, with management saying that they would have to close it for maintenance. Their faces, yet again, were red to the brim. They promised each other to forget what just happened up there. Realizing that they were practically late for the championship, they ran like heck to the arena, only to find out that they were eliminated because they were an hour late. They had actually pushed some people aside just to get there, only to be barred at the gate by a big bulky guard.
"What do you mean we're late? You just started the the second fight! Our fight is still the sixth!"
"Sorry, boy. Rules are rules. If I bend it for you, I'd have to bend it for every one else."
"But! But! ....... Oh heck! Forget it."
He was obviously pissed, irritated and furious. Instead of gioing wild as many men of that era did and charging at the guard, he simply walked away as Mint followed. She tried calming him down. They decided to sit on a bench near the entrance. The young man had calmed down a little, much due to Mint's words.
"Thanks for cheering me up. I could have won if they'd just let me in."
"No, don't worry about it. It's my fault you didn't get in the tournament. I shouldn't have forced you to take me on the rides."
Mint's voice began to trail off, with a hint of regret and guilt in it.
"Hey, it's not your fault. It's that ferris wheel's fault. Don't get worried."
Mint looked at him with a smile on her face. She looked at the clock, which said it was 4:00 pm.
"Hmmm.... it's getting late. Well, I'd better get going. Where are you staying in town?"
"Me? I'm staying at the Imperial Inn, near the base of the Palace hill."
"You're staying there? Great! I'm going that way too. Let's walk together."
They both got up and walked out of the carnival. It was late in the afternoon and there were still a lot of people in the carnival, waiting for the fireworks show that night. But for the two of them, they were both tired and decided to watch the show from their rooms. Mint had her hands behind her back and her eyes on the ground as they walked up the road. It was the end of the day, and she was kind of sad that it was about to end. She really enjoyed the day they had together. She had grown quite fond of him...
"I.... really enjoyed you company today. Even if we didn't get a chance to fight."
Mint was taken aback by his sudden gesture. She blushed again.
"Um.... me too. Uh.... are you doing anything tomorrow?"
"Well.... I have some things to do in the castle tomorrow so...."
Mint's face instantly lit up. By that time they had made it on the road that divided the hill. One towards the castle, and the other towards the inn. It was time to go their separate ways.
"Great! Then I'll see you there tomorrow!"
Mint gleefuly pranced towards the castle, leaving the lad to ponder why she was going that direction in the first place. Still, he didn't bother to ask, because he had just realized who she was.
"Okay.... well then.... goodnight!"
He headed back towards the inn. They both went back to their logings, tired nut happy. Mint had just gone a little distance when she realized something...
"My Gosh! I almost forgot!"
She ran back a little distance and shouted at him.
"I'm sorry! I forgot to ask! What was your name?"
He turned around, and smiled again.
"My name? Oh, I forgot to tell you. My name.... is Ruenis."
-------------------------
Probably the pairing that people never expected, unless someone else beat me to it. I hope not ^_^
Anyway all reviews are welcome ^_^
Okay, okay, Mint changes her outfit. Thanks a bunch to Liol and everyone at TOF Academia for their help, since I'm more or less fashion blind. Anyway, here's a pairing that, I think, has never been tried before.
By the way, there is slightly mature scene here...
-------------------------
The beautiful, crystalline stained windows that lined her room shone pretty colored lights on her bed. It was morning. It was quiet. Mint lay awake in her bed with barely anything but a nightgown on. She just returned home just a few hours ago, tired but elated. The dawn shift guards of the castle were rather terrified when they saw a creeping figure slowly approaching the castle gates through the mist, only to be gaily surprised when the it turned out to be the young princess. The castle was just in an uproar when Gramps found no one in the princess' room that night. They feared the worst. Hundreds of soldiers went out that night looking for the hyperactive girl in all directions. Not a single one found her. It was then she appeared almost out of nowhere. Slightly limping, teary-eyed but with a smile on her face, she greeted the guards as she entered the castle in the early morning. She was greeted by a fuming Maya and a hysterical Gramps. Maya was about to scream at Mint for disappearing the night before, but upon seeing the eyes that shed so many tears, she backed off quietly. She somehow knew what Mint had been through, yet she could see a smile behind that face as Mint apologized. Without a word more, she silently went up to her room.
"What.... to do...."
She spoke to herself as she lay on the soft sheets. She couldn't sleep, even for a minute. Thoughts pervaded, keeping her awake. She remembered what had happened the night before. She went there troubled, she returned clear-headed, like the weight upon her had been removed. Yet now, back home, the weight on her body and heart returned. She now began to ponder about life. Life after Rue. She had let him get away. She didn't want to make that same mistake again. She was afraid of making that same mistake again.
*knock**knock*
"Milady? Are you all right now"
"Yes Gramps! Just... give me a few minutes."
"Yes Milady. Just so you know, the carnival just finished setting up today. You might want to go and loosen up a bit."
"Yes, thanks. You may go now."
The Osauros Carnival group had just finished setting up that morning in the fields west of the town square. The news of their arrival in the kingdom spread far and wide, attracting many people from all corners of the kingdom. They were famous for their high-speed rides, games and the fighting competition. The last time they came to town was almost 3 years ago. They wouldn't be back for years, so thousands of people converged to town to see the wonders of the company.
Mint reached for her headband. She got up and sat by her bed. She sighed. Slowly, she walked towards the window and looked at all the commotion in town. People young and old frolicked in the streets, enjoying the sights and sounds of the carnival. Children were happily eating cotton candy as their parents tried to win them some prizes at the game stands. At the magic-driven rides people were screaming as they went up and down in super-high speeds. To the side, those who had just ridden were either talking or barfing up their breakfast. Mint looked to the left, towards the park area. It was the only area, silent as peaceful as it is, that was spared from the wild partying in the other parts of town. She saw a young couple, making out on a bench by the waterside, seemingly ignorant of the bushes barely a few feet away shaking oddly. She averted her gaze and looked down. She went to her dreeser and put on some clothes.
"Yeah, I guess I'll go there and have some fun. I need to... forget about it for a while. Haha, I can't be sad all my life!"
She took out her regular travel clothes. The same one she wore during her travelling days. She took one good look at it, and put it back.
".... No, this won't do. I need to wear something else. Let's see.... what should I wear..."
In time she decided what to wear. Tying her hair up into a ponytail, she wore a brown camisol under a poplin shirt. She dug into her dresser, into the pile of clothes she bought years ago but still somewhat fit her. She finally got out a some white chino shorts and pair leather loafers. Putting them on, she staired at herself for a few minutes in the mirror. Not really her style, she thought, but since she wanted to keep a low profile at carnival, she had to make do. Still, just in case, she took her dual rings just in case. This time, her rings were collapsable. She looked out the window and saw some tourists looking around the castle grounds. She decided to sneak out of the castle again, since she knew the guards were ordered to keep her inside.
With a soft creak, she opend her door slowly and peeked around. No one was in the hallway. If she could just get below and mingle with the tourist crowd, she'd be home free. Mustering her courage, she walked out her door casually but confidently towards the spiral staircase. Upon rounding the corner to the stairs, she suddenly passed gramps. She barely noticed him in her rush, and in her haste, she heard him whisper...
"Don't worry. I'll tell them your sick in bed. Enjoy your day."
He had just passed her a few feet when she stopped to rationalize what had happened. She held her head up, which she bowed down to try and conceal her face. She whispered to herself.
"Thanks. I owe you one."
She made it downstairs, just in time to reach the crowd that was buising clamoring over the rich decor of the palace main hall. The guards, with their hands full in just trying to keep the crowd in check, barely noticed a pink haired woman descend the stairs. To further conceal her identity, she took out a pair of glasses, and got in them middle of the tourist crowd. In a few moments, the guide bid them to leave and head for the park. As they left, Mint moved with them, easily evading the eyes of the palace guard. Within minutes, she was safely out of sight. Reaching the fork beneath the hill, the tourists headed left towards park as Mint turned to the right towards town.
The carnival was wild, to say the least. Thousands of people with their loud voices filled the area occupied by the carnival. With dozens of rides and attractions to choose from, people could spend a whole day and not even be finished. Mint walked through the entrance, and gazed in awe at the sheer majesty of the event. It looked even larger when you're in it, she thought. She looked to her side and saw the large billboard with plenty of announcements. It had notices about closures, new features, restaurants etc. However, one notice caught her eye: The Fighter's Championship.
"To join, you need a partner, you know..."
A sudden voice to her ear startled her. She looked to her side. There stood a somewhat pale man wearing blue checkered clothes. Despite his rather strange appearance, his body was relatively well-built. Mint couldn't help but stare at his face. He was busy reading the flyer, seemingly unaware that the young lady was looking at him. He reminded her of someone, she admitted to herself. Who it was, she couldn't put a finger on it. Oh well, she thought. She didn't want unnecessary thoughts plaguing her today.
In a few moments, he turned to look at Mint, who was still looking at him like he was some research specimen. Their eyes met, and Mint immediately looked away, he cheeks red. The young man too turned away, his pale cheeks highlighting even the slightest of blushing.
"Oh.... uh... sorry... haha. When I saw you looking at the flyer, I thought wanted to join or something."
He looked at her again. Mint too looked back, both of them noticing that they were still a bit red.
"You see.... The Championship requires pairs. Since I didn't have one, I was looking for someone who was also looking for a partner. When I saw you I thought..."
".... that I was gonna join? And I guess you wanted me to be your partner? Isn't that right?"
The young man blushed again.
"Well.... I..... uh..."
Mint quickly put a finger on his lips to silence him, which he did. She walked off a short distance and thought for a few moments. Her heart began to pace a little as her breathing increased. The butterflies in her stomach began their frenzied flight in her organs. That same feeling, she thought, when she first met Rue....
*This.... may be my chance! I'll get over Rue.... one way or another!"
She suddenly spun around like a ditzy schoolgirl, with everyone around looking at her with bewilderment. Even the young man who had invited her took a step back and almost fell in shock.
For some reason, she couldn't get him out of her head. He looked..... very familiar to her, but she still couldn't figure out who he reminded her off. It was his hat. She knew someone who wore a hat like that, though it was in a different color. That person also wore the same style of clothes, except his was somewhat reddish and orange. But if it was anything else, it was his face. The young man looked eerily like someone he knew. His hair was on the greyish side. His hat seemingly covers a slight sparkle on his forehead that she couldn't help but wonder about. Yet, heck, she didn't want those things ruining her day. This guy caught her eye, and to her, something might just happen....
"Okay! Looks like you could use some of my magic!"
She took out her dual rings, and twirled them around in her usual ecstatic manner. The young man smiled.
"Yeah! Thanks a lot! Well.... the matches start in 2 hours, so I'll see you at the arena and...."
Mint pulls at his arms, and pulls him close, almost to the point of a hug. The young man, terribly embarassed, tries to pull away, but as much as he struggles he couldn't get loose from Min'ts vice-like grip.
"Hey! We've got time to kill! Why not take me around the carnival? Unless of course.... you've got something to do...."
Mint loosened her grip, realizing just what she was doing. She realized she was acting like a child desperately seeking attention. She felt rather ashamed for her actions. She knew she shouldn't be acting like that. She was about to walk away when the young lad held her arm.
"Well.... I don't have anything in particular so.... okay. I would be my pleasure."
He gently took her hand to keep her from moving away. Blood suddenly surged up Mint's face, and some blood actually trickled down her nose. She immediately wiped them away with her free hand and looked at the lad. He was smiling.
*That..... smile....*
A foggy memory came to her eye. A foggy face suddenly overlapped the face of the young man. She felt as if she was looking at someone else. The fact that he resembled someone she knew further aggravated that fact. She could hear the sound of running water in the background and the soft sound of a barking dog. She could see some blades of grass waving into the gentle breeze. She knew this place, but she couldn't remember as if it was a distant memory, but she knew it was just so recent. Eventually, her hallucination faded away.
"Er.... you okay?"
"Huh? Oh sorry. I was.... just surprised you said yes."
She took his arm again, but instead of groping it, she just softly held his hand.
"Let's see..... how about the rollercoaster?"
So for the next 2 hours, the 2 of them enjoyed the rides, sights and sounds of the carnival. They rode the rollercoaster where people were barfing up their breakfasts, but it didn't seem to affect them. They laughed as they walked awat from the ride. Next they tried their hands at the various games to be found about. Mint showed her talent at archery by winning the grand prize, a large stuffed pollywog. The lad, on the other hand, was pretty good at the ring toss and won a soft fluffy pillow. He, of course, gave it to Mint. The last ride they took just before the tournament was the ferris wheel, which was boasted to be the largest in the world.
"Wow! This is so high!"
In the carnival, they called the ferris wheel as the "Lover's Ride". It happened to be the favorite ride of the romantic couples, a fact that made the young man blush like crazy when he and Mint got on the ride. The ride itself went slow. Out of sheer embarassment, they sat on opposite sides of the ride. Mint was busy admiring the view while the young man was daydreaming by the side. Mint looked at him.
"This your first time on this ride?"
The lad was startled from his imagination.
"Huh? Oh... uh yeah. I didn't think you'd want to ride in this...."
Out of nowhere, the ride suddenly stopped, shaking the entire structure. In a split second Mint fell forward, landing her face directly on the guy's lap. The man himself fell backward and hit his head on the glass. Despite the sheer scandalous position they were both in, they both didn't budge an inch. They were both too shocked to even move a muscle. However, in a few seconds, Mint felt something pushing slightly on her upper lip....
*SLAP*
"OW! Geez, what the heck was that for!?"
"PERVERT!"
"Hey, look I'm sorry ok! I'm a guy, after all! It's just natural whether I like it or not!"
"Er.... okay. I'm sorry I slapped you. Well.... boys will be boys...."
In a few hours, the ride began to move again. They finally got off when it got on the bottom, with management saying that they would have to close it for maintenance. Their faces, yet again, were red to the brim. They promised each other to forget what just happened up there. Realizing that they were practically late for the championship, they ran like heck to the arena, only to find out that they were eliminated because they were an hour late. They had actually pushed some people aside just to get there, only to be barred at the gate by a big bulky guard.
"What do you mean we're late? You just started the the second fight! Our fight is still the sixth!"
"Sorry, boy. Rules are rules. If I bend it for you, I'd have to bend it for every one else."
"But! But! ....... Oh heck! Forget it."
He was obviously pissed, irritated and furious. Instead of gioing wild as many men of that era did and charging at the guard, he simply walked away as Mint followed. She tried calming him down. They decided to sit on a bench near the entrance. The young man had calmed down a little, much due to Mint's words.
"Thanks for cheering me up. I could have won if they'd just let me in."
"No, don't worry about it. It's my fault you didn't get in the tournament. I shouldn't have forced you to take me on the rides."
Mint's voice began to trail off, with a hint of regret and guilt in it.
"Hey, it's not your fault. It's that ferris wheel's fault. Don't get worried."
Mint looked at him with a smile on her face. She looked at the clock, which said it was 4:00 pm.
"Hmmm.... it's getting late. Well, I'd better get going. Where are you staying in town?"
"Me? I'm staying at the Imperial Inn, near the base of the Palace hill."
"You're staying there? Great! I'm going that way too. Let's walk together."
They both got up and walked out of the carnival. It was late in the afternoon and there were still a lot of people in the carnival, waiting for the fireworks show that night. But for the two of them, they were both tired and decided to watch the show from their rooms. Mint had her hands behind her back and her eyes on the ground as they walked up the road. It was the end of the day, and she was kind of sad that it was about to end. She really enjoyed the day they had together. She had grown quite fond of him...
"I.... really enjoyed you company today. Even if we didn't get a chance to fight."
Mint was taken aback by his sudden gesture. She blushed again.
"Um.... me too. Uh.... are you doing anything tomorrow?"
"Well.... I have some things to do in the castle tomorrow so...."
Mint's face instantly lit up. By that time they had made it on the road that divided the hill. One towards the castle, and the other towards the inn. It was time to go their separate ways.
"Great! Then I'll see you there tomorrow!"
Mint gleefuly pranced towards the castle, leaving the lad to ponder why she was going that direction in the first place. Still, he didn't bother to ask, because he had just realized who she was.
"Okay.... well then.... goodnight!"
He headed back towards the inn. They both went back to their logings, tired nut happy. Mint had just gone a little distance when she realized something...
"My Gosh! I almost forgot!"
She ran back a little distance and shouted at him.
"I'm sorry! I forgot to ask! What was your name?"
He turned around, and smiled again.
"My name? Oh, I forgot to tell you. My name.... is Ruenis."
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Probably the pairing that people never expected, unless someone else beat me to it. I hope not ^_^
Anyway all reviews are welcome ^_^