The next morning Kari nervously waited for Roald, dressed in her typical
silver leggings, full-sleeved silver shirt and teal vest. She had already
saddled Sungold who pranced around, feeling her owner's anxiety. She
fiddled with a silver pendant that had a teal unicorn on it.
"Are you ready to go?" Roald asked. Kari whirled around to find him standing behind her with a saddled horse. She nodded and he climbed up. "Then let's go."
For the first half hour they rode through the Royal Forest in silence, neither wanting to speak first.
Finally Kari asked, "Why didn't you tell me who you are?"
Roald replied, "Why didn't you?" He chuckled and said, "Because I hate being bowed to and I thought you might avoid me if you knew who I was."
Kari laughed and said, "I didn't tell you I was a noble because half of the time I forget that I am one. It's not hard when you're Shang."
"How did you become the Unicorn?" Roald asked curiously. "I mean, you're a girl and you got so high, I know your sister is only the Lynx."
"I worked hard and trained constantly with my friend, Jerald, he's the Firebird. The Lion who brought me to Shang knew I had potential and trained me like I would be a Unicorn, so I worked really hard and became one."
Karissa laughed at the memory of her first mentor. "Here is a good place for a picnic," she said. Roald slid off his horse.
"I agree with you," Roald said as he took out the blanket. Kari had indeed picked a very nice spot. They were sitting in a meadow where a stream ran through it. It was the perfect place for a picnic.
After they had finished their food Kari said, "Roald, why didn't you ever come back to Shang? You promised you would."
Roald toyed with his napkin. "My parents wouldn't let me," he finally replied. "I was training as a knight and they didn't like it when I slipped away from my escort. Admit it, your parents didn't either."
Kari blushed. "You're right, my mother hated the idea of Corin and myself becoming Shang. But we stuck to our idea and insisted that she sent us, which she eventually did. My brother, Jacob helped convince her."
Roald looked up and said, "I know Jacob! He's a knight, when I was growing up he was one of my best friends."
"Jacob did mention on a few of his visits home that he was friends with my future husband, but I always ignored him. Maybe I should have paid more attention to him."
"Maybe you should have," Roald agreed. "Kari, do you remember our first meeting?"
"How could I forget it? That was when I received my first kiss, from you. I spent years wishing you would come back, simply so that I could kiss you again and again and get to know you better."
Roald grinned. "I wished that too. If we marry we'll be able to do that you know."
Kari looked into Roald's beautiful sapphire eyes and the love that was in them made a knot rise in her throat. "Yes we could, Roald. But there is no law written anywhere that says you have to be married to be kissed."
"Is that an invitation, my lady?" Roald asked, his eyebrows raised.
"Yes it is, my Prince," Karissa replied. Roald leaned in and kissed Kari, long and sweet. He broke away however when a group of men dressed in black leather burst into the clearing. One carried a blowgun and quickly blew a dart at both Karissa and Roald.
Instantly the two fell to the ground, asleep. "Do we take th' boy?" one asked as he lifted Karissa onto his horse.
The leader, a dark man in black and silver said, "No. Leave the boy, the King wishes only for the girl. Hurry up and place her on the horse so that we can go!"
"Are you ready to go?" Roald asked. Kari whirled around to find him standing behind her with a saddled horse. She nodded and he climbed up. "Then let's go."
For the first half hour they rode through the Royal Forest in silence, neither wanting to speak first.
Finally Kari asked, "Why didn't you tell me who you are?"
Roald replied, "Why didn't you?" He chuckled and said, "Because I hate being bowed to and I thought you might avoid me if you knew who I was."
Kari laughed and said, "I didn't tell you I was a noble because half of the time I forget that I am one. It's not hard when you're Shang."
"How did you become the Unicorn?" Roald asked curiously. "I mean, you're a girl and you got so high, I know your sister is only the Lynx."
"I worked hard and trained constantly with my friend, Jerald, he's the Firebird. The Lion who brought me to Shang knew I had potential and trained me like I would be a Unicorn, so I worked really hard and became one."
Karissa laughed at the memory of her first mentor. "Here is a good place for a picnic," she said. Roald slid off his horse.
"I agree with you," Roald said as he took out the blanket. Kari had indeed picked a very nice spot. They were sitting in a meadow where a stream ran through it. It was the perfect place for a picnic.
After they had finished their food Kari said, "Roald, why didn't you ever come back to Shang? You promised you would."
Roald toyed with his napkin. "My parents wouldn't let me," he finally replied. "I was training as a knight and they didn't like it when I slipped away from my escort. Admit it, your parents didn't either."
Kari blushed. "You're right, my mother hated the idea of Corin and myself becoming Shang. But we stuck to our idea and insisted that she sent us, which she eventually did. My brother, Jacob helped convince her."
Roald looked up and said, "I know Jacob! He's a knight, when I was growing up he was one of my best friends."
"Jacob did mention on a few of his visits home that he was friends with my future husband, but I always ignored him. Maybe I should have paid more attention to him."
"Maybe you should have," Roald agreed. "Kari, do you remember our first meeting?"
"How could I forget it? That was when I received my first kiss, from you. I spent years wishing you would come back, simply so that I could kiss you again and again and get to know you better."
Roald grinned. "I wished that too. If we marry we'll be able to do that you know."
Kari looked into Roald's beautiful sapphire eyes and the love that was in them made a knot rise in her throat. "Yes we could, Roald. But there is no law written anywhere that says you have to be married to be kissed."
"Is that an invitation, my lady?" Roald asked, his eyebrows raised.
"Yes it is, my Prince," Karissa replied. Roald leaned in and kissed Kari, long and sweet. He broke away however when a group of men dressed in black leather burst into the clearing. One carried a blowgun and quickly blew a dart at both Karissa and Roald.
Instantly the two fell to the ground, asleep. "Do we take th' boy?" one asked as he lifted Karissa onto his horse.
The leader, a dark man in black and silver said, "No. Leave the boy, the King wishes only for the girl. Hurry up and place her on the horse so that we can go!"