A/N: Okay, here's the deal. I'm not sure how often I'll get to updating my Cilnea story and writing my Pyiron and Oracle stories. I might not at all. I'm busy and I'm on the IGN FF:CC board and the role-playing thread. I do know that I will make my own story with my own characters based on the role-playing story on so look forward to that. If you want to check out the original, my screen name is BoronGamer and my character in the RPG thread is Zinnia.
A/N 2: I'm a little embarrassed of writing this story and even more embarrassed at the title. As most of you may have figured, I'm not the mushy romantic type of writer and I prefer action and adventure along with natural-flowing humor. But I wanted to write this down for some reason, so no flaming! I do accept constructive criticism, though.
Summary: The princess of Alfitaria has returned to the castle after being abroad for two years. Her mind is not at ease, though, because her thoughts continuously drift towards a Selkie that she had met in Leuda. How far will she go to see him again?
Disclaimer: I don't own FF:CC or anything related to it. I do own a few characters in this story, though.
ΑΒΓΔΕΖΗΘΙΚΛΜΝΞΟΠΡΣΤΥΦΧΨΩΑΒΓΔΕΖΗΘΙΚΛΜΝΞΟΠΡΣΤΥΦΧΨΩΑΒΓΔΕ
Chapter 1: The Return
"You mustn't leave like that again, Princess! You've really sent the entire town into an uproar—"
Princess Fiona of Alfitaria barely listened to her knight, Knocfelna, as he continued to ramble on about all the grievances she had caused by her departure. She didn't want to hear this lecture. She had already heard enough of her wrongdoings from her father, the Lilty King of Alfitaria, all the guards whom she had run into, and several townspeople in Alfitaria. All this pressure on what to do and what not to do was what drove her crazy! It was because of that she needed to leave!
"—your father was really worried about you! He would've been devastated if anything was to happen to you—"
Fiona found her thoughts uncomfortably shifting to the time when she had been abroad. She had visited the Jegon River and met Tristan, a former guard of Alfitaria. She had been worried that he would recognize her and bring her back to her father, but luckily, he had not. Instead, he ferried her across the Jegon to the Fields of Fum without any charge. Of course, that was where Knocfelna had found her and tried to talk her into returning to Alfitaria. Oh, how she had resisted an urge to yell at him to leave her alone then! It took every once of self-control to be polite to him!
"—you should not have gone to Leuda, Your Highness. Those Selkies are dangerous! Who knows what they could have done to you, had I not been there—"
Selkies. This one word made every bit of Fiona's being tingle with a kind of nervousness she had never known before. She had only heard stories of them from her Clavat nurse, Emilia. The Selkies were said to be violent and hostile. All of them were thieves and brigands, all of them up to no good, Emilia had also said. Fiona had never actually seen one before being abroad, but the way that Emilia had described them, Fiona had imagined them to be evil and monster-like.
The Alfitarian princess could barely hear Knocfelna anymore. Her thoughts were completely on the Selkies. How wrong she had been! The Selkies were nothing like the evil criminals that Emilia and all the others had described! A few Selkies there had been quite distant from her and treated her with contempt, but they hadn't tried to hurt her. She would've thought that it was because of Knocfelna's presence, but there was one event that kept her from believing that.
There had been one Selkie there that she had been able to talk to without Knocfelna guarding her. He was unlike anyone that she had ever seen! He had light sky blue hair that had been kept in place with a purple bandanna and came spiky at the end. He hadn't been rude to her at all and hadn't tried to attack her. Rather, they talked during the night. Fiona felt comfortable talking to him about her past and about why she ran away from the castle. He didn't understand her very well, considering that he had never known such a life, but he was quite sympathetic to her.
"Princess! Can you hear me?"
"Huh?" Fiona snapped out of her daydream to see a worried Knocfelna looking up at her. He sighed when he was certain that Fiona was all right. "You had a glazed look on your face. I was worried that you were under some sort of a trance or feeling a bit unwell," he told her.
"Oh, I'm fine, thank you for being concerned," Fiona said, trying to show gratitude in her voice instead of annoyance. "I was just . . . thinking about when I was abroad. I enjoyed the sights I had seen. Will you take me abroad again, Knocfelna?"
"I am not sure of that, Princess." Knocfelna sighed tiredly. He loved the princess as if she was of his own daughter, but she was a teenager. She had just turned seventeen a few months ago. He knew from his own teenage son and daughter that the teen years were so difficult for both child and parent! It must be even more stressful for Princess Fiona, considering the fact that she was the only heir to the Alfitarian throne.
Maybe she had more of a reason to be stressed out because of her heritage? Her father was a Lilty, as all Lilty rulers in the past had been. The king had married a Clavat woman, though, and Fiona was the result of this marriage. Fiona was unlike Lilty and Clavat. She had long blond hair that was held up in a bun and was as tall as a Clavat her age. However, her temper when provoked seriously or extremely irritated and her attire signified her of the Lilty origin.
Princess Fiona had lost her mother at a very young age, but when she was old enough to remember so. Many of the Lilties of Alfitaria were not sympathetic to the king and the princess's loss. Instead, they gossiped about how since the old queen was gone, the Lilty king could remarry and Alfitaria can have a pure-blooded Lilty heir once again. To this day, their wishes had not yet been fulfilled.
Although she was the princess, Fiona did face some injustice, although she never faced it directly to her face. The Clavats sang praises of her beauty, but the Lilties didn't think that she was pretty at all. They considered her to be weak and not suited for the throne. It made Knocfelna angry to hear such disdain towards the princess, but felt as if he had to ignore the other Lilties and listen to the Clavats, whom he considered weak.
"Oh! Princess Fiona! You're back!"
Speaking of weak Clavats . . . Knocfelna thought silently to himself, wincing a bit at the high-pitched voice.
"Emilia! How have you been?" Fiona exclaimed, joining the Clavat in an embrace.
Emilia, a young Clavat girl of eighteen, was Fiona's personal nurse. Emilia was more of a sister or friend to Fiona, mostly because she didn't nag and mother Fiona like most nurses. She had short hair that was between blond and light brown and she wore a pink dress like all Clavats her age. She had on a belt with the symbol of the Lilties around her waist, though, that gave her away as a worker of the castle.
"Well, yes, I suppose this is such timing for a reunion," Knocfelna said a little nervously. He was embarrassed to be involved in feminine affairs, no doubt. He whispered to Fiona, "You had Lady Emilia quite worried as well and blaming herself for your disappearance!"
Fiona felt just a teensy bit guilty. She remembered that right before she had taken off, she had gotten into a fight with Emilia. It wasn't a big one and the two of them were on good terms, but what if Emilia had felt that she had taken off because of her? Once again, Fiona cursed herself for not waiting a little longer to leave. She couldn't even begin to imagine how much guilt she must've caused.
"How are you feeling, princess?" Emilia asked, regaining her composure and bowing.
"Don't worry, I am fine," Fiona answered formally, bowing to Emilia as well. "I've seen such great sights while I was abroad."
"Oh, really?" Emilia seemed a little distracted as she said this. "That's . . . uh . . . great, princess. You'll have to tell me sometime."
Fiona didn't know it, but Emilia had no desire to learn about the outside world. Her family had come from the Fields of Fum and they had been moving to Alfitaria via caravan when Emilia was three. But their caravan had been attacked by either monsters or brigands or thieves and Emilia was the only one who survived.
The next day, Alfitarian guards found Emilia and the upturned caravan around the outskirts of Alfitaria. They handed Emilia over to the Lilty king who said that Emilia would be a good companion to Fiona. The guards to this day know not what happened, but many believed that Selkies had raided the caravan.
Knocfelna must've sensed that Emilia was uncomfortable because he quickly said, "Princess, your father must be very worried about you as well. Why don't you run off and go see him?"
"Oh, I should do so," Fiona said. Now she seemed distracted. "Emilia, I'll tell you of my journey when I return.
"Of course, Princess." Emilia gave her another bow.
As Fiona walked towards the throne room, the only thought in her mind was how much trouble she was going to be in.
ΑΒΓΔΕΖΗΘΙΚΛΜΝΞΟΠΡΣΤΥΦΧΨΩΑΒΓΔΕΖΗΘΙΚΛΜΝΞΟΠΡΣΤΥΦΧΨΩΑΒΓΔΕ
Fiona greeted the guards standing by the king's chamber. They raised their arms in greeting. Another guard accompanied Fiona as they entered the chamber. The Lilty bowed to the king and said, "Your Highness. Your daughter has arrived."
"Very well. Please excuse us," the king ordered tersely.
The guard saluted once again and left, closing the doors on his way out. Fiona stood in the middle of the room, shaking visibly. Was her father angry? What was he going to say? What was he going to do?
"F-father . . ." Fiona said shakily, bowing, "I . . . I didn't mean to . . ."
Just then, the Lilty king turned on his heel and ran up to Fiona, taking her by the hands. "My dear, you had me worried sick! How could you have done something like this?"
"I'm sorry," Fiona answered, feeling a little more confident and less worried. "I just wanted to see the world. I was feeling so cooped up in the castle. I was so lonely, father."
"That is absolutely no excuse," the king retorted. "Look at me. When I lost your mother, I thought that I had lost everything. But I still have you. I can't lose you. Don't leave me again."
Fiona hugged her father affectionately and said, "I didn't mean to run away. I'm so sorry. Please, forgive me."
The king and Fiona pulled away from their embrace and the king said, "You may leave now, Fiona. I love you."
ΑΒΓΔΕΖΗΘΙΚΛΜΝΞΟΠΡΣΤΥΦΧΨΩΑΒΓΔΕΖΗΘΙΚΛΜΝΞΟΠΡΣΤΥΦΧΨΩΑΒΓΔΕ
Later that day, Fiona sat in her room, weaving a Lilty symbol on a piece of loose cloth, just like she had seen some Clavat and Selkie women do while she was abroad.
"Princess?" Emilia knocked on the door. "May I come in?"
"Emilia? Is that you?" Fiona asked, hiding her work under her bed. No telling how much Fiona would rant if she saw Fiona working. "Do come in!"
The Clavat girl entered the room with a dignified grace, she bowed to Princess Fiona. "I have great news, princess!"
"Do tell. What is it?" Fiona asked, curiously. Usually, she was left out of the news concerning the castle, whether they be good news or bad news. She wondered how this news would affect her directly.
Emilia squealed and clapped her hands. "Have you ever heard of Prince Korireh of Shella?"
"I . . . can't say I have," Fiona answered, puzzled.
"Well, the elder of Shella and our beloved king have found a way to promote peace among the four tribes!" Emilia continued. "You, my princess, and the Prince of Shella are officially engaged!"
"What?" Fiona exploded, jumping up and grabbing Emilia by the shoulders. "Say it isn't so! I have to marry? And marry a . . . a . . . Yuke?"
"He's only half a Yuke," Emilia answered, slipping away from Fiona's grasp. "This marriage will be perfect because you're half Lilty and half Clavat. And he is half Yuke and half Selkie!"
Selkie?
Fiona paused for a second, an idea coming into her mind. After a few seconds of silence, she said listlessly, "Emilia? Would you please leave? I need to do some thinking."
"O-of course, princess," Emilia curtsied wearily and quickly escaped out the door.
Fiona sat on her bed, deep in thought.
Selkie, huh?
ΑΒΓΔΕΖΗΘΙΚΛΜΝΞΟΠΡΣΤΥΦΧΨΩΑΒΓΔΕΖΗΘΙΚΛΜΝΞΟΠΡΣΤΥΦΧΨΩΑΒΓΔΕ
Meanwhile, a miasma stream over in Shella . . .
ΑΒΓΔΕΖΗΘΙΚΛΜΝΞΟΠΡΣΤΥΦΧΨΩΑΒΓΔΕΖΗΘΙΚΛΜΝΞΟΠΡΣΤΥΦΧΨΩΑΒΓΔΕ
"What? I'm supposed to do what?"
The angry boy was clad in a lavender long-sleeved robe, similar to the one the other Yukes wore, but longer and made of a different, softer fabric. It had a gold lining on the sleeves and the neckline and a brown belt decorated with tassels and he also wore a necklace with the Yuke symbol on it and a blue and purple checkered headband. His Yuke-like appearances were the two black wings poking out of his back, like all the Yukes had, and the noticeable brown and white fur Yuke fur between his fingers. He had navy blue hair, similar to a Selkie's, and the rest of him looked to be Selkic.
"I'm not joking," the Yuke standing in front of him said, crossing his arms. "Uh . . . Korireh? Don't gape like that. You look like a whale."
". . . Istimul?"
"Yeah?"
"Shut up."
"Gotcha."
"Argh! I can't stand this!" Korireh shouted, slamming his head on a nearby wall. "I don't wanna get married! And especially not to a Lilty-Clavat princess! You notice that Lilties and Yukes are born enemies . . . And Clavats and Selkies are born enemies?"
"So what?" Istimul asked.
"So that means that she's probably gonna eat me when we meet face to face!" Korireh whined. He took Istimul's hammer and started whacking himself on the head with it.
"Well, that's why you two are supposed to get married. To get rid of the animosities—don't hit yourself over the head with my hammer! You're defiling it!" Istimul said, taking the hammer away from the prince.
"Any ideas on how to get out of this marriage?" Korireh asked Istimul.
"Well . . . You can ask your father to back out. Or you can make the princess back out. Or you can run away. Of you can jump off a building or commit suicide. Or . . ."
"Wait, wait, wait," Korireh interrupted. "Did you just say, 'jump off a building or commit suicide?"
"Yeah." Istimul paused. "Why?"
"You want me to commit suicide twice?" Korireh asked, raising an eyebrow.
Istimul paused again, then continued, ". . . Or you can pretend to drown. Or you can trick everyone by pretending to be a normal Selkie. Or you can just say no repeatedly. Or you can refuse to say the blessings . . ."
"Istimul . . . You are an incompetent idiot," Korireh muttered, shaking his head, not listening to his friend ramble off.
ΑΒΓΔΕΖΗΘΙΚΛΜΝΞΟΠΡΣΤΥΦΧΨΩΑΒΓΔΕΖΗΘΙΚΛΜΝΞΟΠΡΣΤΥΦΧΨΩΑΒΓΔΕ
A/N: Oh, goodness gracious! Is that MY writing? Is it MY writing? Oh, my, what's becoming of me? If I keep this up, I'm gonna be a sappy romance writer one of these days! Not an action/adventure, sci-fi, humor writer! Great . . . --
A/N 2: For those of you who have seen the cutscene with Fiona and the Selkie, it's supposed to be that Selkie that she's in love with. I had to make up a name for him, though. You'll see him in either the next chapter or the third one.
A/N 3: Sost importantly, I'm not gonna put Zethar in the story. He's not even from one of the four tribes. But I AM going to put Korireh in the story. His personality is the same as it was before. How'd you like his reaction to the marriage?
A/N 4: Oh, yeah, about Istimul accidentally suggesting that Korireh commit suicide twice, it was an accidental usage by my history teacher. I don't remember why that came up, but a few kids in my class pointed it out to him. At least, that's what I think happened. Something to that extent.