Chapter Three
Note: So Elana isn't ever Elanaish in this. I couldn't help it. I needed her to be more instinctive to get the story moving.
For once in her life, Kari was completely alone. She knew no one in the town and spent her time hiding and listening, hoping to find about the man. After a few hours, Kari was about to give up when she saw him ride up in a troop of guards. All around her she heard whispers of who he was. He was the prince. Prince Randall to be exact.
'I come to remind you of the ball at the palace tonight,' the prince said. After a few more details, he left. The town was a buzz upon that and Kari got to learn more about him. He was a kind prince and did this like this all the time. A bit of an idiot when it came to war, but he was kind.
Kari realized she had to go to the ball. She could wear her normal clothes and hope that they did not stand out to much. She couldn't think to far ahead of she would frighten herself and give up going.
Getting into the ball was easy. Now Kari had to worry about talking to the prince when she could talk and Sinta had warned her about using mind-speech on the landies. Kari silently laughed at the title. It was one of the names children of her people called the land-folk as an insult.
'Hello, you look different,' said a voice from behind Kari. Kari swiftly turned around and found herself face to face with a girl about her age. The girl looked like most land-folk except her hair was about as dark as Kari's. Most land-folk had blond hair.
'My name is Elana, well, Princess Elana,' she then pointed at the prince, 'he's my younger brother.' Elana sighed. Kari stood in shock of this strange girl and realized that she was waiting for something. Kari's name. Kari hesitantly held out a piece of paper. Sinta had known enough of the landies language to write down Kari's name.
'Kari,' Elana read, 'What, you can't speak?' Kari shook her head. Elana looked at her guiltily.
'I'm sorry. I didn't mean it was a bad thing. Are you here with anyone?' Kari shook her head again. 'Then you must be my friend. Come!' Elana hurried off with Kari just behind her. Kari wondered if this was the way to meet Randall. Elana was a bit, well, strange and for someone that lived under the ocean for most of her life, most things didn't affect her like this.