Chapter 2

A/N: Okay, it's me again! I know I haven't updated "Cilnea Crystal Chronicles" for a while, but I need to revise it and school, tutoring, and youth advisory council meetings have been eating away at my time. Plus, all that craziness in my life eats away at my creativity, in addition to the fact that I want to work on an original story at the same time. Well, here it is, chapter 2!

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Chapter 2: Meet the Children

Princess Fiona, the heir of the throne of Alfitaria, looked outside her window sadly. It was a bright, sunny day in Alfitaria today, which proved to be a startling contrast to her dark mood. Today was the day her dear mother passed away many years ago.

Fiona sighed and turned away from her window. It was too depressing to look outside. All those happy families and the happy children and happy parents … It was a world that she knew no longer, and she wished not to think of such a time.

There had to be a way to quell the pain. Fiona wanted to go down to Leuda to visit the young selkie that she had met on her adventures. Her father had at first disapproved of her affection for the selkie, who was two years older than she was, but had mellowed out eventually and allowed Fiona to visit the selkie every once in a while, and for him to visit Fiona in Alfitaria.

Maybe today, I'll ask him to be my boyfriend… Fiona thought to herself, mentally giggling at the thought. This idea immediately brightened her face and brought her spirits up. It was settled. She would go to Leuda. Oh, but I need to bring Knocfelna along. She sighed, annoyed. Knocfelna never let her do anything. He would never let her crush be her boyfriend. But hey, I'm the princess, Fiona thought. I should be able to have a selkie for my boyfriend if I want to!

She walked out of her room with a smile on her face, that thought prevailing in her mind.

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Alfitaria had always made him nervous. Too many people would turn and grimace in his direction, or direct a snarl at him. He thought that he would be used to it by now, having endured it whenever he left Leuda, but the sinking feeling he felt whenever he received an angry look never ceased.

He name was Hajime and he was on his routine visit to Alfitaria. This habit had started about eight months ago, around the time when Princess Fiona returned from her trip abroad.

He had met Fiona when she had visited Leuda, and he had immediately been attracted to her. She was dressed like a selkie, but it was quite rare for a selkie to have blond hair. Only a select few had that colored hair. What had thrown him off even more in determining her race were her blue eyes and the lilty guard that accompanied her. Selkies never had blue eyes; they always had green eyes. But … She was not a clavat either. Clavats had brown eyes. Lilties were the only tribe to have blue eyes … But she did not look like a lilty. Lilties were small, and usually only came up to Hajime's waist; this girl was the of the same height as Hajime, if not a little shorter.

Hajime had felt that the lilty guard accompanying the girl was a wonder of its own. Why would a lilty be accompanying this girl? An guard of Alfitaria, of all lilties? Hajime had wondered. But he soon received his answer. The guard referred to the girl as "your highness." She was royalty. The princess of Alfitaria.

That was all the warning Hajime needed to know that he had to back away from this … this lady of unidentifiable race. But that was quite impossible. A few nights after her arrival, Hajime found himself sitting on the opposite side of a campfire as the princess.

The two of them had talked about the differences in their lifestyles. Hajime had been quite surprised about how Fiona had never seen the outside world, and had spent her entire life inside a dark castle. He couldn't imagine himself in her position. She seemed depressed about what destiny had in hand for her, and Hajime took it upon himself to brighten up her mood. It had apparently worked.

But the one thing that Hajime had been trying to avoid ever since Fiona's arrival had happened soon before her departure: Hajime had fallen in love with the princess. And she had fallen in love with him.

He had spent the first months after Fiona's arrival trying to visit her, but continuously got thrown out. Selkies obviously weren't welcome in Alfitaria, much less, around the princess. But Hajime had, with the help of a selkie merchant that visited Alfitaria yearly, managed to gain the trust of the king and was welcome around Alfitaria. That didn't change the looks that he got from the citizens of the city, but, at least the king approved.

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Leon Esla was bored. So, so bored. His mother had been making faces with the king of Alfitaria for well over an hour! He had wanted to get closer to them, but continuously got shooed away by the guards of Alfitaria, politely, of course, and told that his mother and the king wanted some time alone.

Who ever thought that Mom would be so interested in the king? Leon thought to himself. Who ever thought that the king would be so interested in Mom?

The lilty boy was so focused on his training with his spear that he didn't notice the young man walking in his direction. And he didn't notice him until he accidentally got him in the leg with his spear.

"Oh!" The victim of Leon's spear quickly grabbed his leg and bit his lip furiously and crimson fluid oozed down his leg. He gave Leon a pained angry look. "Hey, kid, watch that weapon, will you? It can really hurt a person."

Leon tore his eyes away from the victim's leg and stared into the man's face. His face immediately twisted into a scowl. "Hey! You're a selkie! What are you doing in my city?'

The selkie rolled his eyes. He tore off a bit of cloth from his shirt and started wrapping it around his leg. "I'm allowed to be here, for your information. Now excuse me, please, as I have business." Quietly so the boy couldn't hear, the selkie muttered under his breath, "And, thanks to you, some more business."

"State your business!" Leon proclaimed loudly, thrusting his spear at the selkie's face. "And state your name, too!"

Pushing the rude object aside, the young man said, "Hajime of Leuda, and I'm here to see Princess Fiona and get some medical care for the wound you just caused."

"What do you want with the princess?" Leon asked suspiciously.

"Jeez, kid, you don't get out much, do you?" Hajime responded. "I've been coming here for months."

"Liar! I don't believe it!" Leon shouted.

"Look, I don't—!"

"Hajime? What are you doing here?"

Both males turned around to find the source of the voice. There, they saw Princess Fiona in all her glory. Her hair was held up in a neat bun and decorated with a ruby. She wore metal boots and metal gauntlets, but she wore a pink and white dress that reached her knees.

"Who's that?" Leon asked.

"That's the princess!" Hajime retorted, smacking his forehead in exasperation. "Don't you know your own princess?"

"Made a new friend, Hajime?" Fiona asked teasingly, giggling a little.

Hajime didn't say anything. He just tried to hide his bleeding leg. He then saw Knocfelna, Fiona's personal guard with a weird name. He hoped that the sardonic lilty guard wouldn't point out his wounded leg and start criticizing him.

"Hello to you, Hajime," Knocfelna said in a polite but arrogant voice when Fiona glared at him to greet Hajime.

"Likewise," Hajime responded, bowing to both guard and princess. He felt uncomfortable when he did. Bowing was not a custom common to the selkies.

Knocfelna nodded, acknowledging Hajime's response, and turned to Leon Esla. "Who are you, boy?"

"I am not a boy!" Leon took a sharp intake of breath. "I am the great Leon Esla! The slayer of the Black Knight.

"Say what?" Hajime screamed.

"Oh, yes, I remember. I've heard about you." Knocfelna's eyes sparkled in amusement under his helmet. "I had heard that you thrust your spear into him and killed him with one blow."

"Sure did!" Leon answered proudly. "And I brought his armor home as a trophy! Wanna see?"

"When I have time, I will," Knocfelna answered. He was obviously humoring the little boy.

Meanwhile, Hajime was turning a bit pale. "He didn't," he said to Fiona, pointing at the lilty youngster.

"He did!" Fiona draped her arms around Hajime's shoulders.

"Well, how can a—"

"Make way! Make way for the king!"

The princess, the guard, the youngster, and the selkie turned to the direction of the voice. The king and Jona Esla, accompanied by many guards, were approaching the arguing four.

"Father!" Fiona ran to the king and gave him a hug. Then, she turned to Jona Esla and bowed respectfully. "How do you do?"

Jona answered with a bow. "I am fine, your highness."

Hajime and Knocfelna both bowed respectfully and said, "Your highness," although Hajime was noticeably uncomfortable.

Leon simply stared at the surrounding crowd. "Mom! Can we go home now!"

"Leon!" Jona said exasperatedly.

The king of Alfitaria chuckled and said to Leon, "I just want to make an announcement, my boy, then you may be off." He then turned to the streets of Alfitaria and announced, "Citizens of Alfitaria, lend me your ears!"

Everyone in the streets immediately quieted down to hear him.

"Today, I am making one of the most important decisions of my life," the king continued. "For years, our city has gone on without a queen. But no longer will our city have that burden. With respects to my fair first wife …"

Fiona immediately tuned out the rest of her father's speech. No, no! This can't be happening!

Knocfelna was puzzled and thoughtful. Don't tell me that the king is …!

Jona Esla was blushing even more than she ever thought she could. He … He couldn't…!

Leon Esla and Hajime, however, were just confused. What is the king talking about?

"Today … I ask Jona Esla to be my wife," the king concluded, taking Jona's hand.

The citizens burst into applause.

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A/N: Well, how was that? Yes, Hajime is the name of the selkie in "Forbidden Love," formerly "Going the Distance." But the two stories are not related.