...you guys I think I'm out of touch with this story. My writing just feels very...blah. I feel like these past chapters have been the most boring ever, I just feel like the spark is gone...if you can tell, please let me know. I don't want to beat a dead horse with this...

Disclaimer: I don't own anything related to Mario or its franchise; it belongs to

Nintendo and their affiliates. I just am really grateful to its creators for giving

me such a wonderful game and media series to write about!

I also don't own anything related to Harry Potter, all that belongs to J.K. Rowling,

but thanks go to her as well because, using her wonderful work, I can expand this

story to make it more interesting.

I also don't own anything related to Naruto.

Chapter Eight

Today was his birthday. He was eighteen now. Funny, he didn't feel any older or any different. He just felt lonely. Lying in a four-poster, king-sized bed decked out in silks and cottons and way too many pillows than he needed, he felt so alone. It hit him today more than any other because he knew how he'd be spending it were he back with his siblings, his family. Instead he was here, in this lavish bedroom, a million miles from home. With his arms behind his head and his eyes gazing far beyond the war and bloodshed mural on the ceiling, he thought of more familiar things. That is, until a chipper knock rattled his door.

The young man instinctively sat up and glanced at the door, letting the cool black sheets pool around his waist. He wore no shirt, but that was to be expected when he had about a thousand layers of sheets covering the bed. Besides that, it was notoriously hot in this kingdom.

"S'open," the newly-turned eighteen-year-old called.

And that was all the invitation his retainer needed to come barreling into his bedroom with about thirty others in tow. They were musicians, and at the portly, bespectacled retainer's command, they began to play a soft but festive tune.

"Good morning, Rex!" The pink-skinned retainer greeted.

He had to be hot under his white coat and slacks, but that went unnoticed by the grinning, balding man.

The young man on the bed, Rex as he'd been called, winced a bit as the room was first bathed in music and then flooded with light. He could now see that his retainer was indeed sweating and that there was indeed a live band of musicians playing a concert in his room.

Not that he was too surprised.

The people loved him here.

He hadn't been dropped off a week before he came face to snout with Arid City's most feared enemy, the Scar-Toothed Crouchers. It was an odd name for a deadly breed of beasts, given their name for their preferred method of attacking their prey. His encounter happened in the dead of night because he hadn't been adjusting well to palace life and had taken a walk outside the boundaries of the city gates; that was when he'd been bitten by one of the fearsome, grey-skinned monsters. Maybe it was a fluke, maybe it was luck, but the gifted teenager had been able to take down not only the creature who'd bitten him, but the three others who came after him as well. He'd used a combination of his staggering strength and his magical abilities and all it took was for a handful of soldiers out on patrol at the city gates to witness the whole encounter. From then on, his name and deeds spread like a bad rumor and grew increasingly more exaggerated the more often the tale was told.

It didn't take long for him to rise to a state of heroism in the people's eyes.

What the boy mistook for a random experience he should never like to repeat was deemed a victory against the age-old enemies of the entire kingdom. The king himself had never really taken to the boy whom the self-declared new King of the Badlands had plopped in Arid City's lap, but he soon had a change of heart. For too long, the Crouchers would attack the kingdom each month, taking more and more lives with each attack. To have someone defeat the creatures when even Arid Kingdom's best, brightest, and brawniest of warriors could not; well, that warranted the king's favor.

And then some, the young man thought on the bed, recounting how he was showered with gifts and praise. Even now, after months had passed, he was still treated as a hero and a prince. If his nickname were anything to go by, that title was well within his reach.

"And how are you on this fine day?" His retainer's booming voice called out pleasantly.

The young man yawned and shrugged, letting that be his answer. It did no less to widen his retainer's smile, and briefly the young man wondered if there was anything he could do now to fall out of the king's and the people's good graces.

Everywhere he went, eyes followed. He could pride himself on the envious looks of other men of all ages, though he wasn't quite sure how he felt about the heady lust present in the gazes of women both his age and much older. And not just his looks granted him favor, but his abilities as well. Here his strength was legend.

"I come bearing a gift," His retainer then spoke over the music, "From the king, for your birthday."

And now the young man was expecting some golden trinket or hefty sum of money or bag of jewels. He'd been drowned in such pricey affections over the course of the last several weeks and they were beginning to lose their luster. But that wasn't what his gift was.

The music died down and the young man watched as the musicians began to make room for someone. Someone whose every step was punctuated with the sound of tiny, jingling bells.

The young man called Rex's eyes widened a small bit because he knew what this was. He'd studied up on Arid Kingdom's laws, rituals, and customs under the guidance of his faithful retainer. Just as he'd informed his retainer in passing of his impending day of birth, he'd been informed of a rather dated tradition surrounding a royal-born male's eighteenth year.

He hadn't moved an inch in his bed when this girl, this beautiful young woman a little older than himself came and stood before him. In her hands there was a tray of food. It was nothing he hadn't seen before: fresh fruit, toasted bread, sweet porridge, a hearty portion of savory steak, raw oats, and gilded mug of hot tea. This was breakfast.

So that must mean... The young man quickly deduced that he was right. The girl was the gift. His gift. His...concubine.

If there was ever a time he was in doubt of how the king thought of him, despite all the kindnesses he'd been shown in the past few weeks, his favor was yet again confirmed now.

The girl was still standing before him and the young man's retainer glanced at her approvingly. He then turned towards his charge.

"The King would have you at his side in the arena once you're done, Rex." The retainer announced, then he winked at the young man and added, "Take your time, though; it is your birthday, after all."

And he and the musicians made their exit, leaving the one called Rex alone with his 'gift'. He was conflicted. Uncomfortable, even. He stared at her and couldn't deny she was beautiful, but that only brought more light to her purpose and made him uncomfortable again.

"Would you like to eat, my Lord?" The girl spoke.

The young man winced because her use of that title was only emphasizing the dynamics of their relationship, but he played off his discomfort and nodded. He moved so that his back was near the bed's headboard and reached for the tray of food. What he hadn't anticipated was the young woman climbing onto the bed as well and sidling up next to him. She gave him a sultry smile and asked if he was nervous.

"No." He immediately denied, but the young woman laughed.

She laughed lightly. "If you say so, my Lord."

"Don't call me that." He asked of her.

The girl tilted her head and said. "Okay then. Rex."

He wanted to tell her not to call him that, either, but he changed his mind. Everyone else called him Rex, so he'd reserve the use of his real name for his siblings only.

If I ever see them again, he thought dismally.

"Aren't you going to eat, Rex?" He heard the girl ask, then add, "If you want, I could feed you."

He glanced sideways at her and saw her dark brown eyes alight at his attention. She really was physically captivating with eyes like those. They illuminated her tawny-skinned face and complimented a pair of ruby lips well. And her thick, curly black hair was moderately short but flounced all around her head like a wild, shiny mane. She was pretty.

I wish we hadn't met like this, the young man thought. He knew what a concubine was, and what he was expected to do with one, but that's why he was nervous, deep down. He'd only initiated...that kind of behavior a couple of times in the past, and both times he felt like he was playing a role he couldn't quite get into.

As he began to eat, he pondered how he was going to...make use of this girl when he didn't even so much as know her name. He was eating his steak when he thought of this and the thought of what 'making use' of her would entail made him turn a color in the face that was reminiscent of his shaggy pink hair.

"What's the matter, Rex?" The girl asked, though she sounded amused.

"Nothing," He answered quickly, then asked, "What's your name?"

"...Eriana." She answered, blinking at his blurted inquiry.

He nodded and said out of habit from manners his older brother severely doubted he even had, "Nice to meet you."

"I'll say." Eriana smirked and spoke quietly to herself.

She continued to observe the young man, who took generous bites at his food as if he were trying to eat away his thoughts. She thought no harm in laying a hand on his upper arm, for in her mind she meant to calm the clearly anxious young man. But when he stiffened, she moved her hand back and gazed thoughtfully at him. She would have asked him about his overt unease, but he rose suddenly and put the tray on his nightstand.

This is just weird, he thought in regards to his 'gift'. It was one thing to read about having someone at your beck and call, solely to allay any primal desires you had, but to be thrust into such an arrangement himself was unnerving. He found very quickly that he didn't like anyone touching him without his permission and hardly felt comfortable doing that to anyone else, whether it was his 'right' or not. This was causing him emotional unrest.

So, in his typical fashion, he chose to ignore it.

I'll just go blow off steam at the arena, he figured, heading to his closet to get fully dressed.

His closet was another testament of his status in the kingdom. It was beyond walk-in, and had so many different clothes he could wear a different outfit every day for a year and still have combinations untried. Not just clothes he had, but hats and belts and boots and sandals and tons of jewelry.

The enormous amount of accessories normally made him swell up with pride, but today it only reminded him of his little sister and how much she'd enjoy this more than him. He frowned and stared down at the maroon boots near his feet. He already had on a pair of cool, thin pants of the same color, so he bent down strapped the tailored shoes onto his bare feet. When he stood back up, it was to pick out a shirt-or what passed for one here. It, too, was maroon and was more of a vest that left the middle of his chest and stomach exposed, as well as his toned arms.

From a set of wooden drawers he took out select gold ornaments; a pair of gold rings, one for each bicep. It was another status symbol, as was the heavy chain-link gold medallion he withdrew and put around his neck. He normally wore a bunch of rings, too, but he wasn't in the mood to dress up today. He just couldn't shake that homesick feeling.

There was a particular had resting on a shelf with a bunch of others; it was special in that he wore it whenever he made a public appearance at the arena. It was more of a golden headdress and at first he thought it was silly to wear it, that was closer to the time when he first arrived in Arid City. But soon he learned that it was another power symbol and grew used to its weight atop his bright pink locks.

When he was fully arrayed in his clothes and accessories, he left the closet and saw the girl, Eriana, lying on her side on the bed. Only then did he notice what she was wearing, besides the seductive smile. Her pants were really shorts were really underwear, when it came down to it. They fit over her curvy bottom tightly, as if they were painted on. The sheer mauve pants she wore did nothing to hide those underthings and they ended right at her knees. Her stomach was completely exposed and he could see a line of diamonds piercing her navel and below, and her top was nothing more than a glorified black bra with the same mauve sheer material forming a sheath and cap sleeves above it. Around her neck was a golden choker with black velvet threaded between each chain link, and there was a dainty gold chain-link bracelet around her wrist.

At first he thought her outfit was stunning, then the chains reminded him of bondage, and then he remembered his sister who always craved freedom and independence, and then he grew disgusted with ever seeing his sister wearing something like that. He turned his head.

"I'm going to the arena." He told the wall.

"Then I will go with you," came Eriana's eager declaration.

He only shrugged and left the room with her in tow.

Easton was beautiful. For a long time, mostly as a child, Daisy couldn't appreciate the kingdom's simplicity; she'd seen nothing but grass and boredom. But now, being older and having lived through war and other sobering experiences, she could relish in the place. There weren't many trees or other sorts of vegetation, just vast stretches of dull green grass. Scattered here and there were gently-sloping hills and small bodies of water, all leading over towards a wide river near the horizon. The princess stared at the scenery a bit wistfully from the inside of her carriage. For a few more minutes, she could hear the sound of the vehicle's wheels creaking along the ground, and the sound of the many horse hooves clopping through the soft grass as her team of soldiers and other royal personnel traveled behind her. Soon, though, the noises stopped and gave way to a new sound.

Whistling.

It was slightly muted, since today was not a windy one, but the eerie sound was still perceptible. Before even getting out, the princess knew what that noise was.

It hasn't gotten any less creepy since I was a kid, she noticed with a small shiver.

An attendant opened her door and helped her down out of the carriage. After thanking them, Daisy stared at the thing responsible for the otherworldly whistling sound; er, the things. There were eleven of them to be exact.

"It's been a while since I've seen these," Daisy whispered to herself.

She stood near the carriage with her lightweight maroon cloak hanging on her shoulders. It was open and the flaps under her neck caught the breeze. She didn't even notice because her light eyes were fixed on one of the eleven things, the statues that surrounded her and her party. There was no official name for the gargantuan grey stones that bore the likeness of human heads in various expression of grief, nor was there a forthcoming theory of their function.

Nightmare fodder, probably, the princess thought with a faint wince.

"Shall we go out, then?" Someone asked.

Daisy blinked and turned her head, feeling the unfamiliar weight of her diamond crown resting on her thick, pinned up hair. She lifted a brow for clarification's sake.

The uniformed woman who'd spoken said, "Shall my team and I go out and alert the citizens of your arrival now?"

"Yes." Daisy nodded, then watched the other woman bow her head respectfully and leave.

There were about five or six soldiers leaving with her, and three other similar-sized groups were leaving as well in different directions. These scouts had the task of rounding up all the people of Easton and gathering them here in the middle of the field with the statues.

Not like there's a name for this area, Daisy thought. She knew it was much different from Chai, where everything had a name and purpose, almost down to the last errant blade of grass.

Several others gathered with the princess began acting in a similar fashion; gaining her permission to go about their designated jobs. Some of them were tasked with unloading the supplies and tents they'd all be sleeping in, while others were charged with setting up the collapsible tables and chairs that were brought along. There was a lot to be done and, being from the infamous City of Order, everybody got right down to work.

Daisy helped out wherever she could. She knew the itinerary well: on this first day, she'd greet the people, inform them of her plans to help rebuild and restore the kingdom, and hand out free meals and clothing and necessity kits. Later on, she'd have sign-ups for whoever would like to be official leaders in the communities. Tomorrow, she'd have to hold interviews for those potential leaders and leave behind select representatives from Chai to train them and monitor their progress to report back to her.

It's a good thing we got here early, She noted, though she had to smile wryly because it wasn't as if the person whose job it was to calculate arrival and departure times would be wrong; no, if Chai's workers were anything, they were thorough, no matter how menial their job was.

Daisy helped set up the tables and chairs first. They were made of an easily-portable metal material and took no time to unfold and assemble. The long silver furniture stuck out against the pastoral setting of Easton, but the soft, lily-white tablecloths did help in muting their coldness. From there, Daisy moved over to where there was a team of workers filling up huge metal pots with water and helped them with that. Again, there wasn't much work to be done since the water was fresh and already packed from Chai. The pots were lightweight as well and Daisy had no problem carrying a few of the dozens over towards the side of the long tables. She assisted in setting a fire under each pot and then in pouring some of the food into the pots. The food was powderish and would take the form of a sort of chili once it had time to heat up and absorb the water. It was one of the quick-prep foods the military used.

Not the most flavorful foods, Daisy recalled, But it's filling.

And there was bread being unloaded from the horse to add to the meal, along with containers of water. There were clothes being stacked on the left end of the contiguous tables. The clothes were folded neatly and came in three different sizes; man, woman, and child. White and cottony they were, just a shirt and pants that were tied with twine. In the middle of the tables there was a bunch of hard paper boxes filled with toiletries, simple medicines, a first-aid manual, and non-perishable goods like sacks of beans and rice and jars of nuts. On the very right end of the tables there were bowls being set near the bread and containers of water. Other than the odd whispering and the sounds of work, silence pervaded through the area.

Daisy knew that Chai was treating this like a mission and not an outreach to their fellow kingdom. The rigidity of it all gave that away. The food, the standard clothing, the neat little survival kits; it was all uniform and orderly and lacked any real warmth in its design.

But that's where I come in, she knew, smiling a bit. She knew she could provide the friendliness and genuine care that the well-meaning workers of Chai lacked for all their dutifulness.

By the time everything was finished being set up, the scouts were back with some of the villagers. Daisy took her place behind the tables, atop a mini-wooden stage, and saw her guards come to flank her on all sides. There were more guards as well, specifically there to corral the villagers into a tidy, circular herd and to also make sure no one got rowdy or tried to hurt the ruling Princess.

I guess I can start now, Daisy thought as she stood there, literally above everyone else.

It was silent in the area still and the princess took a moment to survey all the villagers who'd come in. They all had in common the worn-out look to them, what with the women's tired eyes and the hunched backs in some of the men. There were hardly no children present, and those that were around looked quiet and much too mature for their little bodies. These people knew hardship, hunger, and loss. They carried a practically palpable aura of grief and weariness. Daisy shivered not at the whispering breeze, but at the glassy look in some of their eyes. It was like they'd just given up and were living out the rest of their days in silent anticipation of life no more. It was depressing.

But this is why I'm here, Daisy thought resolutely, to help them pick up the pieces after what Tatanga did.

And in that spirit, she spoke to the people. The crowd was small, but she gave a speech worthy of a stadiums' worth of ears. She apologized first for leaving her country in their time of need, as that had been weighing heavily on her conscience. All she got here were some confused gazes and blinks. When she spoke of her plans to join with the villagers to rebuild and restore their kingdom, though, they grew a bit more responsive. Tentative tendrils of hope started making its way through the audience, and when she was done speaking, they all bowed to her.

Daisy then went back down to the tables and busied herself with handing out meals and clothing and kits, and filling out logs of who wanted to volunteer for leadership positions. To her surprise, there were quite a few sheets that got totally inked out. With every item handed out gave a broad smile, and was pleased to see that the number of villagers was growing by the half-hour.

Perhaps the word of free food and supplies drew them out, Daisy mused when she had a moment to think.

It was taxing work to get hands-on like this, but she wouldn't have it any other way. In her eyes, her participation only vouched for her earlier words of bringing light back to the kingdom of Easton.

For some reason, that aching, lonely feeling just wasn't going away, no matter what. Usually being in the arena was something that brought the young 'Rex' an almost euphoric high, but not today. Today he got to the gates of the stadium and heard the deafening roar of the crowd and that feeling of lightness and excitement was significantly muted.

What's goin' on with me today, he wondered, only mildly upset. He was still slightly preoccupied with the girl that was following him around. Eriana. She was on his heels and had a curious look on her face that told him she wanted to know why they were standing at the gates of the arena and not going inside.

With an inward sigh, forlorn and frustrated, he pushed open the gates and winced a bit when Eriana took his hand. He saw the wisdom in that as he walked inside the stadium because it was so full of people, he would have lost her otherwise.

He led her straight towards the king's personal box, way up high near the middle of the left side of the arena. Already the king was standing and grinning at the young man's arrival.

"Rex!" He exclaimed.

He had his hands clasped behind his back because, early on, he'd found that Rex wasn't the hugging type. Barely bridling his excitement for the young hero, the king rocked gently on his heels and waited for Rex to come and take a seat at his left. To the young man's surprise, the girl Eriana sat in his lap, with her bottom on his left leg and her back arched primly. She could feel him stiffen but merely tilted her head again and gazed at him.

The young man glanced to his left but there was no seat there, and the king was at his right. He figured he'd leave it alone.

Ain't like she's really botherin' me, he reasoned, but that reason did nothing to stop his body from reacting in a very weird way. Not wholly unwelcome, but weird nonetheless. And speaking of weird reactions, the king saw this brief exchange and grinned.

"I see your gift has found her way to you," He remarked to the young Rex. "I trust you're enjoying your special day?"

The young man only shrugged noncommittally. He really wasn't. In fact, this was cracking up to be a very strange and gloomy one, despite the occasion. He didn't say any of that, though, just leaned back in his own stone seat and pretended to be interested in what was going on down below.

On the expansive sandy ground, surrounded by hundreds and hundreds of spectators, a wrestling match was taking place. It was the sort where eight to ten of the brawniest men and women in the kingdom were duking it out in a no-holds-barred match to see who would be facing the champion.

Rex.

That was another of his nicknames here, once the people learned how strong he was against their mightiest warriors. Normally the 'Champion' loved attending these sport matches and couldn't wait to see who'd he'd be taking down, but not today. He just wasn't feeling it. He knew he'd have to muster up the vibe somehow, though, because there were only four people still standing, the others either knocked out cold or already carted out to the medical tower.

"You know, Rex," The king suddenly piped up, "I haven't really had the chance to properly thank you for all you've done."

At that the young man wore an incredulous expression. He'd received countless gifts and medals and tokens of appreciation from individual citizens, from the king, and on behalf of the entire Kingdom. Frankly, he was starting to wonder if it would ever end.

Not that I'm really complaining, the young man thought, then glanced at Eriana and felt a mixture of unease and foreign emotions well up inside him. He had a picture then, one of his little sister; had someone given her away as another man's gift?

Don't be stupid, Roy. That ain't gonna' happen, he convinced himself. Poorly.

Roy glanced at the king and watched him gaze at the wrestling match with intrigue. He wasn't very old for a king, from what Roy could tell. He still had his black hair, no grays, and there weren't many wrinkles in his tanned face, just a few near his sparkling brown eyes and near his mouth when he grinned. The king did that now as he faced Roy.

"Here you are, then." He handed the young man something in a black box.

Roy took the proffered gift and felt Eriana's soft hand latch onto his shoulder to keep her balance as she leaned down, peering nosily at the box in his hands. He paid her little mind and removed the lid of the paper thing, then tugged something porcelain and painted from the bed of velvet it lay on.

"Ooh," Eriana cooed softly beside his ear.

Roy knew it was a flask, but that was the extent of his knowledge. He held it in his callused hand as carefully as he could so as not to shatter it. It was metal with black and gold and red paint clashing all over it in elegant swirls and, on the bottom, there was his name. Well, there was the name 'REX'. Roy made a sour face, and that made Eriana smile, though he didn't see her out the corner of his eye.

The king didn't take offense to his expression, merely stated, "You are of age, Rex. And I, as well as my kingdom, are in your debt."

Roy just stared at him.

The king grew solemn and motioned with his hand to the right. Roy followed his gaze with his own green eyes and saw a young woman stand. This one was seated next to the king to the right, and once she stood Roy could tell she was also probably older than he. Her dress was simple, just a Grecian white creation trimmed in gold with the hem above her knees. Her hair was the color of sand being tossed around in the wind and her eyes were like honey beneath thick brown brows. There was a slim gold circlet around her forehead and her thin lips were as pale as his sister's favorite color.

Wen, he thought to himself with a faint frown.

This new young woman approached the king and bowed before Roy. And, much to his obliviousness, two things happened. The girl in white flashed a very private, nervous grin, while the smile that had previously graced Eriana's mouth fell flat and gave way to a slightly vacant expression. Roy's eyes were on the king and the king's eyes had been yanked to the belly of the arena as one of the brawlers got clothes-lined.

Turning back to Roy, the king smiled and said, "May I present to you my niece, Ariadne."

If he'd been looking, Roy would have seen the flash of something stricken and alarmed dart over Eriana's face. Instead, Roy was staring at this Ariadne, who bowed to him and bore no trace of her earlier bashfulness. She was all grace and business.

"Hello, Rex." She spoke in a voice as fleeting as the warm wind around them.

"...Yo."

The King said, "As I said, you are of age now, and if you are willing, I'd like to see your union before I step down from the throne."

"...Wait...what?" Roy frowned.

Much as his younger brother pointed out, he wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed, and he was especially no linguist. But that last sentence had suspiciously reeked of marriage.

"I give you my niece's hand in marriage," The king confirmed. "Seeing as how her parents are deceased and I am her guardian."

Roy's frown deepened and he only now glanced at Eriana. By now the girl's tawny face was deceptively blank and her eyes followed Ariadne as she sat back at the king's right.

Roy spoke in confusion, "But I thought..." And he trailed off and glanced again at Eriana.

The King's laugh was booming as he caught onto the younger man's confusion. He leaned over towards Roy as if imparting some great secret.

"You'll only be betrothed to 'Adne now, you won't marry her until you're at least twenty-one." He stated.

Roy furrowed his brow and asked, "But what about-"

"Experience, my boy." The king interjected, already knowing what was on Roy's mind.

And that was all that was said on the matter. The King just winked and turned back to the match, leaving Roy with even more conflicting emotions than before.

"REX! REX! REX!"

But then the crowd was chanting.

"REX! REX! REX!"

And almost instinctively Roy stood, letting Eriana slide off his lap and, only vaguely aware of what he was doing, he gave her the box with the flask. He knew the match had ended and it was time to go down and fight in the arena. He used to loved doing this, showing off, getting glory.

"Good luck, Rex!" Someone's airy voice called to him; Ariadne. She was waving.

He waved back a small bit, absent-mindedly, and threw her a half-smile that he didn't know made her heart skip a beat. But then the same hand he waved to her with was tugged on lightly and he turned back to Eriana. She was sitting in his seat with her knees tucked under her. When he faced her, she rose up and kissed his cheek and he just brushed that off, along with the feelings it stirred inside him. Taking into account who she was to him and the king's words, he thought little of it, nor did he think to look back or he would have seen the curious looks exchanged between the two individuals on either side of the king.

Roy could very thick sometimes.

It had been a long day, and she'd almost forgotten to eat amidst all the activities, but now Daisy was lying alone in tent on her comfortable woolen pallet, trying to go to sleep. Her mind replayed the events of the day, from her speech to the last few meals being handed out. It was a good day, a successful day. She'd have to get up early the next day for interviews, so it would make sense to catch some shut eye.

But she couldn't get to sleep.

It wasn't for fear of danger. Not only was there nothing but grass and wind as far as the eye could see in all directions, but her tent was ensconced between several guards who were taking turns throughout the night, watching over her. She was tired, too, so she had every reason to drift off. Her body had been pushed from helping out almost non-stop today. She did crave sleep. But her mind wouldn't rest.

The princess turned onto her side and faced the two flaps of her tent that would lead outdoors. She didn't feel like taking a walk to clear her head, and she knew that there was only one thing on her mind.

Luigi.

She missed him so much. It'd only been a couple of days and already she missed going to sleep with him. That's what she was really yearning for. It didn't feel right to sleep alone anymore. She missed having him behind her, having his arms around her. She missed him holding her and only now she realized that it'd been longer than she first thought since she'd had that kind of comfort. She now understood why Luigi was so disappointed to see her go.

We really haven't been seeing much of each other, Daisy mused, the thought dawning on her.

The girl sighed into her pillow and shifted so that the pallet was better adjusted under her hip, then she pulled the blankets on top of herself and vowed to get back to the palace as quickly as she could.

A/N: like I said, this really feels boring and uneventful to me. I hope I'm not spoiling your opinions of the story with my lack of enthusiasm. I think I'm checking out with the story bc I've been checking out on life; the same things don't bring me joy anymore. I think my depression is coming back.

Well.

On that note, I'll try and cheer myself up someway. Hopefully when I get to the exciting part of the story, things will look up (that's either in next chapter or the chapter after that)

Cheers

~DymondGold~