Chapter 3: Broken Heart
Days passed by since the incident that happened in the city raising concerns on the Kingdom. Emily heard as her father began to plan how to get rid of the monsters. She sighed and turned to look at the young man that saved her from the monsters. He was still hurt, unconscious and pale. It scared Emily. "He looks like Serena pale," said a voice and Emily turned to find Mia standing in the doorway. Emily nodded. "You should have seen when he fought them monsters," Emily said in astonishment. "It was awesome." Mia chuckled.
"I read about those monsters in the library," Mia began. "They are called moogers." Emily turned to look at her. "I read all the books in the library where did you find that one?" Mia shrugged. "It was hidden and filled with dust." "Can I see it?" Emily asked and Mia nodded. "Sure let me bring it," her maid said before walking out the door. Emily sat and sighed staring at the young man. Suddenly his eyes opened scaring Emily out of her skin. She was about to scream but stopped herself. The man looked around frantically. "Where am I?" he asked and gasped when he saw Emily. "Emily?" he asked and tried to sit up but gasped in pain.
"Lay back down," Emily said pushing him gently. He looked at her. "What are you doing in a dress? And why does this look like a castle?" Emily blinked. The man saw her puzzled look. Mia came in with the book in her hands. "Here it is… Oh my gosh!" Mia said as she saw the man had woken up. "Mia?" he asked. Mia looked at him puzzled. "Do I know you?" "Yes! We are friends remember?" he asked making Mia look at Emily. "Are you sure they only hit his chest and not his head?" Emily nodded. "Positive."
"I'm Antonio! You don't remember me at all?" the man asked in shock. Mia and Emily shook their heads. "No, no, no!" Antonio said shaking his head. "You have to remember!" He looked at them in pleading eyes but they shook their heads. Antonio got up the bed even though his body protested and began to walk down the stairs. "Wait!" Mia yelled. Antonio kept walking until he bumped into Prince Jayden. "Jayden!" Antonio exclaimed. "Tell Mia and Emily we're friends!" Prince Jayden looked at him. "I don't know you peasant." Antonio looked at him before turning to Kevin who was standing with Jayden. "Kevin tell them we are power rangers!" Sir Kevin looked at Prince Jayden who was puzzled.
Antonio looked at them before running again. "Wait!" he heard Jayden call. He ignored him and began to limp. 'What happened here?' he asked. 'Everything is different and everyone is like brainwashed except me. Fuck stupid injury!' Antonio collapsed into the floor clutching his wound before feeling someone helping him up. He turned to see Mia and Kevin. "C'mon you need more rest."
"I don't need rest!" Antonio growled pulling away from their grasp. "I need you to remember! You are power rangers! We are power rangers! We save the world!" Mia and Sir Kevin exchanged confused glances before looking at him. Antonio clenched his teeth noticing that they were looking at him lost and confused. He sighed and decided that it was best to rest and murmured, "Fine. Help me back." Sir Kevin grabbed his arm and slung it on his neck as he helped Antonio back to the room.
Prince Jayden shook his head watching as Sir Kevin and Mia helped the man back to his room. 'That guy is crazy,' he thought but for some weird reason, he wanted to believe him. Something told him he was telling the truth but he shook his head, making the feeling go away. He walked outside where his horse was waiting and new he had to go back to his kingdom. "Tell the King and Queen I must return to my kingdom," he told the knights as they nodded. He climbed his horse before riding away from the castle right past where Mike was hiding.
The thief ducked as Prince Jayden passed him before looking back at the castle. He wanted to see the Princess again. After seeing her when those monsters had attacked, he wanted to see her again. He smiled remembering the thought before sneaking inside past the knights. Mike went to a sunflower garden and ducked there hearing some knights walk by. He smirked seeing that he passed the security when he felt someone cover his eyes. He nearly yelled and jumped out of his skin. He spun around to see the princess giggling. "Hey there," she laughed seeing his scared expression. "H-hi," Mike stuttered blushing. She smiled at him before she squinted and gasped. "You're the guy that was at the market!" Emily told him remembering Mike defending her with a pole. "Yeah, that's me," Mike stammered while the princess smiled.
"I never got to thank you for that," Emily stated looking thoughtful before grabbing Mike's hand. The sudden contact made Mike blush a deep red and locked eyes with the princess. "Thank you," Emily whispered, her eyes twinkling. Mike opened his eyes wide and smiled. "Uh, you're welcome...um." "Princess Emily," Emily informed with a smile. "Emily," Mike echoed and gave her a smile. "That's a beautiful name." Emily blushed at the compliment and noticed how a peasant had gotten inside of the castle. "So...um...what are you doing here... in the garden?" Mike was snapped out of his thoughts and began to panic. "Um...I..." "Did you sneak in?" Emily asked seeing that no one had noticed him come in. Usually when a peasant came in the castle, they weren't allowed to come so close to the castle doors. But some how this man had managed to sneak in all the way to the castle gardens.
"I might...have," Mike replied scratching his head. He grew worried when Emily remained silent and very thoughtful. "Please don't call the guards! They would hang me!" he pleaded as she slowly blinked and looked at him. Emily gave him a sly smile and said, "Fine but let's make a deal. "Since you are so good at sneaking in, sneak me out of the castle. I want to see the outside world without any guards or anything." Mike blinked several times and said, "Come again? You said you want me to sneak you out of the castle?! Do you want me to get hanged?"
Princess Emily rolled her eyes and stood up, her yellow dress dragging into the dirt floor. "Fine, then, I'll yell for the guards." She opened her mouth but Mike covered her mouth and said, "Fine! Fine! I'll sneak you out!" Emily looked at him, her chocolate brown eyes sparkling with mischief making Mike melt. "Good," she teased as she sat back down into the garden. "I'll meet you here at midnight," Emily ordered. Mike smiled, his heart racing as he looked into her eyes and seeing how beautiful she looked in the garden. "Deal," he breathed as Emily's eyes lit up in excitement. "Thanks...um.." "Mike," the man smiled. Emily returned the smile before hearing someone yell her name. "I must go," she said in a disappointed tone. "But I'll wait for you at midnight." Mike nodded as Emily stood up and walked away before glancing back at him and winked. Mike blushed watching her as she walked back into the castle before laying there in the garden. He let out a content sigh and closed his eyes picturing Princess Emily in her yellow dress, spinning around, dancing and laughing.
"What?!" Prince Jayden yelled in shock, slamming his hands on the table. His parents looked at him and his sister, Princess Lauren watched calmly from the other end of the table. "It is for our kingdoms to unite," his father stated calmly. "We cannot wait any longer. The Northern Kingdom has declared war on us. We need all the money and supplies we need. Uniting with the Eastern Kingdom will grant us all of that and even more!" "But it's a forced marriage!" Prince Jayden contradicted. "I am supposed to marry Serena! Not Emily!" "My dear, Princess Serena has grown sicker by each passing year, even if you do marry, that doesn't guarantee any heirs," the queen retaliated. "But I love Serena! You supported me that I was going to marry Serena! Why have you changed your minds?!" Prince Jayden retorted. "The Princess is going to die," the King said clasping his hands together. "There is even a guarantee. The sickness she has is mortal. Why marry a girl that is going to die in the next few weeks?"
"How dare you talk about Serena, the love of my life like that!" Prince Jayden snarled storming out of the dinning room. Princess Lauren sighed and excused herself from the table. "I'm going to talk to my baby brother," she stated following her brother. She found him at the castle doors watching the stars appear in the night sky. "If you came here to agree with mom and dad, leave," Jayden stated before Lauren could touch his shoulder. She closed her hand and sighed, hugging herself. "I'm sorry, Jay, I really am," she stated glancing away. "But don't be selfish, baby brother. Think of our people! We have to unite the kingdoms together."
"And sacrifice what I feel about Serena?" Jayden choked out spinning around to face Lauren. His sister could see the tears brimming in his green eyes and she felt her heart break. "Everyone knows how much I love her! I've loved her since we were little kids! And everyone just wants me to forget all of that and marry her sister!" Prince Jayden turned around, his back facing Lauren. "Jayden," Lauren whispered placing a hand on his shoulder. "You do realize that as Prince and Princess, we must sacrifice our needs for the needs of our people. That we must push away our personal needs and feelings behind and put our peoples needs in front!"
"By sacrificing true love?!" Jayden whispered facing his sister in sheer shock. Lauren nodded sadly making Jayden bite his lip. "I'm sorry Jayden, but this is for our people not us. Not mom's or dad's, but our people." Prince Jayden shook his head, his heart breaking into millions of pieces. He couldn't break Serena away like that and looked at his sister shaking his head. "There has to be another way," he began and walked away leaving Princess Lauren in thought.
Emily looked at the night sky from her window, letting out a deep sigh. She watched as how the stars twinkled and hoped Mike had kept his promise of taking her out into the outer world. She walked back to her bed and took out the book Mia had given her earlier. She flipped to the first page seeing a picture of the monsters that had attacked the market a few days earlier. "Moogers, foot soldiers of Nightlok. Nightlok?" she murmured and flipped through the pages before seeing symbols. She stopped seeing the kanji for earth and narrowed her eyes. Something about seeing the kanji sparkled in her mind a fain memory. She brushed it off by shaking her head and closed the book. She heard something hit her window and glanced at it seeing small rocks hitting it.
Emily smiled, knowing it was midnight and time to escape the castle. She headed towards the window when she saw Mike glancing at her from below. She smiled at him before telling him to wait. She blew out the candle in her room before climbing the window and jumped. Mike caught her to her surprise making her squeal and close her eyes. She opened them to lock eyes with Mike's green eyes and his sweet smile. "Are you ready for the adventure of a lifetime?" he whispered as he put her down and the princess nodded. "I'm ready," Emily smiled as Mike gave her a smile. "Let's go!" He grabbed her hand and they raced away from the castle into the forest.
"I'll show you my favorite hiding spot!" Mike told her as they went deeper into the forest.
Without them knowing someone lurked in the shadows watching as Mike and Emily ran into the forest. The person narrowed its eyes and decided to follow them silently.