Untitled Ch6

I stood on the balcony of my castle, watching the sun dip into the ocean which crashed into rocks at the bottom. I came here to think, like I always do.
"Princess?" said a voice.
"You have a tendency of doing that, dear Kelvin." I said, not looking behind me.

"My apologies, Princess Cora." Kelvin said, a bit nervous. He seems to always be a bit nervous around me.
"Heh, apologies accepted," I said turning to face him, "Are you okay?"

"Fine. I'm fine." there was a pause and Kelvin continued. "Just worried, Your High--"
"Stop with the silly formality, Kelvin." I said to him, sternly.
"Yes.. Cora.."

He followed me as I headed back into the castle. He always seems to go where ever I do.
"What exactly are you worried about?"
"You, Cora." he said, quietly.
We stopped walking and stood apart from each other. He looked at me and I looked back but then he put his head down as if in some sort of shame. I looked at my dear friend and blinked but then smiled at him with a smile only he gets to see.
"You needn't worry so much about me." I told him before turning around and walking away from him, "I'm going for a walk."
"A-a walk? Where to?"
"The forest. No, you can't come and yes, I'll be safe. I have the magic of water at my fingertips."
I didn't wait to see Kelvin's facial expression so I cannot tell you the look I'm sure he gave me but I didn't care. I just wanted to go for a walk. Being the Princess of a Land can be exhausting, you know.

The darkness came once I entered the Forest of Aquamarine. This was the biggest forest of all the land as well as home to the most water fairies and other beings. There were streams and a river located here as well. It's my favorite place to be, very peaceful. I was greeted with music played by the pixies and smiled as the small blue-lit beings flew around me. Though, as I continued to walk further down the forest, they flew away and the music came to a stop. The feeling of being watched and followed entered my body. However, I continued to walk until the feeling became an annoyance.

Quickly, I turned around with my hand out and water blasting out, aimed at a tree branch. The shadowed figure jumped over me and land a few feet in front of me. I turned around, ready for another attack. He emerged from the darkness, wearing nothing but a black outfit.
"Are you a Ninja?" I asked.
"Oh, please." the man said, "Let's try not to belittle me."
"My apologies, stranger. If not a Ninja.. what are you, then?"
"None of your concern, really. All that truly need to be known is my name."
"Which is..?"
"Raikson. I'm from what you may call the 'New Land'."
"Ah. Raikson. Raikson the Liar."
"I beg your pardon?"

I put my guard down and stood there with my arms crossed instead with a sort of sly smile on my face.
"Well, you said the only thing I truly need to know is your name but then you gave me where you were from. So, you basically lied."
"Are you trying to be smart with me. I'm here to give you a warning."
"A warning?"
"Stay out of the business of the other Lands. It doesn't concern you." the man turned around and began to walk away from me.

"That was my warning? I don't think it even classifies as a good warning.." I said to him.
"Heh, that wasn't the warning." Raikson said as he continued to walk slowly away from me.
"Then, what's my warning?"
"This!"
And before I knew it, Raikson threw a dagger at me. It pierced my stomach and I felt blood  begin to slowly come out of my wound. Eyes widen, I looked at my attacker, gulped and then suddenly burst into water.

I stumbled into the castle, gasping and trying not to panic.
"Kelvin.." I tried to call, "Kelvin!"
"Your Highness?" he said, running out of a room.
His eyes filled with fear as he ran to me. He placed his hands on my shoulders and did all the panicking for the both of us.
"River! Storm! Lilly! Anyone! Help! Her Majesty is hurt!" he called out, loudly.
"Mr dress will get stained.." I said, softly.
"You're delusional."
"No, I really like this dress.."

The Captain of the Aqua Marines, Storm arrived with my royal adviser and Lilly the water fairy. Storm is the youngest in our history to be Captain. He was tall and looked like Kelvin but with black hair instead of chestnut brown and hazel eyes instead of blue-green eyes and muscular instead of thin. He also happened to be Kelvin's older brother and only remaining family. River is a young woman about Storm's age with curly ginger and green eyes. She and Storm are set to marry though the date is unknown at the time being.
"What happened to Princess Cora?" Lilly asked, scared.
"We need to get that dagger out!" River ordered. She seemed to be the one who really gave the orders around here sometimes. She turned to Lilly. "Go and get the medics!"
"Lilly is going now!" said the small fairy.

Lilly fluttered away before I fell over. Kelvin caught me and sat down on the blue floor with me. My fish friends were worried about me it seemed because they refused to remove their eyes. Storm held the dagger in his hand and I let out a cry of agonizing pain.
"Storm!" River said through greeted teeth.
"Forgive me, Princess Cora.." Storm said.
And then everything went black and I heard my name be called.

Slowly, my eyes opened. My vision went from blurry to perfect. I saw a head of chestnut brown hair rest on the side of my bed. I smiled and held Kelvin's hand. He squeezed it and then after a moment, he realized I was awake. He held my hand tightly as his eyes met mine and I gave him a bigger smile. He quickly dropped my hand with a blush.
"Cora.." he said, "You're all right."
"Of course." I said, smiling still.
"You had me.. so worried.."
"Princess!" Lilly said, voice sounding like she had been crying.
Her small body hugged my face and she refused to let go for the longest time. Captain Storm and River entered the room with eyes that read curiosity and surprise.
"Is Your Majesty okay?" River asked.
"I am." I said.

"Princess Cora, what happened?" Lilly asked, finally letting go.
"I was attacked." I responded, looking at my four friends.
"By who?" Kelvin asked with much concern.
"A man named Raikson. He came from the New Land. He's most likely gone by now, though."
"What did he want?" River asked.
"He gave me a warning. The dagger, he said, was the actual warning but before the attack, he told me Aquamarine is to stay out of the business of the other Lands because it didn't concern us."
"They shouldn't have attacked you," Storm said with a smirk, "Now their business IS our business."