Nick stood at the base of two large moss thrones. The ones he'd seen before.
The morning glories still were fresh and pretty. And the air smelled like the ocean, even though he could tell there was no ocean for miles. A pretty woman with a long flowing dress and long curly blonde hair and green eyes stepped down. She placed a laced hand on Nick's shoulder. "Welcome back child." She smiled.
Nick bowed his head. "Do you have a date you'd like for the wedding." she asked.
Nick stepped back. "The wedding?". Who was he to be wed to?
"Yes to my daughter Emma Star.". She gracefully pointed to a young girl maybe no older than 16 or 17.
"But she is so young, I can't marry her. I don't even know her. I've never met her before in my life." he demanded.
The queen called over her daughter, "Yes young man, you have met her before. When she was born you gave her this.". The queen motioned for the child to take something off. It was a pretty oval locket. "Your honor." said the queen handing over the locket.
Nick held the locket in his hands and stared at it for a long time. Then slowly he opened it. There was a picture on the right side of him holding a baby, he guessed Emma Star. On the left side something was inscribed. It read: I will always love you. On my honor. Nick. Nick suddenly felt sick, he handed back the locket.
"There see.". The queen smiled. "You will have lots of enchanted ones I'm sure.".
Nick looked up. "Enchanted ones? You mean non mortal children?" he asked.
"Well yes in a way of speaking.". The queen made her way to the throne and sat down. Her younger daughter sitting in front of her.
"But I want normal kids, not kids with wings growing out of their backs.". Nick was frustrated. "I want to leave." he whispered.
Emma Star looked at him nervously, then turned her gaze to her mother. "Let him leave mother, if he does not want to be here." she said quietly.
Nick noticed the hurt in her voice and felt guilty. "I would my dear, but that is not possible until the next full moon." Nick broke down sobbing. "Take him to the castle." the queen ordered.
Two big butch men hoisted Nick on to his feet. They dragged him to a large castle. Made of stone and it elegantly sparkled. He was taken to a room, far down a corridor. The doors were made of sandstone and pictures were carved into it. Pictures of things Nick never knew existed. The guards opened the doors and tossed Nick inside. Then the closed the doors briskly. Nick stood up and looked around.
It looked like a normal room, well sort of, The dressers were made of sea shells, the bed posts had vines and morning glories wrapped gracefully around them, the sheets were made of silk and the bed was filled with feathers. Nick walked around nervously, then finally settled himself on the bed. Suddenly he heard something, he turned around a frightened look in his eyes. "Oh, here kitty, come here." he said relieved. It was only a white kitten.
The cat jumped up onto the bed and rubbed its head up under Nick's chin. "What's your name." he whispered.
"My name is Liana."
Nick jumped back off the bed in surprise that this cat talked.
"You... You spoke.". His hands shook.
"Yes silly, remember you're in the enchanted forest.". The cat began to lick her paws.
"Oh, oh yeah.". Nick moved cautiously to the bed and sat back down.
"So, mister, why are you here?" the cat asked lying down.
Nick gulped. "My mother is a servant here, and I am to be wed to princess Emma Star.".
The cat nodded. "The princess, yes she is quite a lovely and caring girl. You know she has always been there for you." Nick picked up the cat and held her in his lap.
"You're her cat, aren't you?" he asked. "And how do you know she was always there for me.". He stroked the cat's head and waited for her to answer.
"Yes I'm her cat, and I know she was there for you, because she talks about you so much to me and her nurse. Destiny... your mother.".
Nick grinned a lopsided grin. He wasn't sure if he should feel flattered or frightened.
"She cried for days when you met that woman Jo.".
Nick thought back to that day.
"She cried even more when you two went all the way.". The cat's voice seemed to become quiet.
"The princess was there for you every day of your life, well except the four years you spent here."
"Four years? I... I remember.". Nick picked Liana up off his lap and set her on the pillow as he stood biting his nails.
"You do?" she asked.
Nick nodded. "Yes, I remember the day she was born. There was a huge feast... The queen came in with her wrapped in silk. I was the first person to hold her. That's when I gave her my honor. My locket." Nick smiled as he remembered the memories. "I remember the day I left..." Nick's voice became shy. "My mother was singing to the princess and the queen. I was lying next to a crystal clear stream, holding the princess." He had tears that began to glisten in his eyes. "My mother kissed my forehead and disappeared.".
Nick paced the room for a few minutes before facing the doorway where the princess stood. "You remember?" she asked. Nick nodded. "Nick, we only have three days before you leave. You have to decide in three days, if you're leaving or if you're going to stay and take the throne." Emma Star was silent.
Nick watched the cat slip out of the room. Nick looked over the princess, she had changed her dress. She was now wearing a bright silver silk long dress. It kind of reminded Nick of a sailor dress.
"Well?" she urged.
Nick looked down ashamed. "I love Jo. I want to make her happy again." he whispered.
Emma Star looked at him with tears in her eyes. "All right. Then you shall be leaving in three days, and my sister shall become Queen. And I... I will become her servant." With that she left the room. A few minutes later there was a knock at his door. Slowly it creaked open, and Nick saw the younger princess, Lucy Fairlight.
"Hi Nick," she smiled, she too had changed, her dress was now an inch below the knee, baby blue with pale green flowers.
"Hey Lucy." he smiled sadly.
"You know Nick, my sister has loved you always. You have three days to return the favor, If you leave, you'll be leaving your mother and the woman your betrothed to.". She sat next to him on his bed.
"Woman!" he exclaimed. "She is almost five years younger than me! She could be my sister.". He had jumped off the bed and began to pace again.
"Nick," she sighed and began to walk out the room.
"Hey where you going?" he called after her, beginning to follow her.
Lucy led Nick through a huge castle. Down three hallways, around to ponds, through six large elegant rooms, and out into a garden.
"Wow, this place is beautiful.".
Lucy smiled at Nick's amazed expression. "Nick, please don't leave..." she begged. "Because if you do I will have to marry that horrible man Koran, he wants to change everything... all the beauty. But if you marry my sister I can do what I've always wanted to do.". She smiled.
"What's that." he asked sitting on a large rock.
"Teach. I want to be a teacher, I'm not sure where though, mortal or fairy."
Nick nodded. "But I love Jo. I don'... I just don't know."
Lucy sighed. "Do you want to see what Jo thinks of you now?"
Nick nodded and followed Lucy to what looked like a secret tunnel of the castle. They walked into a dark room, A big stone well in the middle of it. Lucy lit some candles and stood around the well.
She whispered something in a language he didn't understand and then closed her eyes. Nick wondered why she did that, he soon found out. The well exploded with bright lights flowing out of it in streams of blue, yellow, green, red, and orange. Nick moved closer as a picture appeared in to view. Jo was laying on an unfamiliar couch smiling. Suddenly a guy appeared into the view. Nick's best friend Danny. He kissed Jo, then she spoke. "I feel better now that I'm not with Nick, but I almost pity him, his mother told me he drove around for almost four hours.". Danny and her began to laugh. All the anger rose up into Nick, Tears threatened and he wanted to scream, but instead he splashed his hand into the water and ran out of the room.
"Nick!" Lucy called. The truth hurts, she thought, but she never would have imagined it could have hurt Nick this much.