-One year later-

I sighed and set down the book on my desk. Ever since my parents died, I have had the duty of cramming even more knowledge into my brain than ever before. It seemed the elders were going to make sure I would be a great king even more than my father would have. 

Four more years to go, and I would finally be made king. And marry… 

I think that part made me more anxious than anything. Even though Valenor would appear older, could I ever see her as anything more than that little child that I had played with as a boy? And how would she feel about all of this? 

Pulling out a fresh piece of paper, I picked up a quill to write another letter. I had written many to her and sent them to the fairies to give to her when she was old enough. Most of them had been simple as if written to a child. But one day, she would be grown. She would be my wife. Surely I could speak of deeper things? 

My hand went to work. 

Dear Princess Valenor, 

I am 16 now. Each day I get closer to becoming king, I wonder if I will ever truly be fit. I miss our days in the garden, smelling flowers and watching the birds and bugs. You were my escape from the harsher world. The younger sister I never had. But when I see you again, we will be the same age. I admit, that will be strange for me. I wonder what you will be like. Can we be friends like before? Or will we only marry out of duty? I hope for more than that. 

I crumpled the paper in my hand and tossed it aside. Maybe I should have stuck to simple topics. 

A knock came to my door. 

“Enter,” I spoke in a voice forced deeper than its natural pitch.  

The servant entered. “The elders request you at once. There is some urgent news.”

I sighed, guessing that it probably wasn’t anything serious, but left at once anyway. I changed my mind once I saw the glum looks on their faces. 

“What is it?” I demanded. 

“It’s the princess. It seems she has gone missing.”

“Missing!? How?”

“We aren’t sure. It appears there was some sort of attack on the fairies.”

“Send all troops out to search at once!” I ordered. 

Knowing the elders wouldn’t have agreed, I snuck out on my own horse to search. 

Kicking it to full speed, I whispered to the whipping wind. “Please be alright, Princess.”

~*~

-Seven years later-

“I really don’t have time for this,” my edged voice warned the squire. “Orxa has already attacked three times. I need all men at the border.” 

“Yes, Your Majesty. But our gardens are being destroyed by trolls. I also fear for the safety of my wife and children.”

“Silence! I fear for the safety of the whole kingdom. Now continue with my armor.”

I ran my hand over my clean shaven face with a sigh. As a king, never could I do right in the eyes of everyone. 

Everything would have been much simpler if Relkom had allied with us. But they saw this as our problem. 

I wanted to join the other men in battle but understood my duty of staying alive. Annoyed, I paced around until the messenger arrived. 

“Sir, the men have held the Orxa back. They have retreated for now. Your life is no longer in danger.”

Though it was good news, I was still a bit put off that I had to put my armor on for nothing.

“Get this stuff off of me at once.”

Once free, I tried to take a relieved breath. But I knew this war wasn’t over. I ordered my guards back a few feet as I walked back to the castle. 

Yet another messenger rushed up to me. 

“What is it!?” I barked. 

“Sir, the princess had been found.”

My entire body froze. I hadn’t thought about her in who knows how long. I used to think about her every day. I would search everyday. Until we all thought it was a lost cause. We assumed she had died.

Valenor… Where had she been all these years? My fist tightened. I wasn’t sure how to feel about this. It surely would solve all our problems if we could force Relkom to join forces through marriage. But marriage had been the last thing on my mind for years. 

“Sir?” The messenger questioned. 

“Where are they?”

“In the great hall.”

I nodded and continued with a tightened jaw. Even all the time it took me to walk there wasn’t enough to prepare me for the moment I saw her.

The girl, perhaps appearing around 18 in age, stared at me wildly as two guards held her arms. For a moment, I wanted to deny it was even her. Her hair and clothes were wild and dirty. 

She wailed around, trying to break free with a crazed look. “Let me go!” 

“Release her,” I ordered. 

Once they did, she bolted but didn’t make it far as the door was locked. 

She beat her hand on it then flung around. When I walked closer and saw those same green eyes and light brown hair, I knew for certain it was her. But the look she gave back was far from what I expected to see. 

“What do you want with me?” She growled. 

“We saved you, Princess Valenor. This is your home.”

She took a few confident and angered steps towards me. “Kidnapped! You kidnapped me, not saved. And I’m not any princess! My name is Ellia. Send me back at once!”

This was going to be much more complicated than I ever anticipated. She didn’t even know who she was. 

I sighed and questioned the guards. “Where was she found?”

“Near the gnome lands. There were a few gnomes with her, but they ran off.”

The gnomes. Of course. They had been enemies of the fairies for a long time. It made sense that they were the ones that attacked them those years ago. They must have stolen the princess and she’s been with them ever since. But if that was the case, shouldn’t she be happy to be free from them? 

When I turned back to her, she was crouched in the corner with her head buried in her arms. For a moment, my memory flashed back to when I had comforted her when she was little. But we weren’t children anymore. 

“Get up,” I ordered. 

Her head lifted, but she didn’t move. “Send me back home.”

“I’m sorry, Princess, but this is your new home. Get used to it.” I turned to the guards. “Give her our nicest guest room, and don’t let her out.” 

Going to my room, I paced around endlessly. There had been many different difficulties that I had to handle since being king, but somehow this seemed harder than all of them. 

After calming myself down, I met with the elders. 

The head elder wasted no time getting to the point. “With the princess in our possession, we need to let Relkom know of the engagement at once. Even before the marriage, we must take control of their armies. This is what will end the war. We are fortunate she was found.”

I nodded in agreement. “Indeed, order the peperations.” 

Now only she needed to know this. But it wasn’t necessary…yet.

~*~

It had been a day. A day to think through all my problems. But I still was no closer to solving them. I hadn’t seen her since they brought her in yesterday. Maybe she had calmed down enough for me to talk to her. Part of me wanted someone else to do it, but I knew it was my duty as king. 

Setting some unfinished letters aside, I headed to her room. Guards still stood at her door. They had reversed the locks so it was locked from the outside. I could only imagine how unhappy she was about all this. But I’m sure, in time, she would be glad once she realized how fortunate she was to be a princess. 

Taking a stabilizing breath, I knocked on the door. With no answer, I slowly entered. 

She lay on the bed with her face planted inside the pillows, still in her grungy clothes. A tired maid stood around by a tray of uneaten food at the table. 

My eyes sharpened to her. “Why isn’t she washed and in fresh clothes?”

“Your Majesty, I tried with my best efforts, but she wouldn’t have it. Nor would she eat.”

I lifted a sharp hand. “Leave us.”

Once alone, I stood at the end of the bed. For a while, I remained silent as I studied the back of her tangled hair. What kind of life had she been living all this time? 

“Valenor,” I started, not feeling I could bring myself to calling her princess. She looked and acted far from it. “Stop acting as a child. Do you have any idea what kind of responsibility you have?”

Suddenly, she turned around, her sharp, green eyes spewing out spite. “Why am I being held as a prisoner?” 

“Look around you. The finest room, the finest clothes and food. You are far from a prisoner.”

“Then let me out!”

“You may leave your room once you stop attempting to run away.”

She stood on the bed so she was taller than me. “Tell me why I was stolen from my home, you evil imp!”

Though my blood boiled, I kept myself from lashing back. “And what exactly was your home?”

The fury on her face faded to sorrow as she sat back down. “I…lived with the gnomes.”

“The gnomes stole you from the fairies.”

Her face turned back to defiance. “They saved me from the fairies! But…how did you know that I was with them?”

“Do you really have no idea why you were with the fairies to begin with?” 

She shook her head blankly. 

“You are the princess of Relkom, but your parents died in a dragon attack…along with mine. You were sent to the fairies to be raised until you were older.” 

Her eyes only stared back, confused. “Why the fairies?”

“You were only three at the time. They needed to use their magic so you would age faster.”

Now she looked even more puzzled. “What for?”

“So you could marry sooner.”

The deepest look of disgust creased her face. “Marry who?”

The next two words were almost painful to say. “Marry me.”

The rage returned to her widened eyes. “I would never marry an imp like you!” 

In my own anger, I turned away. “The feeling is quite mutual.” 

I left in a rush, wishing to forget I ever had to deal with this again.