Chapter 4 Preparations

Xera and I sat on the edge of my bed facing each other. Her bright smile helped ease some of the tension I felt from brunch. So much had happened in such a short amount of time.

Now that I had time to think, I began to think about the man I saw in the maze. He was a very mysterious man, daring as well. 'Should I tell Xera of the man I saw in the maze before running into her? What if she freaks out?'

"Jace?" she pulls me from my thoughts.

"Yes?"

"Are you alright? You have that look again." She stared at me.

"What look are you referring too?"

"The one you get when you are trying to decide if you should tell me something or not."

I sigh before looking at her. "Of course I can't hide anything from you, especially since your power is thought perception. That's a big reason as to why you win so many battles in the wars, you are able to read your enemy with ease." I smile.

"Jace, stop trying to divert the subject. Tell me what's on your mind. I noticed something was off in the maze, but I didn't say anything because I was hoping it was just the nerves of being betrothed. Now, however, I realize there was something more on your mind." She grabbed my hands that were placed neatly in my lap. "Please talk to me, JJ."

"Fine fine… I can't keep it in anymore anyway." I took a deep breath before continuing. "I was kidnapped by a man in the maze."

"WHAT!?"

"Well, not totally kidnapped, but led astray from my original path. I had never seen him in the castle before, yet he seemed to know a lot about me."

"Jace, why didn't you call the guards or tell you father and I at brunch…" she trailed off.

"Because there were more important things to discuss. Besides, the man didn't try to harm me. All he did was drag me through the maze to a dead end with a bench to talk. He taunted me and told me he was trying to find any and all information he could about me." I paused, taking another breath. "He also questioned my loyalty to my betrothal."

"Why would he do that? How did he even know? Isn't the betrothal kind of something the kings aren't telling anyone at the moment." She looked to me, confused.

"I'm not sure, but he told me that he had friends in 'all walks of life' as he put it. It was like he was trying to hit on me, but interrogate me at the same time. He treated me as though I was merely a toy, even though he had heard the rumors of how dangerous I am." I sighed.

"I have no clue what to say to that, honestly that's just weird. You are known to many in this kingdom as the Battle Princess of Xudla, yet he…. He toyed with you?" I could feel the strain in her voice as she tried to wrap her mind around the situation. "Who does he think he is!?"

"I have no clue, but the last thing he said to me was 'see you again soon, lady jace'. By the time I turned around he was gone."

"What a creep. If he tries to bother you again I'll beat him up!" she declared. "I will make sure he knows not to mess with you!"

I giggled as I watched her, in a huff, jump off the bed and take a battle stance. "Maybe you should let me fight my own battle Xe, I might go soft otherwise."

"You have always been soft and will never change my mind on that." She grabbed my hands again, pulling me to stand with her. "After all, the girl that took me into her care all those years ago is still standing right in front of me. Though she can fight off a dragon if she wanted, she is still that softhearted little girl at heart."

I sigh. "Xe…"

"JJ"

"What did I ever do to deserve a friend like you?" I smiled at her.

"Obviously I am the one who did something to deserve you as my friend, you are more amazing then anyone I have ever met." She pulled me into a tight hug. "Now, let's get you ready for the prince. We don't want to keep him waiting after all."

"It's only noon Xera, the sparring match isn't until three." I pulled away from the hug.

"Okay, you caught me." She gave me a puppy dog look. "I was wondering if we could spar a little like we used to. It could help you get warmed up before your sparring match with Mr.Mystery."

"That's all you had to say, Xe. You know I am a sucker for a sparring match, especially against you." I giggled. "After all you are the only person who has had every bit of training I have that I have ever faced. You are also the only person I actually break a sweat trying to spar against."

Her face filled with joy as I turned to grab my training gear so that I should change. The garments were simple blue leggings that go down to the mid part of my calf, and the top was a three quarter sleeve blue and grey shirt that was meant to tuck into the bottoms.

"Can you help me out of my dress Xera? I always mess the laces up when I try to undo it."

"Of course, JJ"

She slowly unlaced the dress where it was laced under my wings. Xera had helped me in the past, so she knew to be extra careful of my wings when she was undoing the dress.

Since I was a little girl my wings were always extremely sensitive to touch, only Maze and Xera were ever allowed to touch them because they knew how delicate they had to be. Even in battle I always made sure no one got near my wings.

Once the dress and jewels were all off of me I began to dress in my training gear. This time the top did not dip to accommodate my wings, rather my wings fazed through them and the only opening was at the base. All fairy clothes that don't dip down are made so the fairies' wings faze through the clothes, so the fairy can wear the clothes comfortably.

After I get fully dressed I walk to my bedroom door and look to Xera, who is still standing next to my bed.

"Are you coming, or did you change your mind about the sparring match?"

"No, no I'm fine. Just reminiscing about our childhood, or rather our teen years." A soft smile creeped onto her face. "Remember when we used to spend every night in your bed talking and spending time together?"

"Yeah, if I remember correctly it was because both of us were too scared to be alone after everything that happened." I walked over to her and put my hand on her shoulder. "All that time together and our trauma is what made us as close as we are now, and even though the start was because of tragedy, just know I would never trade my time with you for anything."

"See! You are the same softhearted girl I met all those years ago!" She jumped up and down, beaming at me. "I have always known that girl would stay with me forever."

"Hush" I glare at her playfully. "Now, let's go practice before my prince decides to show up."

"Alright, let's go!" She skipped to the door with my hand in hers.

Together we skipped through the castle, like we had when we were little girls going to train together. Hand in hand we jumped, hoped, and skipped all the way to the training grounds, almost running into every maid we passed because we weren't paying attention.

Once we finally reached the training grounds we were both completely out of breath, laughing as hard as we could. Standing at the entrance with Xera, I looked to her and continued to laugh harder than I have laughed in months.

Being without Xera while she runs the army has been hard, like I had lost my best friend. Over the past few months Xera has been away dealing with a war in the southern region and I have been preparing for marriage. It was only a month ago that I agreed to marry the prince of Zalidia and the plan was we were to be married two months from the day I spoke with King Drazar.

So, I have been planning this wedding since that day, however rumors hadn't spread through the castle until about a week ago. Before then only my father, king Drazar, the prince of darkness, and I knew about it. In the weeks that followed my father had to inform some of the maids in order to begin the preparations.

The union itself has been kept quiet for fear of an attack on either kingdom, other large regions might feel threatened that the two largest regions are joining together through a union. Especially since the union was of the two most controversial people in the realm.

I am the battle princess of Xudla and he is the nameless prince of darkness that very few have ever laid eyes on. Since I am merely a princess, and a woman at that, people have many skewed thoughts about me.

They say things like 'I bet it was all made up so she doesn't suffer like her mother', 'I bet they let her win in fear of beheading, after all they say our king is cruel and ruthless', and even 'That wench of a princess knows nothing of battle, no king in his right mind would let a woman fight, let alone his own daughter.'

Though I've had these things said directly to my face it has never bothered me, I am actually glad people don't believe the things I have done. The less they think of me now the easier it is for me to make a big impression once I am queen. I would be lying if I said I hate the attention I get as a princess, but I love helping my people and protecting the peace that I have lived with my whole life.

As for Mr.Mystery he has hid from the realm his whole life, his subjects were never even told his name. All they know is that he is their prince, a prince of darkness is what they have come to call him. The reason for the name lies within the story of his life, always hiding in the dark away from the light of his people.

Though he has been given the name prince of darkness no one truly knows if he is a good or bad person, just that he prefers to hide in the shadows. All information about him has been hidden since the day of his birth, thus making the rumors people spread about him go from one extreme to another. It's fuel to their fire and not knowing him has made his subjects very weary of him taking over the throne once his father is ready to step down.

With this our union would spread like wildfire, causing uproars in not only our kingdoms, but throughout the entire realm. Knowing this our fathers have decided that the union will only be announced a week before the wedding, this gives those invited time to show up but keeps the conflict at a minimum.