Princess Roùx

Chapter 4

Two guards arrive at the scene and rush beside the princess and Lucia.

The princess hugs Lucia and looks up, "Battlemage Lucia, that jerk doesn't want me to go into the carriage he is on," Roùx said with tears coming out of her eyes.

"Princess we sh-"

Lucia gestured to the guard to not continue. Lucia genuflected and said, "Princess Roùx, you know you can't just leave your wagon and tell the hero you want to join his adventure."

Roùx turns around, "that's the hero?!!" She screamed and almost fainted, the guard catches her though. She stands up properly again.

"How can a jerk like you be the hero?!" She questioned Zane.

Zane shrugs and replies, "Small purple-eyed witch, let me tell you something," Zane comes forward and mocks Roùx's stature.

Roùx got pissed… she kicks Zane's groan, and he drops dead on the floor in pain. Roùx then pointed at him and lectured him, "you do not mock me by height or you get that treatment."

"H-he-hero," a guard tries assisting Zane to stand up. But Roùx stops him and threatens to imprison him.

"You had an intention to kill him with that kick, didn't you?" Clarisse asked and looked at Zane's suffering.

"Yes! I may be only 13. But I'm still a princess regardless," Roùx answered bluntly.

"Stay here Princess Roùx," Lucia goes back to their carriage and grabs a 'regenerative mixture'. She throws the potion for Zane to drink and says, "that's a grade 2 regeneration potion. It should help you recover from the pain," Lucia smiled genuinely.

"Princess, we really need to go back in your wagon," the guard insisted one more time.

"Give me a second. Where are the three of you heading?" Roùx asked Lucia.

"We're going to Etheria, you can ride with us on the way there," Clarisse answered instead.

"Yeah, you can just ride with us," Lucia supported Clarisse's statement.

Zane finally was able to stand up. He puts on an angry face and looks at Roùx. He says, "you… I hate you… I'll allow you to ride with us. Under one condition."

"I am not by any means under your command, I have no reason to obey you," Roùx confidently said.

"You'll have to listen to him, it's his carriage meaning his rules Princess," Lucia told Roùx.

Princess Roùx was angry and wanted to kick Zane again. When she turned around she gave a big sigh instead, "what's this one condition? Let me know now."

"Do not be noisy. And stay put, if you get annoying, I'll toss you out of my carriage," Zane threatened the Princess.

"I'll love to see you try that. You'll be imprisoned forever if you do," Roùx used her power as a princess to restrict Zane.

"Then, this world will die without me," Zane replied coldly and smirked.

Roùx was furious, not being able to accept her defeat against Zane's threat.

"Full counter!! You can't do anything small, witch, groan kicker."

"Got anything more to say?? If not. Get in the carriage now. We'll get going now," Zane said.

"The two of you guards, tell my wagon, that I'll just be behind. In the hero's carriage, since they are headed to Etheria as well," she ordered her two guards.

The 3 of them got in the back of the carriage and Zane in the front of the carriage to control the horses.

They continued to travel towards Etheria… one hour into the trip, Lucia sits beside Zane.

"It's going to be night by the time we arrive at Etheria, if they don't let us in, we'll freeze to death," Lucia mumbled.

Zane was able to hear the last sentence, and replies, "you can do magic right? Since you're a mage. Can't you just do a huge castle? Or a small place we can stay at if that happens."

Lucia seems surprised that Zane heard her mumble, she looks done and smiles, "what's your true intention in wanting to go to Etheria?" Lucia curiously asked.

"Truth or lies?" Zane asked weirdly.

"The truth of course. It's the place where I grew up. So I want to know why," Lucia said.

"I want to learn magic in simple terms. If I'm saving this world, I'll need to at least be able to do magic," Zane replied bluntly.

Lucia did not expect an answer like that from Zane. Clarissa overhears the entire conversation, as the two continue to talk about Etheria.

…

An hour later, they arrived at a small town, the wagon of the princess stopped, and one guard ran to Zane's wagon to report something.

"Hero! We're going to take about the princess from this point on," the guard humbly requested.

"She's at the back," Zane replied.

The guard ran to the back of the carriage and saw the princess putting her hand up gesturing no.

"I won't go anywhere yet if it's the outpost of Gridelheim, just tell them I authorize the hero and his party to enter beyond this point even if the hero is only a rookie rank merchant," Roùx said.

Zane looks behind, "kid, I'm just here to witness what Etheria looks like. I don't need no special VIP access," Zane told Roùx.

"No such thing exists. Anyone who wants to go to Etheria either wants to learn magic or trade with the kingdom," Roùx illustrated.

Zane smirked, he did not expect Roùx to have such a mature way of thinking already. He then replies, "you're quite clever yourself. I'll accept the offer then."

"You arrogant bastard. You just don't want to feel belittled, and I also want to play with Clarisse more," Roùx teased Zane, as she continued playing cards with Clarisse.

Zane was pissed at and his lips twitched and so did his eyebrows in frustration.

Lucia grabs Zane by the ear and pulls him close to whisper at him, Zane calmed a little from this, "she's only 13. But as a royal, taught how to act maturely. I hope you get used to her moody personality, she's just really like that."

Zane nodded yes. The guard returned and came with something to say, "Duke Gottenhal approves of this, his only advice is to keep watch of Roùx."

"Would do," Zane said bluntly.

The Princess's wagon continues going forward and Zane's carriage follows them. But the wagon stopped immediately just after it had moved.

The first wagon on line got tossed around, and everyone came running toward Zane's carriage ready to protect the princess. 

The captain shouted, "Protect the princess! She's the top priority."

Lucia and Clarisse immediately jumped out of the carriage and Zane gets his sword and prepares.