The Forgotten Princess

"I promise big sister Alicia, I will surely help you return to your one true love." Satiana reached for my hands and clasped it tightly, making such promise.

"Then I will hold you to that promise." I said to her and smiled.

"Hmm." Satiana nodded with resolve.

If Satiana was like me a forgotten princess of this country, then I also want to help her as much as I can. I feel a connection between us.

"Tell me Sati, do you have magic powers as well?" I was rather curious about Satiana’s magical abilities.

Even if Satiana doesn’t have the Atlantian Royal Family’s distinct looks, royal blood still flows in her veins because she is my aunt’s daughter.

"Well, I have magical abilities. But it isn’t something that grand." Satiana answered shyly. "It isn’t something to boast about, unlike big brother’s abilities."

"It’s okay, you can tell me." I encourage her.

"Well, I have earth affinity. I can grow different kinds of plants." Satiana replied. "All that you can see here inside the greenhouse is what I have grown. I am still working on plants that can survive the cold harsh weather of Jennova. The snow lilies outside is one of my successful creations."

I was rather impressed with Satiana’s magic abilities. If she can work on it even more maybe this snow covered land will be filled with green plants that can help the common people.

"Your magic ability is amazing." I cheered. "If you work hard, then you can help the country of Jennova in the future."

"R-Really?" Satiana looked at me with hopeful eyes.

I nodded. "Your magic abilities may not be that big but it can be beneficial for your country. Think about creating crops that can withstand the cold weather, then the people won’t starve and they can also use it as livelihood." I explained.

Satiana’s eyes went wide with amazement. I have given her something to work hard for. I am sure that she will be an asset to this country in the future.

**

I was able to chat with Satiana in the greenhouse happily. She also gave me a short tour of the palace grounds. She promised to give me a tour of the interior of the palace tomorrow.

Before retreating for the night, I gave Jack a secret message to sneak into my room when the maids and servants are asleep. And so, now in the middle of the night I am still wide wake, waiting for Jack to arrive.

The wind was blowing hard outside and snow was falling. The temperature at night was freezing cold. I am sitting by the fire place to keep warm when I heard someone tap on the window.

I slowly approached the window and saw a shivering Jack outside. I hurriedly opened it to let him inside.

"How did you manage to climb up from the outside?" I was shocked.

My room is located at the third floor. And the floors here are considerably high. Not to mention the temperature outside is surely below zero.

"I...I ca..ca..can’t sss...neak in usss...ing the door." Jack was chattering while shivering. "M...many g...uards are sss...taioned near your door."

I pitied Jack’s current state. I took a thick comforter from the bed and wrapped it around Jack.

"Come here and sit right next to the fire." I led him near the fire place.

"Aaahhh... so warm." Jack stretched his hands near the fire.

"Tell me, how is Regaleon doing?" I asked Jack. "Was he the one who sent you?" I was eager to know any news about my beloved. I have been sleeping for six months. Many things can happen in that span of time.

"Yes princess, his majesty was the one who sent me." Jack replied. "In these past six months a major event happened in Grandcrest and your lover boy is now king."

"Regaleon is now king?" I was shocked by the news. "Tell me more."

And so Jack told me all the events that had happened when I was asleep. Such big things happened while I was not by his side. My heart ached just knowing the pain Regaleon must have been thru to fight against the faction against him who was his countrymen and his own brother.

What I was sad about more was I wasn’t there to support him. I have promised myself to become strong and stand by his side. But now I am here miles away from him.

"The war is progressing slowly. Jennova is putting up a good fight but they are being pushed back by the forces of Grandcrest. What we are afraid about now is if Alvannia will be joining in on the fight." Jack said.

"What is the news from my father?" I am still hopeful that my father will side with Grandcrest rather than with Jennova.

"The news I caught was that your father is demanding for you to be returned to Alvannia safe and sound. And rather than marrying you to the crown prince of Jennova, he demanded prince Gladiolus to honor his word and marry Princess Elizabeth instead." Jack said. "Those are your father’s demands. As of now prince Gladiolus accepted marrying your sister to honor his word. He is now traveling to your country to marry her."

"But Jennova hasn’t replied about me yet?" I asked.

"I think the queen is still hesitant in giving you back. But with half of the demands being met, King Edward has given half of his army to aid Jennova." Jack looked at me with sad eyes.

I am pained that my father is helping Jennova in this war. But a part of me still believes in my father. He hasn’t given the full force of the Alvannian army, meaning he has not yet allied himself with Jennova whole heartedly.

"I think my aunt needs me for something." I said truthfully.

"Then that means we need to find a way to take you out of here and escape as quickly as possible." Jack said. "And I will also get out of this freezing hell at last." His mouth was arched in a wide smile.

"No, I can’t leave her yet." I said with a serious tone.

"W-WHAT?!" Jack was shocked. "But princess, the king has said to rescue you in the soonest possible time. I am afraid that he will have my head if I don’t follow. You know he is really very scary." He made a frightened face.

"Oh come on Jack, Leon isn’t that scary." I giggled with his comically frightened face.

"Maybe with you he isn’t. But to others he really is suuuuppper scary." Jack replied. "So please, let’s just get out of here." He pleaded.

"I can’t yet. I need to find information about the forbidden magic. My aunt is planning to revive and use it in this war." I explained. "You can help me send a letter to him right?"

"Yes, I can send your letter discreetly if that’s what you wish." Jack said with a sad face. "Oh wait, the forbidden magic do you mean THE forbidden magic that sank the country of Atlantia?" Jack asked with curiosity in his eyes.

"You know about it?" I asked him. Not everyone knows about the country of Atlantia because it was erased in the history of this continent. Not many books about Atlantia remain.

"Well my father is an Atlantian Scholar." Jack grinned and my eyes grew wide in surprise.

"You mean you are part Atlantian as well?" I grabbed his shirt collar and started to shake him. "Why didn’t you say so before? Wait I think I have heard this information, where did I hear about this before?"

"E-Easy princess. I am getting dizzy." Jack said.

I thought very hard and then remembered Anna, the one that read my fortune.

"Wait, is your father’s name George Wilson?" I asked Jack. This was the name given by Anna that she said can help me with the prophecy.

"Yep, that’s my old man." Jack looked at me with curious eyes. "But how did you know his name?"

I quickly scrambled to my bed side table. My belongings that my aunt thought was safe were given to me. The crystal Anna has given to me looked like an ordinary jewel and so it was given back to me. I took it from the bedside table and quickly trotted back to Jack. He was looking at me dumbfounded.

"I don’t know if this will work." I said. This place is made with janetite stone, but it won’t harm to try. As I know janetite stops a person with magic abilities in using magic, but maybe magical objects can still be used.

I held the crystal inside my closed palm and opened it slowly. At first nothing happened, the crystal maintained its clear color. When my hopes went down the crystal became warm. When I looked at it again the crystal had a faint glow. Not long the glow became brighter and the color became clearer, it was bright red.

"Hey hey, I thought we can’t use any magic inside this palace. Why can you do that?" Jack asked me with a curious look.

"I am not using magic. This is a magical object given to me by Anna, a fellow Atlantian." I explained.

The crystal that was giving a bright red light lessened it’s brightness to a warm red. ’Red color, meaning the red star.’

I looked at Jack and was sure in an instant that he was the red star in the vision I have seen. Then I remember Anna’s words. ’The person that red star represents might have a way. I believe that star might hold a key to change the course of fate.’

"Jack, I think you are the only one that can help me." I said with realization.

"I don’t know what you mean princess, but with my greatness I am sure I can do many things let alone help you." Jack grinned.

https://www.ReadRead/book/12507300405677105/The-Forgotten-Princess

Thanks,

Les01