DoFP part 9, Yaron's Diary

+JMJ+

Icy Season day 10

For a week I have been waiting. For a week! All for Eldark to let me out of the dungeon and tell me my fate. Would I die or win Alia? I tried not to think of that. But there was not much else to think about. My family? No they would not care if I lived or died. Alright to be fair, my mother and Zeno might be a bit upset but that is about it.

Finally today Eldark and Alia came down to the dungeon. Eldark unlocked the door very slowly. I stood up and braced myself for my fate.

“Master storyteller, I would never settle for anything less then a prince for my daughter, and you did tell a crummy story.” Eldark said. My heart sank. He was going to murder me. “But you told it well. The bet is in your favor. Alia is yours!” I blinked completely taken aback. Eldark pushed the girl into my arms. What bliss! I looked into Alia's eyes and received a crushing blow. Alia's eyes looked like the enchantress. I could not kiss my love while breaking my promise to Eleth. Not with those eyes looking at me. I broke away from her and rushed past Eldark.

“Yaron?” Alia cried. I ignored her.

Salt was tidying up on the roof when I scrambled up the stairs. She dropped her broom in surprise. I leaped into the trunk.

“Where are you going?” Salt screamed.

“Take me to Eleth.” I yelled. Then Alia came running up the stairs.

“Yaron come back.” she cried, “Where are you going?”

“Wait for me, I have to keep a prior promise first.” I yelled as the trunk whirled away into the air. The Third World spread out underneath me like a map. Was the trunk actually obeying my wishes for the first time?

Icy Season Day 11

What is wrong with this possessed trunk? I swear a genie lives in it. It has been flying all night and not landing. My yelling and ranting makes no difference. I swear I shall turn the trunk into drift wood when I finally get out of it. That is if I have not starved to death first. Or died of thirst. My yelling and ranting certainly did not help that much.

Icy Season Day 12

I found my desolate island. The trunk has been wheeling over it all day. There is no sign of Eleth. I swear I shall leap out of the trunk in midair, if someone does not make it land soon. I am trying to keep my promise but everything and everyone is against me.

Later

I jumped! Now I am sitting on the burning hot sand of Desolate Island. Previously I landed in the water. But by the time I splashed ashore, I found that the trunk had landed and was waiting for me. I swear that it was grinning smugly.

“You horrid thing!” I shouted, “I hope you burn up!” the truck creaked alarmingly. I stomped off to look for the enchantress.

Icy Season Day 13

Eleth is not on the island and I am trapped here! I sometimes heard that thirteen was supposedly an unlucky number. Well that would explain my great unluck I happen to be having. After not finding Eleth on this miserable spit of land, I returned to the trunk. My angry wish had come true. The trunk was going up in flames.

“No stop!” I yelled frantically, “I did not mean it!” I scooped water up with my bare hands, to throw on the flames. But it did no good. Soon the only thing left of the trunk was a pile of smoldering ashes. Of all the cursed luck! Now I was right back to where I had been at the beginning of this mess. Plus I am now starving to death.

Icy Season Day 14

I wonder what would happen if I tried to swim the divide. Of course I do not know how to swim, but perhaps I could hold my breath long enough to walk the divide and get to the glittering island. I guess one never knows anything until they have tried. I soon found that this was a bad idea. I cannot walk on the bottom the water anymore then I can swim. I must not be heavy enough. No I must face reality. I was not good enough for Alia! I deserve my fate.

Later

Well of all the embarrassing episodes. I had barely finished writing how I deserved my fate when Eleth herself appeared.

“So you finally decided to come back nearly three season later.” she said dryly.

“You see, I am getting married and I wanted to square up the rest of my debts.” I said stupidly.

“Really?” Eleth said dryly.

“Besides one should always keep ones promises.” I added quickly.

“Stop babbling Prince Yaron, or I might continue to decide that you are not worthy to lick Alia's feet!” Eleth barked.

“You know Alia?” I gaped feeling like a complete moron.
“The only reason you met her was because I sent you there in my little trunk.” Eleth said sounding rather smug. That is when everything went black. It must have been the surprise and lack of food and water.

Icy Season Day 20

I am not certain what happened to the last six days, but this morning I awoke and found myself in my very own sleeping chamber in River city on Glittering Island. I was home at last. What had happened on the Desolate Island? Eleth? Oh I needed to gain a ship and sail back immediately. Really, the enchantress was making it rather difficult to rescue her. I ran out of the chamber only to bump into Xander and Uli. They they both yelled like they had seen a ghost. Ulia took off running like the cowardly twelve year old that he is. Xander actually drew his sword.

“Avast you revolting ghost!” he shouted. As if any man the age of eighteen should be frightened of ghosts. Or even believe in the wretched things.

“Get out of my way Xander, I have got to find a ship!” I shouted as I pushed past him. I did not bother to think that both Xander and Ulia had been wearing black. I had not gone much further before I nearly ran into Deborah, Waylan and Varek. They were standing outside the grand hall. All three of them were wearing black too.

“No Yaron!” Waylan wailed, “Stay dead so I can have your Genie ring when uncle Mad dies!”

“So glad to know I was missed!” I retorted realizing they were in mourning for me. I was actually quite touched, but I certainly was not going to tell them that. I shoved the triplets out of the way and opened the door.

The Hall was nearly empty. Zeno, Giselladana, Anne and Beatrice were with my madra and father and three other people.

“I am sorry sir.” Father was growling, “My son Yaron died nearly three seasons ago in a ship accident.”

“I did not either!” I retorted and entered the room. The triplets followed me. My family looked flabbergasted. I suppose it is rather uncommon for anyone to return from a ship accident, not that we have ever had one since we never used to have ships.

“Well?” the man growled and turned around. It was Eldark. The other two people were Eleth and Alia, “You could have mentioned that you had a large numerous family.”

“Yaron?” Alia whispered, then was silent. Eleth approached me.

“I selected you for my niece with great care.” she said calmly. I glared at her.

“Knowing your father, I knew he would find it more convenient if he just told everyone you died instead of declaring war. So I forced your crew to maroon you so I could trick you into making a promise to me. Once you provided the promise, I provided you with a flying trunk. A trunk that would take you anywhere except Glittering Island or Desolate Island, but always return back to Graystark. I needed to see if you were honorable enough for Alia.” You better believe I felt pretty stupid. Who wants to be the subject of an enchantress's tests? Oh well I still got the girl in the end. I guess in a way we all won. And all of Alia's curses and blessings came true. The curse was that she would marry a wayward, runaway soldier who wondered about like a rogue gypsy and he would be the first man that she ever met. The blessing was that she would marry an honest and loyal prince. Not sure if I should really be considered loyal. I do think Eleth cheated the curse a bit.

I guess that it is time to close this book as I move on to the next chapter of my life.

Yaron, prince of Glittering Island

The End