+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
