It was, nonetheless, another good fifteen minutes before we spotted anything that looked like city. This city of Aeca did not have houses or buildings or even cottages though, there were only trees and bigger trees—which were still unaccountably green here—with animals, tiny or large, strolling around. I only knew because Fayn told me. He said it could be noticed by the size of the trees that was no longer as huge as those in the Ancient Forest, and animals and insects that started to inhabit the zone.
Aeca's Beastskin soldiers suddenly sprang out baring their claws and fangs at us refugees. "You lot are not allowed any further into the Kingdom of Aeca!" the leader of the squad announced, "King Leonard has forbidden Fayn's rebel troops to pass into the territory!"
"Rebel?!" Fayn ground his sharp teeth. I climbed down from his back and took charge. There was no time to lose because the noise from Roseheart's army was very clear and people started to get very nervous, actually¾me the most.
"I am Princess Carla of Coronale." I said trying to look like a princess without any bath for almost four days. "Inform your King and Princes. Prince Leonhard, especially"
Shaph advanced beside me. "That's right! Tell King Leonard Princess Carla is here. How dare he not let us pass!"
"Are you telling me that this filthy woman is Princess of Coronale?" The leader laughed, tiger patterns on his face waved with the rhythm.
"Oh yes, she is, I assure you." Fayn said inducing more laugh.
They were not wrong to disbelieve, after all, I was in a man-ish clothes and was so stink. But Shaph fetched out something—a badge with Coronale's royal crest—and the soldiers went down on both knees. Tiger squad's head directed his falcon men to send message to the palace and within ten minutes, we all could see the whole royal family of Aeca out of their breath here at the border.
King Leonard was muscular and tall, age round forty. His light fair hair was flying out wildly in all direction like a mane and his beard was wet with sweat. Leon was with them too, paler than ever, he could not hold back a frightful surprise, "Kara!"
King Leonard heard it and went on his knees, the whole family and me went down with him. I could not let an older man knelt before me. This is absurd!
"Princess Carla of Coronale! Pray! Forgive us!" He wept, "Forgive our Leonhard!"
"It's alright, it's alright sir—I mean, your Majesty!" I was astonished, "Please stand up!"
"Not until you forgive us!" The Lion King had tears in his eyes.
Darn! Why is this so hard?! "Yes, yes, but please get up and please let us into Aeca, Queen Roseheart is not far behind!"
"Make way!" King Leonard got up and a path appeared with his brandished arm. All of us quickly went into the Kingdom of Aeca as Beastskin fighters with their sharpened fangs and claws and horns and all gathered into a thick borderline. The King announced sonorously, "Protect our Kingdom! Protect our races!"
That 'protect our race' prompted a light snort out of me.
I could hear the start of the fight between Roseheart's army and Aeca's soldiers not long after I got on a carriage prepared for us. The old King told me not to worry and about how good his soldiers are.
This horses drawning carriage must be super turbo horses. Views passed by the window as if I was in a Lamborghini. It must be faster than 140 km/hr. Beastskin tribe, even their animals, could not be underestimated.
The palace of the Beastskin King was a cluster of large trees, wild and rank outward, neat and delicate within. While Shaph, I, Fayn, Ben, Gavenia, and a few of Fayn's men were waiting in the spicy wood-scented hallway for the King to give an order about temporary shelter for our followers, Leonhard fidgeted about and disappeared before I could talk to him.
"This place is awesome!" One of Fayn's counsel, Zeb, a bison Beastskin, said and turned his horned head around excitedly.
"Azmera should have one like this!" Another counsel, Aury, whispered. But with the genius of the architecture, his whisper bounced with the curved wooden roof and traveled back down to other's ears. "How about it Fayn? After we kill that hag?" He told his King without the addressing. They must be very close friends. Fayn only smiled.
A mouse maid came and invited us to a formal waiting room where every inch of the wood-brown walls was furrowed and sculpted into various species of animals jumping and capering livelily among their tree-homes. It was like living in forest within forest.
The King, fully garbed in his tan tunic, came back in not long afterward, together with his dignified Queen, a prince, and a princess. This was where we received formal welcoming and greeting for the first time.
Light straw-blond hair and gold eyes ran in the family. The females were especially stunning with such features. Queen Liona in her metallic red dress was just hard to take one's eyes off. So did her daughter Princess Leontyne whose sun-whitened curls set off her emerald earring beside her small pretty face. Tall Prince Leander, with tender and handsome smile, bowed his lean body down politely. Both younger siblings of Leonhard were very charming. And King Leonard, whom in the gold light of the tree palace and the thick fur around his shoulder, seemed to grow even higher and mightier. The memory of the kneeling, pleading King was totally deleted.
I was trying hard to imagine this family gone mad—and shuddered.
It must be—err...beautifully...elegantly—mad.
"Where's Leonhard?" King Leonard roared mad—elegantly.
At this, the whole family seemed to turn upset. It looked like they were going to kneel and sob again very soon so I seized my chance first. "It is alright your Majesty, I—"
"Report from the border!" A sudden announcement from the guard startled and stopped me. A soldier with similar appearance to the Lion's family appeared in full armor. He bowed to his King.
"Lionel how is the becoming of the situation?" From the name, I suppose it's a relative.
"Roseheart's still at the border cursing away our race," said Lionel. "she claims she is sending for a support."
"That's a lie." Fayn chipped in. "She'd never set foot in the Ancient Forest. There's no way she could know the way out. She's like a chicken in our pen now. We should get rid of her."
"I agree," said Lionel, "from the word she uses with us, I think it's for the better she does not exist."
Then, as the three men went into a military conference, Queen Liona led and guided me to a guest room. She left me to rest. I could not describe how delight I was staying in such cozy yet luxurious wooden space, and of course finally, a bath. I tumbled onto the soft quilt, never feeling any cleaner, and fell asleep with the warm atmosphere.
A boisterous cheering noise outside of the palace woke me up. I squirmed out of bed resting my sleepy face on the windowpane and saw the Beastskin army paraded on the street down below showering by flowers and joyous music. Fayn, Lionel, and even Leonhard were walking in the front line bobbing their smiley face, waving victoriously at the fauna citizens. Shaph came into the room and conveyed the good news.
"Princess, we beat Roseheart!" My steward did not shake anymore at the name.
I quickly dressed up and went down to the main hall to meet the warriors with the whole palace. The war with Roseheart was so fast. Only one sleep and it was like waking up into a new era.
Princess Leontyne threw herself at her brother while the King congratulated, as it turned out, his brother General Prince Lionel and Fayn. It was more than a victory of a war between Kingdoms. It was the victory of the race.
"All the soldier surrender." said General Prince Lionel.
"But Roseheart ran away." added Fayn and shrugged. "There's nothing she can do in the Ancient Forest alone anyway."
"If so, she will soon be captured in our claws," said King Leonard, "we will deliver her to you King Fayn."
Fayn bowed and as he straightened up, caught my eyes, gave me a proud smile. I returned the gesture while Leonhard wriggled himself out of his sister's arms sidled away from the glorious ceremony.
I followed him because I knew he was trying to run from me. And I desperately needed to talk to him.
He was fast—of course he's a Beastskin—and quiet like a cat. I had almost lost him again if a maid did not inadvertently ran into him upturning a grail of white liquid onto his pricy prince uniform.
"Gotcha." I patted on his shoulder stretching to the limit of my arm and standing on my toes.
Leonhard was very alarmed, but he was stuck between me and the maid who was panickingly trying to sponge his cloth. A fresh and nice smell drift from there and I just could tell that it was¾"milk?"
"Yes your Highness," said the maid rather shaken, "it is for the party tonight."
Leonhard waved the maid away before I could ask her anymore and resumed his walking. I decided not to lose this friend of mine and grabbed at his arm. There were tons I wanted to talk to him, wanted to ask him.
"How are you doing?" was the first thing that came into my mind. There was a trail of surprise on his face, followed by a moment of uncertainty and silence. But I let my gaily mood went on in the slice of late morning sun as Leon restlessly dithering, "Ar—aren't you angry at me?"
I raised my brows, "For what?"
"For—" jittered Leon, "for—"
"See?" I furled up the sleeves and showed him my collarbone. "It's totally fine. Not even a scar. So you don't have to be sorry."
Leon looked almost about to cry again. His thick brows sloped backward and water welled in his eyes.
"Oh come on!" I said, "this was no big deal. You didn't do it on purpose, just apologize and explain. I would not get angry with you. Aren't you Lionheart?"
I pointed at his board chest. Leon's sorrowful face had a small dimple lifting it up. "You never got my name right."
"Leh-Awn-Hard." I said slowly, "I know your name, you're my friend! I mean don't you have a lion's heart like how you're called? You don't have to feel sorry about what you did not intend to do."
"You—" Leon started, "you forgive me?"
I shook my head and smiled, "No. Why should I? I'm not angry with you or anything. Well, I know I almost die but I didn't and still well until now. I only hope we could be back friends like before."
Leon had an inscrutable look for a moment before breaking down into tears despite my effort to prevent it. In this kind of situation, I should hug to comfort him, but it was kind of awkward to comfort a grown man who was almost two meters tall, so I merely awkwardly rested my hand on his shoulder.
"I'm so sorry Kara! I—I didn't mean to," Leon wailed, "I—I didn't mean to hurt you!" and sobbed harder. We spurted on both of our feelings and made up. I conjectured from the talk that Leon's sensitivity was from the curse he was burdened with. The family members always lived in fear of themselves. And this caused their confidence to dwindle as time passed by. This tragic could only happen to a kind heart. I could not resist the feeling blooming by the knowledge and circled my arms around him. He put his head on my left shoulder and cried until my left arm went numb.