A giant ball of water was dropped on Nao's head, he got totally soaked, the blue fire on his was put off by it.
"My apologies, I cannot hold myself any longer." My younger brother suddenly appeared beside me, wearing a stoic face as usual. " Please do not lay your dirty hands on our Crown Princess." he added.
The last part stunned me, we only call each other formally if one is in trouble and the person who said it cannot help the other.
Nao just looked at him surprisedly.
" Kai, isn't that a little rude?" I tapped his shoulder but he didn't bother to react and just pulled me away while my youngest brother, Kian approach Prince Nao.
They're probably planning something or maybe just a prank, those two are real devils so . . .
We're far from Prince Nao's earshot and my younger brother, Kai, finally spoke.
" Sister, please do not be fooled by his words, he's trying to make you hate him before making you fall for him because it's the only way to break the connection between him and his fiancee, he's just using you so that he can have his freedom." Kai said seriously.
" I'm not foolish enough to trust him but can I ask what kind of connection are you talking about?" I asked.
" Have you heard about the sacrifice for the "The Three Core"?(I nodded), liar! You don't even bother reading a single book!" He sighed, well, it's not my fault that I'm more like a composer or a writer than a reader, though it's true that I lied, haha.
" Ah ha ha ha." I just awkwardly laugh while looking straight ahead to the future.
" Sister. . . Jeez. Forget it, I will tell you. Once a Crown Princess or Crown Prince are born, there's that one and only child that will be born on the same exact day as them, and that person will be the sacrifice for " The Tree Core", in order for the sacrifice to not get bored inside the paradise of "The Tree Core" they can freely choose their partner only inside their jurisdiction which is the island they're supporting, if the one they have chosen does not like them, they will just give them a 'mark', the mark is a bracelet which protects the wearer and let the 'sacrifice' know where their chosen one is.
The mark can either be a curse or a blessing because the wearer will not be able to resist loving the sacrifice slowly, the blessing is that the wearer will always be safe as long as the mark is there. Now, about Prince Nao, he has a 'mark' on his wrist, the sacrifice of the Hino island has chosen Prince Nao but Prince Nao is a little. . . . . . . Not into her, the answer to how the 'mark' will be removed is to make the one who hates you, fall for you, and that is why he acted strange a minute ago." Kai explained patiently.
' How cliche. . .'
(The Tree Core: is a precious tree of every island, it's the reason why the islands are still standing steady even with all the uproar happening in the sea, giving a giant wave as a gift, whirlwind as a notice, and peace as a sign for the impending destruction. Their roots are big which support the island and prevent it from destruction, but in order for it to live long, a sacrifice is needed every time the Queen and King have their first fruit.)
. . .
So I was just a tool for him, huh?. That makes more sense. But he's just a tool for me too, isn't it just mutual benefits?
Clicking his tongue, stealing my ship, acting all mysterious and cheeky, throwing banana peels on my face, saying stupid words, giving me the blanket then not using his power to heat himself, saying that I'm his and he'll be mine. . . Plus accepting the marriage, haha so It was all for his freedom, huh?. Phu-lease, I'm no idiot to fall in love again.
Well, I can't blame him, he is handsome and such so it's no surprise that he's loved. But. . . . . Using me to be freed from the curse. . .
I head towards him and asked with a smile.
" Which torture would you like?, I'll throw you inside a whirlpool for a whole day, sink you in the bottom of the sea for a month, or maybe you would like me to insert a lot of water through every hole in your body until you look like a pufferfish, Or~ maybe~, just maybe~ you would like to choose killing yourself right now, in front of me." though some of them are jokes(probably).
He looks confuse, ". . .Wait? What's the meaning of this? I just protected you! Why do you want me to be tortured instead of the guy earlier?!" He talked back while backing away from me who keeps walking closer and closer to him until he fall into the fountain.
" Also, the Queen wanted to see you, Crown Princess." my youngest brother, Kian spoke.
Damn! Even my brothers cannot help me this time, what did I do? I'm being called the "Crown Princess" instead of "beloved sister/sister" I'm certainly in big trouble!! They even call mom as the " Queen "
" Then, I will be on my way, please take care of that for me." I pointed at Prince Nao. He looked quite mad, how amusing.
I was about to run when. . .
" Crown Princess, that's the opposite way to the entrance," Kai said.
" I know."
I know that. . . I just don't want to enter the front door because I can literally feel my father's piercing gazes on me.
I entered at the back door and both of my parents are looking at me with disappointed eyes.
Now what?
. . .
We're now sitting in the dining room, I was being glared at with those painful eyes, I can't help but to feel suffocated, I thought I won't be able to feel this way again but. . . Being stared at with eyes full of disappointment again after so many years, I felt hurt. . .extremely.
"Read this." the Queen threw an envelope with the logo of the Hino island's second King's letter at me.
I read the text and it says here that the Second Prince that's suppose to be married a few days ago has gone missing and that the Crown Princess of Wataru island is the last person the Second Prince has been in contact with, and that the Crown Princess was seen with the Second Prince of Hino island getting off of the ship of Wataru island, it says here that
. . . . . . . . I kidnapped the Second Prince of Hino island's second royal family.
" Your Highness I did no-"
The Queen stood up and slam the table " Tomorrow, take the Second Prince back to Hino island and accept whatever punishment is chosen for your wrongdoing, do not dare lay a foot on this island if you still haven't accepted the punishment! This is an order!" She said angrily, cutting off my reasoning.
. . . . . I thought everything is already fine yesterday but. . . Today, problems pop up one after another.
I stood up and bow deeply to show sincerity then say " Yes, Your Highness."
Tomorrow I will be in big trouble, what did I ever do to be this unlucky?, was I mean to anyone? Did I unconsciously disrespect someone? did I think about bad stuff to anyone? Did I badmouth anyone? Tell me. . . What is it?.
My tears. . . If I hold it any longer, I won't be able to breathe, the pain is suffocating me. . . It hurts . . .
Since I don't know what to do, I just laid on my bed and cry my eyes out until I fall asleep.
I woke up and it's already evening. . . I'm hungry but I don't feel like eating. . . Forget it, I'll just sleep again till tomorrow comes.
. . .
Like I said, I slept all day yesterday. Today is the day where I will be taking the cat back to its home.
Unlike what I did last time, I split the sea and walk through it with the Second Prince beside me.
" You hate me that much?" He asked with a bitter chuckle.
" Ha. . .?"
" Why bother acting like you do not know? Yesterday, I was toyed with by your brothers because you asked them so, now, you're going to send me back even though I got as far as to be engaged with you for the sake of my freedom, but here you are, sending me back. (Sigh). Such a shame, I actually like you." He said disappointedly.
" You like me? What a funny joke." I chuckled.
"~~~~~" he murmurmured to himself.
" What?" I asked to this secretive guy next to me but he only sighed and shook his head. I was speechless, as if he's treating me for an uneducated child.
. . .
Just like that, I was sent to a cage connected to one of the giant tree of their giant castle.
The structure is indeed a cage of a bird, but instead of having a stripe open wall, it's covered with metal walls which makes it hard to breathe and escape, looks like they really are holding a grudge on me.
It's only an hour of the first day inside this hell-like cage had passed but it feels like a whole year already.
I want someone to save me but who? There's no way my mother and father will help me, my brothers no less.
I feel hopeless, it's like when I was bullied because of how I look, no one dared to stop the bullies, instead, they started bullying me too, I feel helpless, I feel like I want to cry but my heart and mind says I won't be able to handle it if I do so.
I tried my best to endure it until I finally calmed down and fall asleep.