Stones in different colors printed the walls of what looked like a cave, illuminating the dark passage. Princess Carrie was the first to jump down, eyes couldn't stare at the little twinkles of the gems stuck in the moist walls. Upon closer inspection, she discovered they weren't stones but glasses of different colors.
"These are broken glasses," Princess Carrie said.
Not a while longer, the Second Prince who had also jumped down began to scan the place. "I also thought they're stones." From their position, he could see more broken glasses in different colors painted and heading to the deepest part of the cave.
Exchanging knowing looks, the two started to follow the colored glasses, the fox's sounds echoing through the walls of the passage as they walked.
"Stay close," Gavin reminded as he took one step ahead.
In every step they took, the glasses shone brighter, making the way clearer and easier to walk on. It was as if it had been printed that way, for them to see and find what they needed to.
Reaching the fox, Gavin stood with a hand still at the hilt of his sword while Princess Carrie one step behind him. The two couldn't help but have their eyes wide in awe.
"Crystals... These are real crystals," Princess Carrie exclaimed while looking at the blue green crystals around the gray fox. "This costs a lot in the capital because of their nature to keep a person's beauty and make charms of different kinds."
Gavin nodded, eyes looking at the said crystals. Although they were of royal blood, these types of stones were rare as they were too expensive. Even a small piece would cost ten year's worth of salary of an average working person. In the palace, only the Alpha King and Luna owned at least thirty pieces of these crystals. Gavin owned one but he never used it.
He glanced at the princess near him, noticing her bright eyes while looking at the crystals. The servants in the palace often talked about her and although she was regarded as one of the most intelligent women in the academy, at home, she had been treated no less than any ordinary person. There were even rumors that said she was being locked in a room with no windows and only one bed and one door whenever she did something that upset her adoptive mother, Luna Veron. Things like these crystals or any gem at that, even someone as high and powerful like Princess Carrie couldn't afford to have.
"Do you want to own one?" Gavin asked before thinking twice.
"Huh?" Princess Carrie turned to look at Gavin. Realizing something was off at the way he was looking at her, the proud princess looked away. "If you're talking about these crystals then no. It's enough that I look at them."
Then eyes turning back to the rare, illuminating gems, she smiled. "Not all beautiful things should be taken away and used anyway. Beautiful as they may be, I believe they can be more when left untouched."
Gavin stared at the princess, his heart beating uncontrollably against his chest. "The princess is right." A smile etched on his lips. "There are truly things that become more beautiful when left untouched and only admired from a distance."
Pulling away her attention from the rare gems, Princess Carrie turned to the fox. Looking at it closely, Princess Carrie found its eyes beginning to change.
"Carrie, stay away from the fox!" Gavin called, swiftly moving to Carrie.
Princess Carrie felt something in her chest was exploding, her body turning cold. The fox stared at her, seemingly as if wanting to say something. The serious glimmer of its eyes that reflected Princess Carrie's image turned into something that resembled autumn leaves, that resembled something, something far and deep into her memories.
Suddenly, images of a burning house flashed before her. With the burning house came screams of a child, too small and weak as it was pulled away from another person. The child tried to hold onto the person but the forces were great around them and they were separated. The house continued to burn, the flames becoming bigger and bigger.