-4 months ago-
"The reason still holds, Princess" I said sighing,
It was always the same conversation.
"You know there isn't a man alive in this kingdom who doesn't know what you look like?"
"Yeah, in this kingdom! Come on, this is the perfect time to make our getaway. Father and mother are having some dumb political meeting right now in Kuhan. We have to go! Now now now now now, it's the perfect chance! We can just head to Na…
It was me who glared at her angrily this time.
"ka…"
"No…"
"Oh come on! Why not! You do this every time, what could possibly be so bad? You told me you used to go there all the time!"
"Not by choice…"
"What does that even mean?!?"
Her eyes were turning red as I could see the effects of the candy kick in.
"What does that even mean?!?!?!"
She tilted her head looking at me with a derpy expression crossing her eyes and putting a finger on her forehead. I turned away quickly so she couldn't see my cheeks turn red from the cuteness. Honestly, the gods made genetics so unfair.
"I already told you, ask your father if you want to know about Naka."
"He doesn't say anything either!"
"Well then I'm not going to as well."
I sighed, gathering myself.
"It's not a place for the innocent."
It really wasn't but I'm not going to explain here yet why that is. You know, to build suspense and all. Instead let's look at the broader timescale of things. It had been 4 months since the first request to leave the kingdom. For the first few months or so, the princess would return 3 times a week, at the exact moments when she knew her parents had meetings with the local lords. My second conversation with her went something like this:
"And your guards don't care anymore because…"
"I give them jewels from the treasure room."
"Which is…"
"A ruby each"
"..."
"Oh come on, it's not that much! Here, there are plenty left over,"
She tossed one to me.
"That should cover Kush for the day, right?"
More like the next 100 days.
"Look princess…"
"Call me Riko!"
"Sigh…"
"Mmmm…."
She began to pout again.
"Okay okay, Princess Riko. Look…"
"What? Is that not enough?"
She took out 4 more rubies from her pocket.
"This then?"
"No that's not…"
"More witch candy!"
I held out my hand before she could give me anymore.
"Look, if you really don't have any use for these, Princess, how about giving them to the poor people at the Kingdom's food shelter."
"What's a food shelter?"
"... so you really do know nothing about this kingdom."
"Nope!"
"Do you know what this area we're on now is called?"
"I don't know, the merchants guild?!?"
"What, no we don't have…"
"That's what I read in this book!"
She held in her hand a novel she had taken from the kingdom's library titled; "Maisonluminati, the Underground Merchant Guide Society."
"It says here, merchants gather once a month where the hosting members will draw demonic transmutation circles and then each member takes a knife and sheds a drop of blood from their hand as an offering before the demon god Oloh, who then grants them all the goods needed to sell during the coming months. That's what you do right? Let me join! I want to make a demonic blood offering!"
She began clenching her left hand and shaking violently.
"Hu… HU!!! Help, Oloh is possessing me now Ahhhhhhhhhhhh"
"How can someone with so much wealth in the 3D world love the 2D world this much?" I thought. "Or maybe she really was that bored."
"No Princess, we are in what is known as the lower planes hunting area. I have to pay a monthly fee to stop my trade wagon here."
"Oh, so is the demonic offerings happen here then?"
"No Princess! The only thing demonic right now is your eyes!"
She stopped for a moment as I held my hand to my mouth as I remembered who I just said that to.
"Wait no! Princess, please forgive me! I didn't mean to!"
I began bowing down to her.
"I didn't mean to! Your eyes are beautiful and not demonic at all, please spare me!"
"Heh… heh…"
"Please…"
"..."
"Hu… Hu."
"Yes?"
"Hu…"
"Yes, what is it, anything, please forgive me, I did not mean to insult your majesty in such a way."
"Do it again."
"Huh?"
I looked up to see Princess Riko had a smile on her face.
"Do it again."
"Do it again? Do what again?"
"Say what you just said!" She said, enthusiastic all of a sudden.
"Say what?!"
"What you just did!"
She leaned in close to my face, her red eyes glaring directly at me.
"Call my eyes demonic!"
I quickly pulled away.
"I uhhh… why?"
"No one's ever called me demonic before," she said with a soft smile. "Thank you Hu. I've been called something new today."
"Um…" I was trying to form thoughts properly but like most people on Kush, the Princess's mind had already begun shifting modes as she stared at the grass in the area. Was it really that nice to be called something unusual? Another symptom of a bored heart I suppose. At least it didn't seem like it was for masochist reasons.
The next 4 months went by similar to this as we slowly began to know each other more. Despite the high number of suitors, the Princess didn't seem to have many friends, if any, outside of me at all for that matter. Not too surprising to be honest. Given her high position, I imagine it was hard for anyone to relate to her. So instead of talking to me about any of the social relations or other bonds typical of girls her age, she just talked to me about the books she read, sometimes bringing a few with her.
"And this one is called 'The Ghosts that haunt Kuhan!'"
"Hmm… okay, it's about ghosts I assume?"
"You should really read it yourself, you know!"
"Princess…"
"Sigh… I know I know, merchant work is very busy. Fine, I'll just tell you about it myself and how awesome Casper is!"
She would go on and on for hours ranting about her books. It was really peaceful in a way to be honest. During my time as a merchant, I had known many different people from all sorts of backgrounds traveling between the nations of Kaijie. And of them, the Princess was by far the most famous. It still felt surreal at times when I really thought about it, but it never felt that way really when I was with her.
"Princess aren't you…"
"Hmmm?"
She showed up one day without shoes wearing only her bedroom pajamas with vampires and ghost prints on them.
"Aren't you scared those are going to get dirty?"
Her eyes were already bloodshot red at that point meaning she must have taken a Kush candy before arriving as she stared blankly into space for a moment before answering me.
"Uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh… nah."
"Right…"
Well, luckily there was always a variety of things to do. I carried in my wagon various card games, board games, and sports equipment I had gathered throughout the different countries. Some were for trade, and some I just used as a distraction to entertain the kids of customers as they shopped around. On this particular occasion however, the game choosen contained 64 squares.
"Checkmate!" the Priness said, placing her rook on the final column of the board to indeed deliver checkmate. "Wow! Sooooo easy Hu. Try harder!"
"Okay… so do you wish for me to remove the handicap of only having pawns or…"
"No No! That's okay! Let's uhhh… let's play poker next!"
"As you wish,"
The things she gave me for trade for the Kush were always expensive in price. I felt a bit bad accepting things at such below market rates but as someone who struggled with money during slow seasons, it wasn't really my place to complain. Plus, I can't say it wasn't fun at least. Even so…
"You're going on one of those trips soon, right?"
"Huh?"
"Your trips, for more goods? Do you really need more money? If you want I can steal…"
"No no, it's not about that…"
It really wasn't though because she was right. The jewels she had given me were enough to cover another year here in terms of finances at least. But that's not how the law worked. In this kingdom as well as the other ones, you had to demonstrate that you did work or you were not allowed as a citizen of the country. Even nobles whose only jobs were to be "rich" were at least responsible for being the landlords of various areas such as the grounds I was currently on. And plus…
"Yeah yeah, you love to travel, I know, I want to too! Why don't I just come with you on your next trip?"
"... what?"
She leaned in closer, her red eyes gleaming with excitement.
"Take me with you! Take me with take me with take me with!"
She held onto one of my hands with both of hers beginning to pout.
"Pleeaaasssseeeeeeeee"
But for once, even the surplus amount of cuteness couldn't change my expression.
"No," I said, coldly pulling away.
"But…"
"No, and that's final." I said, "don't ask again, we'll both get in trouble if you even mention it."
But of course, she kept asking again and again.
"Wait, what about Kuhan! Let's go there!"
"There are tigers there."
"Exactly! We'll just fight them, together!"
"..."
"Fine fine, what about Eiguo, come on, we have to go there! That's like THE place according to my books for traveling to! We have to go."
"You need a permit to go there, and someone as pretty as you is bound to attract trouble."
"What! That's the issue?! I'm too pretty? Fine."
She lay down on the ground where there was a patch of dirt and began rolling around.
"Somewhere, I can feel your castle maids weeping."
"There! Now I don't look rich or pretty! We're good to go!"
I sighed again, placing a hand on her head to pat it.
"Listen Riko, I know it's tough but…"
*Bam*
I fell to the ground as the Princess sprang up, headbutting me for my head pat attempt.
"Don't touch my head, I'm 25!"
"So… sorry. I couldn't help it, you're just so cu…"
*Bam*
She threw a sapphire she had in her pocket at me hitting me square in the face.
"And don't call me cute!"
I picked the sapphire up from next to me before sitting up.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to."
Tears suddenly began fiiling the Princess's eyes.
"Wait no Princess, I…"
"Can't you just see me as a normal person?"
She tilted her head downward sitting onto the ground.
"Just like how I see that sapphire, as just a rock?"
I sighed, getting up.
"Princess, that's not how money and value work. This is uniquely a sapphire worth about 150 Cive market value because it has many shiny qualities that can be used by craftsman."
"It's a rock."
"Yes, but it's a rock that has specifically a lot of demand among people outside the kingdom as…"
"It's still just a rock, and I'm just a human who wants to travel like you. Why is that not possible? I don't understand."
I sighed, reaching to help her up.
"Look Princess, I'll bring you some gifts when I get back, alright? For now…"
"Whatever…"
She slapped my hand away getting up instead to walk back to the palace.
"Princess…"
She didn't turn around.
"Riko."
She stopped in her tracks for a moment, but still not turning around. And not saying anything.
"If it makes you feel better, I have fun when you visit! We can still be friends when I get back."
"Friends huh…"
"What was that?"
"Nothing,"
She continued to walk.
"Just don't leave until I come to say goodbye, okay!"
She left my vision, way faster than she had ever before.
"Alright…" I whispered to myself quietly, by myself again. I took from my pocket a blunt and a lighter.