The Sudden Departure

The doctor took all night to examine Prince Leonhard, while everybody was waiting outside his chambers with sleepless nights waiting to hear the good news from the physician. The doctor came out and stated, "The Prince is alright, but all he needs is a day or two of rest. All night, I was experimenting with different therapies, and none of them seemed to work except for my last one. And according to the results, the Prince has suffered from considerable pain generating from within his chest area. He has regained consciousness but is in critical condition. You may go see from now."

Everyone entered the room to see Leonard on his bed, merely fidgeting with his hands. Brunia walked towards him and slapped him on his face without a word. After a long awkward silence, she yelled with tears in her eyes, "ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR FREAKING MIND!?" She pulled him into a firm embrace, saying, "Don't ever do that again!"

Leonhard whimpered, "I'm sorry Bru-- I mean Ayesha. I didn't mean to worry you."

Brunia responded, "You need not call me that. I am whoever I was for the past 11 years, and nothing or nobody can change the way how I feel about each one of you. I am given the name Brunia, and I am keeping it that way until I don't figure out my origin. The orphanage gave me that name; my life started from there." She pulled away, and all the Princes embraced together and commemorate the fact that their brother was alive. Both the Professors also warned him never to pull a stunt like that ever again.

A few days later, the King and Queen returned to the palace and were packed up for the preparations for the royal ball. After Brunia's arrival at the castle, Ludwig confessed that he knew Oliver's true identity and that he had resigned from the post to pursue the throne of his kingdom, and she was supportive about his decision, and so was everyone else. But the Princes, Princesses and their Professors decided to discreet the recent events to the King and Queen. The Prince and Princesses were psyched out for what they should wear or how they must greet and dance at the upcoming royal ball.

One day when Prince Licht and Princess Licha were returning to the palace from the Vermillion Unlimited store after dropping off the master's bike at the Cafe Mitter Meyer, and coming back in the carriage, Brunia noticed them and asked, "Hey! You guys were off to another date, though I know that you're not in a relationship? Geez... since even I have a boyfriend, I can't really complain, eh? You guys have been going into town so often, where is it that you go?"

Licha stammered, "Umm... well... I umm... I went to the local stores to search for a ballgown for this upcoming event, but I'm not able to find one yet!"

Brunia asked, "Okay... which store did you go to?"

Licht quickly responded, "Rose's seamstress shop. I guess we will have to try another one tomorrow!" Brunia remained silent as a response and then left the area without uttering another word.

Licht asked, "Was that convincing enough for Bruine-girl to believe? Why don't you tell her?"

Licha answered, "I sure hope so. And besides, even though, we have recently witnessed her commoner side doesn't mean that her nagging ability will diminish; especially when she actually considers me as a rival to the throne."

Licht nodded and replied, "Well... understandable. Now let's head inside."

A few days passed by and the royal ball was only a day away when suddenly, Brunia called up a meeting and announced that she had plans for leaving the palace! She convinced the family by saying that she needed to go to Orosz for a day to handle one of the university department of biology for a day, but she promised that she would return on time for the royal ball. Everyone agreed to her proposal and then exchanged goodbyes and departed in the rattling carriage.

However, as soon as they left from the palace gates, Brunia instructed the driver, "Listen, umm... here's the thing, I'm not going to Orosz exactly, take me to this address."

She handed over a piece of paper to the driver, who responded, "But Princess Brunia, this address is in Vermillion, Cumsta."

Brunia replied, "Yes, because that's where I am going. And please, not a word about this must reach anybody! Do you understand?" The driver nodded with approval and then drove to Cumsta to the address the Princess had instructed him.

A few hours later, the carriage arrived at Cumsta, the Princess instructed the driver to park the vehicle a few meters away to avoid the commotion. She knocked on the front to find Michael answering it! He gave her a firm embrace and squealed with delight, "BRUNIA! OH MY GOD! YOU FINALLY MADE IT! I was starting to think that you were going to bail on us, please come in!"

Brunia entered the residence and commented, "Man! Not too shabby, I say so myself!"

Andrew came out of his room and screamed with happiness, "AHHHH!!! There's the girl of the hour! Man, you were not kidding when you asked for our help, didn't you?"

Brunia clasped Andrew and then asked after pulling away, "Yes. I do need your help, but for that, I need the four of you to be here. Where are your girlfriends?"

Andrew responded, "They should be in their rooms, where are these people?"

Andrew advanced towards their rooms and yelled, "Hey guys, Brunia's her--- WHOA!!" Michael and Brunia grew worried and rushed towards the bedroom to see Chantel, who was still asleep and Aubrey, who buried her head in her hands in frustration.

Brunia asked, "Aubrey, what is going on?" Aubrey yelled, "I don't know how to wake up this sleepyhead! I tried to pounce on her, shout in her ears, and even sprinkled water on her face!"

Brunia asked, "Sprinkle water, you say? Where's the restroom?"

Michael replied, "Over there, at the right." Brunia spent several minutes in the washroom doing something. Andrew yelled, "Brunia, what are you doing in there!?"

Brunia called out, "Guys, I'm going to need a little help here." Aubrey, Michael, and Andrew entered the room and saw Brunia trying to lift up a bucket of water!

Aubrey commented, "WHOA! This is going to be fun!"

Andrew shrieked, "Are you out of your mind?! You're going to make my girlfriend fall ill!"

Michael countered, "Hey, you do want to wake her up, right?" Andrew gave in, and then the three of them facilitated Brunia in lifting up the bucket.

As they entered the room, Brunia commanded, "On the count of three, we do the required action. One; two, and THREEEEEE!!!!!!!" Everyone splashed the entire container of ice-cold water on Chantel which woke her up with a startle and surprise.

Chantel screamed, "WHY ON EARTH DID YOU LOONS WAKE ME U-- Brunia??" She stopped mid-sentence as she was astonished to see her friend standing right in front of her. The girls huddled into a warm embrace and then took the conversation into the hall.

In the meanwhile at the palace, after Leonora's and Leonhard's combined lesson with Professor Heidi, they were at the palace gardens drinking tea and having tortes together, as usual.

Leonhard inquired, "Are you going to have the last one?"

Leonora responded, "I was just going to ask you the same question!" They both stared into each other's eyes and then slammed their hands on top of the cake, thus trying to grab it at the same time.

Leonhard yelled, "GIVE ME THAT TORTE!"

Leonora screamed, "Hey! You give me that torte!" Suddenly, the cake flew in the air and was wiggling back and forth! The Prince and the Princess were surprised at this. They screamed at the top of their voices in fear and not able to comprehend what was going on in front of them. Both the Professors entered the scene and were astonished to see what was transpiring there.

Professor Heine asked in astoundment, "Okay, why is that cake flying in the air?!"

Leonhard yelled, "Heine! Do something! This is getting out of control! I wish I could just fly up and catch that torte down by myself!" Suddenly, Leonhard merely starting drifting in the air shimmying up and down out of restriction!

Leonora screamed, "WHY IS LEONHARD FLYING?! I DON'T UNDERSTAND ANY OF THIS!"

Leonhard shrieked in fear, "SOMEBODY HELP ME! WHOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!! PLEASE, I DON'T WANT TO DIIIEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!"

Professor Heidi speculated and requested, "Prince Leonhard, please calm down, think about descending onto the ground." Leonhard apprehensively obeyed Heidi's command and then as assumed he slowly settled onto the ground thus making a safe landing. While the torte also returned back into its original position.

Leonora shouted, "What is the meaning of this, Heidi!?"

Both the Professors glanced at each other and then came up with a valid theory. Professor Heine explained, "I think I know why is all this transpiring here. Your Highnesses, if you correctly remember, at yesterday's night's visit to the Khan's Dark Manor; the apparition stated that he would kill you using his daughter's owers that bestowed upon him after his death in jail. However, it is possible that those powers might have had the opposite effect on the two of you."

Professor Heidi continued elucidating, "With that said, I reminisce that Prince Leonhard collapsed as the spirit stated that the power with naturally lies within the true heirs. Since Prince Leonhard wasn't, he succumbed because of that whereas I surmise that the Princess was as she is the one whom Princess Brunia adores and loves the most in this world, even more than Prince Bruno I suppose."

Leonhard questioned, "Heidi if I'm not the true heir of the power, then why didn't I die?"

Professor Heidi answered, "I'm presuming that it is because of the royal blood that protected you, but not so much that you wouldn't collapse for a while. However, you did regain your strength back and now have emerged as a more powerful person."

Professor Heine reminded, "But with that said, I suggest you must return the powers to Princess Brunia as she is the true heir of that ability."

Leonhard yelled, "I can't do that!"

Leonora inquired, "Give us one good reason why."

Leonhard replied, "Look, we have to do this very carefully in the process of transmission since we don't want to lose anything valuable in the process. And secondly, I am not letting go of this until I cannot have some fun with it!"

Professor Heine responded, "Your first point is decent enough, but your second reason is useless and childish."

Leonhard screamed, "Hey! I'm not a child! Do you even know how it feels to possess superpowers!? No right?! So shut up!"

Professor Heidi instructed, "Fine, Prince Leonhard, you can have it until Professor Heine, and we don't figure out the process of transmission without harming anybody's future prospects. But with that said, you must understand that your powers must remain a secret, especially during the royal ball, and the same goes to you, Princess Leonora. So until then, we will examine a few books and then will train you on how to use and control it until the royal ball is concluded. We must not disclose this information to the King and Queen since this upcoming event has a lot riding on it; however, we will inform your respective siblings and will direct them to be careful with this confidential information." The Prince and the Princess nodded with approval and then the four of them approached to the royal library and then examined the history of the Khan's dark Manor and then proceeded to their training session on how to utilize and control their powers.

*IN CUMSTA*

Brunia directed Andrew, Michael, Aubrey, and Chantel into the living room and then made them sit down to deliver the reason for her visit to the town. She spoke while fidgeting with her hands, "Well... umm... you guys know how terrible I am at dressing up myself or doing any other girly things?" Everyone in the room nodded with approval. Andrew evoked, "Yeah, but that was a long time ago, but you're a Princess now, so wouldn't you be better at it?" Brunia answered, "No! Surprisingly, I'm not! I can recognize excellent designs and their meaning, but I don't how to compose myself with grace. I never had one of those posture lessons before like my other sisters since I was too preoccupied studying to be a better Queen than Eina." Chantel inquired, "Alright, but what do you want us to do?"

Brunia replied, "I need all of us to help me to get dressed up for the upcoming royal ball so that I can impress Prince Bruno and be at my best in front of him." Everyone in the room squealed with delight and began chatting with another until Brunia shouted at him to remain quiet until she concluded stating her points. She said, "Listen! And as a reward, I have scored four invitations for all of you at the ball." Andrew responded, "WOW! That's all said and done but just tell us this, are you and the Prince together or something?" Brunia blushed and then answered, "Yeah, but our relationship is a secret from the whole kingdom except our siblings and you guys." Aubrey asked, "Does Kabir know about this?" Brunia nodded with approval and replied, "Yeah, he knows. And I understand why he left his position as the royal guard. But we talked everything out, and we're good friends now, and we still keep in touch with letters." Michael commanded, "Alright, everyone! Get ready as we commence with our preparations and fulfill Princess Brunia's request and attend the royal ball together!"