New friendship

"What is happening in the city? Why do we seem to be seeing more and more of these cases?" While heaps of requests and complaints were piled up on his desk, Ezekiel enquired. The advisor was standing in front of him, holding more of these papers. "Why are there so many grievances?" The advisor set the pile of documents on his desk while shaking his head. He wished he knew the solutions, but he doesn't.

Five years had passed since princess Aura and Coco had been sentenced, and the kingdom had been running nicely for a few months before slowly deteriorating. The most problematic two years were those in which looting, killings, and murders increased and activists began to organize protests in support of their objectives. The destitute villages complained to the kingdom in letters about the lack of food. The region of fire, as the name implies, began to heat up; the temperature rose like the tides under the power of the moon. There was a water shortage, which caused the agricultural fields to dry up and the crops to die. Although there were few nearby water sources in the enormous, land-covered Land of Fire, wells and deep ponds always provided enough water for the populace. However, rivers were far away, and wells were also starting to run dry. Ezekiel was powerless to alleviate the misery of those in the Josen realm. Even the surrounding woodland was dying, and there was no sign of rain. It appeared as though this region had been the target of a spell. Every day, things worsened and people started acting irrationally.

"The north and east sent in a letter that their conditions were no better than ours and that the entire realm was in distress." The counselor talked in a gruff tone and without compassion. The advisor hasn't been able to be himself since that day five years ago. He had anticipated that something negative would occur shortly, and it had already begun.

"The other regions, what about them?"

"We wrote them letters,' Antares and Mist Island responded, saying they could supply the essentials but it would take some time. Because of the bush, it was difficult for us to reach Fenoira." Ezekiel felt self-conscious.

There were no indications of life in either the southern or northern regions, which are regarded as the lands of the air and the water, respectively. And it appeared that it was their turn to become gone; the gods were enraged and were punishing them.

"The monarch would have advised building the canals to draw water from the nearby rivers or perhaps drilling a well to use the water for cultivation if he had been present. The water level had dropped, but we could still use the forbidden territory because those trees were still in quite good condition and we could get water there." Ezekiel was aware of the mocking the advisor's remarks contained but decided to disregard them. The advisor spoke quickly. He knows that Alaric would have acted quickly if he had been present, but he wasn't. Ezekiel was. Alaric's absence was not Ezekiel's fault; he was aware of the advisor's annoyance and understood why.

"Send the laborers to start the canals right away. We have no time to spend any longer." With his eyes firmly fixed on the sheets in front of him, Ezekiel said as much in a calm voice. The advisor nodded and exited the room without saying anything. After exiting the room, he exhaled the air he had been holding in and went straight to his office. It had been so long since Coco had studied with him and kept him company in the same office. The advisor pulled out a scroll and penned an official notice requesting the local dam to engage some laborers for the canal project. When he opened the drawer to take the royal seal, he found a few letters instead. These were the letters that Coco had written; he was forbidden from visiting and was unable to return. In his letters, Coco reassured the advisor that he had been taking care of himself and was making a valiant effort to follow the prince's command. It was difficult for him to communicate since he couldn't speak but the people around rarely talked so it became easier. He expressed his longing for them and inquired about the princess, but the counselor was unable to respond. As the months went on, the letters from Coco became increasingly infrequent until the advisor went nearly two years without hearing from him. The advisor was aware of the rigorous training that the elite knights undergo, therefore it was expected. The counselor pondered how Coco must have looked after these five years.

Princess Aura, on the other hand, spent much of her time in her room and hardly ever left. The only times anyone could see her were at gatherings and family meals. The princess found it more challenging to leave her room without being met with snide and cruel remarks as a result of the stories that were spreading across the village. Even the advisor and the prince were powerless to stop those remarks from coming out like hot air. Aura kept herself shut up within her room since she knew she couldn't avoid it. The princess had even been given a personal bodyguard by Prince Ezekiel, who slept much of the time outside her room because she never left it. Coco, her sole companion, had left, leaving her with no one with whom to communicate. Savannah's visits also decreased as Gloria and Savannah's time with the little prince was taken up. Aura occasionally played with her five-year-old brother. He had a lisping habit, which she enjoyed. Despite their best efforts, Princess Savannah and Prince Ezekiel were unable to cure the boy's lisp.

A rough noise came from within Aura's door as it opened, startling the bodyguard who was fast asleep. He promptly bowed before standing erect and getting ready for his brief daytime tour. "I simply need to see my brother. You don't have to go with me down the other hallway." Aura said in a stern tone.

"Princess, I'm sorry, but I'm supposed to follow you even if you only move to the next room." The bodyguard said, bowing his head. The bodyguard followed Aura as she passed through his side while sighing and rolling her eyes. Aura never intended to act inappropriately around her bodyguard, but she felt like her sense of freedom had also been taken away. The bodyguard glanced forward at the princess, remembering how small she was four years ago when he first met her. When he was chosen to serve as her bodyguard, she was just six years old, and he was only seven years older. It seemed like only yesterday that the princess was a foot in height, and now she was only a foot shorter than him. She had grown into a stunning lady, with long, slightly curly black hair, and honey skin that the clothing she was wearing emphasized. and her amber eyes, yet there was a sadness behind them that was always reflected in her severe countenance. The princess was now standing in front of her brother's room, but the bodyguard was too absorbed ogling her to notice that the corridor came to an end. 'Wait here,' Without waiting for an answer, she commanded it and entered the room. As soon as Aura was inside, the door shut, and the bodyguard calmly waited outside.

"Princess, we were talking about you." As she played with the young prince, Savannah uttered these words while smiling.

"The entire country is talking about me. I'm familiar with that." Aura smiled ironically. Savannah's face fell when she said that. Aura stepped forward to embrace her brother, who grinned broadly and ran to hug her feet, and Aura lifted him up affectionately. "What's up? Missed your sister at all?" The young youngster excitedly nodded.

"Letz play, Aura." Once more, Aura laughed at his lisp and gently pinched his cheeks.

"You are really adorable."

"Timmy, son, you must be with your father today. You ought to prepare." Savannah muttered behind her. She gave him the nickname Timmy.

"We can play later, it's alright. Go with your mum for the time being."

"I'm your mother, as well."

"I don't know, are you?" Aura helped the young kid back to his feet and turned to leave the room. "Princess Savannah, it was a pleasure to meet you." After making her final remark, she exited the room through the door where her bodyguard was waiting and gazing at the statues that lined the hallways. His bewildered and dumb expression made Aura smile, and she lightly giggled. When he heard the sound, the bodyguard turned around, mortified that he had been seen gazing at the sculptures. "I feel like heading to the garden." Aura didn't speak a word the entire time the bodyguard accompanied her to the garden; instead, he followed her in silence as usual.

As soon as Aura stepped outdoors into the garden, she inhaled deeply. It was calming and liberating. There were workers engaged in their work, planting and watering plants. " I won't flee and jump over those 30-foot-high barriers; you're free for the time being". Aura remarked. The bodyguard scratched his neck and gave off a perplexed expression before turning to stare at the castle's walls, which were protected at the top by spiky needles.

"No, Princess, everything is OK."

"Do you not feel trapped by the fact that you are pinned to someone like me who spends all day indoors? You don't have to suffer alongside me, even though it's not your fault. You can take a break."

"I like being useful; else, we'll feel worthless. I've learned that from my teachers."

"But the majority of the time you sleep." The bodyguard laughed, feeling foolish. "I can always hear you snoring."

"However, I'm a light sleeper."

"I agree," Aura came to a halt in the flower garden, the same garden where she and Coco crafted a tiara. It's odd that you've been with me for five years, but my friend who couldn't speak was the one I spent the most time talking with."

"We were taught that we are not permitted to engage in any type of communication with nobles."

"What sort of nonsense schooling is it?

It was not unusual nor surprising; nearly in every country, the royal aides, troops, and assistance are forbidden from communicating with the nobles. No one bothered to fix it because it had been going on from a time no one can recall. They were only permitted to respond when nobles or royals questioned them. Since they had been together for five years, Aura felt bad for him because he had to be struggling with everything, including everyday interaction.

"What is your name?"

"Huh." The bodyguard gave her a wide-eyed expression. He gave himself a little slap, certain that he had misheard something. Why would a royal princess want to know his name? "Who am I? Princess, it's not important." Aura was serious because she had stopped moving and was now looking at his back, despite his attempts to woosh the subject. When the bodyguard turned back realizing she was not next to her, she was standing with her arms crossed. His fingers clenched and unclenched nervously as he timidly laughed. "It's Harold." He muttered.

"Harold, what a great name." She advanced to take a position in front of him. "Harold, nice to meet you. My name is Aura. We have now formally announced ourselves. I hope we have a great time."

It was the start of a new friendship; princess Aura found a friend in her bodyguard. She grinned and inadvertently caressed the blue pendant that was hanging around her neck. The blue pendant was always comforting to her. She missed Coco and his serenity. She wasn't sure if she would be able to see him again. Will he recognize her? Is he ever going to return? She didn't know.