Chapter 10: Prince Juan's Story Part 2

Upon Prince Juan's arrival to the western kingdom's capital, he was immediately greeted by an atmosphere completely different from what he was familiar with back home. Contrary to what he expected, the land of the west turned out to be a very derelict place. Everywhere he turned, Prince Juan saw nothing but drug users, prostitutes, and beggars of all ages. And the fact that a lot of the people who were just standing along street corners and alleyways were just staring at him made him all the more uncomfortable. Therefore, he resolved to start walking a little more quickly until he could find some suitable lodging for the duration of his stay, all the while wondering what kind of ruler the west had for it to look as ghetto as it did."Maybe it's only the capital that looks like this," thought Prince Juan.Eventually, he arrived at what looked like a row of motels, but he didn't know which one to choose. He preferred one that was safe, where he could sleep soundly, and where it wasn't likely that his room would get broken into with his belongings stolen. So, he asked a nearby man to recommend one of the motels to him."Oh I dunno. I'd just get whatever room and call it a night," the man said before walking off.After sighing to himself, Prince Juan decided to just pick a random motel and hope and pray that it was a decent place to stay.As he was walking towards the motel he chose, a girl who was standing near the entrance approached him."Excuse me," she began, "do you have any extra change or anything? I'm trying to get a room to stay in tonight, but I don't have enough money. I have nowhere else to go."Upon looking at her, Prince Juan immediately felt sorry for her."Of course I do," he said, "But where is your family?"Suddenly, the girl started crying, making Prince Juan unsure of what to do until she spoke."I don't have anyone to go home to," she began, "I walk the streets every day, just trying to scrape up enough money for food and somewhere safe to stay. I had a fight with the last person I was staying with, and he kicked me out. I don't know what else to do."The girl continued to cry until Prince Juan was able to comfort her a little and assure her that he would purchase a room for her to stay in for the night."C-Can I just stay in the same room as you?" the girl asked, "Please? I...haven't been feeling safe the last few days. I'm afraid if I stay in a room by myself, someone could try to enter my room and harass me. Please? Let me stay with you?"The sudden request caught Prince Juan off guard, but after a bit more prodding from the girl, he eventually agreed to let her share a room with him. He would just purchase one with two beds."Thank you so much," she said.Upon entering the lobby, Prince Juan was relieved that it was actually decent looking compared to how the building looked from the outside. Once he paid for his room and received his key, Prince Juan felt a little more confident about his choice of lodging, especially now that he's given himself the task of keeping someone else safe.When the prince opened the door to their room, he was a bit surprised by how small, yet cozy the room looked. It consisted of two queen sized beds with a nightstand in the middle, a desk, a mini kitchen, and a small bathroom. It was a little different from what he was used to, but he knew he would like staying there all the same."Alright," began Prince Juan, "You can choose which bed you would like and make yourself comfortable, miss. I'll go and put some of my things away."The girl chose the bed closest to the entrance to the room, while Prince Juan went to the other one. As the prince began putting some of his things away, the girl started to speak to him."I really appreciate you doing this for me," she said."It's my pleasure," answered Prince Juan."You know, I don't think I got your name.""Oh. It's Prince Juan, but you can just call me Juan.""*gasp* You're a prince?! I knew you looked like you weren't from around here. What are you doing here?""Well...I...I'm on a little vacation from home right now. I-I'd just thought I'd come here to relax a bit.""Oh. Is this your first day here?""Yes.""Well, I know this place very, very well. If you want, I can be your tour guide here.""That would be...great. I'd like that. It would have to be tomorrow, though. I'm a bit tired from my trip here, and I'd like to get some sleep. In the meantime, I'm going to go and take a shower.""Oh, yes. Of course. Well, I'll just be out here, getting some rest, too.""Ok. Good."Prince Juan was about to go in the bathroom when he suddenly remembered something."Oh yeah, wait. I didn't get YOUR name, miss," he said."Oh, yeah. My name's Kendyl."Prince Juan awoke the next morning to the sun light streaming in through the window. And when he sat up in his bed to rub his eyes, he heard noises in the bathroom. The noise frightened him a bit until he looked over at Kendyl's bed and saw that it was empty, so he concluded that she was the one in the bathroom. It wasn't too long before Prince Juan heard the door to the bathroom open, and when it did, out came Kendyl, wearing nothing but a towel and drying her hair with another towel. The sight made Prince Juan blush and quickly turn away. When Kendyl noticed that Prince Juan was sitting up in bed, she smiled."I'm sorry. Did I wake you?" she asked."N-No. You didn't," answered Prince Juan. He kept his head down in an awkward position, waiting for Kendyl to either go back in the bathroom, or get dressed. However, instead, she walked towards his bed and stood in front of him, still drying her hair."You know, today's a nice day today," Kendyl began, "And I'm hungry. How about we go out to get some breakfast? I know a very nice place we can go to. Is that ok?""Y-Yes, sure. That's fine," answered Prince Juan with his head still down."Great. I'll go get dressed."Prince Juan was relieved when Kendyl finally returned to the bathroom, and once he was calm enough, he quickly took advantage of her absence to freshen himself up a little before they went to breakfast.Kendyl guided Prince Juan to a restaurant that served chicken, biscuits, and other things for breakfast. Once Prince Juan paid for and received the food, Kendyl began discussing their plans for the day with him, an act that confused Prince Juan at first."Don't you want to get to know the area while you're here?" asked Kendyl."Oh. Well, yes," answered Prince Juan."Then we need to talk about which places to go to. I've been living here a long time, so I know the area well."As Kendyl rambled on about some of the capital's best spots, Prince Juan thought of a question he wanted to ask Kendyl."Hey, Kendyl?" he asked."Yes?" answered Kendyl."I wanted to know...what kind of ruler your kingdom has for it to look so...um...""Ghetto? I know. We don't get a lot of visitors because of that, but it is what it is. Our kingdom has a queen. She's Queen Maria.""Her name is Maria?""Yes. Why? You know her?""No. I just thought that...she would have a different name if she's THIS land's queen.""What's wrong with her name being Maria? Anyone can have that name.""Y-You're right.""There's also a Princess Carolina here, but she's not from here. She just likes hanging out here a lot. Anyway, I don't know that much about Queen Maria. She's probably just broke, and that's why her kingdom is ghetto looking.""Oh.""Anyway, I'll just take you to the best areas around here. This place may be ghetto, but there are still some good areas around here. I know you will like them.""Ok. Great."Once Prince Juan and Kendyl finished their breakfast, their tour of the capital began.Prince Juan and Kendyl visited many places, from marketplaces, to parks. It wasn't too long before Prince Juan began to enjoy himself, despite the capital's odd atmosphere. However, it was an odd sense of enjoyment he didn't quite understand until a little later.Meanwhile, Kendyl and Prince Juan were walking alongside each other at a park when Kendyl suddenly tripped over something and fell on her back, despite Prince Juan trying to save her. Because she was too heavy for Prince Juan to pull to her feet, he ended up falling on top of her. When their faces met, Prince Juan blushed and scrambled to his feet, apologizing for falling on top of Kendyl."Haha. It's ok," said Kendyl as she was getting up off the ground, "It's this dress. I've been wearing it for days because I don't have any other clothes. It's getting so raggedy that it's now too long for me to walk properly in."Prince Juan gave Kendyl a once over before his eyes got stuck on her face. When Kendyl noticed, she started asking if Prince Juan was ok, to which he agreed."Why don't I take you shopping? Let's get you some new clothes," said Prince Juan."That would be nice," said Kendyl.Prince Juan then had Kendyl direct him to all the best shopping areas in the capital and bought her whatever she wanted. They're day finally ended after they went somewhere for dinner and returned to their room.It wasn't long until Kendyl and Prince Juan were settled in for the night, with Kendyl happily putting away her new clothes and other gifts."Thank you so much for buying me things today, Juan," she said."Of course," said Prince Juan, "I'm glad you like everything.""Prince Juan?""Yes?""You seemed very happy today. Why is that?""Well...I...I was just happy to tour the capital with you.""Really? Why?"Kendyl's question ended up unexpectedly being too much for Prince Juan, so he started crying."*gasp* What's wrong?" asked Kendyl as she ran to Prince Juan's bed to try to comfort him."It's...it's just that...I've been so lonely lately. And...when you took me on a tour today...it...it made me happy. I really enjoyed my time with you today, Kendyl," said Prince Juan."Aww." Kendyl pulled Prince Juan into a tight hug and kept hold of him until he stopped crying, and when he did, she whispered into his ear."You know, Prince Juan, if you don't want to be alone anymore, can I sleep in your bed with you tonight?" said Kendyl before kissing him on the cheek.It was yet another question that caught Prince Juan off guard. But before he could give an answer, Kendyl got up from his bed, turned all the lights out in the room, and returned to Prince Juan's bed and started kissing him in the dark. Once Prince Juan was seduced, he and Kendyl spent the night together in the same bed.Before long, Prince Juan and Kendyl became a couple. They spent most of their days going out to eat, going to parks, and sometimes just staying in their room all day, lying in bed together. Regardless of how they spent their days, Prince Juan was the happiest he ever was in a very long time, and he didn't want this happiness to ever end.After about a month of being in the western kingdom with Kendyl, Prince Juan came to love Kendyl so much that he wanted a future with her, and he began thinking about how their future would be, and whether or not his parents would like Kendyl. He brought his thoughts to her attention one day when they were sitting together at a park."You know, Kendyl, I want to marry you one day. I think we'd have a great life together," said Prince Juan, "There are so many things we can do together, Kendyl. And I can't wait to do them all."Kendyl, however, wasn't as enthusiastic as Prince Juan, and therefore didn't say anything. Prince Juan asked if she was ok when he noticed."Yeah, I'm fine," Kendyl answered."So...what do you think about getting married one day?""I...I think that would be nice, Juan.""Really? We could get married soon, then. Then I could take you home and introduce you to my family. I know they would love you. You're a sweet person, Kendyl. You are. And I want to get you off these streets.""I...I don't think we should think about this right now, Juan.""Why not? Don't you love me?""I do. But the courts wouldn't allow us to get married.""Why not?""I'm...I'm 17""What?!""...Yes.""...You're just now telling me this, Kendyl?""I didn't mean to hide it from you. I just forgot about it."Prince Juan found himself stuck. He was hurt by the fact that Kendyl neglected to let him know of her age. But he also came to really love her and didn't want to let her go."Well...Well we can still work this out. I'm sure you turn 18 soon, right?" asked Prince Juan."Yes, I do. But let's just drop this subject for now, ok?" Kendyl asked."Ok.""Hey, Juan? There's something that's been bothering me. So, I have this friend. She doesn't have anywhere to stay. She knows where she wants to go, but she doesn't have enough money. I want to help her, but I also don't have any money..."After a few seconds, Prince Juan reached into his pants pocket, pulled out a large amount of money, and handed it all to Kendyl."Here," he said, "Take all of this as proof of my love for you. I trust you're a good person who will use this money wisely. I love you, Kendyl.""Aww, thanks. I love you, too," said Kendyl before kissing Prince Juan on the cheek and standing up to leave."You're leaving now?" asked Prince Juan."Yeah. I have some business to take care of, but I will see you later," said Kendyl."Oh. Ok."With that, Kendyl left, with Prince Juan watching as she disappeared into the distance.Meanwhile, in the kingdom of Aguasuave, things were very awkward. Ever since Prince Juan left, his parents were worried sick about him. And because they were worried, a dreary atmosphere appeared that could be felt by everyone, including the servants. Despite everything, however, the one who felt the most dreariness out of everyone was Princess Marina, as she was the only one who knew where Prince Juan went. And it was the location itself that worried her. She told her parents that she didn't know her brother's whereabouts just as he asked, and they believed her up until they noticed she was extra quiet compared to everyone else. So, eventually, they summoned her to have a little talk with them."Marina, do you really not know where your brother is?" asked her mother."I...I don't," answered Princess Marina."Are you sure?" asked her father."I...""You can tell us anything, hija. Tell us where your brother is.""He...he went to the western kingdom.""What?!""Yes. He said that he wanted to go to a place that's far away from here and the other major lands to figure himself out. So, he went to the western kingdom.""He must be brought back from there at once! That place is not safe! Anything can happen to him there!""Besides, he still has work to do here. He's our only reliable son right now. We need him for our kingdom's future."Princess Marina's parents' last statement struck a nerve. Up until then, she kept her head low out of embarrassment from having to confess about her brother's whereabouts. But she suddenly lifted her head high and spoke what was on her mind for a while."Ma, Pa," she began, "I know you're rooting for Juan to forge connections, marry well, and open the gateway to better things for our family and kingdom, but what about me? Do you two not see me? For years I've been doing the very things you want my brothers to do. I know so many nobles, what kingdoms they belong to, and a number of decent princes who wouldn't mind marrying me. All you have to do is say the word and I can start benefitting our family, too."Princess Marina's parents looked at each other before speaking."Marina," began one of them, "we love you just like we love your siblings. But it would be good for our image if one of our sons jumpstarted the future of our kingdom.""And it would be even better for your image if one of your daughters jumpstarted the future of the kingdom," said Princess Marina, "Just think. Wouldn't it be great to be the first kingdom in history to have a princess propose to a prince and maintain the legacy of her royal family? Something like that would make other kingdoms envious immediately.""...""*sigh* Listen, I love my little brother, and I care about his well-being. I do. I just wish that my own achievements and milestones would be acknowledged. I also love our whole family, and where we live. So, I just want to use my achievements to contribute to our kingdom.""Marina," began Princess Marina's father, "we understand your desire to make a change for everyone. But that's just not how things work around here. And you know just as well as anyone else does that Juan is practically the only faithful son now, because of your other brother's absence. And because Juan's currently the only son left, your mother and I are really counting on him to learn to become a good example of a strong ruler and the future of our kingdom. We know you love and care about him, and that's precisely why that makes you the very best person to go to the west and bring your little brother home. Is that clear?""...Yes, Pa."Meanwhile, back in the west, Prince Juan was alone in his room, thinking about Kendyl while lying on his bed. It's been quite a few days since he last saw her, as she never returned to their room since the day he gave her most of his money. He began to worry, and no longer able to contain his worry, he decided to get up and go for a walk to look for her.He walked quite a distance, searching in both, areas he's been to before with Kendyl, and unfamiliar areas. He eventually came across a large, busy, but dirty commercial area where many people hung out to eat, smoke, and loiter around the surrounding restaurants and bars. Once he rounded one of the street corners past a bar, there she was, Kendyl, the girl he loved, hanging out in an alleyway with a strange man.Prince Juan, at this sight, became very confused as to what Kendyl was doing here, and why she hasn't returned to their room in days. But he also became angry when he noticed a sort of intimacy between Kendyl and this man, and as soon as he saw the strange man grab and kiss Kendyl, he ran towards them as fast as he ever could and confronted them."Kendyl!" he yelled when he got close enough, with Kendyl hurrying to push the strange man away from her as soon as she saw Prince Juan."Juan?" said Kendyl, "What are you doing here?""I should be asking you that. And who's this?""Oh, him? H-he's just a friend I met.""Oh, really?" said the man, "That ain't what you been saying when you was in my bed last night."Not knowing what to say anymore, Kendyl stood awkwardly by as Prince Juan stared at her with disgust and disbelief."Kendyl, what is this?" he asked, "I thought you loved me. What about all the time you and I spent together? I took care of you. I got you a place to stay, I bought you food and new clothes. And this is how you treat me?""...""What about all that money I gave you! What happened to that?!""...Money!? What money?!" yelled Kendyl, "I don't remember any money.""What?!""Look Juan, I did love you and all, but I need someone else who can be like me and like the things I like and do the things I like. The west? This is me. You're just a soft, prissy prince. If I want to hang out in alleyways and smoke blunts, I can. I can do whatever I want. And to put it simply, I just needed money. That's it. It's your fault for being too naive.""What th-""Hey!" interrupted the man, "I don't know who you are, but you better leave her alone from now on. If she don't want you no more, that's her decision. You better stay away from my girl or you can get shot. Come on, girl."With that, Kendyl and the strange man walked off, leaving Prince Juan behind in the alleyway.A few days passed since the incident with Kendyl, and during those days, Prince Juan was wandering the streets, lost. And because he was lost, he couldn't make his way back to his room. Moreover, because he hasn't been to his room in a few days, he was sure that his things there were probably thrown out for lack of payment, not that he had enough money to pay for the room anyway.Frustrated and heartbroken, Prince Juan slammed himself down in an alleyway and started crying. He just couldn't believe he fell in love with someone who didn't feel the same and duped him of his money. Now he had nowhere to go, no money, and he was stuck in an unfamiliar land. He continued to cry loudly, with strangers walking by here and there, giving him nasty looks as if he were a lunatic."If only I didn't come here," he thought, "If only..."Princess Marina arrived in the notorious kingdom of the west as inconspicuously as possible. She didn't know where to start in the search for her brother at all. But she knew that with a few mental landmarks and the help of the discreet aides her parents sent with her, she would be able to find him.With each new area Princess Marina and her aides encountered, they split them up into smaller pieces for each one to split up and thoroughly search. And when they met back up with each other, they shared and marked down landmarks and other features of the area that would help them memorize and navigate without looking like newcomers and possibly getting assaulted, robbed, or taken advantage of.All in all, the search was taking up an entire day. Princess Marina personally didn't want to spend one night in the west, and with each step she took, looking for her brother, the more she looked at the sky and it's setting sun, the more she began to lose hope.Sometime later, Princess Marina came across an alleyway when she heard crying nearby. She started to walk slowly, following the noise. Eventually, she saw a dark figure in the alleyway, crouched down on the ground, its head bowed and resting on its knees. There was something familiar about the figure to Princess Marina, so she gently got its attention, asking if it was ok. When the person looked up, Princess Marina gasped."Juan!" she yelled, running towards her brother and giving him a tight hug, "What happened to you? How did you end up like this?""I...I..." Prince Juan was unable to form any sentences before he started crying again."There, there," Princess Marina said, comforting her brother, "Let's get you out of this alleyway. I'm going to take you home tonight. Our parents are worried about you."Just as Princess Marina got her brother away from the alley, three men appeared behind them."Hey!" one of them yelled. When Princess Marina and her brother turned to look at the men, they started walking towards them, stopping only a few inches away from them."Can I help you?" asked Princess Marina, a stern look on her face. Her parents made sure that she would be armed the entirety of her time in the west so she would be prepared in the face of any danger. And prepared she was. She moved her hand discreetly towards her weapon, ready to attack in just a second's notice."Is this guy named 'Juan'?" asked one of the men."Who's asking?""There's a rumor that a certain guy by that name slept with an underage girl here, and we're looking for him."A look of shock crossed Princess Marina's face. But it only lasted a few seconds as she quickly got herself together."I don't know anyone by that name," she said, "This is my brother, Elias."After looking at Prince Juan one more time, then at each other, the men seemed to have been convinced of Princess Marina's answer before they walked off."Take care," one of them said.When the men were far enough away and out of earshot, Princess Marina grabbed her brother by the shoulders, forcing him to look directly at her."Is what they said true, Juan?" she asked."I...I...""Answer me, Juan!""...Yes."Shocked, Princess Marina let go of her brother and paced around for a few seconds before looking back at her brother in disbelief."How could you do such a thing, Juan?" she asked."I-I didn't mean to. She never told me her true age until later.""And what did you do once she did tell you her age?""I...still wanted to be with her.""Why?!""Because I loved her."Angrily, Princess Marina turned her back towards her brother and sighed."You know," she began, "Our parents care about you a lot, and they are really counting on you to stand up and make a change for the future of both, our family, and our kingdom. The least you can do is be responsible for once.""I...I know. I'm sorry," said Prince Juan.A little calmer now, Princess Marina turned back to face her brother and spoke again."Because you've done this, it is now even more dangerous for you to be here than ever. So, I need to get you out of this land as soon as possible. My aides are looking for you nearby. After we meet up with them, we're leaving for home right away. And once we get home, you're going to talk to our parents about this. Whatever they choose to do with you then is up to them. But regardless, I refuse to have my little brother imprisoned, beat up, or even killed HERE. Let's go, Juan."