Chapter 12-  An incredibly ridiculous request

This is frustrating, on a whole new level. I have never been this frustrated in my entire life, and believe I know frustration, after all I have to grow up with my big sister. A prankster so very talented that cannot live without enjoying as many stories as she can. I respect her, she truly is talented and all of her achievement is not due to her lineage or privileges as royalty but hard effort. I envy her a little. She was able to become something else other than a princess, unlike me. I became the high priestess due to my high affinity to our guardian, and became the crown princess due to the lack of responsibility of the older sister to care as the next one in line. I do not mind, I actually enjoy these duties even though I am so stressed. Sometimes the stress is so great that eating breakfast makes me feel nauseous, I have to wait sometimes and very lightly otherwise I can fall sick right away.

When I go to my royal chambers I usually just drop in. There is always a lady in-waiting to prevent me to just fain right there in the spot. Sometimes my skin breaks a little and acne comes to attack me from time to time. I use lots of herbal plants and creams, and hide my pale face to make up to appear youthful, healthy and ready to take anything. And then this happens. How do other rules do it? Especially those with much bigger territory, population and those very diverse populace and their very volatile political factions? How do they find time to start wars?

There are 12 generals, the great guardian and myself, 14 in total. All with grimace faces with the exception of myself and the great guardian. The great guardian is on his last legs, so he is mostly trying not to fall asleep for the lack of energy to be active for so long. I on the other hand have this grand fake mask that I always put on myself, to look proper, dignified, friendly and calm. Projecting confidence, prudence yet being cool and collected is very important for a leader. But even masks weigh a lot and mine feels like it's about to fall off at any moment.

It's an oval-like table, the length is far bigger than the width. I am on the south side on the lower end of the length. The great guardian is on the other side. Besides him to the right of the Wedingo of old, is the jackalope general, I called Mr. Fluffles, and only I am allowed to call him that. Funny enough his name Jack Horn. Jackalopes make up 12% of our population. Then there is Furry Rick, from the yeti clan. Apparently my sister once told in the old world, they are thought to be giant furry ape-like creatures. Close enough, after humans are considered to be ape like creatures, right? Furry looks like a normal human but the Yeti are very tall creatures, most of them are 2 m, he is 2.5 m. His arms and legs are much bigger, much more bulge like compared to most people. They have long hair that looks like a mess. Blue like mess. They are dressed in thick leather. His eyes are blue too. Skin a bit pale for him but usually they are but more darker not too much, like brownish but very light. They make up 10% of the population.

Then there is Pondering Smith. His tribe is in charge of smithing, the best smiths in our little nation. He is human. He looks like a robust old man in his 40’s, with a big belly. He has short hair and a military style. His skin is brown with green eyes. Unlike humans, Yetis live around close to 200 years, jackalope around 100. Humans make around 40% of our population. Then one of my older generals saw an old bear with big arms ready to rip apart a tree. He has a scar on his face. There are three kinds of bear tribes. The Bear spirits, that live in rivers rich in salmon. They are usually guardians of the forest, whose main goal is to protect it from deforestation, especially wildfires. The second kind is called cocos. I hear in some cultures they punish the wicked and sometimes are told to small children as monsters who punish children who misbehave. The third are big bears a s big as mountains and said to even devour the moon itself, so they are called moon eaters. I have never seen the moon with bite marks. I have never been to space but from what I have seen or heard the moon is still whole yet there is somany stories of them devouring the moon. My old general, whose name is Kamuy, is a coco. Cocos make 5% of the population When I was a child he did seem like he would go out of his way to punish children that misbehaved.

Then there is a witch that is a priestess for the great guardian. Witches are usually more powerful than most magic users, and their charm is close to an idol. Also they have high resonance with spirits so they have great aptitudes for priestesses. Because of our guardian, our most powerful witches are priestesses, which usually are in general. They make 27% of our population. Her hair is brown, and it's luster like adamtine, it's a beautiful brown like zircon gemstone. Her eyes look like honey brownish, like the most pure, raw and exotic honey you can gather. Her skin color looks like the most beautiful coffee beans you can lay eyes upon. And her skin smells just the sa-.....*cough* I mean her skin smells very nice. She is a bit voluptuous, but her hips are very big and very big legs. He is a bit small. Her name is Carmen, her family origin is unknown to our nation. Well most of our original roots are unknown to many of us. She is so exquisite that she will make anyone catch their breath with their heart pounding really fast. Next to me, to my right is Elena, another witch who is not a priestess. She is the green haired witch that I mentioned with the ruby like eyes. Carmen, Elena and I are so beautiful, so desired, so tempting that any man or woman has a really hard time resisting us.....yet none of us had my older sister beat, who makes men howl at the moon like a couple of lunatics. And the scary thing has actually happened.....many times.

From my left is my cowardly friend, Hawk Bolt. A name suited for his cowardly nature that always hides his talents from other people. He is human. Idiot, he should respect himself more. Next to him is an elf, she is half spirit and a priestess to the guardian. Her name is Seraphina. Her skin is a white as snow, green eyes, with beautiful golden hair. She is an elf, and their population makes up 4% of the nation. Next to her is a Furry. They had ties with punishes of myth, long time ago and most of them still love to be in charge of punishing those whom they deem criminals. She is quite beautiful. Her feathers are a mix of emerald with orange like feathers. Her hair is green. She has long thick legs and big hips and quite the big chest. Her wings are very wide and quite strong, one hit of them, and they could break your back. 2% makes up our population. She is wife to the general next to her, a royal of the proud penguin tribe.

An Emperor penguin, always born in royalty, slim, but quite wide wings like they were huge blades yet flexible enough to bend their arms to ise as human arms. They have three pointy hooky claws. They are not big but neither small. They use those claws not just to attack but to pick and move stuff around. They are quite slow at land, but very fast at sea, and in lots of snow or ice areas they slide through them like if it was the sea itself. They make 1% of our population. We have ties with such tribes, and thanks to them we have training for most of our soldiers from their tribe. His name is Empoleon Trident. The next guy is quite the old man, he is a great arch mage, and the second best ice mage in the nation. Also he is quite a fool. He tutor me, give all his attention to me but left alone my older sister who did not have a knack for ice magic. Surely in a snowy country like ours, water and ice magic are the best to use, the most popular, and usually the most prominent and usable for all who use magic. My sister's royalty should have easily become an arch ice mage, but unfortunately she had no affinity for it. But even so she is talented beyond belief. So talented in fact that she may entertain the dragon for a few moments. Not even our guardian could do that. In fact, it is not a joke when I’m saying, she is the strongest in all our land, heck...she may be in the top 5 strongest arch mages in our entire world! That is why he is a fool, for not grooming such great talent. His name is Obstinacious Boom, The Ice beast molder. He has such a title from his olden age where he could mold ice into humongous familiars in the shape of animals.

Last but not least is, Joseph Inocenti. He is a high elf, quite old near his 250s, and always talks about the pride of his pureblood. It took me a long time to “educate” him, to remember that in my rule such prosperous talks of purebloods will only anger me. Of course I ask my older sister in order to give me advice on how to make my point clear to obstinate old men. After a few years, once you get to know him and he is more “tolerable” of other people, you can find he is quite knowledgeable. He is also quite religious. He is the high priest in our kingdom. Luckly, priestess outranks priests in our world, I heard from my sister in the old world it is the other way around. I do not get why....it does not make any sense to me, humans from the old world are quite weird. Also I’m the crown princess so I outrank him once again. Not only that but as the high priestess, I am next in line for the guardians duty, so I out rank him even once again! How do you like that old man!?.....hmm....Maybe I am a bit too happy for that? Maybe so. Anyways....so many great and talented individuals are all gloomy, grumpy and trying to hide their despair.

-“It is time we come in order and finally stop talking in circles”, I finally decide to stop this charade. My retainers have grim faces while Hawk just sighs. We either take stand, become their slaves or make a run and become refugees. Mass immigration to another country in these times of warring periods and when the great chaos is coming, is not a great idea. Many countries have their borders in high alert for any army movement. Moving to small countries is like wishing to delay inevitable. Large cities with no countries and just guilds are the same, and the pens with less restrictions only have high crimes rates. Also not all countries are fond of race diversity, and religion and spirit diversity. Seeking alliances is no good, after all, we can only invite trouble for them, and the ones that can help will only do the same as the empire. So our only options are either taking a stand or giving up. But...I will give them an option.

-”I will fight”, I say with the pride of my rule over my rule in this nation. My retainers are all in shock.

-” If your-”, my loyal Jackalope stands in ready support, but I silence him as I raise my hand.

-” We will give our people choices. Those that desire to die, and make our land of white snow be dye in red, stand with me. Those who wish to submit won’t be scorned, and will be allowed to flee to surrender. Those who just want to flee for the sake of their families will be helped on which lands they will be more likely to have more success with advice. Ready these choices to everyone at once, and you too shall have these choices. I do not want complaints, I only want results that these choices carry out, without mass panic, and orderly as soon as possible. Whether you run, submit or fight, is all the same fate. There is no point,we will lose, so why is it fine to chose. Everyone is allowed to but not I, as the crown princess, just like captain with its ship must go down with it. So I shall stay, and lead those who wish to fight! It is not to fight to survive, but retaliation towards death, that even with no hope we still fight for what is ours. Now you have a duty to this country, and it follows my order, carry them!”, I screamed with such authority, that thick walls reservation in compliance as if they too have consciousness and were too my retainers. My actual retainers all stomp at once and screamed.

-” As you wish!”, in unison I sensed their will to do their best not frail me.

-” It is obvious after all”, I replied arrogantly and conceited as expected of someone with my post. I brim confidence, wrath and demand respect and that respect was granted because there was no other choice but for them to do so. But that was just me pretending, I still hope for my sister to show up. Even if she shows up, our tragedy won’t change but at least she will be quite troubled against them. Where are you, you big fool? What else other than war and tragedy, would you wish right now? Is this not one of those stories that hit like bangs that you love so much? You do not want to see how this country meets its end. And so a teardrop from my left eyes as I set a wish.

-”Princess...”, say in a sad voice my pessimistic friend, as my other retainers felt so hopeless.

-”Please come, my hero”, I say in a whisper for my hero that makes the impossible possible, and that does what she wants as she desires and conventions tie her down. The witch the most beautiful in any world, She has fiery red hair like the sun at dawn. She has beautiful green eyes that seem like they were a mix of beautiful herbs. SHe has proportions that make men lunatics and makes them howl at the moon.

-”Brstrs-”, there were sounds like space was quaking, and out no where a giant summoning teleport circle appear. I know that circle, everybody did too, it belonged to an irresponsible prankster!

-” Could it be?”, said gleefully Carmen, and she was not the only one.

-”Welcome home my hero!”, I say screechly with tears on my eyes, dropping my facade running to that crimson beauty, as I try to hug the summoning-like figure.

-”Mukajajajajajajaja! You are always so popular! You say no one is a s popular as Enkidu, but only true popular guys have queens coming to kiss them when they appear on scene!”, said in an very annoying cheerful voice a temptress clad in red that just pointed out what just happened.

-” AAAAAAH!”, As I reacted , I fell backwards, as I realized what just happened. Everybody does not know how to react. My stupid older sister is the only one laughing. There is a bunny warrior close to her and some guy with a sword.

-”HAHAHAHAHAHAHAA!”She keeps laughing and in echoes in the chamber, while all my retainers looked at her with confusion and announce. His eminence seems to be awakening from her laughter. He has not seen her in a long time so I bet he is looking forward to it. The bunny girl is blushing, and the swordsman has a blank look like he does not care. I was about to embrace my sister at first. Our heights have a bit of a gap, so our faces would not have touched. But....unfortunately my lips touched. This brigand just stole my first kiss while he has a girl in his arms! So bold!

-”MMMMM!”, I pout angrily as I observe him. A very dark young man. His skin was not as dark as obsidian but his body looked like a beautiful craft made of obsidian, just like those weapons my sister showed me when she made one when she visited a land that loves corn. His eyes were otherworldly, they were not honey, or yellow, but a strong gold like displaying the difference in the natural order like a dragon. His hair was so dark, it felt like it was the abyss itself, i was both afraid and captivated by it. He had his feet visible, and they were hard not to look at with those scars, also in his wrists and neck and his chest had very detailed marks like someone made a very detailed pierce with a fine lance from a long time ago.

But not just him was very captivating but the woman he had in his arms. A statue made of fine marble. Her skin was not porcelain white but neither brownish or dark. Her figure was small but she had quite a voluptuous figure. Her hair was white, so beautifully like a beam piercing the earth, like in that story of the brave heroic automata. Her face had a sting of a paradoxical regret mix with satisfaction in the form of a smile. Usually it will be hard to distinguish so much emotion but the display was practically screaming at me. Her beautiful black wings are limping with theres of her limbs downwards. They seem big compared to her small figure but they are no bigger than my Furry general’s wings. Her eyes were like she was dead. No, she must be dead, those are the eyes of a person no longer in this world. Her eyes look like they were dyed in a tinge of red but for some reason, I do not think they were that color before.

As I try to finally have composure, the young dark man with desperate eyes approaches me, my retainers are about to move in while my sister raises her hand with an intimidating smile, and they halt at once. I am confused at this but much more confused when the beautiful youth says.

-” Please will you freeze the corpse of my bride to the point you make a coffin?”, say the long hair youth pleadingly like asking to have more food in a school cafeteria.

-”....”, I am not sure what he just said. Words like ‘freeze’, ‘corpse’, ‘bride’ and ‘coffin’ are hard to process in the same sentence. I suddenly just stop having rational thoughts and screech, “AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAh!?”.

~

-“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAh!?”, their princess just screeched as it reverberated in the kingdom in a goofy clumsy like way. Suddenly the despaired citizens when hearing this, started laughing.

-”Psst-” Started to crack up some small grocery owner.

-”AHAHAHAA”, some mother laugh with her four children.

-”*Cough*”, someone drinking coffee in a coffee shop just spit his coffee violently unable to hold his laughter, “It seems the crown princess was pranked once again by the first princess”, say joyfully the coffee enthusiast.

-”Yes, it seems she has come back”, said happily a local housewife that came to stock up her favorite coffee. The kind of house wife that everybody wants, and whose husband everybody disses because he is quite the pessimist.