People are going to kill me when I post this I bet… oh well. *Shrugs*

Chapter 49 – Ash

The next morning, I wake up and shower and stuff… I never knew I had a portable bathtub and shower. Well, now I know!

We walk to Lumbridge and are there in an hour. There’s the giant castle. The cook waves as I walk past, up the stairs to find the Duke.

“Who are you?” He asks grumpily. Not a morning person I take it!

“King Raoul sent me to you to beseech a quest.”

“A quest?” He nods, stroking his long beard. “Yes, I believe I do have a quest for you, adventurer.”

“What is it?”

“Such impudence! As I have stated, I have a quest. You must make peace between the two islands of Etceteria and Miscellenia.”

“Very well.”

Make peace? Can do…

“Espeon, let’s go…” The four of us (five with Espeon), teleport off to the island of Miscellenia. Well, let’s see…

Here’s the castle…

Inside I find the king – well, at least he used to be king while he was human. Now he looks like a giant snowman!

It was really hard not to laugh when he agreed to try for peace with Etceteria. His carrot nose kept bobbing up and down.

So now, to ask Advisor Grim…

He says that I should talk to the queen of Etceteria. Also, to be the regent of this land and rule, I need to marry a member of the royal family… I guess that’s another girl. There are two girls, Minako and Naru.

Naru looks like an idiot, honestly. I think I’ll try for Minako…

“Greetings, your Royal Highness.”

She smiles as she enters. “Finally, a new face! Ooh, and he’s cute too! What’s your name, adventurer?”

“I am Ashura.”

“Nice to meet you too! I’m princess Minako, but I bet you already knew that! So, can you dance?”

“Yes, why?”

“Great! I’ve been itching to dance for ages but none of the four measly guards we have can dance. Let’s go down to the ballroom.”

Okay…. Girls are weird.

We went down to the ballroom and danced for a few hours, and then I made her lemonade in the kitchen. She got all giggly after that.

Is she developing a crush on me?

Oh well, it can’ be too bad, right?

Then, we went back up to her room, and she revealed her secret. She has a secret volleyball sandpit! How weird! Anyways, the other girls – and Sabrina, too, joined in and we played three on three for another hour or so.

Finally, she grinned. “I’m ready.”

“Huh?”

“I’ll marry you, silly! You’re patient, a hunk, and you can dance and play volleyball. I bet you can sing too!”

“Well… yes?”

“Great, then it’s settled.”

He blinked, but removed a silver ring set with a diamond from his jacket. All of the other girls wore one.

“Plus, my new Harem-sisters are nice!”

The other girls blushed, as a princess was being so close with them. She was slightly dizzy, but nice enough, they decided. Ash left them alone, and they began chatting about clothing and cosmetics while he went to find the queen of Etceteria.

Only a six-foot bridge separated Etceteria and Miscellenia over water. Kind of pathetic, really…

Neither of them had armies, being tiny island kingdoms. So they didn’t have a state of war. They just studiously ignored each other.

Even the fishermen who fished on the same bridge never talked. How… prejudiced! And weird!

Well, anyways, off to find the queen!

She’s really bored. Anyways, she says peace sounds fine. Then she went back to crocheting… she’s a really, really old lady with no children. I’m grateful for that – no more marriages!

Not that I don’t like them…

I wonder though… Sabrina’s been staring at me occasionally when she doesn’t think I’m awake. Could she have a crush on me too?

I think Lance likes her…

So I wouldn’t mind. But I won’t force her to reveal her feelings. That’s just unfair, using my status as her Master…

I won’t be a manipulative freak! I won’t!

Calm down, I am not a freak, no matter what my stupid muggle relatives in this life said. I am not a freak. I am a magician. I am a card master and a realm guardian.

They are the freaks…

I will not take revenge on them though. Revenge is for the weak. I may seek justice, eventually… who knows?

I won’t be going back to the world for five years… *sigh*

Great, now to have the king sign the treaty. Oh shoot. Snowmen don’t have hands! How am I going to manage?

Advisor Grim suggested that I make hands for him.

WHAT?! How am I supposed to do that? Yuki got the crafting ability, not me! I guess I might as well humor him though. Snowmen have stick hands, right? Well, okay.. chop down a maple tree for logs, and then…

Cast a dictation charm on them.

Bingo! Now he can write! The logs are kind of crude hands, but he’s managing. Now I have to walk back to Etceteria and give the queen the treaty…

Done!

Well, now that the treaty is complete, the King – Melvin, I think his name is? He invited us to stay at the castle for a few weeks.

Oh, why not? It’ll be fun! And it is! We go exploring over the island, help the island people out with their chores, and they love us for it!

It’s nice to be a loved monarch.

In the evenings, we read stories together in the library by the fire, all of us, even Sabrina, and in the afternoons, sometimes, we go swimming and play volleyball. They all got silver-and-white bikinis from the magic rings I gave them… pretty, like a uniform!

Unfortunately, volleyball seems to be the only ‘real life’ sport here. Ah well, I’m getting fairly good in that area. We also went fishing once or twice, but it is pretty boring. Still, with six people working in that area, enough fish to last a few months!

After a month though, I get the itch to travel again, so we leave…

To the next destination!

End Chapter

Completed 4/7/05

Writing Ash always cheers me up ^^. It’s hard to angst with him