Like the Wind

By Little Maggie

A/N: A little bit like Final Fantasy 9 at first but I did my best to change it all. Any coincidence otherwise is unintended. I wrote this before I played the game, actually. I was first inspired by Disney's Aladdin. Don't sue me, I wrote this for fun!

" In the year of a dozen times a hundred and 400 more, the heir of the throne shall experience a twist of fate. Beware the golden boy for he shall play part. Worry not for just as he is golden so is his heart."

* Prophecy of Mertucini, Wise Man and

Elder of the village of Og, year 1523

Chapter 1

Johnny

Johnny brushed his tousled blonde hair out of his eyes and glanced awkwardly in to the mirror. The face he saw was so much different then the face he had two years ago... before he began his job. As he hid a dagger in his tall leather boot (always on the left leg, for he was left-handed), he whispered to himself, just a little chant he often said to lift his spirits: " It is not my fault that I am a robber. This doesn't bother me. No way."

He crept out of his tiny room (shared by his `family', or his boss, Nate, and his two accomplices, Burt and Griff). Burt was tall, bony, and the fastest man there ever was. Just as he was fast, Griff was slow and durable. He was always last to be knocked down in a fight, and he heaved the largest belly in the whole town. He was short. These complete opposites were incredible best friends.

Johnny was average. He had a good build, for sixteen. His hair was about two or three centimeters from his ears and fell in to his eyes constantly. It was the amazing color of the sun, golden and shiny and beautiful. Paired with an incredibly handsome face, two big green gems that sparkled in his face (or his `starlight' eyes, as Griff had once said), Johnny was quite a sight to see. But his wild, (and gorgeous in it's own way), hair, was unkept and messy. It shaded his eyes, and Johnny often did not let people get a good glimpse of his face. He always had a hood on. He hated his looks.

Sure, all the barmaids sighed when he walked by, and tons of girls all over the city secretly admired him. That was two years ago. Now he was a recluse, a robber, shameful and disgraced. He liked it.

As he walked down the stone path, his hood pulled far over his face, disabling his side view, he thought of his next mission.

Boss Nate had given him strict orders to kidnap the Princess Aurora. Despite the countless impossibilities and dangers, Johnny had to face the task. If he didn't, the gang would surely butcher him alive in the alley. They needed the Princess. Griff hinted that some high-paying fellow would give up all his money if the Princess was kidnapped for him. Who'd blame him?

Aurora was, according to rumors, the most amazing, gorgeous, fabulous girl - woman - this side of the world. Maybe this side of the universe. Signs, posted by the common workers, the trolls, were everywhere, with pictures of the Princess. They all told of a ball the Princess was holding. During the ball, Johnny was to snatch the girl. Then, he was to take her to their cargo ship, meeting the gang there, and sail to Og. Og was where the rich-paying man was. Og was where they got their money... no, their gigantic treasure load!

Dazed with his task, fake party invitation clutched in his hand, Johnny felt someone bump into him. He turned, and saw a face he had known two years ago. His mind flashed: `Must hide face!' His hand shot up and tugged the thick, leather hood over his eyes. If there was anything that was most recognizable about Johnny, it was his pair of eyes.

" Oh, pardon." The gentle, bell-like voice muttered. Johnny knew who it was - Lillian, a past flame. She knew Johnny like the back of her hand, and before he knew it, she was saying: " Don't I recognize you from somewhere's? Let's see yer face, boyo." Boyo was what she sometimes called men. Stupid country bumpkin.

" No time. I have a ball thingy to attend." Johnny barked out, and turned violently. Lillian's hand fell down hard on his shoulder, warm and uncomfortable. Lillian never gave up!

" Thingy? You don't talk like someone who goes to balls." Her hip pressed in to Johnny's side, and her smile, flirty and cocky, showed her sudden interest. "You taken or somethin'? Too shy to look a fine girl in the eye."

" Yep, I'm taken. Now let me go..." Johnny jerked away hard, only to his horror did he feel his hood slip back under the weight of Lillian's hand. He spun around, furious. His green eyes blazed as he watched Lillian grow shocked.

" Johnny! You..." Her face turned red.

" Yeah, it's me. Lookit, I got this ball to go to. Lillian, I beg ya, let me go. Don't make me use force." Johnny pleaded.

" Mmm... wouldn't mind to give you some force right now, boyo... you look so much better! But what are you wearing? Your face ain't nothing to be ashamed off. Trust me." Lillian pressed her face close. Her lips lingered on his cheek, then she added: " So long that we have not talked! Let me buy you a drink! The pub's not far..."

" I gotta go!" With a glance at the big clock tower, which read 4:13, Johnny knew he had less than two hours left. Lillian's grin melted into a large frown. She muttered:

" What kinda friend are ya, hiding around like some criminal ..." Johnny felt shivers go up his back. " ... and now you won't even stop to chat a bit with little old me - - " She paused mid-sentence, when her eyes focused on the invitation in his hand. " Well, I'll be... you really are invited somewhere's, ain't ya?"

" Yeah! And I'd appreciate if you'd let me go handle my own affairs..." Just as he edged away, Lillian grasped the corner of the invitation and yanked it out, leaving a long paper cut across his palm. " Ouch!" He cried out, looking down at the beads of blood that slipped out from the cut skin.

" Sorry!" Lillian giggled, and then she opened the little folded paper. Her eyes scanned it quickly, stopping at the signature. " Man! Princess Aurora?! You sure made classy friends these few years, eh?"

" I really gotta get goin', Lils..." Lils was the pet name he often called her when they used to be together. It didn't work out because Lillian was far too stubborn and Johnny was always reluctant to always agree with her.

" Now, sweets, just hold on a bit." Lillian giggled and tugged playfully at the long strands of golden hair that had spilt over his eyes. With a cute smile, she whispered: " You look better with long locks, ya know?"

" Thanks. But I really gotta..." Johnny tried to take the invitation from Lillian's hands, but she only laughed and began to read the invitation aloud:

`Dear Jonathan Marcus,

I hereby formally announce you

to join me and fellow royalty at a Grand

Ball in my main ballroom. It shall take

next Saturday at six in the evening. I

will see you then!

Most Honorably,

Princess Aurora

Ridgewood Castle'

"And lookit! An actual royal seal at the bottom!" Lillian exclaimed. She rubbed her finger on it, and looked at it closer. " It seems a little... different. Oh well... probably some oaf didn't press the stamp down hard enough, eh, Johnny?"

" Yes, probably." Johnny clutched his hands tightly together, trying to withhold the blood. If he messed up the invitation, he would not be able to get in.

" I shouldn't keep you, then. Goodbye!" Lillian smiled and gave Johnny a very wet kiss on the lips. " Oops... sorry." She giggled, and ran off, throwing the invitation at the ground as she did.

" Disgusting." Johnny thought, and he rubbed his lips with the back of his left hand. His right, still bleeding, was hidden in his pants pocket. He'd have to conceal it until the blood clots a bit. He picked up his fake `ticket' to the ball, the invitation, and started off down the road again.

He passed the Baker's shop, where a large bird known as a ria stood. The ria was tall, with a long thin neck and a pointy, slightly curved beak. His feathers were the color of muddy snow, and a strange growth of fuzzy black feathers shrouded his neck, signaling it was a male. The ria had been brought to the bakery for the most common purpose - eggs. It could produce two dozen eggs every five days and these eggs were so large, they'd easily fit six average ones in it. But the ria was also huge. It was about two feet taller then Johnny, who sported a healthy five feet and eleven inches.

When Johnny walked past it, he stuck his hand between the bars and rubbed the black feathers directly under the ria's chin. That was a very sensitive spot, and rias loved to be rubbed there. The large bird purred like a cat and then let out a glass-shattering screech. Johnny laughed, and said: " You're welcome."

As he walked on, the dagger felt cold against his leg between the folds of leather and his pants. He quickly tugged his hood back up just then, for a rush of people suddenly appeared. They chattered like fools, bumping into others and Johnny.

" Watch it!" He shouted, then suddenly saw the sign on the pathway in front of him:

Ridgewood Castle - Up this path

His mission now lingered so close to him...

~*~

The ballroom brimmed with people. Johnny tried to spot the Princess but to no avail. She had obviously hidden somewhere amongst multiple bodyguards and royalty. How was he to get her now?

" Pardon." A voice behind him said.

He turned and saw a breath-taking beauty with long locks the same color as coal, and eyes that were blue and shiny. She was dressed commonly, in a slightly messy dress and she also sported a hood. Her hair was tied in back, with only single strands escaping the bun and falling on to her shoulders. She was amazing.

" Oh, I'm sorry!" Johnny whispered. She waltzed by him, swaying her hips seductively. `She must be quite a charmer', Johnny found himself thinking. Dirty thoughts in his mind, he blocked her way and leaned close to her face: " How'd you like a dance with me?"

" I apologize greatly, for I mustn't dance with comm..." She stopped, looked into Johnny's green eyes, then swept her own blue ones across his face and stopped at the invitation in his hand. " Ah, were you invited?"

" Of course! The Princess herself invited me - we go far back, ya know?" Johnny smiled. `Real smooth', he thought.

" Really?" She looked surprised for a second, then she smiled widely and said: " You know, I'll take this dance."

" Then come along." He grasped her hands and spun to the center of the room with her. She looked uncomfortable dancing so far in the middle, among so many people spinning around her. Her head kept bobbing down, so that the hood would fall over her eyes farther. Johnny realized that he, too, was concealing his face. Had this girl come here to do something bad as well?

" I think I should tell you that... I do not like being... you know, surrounded by people." She tried to smile, to hide the fears she hid inside of her. But her body trembled like a leaf.

Johnny wondered what she could mean. Did she want to be alone with him? Wasn't this just perfect? Suddenly, his mind wandered off his mission, and he said: " Let's duck into a side room, then."

Before he could react, she was pulling him away from the dance floor and leading him through a maze of corridors. All the while, she seemed to know perfectly where she was going. She kept turning around and checking for guards.

" Now, what are you up to!" Johnny finally asked, as she pushed him into a room and slammed the door shut behind her. He wasn't sure about this anymore... he had a Princess to capture! " I don't got's time to fool around! What are you doing?"

She was removing the dress! He winced. But then, he was relieved and shocked beyond control to see her wearing a long, fancy silk dress beneath, with golden buttons. Her hood had revealed a golden tiara perched in front of a tidy bun. The Princess herself!

" Your... your Highness!" He suddenly dropped to his knees, tears stinging his eyes. He'd been found out. He'd be hanged! " I should have been aware your sharp eye will figure me out!"

" Get up, please..." The Princess sounded kind enough. " I will not have insolent sniveling on my floor." She laughed, her blue eyes sparkling like two drops of spring water. " I see that we both do not belong here."

" Whatever do you mean, Princess?" Johnny slowly got up off his knees.

" What I mean, is that you have come here for a reason I do not know, and you are not invited. I can only assume you are the one my Grandfather sent for me. He said that a man will be sent who shall get me away from this castle." Princess Aurora's smile widened, with tiny dimples appearing in her cheeks. " I can only wonder why they sent a boy."

" Now, just a minute! I'm sixteen, as much as you." Johnny was angry for a minute, then reality hit him hard: the Princess was right here, and here he is being an idiot. His mind buzzed: `Capture her, take her to Nate.'

" Pardon, then. I am just surprised, that is all. I apologize as well for the commoner getup. I am glad you wore one, as well. We can escape easily now." She stretched her hand out, and grasped Johnny's firmly and tenderly. "Follow me."

She led him in to yet another room through a strange hidden passageway behind an old bookshelf. There, Johnny found himself surrounded by ropes, guns, daggers, knives, swords, and all sorts of weaponry! And above all, a long narrow escape chute was there as well.

" Well, well, well! Seems your Grandfather planned everything." Johnny tried to seem calm, but his heart thundered with rage. Had Nate made a deal to kidnap the Princess to help her? How come he was unaware? And was the rich man paying Johnny and the gang the so-called Grandfather?

" How come you look so surprised? Have you forgotten the plans?" She bent over, and picked up a dusty old map. " Here, read this, please." Her hand pointed a paragraph in the corner of the map, circled in red ink. `Probably blood of fools like me', Johnny thought, grimly.

He read, unbelieving. The plan was so much like the one Nate had planned. This had to be the deal. Johnny was sent to help the Princess! Relieved for the first time, Johnny smiled and said:

" All right, then, let's get the job done, shall we?" He pushed open the escape tunnel's cover, which was an old shield. It clattered aside to the floor. The Princess put the shield on the floor of the slide, sat on it, and suddenly let go. Her figure quickly disappeared in the shadows of the winding chute.

Johnny climbed in after her, and slid down as well.

~*~

It seemed to twist and turn forever. At the bottom of it, which was another secret room located in the underground, the Princess pulled on another peasant outfit. She removed her tiara and then covered her silk dress with another one. Johnny watched in silence. When she was done, she looked at him, and smiled. Then, with a swoop of her hands, she pulled the hood over her face.

Johnny remembered that he, too, was wearing a hood. The only features of his that were showing were his proud chin, and the shadow-cast eyes peering out, dark and scary. His features were not complimented with the shadows. He changed from handsome to fearful and scary. His nose seemed longer, his eyes darker.

He asked:

" You ready?"

" First, can I know your name?"

" Yes, Your Highness. It's Johnny."

" No last name?" Princess Aurora looked surprised.

" None I wish to share." Johnny hated his last name. He preferred to go around shadowy and mysterious, with no name.

" Then, Johnny, you shall only call me by one name as well." The Princess grinned cleverly. " So from now on I am Aurora. That is all."

" Very well, Pri - Aurora."

~*~

Johnny led Aurora out of the hidden room, and found himself in the garden. She, of course, knew the way. With another grasp of his hand, she was pulling him along like a dog on a leash. Soon, they were out of the wild rose bushes and great fields of roses and petunias. They were at the verge of a forest, the one leading to the dock where Johnny was to board with the Princess and take her to Og. The Princess opened the gate leading out of the garden, and she turned to Johnny to say:

" Lead me from here. I do not know the way."

So he did, straight through an hour's worth of forest. When they emerged beside the dock, Nate approached them. With a smile on his face that stretched from ear to ear, he whispered:

" So you got her, eh, Johnny boy?"

" The Golden One shall lead the Chosen One, the Chosen being to the throne. They do not get to know each other close... that is for they are not alone."

* Another prophecy of Mertucini, two days

Later, from a vision in a dream.

Chapter 2

Reaching The Village of Og

Nate looked at the Princess, and then at Johnny, and then at how they both wore hoods. He laughed and called out:

" Griff! Burt! Take a look at this, eh? Both fit to a `T' with each other."

" Sure, whatever, Boss." Burt grumbled. He and Griff were loading boxes of food and supplies on to the ship. A large cage was being hauled up now, with a winged horse in it. It was Freida, Johnny's horse. Everyone in the gang had his own winged horse. It was the cheapest means of transportation.

" Oh! A winged horse!" Aurora exclaimed.

" It's mine. Her name is Freida." Johnny boasted. Aurora looked up at him, at his shadow-cast face. A single thought crept in her mind: `Is he handsome beneath that hood?' She quickly looked away, and spoke to Nate:

" Are you going to take me to my Grandfather?" She asked.

" Grandfather? Johnny, how'd you make THAT one up? Boy, your imagination could think up anythin' to get a girl to take a cruise with ya." Burt laughed.

" Shut up, Burt." Griff hissed. " It's true. We are takin' her to her Grandpop's. Ain't that right, Nate?"

Nate nodded. He looked angrily at Burt, and snarled:

" Thank heavens I didn't tell you's. You'd blab half the story out before we even get the chick here."

Aurora's brow creased in frustration. " What is this! How come half the crew knows, the others don't, some only have a hint of a clue! What sort of rescue mission is this! Nobody knows a thing!"

" Don't you worry your pretty head, missy. We'll get you to your Grandfather surely and safely, right smack-dab in the village of Og. The only thing that puzzles me is why Johnny figured it out." Nate said.

" What do you mean? Johnny... you didn't know you were to help me?" Princess Aurora turned to Johnny in complete shock.

" No, I didn't, okay! I thought I was to kidnap you and sell you to some twisted man. And when you told me the story I ... I couldn't believe it." Johnny sighed.

" But... why did you send him, then?" Aurora asked Nate.

" Because we thought he'd get caught, killed, etceteras. And now, here he is, that boob, safe and sound. We thought if he got caught it would make enough diversion to send a good man out, like Griff, to get ya." Nate confessed. " Ya know, Johnny, we'd been sorta carryin' ya. We don't need you's too much no more."

Johnny ran at Nate in fury. His hood blew back, revealing his handsome face and golden hair. He beat Nate with his fists, yelling:

" You fool! Wanted to kill me, did ya!"

" Stop!" The Princess shouted. " Please, stop this circus act! I do not think I wish to be taken to my Grandfather with a group of clueless clowns." She glanced at Johnny, the same clever twinkle in her eye. " I will talk to my Grandfather NOT to pay you unless you let Johnny stay and act like civilized people."

" All right, your Highness." Nate hissed through his clenched teeth. Johnny nodded, and so did Griff and Burt.

" Now, take me aboard, um..." Aurora looked over the three robbers, and said: " Johnny. Why not you?"

Johnny, surprised and a little startled with Aurora's kindness, took her under the arm and brought her up the rickety wooden board and onto the ship. There, he led her into a cabin and told her they were supposed to share a room. Aurora said:

" Thank you, Johnny."

" What do you mean?" Johnny looked up from his bed. He had tried to fix his hood, which was ripped. He desperately wanted to cover his face.

" Thank you for saving me, despite previous intentions." Aurora then laid down, and continued: " I'd gladly take a nap now."

" Then I shall leave." Johnny stood, and as he walked out, he took a last glimpse of Aurora. Something in his heart had suddenly changed, he felt a strange pull towards the Princess. "What a fool I am!" Johnny thought silently. " She'd never fall for a pathetic robber like me."

~*~

Johnny sat in silence atop the deck. He felt stiff and rigid in the rickety old chair. He could not recall where Nate had swiped it from, but wished he chose something a little less hard. His eyes stung from the wind, whose gusts caused tears to spring to his eyes. The Princess was sleeping her cares away directly beneath the floor he sat on.

" Eh... Johnny?" Griff's rough and grizzled face peeked out from behind Johnny. He spun around in his seat, gave Griff an upset frown, and turned back around.

" Now, don't be cold like that. We're like brothers!" He sat down on the chair opposite of Johnny, so the wind was blowing his thin and wispy hair across his face. He continued: " I ain't got nothing against the Boss, ya know? But he's right."

" That I'm just a nuisance? Gee, thanks Griff. I feel so much better now." Johnny's voice was dripping with sarcasm.

" Oh, come on now! The Boss wasn't sayin' that to hurt ya. He didn't even mean it that way. It was for your own good, kid..." Griff stopped abruptly. He glanced at Johnny, who sat tall and stiff in his chair, his young face dark from the night. He seemed almost an adult. Why did he just call him kid then?

" You were just callin' me brother. Now you're callin' me kid." Johnny still spoke bitterly. " I suppose that makes me a kid-brother, huh? One of them annoying little brats?"

" Johnny! Ah, damn you's!" Griff rubbed the stubble of a beard on his chin, his brow crumpled in anger. Finally, he said: " You're missing the point here. You're young and could actually have a future. Nate's kinda messed up, saying the things about you dyin'. What he meant is that he's too manly to show he cares. He wants you dyin' as a good man, not a robber..."

" Well, you're wasting your efforts, tryin' to make him sound good. That's all bull." Johnny snapped.

" Look, I also got's to tell you this: us all think you've been too good to be a... a lowlife. You need to become more." Griff actually looked concerned. Johnny felt his stomach hurt the familiar pain two years ago when he knew he was losing all his friends.

" Aw, Griff!" Johnny choked out. He blinked away the sudden image in his eyes, an image of him packing up and leaving the gang. He'd never do it... not for all the cash in the world. Or would he?

" Now then, I think you've set off on a lucky path already. The Princess sure has a likin' to ya." Griff joked. Then, he poked Johnny in the stomach as if he were a little kid. But his finger drew back quick. Johnny's stomach was hard and muscled, not a kid's stomach but a man's.

" Yeah, sure, the Princess wouldn't even look at a guy like me." Johnny began to laugh, then stopped in shock to see the serious look in Griff's eyes. " You couldn't possibly think that - - the Princess!"

" Just so you know, she's been really attached to you. Just like a little doggy... Quite a catch, she is, eh?" Griff then added: " I bet you'd be out on your behind from this group if not for her. She's been convincin' Nate to keep you in ever since she stepped aboard."

" She's only being nice, that's all. She wouldn't bother with trash like me. I suppose it's got something to do with how I rescued her and all." Johnny sighed, only to feel a chill go down his spine at the soft voice behind him:

" Johnny? It's me, Aurora!"

" Oh! Are you up already?" He gave her an uneasy smile and then outstretched his arm to her. She took it, and let him lead her over to Griff. Johnny motioned for him to stand, which Griff did, reluctantly. The Princess sat down in his place. Johnny felt a strange tingle going through his fingers as Aurora let go of his hand.

" I woke up because Nate told me not to sleep much now. I won't be able to sleep at night." Aurora looked up at the sky, which beamed with a light lavender. "To me, it seems night is here already."

" Yeah..." Johnny said, his mind on something absolutely different. His mind reminisced in the wild and crazy things he and Lillian had done. Then, he glanced at Aurora, who was smiling calmly, her black hair spilling loosely on her shoulders. He suddenly thought of how it would be if instead of Lillian, it would have been the Princess... no, it just wasn't right. His thoughts changed to a new idea: if he wanted her to think something of him, he'd have to be nicer, and more civilized. But that would have been like becoming a complete stranger...

Not that he hadn't changed his whole life around before. Becoming a robber was the hardest task ever, but a necessary one. Johnny did not know what happened to him, not really. His past was blank up until he was four or so. From there until he turned seven, he had run errands for trolls. Trolls were always generous and would share their job with others. After that, Johnny changed again: he became a messenger. He'd deliver letters to everyone. But that was also a very low-income job. Then, when he was thirteen, he met Lillian at the pub.

Lillian gave him a good job, waiting tables and mopping floors and mixing drinks. It was tiring, messy, and annoying, but Johnny managed for the money he got - forty Sahs a day. Sah was their local currency. In Og, their currency was the same.

But even then, Johnny knew he had to choose something else. He needed a job that would use his intelligence, his cunning wit and his strength. So one day, he crossed paths with Nate and was employed. Soon, the `gang' had become his family. Johnny abandoned all to have this job. He trusted them blindly, and money changed his look at life.

Now as he sat there, he wondered if the Princess would learn to love him if he changed once more.

" What are you thinking about?" Aurora's words burst through his thoughts like a silver bell chiming in the church steeple early in the morning, waking all from their dreams.

" Just about... Og. It sounds like a peaceful little place to be in." Johnny had always been quick to spin a yarn, better then anyone. Sometimes, it scared him, the way he could lie. His mind was strong and focused, and sharp as a knife. This allowed him to make up stories on the spot.

" Actually, Og is a fairly busy place. I know how everyone says it's a village, but it is rather large. It's quite a deal off shore, though. How shall I walk?" Aurora looked down on her bare feet.

" Why don't you have your shoes on?" Johnny exclaimed.

" When we were in the forest, mine got awfully ruined. I had to dispose of them, by throwing them over the side of the ship." Aurora admitted. " Are you angry?"

" Not at all. Just surprised."

" Good." Suddenly, a tear sparkled in her eye, and slid down her cheek. She wiped it furiously, but Johnny had noticed.

" What's wrong? Did I offend you?" Johnny asked.

" Of course not! Just that... the reason I had to leave my beautiful city is..." She stopped, wondering if she can trust Johnny. He noticed her hesitation, and encouraged her by saying:

" Go on. I'll order Griff to leave if you'd like."

Griff understood what was happening, and turned around and walked away. Aurora watched his body saunter away in to the shadows, then spoke:

" As you know, I am to be the next heir to the throne. But it is not a joy for me, but a horrible curse. You see, my sister, Greta, is terribly jealous. She'd kill me for the honor... and she almost did." Aurora plucked at a thread that stuck out oddly from her dress. After a while, she continued: " I had found poison slipped in to my food twice. Once, in a pill form, and once in tiny green herbs sprinkled atop a biscuit. I began to grow afraid and very suspicious..."

" Don't you have a food tester?" Johnny leaned forwards in his chair, remembering that if he leaned too far back, the dagger in his shoes would instantly emerge. The last thing he needed is to scare the Princess.

" I do, but there is always some chance that the poison might not work until some amount of time passes. The tester would not react until I'd taste it as well." Aurora explained.

" I see."

" And then, I learned from a maid whom I sent to spy on Greta, that - - that - - " She wiped a few tears that had managed to escape from her tightly shut eyes.

" It's all right if you want to discontinue." Johnny whispered.

" That's very kind of you, but I think I owe it to you to some extent to tell you, Johnny, why you had to risk your life to save me." The Princess sniffled and then continued her story: " ... I learned Greta was going to hire a hit man to steal me away at night and butcher me in the forest. I was so afraid, and I know Mother was on Greta's side. The only reason she chose me to be heir to the throne was because it was the law, for Greta was born out of wedlock, shamefully."

" That's pretty awful." Johnny sighed.

" Yes... I was always the hated one. Mistreated, and yelled at, constantly the one that was wrong!" She dabbed at her eyes with the scrap of cloth Johnny handed her. Then, she jerked the cloth away and added: " I told my Grandfather, for I knew he loved me. So he sent for me."

" I bet your Grandfather will help!" Johnny tried to comfort the crying Princess, but she shook her head.

" I worry that the kingdom will end up falling in the wrong hands - Greta's. And then what shall I do? Where shall I go!" She gasped out. Tears streamed down her face like rivers.

" Your story was awful..."

" I know..." Aurora sniffled. " Whatever shall I do? Oh, whatever shall I do!"

" I'm sure we will all brainstorm together with your Grandfather and think of something!" Johnny was now trying his hardest to keep Aurora from crying, but she only cried harder.

" You are very kind, Johnny... very kind." She smiled through her tears.

~*~

Johnny had tried, over and over, to fix his hood. After hours of tugging with string and needle through it, he ended up shredding it completely. Aurora watched him curiously as he finally tossed it off the ship and in to the dark, churning waters. It was the second day at sea.

" I think you shall benefit more without a hood. You could get a nice tan." Aurora suggested.

" Ah, whatev..." He paused. What was he doing? This is the Princess herself he is speaking to, not some scummy Lillian.

" No, do continue. Speak to me as you would to any other girl!" Aurora commanded.

" I... I'm sorry, Your Highness. But I cannot repeat it. I already ain't the smartest fella, almost telling a Princess off!" Johnny stumbled through his limited vocabulary, suddenly very ashamed of himself.

" You can speak with comfort! I want to learn the common talk, as well, if I wish to blend in at Og." Aurora assured him.

` Common talk? She thinks I am just a commoner!' He thought, and his stomach lurched with a familiar anger. ` How stupid to think she and I have a chance...'

" Sure, then, Princess." Johnny said, in an agreeable way, completely opposite of his thoughts.

" Come on, now! I thought I told you to call me Aurora. Or I shall call you Mister Marcus." She threatened. Johnny winced at his last name.

" How do you know...?" He asked.

" Nate told me." She laughed, and then added: " Please just call me by the first name, and I shall do the same unto you."

`Why does she want to be treated like a commoner? I understand that in public... so that people won't know she's a Princess, but at all times?' The questioned puzzled Johnny the most as he answered: " All right, Aurora."

~*~

On the third day, their boat reached the shores of Og. Johnny stepped out first, leading Aurora by the hand. The warm sand of the beach, with the sea lapping at the side of her legs, made Aurora smile. It looked like a fantastic place to vacation on. But anyone with half a brain knew not to stand on this beach too long - it was infested with the Crochi, the giant red crab. They devoured humans alive.

Johnny had to carry the Princess, for she had no shoes. He did not mind too much, just that she kept squirming to see the scenery.

Once on a dirt road, Aurora decided to walk by herself, but insisted for Johnny to hold under her hand. She said she did not want to get lost. Griff winked at Johnny and Burt grunted at the remark, causing Johnny to blush.

Nate led the way, saying:

" Onwards, men! And... uh... lady."

They stopped at the very first cottage, which was a beautiful old storehouse. Johnny ran inside, purchased new shoes, and also a big bottle of medicine that he assured would cure bee sting, swelling, and pains. Despite how rare bee stings were, for Og had no flowers, Johnny loved to be prepared.

Og villagers made artificial honey, of sugar and molasses and other goods. There was a lot of grass and trees, instead of flowers. Og had eliminated flowers because of bees, to tell the truth. Most cases of bee sting, if undetected, could be fatal. And bees carried the plague and other disease to Og at one time.

Aurora slipped on the shoes right away, exclaiming that they were wonderful, and complimenting everything - their size, shape, and texture. This made Johnny laugh because they were just ratty old leather shoes, stitched together by peasants. They weren't even fancy. But Aurora was pleased, saying it had a larger value due to sentiment. She said she'll keep them forever, to remember the heroes that rescued her from her castle.

She also said something that made Johnny's ears burn red all the way to her Grandfather's home: " Johnny, I'd treat a swell `fella' like you to dinner any day."

" An elder man with some connection to the Chosen One shall make a wise choice, causing the Golden Boy to linger. But beware the - "

* final prophecy of Mertucini, before a sudden

death, 1529, from heart failure

Chapter 3

Aurora's Grandfather

" Grandfather?" Aurora called out.

Johnny knocked on the heavy oak door. A thin, hollow echo from inside answered.

" Why isn't he opening!" Nate shouted in frustration. " Stupid old man! Who does he think he is, lolly-gagging around while there's a Princess waiting for his help!"

" Yeah!" Burt piped up.

" That's right!" Griff commented.

" Stop that infernal shouting!" Aurora said. " I can't hear myself think..." She knocked on the door herself.

Suddenly, the sound of metal locks moving behind the closed door showed that someone had come to answer the knocks. A short, rather stout young lady with curly red hair and big brown eyes appeared. She glanced at the fancy-clad Princess, and then at the filthy, messy robbers that were her company.

" Yes?" She finally asked, her voice slightly hinting she was feeling a bit bored and tired.

" I came searching for my Grandfather. He'd sent for me." Aurora began.

" Ah, you are the Princess! Oh, welcome, Your Highness! I am Rebecca, the main maid!" The woman's frown disappeared, and she held out her hands to her. " Come in! Shall I dismiss the... the rowdy bunch here?"

" Heavens, no! These are my friends!" Aurora exclaimed. She pointed at Johnny. " This here is Johnny Marcus, and that is his employer, Nate, and the two gentlemen beside Nate are Burt and Griff. These are the people who rescued me!"

" Pardon, then, for my curtness." Rebecca looked at Nate, who looked especially tough and cold. She smiled gently at Johnny, as if she felt sorry for his fate. She spoke: " You're just a young lad, aren't ya?" She thrust her hand out, and shook Johnny's. " Handsome fellow."

" Thank you." Johnny whispered. Then, he followed Rebecca, who led them in to a large room.

" Sir Tellarmine will be here any minute now." She assured them. "You may sit down." Then, she rushed out of the room.

" Well! My Grandfather has done very well for himself, I see!" Aurora said, as she examined the pure gold fireplace. Then, she lifted a small picture frame off the mantle, and said: " This looks like me... the little girl in this picture."

Johnny approached her, and glanced at the frame. It, too, was gold. The girl in the picture was barely three or four, but closely resembled the Princess. " I think you should ask your Grandfather who it is."

" Lookit! The legs of the table are gold, too!" Nate shouted. Griff and Burt gathered around it, their faces in awe, and Burt suggested:

" If we mugged the old pops for this, we'd get plenty of Sah, at least a thousand!"

" A thousand Sah!" Griff sighed at the thought.

" You guys! Shame on you!" Johnny scolded. " I can't believe you would even think of stealin' at a time like this! Don't you know that our Princess is in grave danger?"

" Johnny... do not be so harsh..." Aurora tried to calm Johnny down, but he was obviously furious.

" Nate! I've had enough of you! I quit! I quit!" He bellowed.

" Johnny! Shut up!" Griff hissed.

" Yeah, pipsqueak! We'll slit your throat back home, you'll see!" Burt laughed in Johnny's face, causing the young man to grimace at the foul smell of Burt's breath.

" Gentlemen! Settle down!" A voice rang from beside them. The four spun around, and saw a thin, bony old man with a wispy white beard and very few hairs. He smiled widely and added: " I see you have brought my beloved Aurora!"

" Granddaddy!" Aurora choked out, and ran in to an embrace with the old man.

" My, you've grown!" He said, then pulled her away, examining her from a slight distance. " What have you got there?" He picked up the picture.

" Is this me?" Aurora asked, pointing at the little girl.

Sir Tellarmine's face grew grave. " No, my dear, that is your mother. Curses on her kingdom!"

Johnny backed away from Nate, who was trying to twist his arm back. Griff was trying to calm Burt and Nate down by whispering: " He's only a kid. What does he know? Don't do anything drastic!"

" Grandfather, these are the men that rescued me!" Aurora introduced everyone all over again. Sir Tellarmine shook hands with Nate first, saying:

" Nice job, you did! Glad I hired you!"

Then, he shook Burt's, following Griff's. He paused at Johnny, studying the young face. He saw what many others often were surprised to see: a muscled, blonde-haired young man, with fascinating green eyes and a medium height, and a robber! What was undetected under a hood before now was open to the world. A ruby earring glistened under the golden mass of hair.

" Aren't you a tad young for this job?" Sir Tellarmine asked.

" Grandfather!" Aurora's voice rang angrily throughout the room.

" It's all right, Princess." Johnny said. " I know I ain't much, but I'm the one they sent to the castle. I'm the real hero."

" Now, just a minute!" Burt shouted.

Nate flung himself at Johnny again, but Aurora quickly stopped them by shouting: " Stop this instant or you will not be rewarded!" Immediately, the fistfight ceased, with only Nate giving Johnny a final slug on the arm.

" Now, then, let us discuss matters of payments and further protection of the Princess over some hot tea, hmm?" Sir Tellarmine suggested, slightly startled by the roughness of his granddaughter's protectors.

" Sure." Griff finally said, for everyone else stood in an angry and completely hateful silence. Then, they headed off to discuss the information.

Chapter 4

A New Life for Johnny

Sir Tellarmine bowed his head over the plate in front of him. His eyes kept looking up at Johnny, whom was so curiously young... why was this boy a robber! He looked rather intelligent...

" Shall we start negotiations?" Nate asked, after the silence had lasted long enough to his liking.

" Yes, of course!" Sir Tellarmine twisted his white mustache, then added: "I think that each of you should go off with 250 Sah, all right?"

" Bless your generosity!" Griff exclaimed. 250 Sah could easily get him a new winged horse. His, along with everyone else's, stayed behind on the cargo ship. They weren't worried about theft in Og, for nobody would bother crossing the beach and it's dangers.

" But I have another proposition. I know that you have all done enough, but would any of you like to stay behind, for about 15 Sah a day, just to guard my beloved granddaughter?" His eyes looked sad and misty with tears all of a sudden. " I know my daughter, the Queen, shall look for her here sooner or later, as well. I need someone to be able to depart with her any time now..."

" I suppose Johnny could, after all, the damn fool quit the gang." Nate gave Johnny an angry scowl.

" Now, now! Let the boy speak for himself!" Sir Tellarmine said.

" Grandfather, is it really necessary?" Aurora piped up.

" Princess, it's all strategy. You don't think your Grandfather could lug you away to safety if danger comes knocking?" Burt explained. " You're going to need someone, anyone, to watch out."

" I can do it." Johnny said, thoughtfully.

" You sure?" Sir Tellarmine looked slightly doubtful of Johnny's capabilities. " I do not want to endanger your life, young man. It is no longer a duty for you. You shall be paid anyhow. It is utterly your choice."

" Then my choice is: yes, I will stay."

" All right, then, Johnny." Aurora's Grandfather sat up straighter in his chair, now smiling. " I no longer shall fear for Aurora's safety!"

" But... where do you plan to escape, if someone comes for the Princess?" Griff asked, his mouth full of delicious poppy seed buns. Rebecca had carried whole platters of food out on to the table.

" There's the Evergreen Forest, not fifty miles away! I am sure that will be enough acres of perfect hideouts to keep her safe." Lord Tellarmine replied.

" Don't you think the Queen will have the woods combed first? Her hounds will be on the Princess's trail any minute now." Burt warned.

" She will not suspect me of hiding her in Og until later. After all, this is only my vacation home." The old man laughed heartily, and reached for a map in the pocket of his vest. He laid out a withered old map on the table (one corner dipped into the caviar dish but nobody said anything, except from a snicker coming from Griff's direction). With an arthritic, grizzled finger, he pointed out a small `X' far south. " This here is my real home, far south of this continent, almost by the desert. The Queen will go in the completely opposite direction, searching there first."

" Why, indeed!" Nate said, examining the map. " But whatcha got here?" He pointed to another `X', not far off from the other one.

" That? Oh, that is nothing. It is not important." Lord Tellarmine quickly covered it. " I shall explain it later, only to you Johnny, if things get rough. But for now, it will remain under wraps. Safety purposes, you see."

" Ah..." Burt muttered. He fumbled with his shoelaces under the table for a minute, then popped back up again. Johnny knew what he had done: Burt had swiped three sterling silver forks and hidden them in his boots.

Lord Tellarmine noticed, and coughed loudly, but quickly tried to forget about it. These were the men who rescued his granddaughter, after all.

" Do you have any weapons prepared?" Johnny asked.

" Weapons?" The old man's face turned a bit red with embarrassment. "Oh, drat! I forgot to tell you!" He pointed at another `X', deep in the woods. " Here is a whole entire tower, filled with all sorts of contraptions. I had been quite a collector of these things, in my day. I am afraid that the Queen will find it if she searches the woods, but just in case, I shall give you the key once I learn to trust and know you better, er..."

" I'm Johnny."

" Yes, yes... Johnny." Sir Tellarmine smiled again. " Looks like we have ourselves a deal!"

" Are you happy with Johnny being a protector of yours now?" Nate teased Aurora, who was a bright pink.

" Um..." She began to stutter. " I... s-s-suppose..."

" Then it's settled! We have ourselves a deal!" The old man then shook hands with everyone at the table again, even Rebecca.

~*~

Johnny had said his farewells to the gang, and made sure he retrieved his winged horse, Freida. Freida was a slight bit different then most horses of his type. Her mane was always in tight, neat braids that numbered a hundred or so (Johnny did her hair once every two weeks). In each braid, a thin red ribbon was woven through, which Johnny swiped from the tailor. Instead of being pure-white like winged horses should be, she had a long, crescent shaped mark on her forehead the color of raspberry jam.

Johnny was leading Freida back to Sir Tellarmine's home, Aurora trotting by his side, when a man suddenly ran up to them. He gasped out, slightly out of breath:

" Is that a... a winged horse?"

" Indeed." Johnny replied, tugging Freida forwards. She bowed her head and neighed in a cheerful manner.

" How much is one of them horses worth?" The man asked.

" I'd say about 215 Sah, or so." Johnny replied.

" I'd give you 400 for yours!"

" Never."

" Why?" The man persisted.

" You heard him. He said no! It's his horse and his decision, and his alone!" Aurora defended Johnny's decision.

" Watch it, missy!" The man growled. " Fine, so be it. But write if your horse has young. It is the most beautiful winged horse I've ever seen!" He shook his head with desperation. " My wife would love me forever if I got her one of these."

" There's a lot of them in Ridgewood." Johnny said. " You can take your next vacation there and buy a whole bunch there. They're pretty cheap - sometimes as low as 150 Sah."

" Really! Are you both from Ridgewood?" The man asked.

" No." Johnny quickly said, before Aurora could say anything else. " We have been there for vacation though!"

" They have marvelous scenery! As a matter of fact, we are visiting here for the scenery as well!" Aurora quickly caught on to Johnny's lie.

" Nothing like a bunch of tourists and their exotic belongings to make me jealous!" The man laughed. " I'm Roy." He stuck his hand out for Johnny to shake. Johnny did, juggling Freida's reigns from one hand to the other.

" And I'm Johnny."

" I am Auro..." The Princess began, but Johnny pinched her hand. " Ow! Uh, sorry. I'm Rosie!"

" Well, then, welcome, Johnny and Rosie. Og is a lovely city!" Roy said. "Oh, no! I'm running very late for dinner! Luck to both of you!" Roy said, as he glanced at his watch and began to run.

" Goodbye!" Aurora called after him. Then, when Roy was gone, she turned towards Johnny in a fury and yelled: " Why'd you have to pinch me!"

" Aw, I'm sorry! I was just trying to stop you from telling them, you know, your real name." Johnny turned red.

" It's all right... might as well forgive and forget." Aurora sighed, then began to walk towards Sir Tellarmine's home again. Johnny followed her, Freida trotting faithfully behind.

" Og really has changed." Johnny said, all of a sudden.

" You've been here?" The Princess looked very surprised. She slowed down so she could talk to Johnny with more comfort.

" When I was about four. I used to be an errand boy for trolls. They took me here as a reward, before those killer crabs took over the beach, of course, and let me collect seashells for myself. Little did I know that they sold them behind my back later."

" That is so cruel!" Aurora exclaimed. " And didn't your parents do anything?"

The word `parents' struck a painful chord in his heart. He looked away. Aurora realized what the gesture meant, and whispered: " I apologize... I didn't know."

" It's ok. It was so long ago when they died, at least I think that's what happened. Nobody ever told me what happened to them, and I wasn't old enough to remember them or what happened when they just... vanished."

" Maybe I should tell you something about my Father..." She said. " You see, I was... oh! This is so painful!" She shuddered.

" You don't have to tell me. You might start crying again!" Johnny warned her. " I don't really enjoy the company of blubbering women." He smiled.

" No, I will tell you. I think I can trust you with this if I already trust you with my life!" She paused to catch her breath, which came in slow and wavering, for she was close to tears. " You see, I was five when my father went on this big exploration, on a ship. It was not supposed to be a long one... but days passed, then weeks. And horrible news came to us: my father's ship had been sunk! We still do not know who did it, though I think that..."

" That's equally awful and sad as my misfortune." Johnny broke into a run, not listening to the rest of Aurora's sentence. Freida flapped her wings to catch up, and slowly began to elevate.

" Johnny! What are you doing!" Aurora called from far away. But she was already far behind. Freida kept beating her wings, faster and faster. Soon Johnny and her were off the ground. He hung by his hand from her neck on the rope he led her with. Slowly, he pulled himself over onto Freida's back.

He turned to Aurora, who was running to catch up, her dress flapping around her legs, and with a friendly smile, asked:

" Want to ride?"

" Uh..." Before she could answer, Johnny had pulled her up by the waist. He sat her before him. Together, they flew a few meters, but Aurora began to tremble from fear.

Johnny wondered what to do, but then put his hands around her. She didn't seem to mind. But once they had landed, she quickly pried his hands (which had managed to wander around a bit as he held her), and jumped off Freida. She walked the rest of the way to her Grandfather's, ignoring Johnny's pleas to ride with him again.

As Johnny flew Freida behind her, he thought feverishly:

" I'm such an idiot! She is not like Lillian or the other girls, who loved it when I did that! I should have thought twice before I even touched her..." And he really felt like flinging himself off of Freida in anger.

~*~

Back at Sir Tellarmine's vacation home, Johnny relaxed on the balcony. He was wondering if he'd be more attractive with a tan, though his skin already had a natural slightly darker tint. As he laid there, he did not notice that Rebecca had come out and stood behind him.

" Is there anything you'd like me to bring you, Master Johnny?" She asked.

Johnny was quite startled, but seeing it was only Rebecca, he said to her:

" I'm all right. And you shouldn't call me Master. That's the first time anyone had ever called me that, just so you know."

" I'm not surprised." Rebecca muttered.

" What?" Johnny sat up from the little cot.

" Well, you know, nobody would call a little robber a `master'!" Rebecca explained.

" That's really rude, ya know? It ain't my chosen destiny, to be a robber. I could have been something else, I just so happened to become a robber. And I'm not really a robber or anything anymore."

" I apologize for seeming to be rude, Mast - um - Johnny." She quickly corrected herself.

" It's all right. I'm used to that." He sighed.

" May I sit down?" Rebecca looked at the space on the cot that Johnny did not occupy.

" Sure." He slid over a bit more for her.

She sat down, and then began a story about herself:

" You know what? I used to be a Traveling Girl. You do know what those are, right?" She looked him in the eye knowingly.

" Not really." Johnny looked embarrassed at his guesses of what it might be, which crossed his mind freely.

" It's one of those girls that steals from stores and then travels, selling goods at a discounted price." Rebecca explained. " And I would steal every day, hundreds of Sahs worth of merchandise. And then I'd sell them for not even half their worth. I soon had wealth. But not honor. So I also quit, leaving my fellow Traveling Men and Women, and sought for a maid job. And here I am, working for one of the wealthiest men in the World!"

" I think I see the point of your story." Johnny said.

" Good. But if you didn't, this is what I would tell you: the fact you quit Nate's bunch, I think, is very brave. And you moved on, protecting a Princess! Think, one day you were a lowlife, now you are almost an elite guard!" Rebecca smiled. " And how old are you?"

" Sixteen. I will be seventeen in two months." Johnny answered.

" And I am twenty-four. When I got this job, I was fifteen." Rebecca stood and shook her skirt free of dust. " Well, my duties call for me. I will talk with you later." She walked back inside, but before she walked in to the home, she turned and shot him a big grin.

~*~

" Johnny!" A scream echoed through the home.

" Help me!"

" Johnny!"

" Johnny?"

Johnny slowly woke up. His eyes scanned the room, saw nothing suspicious, and turned to go back to sleep.

" Johnny!"

He shot out of bed. " Aurora!" He bellowed. He stood to pull on his pants, for he was in his nightclothes, and then raced down the hallway, turning and then running in to the Princess's bedchamber. She was in her four-poster bed, up to her chin in covers. She was asleep! Through her nightmare-full sleep, she was calling his name for help.

`Should I be flattered?' He thought. `Should I awake her'?

His sensibility got the best of him. With all his might, he pulled the covers off of her, and shook her awake. Her eyes opened, focused on his face, bent far over hers, and she...

Screamed!

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! AHHHHHHHHHH!"

" Princess! Calm down! You were having a nightmare!" Johnny whispered. " You'll wake all of Og if you continue yelling like that!"

The faint smell of his cologne filled Aurora's nostrils. She looked up at him, his face so very close to hers. It almost made chills go down her spine. She quickly snapped out of her slightly shocked daze and said:

" Oh, it was terrible! I had a dream... my sister... and this giant axe! And she... and then..." She broke in to sobs.

Johnny had no clue what to say. If he dreamed of things like that, he'd wake up refreshed and stronger, more aware. He couldn't imagine someone breaking down like that because of a dream. Still...

" There, there... just an awful dream. It'll all be better tomorrow, you'll see." He heard himself say. `That's not me speaking! Why am I such a... such a ninny?'

Aurora hugged his arm, pressing his sleeves into her eyes. Suddenly, she jerked her head up and said:

" Why did you wake me up? How'd you know I was having nightmares?"

Johnny wondered to himself: ` Should I tell her?' He did:

" You were calling my name out. And calling for help. So I came here."

" Oh dear!" She wiped her eyes and then asked: " Did I wake anyone else up?"

" No. Rebecca doesn't spend the night here, and your Grandfather sleeps like a log." Johnny assured her. She laughed.

" Thank goodness! I wouldn't want to make a fool of myself in front of people like them!" Aurora managed to say, while laughing. Johnny's eyes suddenly got a hurt look in them, like a puppy that was just kicked.

" So I'm not an... an important person? So you can make a fool of yourself before me?" He was saying, to his own astonishment. He had always been quick-tempered, but this was... this was awful of him!

" Johnny! You know I did not mean it that way!" Aurora began to cry again. " Oh, why'd you come! To yell at me?" She pulled away from him, huddled in the corner of her bed.

" Aurora!" He sighed out. " I'm sorry... it's just that..."

" Just go!" She yelled.

" Fine! Maybe I will!" He yelled back. " You and your stupid wailing! Now you'll keep me up the whole damn night!" He stormed out of the room, pushing over a lamp and breaking it on the way out. He kept walking until he was out of Sir Tellarmine's house, and halfway to the beach. He finally stopped and sat down on a little carved bench made of oak. There, he sat in silence, surrounded by anger and frustration. His hands, clenched tightly together, felt sticky and hot. His cheeks burned with a new type of fury, one he could not describe.

He just sat there, trying to cool off, staring up at the millions of stars, until dawn came. `What's become of my life... surely the Princess will hate me forever... stupid robber... stupid idiot that I am!' He thought, tears beginning to sting at his eyes, just as the sun peeked out from the hills. ` And now I'm near tears! What a fool and idiot! Complete idiot!'

And he sat there, calling himself every verbal abuse he could. He knew the Princess would never call him these things, so he did it for her.

~*~

Sir Tellarmine had greeted him at the door at exactly seven in the morning.

" I see you've decided to return." The old man said, slightly surprised. " I thought your honor would have been stained enough if you had remained in hiding... but to return?"

" I'm really sorry. I... I do not know what in the devil came over me." Johnny explained.

" Well, whatever it was sure spooked poor Aurora. She's been sobbing in to her pillow ever since you left, you bumbling crook!" The old man shook his thin little hands in the air. " For that, I will not pay you until you show me you deserve the honor to protect her!"

Johnny spun around, facing the thin little figure. " I'm not doing this for the money."

" Then what! Surely you do not have a single chance with my Aurora, my own granddaughter! You're nothing but a hired commoner! And you shall do nothing but protect her! You got that?" Sir Tellarmine shouted, his body shaking with fury.

All of a sudden, Johnny felt as if he were stripped of everything. He had been dishonored, insulted, lowered in his social status, and had his job put on strings. He had to watch himself now...

" Granddaddy! Enough!" A voice came from behind Johnny.

" Aurora?" Sir Tellarmine looked surprised.

" Leave Johnny be! I had told him an awful insult yesterday without thinking! It was my fault, really! That's why I was crying! For shame!" Aurora explained.

Suddenly, Sir Tellarmine's face turned a bright red.

" Oh my... oh my..." He muttered. " J - J - Johnny! I'm sorry, dear boy!" He stuttered out. " You don't know how dreadfully sorry I am!"

" Forget it. At least I know what I really am now, right? Just scummy garbage, right!" He shouted. Then, he looked at Aurora and said: " Come, Princess. If I am to protect you, then I will. I don't need money."

He walked up the stairs, and to his room, not even checking if she was following or not. Once in his room, he sat on his bed and put his head in his hands. Then and there, he cried softly. It was the first time he cried since his seashells were sold behind his back by trolls. And it hurt more then being beat-up.