Chapter 5
829 Words
As the cart rolled along the dirt road, Jaune asked, “So, the evil king is gone, but the chaos didn’t stop?”
“I didn’t expect it either,” Destine admitted. “Maybe other creatures are now trying to take power.”
“Well, this is exciting,” Jaune said cheerfully. “I mean, no offense, but this is just like your story. A journey filled with trials, unexpected allies, monsters, and—hopefully—some handsome men!” She squealed. “You know, chivalrous warriors with strong builds. Like in books and movies!”
Destine laughed. “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves, Jaune. Remember how disappointed you were earlier?”
“You mean that town? I’ve gotten over it. But I’m still excited. Hey, back when you first came here, you mentioned having friends, right? Where are they?”
“I’m not sure. Probably in their respective places, doing what they must.”
“What about Zap?”
“Zap?”
“Yeah, the guy who liked you—the one from your journey with Prince Andalus. You were in a love triangle, weren’t you? Is he handsome?”
Destine smiled and nodded as she thought of her friend.
Jaune squealed again. “I wonder how he’ll react when he sees you! Two guys fighting over you? That’s epic!”
As they passed a field of colorful flowers, Jaune gasped in awe. “Wow! Look at that! I didn’t expect this kind of beauty after that gross town.”
Destine smiled as she watched her twin admire the world. She remembered her own wonder when she first came to Andalania. She was lucky then—she had met Andalus, not knowing he was a prince, just a kind and brave hunter. Who would've thought he was an exiled royal because of his evil stepfather?
After they defeated the tyrant, Andalus became king. She remembered the celebration when he was crowned… and when he asked her to be queen.
But she turned him down. She had family back home and couldn’t leave them.
Before she left, he said one thing:
“I’ll wait for you, no matter how long.”
She smiled at the memory. If he was still waiting, then this time—she wasn’t going to leave.
“Jaune,” she said softly.
“Yeah?”
“If Andalus is still waiting for me… I’m not leaving this world again.”
“What?” Jaune turned to her in surprise.
“I’m going to stay. This time, I’ll accept his proposal to be queen.”
“Wait—he proposed?!” Jaune gawked.
Destine chuckled. “I didn’t tell you?”
“You left that part out!”
“I didn’t want you to worry when I came back.”
“Let me get this straight—you rejected a royal proposal to come back for me?”
“You, Mom, and Dad. But now that you’re here, I can stay. I just hope you can go back and explain everything to them.”
“So basically, I’ll be telling them you eloped?”
Destine laughed. “Tell them I’m happy. That I’m with the man I love.”
“You’re unbelievable,” Jaune muttered. “We’re not even halfway through this journey, and you’re already imagining a wedding. What if things don’t turn out that way?”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean… what if he already has a queen?” Destine froze. “You said he’s a king now, right? That means his council probably pressured him to marry for the sake of the kingdom. Maybe he had no choice.”
Destine looked away, her face falling.
“But hey—maybe I’m wrong, okay?” Jaune said quickly. “Don’t give up hope. If he really loves you, nothing will change that. And if he doesn’t... I’ll give him a flying kick to the face.”
“That… doesn’t make me feel any better.”
Jaune put an arm around her. “Don’t worry. Everything’s going to be fine. Andalania needs help again—and if he’s smart, Andalus will know the Chosen One has returned.”
“Chosen One?” Destine raised a brow.
“You! You’re the hero. The one who saved them before. Of course, they’ll need you now too.”
Destine stared at her, then nodded. “You’re right.”
“I’ll be right behind you. I’ll be your trusty sidekick!”
“Sidekick? But we’re twins.”
“Yeah, but every hero needs one. I’ll be your new supporting character. That’s my role in this sequel!”
Destine laughed heartily. “Are you sure you’re okay being my sidekick?”
“Of course! This is your story. I’m just here for the ride.”
“Girls,” the old man driving the cart called out. “Are you hungry? I brought some bread.”
“Thank you so much, sir!” Destine said gratefully.
- Writer
