Kingdom of Magic

“Oh Kyle, I love you so much! I don’t know what I’d ever do without you.” Robbie laughingly teased, shaking her long, blonde curls behind her shoulders. “Robbie please! You have no idea what you are talking about! This is not a laughing matter,” Kyle firmly stated, placing his hands on his hips. “Can’t you ever be serious?” His green eyes stared at her, unmoving. “I am serious.” She tilted her head to look at him. “I’m as serious as a heart attack in the middle of a church service.” She giggled while speaking. “I do love you.” Robbie said becoming more somber. “But marriage! It’s a bit preposterous, don’t you think?” She lifted her light sapphire eyes to his face, after shaking her head. Kyle shook his head. “No.” He answered sincerely. “I wouldn’t have asked if I did.” Robbie sighed. “Of course not. Why now of all times?” She asked. “Robbie, look around you. What do you see?” He responded. Robbie closed her eyes. “We’re on a sand dune in the middle of the Sahara.” She joshed him again. “Robbie!!” Kyle exclaimed, his emerald eyes widening out of proportion. He ran a hand through his thick, black hair. “Well, we are on a hill.” She pouted when she saw his glare. “Ok. You win.” She looked around her. Green hills and grassy plains for miles, surrounded by blue and purple mountains, with clear skies. There was a rainbow to the east, and little white flowers blossoming everywhere. It was truly breathtaking. Kyle was growing impatient. “Well?” “Well, what?” Robbie was lost in a daydream. “What do you see?” He asked her again. Robbie started rambling. “A bunch of green flowery hills, some mountains, and.. What was that look for?” Robbie asked Kyle seeing his expression change from serious to pleasant. “It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” He smiled. “Everything here is beautiful. That’s why I brought you here.” Kyle was still on his knees. He blew her a kiss. “Kyle!” “Robbie please. I’ll give you time, if that’s what you want,” the six-foot-four giant plopped next to her. He opened his hands, cupped together. The middle of his palms was covered in rose petals. In the very center of the pedals, was a ring. “Please, Robbie.” He paused and looked into her eyes. “Will you marry me?” “What are you going to do?” Tinsa asked Robbie. Her other friends bobbed their heads, awaiting her answer. They had come in, unannounced, and uninvited. Word traveled fast in the small villages. “Oh, I don’t know guys.” Robbie tucked a strand of blonde hair behind her ear. She looked around her room and saw everything that she had. She wasn’t sure about moving away from her mother. She loved her space and free time. She sighed. “It’s so confusing.” “Nelame, what did you do when Tenger asked you to marry him?” Latell asked her red headed, dark eyed friend, hoping that her answer would help. She popped a biscuit into her mouth. Nelame laughed. “I’m not the one to ask! I’m such a bad example to ask advise for someone else’s future.” She shook her hair around, and then pushed it back behind her shoulders. “I was totally infatuated with Tenger. I knew what I wanted.” She sent a side glance to her friend, and a sad smile toward Robbie. “Robbie doesn’t know what she wants out of life.” They all looked at Robbie. “Yes, true.” The all agreed. Carieve piped up. “Robbie, what do you want out of life?” She twisted her hair in her fingers. “I don’t really know, if the rest of us have a choice. Being women of our time.” She nodded at Robbie. “You really got lucky here.” She took a deep breath. “I hope that in the future women will have a right to choose what she does, if she will marry or not.” Carieve added thinking out loud. “How do you feel about Kyle?” She asked, adding to her ramble. “Hmmmm. Those are great questions. Especially the former thousand, before you went on your rant!” Robbie answered laughing. “I do love him. You all know that. I just don’t know if I’m ready. I mean look at me.” She glanced down at her plain gown and bodice. “Then look at you!” Carieve, with blonde hair a shade or two darker than Robbie’s, blue eyes, so dark that they were almost black. She was very analytical, and tried to make the best of every situation. Sitting to her left was Tinsa. She was an exotic beauty. Long, black, straight hair shaped her almond face. Her silver-grey eyes were always empathetic and charming. Latell would almost be considered normal, if it weren’t for her nature. She was always helping where she could. It didn’t matter if it were a trapped squirrel, or an old lady. She had shoulder length, light brown hair and pale green eyes, framed with freckles. “I mean your father’s just ship you off like cattle to trade. Here I am, I do have a choice. I am whining about it.” Robbie stated. “I just don’t think it’s fair. I wish I’d had a father to make that choice for me. It would be a lot easier.” “Oh! Poor Robbie!” Tinsa exclaimed sarcastically. She then threw a pillow at her head. The girls’ laughter enveloped the small cottage. “Kyle, she had better say yes, or you are finished! You hear me boy!” Movada demanded, sensing that he would not be pleased with this outcome. His fat face turned into a disgusting scowl. He was slouched in a chair, twice the size that he was, which was hard to find. He sucked back some mucous in his bulbous nose. “Yes sir. I gave her a few days to think about it.” Kyle responded naturally, not really caring. He feared for his life, and what this big man had to say, but he refused show his emotion. “Now wasn’t that kind of you.” He quipped, tilting his balding head. “I’ll tell you one thing. That won’t happen again.” Movada took a stogie from his pocket and lit it. He rolled the cigar between his lips, as the juices from his breakfast came to play with it, around the corners of his mouth. “What if she says “No.” Sir? What will we do then?” Kyle asked raising his eyebrows. “We will do nothing. I will come to that when I get there.” Movada looked into Kyle’s eyes. Seeing the resemblance of Kyle’s father in them, he became irate. “Get out of here before I change my mind!” He shouted at him. “Just promise me one thing, sir.” Kyle stated. He stood straight, and thrust his hands into his pockets. “And what’s that? Kyle.” Movada asked irritably, blowing out a puff of smoke in his direction. “Promise me. That you won’t hurt her. In any way.” Kyle said earnestly. Movada shook his head in agreement, and waved Kyle out. Kyle walked outside. No sooner than Kyle had been out the door, Movada turned to his henchman. His black eyes burning a hole into the man. “Follow him. Don’t let him out of your sight. In three days hence you are to report to me. I don’t want to see you until then. If she says yes, fine. If she says no, kill him. Bring her to me.” He took another puff from his cigar. “Do you understand?” “Yes sir.” Tivico answered. He nodded briefly, his blonde hair bouncing, as he ran to follow behind Kyle.