The Dragon Prince’s Forbidden Affair
CHAPTER 34.0: Village Girl

CHAPTER 34.0: Village Girl

During my time in the elf village I learned a lot about community. They all helped one another out usingwhatever skills they had to offer. They were kind to each other and cared about each other. I helped inwhatever way I could but while keeping a low profile. The children of the village all played together andwere basically raised by all the adults in the village in a way. I was only staying in the inn and notplanning on moving in permanently, but they welcomed me.

After I got the call from Cade this morning I was shaken up. He told me they’d replace her and for me tostay put but I couldn’t exactly do that. “Hey, stranger.” The inn workers daughter greeted me as Iwalked out of my room. She tried to talk to me all the time, but I barely responded. Whenever I tried torelax outside, she would always be staring at me trying to impress me with elf magic. I waved so she’dbe satisfied but she followed me. “You’ve been here for a month and you barely talk to anyone, you justobserve.” she put emphasis on observe. “You're from one of those big cities in one of the dragonshifters kingdoms, aren’t you? What are you doing way out here?”

I pushed the entrance door open. “I try not to talk to minors so if you don’t mind.” She was probablyHannah's age, maybe a little younger.

“Don’t worry I trust you. Everyone talks to everyone out here. You don’t seem dangerous to me and ifyou are I could just scream. Our village is so small everyone would hear.” She laughed. “Are you in ahurry?”

“Kind of.”

“Are you really Prince Lexus?” She asked. “I didn’t want to come right out and ask but you haven’treally been having a conversation the right way.”

“Who else knows?” I asked because I’ll have to relocate.

She smiled. “Well, everyone, they’re just too polite to let you know that they know. We’re not a poorvillage, we have decent TVs, we’re just small. You’re always on the TV, especially on the news and astopics in talk shows. Nobody outside this village knows you're here. It’s cool, it’s like our village has itsown little secret.” I stopped because she was nearly following me into the forest. “If you want to stay asecret you shouldn’t leave. Your dragon is pretty recognizable and a few of the neighboring villages arenoisy, they’d give up your location.” I didn’t understand why the people of the village didn’t give up mylocation.

Finding Aqua was more important than my hiding was. “I’ll be fine.” I watched her shrug and walk off.

I thought to look in the most obvious place first. I flew around the neighboring kingdoms of Wilwar until Ifound the mixed species kingdom Aqua’s mom lived in. This was the most obvious place so Konnprobably already looked here. I needed to know for sure she wasn’t here. I had to fly around for a whileuntil I found Mae’s house. I knocked on the door.

Mae answered with a surprised expression. “Prince Lexus?” She frowned. “If you’re looking for Aqua,she’s not here. You should be the last person looking for her.”

“Can I at least come in? You obviously know more than I do.”

“Sure, just don’t pass out, you look tired.” She opened the door wider and took a few steps back. “Iwant to make this quick.”

I looked around for any sign of Aqua. “Why should I be the last person looking for Aqua?”

“Because, when you two were found out you left. I don’t mean the castle, you had to leave the castle,but you stopped talking to her all together. She was already feeling terrible about everything you bothdid to the people you care about. She had to deal with the consequences alone.” I never thought of itlike that, I thought I was protecting her from more consequences.

I leaned against her living room wall and noticed Aqua’s clothes folded up on the couch. They lookedfamiliar enough for me to know they were hers. “So, you did talk to her?”

She nodded. “The last time I saw her was a week ago. I don’t know where she is now. This is the lastknown place she was. Even my tracking spells aren’t working. I’m not worried, I would be more worriedif she stayed in the castle.”

I raised an eyebrow. “Why? It’s better to know where she is.”

She sat down on her couch. “I’ve disappeared myself at her age. She might be better off. They werestressing her out. They had her using her abilities way too much. She’s already burned out. She wasn’traised being taught how to develop her abilities. She’s half human, they can’t treat her like she’s anaverage holder. Her support system isn’t the same anymore. She’s not just burned out from using herabilities she’s also emotionally burned out. She thinks she makes life worse for everyone around her.That’s all the information I have Lexus.”

I walked to the door. “I’m going to keep looking for her but not to bring her back to the castle.”

“Good, promise me you won’t let her go back. Holders have shortened lives and I want her to have along one.” I forgot about that. I wouldn’t have worked her that hard but I’m not sure how much controlI’d really have.

“I promise.” The only other obvious place I could go was the human world. I left Mae’s house and flewpast the barrier out of the hidden world. I thought a lot about what I’d say and whether she’d forgive mefor letting my parents break us apart. I walked to her family's home and knocked on the door. Heradoptive father/blood uncle answered. “Yes? Can I help you?”

“Is Aqua here?”

The man frowned. “No… who are you? Are you one of…” I didn’t answer his question, instead I walkedaway, and he yelled after me, “Tell she’s not welcome back again without notice!” It was pointlessinformation.

I flew around high enough not to be seen. Luckily for me any satellites or anything like that had beenenchanted by mages not to pick up dragons or any other magical creature. I swore I caught ontoAqua's scent, but it disappeared before I could lock onto the location. I had to give up, it was hardsearching in the human world when I had to worry about being seen by the wrong people.