The Impetuous Princess

      Her real name is Princess Lyndette of Qasala, but she doesn't go by that name anymore. She is now simply known as Lyndi, the desert draik. The young princess she once was is gone forever. She gave it all up to live a life of happiness and solitude.

      Lyndi is of royal descent, but she never wanted that life. Always in the spotlight, the princess was never allowed to do any of the things she enjoyed. She was always surrounded by royal guards, and kept in all the latest fineries. She was being prepped to become queen someday, so her itinerary was filled with council meetings, grand balls, and being present at royal court. None of these things appealed to Lyndi. She wanted to be outdoors, enjoying the sunshine and nature. She wanted to paint landscapes, and learn about botany. The exotic flora and fauna of other lands had always intrigued her. Lyndi wished she could play amongst the outdoor foliage, but her father forbid that sort of activity. He felt it was a waste of her precious time. Plus, there wasn't much growing out in the middle of the desert, anyway.

      All of that changed during a life altering trip to Faerieland. Lyndi's father was set to meet with Queen Fyora, to discuss an important matter regarding whispers of an upcoming war. The prospect of a trip excited Lyndi. She put on her most radiant princess smile, and tried to convince her father to take her along.

      "Father, I think I should go on this important trip. You're always telling me I need to be present for matters concerning this land. I'd say that a war would definitely affect Qasala and our citizens."

      The king looked at his daughter, and wondered what she was up to. She never wanted to take part in royal business. He narrowed his eyes a bit as he replied.

      "Lyndette, this isn't a pleasure trip. War is coming, and we need to be prepared. I don't have time to escort you around Faerieland. I'm going there to speak to the queen about where we stand, and then I'm returning home. This is no time to be away from our city. We have to maintain a peaceful position as long as possible."

      Lyndi stared at her father while digesting his words. She thought about her next words carefully, realizing this could make or break her argument.

      "I agree with you, Father. This trip is important, and would be a wonderful learning experience for me. Once I am queen, I will undoubtedly face times such as these. It would be better that I am experienced in what takes place in this type of meeting. It may prove to be invaluable someday."

      As the king watched his daughter for tell tale signs of of whimsical fancy, he pondered her words. What she said is true. She will need this type of experience later in life. He bowed his head, and gave her his blessing.

      "Very well. Pack a small valise with essentials, and be prepared to ride to the Queen's castle at the break of morn." And with that said, her father exited the room."

      Once her father was well out of earshot, Lyndi squealed in delight.

      "Weeee! I can't believe he is allowing me to accompany him."

      Lyndi ran to her closet, and began gathering clothes. Deep down she was a simple girl, and glared disapprovingly at her wardrobe. Everything was regal and stiff. Barely noticing what she picked, Lyndi grabbed a few things, and then went to her dresser. Upon it sat her favorite books, and a picture of her long departed mother. She glanced lovingly at the photo, and spoke in a whisper to it.

      "Mother, you'd be so excited. I'm taking a trip to your favorite place in all of Neopia. Faerieland. I wish you were here to go with me."

      She wrapped the picture inside of some soft cloth, and put it inside of her valise, along with her precious books.

      "Father said essentials. THESE are my essentials."

      Lyndi finished packing, and sat down on the edge of her bed. Thoughts of Faerieland, and the beautiful faeries that inhabited the land swirled around in her head. Her heart was bursting with happiness.

      The jubilant princess was completely unaware of the turn her life was about to take.

      The long trip to Faerieland went by in a blur. The Neopian landscape was breathtaking, and Lyndi drank it all in. She wasn't used to such lush greenery, and magnificent views, and her heart was filled with joy as she let it all soak in. This is what made Lyndi's heart sing. This is what life is all about.

      When they arrived at Queen Fyora's castle, they were ushered quickly inside. There was no time for pleasantries. The kings and queens of every land was in attendance. The faerie queen sat upon her throne; a worried look marring her beautiful face. She rose with her mighty staff in her hand. She was a small faerie, but you could tell she was very powerful. Her ethereal voice carried out across the room when she finally spoke.

      "I have gathered you all here to discuss an important matter. Please follow my guards to my council room, where will discuss the details"

      With that said, Fyora gracefully made her way to the door of the gigantic room, and exited.

      As her father rose to join the royal representatives, Lyndi beseeched her father to allow her to go outside.

      "Please, Father. The trip was long and hard on me. I've never traveled so far, and my head is spinning. I need some air. I will return as quickly as possible."

      Her father pursed his lips in disapproval, but nodded his head in agreement. Her father was a king of few words. He allowed his actions to speak for him.

      The king turned his back to his daughter, and walked toward the door. That was the last Lyndi would ever see of him.

      As Lyndi walked out of the castle doors, she wasn't alone. A young ixi and two guards followed. The guards armor creaked each time they took a step, and Lyndi and the ixi both let out a giggle. As the giggles died down, the comely ixi spoke.

      "Hello, my name is Hespi. What's yours? Have you come a long way to see our little land?"

      Lyndi was suddenly very shy, and nodded her head.

      "My name is Princess Lyndette of Qasala. My father is here for the war talks."

      Hespi studied the princess, and her skittish nature surprised her. Most royals are very direct and unabashed. One thing Hespi was good at was making everyone feel comfortable, so she put on her brightest smile.

      "Hey, you want to see a magic trick?"

      Unsure of how else to respond, Lyndi apprehensively nodded her head, again.

      The ixi's smile grew bigger. She reached inside of the pocket of her frock, and pulled out a small wand. The wand was gilded gold with a band of purple wrapped around it. The tip of the wand held a luminous star. It was quite beautiful, and Lyndi was a bit mesmerized at the site of it.

      Hespi began to softly chant words that Lyndi couldn't understand. The wind started to softly blow, and clouds gathered above. The princess felt very anxious as she watched the beautiful ixi point the wand towards the sky, but shrieked in delight at what she saw next. The cloud burst open, and a shower of gold coins began to rain down!

      Not only was Lyndi watching, but so were the imposing guards. They looked at each other, and ran toward the shower, gathering as much as they could hold. While the guards were greedily picking up the abundant riches, Hespi whispered in Lyndi's ear.

      "This is our chance to get away. Let's go."

      Lyndi smiled at Hespi, and they both ran off toward a massive grove of pink willow trees. Little does she know, Hespi's magic would do more than distract a couple of guards.

      As the two walked through the verdant forest, Hespi asked many questions about Lyndi's life. She was fascinated by the lifestyles of royalty. Lyndi grew more comfortable with Hespi with each passing moment, and soon, she was divulging everything that she felt about the life she led. She shared the story about her mother's passing, and how hard it had been on her father. She talked about how unhappy she was with the business of being a princess, and how she would give anything to be a normal citizen. All the while that Lyndi's story poured out, Hespi was absorbing it in great detail. A part of her felt sorry for the unhappy princess, yet another part of her also felt annoyed.

      "Lyndette, don't you realize how lucky you are? A great many would love to have your life. Including myself. You are privileged, yet, you don't appreciate it."

      The pretty ixi ran her fingers through her long, stylish hair. The strands looks like soft pink faerie floss. She turned to look Lyndi directly in the eyes. Her lilac colored eyes gleamed with mischief.

      "On the other hand, if you're REALLY unhappy, why not just run away? Neopia is a big place. I doubt anyone would find you if you really wanted to disappear."

      She turned away from Lyndi, and brushed imaginary lint from her shimmery rose top. She began to walk a bit faster, moving ahead of the desert draik. Knowing this would bother Lyndi, Hespi furthered the gap between them.

      Princess Lyndette didn't notice the space between the two of them. She was lost in her own thoughts. It had never occurred to Lyndi to run away. She wasn't happy but she wasn't a coward. She realized it was her duty to become Queen of Qasala someday. Plus, it would hurt her father to lose another family member. If she left, he would be all alone.

      Suddenly noticing Hespi wasn't walking with her anymore, Lyndi spoke.

      "Why would I run away? My life isn't horrible, it just...isn't exactly what I want."

      The clothing Lyndi was wearing started to feel ill-fitting as Hespi's eyes bored into her. The ixi was sizing her up. A smirk spread across her face at what she saw. The draik obviously didn't care much about style. Although her clothes were expensive, they weren't very becoming on the princess. She wore a purple shirt and trousers, and she was adorned with golden jewelry. Her golden tiara had a large blue jewel in it that rested on her forehead.

      "You know, I could help you if you really wanted to leave Qasala and avoid becoming queen."

      Hespi softened her voice, and her words seemed very sympathetic.

      "Honestly, I do understand where you're coming from. It must be hard to live in a place where you are unhappy. I'm lucky. I really love living here in Faerieland. I'd be miserable elsewhere. Especially with a father that doesn't seem very loving."

      Lyndi sucked air in sharply. She wasn't aware that others could see the lack of caring her father showed her. All he ever thought of was ruling the country, and imposing his wishes upon her. It was as though when her mother passed away, her father's heart did, too.

      The look of sadness that spread across Lyndi's face emboldened Hespi. Now may be the time to use some of her new found magic skills.

      "You know...I am a pretty good sorceress. Not only do I do magic spells, but I also make my own potions. If you're interested, I could give you one so that you could go go whatever you want. You're so young. You shouldn't be shackled in a lifestyle that you despise. I actually know of a wonderful place you could go, too. The cherry trees are always in bloom there. It's a dreamy landscape that I think you would love."

      Lyndi shifted her weight back and forth on each foot. Hespi made it seem so easy. She thought of her father, and his stern personality. She was afraid to voice her desires to him, much less get up the nerve to leave home. She stuttered her next words.

      "I..I..I don't think I can. It sounds like a lovely place, but my father would surely find me. I really don't want to bring his wrath down on my head."

      She turned to walk back towards the castle. No way was she brave enough to set off for a new land all alone. Yes, she wished with all her heart she could just live a normal life, but it isn't in the cards. Being queen was her destiny.

      As though she read Lyndi's mind, Hespi continued her argument for running away.

      "Well, I can make sure he never finds you. You deserve to be who you want to be. You didn't ask for any of this, and if I were you, I'd take this opportunity. Another one may never come along."

      The question of why Hespi wanted this so much never crossed Lyndi's mind, although it should have. She never considered that the pastel colored ixi may have ulterior motives. All she could think of was those ever blooming cherry trees, and what it would be like to be free of the oppression she lived under. Little by little, she was becoming convinced this was what she was meant to do. What if another chance never came along. Did she really want to be stuck in a position she couldn't get away from for the rest of her life? A surge of defiance coursed through her body. She spoke her next words with great authority.

      "You know what? You're right. I'm tired of living someone else's life. This isn't what I'm meant to do. I hate fancy frocks, and holding court. I despise being kept inside like a prisoner, Guards constantly follow me around, watching my every move. Okay, so how should we do this?"

      Lyndi was shocked at the strength in her words, but she was proud of making a decision to become the draik she wanted to be. She wasn't a child anymore. She was old enough to do what she wanted.

      Hespi was a bit stunned at how Lyndi reacted. She never thought it would be this easy. She couldn't help but think of how ungrateful the princess was, but she kept that thought to herself.

      "I have this potion called a Vanishing Potion. It was originally created as a weapon for the Battledome, but I think it would work well for your needs. It doesn't last forever, but it would give you enough time to use your wings, and fly to the place I was talking about. There's a small house situated in a grove of cherry trees in Shenkuu. The house belonged to my aunt before she moved here to Faerieland. The home is small and quaint, but it has all you need. I can even whip up a spell that rains plenty of gold coins down on you. It should tide you over until you can find employment."

      Lyndi was barely listening. All that was on her mind was the freedom she craved. Being so young and impetuous, she wasn't really considering the consequences. She would deal with those later. She just wanted time. Time to herself so she could decide what was truly going to make her happy. She hated having so many surrounding her all of the time. She wanted to be alone with her thoughts, her books, and her art.

      "What about my father? I'm sure he will be ready to leave shortly. He may already be searching for me. I'm never allowed to wonder away alone. He will be furious."

      Hespi seemed to have an answer to every obstacle Lyndi threw her way. The charming ixi smiled sweetly and replied:

      "Don't worry my dear. I have a Potion of Good Dreams that will fix him right up. It will make him fall asleep, and by the time he awakens, you will be long gone. But we must hurry. We have no time to waste. I will need to slip into the castles kitchen, and taint his beverage with the potion soon so that it has enough time to take effect."

      Hespi hurriedly reached into the purple satchel Lyndi just now noticed, and pulled out a small bottle with a cork stopper as the closure. The contents were a wispy blue color, and it swirled around inside of the glass bottle. She uncorked it, and handed it to the hand of the princess.

      Lyndi looked at the bottle for a second, considering if this was the right choice. Hespi wasn't having any of that. She pushed the bottle toward the draik's lips and nearly shouted.

      "HURRY! We have no time to waste."

      The nervous feeling vanished, and a feeling of excitement replaced it. She closed her eyes, and drank the potion down. Hespi smiled at her and told her she made the right decision.

      The potion began taking immediate affect. Lyndi watched as her body began the process of becoming transparent, then vanishing completely. Although she did not feel any different physically, she was mentally trying to adjust her faculties to the fact that she is now invisible.

      After putting the bottle back in her satchel, Hespi pulled her wand from the pocket her frock. She made quick work of creating the spell that would shower Lyndi in gold coins. She pulled a small, pink purse from her satchel, filled it with the coins, and told Lyndi to be on her way.

      "You only have a few hours, and Shenkuu is far up in the northern part of Neopia. When you get there head to a place called the Lunar Temple. There is a wise gnorbu there who knows my aunt. Tell him you're related to Attiyah. That's my aunt. He will tell you where the house is. I must hurry to the castle. Don't make any stops along the way, and don't look back."

      With that, Hespi vanished through the thick foliage, leaving the young draik all alone.

      Misgivings quickly crept back into Lyndi's mind. What is she doing? Her father will never forgive her for even considering this. That thought sent a shiver down her spine. Father. How would she explain what she had been up to since he left her to participate in the war talks. He would be really angry. Her father's temper scared her sometimes. He would never hurt her, but his punishments were harsh. She would never be allowed to be alone again. This thought was the worst of all. Being stripped of the little time she had to herself was unbearable. Tears gathered in her eyes, and trickled down her face. The uncertainty of what she was about to do scared her, but she felt it was too late to turn back. The unhappy draik spoke softly to herself.

      "Just be done with it."

      Being sure not to look back, Princess Lyndette of Qasala pulled off her tiara, tossed it on the ground, and flew off toward her future.

      The End.