A Fairy Tale With Two

Chapter 11

      Kaizen drummed his fingers on his desk anxiously. He had recently arrived back in his own castle with the help of a magic transportation device to avoid the perilous hike through moors, marshes, and woods. He and his soldiers, servants, and others he'd brought with him were adjusting back to their castle routine, but Kaizen couldn't direct his mind from the dance.

      The girl he had danced with was still hooked in his mind. Was he hooked in hers, wherever she was?

      He scolded his own foolishness. Of course not.

      Kaizen sank back in his chair, his fingers now drumming on the arm of his chair. He knew he probably had better things to be doing. Like trying not to start a war. Or starting one. He hadn't decided yet.

     He pulled a map from his desk drawer, hoping to give his mind something to do instead of thinking of the missing princess. He rested it on the desk, spreading out the scroll so he could examine the map of the four kingdoms. He traced a finger down the border between Tiberia and Irisanna. He had heard the stories of what lied there, and he longed to discover it. The Irisanni knew nothing of what they possessed, keeping away from their eastern border.

      But Tiberia knew. And Kaizen wanted it badly. He rested his chin in his hand, but again Rowan came to his thoughts. He banged his head on the desk with frustration. He didn't want to start a war with her family. Maybe they could come to some sort of agreement...

      But it would have to be soon. Tiberia was struggling to keep up its appearance of obvious wealth and power. They would need that border very soon. And he knew he would have to give the order to take the border himself.

      Kaizen raked a hand through his hair, feeling the tangles snag on his fingers. Since the dance, he'd kept his hair messy and unkempt instead of slicked back like usual. He felt better with it wild, less like he was being forced into a mold that didn't fit him.

     There was a sharp knock on the door, and Kaizen sat up straight in his seat, brushing his hair back as Isaiah barged in. He frowned at his advisor, "I didn't say 'come in' yet."

     "At least I knocked this time," Isaiah responded, "But sir, there's been a riot downtown. Someone tried to steal from a vender, and it started a fight. These are hard times for the people, and they need something to hope for. Something to vent their anger."

      "I don't want to start a war right now," Kaizen said through gritted teeth, his hands on the desk curling into hard fists, "I'm sorry. But war means casualties, and I... I've never ordered anyone to die for me before."

     "You're not," Isaiah slicked a hand over thick black hair, combing down the frizz from his recent encounter with crazed townspeople, "They are willing to fight- and die- for their country. It's what they believe in."

     Kaizen leaned his forehead into a hand as the elbow rested on the desktop, "I know... why did this happen so fast? One mistake, and boom... we're losing our control."

     "I'm sorry, your Highness, but sooner or later, I'm going to have to ask you to make a decision."

      "What would you do?" Kaizen asked suddenly, looking up, "If you were in my place. Would you try to negotiate the border into our possession and risk worsening the situation, or would you go straight into war?"

      There was a long silence, then Isaiah sat down on the edge of the desk with a sigh, "I don't know. But you weren't nearly this hesitant about the war before. If you mind me asking... what's changed?"

      "Nothing, I just—"

      "Please stop lying," Isaiah's eye brow lifted with a disbelieving look, "If I had to guess, I'd say it was the princess. Rowan. You don't want to hurt her or her family."