Daisuke Geneomene paced around the room nervously, ignoring the chill in the air. The room was pitch black except for a thin line of starlight coming in from the rounded window which looked out on a little waterfall that emptied into a small lake. The lake water looked clear from the window. It matched the dark blue sky. He couldn’t see much because the lake was surrounded by long, thick, green plants which bordered the water’s edge.

 The only glimpse Dai had of the water was when a small round brown creature about the size of a loaf of bread with large round ears filled with shiny green stones on the side of its large round head. The creature’s small, beady eyes matched the stones in his ears. The green light reflected off his small white teeth. A thin, silver line sparkled out of the end of its body. As it dragged along the ground, the creature scurried away quickly.

Dai laughed bitterly, but it sounded like he someone strangling him as the sound echoed throughout the stone room. I wish I could run away, but no. I have to marry someone whose hair is the color of dirt. Her nose is so big, the chefs could probably use it to cut the bread and cheese for the first course tonight at dinner if they need a knife,  Daisuke thought.

His breath came out in short huffs, and he quietly paced around the room the only sounds were his feet as they slammed against the clear tile floor. His hands pulled at the messy mop of light brown hair on his head.

Dai heard a door shut. The sound stopped Daisuke in his tracks. He looked up in embarrassment to see a tall, thin frame leaning against one of the small gray stone pillars that circled the edge of the room.

“What are you doing?” Dai heard the familiar deep voice chuckle. Daisuke knew, even though he couldn’t see him, that a smirk was planted on his best friend’s face.

“I was waiting for the princess,” Dai said, as he put his arms behind him so he would stop fiddling with his hands.

Dai heard his friend move off of the stone pillar and a tearing sound. It sounded like when his mother tore royal documents in half when she did not agree with their policies. Suddenly, the whole room lit up, courtesy of a bright blue and orange flame that now burned in a torched that was bolted to the wall with rusty red bars that held the torch to the stone wall. 

Next to it, he saw his friend Lucas Niche standing there in an emerald silk jacket with matching pants and small black shoes that covered most of his feet except for the top.  His jacket had the royal symbol for Daisuke’s family, a slender sapphire crescent moon with a silver five-point star hanging off of its tip.

 Lucas was a few inches taller than Dai, a fact he liked to hold over Daisuke’s head since they met in the royal playpen. He had golden hair mixed with streaks of brown like the straw that coated the stable floor. It was perfectly combed so not a single strand was out of place. He had a heart-shaped face, with a small nose that reminded Daisuke of the faucet in his bathroom. His nose started out thin then flared outward almost touching his cheeks had barely any fat to cushion his cheekbones. He had straight teeth that gleamed like the light reflecting off of the lake.  An easy smile spread across his face like he didn’t have a care in the world. His long fingers knotted together in front of him.

“In the dark? What was planning to do kill her?” Lucas chuckled as he moved off of the wall, and stepped toward Daisuke. Lucas was so close that Dai was scared that if he nodded, they would bump heads.

“Dai, it’s just marriage. She’s not an assassin,” Lucas commented. His laugh echoed down the hallway. Dai secretly prayed Lucas was wrong so that someone put an end to his misery.

Part II is here.