Unkown-Story

[Echoe]

Miyavi/Echoe/Die story coming up here, continuing off of "Mysterious Voyage: Journey into the Unkown"

[Captain Dusk Rose]

Yessss post it soon! I'm gonna fall off my seat sitting on the edge of it like this!

[Echoe]

(Part 1)
(I added my last post in the other thread so peeps don't have to go back all "wtf is going on again?" )


Die stared blankly at Echoe splashing in the shallows from the shade of a few boards he had propped up in the sand a ways up shore. His shock of being stranded on a deserted island was starting to add variables to his original equation. Finding a way off the island was starting to equal "fat chance" and staying to live on the island had good numbers. Especially now that it occurred to him that she was here as well while her prince in shining scales was nowhere to be seen. As far as Die knew or cared, that thing was dead and she was all his.

Echoe pulled a crab up out of the water. She watched it squirm in her grasp for a moment before it broke in her grip and died.
Only if I can apologize properly without making her even madder of course. He sighed warily and closed his eyes against the blinding white of the sand. Who knew offering her my pants cuz she lost hers would piss her off. Then again, I probably should have waited for an answer before taking mine off...

Tossing aside the dead, oozy crab, Echoe continued her search of the shallows for something. She wasn’t even sure what it was, but she wanted to find it. As soon as possible. A stray lock of seaweed came in with the tide and wrapped around her ankle, leaving a slimy feeling that did not help her mood any. While she was distracted trying to remove the seaweed, a bigger wave came in and knocked her off-balance and yet another wave knocked her down into the water.

“Echoe!” Die quickly jumped up and rushed down to help her, worried that she might be pulled out with the tide. He slowed however when he saw her sit up in the shallows calmly. He frowned as he found himself hoping she had hit her head and forgotten about the scaly fiend.

The waves had receded, but she did not try to get up, nor attempt to remove the seaweed that still clung to her ankle. What she had to do seemed suddenly clear to her as she stared at the waves in the distance. This plan, however, would need help from somebody willing and able. Someone she could trust to help her no matter what…

“Echoe, are you alright?” Die asked warily as he approached her, not wanting to meet the same fate as the crab had. She looked up at him, eyes taking him in as if he were an alien that had just told her that peaches taste like corn. He squirmed uncomfortably, not sure if he should run or if his morbid wish had come true.

As the realization took her, a smile slowly formed on her face. “Yeah… I’m fine now.” She stood suddenly, causing Die to take a step back in surprise. “I know what I need to do.” Reaching down, she pulled the seaweed off of her ankle, rolling it up like a rope and slinging it over her arm.

Die looked at her with much suspicion. “So… you’re going to make everyone seaweed wraps?”

Echoe laughed, almost unnaturally. “No way, I don’t know how to cook anything like that! I do need help though.” She looked at Die over her shoulder. “You mind helping me?”

He instantly lit up eagerly. “O-of course! Anything to help you! But—“

“That’s great!” She tossed the roll of seaweed at him. “Could you gather a bunch of seaweed and any driftwood you find? We can start stacking it all up at that little shelter you made. I’ll see ya when it starts getting dark, ok?” And she ran off along the beach, leaving Die looking befuddled.

“But… but not if it means you’re going to leave…” He watched her for a moment longer, then went about looking for seaweed and driftwood unhappily.

[Echoe]

(Part 2)

As evening approached, Die decided that it was getting too cold to be splashing around in the ocean.

For Echoe that is. Where the hell did she go? He looked up and down the shore, but could not see her anywhere. He thought hard for a moment before deciding to look for dry clothes back at the ship.

On his way there however he came across a crate that had just washed ashore. I hope there’s some good rum in here. His stomach growled painfully. Or maybe some food… He carefully opened the crate, ready to slam it shut if it was full of rats instead of rum. What he found inside the crate had him stunned.

“This is…” He pulled on the sleeve of a rather unattractive greenish mans outfit. He hesitated for a moment before pulling the entire outfit out of the crate, throwing it into the sand in a messy pile and pulled out a blue dress. He stared at it for awhile, blushing a bit as he remembered that night.

Shaking himself out of his daze, he carefully put the dress away and placed the lid back on the crate. After tossing the sandy attire atop of the crate, he began the slow drag back to the dinky shelter.

----------------------------

Echoe came within sight of the small shelter eventually with her own load of good stuff. Instead of searching for driftwood and seaweed as she had asked Die to do, she searched for food and drinking water in the nearby jungle. Slung over her shoulder was a thick vine tied to a large log with a rotted-out center. In the log was a large number of bananas, various colored berries, coconuts and even a couple of pineapples, a pile of fresh water fish, and some hollowed coconuts filled to the brim with water. Piled on top of the log was some driftwood, seaweed and vines, but it was clear what her concentration had been on.

She was glad to see that he was smart enough to make a fire anyway. As she approached the small camp, Die stood grumpily and came to greet her.

“Where the hell were you? I thought the tide had pulled you out or something ate you.” He frowned as he tried to see what she was dragging. “That looks too heavy, whatever it is. Let me take that from you.”

She just shrugged and handed him the vine. “Be my guest. Don’t pull a muscle though.” She added a he begun struggling to move it. Her gaze moved over the piles of wood and seaweed that had been gathered, but fell on the crate almost hidden behind the shelter. Curious, she walked over to inspect it. She pulled the outfit off of the top, blinking in surprise as she recognized it. Carefully, she draped it over a nearby piece of driftwood and opened the crate. She pulled out the blue dress, looked it over, tested the strength of the material, nodded and tossed it aside in the sand.

Die had finally gotten the log to move a good five feet closer before calling it good and collapsed into the sand. Breathing heavily, he looked over to see what Echoe was up to and saw her rummaging through the crate, tossing things into one pile or another.

“I found that and thought you’d appreciate having some of your stuff back.” He said, hoping for praise.

“Yeah, thanks. A lot of this will be useful.” When she had reached the bottom, she picked up one of the piles and tossed it back into the crate. Grabbing the outfit, she turned to Die. “I’m turning in for the night. Help yourself.” She waved her hand at the log of food and crawled into her crate, pulling the lid up and over her head.

Die looked put out as the lid closed. “I forgot she likes crates so much…”

[Echoe]

(((I'm sure this post will seem very brief, but there is more to come! I hope)))

(Part 3)

The sun was high in the sky by the time Die woke from his restless sleep. He tried to grasp the dream he just had, remembering something about a sea monster and Echoe and fruit… but he lost those parts as well and simply knew he was exhausted by some dream. He looked around bleary-eyed, slightly blinded by the white sands. He was glad he had set up his shelter to block the early sunlight, or he would have been as red as his own hair. He would learn later that his back was striped with red over his slight tan, but that’s for later.

“Echoe? Ya awake?” He called in the direction of her crate. It’s still closed… He noted to himself as he stood and walked quickly over to it. She’s gonna be cooked alive! “You here?” He opened that crate and was happy to see that she was not, but quickly frowned as he wondered where she really was.

He set out to look for her, noting that there seemed to be a lot less stuff in their little camp than before as he took a banana and a shell of water. Turned out he didn’t have to travel far to find her however as she was down near the shore, lashing driftwood together with the seaweed. He didn’t like what he saw her doing, but…

What could he really do about it?

After he finished his small breakfast while contemplating over what to do, he walked over and began helping her with putting the small raft together. She had worked fast, with only a couple more pieces of driftwood to lash on, but he would at least help with that much. He could at least make sure the seaweed was tight enough.

She looked up in surprise, but quickly went back to tying the knot she was working on. They wordlessly continued putting together the boat and finally had it finished as the tide began to creep it’s way further up the shore and the sun considered dipping it’s toes into the cold ocean.

After making sure all of the knots were secure one last time Echoe set her hands on her hips and stretched out her back. Die stood next to her, admiring the dingy craft with his arms crossed in front of him. It really was a well made craft, but was unfortunately only large enough for one person to stay afloat on. And not a very heavy person…

“So, you’re going on a journey of your own now?” Die asked flatly.
Echoe nodded, looking out at the sun as it finally decided to get its toes wet. “Someone makes your normal world seem droll, ya just gotta keep em around. Ya know?”

Die glanced at her, then nodded and looked down at the sand. “I’m… happy… that you found someone like that. But…” He hesitated, the next words caught in his throat.

Echoe waited for him to continue, but when he didn’t she glanced curiously at him. “But….?”

Die stayed silent another moment, then shook his head and grinned cheesily at her. “But you were gonna leave without saying goodbye to your friends!”

Echoe blinked. “Friends? You’re the only friend on this island as far as I know. Do you have a clone?” She looked a little too concerned when she said it.

“What?! No, that’s not at all what I meant!” Die laughed heartily and scratched the back of his head.

Echoe sighed. “That’s a relief…” They were silent a little while longer. “Well, I should start moving this down to the water. Thanks for helping with the last of it. Would you mind grabbing the sack I put together? It’s sitting in my crate.”

“Of course! I’ll be right back!” Die turned and jogged back up the beach to the small camp as Echoe began to drag the raft toward the water only a couple yards away. As he grabbed the sack he took a leather pouch of his pocket and looked at it. He closed his fingers over it and held it up to his lips for a few moments, as if forcing a prayer into the small object. He then shoved it deep into the bulging sack and ran back down the shore.

Echoe had already gotten to waist level with the raft and was pulling herself up ontop, clothes clinging tightly to her form. Die blushed as he got closer. He hadn’t noticed that she had switched to a simple cotton shirt. He almost slapped himself when he noted that she was unfortunately wearing her wraps under the shirt and instead thrust the sack in front of him to cover his vision as he waded out into the water.

“Um, here!” He set the sack next to her on the rafts surface. It really wasn’t big enough to call a deck…

Echoe nodded approvingly, glancing back at Die who seemed oddly interested in the wood grain. She considered him for a moment. “Thank you for everything. I now upgrade you to a good friend, Die-kun.”

Die looked up in surprise, but quickly blushed and looked away. “C’mon, why ya gotta upgrade me so slow? I’ve saved your life, been there for ya and helped ya with a plan that breaks my heart. That fool turns into a fish and he becomes your destiny. How do I get that ‘upgrade’? Turn into a bloody unicorn?”

Echoe regarded his words with seriousness, looking at the eyes that avoided hers and he could still feel them piercing his mind silently. “I suppose… you’d have to do something only you can do. Unfortunately, you don’t invade the sanctuary of my dreams and call me out to the sea. It drives one to madness until they have no choice but to go.”

Die had to glance up at her to make sure the annoyance in her voice matched the look on her face. He was very pleased to see this was true. “You sound like your destiny is to kill him.”

“You sound hopeful, but I guess I am as well.” Echoe smiled. “It’s getting dark, I should head out.” She picked up the pole that Die hadn’t noticed before and pushed herself out toward the open water. When the pole no longer touched the sand and she had cleared the roughest of the breakwaters she turned and waved at Die up on the shore, turning to dig into the food she had brought as the last of the sun sunk into the ocean and Die fell to his knees, anguish finally taking over him.

[Echoe]

(part 4)

She awoke in a daze, almost forgetting that she was in the middle of the ocean. She pulled the blanket from over her head. Something was wrong, but she couldn’t quite think of what it was for a moment. She looked around, noting that it was impossible to see the water around her. She looked up to try and find a constellation to figure out the time of night.

…Where are the stars?

Panic started quickly as she frantically looked around, trying to see something, anything. She stood up quickly, almost losing her balance and falling. If she fell into the cold water now…

She was about to call for help when she saw a light in the water. It wasn’t very bright, but it seemed to be getting closer. And brighter. She got back down to her knees and peered into the water, trying to see what it was.

When it was almost too bright to look at a hand shot up out of the water and she fell back in fear onto her raft. The hand glowed a calm blue and did not move for a moment. A voice rang in her head.

You have chosen to give up everything for the unattainable. Your spirit is strong, but your choice will soon burn out that flame. You want adventure and a caring soul, but you cannot have both on the path you chose. Take my hand. I will guide you as best as I can through this void. I only wish for your happiness.
The hand carefully reached out to her, as if asking for a dance.

She reached forward and lightly grasped it, feeling warmth suddenly rush through her and the world went amazingly bright.

She found herself next to Myv in his human form on the deck of his ship. He looked down at her and smiled. She felt herself smile back. He leaned down and kissed her, and she felt a cold rush of water around them. Myv had grown his blue tail and was smiling at her. “You are now my beautiful bride! I have never seen such lovely tail!”

She looked down to see her tail, but only saw her legs. “What? But I don’t have a tail. Is there someone behind me?”

Myv giggled. “I forgot that you’ve never seen a mermaid.” He held up a mirror for her. In it she saw the head of the ugliest fish she had ever seen and screamed.

She woke with a start, heart pounding and breathing heavily. She felt her face quickly, making sure that she wasn’t really a fish headed freak. Relieved, she flopped onto her back.

She watched the stars for a time, marveled at the full moon a little while longer. That dream had been so messed up that she couldn’t even consider sleep right now.

Suddenly a hand shot up out of the water and slapped the floor of her raft. She almost fell into the water from surprise.

She almost didn’t comprehend the blue haired man that smiled at her from the edge. “Echoe! What are the odds?!”

She narrowed her eyes at him. “So ridiculously slim that I have to question if this is also a dream.”

[Echoe]

((Long time no see! ;D I'm a little out of practice, so forgive me!))


(Part 5)


Myv grunted as he hauled himself onto the raft, leaving his caudal fin in the water. “I’m so glad I ran into you! I was worried about you…” They looked at each other for a moment. “Ahah… you’re making me nervous with that glare, sweet.”

“Don’t call me that. I’m not candy for a child.” But Echoe relaxed a little now that she was sure she was awake. “And as you can see, I’m perfectly fine. I hope you weren’t planning to save me, because you’ve wasted your time there.”

“Oh don’t be so darn awesome all the time! It’s no fun for us guys.” He smiled that cheesy grin that made Echoe’s heart skip. She felt uneasy about how good just that smile made her feel… But she was happy to see it anyway.

The dream was still fresh in her mind. Sadly, not the important words spoken to her… “Myv… do mermaids look like you?”

Myv looked confused. “What? I should hope not! There wouldn’t be much variety of beauties to choose from, now would there? We’d all be flat-chested blue-haired fish! Why do you ask? Were you…” He leaned in close to Echoe. “Fantasizing?”

“If that’s the new word for having a nightmare, then yes. So the girls don’t have fish heads and human legs?”

“Oh my, no! That’s a terrible idea!” He recoiled and paled at the thought. Echoe breathed a sigh of relief and flopped onto her back. Myv hesitated a few moments, seeming to want to speak but unable to let the words flow. So instead he pulled himself closer to her and lay facing her, watching her face attentively. Finally he was able to speak. “Echoe… I must ask you something important. As a prince who has been humbled by unexplainable emotions.”

Echoe frowned and turned to him. “That’s ominous sounding. Just spit it out.”

Myv blushed in embarrassment. “Ah, my apologies. I’ve been with wordy people you see…” He sat up and pulled a ring off of his finger, turning it methodically between his fingers. Echoe slowly sat up, glancing between his face and the ring. “Echoe… my father sent me to find you.” He turned to her. “You see, he thinks I made a deal with a witch to turn me back. He wants proof! He thinks you are made up and that I never learned to love, that I’m just moping because I’m no longer human! Well, that is a little disappointing… But I do love you!” He gasped and cringed, but he still gazed pleadingly at Echoe.

She looked steadily back at him. “A mer-prince falling in love with some deck hand is a little far-fetched, don’t you think?” He chuckled nervously as she pointed to the ring. “Tell me why you’re fidgeting with that. You’re going to drop it and lose it.”

He nearly dropped it when his attention was drawn to it. “Ah! Yes, it’s a gift from father. This will turn you into a mermaid for as long as you wear it.” He finally held out the ring to her. The golden eel ring’s circumference was large enough to fit a giants finger, but very thin and dainty. Its eyes seemed to be to very small blue sapphires that seemed to glow, but perhaps it was the moonlight playing tricks.

“He must think you fell in love with an ogre!” She couldn’t believe the size of it.

“Please, will you come live with me for a time? I want you with me! I miss you dearly!” His eyes watered with great emotions.

“Ugh, yeah I’ll go with you, just… don’t cry.” Myv cheered and pulled her to him in a great hug knocking the wind and what was left of her dignity out of her. “Crushing… leggo…” He finally let go and placed the ring over her finger. It hung limply and she was about to ask what kind of joke he was pulling when he suddenly took her hand in both of his, gentle and loving, but firm. He leaned close to the ring and spoke as if into a lover’s ear:

“Aishiteru…”

The eel’s eye’s glowed brightly and Echoe gasped it slithered around her finger to a perfect fit and was still again. After a what seemed like many minutes, she was about to ask ‘Now what?’ when a great pain shot through her. She couldn’t find her voice to scream as her skin began to meld together. She would have normally objected to Myv removing her pants, shoes and various wraps, but the unbearable pain made it impossible to even understand where she was. Her dignity was the least of her concerns. She opened her mouth to scream again, but only a choked sob came out as her organs rearranged, her calves fused, and fins and scales sprouted forth. She thought of the day Cho lay dead on the cold street next to her. She felt someone holding her head, and felt terror as she remembered Shang doing the same as she died. But the pain as her feet fused and grew made her unable to run and the pain on her chest only made her double over. She heard a voice trying to calm her, but she only wanted to escape it. She lashed out at the monster holding her, but he was stronger. Still so much stronger than her... “Cho…!” She finally passed out as the transformation finished, forgetting that she was on a raft at all.

Myv held her in his arms as the glow faded from the ring, brow furrowed as he pondered the scratch marks on his arms and the terror in her eyes. And the name she called to the wind…

[Echoe]

(Part 6)

Echoe woke up feeling hazy and tired. For a few moments she simply stared at the ceiling, following the patterns of the fossilized shells in the stone and the way the curtain swayed from some invisible breeze. A fish swam overhead…

Wait, what?

She gasped and sat upright, felt the water rush into her lungs and coughed. The fish darted away quickly, disturbing the seaweed curtain in their rush out. She instinctively tried to hold her breath and covered her mouth. She tried to stand, but quickly realized something was wrong with her legs and looked down to see the tail. She tried not to shout and felt her lungs burning.

Myv pulled back the curtain and quickly swam to her side. “Echoe, calm down! Breathe!”

She shook her head fearfully, struggling to get past him, surely the surface was that way. He kept trying to hold her back and she was getting weaker.

Finally he grabbed her shoulders and spun her around to face him, switching his grip to her face and she gripped his wrists tightly and shakily. “LOOK!” He took a slow deep breath and slowly let it out, steadily looking into her panicked eyes. “C’mon, it doesn’t hurt, please breathe with me.” He took another deep breathe in and out again.

Echoe clenched her eyes shut and tightened her grip, listening to him breathe but feeling the water press against her. She really couldn’t hold her breath anymore… The next large inhale he took, she gasped and took the deepest breath as if it were her last. Once again she felt the water fill her lungs, but this time it felt good. As she took in the water, she noticed a new feeling. She reached up to her neck to feel the gills working.

“Good job, love. I’m sure that was really hard to do…” He pulled her into his arms gently, stroking her hair gently. He lightly flicked his tail and they both floated to the niche that she had been resting on. They rested for awhile together before Myv chuckled.

“Was me suffocating so funny?” She asked dryly.

“No no, I just didn’t think it’d be this easy to get you into bed.” He blushed, but grinned cheesily and raised his hands defensively when she pushed away from him in alarm, her fist raised. “Kidding, kidding.”

Echoe lowered her fist slowly, watching him. After a few moments she looked around. She looked down to observe her tail, but frowned and blushed. “Eh… what the hell did you do with my shirt?” she asked as she crossed her arms uncomfortably. “And my wrappings?”

He waved his arm dismissively. “You don’t need human clothing anymore. You’re well covered naturally, I assure you.”

She glanced at him and quickly averted her gaze from his jewel adorned figure. “No, I think we’re both distressingly underdressed. I need to find something…” She wriggled awkwardly over to the curtain and started to pull it aside.

“If you think this is awkward, then you won’t want to leave this room. Trust me~” He sang lazily as he pushed away from the niche.

She hesitated, but certainly didn’t want to be alone and vulnerable with him and pulled the curtain aside. Oh the horror, seven lovely mermaids adorned with jewels similar to Myv gawked at her like she were a puppy with an extra head. Or two. She blanched and retreated quickly back into the tiny room, only to bump into Myvs chest. His… semi-bare chest… her paleness quickly changed to red and she pushed away from him, sending her back through the curtain. Seeing the mermaids again she pressed her face against the nearby wall, embarrassed and feeling overly exposed.

Myv chuckled and the girls made worried sounds as he followed her through the curtain. “Don’t worry, sisters. She’s just adjusting. Kind of funny actually, all the stories I told you about how tough she is, and this brings her down!” He laughed heartily while the girls giggled involuntarily.

“Are you sure she’s alright?” spoke one. “She looks…” All the girls gasped as Echoe turned to Myv and punched him in the gut.

“Oof!” He doubled over, tears in his eyes but he looked up at her and smiled. “You… pulled back on that one.”

She grinned back, demeanor bolder than a moment ago. “You just surprised me was all. Now straighten up, wuss. Tell me who these people are.” Her heart was pounding and her cheeks flushed, but she knew there was no helping it. When in Rome...

[Echoe]

(Part 7)

Myv was quickly upright again. Clearly that nudge didn’t hurt as much as he pretended. “Ah, that’s right! You’ve been a sleepy head and so they know all about you and your crazy endeavors as a pirate based on what I’ve seen of you, but… You know nothing of them.” He smiled as Echoe gave him an annoyed look.

He swung his arm in the direction of the mermaids with a flourish. “My sisters!” There was a long pause. He waved his hand, turning his head away. “Look, I can never remember who is who amongst you, please introduce yourselves for me, will you?”

The girls all giggled. Echoe wasn’t sure, but that whole performance must have been a joke… maybe.

The girl on the far left cleared her throat, blonde curls bouncing as she tossed them over her shoulder. “Greetings, little lost pirate. I’m Juli, Miyavi’s older sister.” Her voice was… excessively perky, and her makeup thick.

The next girl spoke, black hair tied back tightly. “Abigale, but call me Abi please! I’m Juli’s younger sister.” She looked ready for a funeral, but had a pleasant personality.

“Sarah, the oldest sister. Pleased to meet you.” Her green hair tied in a simple ponytail behind her. She sounded very… monotone.

“Hello! Er, I’m Rebecca, her younger sister.” She pointed to Sarah shyly. Her orange hair was braided back and adorned with shells.

“My name is Meryll, Abi’s older sister. Pleasure to meet you.” Her hair was a much deeper blue than Myvs and draped over her front, weighed down with shells.

“We’re Kai and Kei, the middle sisters.” Spoke the last two unanimously, red hair flowing freely.

Echoe tried to keep up with the names and order in her head. After a little math, she raised her eyebrow at Myv. “So… you’re the youngest. That actually explains a lot.”

“Eh? I don’t see the relevance.” He shrugged his shoulders dramatically before taking her arm. “Come! My father wanted to meet you as soon as you awoke!”

“What? Why didn’t he come here too?” She really wanted to hide in a crate right now… “I don’t even know how to use this damn… thing!” She wiggled her tail disdainfully.

“I can either carry you…” He hoisted her up into his arms, her face almost pressing against his chest until she instinctively pushed away. “Or you can learn on the way.” He smiled cheesily at her again while she squirmed. The girls giggled again, causing Echoe to turn red again.

“Just… let go. I’d rather learn than let your pansy ass carry me. Don’t want your father to think my legs- er, tail, doesn’t work.”

He let her down, guiding her out the door. “Now, you keep calling me that. Is that a special pet name? Because if it is, you’ve liked me since the day we met.” Grin.

She glared at him while she struggled with her tail. “No. No it is not.”

He helped her learn to use her tail all the way to the main palace, the citizens coming out to watch the prince with his foreign prize.

“Here we are!” He announced proudly, gesturing up to the tall towers.

Echoe was in awe for a moment, but quickly started swimming toward the entrance.

“Wait! Where are you going?” Myv swam to catch up.

“I don’t like to keep people waiting, especially not the people who have authority over my life.”

Myv laughed nervously. “You have some rough kings in your world…”

The swim up to the throne seemed to take forever, but in reality only took a few minutes. The king was a large fit merman with white hair held down by his crown. With his advisors on either side, his brows furrowed as they approached, as if he were unsure his son was pulling his tail again.

Myv stopped a few feet away and bowed deeply, Echoe quickly imitating him. He looked up from his low bow at his father, smiling.

“Father.”

“Son.” He inclined his head briefly. “So you spoke the truth? I now wish to hear your story fully.”

Myv was suddenly upright, waving his arms animatedly. “Yes father! I traveled for many days, looking for this ‘love’ that you all spoke of. I saw many weddings and thought that perhaps it was the act of marriage that created the emotion of love. And then I saw her!” He motioned flamboyantly toward Echoe, causing her to twitch. “She was so beautiful, the way she carried herself. And her dancing, when she finally did, but unfortunately not with me, though I asked, was just sublime! I don’t think there was a man at that ball that could keep up with her footwork! I assumed she must be royalty because of her bodyguard hidden amongst the musicians and her moody demeanor.”

The king glanced briefly at Echoe, her head still bowed. He observed the irritation on her face before looking back at his son. “And? Is she in fact royalty?”

Myv got excited. “That’s the thing, it turns out SHE was the bodyguard! Her captain said something and Echoe kicked total ass! Oops, I mean… She fought with the experience of many battles. When they all bailed, I followed her. Turns out she was also the ‘mopboy’ and lived in a storage room.” He looked absolutely alarmed remembering this. “So, I freed her from her miserable life for a few days.”

“You mean you kidnapped me.” Echoe spoke flatly.

The kings eyes widened in alarm. “You what?”

Myv cowered, laughing quietly. “Perhaps… Echoe, should speak. Now. Please…”