16 Princes Are Common as Tree Stumps

For a second, Mira thought he was joking and started laughing. Her laughter began to falter when she realized he was serious.

"Wait, Zander. You can't start making up stuff like that, even if it's just for the one day that we will be there. It will be very hard to pull off such a stunt. How are we going to prove that I'm a princess, and who's going to believe that I'm your wife?"

Zander reached out to cup her face. "In the northern reaches, my word is law. If I say you are my wife, no one will question it. You are a princess because you are married to me."

Mira's eyes widened in sudden understanding. "You're a prince, aren't you?"

"Yes."

"You're also the Court Wizard?"

"In a sense. The Emperor summons me when he needs serious magik to be done, and when none of his generic wizards have been able to carry out his edicts."

"Are you related to Erick Rashak?"

"My mother is his father's older sister. She married the king of the northern empire and I am their only son. My full name is De Zander Tamein."

Mira was silent for a moment, allowing what he said to sink in. "The De in front of Erick's name, what does that mean?"

"De means Crown Prince."

"Ahhhh. So you're also a Crown Prince." She began laughing. "Let's hope your parents don't get a wind of this. It would be hard to explain a brand new wife to them."

"They already know."

"What???" She turned to him, fear showing in her eyes. "Zander, you can't be serious. I can understand making up some stuff so that we can go to the Palace and do whatever it is you need to do, but telling your parents that you have a wife...that goes far beyond what's absolutely necessary to resolve your situation so you can get me home again."

Zander's face was resolute. He reached out and grabbed her shoulders in a firm but gentle manner. He was so close, Mira could smell the scent of mint and sandalwood on him, and she could feel his strong powerful aura, emanating from his very being. This man, who had shown nothing but gentle kindness to her, was now showing her his strong resoluteness.

When she first met him, Zander had been hesitant to touch her, perhaps due to social constraints or even shyness, but now that he had determined she would be his, that line was no longer holding him back.

"Making you my wife is my best decision."

"Why?" She lobbed back. She needed to know what in hell he was thinking about.

He went silent. His silver-blue eyes revealed nothing of his thoughts, but eventually, Zander released her and turned towards the window. "They have imported a princess from Topaz, a kingdom in the desert region south of Jade. She was supposed to be married to Erick, but he was poisoned by his third brother in an attempted power grab. Since Erick managed to escape death, that power grab failed, and the third prince, along with his entire retinue, has been exterminated, for attempting a failed coup."

"Wow." She rubbed her chin. "But I still don't understand why this is our problem."

"The king of Topaz is expecting his daughter to be married to a prince. Normally, that would not be a problem, since Erick Rashak has seven brothers--" Zander stopped, and then mirthlessly laughed. "Well, now it's six brothers--but nevertheless, word had already traveled to the king of Topaz that she would be married to the Crown Prince, which guarantees that she will be the future queen."

He gave a smile that did not reach his eyes. "Unfortunately, Princes are as common as tree stumps, but Crown Princes are a rare breed because they have a kingdom to inherit. Since Erick Rashak has been missing for over a week, they were at their wits end, and I was chosen as the substitute Crown Prince."

"So they nailed the Topazian princess onto you, since Erick Rashak was indisposed." Mira laughed. "Smooth."

"I told them it was impossible for me to marry the Princess of Topaz, but they would not listen."

Mira closed her eyes. "When were you going to tell me all of this? Were you going to keep it all a secret from me and hope I'd just play along without knowing what's going on?"

"I am explaining it to you now."

"Zander, that's just NUTS!!!" Mira screamed in frustration. "What if I refuse to play along?"

"That would be tragic, Princess," Zander leaned forward until his face was inches from hers. "You'd be thrown into the castle dungeon for contempt of court...the Crown Prince's court." He tapped his chest. "Being thrown into the dungeon would also mean you can't get back home again, wouldn't it, since I am the only one who can get you back to Earth."

Mira bristled. "You're---you're threatening me???" She started punching his shoulder with clenched fists. "Ughhh! I hate you!!!"

Zander merely laughed at her attempts. "Just accept it, Princess, and everything will work out splendidly."

"OK fine. We parade out and show we're married, so you can escape the clutches of Princess Topaz, and then we return to Earth so I can go home, and Erick can come back, is that how it's going to work?"

Zander paused, and then grudgingly nodded. "More or less."

"But what if Princess Topaz is a gorgeous woman who's a real steal? Wouldn't you regret such a loss?"

Zander laughed. "There are two factors that you have overlooked. The first one, you already know. I am in the middle of my energy cultivation path. I cannot have a normal marriage at this time. This would not be acceptable to the king of Topaz or his daughter." His eyes steeled. "Secondly, I refuse to be a substitute for anyone."

"But Zander, it was a total accident that I'm even here. What if I wasn't here for you to utilize in this scheme of yours?"

Zander sat back, his eyes narrowed. "My original plan was to stabilize the portal between our worlds, and then go back to retrieve Erick Rashak. Since his third brother has been disposed of, he can safely return to his family, and I can wash my hands of this mess."

"So what changed?"

"You." He fixed his gaze on her. "I was not expecting you to appear through the mist, like an enchanting wood nymph." He paused for a moment, his eyes glowing with a strange intensity. "I also did not expect that you'd change Erick's destiny. He was basically a dead man. The poison was going to kill him eventually, no matter what Daran and I attempted. Pushing him through the rift was a last ditch effort for him to escape the third prince's henchmen. They had been chasing him for a week when he finally found me, barely alive, and begging for help."

Mira could see the usual cool and aloof Zander, struggling to regain composure as he relived those moments. It must have been a desperate moment, for them to have attempted a crossing through worlds without even knowing where they would end up, or if they would have even survived the crossing.

"Wouldn't appointing a new Crown Prince be the best thing, if Erick couldn't be found?"

"The cultivation of a Crown Prince takes many years of dedication. Of the seven Rashak princes, the only one who has the physical and mental capabilities to take over the throne is Erick. The others are very subpar. None of the court administrators would accept any of them as Emperor without serious backlash. There would be civil war, as opposing forces tear apart the royal family."

"Have there been many wars in Ashrya?"

He shook his head. "It's been three-hundred years since the last war tore the lands and the people apart. During that war, the royal families nearly died out. We have regained our numbers and strengths, but we constantly dance on that thin edge of war and peace. I would do anything to keep that from happening again."

As the carriage wheels continued to turn, taking them closer and closer to their destination, the silence resumed between Mira and Zander. There was much to think about, much to mull over, and at least for Mira, much to be apprehensive about.