The Magic Smuggler

Heir Princess Zoneen of the Summer Nation Shezon

----

It had been about a week since the wedding. Zoneen and Iris were walking through the Shezon Castle Gardens.

"This flower only blooms during the full moon," Iris said, pointing to a flower bud. "Its seeds glow and spread with the wind. Oh, and that one is tallest in the peak of summer. You never see it, though, because you're always at the Royal Unity Celebration."

Zoneen had heard Iris's fun facts about flowers many times before, and she would hear them many times in the future. She wouldn't change a thing.

"What about that one?" Zoneen asked, pointing to a flower in a topless box filled with permafrosted dirt.

"That was a gift from Shezen many years ago. They enchanted it to never wilt."

"What type of flower is it?"

"A salt flower. The cooks use it to season food when there's guests and parties. Us healers use it to make medicine for the Royal Family."

"Well, you get to use the special flower medicine now, then."

"Oh, right, I do."

----

That night, Zoneen sat on the balcony of her and Iris's room, reading a book.

There was commotion in the city.

"Is something wrong?" Iris asked, stepping outside when Zoneen stood up and looked out to the city.

"The flowers in the city are scared."

"Should we get guards?"

Zoneen shook her head.

Right then, a burst of blue light erupted from a part of the city known for its crime.

"I have to help," Zoneen said, running inside and opening her closet. She took out a pink jacket with flower accents, a sleeveless white shirt, and a long blue skirt. Because she wore no makeup, it would be harder for anyone to recognize her face.

"You could get hurt," Iris protested as Zoneen began to change.

"Tell the guards that I'm going to the crime district. Tell them not to interfere unless I gesture for them to."

Iris nodded as Zoneen went back out to the balcony.

"Stay safe, please."

"I will."

After a quick kiss, Zoneen created a large vine from a plant hanging down the side of the balcony and took it to the ground and through the streets

It was a peaceful night, and nobody saw.

Zoneen turned the vine back to its normal size and walked through the streets. She followed the scared cries of the plants to a crowd.

Two men - one much taller than the other - were fighting.

"What's happening?" Zoneen asked a civilian next to her.

"The taller one says that the shorter one owes him something," the person said. "He's not handing it over, though."

The taller man took a bottle of red liquid from where it hung on his belt. He took one drink, then sent ice spikes to the other man.

Without thinking, Zoneen raised the weeds from the cracks in the road to make a wall between the spikes and the shorter man. The shorter man ran away. The rest of the crowd stared.

"What is a princess doing in the crime district at night?" the man with the red potion asked, putting the bottle back on his belt.

"What is a commoner doing with Shezen magic in Shezon?"

The man responded by using an ice spike to cut the wall of plants in half. Zoneen flinched as she felt them die.

"You freed him."

"From my knowledge, you attacked him over a debt."

The man laughed.

"It was a bit more than that, Princess."

He said the word "Princess" with a distaste that Zoneen could almost feel.

"Well, since you stole me my revenge…"

The man sent a sudden ice spike to Zoneen as he spoke. Zoneen raised a plant and threw it back to the man.

"This will get you arrested," Zoneen said. The man only continued to send ice spikes and walk closer. Zoneen walked backwards, deflecting the spikes by raising and dropping plants. She dragged each spike to the ground in the grasp of the weeds.

When the metal-soled footsteps of castle guards echoed down the street, the tall man ran.

Zoneen chased him.

She tried to block him, but he obviously knew the streets too well.

"What did that man owe you?"

The man only ran faster.

"This will be way easier if you just talk!"

"Stop following me!"

"I'm actually following the flowers. They're quite pretty."

That stunned the man into pausing while he was cornered. It was then that guards ran up and restrained him.

"How did you get that magic?"

The man refused to answer.

"Guards, lock him up. And find everything you can about who he might be."

"Yes, Princess," the guards said in unison.

The man began to laugh as the guards led him away.

"The Kalilazzo will free me!" he shouted back to Zoneen. "He'll free me from any prison!"

"Sure he will," Zoneen said, rolling her eyes.

Zoneen walked to the street, where she used a plant to travel back to the castle quickly.

"Are you hurt?" Iris asked, running forward the second Zoneen stepped onto the balcony.

"No, I'm fine."

"No, you're not. Look at this!"

Iris lifted up Zoneen's hand, which had a large cut. Small bits of ice melted onto her hand and dripped to the ground.

"It's fine."

"You need help."

"With the hand or with my mental state?"

"Both! Come on, we're going to the healing ward."

"It's not that bad!"

"Doesn't matter."

Iris took Zoneen's hand and led her to the healing ward.

"Oh, hello, Iris!" Seri - the Head Healer - said. She stepped forward and cupped Iris's face in her hands. She then turned and did the same to Zoneen. "And Zoneen! Oh, now it's Heir Princess and Princess Consort."

"Lovely, right?" Zoneen said, smiling brightly.

"Of course. Now, Iris, what did she do?"

"Went to the crime district and fought a guy," Iris said.

"Did you win?"

"Yes!" Zoneen said proudly.

"Good job, Zoneen."

"Can we focus on the fact that Zoneen is bleeding?" Iris asked, pointing at Zoneen's hand.

Seri picked up Zoneen's hand and examined it.

"Ice demon?"

"No," Zoneen said.

"Shezen royal?"

"No."

"Angry icebox stocker?"

"No."

"What, then?"

"Magic smuggler."

"Oh, that's new."

"You fought a magic smuggler?" Iris asked, voice high in concern.

"Yeah, but I won."

Iris groaned and looked away.

"How did your hair stay so nice?" Seri asked as she had Zoneen sit down to have her hand stitched.

"I found a really nice hairstick trick," Zoneen said as Seri began to clean and stitch the cut. "It holds up all day."

"You'll have to show me. I hate using ribbons to hold up my hair."

"You know, it damages your hair really badly."

"I know!"

"Are you two seriously talking about hair while Zoneen's hand is cut open?" Iris asked, leaning against a table with her hands.

"I think my shoulder got cut, too," Zoneen said.

"Zoneen!"

"It only just started to hurt!"

Zoneen took off her jacket. Seri checked the wound.

"It doesn't need to be stitched, but I should clean it and put on a bandage. Helps to avoid infection."

"Okay."

Seri cleaned and wrapped a bandage around Zoneen's shoulder.

"Any other unknown wounds?" Seri asked when she finished.

"Only my heart. Because Iris doesn't like the jacket."

"I said that once!" Iris exclaimed. "And where did that topic come from?"

"Seri, do you think it's ugly? Be honest."

"The red strings to make the flower petals are kinda ugly with the pink. And the green's too bright," Seri said, shrugging.

"I made it when I was, like, twelve."

"That explains a lot. Do you want the tailors to fix it?"

"No, I like the ugly colors."

"Then I won't tell them to fix it."

"No, please tell them to fix it," Iris said.

"Ignore her, Seri. She has no taste in clothes."

"I do have good taste in women, though."

"I won't argue with that."

"Yeah, tall, beautiful, dumb. Gotta love girls like that."

"That's rude."

"Two of those things were positive."

"But I remember the last one. Because it was said last."

"You're an idiot."

"But you love me for that."

"You got me there."