*Kent*

The next morning, I escort Eva and Princess Alexia outside. Now that everything is settled, it is time for them to go. I will miss them, I must admit. I got used to having more people around.

Eva curtsies. "Thank you for extending your home to us," she says, "I will see you soon, I imagine." She turns away, but I stop her.

"Thank you. For everything. I mean it. I thought you were just going to make a potion for my father, but you did so much more than that. You saved our kingdom."

She smiles and then follows Vincent to the FC.

"Goodbye, Princess Alexia." I bow. "I will see you in the near future."

"I am sure you will," is all she says as she too boards the FC.

I stand there until they fly away.

***

*Alexia*

I plop down onto my own bed, realizing just how much I missed my bedroom. Eva sits down beside me.

"I can't believe that I actually did it. I saved Pluto," she says in a daze.

"Yes, you did." I smile. The second that she stepped foot into the council room, I began to pray, which seemed to have helped. I also had my flames ready to ignite if need be. "My best friend Eva is a heroine."

She snorts. "Yeah, not really."

"To Pluto, you are."

She looks away, always so humble. "We better head down for dinner. Don't want to leave your father waiting." She stands up, lending me a hand.

Together we head downstairs.

"It's good to have you back." My father watches me from over the brim of his glass. "How was your time in Pluto? Were you able to spend time with the prince?"

My fingers which are curled around the delicate stem of my glass, begin to turn white. "I wasn't there for the prince, Father. I wanted to see new scenery, so I followed Eva."

My father now turns to Eva. "The girl who saved Pluto." His strong voice reverberates across the large room. "The king must be very grateful to you."

She bows her head. "He was your highness. But my job there is done, now I am back home."

"Good. I believe you and Alexandra had enough excitement for the time being. Once everything is completely settled with Pluto, Prince Kent plans on returning to Mars to spend more time with his betrothed." His cold eyes are on me and my grip on the glass tightens. "It's about time we tie the knot, don't you agree?"

The glass in my hand shatters, tiny shards falling onto the table before me, the juice splattering all over my dress. "Oh my, how did that happen." I stand up. "I better go and change. Please excuse me."

I rush out of the dining room before he has the chance to say anything.

***

*Eva*

"Excuse me," I say as I pull the chair out and rise, "I'm going to check on the princess."

"Whose there?" Alexia's voice groans.

It's me," I reply as I open the door gently, "Are you okay?" Alexia has taken off her stained clothes and put on new ones.

"Not really."

"I know," I respond through a half smile, "I actually made you something. I'm going to go get it. I hope it cheers you up."

A couple of minutes later I'm presenting Alexia with the pillow I sewn for her. A throw pillow. It's purple-toned and in the shape of a crown.

"Thanks, but I don't want to be reminded that I'm a princess at the moment."

I look away. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be. It's not you." She takes the pillow from me and props it behind her head. "It is a cute pillow."

I laugh. "I'm glad you think so."

I join her on her bed, and we talk awhile. About the potion and Pluto but also about other things that don't cause angst.

Then I head back to my room to get ready for bed.

***

*Alexia*

I've been having a hard time entertaining myself these days. That is why I am now pacing back and forth in the gardens watching the royal gardeners plant the new batch of roses. They're going to be a beautiful shade of fuchsia. I can't wait to see them bloom already.

"It should take about two weeks for buds to begin to show," Pete tells me when he notices me watching.

I nod, stopping my pacing, my eyes on the dug-up dirt before me. "Ok, thank you."

He goes back to placing the dirt back into the hole and I watch with fascination at how quickly his hands work with such precision. Once he's done, he and the other gardeners pack up their stuff and begin to head off. With them gone, I start to stroll through the gardens, drowning in the sweet scents around me.

It brings me back to my time in Pluto, the time I spent with Ricky surrounded by flowers. I can't seem to forget that, forget him. I know that Eva is working hard on making the potion I asked for, but now I've been rethinking it over: do I really want to erase him from my mind? How much would it hurt me to see him beside Kent and not to be able to touch him, love him? To have him stand there when Kent and I make our marriage oaths to one another. To always be there on the sidelines. Will I be able to ignore all that?

Sighing, I pick a small white flower from its roots and begin to pull off one petal at a time. I love him- I love him not- I love him- I love him not...

***

*Eva*

The week passes without much fanfare. Both Alexia and I fall back into the pattern we once had. I work carefully on the potion.

I find myself bored though and longing for some action.

Things have settled in Pluto meanwhile and the unease that once was has been squashed. Prince Kent and Ricky are to be coming at the beginning of next week.

I hear a knock on my door and set down the book I was reading. I'm not surprised to find Alexia.

"You look..." I begin but become unsure of how to finish the sentence. Down? Tired? Distraught? All of the above?
Alexia lets out a puff of air through her teeth. "I just don't know what to do."

"About what specifically?"

"I know you are working on the potion, but I don't know if I want it anymore. I mean obviously, it's going to be a problem when Ricky comes back with Kent soon... but at the same time, I don't want to just erase the feelings I have. It's become a part of me. Plus, what if it backfires, I mean you said yourself how dangerous it could be." Her violet eyes search for answers. Answers I don't have.

"I really don't know what to say." Suddenly I hear the scuffling of shoes and my heart stops.

"I know exactly what to say." The king appears in my room and I didn't even process him opening the door, "You are banished."

"What?!" Alexia and I spit out simultaneously.

"You heard me correctly." The king's voice drips with ice. "And Alexia, come with me. Now!"

"Good luck," I mouth to her as she has no choice but to follow the king.

***

*Alexia*

Father leads me to my room and ushers me inside. His face is as red as our planet. "Ricky the guard, is that who you and Eva were just discussing? A guard, Alexandra, a guard! You are falling in love with a guard when you are betrothed to a prince."

"Betrothed father, an arranged marriage, not a marriage bound by love. Don't I deserve to be happy?" I say, my hands clenched, in an attempt to hold back the raging fire inside of me.

"Love comes with marriage, I ensure you. Do you think I loved your mother at first?" His eyes begin to tear. "To be honest I couldn't stand her in the beginning. She was a bright ball of light and was blinding. But she knew how to weave herself into my heart and before I knew it, she was my everything." He wipes a tear that began to roll down his cheek and my heart begins to crack. I wish I got to know my mother, by the way everyone describes her, I can tell she was an amazing woman. A queen. Something I can never be... "Alexandra as I've told you before I'm not marrying you off to just anyone. Prince Kent will treat you well and our kingdoms will be aligned. This is a necessity for both of our planets."

"I know, but I don't love him. I want to love the man that I bound myself to."

My father advances on me, pinning me up against the wall. My heart races widely and I try not to tremble too much. "And you love a guard without a kingdom to give to you?"

"At least he might be able to give me his heart." My voice is hardly audible, but he manages to hear it.

Before I know it, my cheek is stinging from his slap, my eyes watering. "You are a princess, my daughter. Royal blood runs through your veins, which you should know better than anyone with the powers that you have inherited from your ancestors." His voice drips with venom. "A princess marries a prince. It's the cycle of life."

I'm shaking my head at him. "That cycle can be broken."

"I won't allow it," he's shouting. "That is why I am banning you to earth. A place where hopefully you'll get your senses straight girl. You are marrying Prince Kent and that is final!" At last, he releases me, taking a step back.

"How can you ban your own daughter?" My voice quivers.

"It won't be forever. Once you get your senses straight you are welcomed back with open arms." He doesn't sound so sincere when it comes to the open arms.

"And what if I don't get my senses straight."

His dark eyes hold me in place. "You will get them straight." He's then heading for the door, his back to me. "You have a day to pack up your things. Eva will be joining you on earth, so you won't be alone."

"You don't trust me on my own?"

He glances over his shoulder at me. "No, I do not."

I don't get a chance to say anything else, since he is already storming out of my room slamming the door shut behind him.

With him gone, I plop down onto my bed at a loss. In a few days from now, I'll be on a planet which I've never visited before. A stranger among strangers.

I need to find a way to change my father's mind or perhaps, perhaps this is what I need.

I believe my father has just handed me my freedom without even knowing it.

I am finally free!

***

*Eva*

All too soon it's time to leave the comfort and familiarity of the palace. Vincent takes our bags to the FC, which has the capability to turn invisible so it will be helpful when we arrive in California.

I take as much of my stuff as I could. The ride is going to be very long, and I don't want to go insane.

***

The second we get onto earth I'm amazed at just how many people there are. And how different they all look. Some fat, some skinny, some short, some tall. Some in shorts and some in flip-flops. I've learnt about their variances but it's so different to see it.

I see a man wave down a car, so Alexia and I do the same.

The bright yellow car stops, and we get in.

"Where to?" The man asks through a haze of smoke.

I cough as I hand him a slip of paper with an address.

I then glue my eyes to the window as we pass endless green trees with large leaves. I think they are called palm trees.

It isn't long before the driver pulls up to a peach-colored building.

Alexia takes out a bag of coins and puts a bunch into the man's outstretched hand. He looks confused but doesn't complain.

That's when I remember we have to get real money if we want to fit in. I have a feeling there is going to be a lot for us to get used to.

With that Alexia and I walk into our new apartment building and into a new chapter of our lives.