Aster shrugged, and tossed the rock on the ground. “Oh well, onward and upward. Let’s head back to town.”

A look passed between Elwin and Prin. When was the right time to tell Aster that this kind of thing would be happening more? Should she be warned?

The moment passed sans warning, and the group walked down the sidewalk. Valor moving close to Prin again and took his arm, releasing Elwin.

Aster led the way, with Prin and Valor side by side behind her, and Elwin bringing up the rear.

Aster chattered along the way, mostly about fabric and fit, and the latest styles. It went over Elwin’s head and in one ear and out the other.

Even though he was watching their environment carefully, he couldn’t possibly see what was coming next.

The earth began to shake, causing them to sway back and forth on the sidewalk. Even the trees danced. Although the whole thing stopped nearly as soon as it had started.

Aster had crouched down slightly, wisely bracing herself against it. Whereas Valor had clutched harder on to Prin, in a death grip that no mere mortal would be capable of loosening. Elwin had moved closer to them, in case they needed shielding from something.

“It’s okay, just a lil earthquake.” Aster said. “Happens sometimes.” She stood up slowly, brushing imaginary crumbs from the front of her outfit. “Hopefully there aren’t any –”

Before she could finish her thought, the world started shaking again, this time accompanied by a rumbling noise from somewhere and a tree began to topple nearby.

Aster fell on to the ground and between her and the others a crack began to spread, separating the cobble stones in a weirdly straight line, like breaking a tea biscuit in half.

This one went on longer.

Prin hugged Valor to him, taking a step back from the newly formed crack in the earth, his facial expression solid ice, unchanged by the environment around them.

When the shaking stopped, Elwin hopped over the crack, which was only a few inches wide and helped Aster up.

“Thanks. What a gentleman.” Aster said. She smiled up at him, then frowned down at the bit of torn trim at the hem of her dress. “I can fix it.” She said, as though that were the most pressing concern.

“I want to go home.” Valor’s glasses were askew on his face, and his mouth was set in what at first appeared a hard line, but if you looked closely there was a quiver in his lower lip. “I can’t – I can’t be here. I want to go home. Now.” He held onto Prin, not ready to relinquish his life raft so easily.

The prince awkwardly patted his back. “It’s all over now, everything’s okay.”

If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.

“Boy will this be all anyone can talk about in town!” Aster said. “I guess it’s a change of pace from the weather and the tides, anyway.”

“Aster, we have to tell you something.” Elwin said. He was afraid that she was taking her own life into her hands just being in Valor’s vicinity and needed to make an informed decision about whether it was worth the risk.

At the same time, Prin was speaking to the frightened boy. “Look, you’re alright, aren’t you? Not a hair on your head harmed.” He smoothed the boy’s copper-blond hair, and straightened his glasses. “Maybe I’m your good luck charm? Or Aster is.” He laughed. “Here,” The prince took the scratched coin from around his neck and slipped the cord over Valor’s head. “You can borrow my lucky necklace, it’s got me out of a bunch of scrapes already.”

Aster was tilting her head to the side, studying them with concerned confusion. “Do you think . . . you caused the earthquake?”

“He is the worlds most unlucky kid.” Elwin said softly, not wanting to tip him over into full tantrum mode by saying the wrong thing, and doing it loudly. “Seriously. There’s a curse involved.”

“I thought Prin said he was cursed?” Aster said.

“Yes, that too.” Elwin agreed.

“Oh! Maybe the two curses will cancel each other out.” Aster said lightly, suppressing a nervous giggle. “We don’t know that it doesn’t work that way.”

Valor released his death grip on Prin and put one hand on the coin around his neck. “Does this thing work.”

“Sure!” Prin said. “Can we keep going? If anything else happens, we’ll consider turning back, okay?”

“It’s not that I’m afraid.” Valor lied.

“It’s okay to be afraid, fear is healthy. You just have to push through anyway.” Prin said.

Valor’s pale brows knitted together skeptically. “Is that always wise?”

“No.” Prin laughed. “But the three of us are here to protect you, right Aster? – I mean, Rose?”

“I thought I was here to look at fabrics and help decide whether something should have one ribbon or two?” Aster teased. “I kid, I kid. No, surely the three of us can keep one precious boy from coming to harm. Do you have any idea how resourceful we are?”

Elwin admired the prince, and also Aster, at this moment, so he didn’t say it. That he was on team let’s go home right now. Luckily no one asked him.

Valor sighed, like the wind passing over dead leaves. “What have I got to lose? Besides life and limb.”

“That’s the spirit.” Prin took his hand. “Let’s be buddies today, you and me. Just like at the party, right? Good practice.”

The ghost of a smile graced Valor’s features.

“You and me then?” Aster smiled up at Elwin. “I’ll be the envy of everyone we pass by.”

Elwin allowed his hand to be taken, marveling at the delicate small one now in his, perfectly manicured and glittering with colorful gem rings. “Okay. But I’ll be the one getting the stink eye from all your admirers.”

Aster giggled. “They know where to find me six nights a week.”

As they passed out of the well to do, tree lined neighborhood, and into a busier area, people were standing around looking warily at the earth or even the sky, no doubt gossiping about the incredible natural phenomena that had just taken place.

“It’s kind of a power trip isn’t it?” Prin asked. “To think that you may have caused all this? Oh! People are standing around outside, and some trees have fallen but I don’t see any more cracks in the earth.”

“I’ve never thought of it that way before.” Valor said. “ . . . There was a crack in the earth?”

“Just a wee little one.” Aster assured, strolling along with Elwin like she hadn’t a care in the world. “I’ve seen worse. Hey, we do make an attractive couple, don’t we?”

“I’ll say.” Prin said admiringly.

“Doesn’t it bother you?” Valor asked.

“Hmm? What? Oh, that?” The prince laughed. “My two favorite people walking hand in hand? Nah, I call it a pretty picture. I wish I had a sketch book and a pen.”

“I would be jealous.” Valor said, in his deadpan way.

Elwin took a peek over his shoulder. He could swear that blind boy was staring daggers into the back of him. But nah, couldn’t be.

At least he was distracted from the earthquake.