Chapter Ten

LILAK

"Dad! You're impossible! I'll make my own decisions about my own life!" she yelled. So this must be Sir Elman's daughter, Link decided.

The girl then noticed Link. "Hey! It's the guy I saved!" She then noticed the Mana Sword. "What? You're a swordsman?! This is great! Listen, you've gotta help me. My boyfriend, Dyluck, is in trouble. He's been captured by the witch, Elinee. I have to go to the witch's castle and save him. I helped you, didn't I? Now it's your turn!"

"But," protested Link, "I have to go to the--"

"Later. LATER." answered the girl. "Let's go--um--"

"Link."

"Link. I'm Lilak."

Lilak had blonde hair, with a green ribbon at the back of her head forming a pony tail. She wore circular earrings of gold color, with the images of a unicorns engraved on their sides, and gold color bracelets. She had on a pink shirt, with pink pants. The pants became wider as they neared the feet, and then curved gently into a tight hem at the ankle. Link could tell that Lilak was indeed the daughter of a nobleman, Sir Elman.

Link suddenly remembered that Jema was with the king. "Before we go, a friend of mine is with the king. Let's go see him. His name's Jema."

"All right."

Link and Lilak walked down the hall to some double doors, with a crown carved on them. They entered the room. It was decorated with a red carpet leading to two thrones, with a king on one and a queen on the other. Some fancy pottery with small pine trees decorated the area around the thrones. A few short steps were in front of the thrones. Guards were on either side of the room. A nobleman stood to the side of the room near a door, probably the king and queen's bedroom.

As they stepped into the grand room, they saw Jema, who was just leaving.

"Hello, Link," he said. And who are you?"

"Uh-- Lilak," Lilak answered. She wasn't in the mood to talk to people. Who knew what was happening to Dyluck, the young man who she loved- and wanted to marry- so much?

"Link," said Jema," I suppose you've seen what's happened to the people. I'm going to the ruins to find out what I can." Jema then left.

"What a nightmare!" Cried the king. "The people in my kingdom are acting like zombies. The troops I had go to the witch's castle, in the Haunted Forest, were captured. I should have listened to their protest-"

"What?!" screamed Lilak, "You and Dad MADE Dyluck go to the Haunted Forest?! How DARE you try to drive Dyluck and me apart!!!"

Lilak stormed out of the room, Link following her.

Once outside the castle, Link and Lilak noticed it was getting dark, and night was coming. Link yawned. "Let's go stay the night at the inn," he suggested.

"Good idea. I'll just pack some clothes for the journey. We'll probably be gone a few days," agreed Lilak. She didn't know how long she would really be gone.

"All right," said Link.

As Link went to the inn, Lilak went across a bridge to the north, where her house stood. Lilak saw her best friend Phanna coming around the corner to Lilak's house. Phanna's house was just behind Lilak's, next to the shop and inn to the left.

Phanna had blue curly hair. She wore a green dress with green pants.

"Phanna! Hi!" called Lilak.

"Lilak!" exclaimed Phanna, "I was just going to see you. I heard about Dyluck's battle squad..." Lilak glanced down, shuddering. "OH, I'm sure he'll be fine!" said Phanna reassuringly.

"Yes, I hope so." Lilak's voice barely above a whisper. The two girls parted.

Lilak thought of what Phanna said. Would Dyluck be all right? Lilak didn't see Dyluck much, and when she did it was only for a while. It made it even harder that her father didn't accept them.

Inside Lilak's house, the housekeeper greeted her. "Oh! You're back! How did you like your husband to be, miss?"

Lilak shrugged, and went upstairs. She started to pack.

Meanwhile, Link sat at the inn, waiting for Lilak. Just then a man walked in. He looked like a Pandoran Nobleman.

"Have you seen my daughter Lilak?" the man asked, who was obviously Sir Elman.

Link was caught. "Uh, no..." he stammered.

Elman sighed. "I suppose it's hard on her since she was raised by a man; her mother passed away when she was only a baby. I wanted to make her happy on her wedding day. That's why I arranged for her to marry a young nobleman. But now, she tells me she's in love with a soldier!" With that, Elman left.

After getting her things, Lilak went to the inn and joined Link. The two had dinner.

"So," said Lilak, "Where is it that you'll be going-- AFTER we rescue Dyluck?" Link then told her all about the Mana Sword, the Fortress, the Empire, and the Seeds, and all that had happened to him that day.

"Whew! You got your work cut out for you, huh?"

"Yeah..."answered Link. "Tell me about Dyluck."

"Oh, that. Well Dyluck is my boyfriend. He's the one I said I was looking for after I saved you from those creeps. My Dad has been arranging my marriage to a young nobleman named Jonathan. When I told him about Dyluck, he said he thought a soldier wasn't right for me, to meet Jonathan. When I still didn't like him, Dad still persisted. So tonight we really had it out. And that's when I stormed out of there, and saw you.

"My Dad just doesn't get it. I don't care how important or Dyluck is. I mean," she began to sob, "I love Dyluck, for who he is!"

"What does your mother think?" asked Link. She didn't answer, and Link too late remembered why.

"My mother's not with me anymore either," he said.

"What do you mean 'with me'?"

"Well, she disappeared when I was a baby. That was in Potos. I was raised by the village elder until now."

"And then he kicked you out because of the Mana Sword."

"Yeah."

"It's so unfair! Nothing's fair!" sobbed Lilak.

After that, the two teens went to their beds.

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