"What about you princess. Tell us your story" Curtan said. I hung my head. What story should I tell? The one about the peasant girl or the one about the fake princess? "You don't have to princess" he said. "Princess" I muttered. They looked confused. "Can I ask a weird question?" I said. They nodded. "If I said I was different person, I mean really different. Would you still love me?" I asked. They looked confused even more. Curtan hugged my toe. "I know I love you right now" he said. "That goes double for me" Drea said. Mathis and Indega chimed in and they all hugged my feet. "I'm going to tell you something but promise you'll never tell a soul" I said. They nodded. "I'm not the princess. I'm a fake who looks like her" I said quietly. A collective gasp was heard. "So you're not princess Melinda?" Mathis asked. I shook my head. "The princess died in a carriage accident just outside my home. My real name is Lucy" I said.

They looked at me with a look of someone trying to understand a shocking truth. No wonder. I felt like they were judging me. Oh god. What if they speak about it! Did I just doom myself? If I did I won’t kill them like the other man. I loved them too much for that. My body began to shake with fear. Tears feel from my eyes. "Hello Lucy. My name is Mathis" Mathis said stroking my toe. I laughed a little. One by one they introduced themselves like they were strangers. "So it's okay I'm not Melinda?" I asked. "Truthfully, we like you better than her. You're way gentler when it comes to sex" Indega said. "All kidding aside, we love you for who you are and not who you aren't" Drea said. "Oh guys!" I said hugging them all. I laid there cuddling them.  "So you won't spill the beans?" I asked. "Cross my heart" Mathis said. "And hope to die" Indega said. "Stick a needle in my eye" Drea said. "Or end up in a human pie!" Curtan said. "Very funny Curtan" I said. It had been a long day and then fell asleep on me. I placed them on the far side of the bed. I kissed each one and giggled as Curtan sported a hard on when I did. I gave it a few sucks since I couldn't resist sucking such a cute tiny cock and he came with seconds. He moaned cutely in his sleep.

I loved them so much especially Curtan. One thing I wanted to see was Human/Faren relationships to be open. Sure a fuckload were being raped every day but there had to be some out there they genuinely loved their owners. No doubt people would think them degenerate especially after that shitty church decree. My thoughts turned to Albedo. Other than my dad there were no other human males in my life. No boys and I was 15 now. I can say it now. I had a crush on Albedo. He was kind to me when nobody else was. He never feared me. Not once. I really miss him. "Maybe I can see him again". These thoughts were in my mind as I fell asleep. It was the last peaceful night I'd have for some time...

A sound woke me. I glanced to my side and saw my Faren lovers asleep. Again a sound! Movement in the darkness. A struck a match and lit the lamp. As soon as I struck it it moved fast. The glow illuminated the room. A figure dressed in black was holding a dagger! I screamed loudly. "What's the...OH MY GOD! PRINCESS!" Mathis screamed running along the sheets. The figure was started by the tiny movement. They all were awake now. "What the fuck?!" Get off!" a gruff voice coming from the figure yelled. Mathis had latched onto his sleeve and was holding a sewing needle. The man swung his arm quickly and Mathis was flung off. I saw him hit the wall hard and fall to the floor. A tiny splotch of blood was on the wall where he hit. "MATHIS!" I yelled. I tackled the man and he tried to push me off. The man howled in pain. "LEAVE HER ALONE!" Curtan yelled stabbing his leather boot with my sewing needle. Curtan stabbed him over and over as he rode his foot. "FUCKING VERMIN!" the man yelled shaking his foot. Curtan fell off. "CURTAN GET AWAY! GET...*crunch*...away..." I was saying into, the bastard slammed his foot down on my beloved Curtan. I saw the pool of blood under his leather sole.  "BASTARD!!!" I screamed clawing his face. His yelled as I struck his eye. "Hold on princess!" Drea yelled as they left to get help.

Me and this murderous fuck wrestled. We hit my nightstand and my lamp shatters on the floor. The oil inside started a fire. I had my hands around his throat until he kneed me. I fell backwards holding my stomach. He picked up his dagger and grinned. "Die" he said ready to strike. His eyes went wide as I saw shiny steel jet from his torso. "You first asshole" I familiar voice said. Captain Reginald had shown up just in time to save me. He shoved the man's body off his blade. I stared at him for a second and then the smashed remains of Curtan. I was frozen in grief. "Lucy? LUCY?!" he said slapping me. "Get ahold of yourself! We have to go!" he said. The fire had spread to the curtains. Soon the entire room would be ablaze. He dragged me out of the room down the hallway. I saw bodies of guards and crushed Faren. No doubt the man's earlier victims. We ran past servants holding water buckets.

We rounded a corner and a man in black lunged at me. Reginald struck him with the hilt of his sword and stabbed him while he was on the ground. "Listen carefully. These people are called the Black Hand. They're assassins from Zenobia. Their goal is the death of the royal family" he said. "What about the king and queen!?" I asked. "The king is dead. He fell first. An arrow fired through the war room window. The queen was screaming "not again" and had to be sedated. The woman was hysterical. She screamed for you before she passed out. God fucking dammit. This happened last time during the war. That means Zenobia wants to go to war with us. Or already has. This way. There's a secret passage I was told to use after I found you" he said leading me down a hallway. It dead ended and Reginald took ahold of a wooden ordinate block in the wall longing and turned it.

The wall slid open and we ran down a flight of stairs. It opened up outside near the stables. Reginald quickly saddled a horse and got me on. We tore out of the stable. I glanced back at the castle. Smoke and fire came from a small a part of it. The fire was spreading. A horse with s black rider came behind us. "Reginald!" I yelled. He glanced back and saw him. "Yah!" he said spurring the horse faster. "In the side there's a crossbow!" he said. I picked it up with my right hand. I aimed at the rider. I had to make the shot count. The horse made aiming difficult. I couldn't afford to miss. I saw the rider raise his arm. *TWIP*! "Ahhgh!" I said. The rider had the same idea and luckily his arrow grazed my bare leg. I returned fire and my arrow struck high in the chest. The rider tumbled off. "Good shot" Reginald said looked back.

We rode for at least an hour before slowing down to let the horse rest. "Let me take a look at it" he said as I sat next to a riverbank. "It's not too deep. Good" he said washing the cut. I was blushing red as my nightie was hiked up. He could easily see my panties. "Will your daughter be okay?" I asked. "Hopefully. Those assassins were after the royal family not those of lesser ranks like me" he said softly. "Are you married?" I asked. "I was. My wife died in childbirth. It’s just me and Annalise, my daughter. What about your family? Your father seemed pretty shitty" he said. "He’s not my real father. Neither was that my real mother or sister. I don't know my real family. I was found by a soldier and left on their doorstep" I said. "Well they don't know what they missed. You've been incredible in all this Lucy. What was a desperate gamble paid off because of you. Let me say it now. That's to you I'm still alive" he said putting a bandage over the cut. "I'm alive now thanks to you as well" I said.

"I saw the bloody mess on the floor. That was a Faren wasn't it?" he asked. I nodded. "I know how you feel for them. Sorry for your loss" he said. "No sorry than I am. I loved them they loved me. So much they risked their lives to protect me. Now do you see why things must change for them?" I said. "I do" he replied. I stood up and immediately fell down. "Easy, it was just a cut but you need to rest that leg. Allow me" he said picking me up in his arms. He chuckled as he saw me blush again. "No need to be embarrassed. You are a princess after all" he said. "You're forgetting I'm not" I said. "No I haven't. You're more of a princess than the other one God rest her soul. Leaders need to be attuned to the needs of the people. Their concerns and wants as well. Shall I tell you a story?" he asked. I nodded.

"It was 16 years ago. Back then I was a standard bearer in the 10th regiment. Barely old enough to wield a sword. We were tasked with destroying a Faren defense force impeding our way to their capital. The Faren are fierce fighters despite their size. Masters of poison creation. Just a nick from their tiny spears and swords can doom a man within a day. We had taken a decent amount of losses already. We marched always looking up since Faren lived in trees. They attack with hit and run techniques. A slash and then they run. Our morale had dropped as those who would march with us was poisoned and knew they would die. Like walking talking corpses they marched beside us hoping they could take out Faren before they died. At one point during the march a flutter of birds flew from the trees. Never a good sign here"

"A man yelled grabbing his neck. He twisted it and a Faren feel to the ground. The small man laughed and was then crushed by the soldier. The soldier felt his neck and saw blood on his palm. He grit his teeth knowing his fate. Then he suddenly went into spasms and fell to the dirt. The man clenched his teeth so hard they broke and then a sound came from him and a foul smell. He spasmed so much he shitted himself. He gasped one final time and died. We were shocked. They had perfected their poisons so they killed humans faster. Our size didn't mean shit now. They had the advantage. The high ground. The know of the terrain. Then they came down on us like vile rain. In the confusion I was struck in the face by a soldier's sword hilt and fell. I awoke sometime later at night. I was tied down and helpless. The bodies of my comrades were strew to the side of the trail but around me were tiny tents. I wondered why I hadn't been dispatched. Soon though it became clear."

"I was naked you see. Naked as the day I was born and there is only one reason you tie down a naked person. For hours they sang and drank while the females and some males raped me. Maybe they fancied my youth. I was only 13 at the time but for whatever reason I was helpless to stop them. How many rubbed their tiny bodies along my cock I don't know. They laughed as I came. The men found it hilarious to poke my bare feet with their weapons and hear me cry not knowing if they were poisoned. After some time the younger girls appeared. The Faren celebrate familial ties above anything else so when they go into battle it's common for their families to travel with them. These girls were probably daughters of the soldiers in the area. They are each other to have sex with me. I can laugh now but I see why they would be worried. Even at 13 I was...big. My dick was twice their size. Most chickened out but a few didn't."

"Please stop" I begged. It just made them hornier. They actually bathed themselves in my cum. "You're cute for a human. Hopefully they won't kill you too quick. My mother would want to feel your shaft along her body" one said. I cried as they said cruel things to me. Told me I was their fuck giant. A sex slave. Their resident human pet. When they had finished with me only one remained. A girl my age with shimmering green hair like fresh grass. "Just fucking do it" I said. She looked sad as if to pity me, the tiny naked girl mounted my crotch and began to rub herself along my dick. She was gentle. Not fast and hard like the others. Stomping my sore testicles with their tiny feet. She hugged and caressed me. I stopped crying and just whimpered. I glanced at her and she was kissing it! Actually kissing my shaft! I calmed down and tried to relax. After some time it actually felt good. Good enough to moan. She climbed to the top of my dick and began to grind herself on my cockhead. She was getting off as much as I did. She yelped and I felt her tiny toes dig into my skin. I came. She and to hold on to avoid shooting off my cock like a cannon shot."

"As incredible as it sounded I came inside her. Her abdomen was bulging and her tiny pussy was flooded with my cum. The last I had inside me went up in her. "I'm sorry" she said softly. She was running off. "Wait please!" I said. She stopped. "Please loosen my rope on my leg. I'm cramping up painfully to the point I might scream" I said. Was it pity for raping me or the tears in my eyes that caused her to do it? Either way she cut that tiny role off me. She disappeared soon after. I waited till the last fire went out to try to escape. I dug my heel into the dirt and used the leverage to break free. When I did I stood up and towered over the campsite. The night breeze on my bare skin reminded me what they did. I lifted my foot and slammed it down on the nearest tent. I did it so fast only a crunch was heard. No screams. They raped me and went to sleep like it was nothing only to die under my 13 year old bare feet in their sleep. I crushed them one by one so quickly that by the time they had awoken and was getting ready now to kill me only three tents remained."

"They ran to their weapons or were trying to find them in the darkness of night as I stepped on them. I ground them into the dirt. I didn't give a fucking care about the women or the children they brought with them. They were pretty girls but loathsome vermin to me. As the last tent was before me I flicked it open. I would do something cruel to the last ones. Something cruel enough that I hoped I would feel better. I barely saw her in the moonlight. It was that girl who cut the rope. She knew most likely she had doomed them all. She stood there with such a look on her face I'd never forget. I grabbed her and tossed her into my mouth. I planned to swallow her whole and feel her die inside me.  Just as I was about to do that I remembered her face. God I wanted to swallow her. I could taste her for fucks sake and she tasted delicious! But that face. That face haunted my soul. I spat her out in my palm and sat her back on the ground. "Run far away" I told her. She ran off into the night."

I made my way back to friendly camp and told them my regiment was dead. I told them the how I killed the defense force we were tasked to eliminate. I didn't tell them I was raped though. Lucy, you're the first I've ever said this to. The war was going in our favor. We had begun setting forests on fire to smoke them out and it was working. We suffered terrible losses though. Nobody expected such tiny creatures to be so deadly. What was worse was the constant rain when we set those fires. It was creepy how a shower would just pop up minutes after we set fires. We had taken over half of Farina and lost 20,000 soldiers. We pleaded with the king to settle. He refused. He wanted it all. He wanted this to be a wedding present to his bride. The future queen. Here's where I make my point Lucy. We pressed on and took the country at the cost of another 10,000 lives. We guessed Faren losses to number at 100,000. So many lives lost because he ignored the wishes of others" Reginald said.

He was quiet after that. He did tell me he was riding to the nation border near Farina. This way Zenobia would be hard pressed to cross the country for us. For three days we rode until a new problem came up. We were eating camped out in the countryside. "I’m going to the bathroom. I'll be right back" I said standing up. As soon as I did it felt like the World was spinning. I felled right on my ass. "Princess!" Reginald said rushing to me. "Damn. You have a fever" he said feeling my forehead. He looked at my wound. It had grown black. "Fucking hell! I of all people should have noticed! That arrow must have been poisoned! If it wasn't a glancing blow..." he said fretting. "I'm okay just lightheaded" I said. "We're riding to a town. I hoped to avoid them in case there were other assassins out there" he said extinguishing the fire. We rode into the night. Towns were sparse in this area due the aftermath of the Faren war. Only slave encampments out here. As dawn arouse I passed out. I barely heard him calling my name.

I heard a song in my dream. A familiar song. "Ohhh...." I said sitting up. My eyes opened and I looked around. I was surrounded my trees and tiny tents. Underneath me was a blanket. I first I thought I was dreaming. Then my eyes followed where the familiar song was coming from. "I know I'm dreaming" I muttered. "LUCY! You're awake!" Albedo yelled hopping off his stool. He ran to me and hugged my face. "You're real? You're really Albedo?!" I yelled. "Of course I'm real" he said. "ALBEDO!" I yelled holding him to my face.  I cried so much I soaked his clothes. "There there" he said whispering. "How are you here? Where is here?!" I yelled. "You and that man appeared near us. You were passed out on the horse. He begged us to help. Most didn't want to but I begged them to do it" he said. "But why aren't you at the vineyard?" I asked. "Well about that. In the last week there have been things happening" he said. "That is an understatement" Reginald said walking to me.

"Can somebody give me a fucking clue here?!" I yelled. "Well for starters we're in a refugee camp the Faren set up. You passed out near them and I kind of stumbled on them while I was looking for a village. Guess we wandered into the homeland. Lucy. You've been out for 3 days" he said. "Three days?!" I said trying to move. My leg was sore and when I did a small bunch of leaves fell off. "Don't try to move yet Lucy. You nearly died" Albedo said. "Yes, you would have if it wasn't for a Faren woman here. She was familiar with the poison used and made an herb poultice to draw it out" Reginald said. "My god. What's been happening these last few days?" I asked. "Since you've been out I've been able to get information by messenger bird. Zenobia has launched a full invasion of Numbria. They're using a new weapon that uses gunpowder like cannons except they're small enough to be fielded by infantry. Our own infantry can’t get close. Only our archers seem to be able to hold them off and that's iffy.  The enemy has forced thousands of peasants to flee for the inner part of the nation. Most of them have taken refuge in the capital" he said.

"Is that what happened to the family Albedo?" I asked. "....yeah. The master and mistress as well as your sister have fled for the capital. I was left behind" he said. "And they just fucking left you?!" I yelled. Albedo hung his head. "When the shots were heard they grabbed what they could. They must have forgotten about me. I didn't know where to go so I headed to Farina. I ended up here hours before you were found" he said. "And this little guy begged them to help you. I think he was even crying" Reginald said. Albedo blushed. "Come here" I said. Albedo walked over to me where I picked him up and kissed him. "I...I really missed you" I said tearing up. "I missed you Lucy" he said. We looked into each other's eyes and kissed once more. When Reginald coughed we remembered we weren't alone. "You will like to hear that the Queen is alive as well as those Faren girls who were with you. They were a big help calming the queen down. I'm curious though by what she meant by "not again". he said.

"That I can answer" a female voice said. A Faren woman around 2 1/2 inches walked over to us. She was older than most here around 45 years of age. She had silver hair similar to Albedo but with tiny streaks of gold. "You should have told me the princess was awake Albedo. I would have wanted to see her as soon as she was awake" the woman said. "She just awoken Lady Opal. I was caught in the moment" Albedo said. "It's fine. I can see why. She is rather special so I can understand why you love her so. Interesting indeed. A Faren and a human princess to love one another so" she said. "You really love me?" Albedo asked. "Please not now. I just lost two people I really cared for. I'm not ready to just start loving like that again" I said. The deaths of Curtan and Curtan and Mathis still on my mind. "Cheer up boy. That wasn't a no. Besides, you two were kissing rather heated just now" Reginald said. We both blushed. "My thanks for saving my life Lady Opal but I'm not the princess" I said. "Oh but you are" she said. "Lady I'm not princess Melinda!" I said. "Did I ever say you were Princess Melinda?" she said.  All three of us looked at her. "I...I don't understand" I said. "Oh honey. Pick me up" the woman said. I picked her up and she lovingly stroked my cheek. "I had no idea you survived. I was so sure you died that terrible day" she said. "Lucy? What is she going on about?" Albedo asked. "Lucy? That is the name you go by? It's not prettier than Juliette" she said. "Juliette?!" I said. She bowed in my hand. "Yes. Princess Juliette. The twin sister of Princess Melinda" she said. I was so shocked I nearly dropped her. I sat her down hugged my knees.  "That's impossible! I'm no princess! I'm just a foundling!" I yelled. The woman sighed.

"I guess to you it would seem so but you're much more than a foundling. I was one of the nursemaids to you and your sister. One day assassins attacked the castle and you and your sister and mother were rushed to safety. I and her attendants drove the cart while cavalrymen provided escort. We were ambushed as we crossed a deserted village and the cart was shot with flaming arrows.  We were chased. Your mother carried Melinda and you human nursemaid held you. I couldn't keep up since I was so small. The last few cavalrymen defended the queen and your sister while the nursemaid carried ran. We saw her run into a home and then the roof was shot with arrows. The straw roof went up quick. I still remember how your mother screamed. She went mad. A soldier ran to the building but the entrance collapsed. We...we left you for dead" she said. "I...I was told that a soldier found me in a burning house. How, how do you know that was me?!" I asked. "Lucy? After what you just heard?" Albedo asked. "Can you blame me Albedo?! After what I just heard?!" I yelled. "Ah, proof. Well, I know that princess Juliette has a birthmark on her crotch" she said.

All eyes turned to me and then my crotch. "What?" I asked. "We kinda want to know too" Albedo asked blushing. I did too. "All of you leave" I said. They walked off and I turned my back to them. I looked around and saw no one looking. I pulled my panties down and combed my pubic hair. Yeah I guess you wonder if I ever noticed that kind of thing. No. I don't take notice in such small things. Never gave it one thought growing up. Hell I've forgot if I even had the mark. After a few seconds of searching I found it. Never in my life would I think I'd find something so important on my crotch. I pulled up my panties. "It's there guys. It's there" I said. Reginald was astounded. Albedo just stared at me. "I don't know what to call you. Juliette? Princess? Lucy?" he said. "I'm still the same me" I said. He hugged my knee. "Yeah you are" he said. I stroked his head and smiled. "So now what? Just sit here till Numbria is conquered?" Reginald said.   "Would they help us?" I asked pointing to the Faren. A few looked at me and either glared or looked away. "Not a chance. If it wasn't for me and the woman they'd let you die or worse killed you themselves" Albedo said.

"God knows we've done no favors for the Faren but I have to ask" I said. I wearily stood up and walked to the center of camp. I saw many of them holding sharpened twigs and needles. They were ready to prick me and watch me die. They nervously looked at my diet stained feet waiting for me to try to use them to crush them. If I moved wrong I was dead. "Faren people. I ask for your help in driving off the Zenobia invasion" I said. They laughed. They fucking laughed at me. "Why should we care about humans killing each other? Saves us the trouble" one man said.  "Aye! We have to live in caves and rat holes to avoid slavers because of your kind!" a woman said. "I know and I'm sorry for that. Not all humans share that disdain for your people. Some want your people to be free and have the same rights as humans" I said. "Bullshit! I lost my 15 year old son to a slaver last winter! What happened to him pray tell?! Either dead or some human's plaything that's what!" a woman in her 30's yelled.

"I understand your loss" I said quietly. She glared at me and yanked a needle from a man. She ran to my foot and was ready to stab my big toe until Albedo tackled her.  "WHAT DO YOU KNOW?! HOW CAN YOU SAY YOU UNDERSTAND HUMAN?!" she screamed. "Two Faren died protecting me. Two Faren that I loved so much that grief made me lose my senses. I understand that pain. The loss so deep it carves out your heart. Makes you feel so empty you want to die yourself. I know it all too well" I said tears flowing out my eyes. She stopped fighting Albedo. "And then I found him. I love this Faren to the point I'm frightened. I'm frightened that if I love someone like that again and lose them I'll never recover" I said. Albedo looked at me. The woman held her hand over her face. "I've know this Faren since I was young and he helped me when I felt sad. I loved him the most in my whole family. Yes. I said family because even though I was taught he was a slave I knew just by seeing his smile I wanted him to be with me not out of servitude but out of freedom of choice. Albedo. I love you. You asked me if I did. That's my answer." I said. "Lucy..." he said hugging my ankle.

"We can't help you. Not after losing so many lives to humans. We just can't" a man said. "To switch out one dictator for another" another said. "She is not a dictator!" a female a voice said. I turned to it. "DREA!" I yelled. I snatched her up and hugged her tight. "I thought you died!" I said. She smiled at me. "How did you get here? Did Indega come with you?" I asked. "....Indega is dead" she said. I felt my heart stop. "H-how?" I asked. Drew looked at her sandaled feet. "She was helping look for people trapped in a burning room. Her size made it safer. She helped find 4 people before...before she didn't come back. We found her charred skeleton the next day. She's being called a hero. She's...she's...I miss her” Drea said voice cracking. I held her close and we sobbed. Another scar on my heart.

"Now do you understand!? Now do you see why we need to help them?! Things are changing between humans. Did you notice what this girl said? They called one of us a hero. It's not just her that different. There are others. Would you stand by and watch them perish under the heel of invaders?" Albedo yelled. "There aren't many of us left. We couldn't possibly do any good against an army strong enough the conquer a nation. God knows we know that. What do you know of these new weapons the Zenobians have?" a tiny man who was dressed in a uniform said. Reginald was surprised the 4 inch man would ask. Maybe he did care. "Like I said before. The infantry is using a weapon that shoots small round lead balls from an iron pipe surrounded by wood. They've been seen loading them with gunpowder and igniting cord. They call them guns. They can fire these at ranges that decimate our infantry enforce they get in range. Even our valued knights have no protection. Sir Pembrose was shot right off his horse. I haven't heard of such a disaster in war. The only engagement we held our own was yesterday. A sudden rain shower rendered their gunpowder useless. Of course we can't rely on the weather to help us" Reginald said.

"Maybe you can" an old voice said. "Sage! You shouldn't be here! It's not safe for you to been seen by humans" Lady Opal said. "I think our problems are much bigger than humans learning about me. Wouldn't you say?" the old man said. The tiny man was bent over and walked with a cane. He was the oldest Faren I've ever seen. Late 60's if not early 70's. Lady Opal bowed and stepped to the side as he walked toward us. "Bend down young lady" he said to me. I bent down and he gestured for me to bend further. My chin was resting against the dirt as he touched my cheek. He petted it and smiled. "I can see your troubled eyes. The look of uncertainty of your place in the world. No doubt further hampered by hearing your lost lineage. Fear not. You are in good company and they can guide you" he said. "Why tell me this?" I asked. "I say this because I am going to help you and in the near future you will need a clear mind to make important decisions. A mind unfettered by confusion" he replied. "No offense old man but what can you do?" Reginald asked.

He took his cane and raised it over his head. The tip glowed bright blue and then he slammed in to the ground. Instantly a crackle of thunder was heard and then a torrent of rain. "I can do many things" he said smiling. His cane stopped glowing and the rain stopped. Every Faren bowed at him. The old Sage stumbled and was caught by Lady Opal. "I'm alright. Just a little tired" he said. "What was that?!" I asked. "Some old magic" he replied. "Are you the reason it always rained back then?" Reginald asked. "Guilty as charged. Didn’t work as much as I hoped though" he said. "Please go rest" Lady Opal said. The old man trotted off. "I've heard the stories passed down but I thought they were fairy tales" Albedo said. "Stories?" I said. "Yes. Mother told me stories of how some of our kind could use magic. Those with the ancient bloodlines in them. They were called sages or saints. Father didn't like her telling these stories. Said they filled my head with fantasy while mother was VERY persistent that I'd not only hear them but know them" Albedo said.

"So why aren't there more of these saints. They had to have a bunch of kids right?" I asked. "The Sage is the last of his kind. He has no descendants. When he dies so will the last magical bloodline" Lady Opal said. We pondered her words as well as the Sage's. He was willing to help us at the cost of not just his life but an age old legacy of the Faren. A messenger bird squawked overhead. Reginald held up his arm and it landed on his wrist. He read the note attached to its leg. "They've broken through the second line. If they take out the third then it's all over" he said crumpling up the note. "Send word that help is coming. Tell them it's an order from the princess" I said. Reginald nodded. "I don't know if they will believe us later on but at least the queen will be relieved you're alive...one way or not" he said.

"The Queen is not far from here. Her camp is only an hour away" Drea said. "She's that close girl?!" Reginald asked. Drea nodded. "We can see her tomorrow morning then personally" Reginald said. He yawned. "Get some rest. I think we all need it" I said. He nodded and walked off further into the forest. Albedo stayed with me. "So you loved this Faren huh?" Albedo asked. I saw he was fidgeting. "Jealous?" I asked. "And if I am?" Albedo asked. I picked him up and kissed him. "I'll have you know I was fucking them every day. Can you keep up with that?" I whispered in his ear. He nearly fell out of my hand. I giggled. He was a little pissed. "Don't be that way. I didn't get jealous when you were doing things with Angelica" I said. His eyes went wide. "You knew?" he asked. "Oh I had a good guess. I heard her moaning in her room and I know she kept you in there" I said. "Then you know I didn't love her so it's not the same" he pouted. "I'm teasing Albedo. I know it isn't the same. Not so much as you are like Curtan and Mathis. I will miss them but I won't compare them to you. My little Faren boy who I loved for the last 3 years. Since I've been away I've thought about you every day" I said. He held out his hand and I let him grip my finger.  He loving kissed it. "I missed out so much Lucy...or should I say Juliette?" he said. "Call me lover" I whispered. He got an adorable hard on that tented his pants. "Teasing me again?" he asked. "You'll find out later tonight" I said.

Meanwhile...

Reginald was busy writing a letter to his daughter. "Excuse me" he heard a voice say near him. He glanced down and saw a Faren woman. "You need something?" he asked. "I heard you were here in this village and we came to see you" she said. Reginald looked at the woman. She seemed his age. "We? What do you want of me woman?" he asked. "I came because I thought you were owed meeting her" she said. She gestured over to a girl. Reginald saw the girl step out of the darkness into his candlelight. She was young. Around 15 years of age. "What do I care about meeting Faren?" Reginald asked. The woman hung her head. "I understand why you feel that way toward us. What we did was inexcusable" the woman said. "Who are you?" he asked. "Maybe this will have you remember" she said pulling her green hair back into a ponytail. Reginald bent down to get a good look at her. It was her eyes that gave her away. He always remembered those eyes.

"...you" he hissed. "I ask no forgiveness" she said. "Good for you will get none. Me sparing you life was pity and nothing more" Reginald said. "Please hate me if you want but not her" she said. "Just because I chose not to kill you kind anymore doesn't mean I won't stop feeling what I feel. I WAS A FUCKING CHILD!" Reginald yelled. His voice hurt the woman's ears and scared the shit out of the tiny teen girl. "I regret that night so much. Every day I reminded about what I did. They call you Reginald. The girl here. My daughter is your child" she said. Reginald dropped his quill. "Lady I don't what sick game you're playing but I suggest you stop this now" he said. "A game? You do remember how much you filled me up with semen right? Is it so impossible I got pregnant?" she asked. Reginald grunted in anger. "You had no right to do this to me!" he yelled. "Every since she was small she asked about her father. I never answered until I heard you were here" she said. "And how did you know I’m the same person?!" he yelled. "Just as you know me I know you" she replied. Reginald looked at his Faren daughter.

He had heard rumors of Faren bearing human children but he played them off as wild imaginings. It was well known that such talk was blasphemy let alone them bearing human kids was an abomination. "What's you name girl?" he asked. "Anna" she replied. "Step into my palm" he said. The frightened girl looked at her mother who nodded. The teen stepped into her father's hand. Reginald brought her to his face. She had been told to fear humans since she was born. She saw how big his mouth was and feared that she would be eaten. She trembled before him. His finger brushed her face and pushed it so he could see it better. She began to whimper and cry. "Please look at me" he said softly. His voice surprised her. She heard his fearful yelling and never thought it could be tender as well. She looked at him. He looked into her eyes and a tear fell from his. "She has my eyes" he said. More tears came from him. "I guess I'm your dad Anna" he said. The human heart is the most chaotic thing there is. He had despised Faren for years and now he had love for one. The thought shook him to his core. "I'll leave you two alone" the woman said. Reginald watched her leave. "Are you scared of me?" he asked. She looked at her feet.

He sniffled. "Don't be. This is so much to take in huh?" he asked. She nodded. "You have a younger sister" Reginald said. The girl looked up. "Yes that's right. She 8 years old" he said. She smiled. "Was that a smile?" he asked. She blushed. "Funny how things work. My worst day produced something so beautiful and sweet" he said striking her face. He spent some time that night cuddling his tiny daughter and answering questions and well as asking some of his own. He finished his letter which now included mention of his daughter. She even used her tiny handprints as a signature.

Albedo and I had found a secluded place to be alone. We were making out while crickets chirped in the night. "You ready?" I asked. He grinned and nodded. He began to take off his clothes. "No. I'll do it. I want to unwrap my candy" I said. "C-candy?" he asked. "That’s right and I bet you taste delicious" I said. "...oh fuck" he muttered as I tugged off his shirt and pants. I found his tiny feet cute as implied off his worn sandals. His cock was at attention. "Lucy? Lucy!" he said as I shoved him into my mouth. I sucked on his salty goodness as I pulled off what little clothes I had on. I spat him out on my hand. "Did you think I was gonna eat you?" I asked. He looked away. "That's actually hurt. And here my pussy was ready for you" I said. "I take it back!" he said. I lowered him to my cunt and he groaned as he began to fuck me. "Yes. Do it like that. Fuck me" I said. "Oh god. You feel so good" he said thrusting his tiny dick in me. He sped up as I stroked his back and then he grunted. He was shooting his tiny seed into me.

I began to push him into me. "Hold on baby" I said as I used him as a dildo. I kept it slow to avoid hurting him. Fuck did it feel good to have him in me! I had gone days without a Faren in me but this time it was one I've known for years, one I had a real connection to and it made it all the more better. "I'm cumming!" I yelled. He gasped as he felt my fluids envelop his lower body. I fell back against the soft moss and just laid there. He pulled himself out and walked up my chest. He sat on my left breast and caressed my nipple. It sent shivers up my spine. "So now that you're done that’s it? Just use me?" he asked. "You came in me" I said. "And I wanted more" he said. I grinned. "Please don't use my body for your pleasure" I said feigning fear. One thing I learned as my time as princess is the oppressed can easily become oppressors themselves. Albedo picked up on what I was doing. He bit my nipple. "What you say giant girl?" he said. "Please have mercy Faren boy" I said. "Open your mouth" he said. I did and he climbed to my mouth. He inserted himself up to his waist. I tasted myself on him.

"Now suck on me. Get you juices off my tiny body" he said. I closed my lips on his waist and sucked. "That's it. Suck on me horny giantess. Suck every drop of pussy juice off me" he said. He groaned as I did. "Now...now use your tongue to rub my crotch" he said. I teased his crotch with the tip of my tongue. His tiny feet bruised against my tongue as his legs moved around. "I'm cumming! I'm cumming in your mouth!" he yelled. I tasted his sweet semen on my palate. I opened my moth to let him out. We looked at each other and laughed. "That wasn't weird at all" he said laughing. I put him on my breast. "Albedo? If I give you something will you look after it?" I asked. "That's an odd question. What is it?" he asked. "My heart" I said. He looked at me with such warmth it made my heart jump. "Mushy girl" he said. "Deal with it" I said. He listens to my heartbeat as we fell asleep.

The next morning I and Reginald rode to the queen's camp. Part of me wanted this and the other part didn't. "Oh my God Melinda!" the Queen said running up to hug me. "I received word you were alright. Thank god!" she said. This was the first time she hugged me and that I knew she was my real mother. It felt so warm. "We need to talk. Reginald. Get with the general and tell them what we can do" I said. The Queen look confused as to me saying that to him and what I said to her. I went to the royal tent and sat in the makeshift bed. She showed me where some fresh clothes were and I changed to something better. "What is it you want to talk about? Is it about your father?" she asked. "No, I already know about that. It's about me" I said. She looked dead at me. "God. How do I say this? I'm not Princess Melinda. She...she died the day I returned to the castle. I was found at a vineyard and was tasked to replace her since we looked the same" I said.

Sweet mother of god the look on her face. No words could describe it. "IMPOSTER!" she screamed picking up a letter opener. She lunged at me and barely missed stabbing me in the chest. "Calm down! I haven't finished yet!" I yelled. She pushed me back on the bed and put the blade to my throat. "I’m going to kill you and then that bastard of a Captain" she said. "You remember having two daughters?! Twins?!" I yelled. She gave me the eye. "I'm the second! I'm Juliette! That's why I look like Melinda!" I yelled. She took the blade from my throat. "You lie. My daughter burned to death only a few weeks old" she said. "No she didn’t. A soldier came across her just as the fire engulfed the inside on the house. I was left with a peasant family" I said. "Show me the birthmark" she said. I pulled my panties back and my pubic hair. She gasped seeing it. "Juliette?" she said dropping the knife. She carried my cheeks and looked into my eyes.  "Yes mom it's me" I said. She hugged me so tight I could barely breathe. She sobbed into my chest. She mourned the loss of one daughter and cried for joy finding another.

She didn't leave my side for the remainder of most of the day. Reginald returned exhausted. "We've been arguing all day. They think your plan is fantasy regardless of what I told them we saw not to mention they won't trust their fates to a Faren" he said. "Tell them this. Unless they want to lick the boots or suck the dicks of Zenobia for the next untold years they will do as I say" I said. My crass words took him by surprise and he smiled. "Yes princess Juliette" he said rushing out. He came back not long later. "They agreed" he said. "Fucking believe it they agreed" I said. "Permission to return the Faren camp" he said. "We need you here to get the troops ready" I said. "The general can do that. Besides, I need to go back for personal reasons" he said. "Reginald..."

"No it's not like that. Not anymore" he said quietly. I don't know what happened to him but whatever it was had humbled his heart. I let him go. He returned the next morning with Albedo and the Sage. "You ready? We're about to move out" I said. He looked back in the direction of the camp and smiled. "I'm ready" he said. "Something I should know?" I asked. "I have a Faren daughter" he said. I damn near fell off the horse. "You have to tell me everything" I said. "Sure. We got some time" he said. I rode not in the carriage but on a horse. Reginald and many others didn't like how exposed I was but since the king died and mother was a wreck, people needed to see that they royal family was still rock solid. They needed an aspiring leader. Morale was very low. We had lost 60% of our forces. My orders to fall back didn't help. The first night we camped we were informed that Zenobia had begun to surround our lines. Little did they know that was exactly what I wanted. The closer they were the more effective the Sage's magic.

It's was nerve wracking traveling back and hooping we weren't discovered. Villages burned to the ground. Bodies left to rot in the sun. It was all too real what would happen if we failed. "We better win this" the general muttered. "We will because we have no choice" I said. "You sound like the late King" he said. "I'm my father's daughter. Ironically I'm just learning that" I said. I fucking hated them all these Zenobians. I barely knew the man that I now know was my father. I had remarked how I wished I was his child when he hugged me that night and now I know I really was. They took that from me. I will never have time to spend with him again. "I just want to say how proud I am princess. The way you are handling things." Reginald said riding next to me. "What's happening to our land is probably divine punishment. We are faced with being conquered by a stronger force and what we see like that over there" I said pointing to a row of people impaled on pikes set beside the road. "Is no better than what we did to the Faren" I said.

"If we do defeat them what will you do with the ones who surrender?" Reginald asked. "Kill every fucking one of them. I'm kind but not that kind. Look. What the fuck did that little girl do to deserve to die in such a way?" I asked pointing to a pike. Reginald turned away horrified.  "Evil begets evil. Either it be impaling a child or eating a Faren" I said. "So if we were good to the Faren this would've happened?" he asked. "Oh it probably would've. What I'm saying is this. Why make enemies when you can make friends? Would they even have attacked us if we were allies with them? The Sage was a secret from us because of what we did. Would you fuck with someone who can use magic?" I asked. Reginald shook his head. "Damn skippy you wouldn't" I said.

On the final leg of the journey we made it back to the castle. Our luck was running out though. It was dark and we could see fires in the far distance. Zenobia was on the capital doorstep and their fires were numerous like the stars in the sky. I entered the war tent. "Status?" I asked. "They number over 50,000. 2 to 1. They have heavy cannons and a vast majority is armed with those loathsome guns" the general said.  "Good. That means they will be crippled when it rains" I said. "It will have to be a torrent to cause significant damage" the general said. "No problems there" the Sage said walking in. The old man studied the interior. "Never thought I'd live to see the inside of one of these" he muttered. "Look I get you a venerable old man but I fail to see how you can possibly conjure a storm" the general said. "Hold out your hand" the Sage said. The General held out his hand.

A simple twitch of his cane caused a bolt of lightning to strike behind us. Scared the shit out of us. The horses whinnied spooked by the sound and light. "And that was like nothing to me. Once upon a time I could do far more with my magic. Create fire. Shards of ice. Even change the very aspect of what you know as real. But as I grew older my powers faded until the only one left was to affect the weather. As you just saw though even that can be deadly. Any other doubters?" he asked. He shook his head quickly. "Good. Nice tent. A little heavy on the purple velvet though" he said walking out. The tiny old man smiled at the fact he could still scare the giant people.

"Okay then. I will have our forces attack at dawn before they can ready siege weapons. Hopefully they will field their infantry and cannons" the general said. I nodded. Reginald was walking me back to my tent. "Is you daughter safe?" I asked. "Yes, I got word shortly after we arrived she was fine. My position allowed her to stay in the castle" he said. "She know about your new daughter?" I asked. "Yes. She wants to meet her" he replied. He glanced at the castle which was still stained with soot. "Go. Be with her" I said. "I can't. Not before the battle tomorrow. I'm needed here" he said. "Precisely because of the battle tomorrow. I don't know if we will win but right now there's a scared little girl that needs her dad. Go. That's an order" I said. He bowed and left me. I relaxed on my bed. I was tired but I could fall asleep. Albedo lay next to me.

"You asleep?" I asked. "Yes" he replied. I poked his back. He turned over to look at me. "You still think about the vineyard?" I asked. "Yeah I do. I hated it there. Your mother and sister raped me every chance I got. I didn't know what real love was until you noticed me. Were kind to me. The night we had sex was the nicest moment in my life, even the part where I thought you might eat me" he said. I blushed at that. "I'm sorry I couldn't do anything about that. It must have been terrible for you" I said. "There was one moment I thought about killing myself. Jumping off the table or angering one of them. Your mother made me lick her dirty feet and your sister jammed me into vagina every night and then one night I couldn't take it anymore. I climbed the kitchen table and was about to end it all when you stumbled in for a snack. You thought I had done the same. You...you shared a pastry you had bought earlier thst day and petted my head. You made me feel loved and in turn I fell in love with you" he said. His words dug deep into my heart and I started crying.

"Lucy...no...Juliette.  Take off you panties honey" he said. I sniffled and pulled them off. He got naked and pushed himself into me. "I love you. You are not just the first human I ever loved. You are the first woman I ever loved...period" he said fucking me. "What about your mom?" I asked. "Don't kill the mood baby. Enjoy being fucked" he said. I chuckled at that. I had to stifle moans since I was so near others. Mother had graciously let me sleep alone with him. She could see in the last few days how much I loved him. Her views on Faren had drastically changed as well as others. I was exhausted from so many orgasms and Albedo was lazily rubbing and licking my feet. His beautiful silvery white hair matted with my juices after jamming his body into me over and over. "Will you marry me?" I asked. He stopped licking my big toe and gazed from between them.  "Honey I think you're asleep" he said. "No I'm not. I don't want anyone else in my life. I want you" I said. He pulled himself up by using my toes as leverage and walked to my face. He looked into my eyes. "You're serious. I started to get scared. He saw that. "Calm down. It's just so sudden is all. Yes Princess Juliette who used to squash grapes for a living and is now trying to save a kingdom. I will marry you" he said. "ALBEDO!" I yelled hugging him. He chuckled and hugged my cheek.

The next morning had come like any other but this time history would be defined on it. We stood on the hill overlooking the valley that surrounded the capital. The rising sun showed us that they had already begun to get ready. Very soon we would find out of Numbria would come under new management. "They've begun to move. We have to commit before it's too late" the general said. "Is our gunpowder safe?" I asked. "Covered and sealed" he replied. He looked at me expecting the order. It's humbling to know that what you say next will cause thousands to die. The crown is heavy indeed. My lips quivered. A warm hand on my shoulder made me glance back. Mother was behind me smiling. "They know what's at stake dear. Give the word" she said. "Advance the forces like planned. Have the first line fall in" I said. He bowed and rode off to lead.

The first line was volunteers. I made sure nobody was ordered to be in the first line. Why? The plan was to have them attack with a charge. With those guns they would be mowed down for sure. Almost total casualties. The survivors would retreat and draw them in. At that point we spring the storm upon them and hope for the best. 20 minutes later each side stared down the other. A flag bearer raised the flag of the first line. God in heaven what happened next. They roared war cries and charged the line with swords and spears. As soon as they came under enemy range I saw guns used for the first time. It did remind me if tiny cannons. Plumes of smoke and fire that belched death. I watched in horror as the closest ones fell. After they fired they began to reload. On cue the flag bearer raised the flag of them to retreat. The first line was about 200 strong and maybe 25 survived. No one ever forgot their sacrifice. 

They took the fucking bait. Now it did seem stupid right? A force of 50,000 just rushing in. Keep in mind though a few things. Things I considered. They had seen us retreat a fucking lot the past week and a half. So seeing us retreat wasn't strange. And second. The castle. The proof of victory was within eyesight. No doubt causing haste and impatience. The Sage stood in front of me watching the enemy advance. Lady Opal to his right. Albedo next to me. They had got their guns ready to fire into the second line. "It is time" the Sage said. He raised his cane and struck the ground. The clouds turned dark and then the wind picked up. The temperature dropped like a stone. Thunder overhead and then rain like no one had even seen before fell. The enemy stopped to see the spectacle. We saw them signal to advance and they drew down on them. Now or never. Let this work God.

No smoke. No fire. No boom. The infantry looked confused at their guns. Then our forces raised multiple red flags. The signal to advance at will. The enemy line was run down within minutes. The second line fixed bayonets. Even a lowly soldier knows a bayonet is little defense against a soldier wielding a three foot sword. They had tasted fear for the first time. They broke ranks trying to find support. It was working! Our artillery was covered in tarps and was moved to position.  We called our forces back. The enemy cheered thinking they had driven them off until they heard tiny booms and a high pitched whine. The rain and thunder had made retreat hard if not impossible. You can't hear bugles or run fast. Lightning kept striking the rear. At one point a large explosion went off. "Got a gunpowder cache with that one...ohhhh..." the old man said faltering. The rain began to let up. I saw this earlier. "Sage please stop! You're killing yourself!" Lady Opal yelled grabbing him.

He shrugged her off and his cane glowed even brighter. "I know. I was prepared for this from the start. Let an old man make a difference one last time" he said. The wind had picked up to the point the rain was coming in sideways. As impossible as it seems he kept this up for almost 10 long minutes. His body fell to the dirt and the wind and rain had died down to just a small shower. We could all see that we were winning but the enemy was regrouping. It was still far from certain. "Must continue" the tiny man gasped. He tried. Oh god did he try to get up. This tiny 3 inch frail Faren struggled to get to his feet. The glow from his cane was all but gone and then he looked at Albedo with concern. His expression turned from a slight scowl to a gentle smile. “There is another…with the bloodline…I pass the title…to you” he said. He thrust his cane into Albedo's chest and collapsed. "SAGE!!!!" Lady Opal screamed. She shook him repeatedly and got nothing. The Sage was dead...

Albedo looked at the dead man and held his cane with both hands. The cane began to glow bright. Brighter than ever before. He looked at me and then the battle below. "Thank you” he whispered. The torrent returned but with intense lightning that made our forces fall back. A bolt would come down and a group would fall. They began to retreat and a barrage of lightning stopped them. “Make the call Juliette. Say the word” he said. Seeing them in the mud and muck holding their heads in a futile attempt to protect them from the storm made me feel different about killing them. Then I remembered all they slaughtered. All the innocents. “Kill all of them except a few. Show them this country is protected” I said. Albedo raised his hand and slowly brought it down. An air devil* snaked from the sky and touched down in the thick of them. They were torn from the ground and were carried high into the air. Albedo opened his fist. The air devil dissipated and tiny forms fell from the sky. 49,000 plus lives gone in a span of a half hour.

(Author’s note: she is describing a tornado)

Albedo was breathing hard but okay. The day had been won and the country was safe. Time to mend it what had been broken, mourn who was lost, and create what was sorely needed. The next day there was a great celebration in the capital with the official announcement that Zenobia had ceased hostilities. I spoke to the public. “We are gathered today to honor the bravery of those who faced the scourge of war. We acknowledge the sacrifices made to guarantee our freedom is intact. Freedom. I wish to expand on that word. That proof of concept we take for granted yet horde from others. You are aware that the terrible storm yesterday was instrumental in defeating the enemy. I heard people say it was an act of god. No, it was not. It was the work of the Faren. Yes, the same Faren we have in our arrogance chose to enslave. Those we oppress chose to save us in our darkest hour. As we decide to rebuild Numbria I will issue an edict. We will not rebuild for this nation carries an infamous stain. No, we will create a new nation that includes Farina not as an annexed country but a cherished neighbor. The Faren will not be property but citizens of this new nation. This nation will be called New Numbria and will show the rest of the world that even if we aren’t the same size we all share the same heart” I said to them all.

First silence and then a few claps. Then a great cheer arose and roars. They’re accepting what I said!? Albedo looked at me and smiled. “Now we shall honor the first sacrifice made” I told them. In front of me was a torch basin. Inside it was straw with flowers. On top of that was the Sage. He was dressed in white and his arms folded over his heart. I and Albedo lit the straw. Lady Opal cried. I and Albedo quietly shed tears. Even mother cried. As the fire consumed him I spoke once more. “As the princess of New Numbria, I thank you for your sacrifice. May these flames free your body from this earth just like you compassion freed us from destruction” I said. I bowed. Mother and Albedo bowed. Lady Opal bowed. I saw the crowd below bow.

Later that night…

“This I way better than your old room” Albedo said getting naked. “It feels like home now. You know I once wondered if I was leading a good enough life. Like if there was more out there. When I first got here that doubt got even worse and then as I grew used to it I began to feel like I belong. I even tried changing things how I wanted them to be so it would feel like it was my life. Now and then I was reminded that this wasn’t my life. Then I found out who I was.” I said.  “And what about now? Does your life feel complete yet?” he asked. “If you’re with me…yes” I said. “So your mom is okay with me?” Albedo asked. “She frowned slightly but she is getting used to the idea of a Faren son in law. It’s the idea of not having grandchildren that bugs her.” I said. Albedo grinned. “Close your eyes” he said. I closed them. My body tingled. “Open them up” he said. I did and now Albedo was my size. “You grew?!” I said. He laughed. “Nope. Look around” he said. I did and saw everything was huge! “You shrank me with your magic?!” I yelled. “So I can do this” he said. He put his arms around me and kissed me deeply. “Oh. That does feel nice to be held by you. So this is like to be a tiny Faren?” I asked. “Yep. Now this way we can work on the grandchildren problem” he said grinning. I pushed him onto the now giant bed. “Just promise me one thing. Don’t shrink me further okay?” I asked. “I won’t shrink you…too much. But the thought of playing with you is kinda hot” he said. “You are impossible” I said kissing him.

50 years later…

“So class. Since it’s the 50th anniversary of the founding of the nation, it will be a half day. I want a one page essay on what you like about our country. Class dismissed” the teacher said. Human and Faren children left he class except one. “Something wrong Katrina?” the teacher asked. “I’m confused. What does it mean by finding your place in the world?” she asked. The teacher picked up the 8 year old Faren girl and sat her on her desk. “It means finding where you feel like fitting in. In the Queen’s place that meant doing things that made her life fulfilling. Just like how Faren kids like you can learn with human ones” the teacher said. The child nodded. “Any other questions?” the teacher asked. “Nope. I like you Miss. Pritchard. You’re nice” the girl said. “Hey Angelica! You coming?!” a voice yelled. “Just a second! With a student!” the teacher yelled back. “You’re sweet. Come on. We don’t want to miss the celebration” the 63 year old teacher said kissing the child’s head and carrying her with her.

At one point in our lives we wonder if there is more for us out there. Is this all there is for my life. This is when we begin to search for where we belong. Some of us find this place. Others not. But for those that seek this place, maybe it isn’t the destination that’s important but the people that accompany us and the people that stay with us when we get there. This has been an episode of The Size Zone.