Solomon & Sabrina - tryout form dnp

[Sunniedew]

Princess- Trash Mammal x
Frog- Silver Pandorica x

Solomon and Sabrina
(Solo and Sabi)
Combined Playlist:
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Combined Moodboard:
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"A strong friendship doesn't need daily conversation, doesn't
always need togetherness, as long as the relationship lives in
the heart, true friends will never part..."
~Unknown

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art by me

[Silver Pandorica]

♪ ♫ ♪

Solo has always been rather unsuitable in his father’s eyes.
When he was a young child, he would rather play outside and get dirty
instead of studying and learning the ways of the kingdom. As he got
into his teen years, his father managed to order him to stay inside. He
also found out that Solo went down to the village to play with the kids
there, and this angered him. Forbidding him to ever go down to the
village again, he took away his friends. Being an only child and having
no one else his age in the castle, Solo was very lonely. He tried to sneak
down to the village to see his friends, but it wasn’t long before his
father found out and ordered him to be watched at all times. So, Solo
was forced to have someone follow him around wherever he went, like
his own personal bodyguard. Except it was one of the servants.

Desperate for a friend, Solo befriended this servant, whose name was
Caleb Barrow. Barrow was kind to the lonely Solo, and always kept him
company. He gave the young prince advice and helped him when
needed, but never disobeyed the King’s orders about not allowing him
into the village. Despite the company of Barrow, Solo still felt alone as
could be. When he was about thirteen years old, just entering his teen
years, he took up the hobby of reading. If there was one thing he was
grateful for learning when he was younger, it was how to read and
write. Even he understood the importance of such a tool. It was
inside these books that he fatefully discovered the hobby that would
eventually destroy him.

He was reading a novel, his favorite type of book because it allowed
him to escape from his crazy world, when he realized that magic was
a reoccurring theme in many books. Magic was a wonderful thing
that could be used to help people in their times of need. The way
Solo saw it, if magic was in so many stories and books and legends, it
must be real. There were witches out there, too, right? Of course
there were. One had just been caught and burned at the stake a
fortnight ago. It was a terrible act, and Solo had felt bad for the poor
woman, but it was also wonderful news. Magic was real! If he could
learn how to use it, he could make his life so much better, and be a
good king who helps people. So, it was settled then. Solo was going to
learn how to use magic.

But it wasn’t that easy.

Knowing his father would never approve of this newfound interest,
Solo had to sneak out late at night and go down to the village. He went
to the library and bought a great many books on magic, potions,
witches, and more. “Tell no one of this,” he told the librarian before
leaving.

And so it was. Over the next few years, Solo studied the art of magic.
This led him to discover potion-making, which fascinated him a great
deal. He practiced in his room, the only place Barrow could not follow
him if he so wished. He managed simpler potions, such as minor healing
solutions or growth mixtures. But he wanted to do more. Solo became
obsessed with his passion of potion-making, spending longer and longer
periods of time cooped up in his room, hard at work. He almost never
spoke to anyone unless it was necessary during his lessons. The hobby
became his priority and main distraction, and when he started to worry
or stress about anything, he would force himself to go back to work on
them. It was unhealthy, stuffing all his feelings down as if they weren’t
important. Because of this, he became very distant, and when speaking
to people, he appeared to be very out of it, his mind being on other
things.

One fateful day, his father invited the princess Solo was to be engaged
to over to dine with them. He was sixteen at the time, and the princess
was a year younger then him. Much too early to be thinking about
marriage, in his opinion. Nevertheless, she came. Her name was Sabi, a
lively and friendly young woman, but neither of them wanted to marry
each other. They had met only a few times, and Solo couldn’t even
imagine spending his life with a woman he barely knew. Their marriage
was solely for the purpose of uniting their two kingdoms. On that day
when she was visiting, his father insisted that Solo take her on a full
tour of the castle. She was amazed by the beautiful architecture, and
chattered in his ear the whole way, to his annoyance. As they passed his
room, Sabi wanted to go inside. Solo tried to stop her, but it was no use.
She was already halfway in the door. All his work was in plain sight.
“What is all of this?” Sabi breathed as she peered into the many beakers
and dishes.

Solo shooed her away from the tables. “Hey, don’t breath on them. You’ll
screw it up,” he commanded as he rebalanced one of the mixtures.

Sabi frowned, but continued to watch with great curiosity. “What are all
of these for?”

Shifting uncomfortably, he looked up at her and brushed a wave of hair
out of his eyes. “Just something I’m studying. It’s nothing.”

“I never knew you studied potions,” Sabi said softly.

“There’s a lot of things you don’t know about me,” Solo muttered. “And
I’d like to keep it that way.”

Tilting her head with a curious smile, Sabi replied, “You're not like most
princes I have met before.”

At that, he cocked his head. “Don’t I? Well, that’s a relief.” Silence fell
between them, but it was short-lived. “Alright. Out.”

And thus the tour ended. But the drama was certainly not over. At dinner
that evening, things took a dark turn. All of them were dressed up nicely
to eat, even Solo had been dragged down to the table in something
suitable. Conversation was mainly directed towards and between the
adults, but then suddenly Sabi's mother spoke up. “So, King Dalton.”
Solo’s father looked up. “How are Solo’s studies coming
along?”

Solo froze with the fork halfway to his mouth and ever so slowly lifted
his gaze to Sabi. He couldn’t make a scene out of it, but he had to let
her know somehow not to talk about what she saw earlier. He’d been
stupid not to tell her when she first walked in to keep hushed about it,
but then again, he didn’t want her to know he was doing something
under his father’s nose. Unfortunately, Sabi wasn’t looking at him.

He should have told her it was a secret.

King Dalton seemed taken aback. “Oh, quite well.” Liar. Dirty little
liar. Solo had stopped caring about school years ago. In fact, he didn’t
ever really care much in the first place. “Why do you ask?”

Sabi's mother smiled. "Just curious."

Solo let out a sigh of relief. Sabi hadn't told her mother yet. But then,
Sabi herself piped up. "It's really interesting that Solo is studying
potions. I have never met someone before who does."

“Excuse me?”

Sabi stopped short, confused. “Potion-making.” Darn it. Darn it,
Darn it, darn it! Solo looked nervously at his father. He was so dead
right now.

The king turned his furious gaze on Solo. Even at sixteen, he felt the
urge to shrink back under his father’s gaze. “What is she talking
about, Solomon? Have you been studying witchcraft behind my
back?”

He shook his head quickly. “No, father. I swear, I don’t know what
she’s talking about!” At that, he eyed Sabi pointedly. The poor girl
seemed torn between the two of them, not sure who to side with.
Thank God that for the moment she chose to remain silent.

Shaking his head, the king said in a daunting tone, “We shall discuss
this later.”

Indeed they did. However, not before Sabi’s family took their leave.
Solo was sitting in an armchair, reading, when Sabi approached him
awkwardly. “We’re leaving now.”

“Hm.”

She shuffled her paws uncomfortably. “I’m really sorry about what
happened at dinner. You could have told me earlier to keep silent
about it.”

“Whatever.”

Sabi sighed, then put a paw on his book and lowered it, forcing him
to look at her. “I really am sorry.” A pause. “Will you be okay? He
seemed very angry.”

Solo snorted. “Believe me, he’s angrier then he’s letting on. But I
can handle it, thanks.”

With a small nod, Sabi turned to leave, waving a little as she did.
Solo picked up his book again, but he wasn’t actually reading.
Instead, he was nervously listening into the other room. Sabi’s
parents were saying their goodbyes, and finally, he heard the
servant shut the door. Any moment now. “SOLOMON ROSALINE
DALTON, get in here RIGHT NOW!”

Wincing, Solo set down the book and slunk into the drawing
room. “Yes, sir?”

His father was beyond mad, pacing around the room with his
face bright red. “So this is what you have been doing for the
past couple years. This is why you never speak anymore, why
you are so distant, why you have gone mad.”

“Mad?” Solo repeated, offended.

The king continued on as if he hadn’t heard him. “Barrow
thought you were acting a bit strange. I should have listened
to him. I should have seen what you were up to myself.” He
stopped pacing and whirled around. “Magic, son? Out of
everything you could choose to study, you chose magic!?”

“I did,” he replied, swallowing.

“You listen to me very carefully,” his father ordered, leaning
in close. “I will have no more of this evil in my household.
Magic can drive a person mad, you hear me? I must put a stop
to this before you get pulled into its clutches.”

Solo was stunned. “Y-you’re taking away my potions?”

“It’s for your own good, my boy.”

Now it was Solo’s turn to be angry. In an eerily calm voice, he
spoke, looking his father directly in the eye. “I hate you. I’m
not your boy, I’m not your son, and I am not mad.” Before
the man could say another word, Solo turned away and slunk
sullenly back up to his room. It wasn’t long before the servants
would come up and take all his potions away. Right, like that
would stop him. Quickly, he snatched a few books off the table,
along with his notes, and stuffed them under his pillow. Soon
enough, his room was cleared out. No one noticed he’d kept a
few items. No one suspected a thing. He would start again, no
matter what his father said. He didn’t care if he had to practice
in the dungeon, but Solo was not giving up.

Name: Solomon Rosaline Dalton
Nickname: Solo
Gender: Male
Age: 25
Sexuality: Heterosexual
Moodboard: x

After his father discovered his…hobby, Solo had to
take extreme precautions to continue with his work. However,
his father had left a deep scar, planting a sprout of anger and
fury in his soul. But just like all his other emotions, he shoved
this down and left it to fester. It wasn’t long before Solo fell into
a deep state of depression. He just stopped caring about
everything, even himself. His hair and clothes became unkempt
and messy, and his coat began to lose its luster. Since there was
no one else to test potions on, he did it either on himself or on
the rats that were found crawling around the castle. He didn’t
care if it caused some issues for his physical state, which it
certainly did. Burns and cuts could often be found all over his
body, caused by failed mixtures or his paw slipping while using a
dangerous ingredient or tool. His dad almost never noticed these
injuries. Why would he care? There was even more of a wedge
between them than before. It was like all Solo was even good for
was uniting his and Sabi’s kingdoms.

There was one person who seemed to acknowledge his mental
and physical state. Barrow was concerned for Solo. “You should
get out more, sir,” he constantly advised.

“Where would I even go, Barrow?” Solo would reply, throwing his
paws up in the air. “I can’t go to the village, and I don’t have
time with all the studies being thrust in my face, anyway.”

Barrow sighed. “Please, sir. I hate seeing you like this. You are
not yourself.”

“How do you know what I’m really like when I’m not acting the part
of a pampered prince,” he spat.

“I have known you since you were born,” the servant replied
stubbornly. Solo fell silent. “I want to help you, sir.”

Softening his gaze, Solo reluctantly closed his eyes and shook his
head. “It’s too late for that, Barrow. I am beyond the ability of you
or anyone else’s aid.”

The poor prince pushed away his only remaining friend, only wanting
to be alone. All his desire to be a part of the world had gone, and all
he had left now was his potion-making. He was in his room one day,
now seventeen years old, working furiously on a new and more
complicated potion, when there was a knock on his door. Perking up
his ears, he frowned. “Leave me be!” He yelled, then gazed back down
at his project. The servants were required to listen to him, so they
certainly would not enter, and his father never came to visit his room.
However, he was not prepared for what happened next. He was just
pouring the main active ingredient into the beaker when someone
slipped inside his door and closed it behind them. Surprised, Solo
snapped his gaze up to see his personal servant standing there, looking
ashamed and determined at the same time. “Barrow,” Solo managed to
squeeze out. “What…what do you think you’re doing in here?”

Barrow gulped. “I apologize, sir, but I could not stand by and watch you
suffer.” Glancing around, he added, “I see that my suspicions were correct.”

“I assured you I was alright!” Solo burst out, slamming his paw down on the
table. The servant flinched. “And what do you mean by your suspicions were
correct?”

“Well, I-I thought you might have continued to study magic behind your
father’s back.”

With a frustrated sigh, Solo placed his head in paws. “Are you going to tell
him?”

Barrow bit his lip. “I do not wish to disappoint you, sir, but I don’t see I
have any-“ he suddenly cut himself off. “Is that supposed to bubble and
steam like that?”

“What?” Lifting his head, the prince looked over at the new potion he’d
been concocting, and his eyes widened. “Dammit Barrow!” In his anxiety
about the man discovering his secret, he’d completely forgotten to add the
ingredient that would calm the solution. Quickly, he fumbled around for
the vile of liquid, but it was too late. A high whistle started to sound, and
he froze. But not for long. Running away from the table, Solo grabbed
Barrow by the arm and dragged him behind his bed. “Get down!” Just as the
word left his mouth and they were diving to the floor, there was a loud
bang and then the crashing sound of numerous glass containers hitting the
ground in a billion pieces. Solo winced as a few lodged themselves in his
face and fur.

As soon as everything had quieted down, Solo stood up and rushed to the
table, coughing from the smoke. When he stood up, however, he let out
a yelp and sank to the ground. His back right leg was twisted at a strange
angle, and it pained him to move it. In saving Barrow, he had sacrificed his
own leg. “Gosh darn it,” he said through gritted teeth, the fury started to
bubble up inside of him. It was all he could do to keep from screaming at
Barrow. “Thanks a lot. With any luck, the whole castle heard that explosion.
Father is going to kill me.”

“I am sure he will not behead you, sir.”

“It’s a figure of speech, Barrow.”

***

“I am disappointed in you, Solomon. Your mother would be, too.” The king
had already had a fit over the whole thing and gone off on both Barrow and
Solo, but after hearing the whole story, he let the former off the hook. His
son, however, was not getting away that easily.

“Solo.”

“Excuse me?”

“I hate the name Solomon,” Solo said flatly.

The king snorted. “I refuse to call you by that ridiculous name. Now,
Solomon, what am I going to do with you? You have gone against my
orders, hurt yourself as well as poor Barrow, and you almost blew up the
damn castle!”

Solo shrugged. “So?”

“So?” His father’s face flushed red. “So? That’s all you have to say
for yourself? You could have killed us all!”

The young prince rolled his eyes. “Please, father. At most it could
have left me with a few broken bones.” The potion itself hadn’t been
dangerous, it was the process of making it that you had to be careful with.

“It did! Your leg will never be the same again, you heard what the doctor
said!”

“What do you care?” Solo snapped in a harsh tone. “All I’m good for is
marrying that stupid princess so you can die in peace. I can still run a
kingdom with a deformed leg.”

King Dalton struggled to find the words to respond. “I don’t like your
tone, boy.”

Solo stared at the wall opposite the spot he was laying in his bed. “So
it’s true, then? You aren’t denying it. You don’t love me, you never did.”

“I have always loved you, Solomon. But you have beyond disappointed
my expectations for you. You were supposed to take over for me once
you marry, but now…”

He eyed the king curiously. “What are you saying?”

The man sighed. “I do not believe you are fit to run a kingdom. You
are irresponsible, you cannot deal with authority, and you have no
respect. Not to mention your ridiculous obsession.”

Solo fell silent. Running the kingdom had never been something he
looked forward to. In fact, he had tried to get out of it many times
when he was younger before finally realizing his attempts were in
vain. But now he suddenly wasn’t “fit” to rule? It made him furious.
But he couldn’t anger his father any further. Instead, he kept his
mouth shut until his father left the room.

His recovery from the blast was slow and painful, but after a month
or two of doctor’s visits and therapy, he was up and on his feet again.
Although, the doctor had been right. His leg had not healed completely,
and Solo had acquired a bad limp. The doctor claimed that over the
years, it would fade and not be so obvious, but it would always be there.
His father was certainly not happy about this, and at first insisted he
could never be seen in public. Thankfully, his advisors dismissed the
idea. It would only raise their curiosity and suspicion. Well, at least he
wouldn’t be completely shunned for his injury.

But the conversation they’d held remained. Solo was failing his classes,
he’d dabbled in magic, he had no care for running the kingdom, and he
hated authority. No, his father certainly was not going to allow him to
rule now. Not if it was his decision. But he couldn’t just give the rights
to the throne to someone else. As misbehaved as Solo was, he still was
the rightful heir to the kingdom. Luckily, King Dalton had a plan up his
sleeve. A disgusting plan that if it was found out, he would be hated by
all.

He was going to exile his own son.

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Potion Pixel

[Sunniedew]

♪ ♫ ♪

It was 5:30 AM when Sabrina was woken up by thunder and lightning
from a storm outside. She hugged her soft teddy bear as she sat up to
look out her window, and see the rain slam against her window. On
the verge of tears, Sabi got up from her bed and walked out of her
room and out into the great hall.

The hall was empty, no guards or servants were walking around. "I guess no
one is at work yet," she whispered softly to her teddy as she tiptoed
down the hall. Another round of vicious thunder roared through the hall,
making Sabi yelp and sniffle. "Let's go find mother," she suggested to her
bear, looking around to find her mother's room.

Sabi hasn't really explored the castle all too often, pretty much not at all.
She hasn't found the time to explore since her mother was always with her.
She wanted to explore by herself, so she wouldn't have to worry about leaving
someone behind.

"I think it's this door," she said, finally picking a door to open. She pushed
on the wooden door, hearing a slight creak as it opened. She looked
around the dark room, that was suddenly lit up by the lightning from
the huge windows. She jumped and ran inside, closing the door behind her.
She sighed and looked around until she found a small candle and a match.
She lit the candle and was able to light up the room a small bit. What she
found wasn't her mother's bed, but an entire tailor workshop.

The place was a mess. Thread and needles all over the floors and tables,
sewing wheels covered in different strings and yarn from the royal farm
was everywhere. Sabi couldn't believe her eyes, not because of the mess,
but because of how fascinated she was.

"This is where they make all of the clothes and jewelry, teddy!" she gasped,
setting her candle down on one of the wooden work tables, as she
picked up a piece of fabric that was woven by one of the many tailors.
The thunder and lightning meant nothing to her at the point, as she
looked in awe at the many tools and pretty fabrics.

She picked up a needle and thread that was already prepared and found
two pieces of fabric, and she began to sew. What she made was just two
pieces of cloth, but she was proud of it. She grabbed her creation and
wrapped it around her teddy bear. "There you go Teddy!" she said,
beaming. "Now you have a cape!"

As soon as she said that, the door opened and a worker kalon walked in.
She saw Sabi with her bear, and Sabi froze. "Hello," she said, trying to be
friendly.

"Oh my, Princess Sabrina!" the worker said, walking up to her. "You're bleeding!"

"Huh?" Sabi looked down at her paws and noticed that many small
holes on her paw pads were oozing blood. She noticed on the table
blood spots, and on her teddy's cape, there was a couple small blood spots
as well.

"Oh! I must have pricked myself with the needle and didn't notice the
bleeding in this lighting!" Sabi was quick to apologize. "I'm so sorry!"

The worker hurried to the front of the room and grabbed some bandages.
She walked back over to Sabi and wrapped them around her paws. "It's
alright dear, but your mother will be furious if she finds out!"

"I know..." Sabi said, looking down, obviously ashamed. "I didn't feel myself
get pricked."

"This isn't hurting you?" the worker pressed on her paw pads. Sabi shook
her head. "I don't feel a thing on my paw pads."

The worker sighed and kept pressing. "Well as long as it's not hurting you,
I'll continue this. Do not tell your mother!"

Sabi nodded and smiled weakly at the worker. "I won't." She grabbed her
teddy bear with her free paw and showed it to the worker. "Do you like
the cape I made for him?" she asked.

The worker looked up and smiled at the bear. "Yes I do. It's very lovely."

Name: Sabrina Elizabeth Lovely
Nickname: Sabi
Gender: Female
Age: 23
Sexuality: Pansexual
Moodboard: x

Sabi was always a very shy girl. She didn't say much to anyone,
she didn't get out of the castle much, she didn't even eat with the
family much at all, but that never stopped her from loving her mother,
so much so, she would die for her if she could. Being a princess meant
extra protection, extra watchful eyes, every which way, and Sabi hated it.

Princess Sabrina. She would never get used to that, though she would
definitely get used to being a princess. Though she hates the part of
her being watched all the time. She wishes she could live somewhere
different. She wants a castle for just her and her mother. That way,
they both can work together with no distractions and no reminders
of her father's death.

It happened just when Sabi turned 7 years old, and sadness fell all over
the kingdom. He'd been sick for a long time due to poisoning from war.
War with the kingdom that held the prince she was forced to marry.

She has met Princes before, but not like this. She would have to
marry this one.

"If you marry this young prince, the war can be over." her mother would
say, over and over again to try and comfort her. "And when you do marry
him, everything will be back to normal again."

Sabi couldn't remember the last time things had been normal, because
the last time things have been normal, was before Sabi was even born.

"I don't remember when things were normal." Sabi would reply, looking
up at her mother with her eyes full of tears. "I was born when everything
was on fire." Her mother wouldn't know what to say, and she would
start to cry as well. "Don't worry my little rose," she would say. "you'll
know what normal feels like someday."

His name was Solomon. Sabi wasn't sure if he went by a nickname or not,
but at the moment it didn't really matter. She had always thought calling
someone their preferred name was the right thing to do.

"Am I supposed to be formal?" Sabi asked her mother as she was touching
up her hair. Her mother stood behind her and watched, occasionally
helping with the puffing up. "If he's formal, I'm formal right?"

Her mother nodded. "Just be polite, dear," she said, adding a few more
roses in her hair. "Looks are also important."

"I know, mama." Sabi rolled her eyes and smiled. "But all of the princes
I've met have been the same. They didn't care how I looked." Her mother
just nodded and Sabi sighed. She was trying to refrain from mentioning
that this was all for ending the war. Her mother did want her to be
happy and be with someone Sabi really loved, but if their kingdom didn't
stick with the agreement, the war would start up again, and there would
be one unhappy king.

Sabi waited in the greeting hall with her mother in silence. She stared
at the door at the brink of tears from being nervous. 'Don't show him that
you're scared.' she thought to herself, biting her bottom lip and tapping
her foot.

"Calm." her mother whispered, though the whisper made the hall echo.
"They're a little late but it's alright." as soon as she said that, two kalons
were presented walking in the front door. The guards bowing to welcome
them. Sabi immediately noticed the smaller kalon, wearing a red cape
and a golden crown. He looked grumpy and unhappy. "He must be the
prince." she whispered to herself, being careful not to cause an echo.

"Greetings your majesty." her mother addressed the king, bowing in respect.
The King did the same and took her paw to kiss it. He took Sabi's paw and
kissed it. He backed up and nodded for the prince to do the same. He rolled
his eyes and kissed Sabi's paw. She smiled weakly at him, hoping to get him
to smile back, but he didn't.

"Well I'm sure you two know what is expected of each of you, as well as
knowing how these meetings will go." The king spoke in a bold voice, making
the room echo loudly enough to make Sabi's ears ring. She twitched them,
still staring at the prince, who was ridiculously handsome in her eyes,
though for some reason he didn't seem amused. 'Is a rose out of place?'
she worried, too scared to move and fix her hair.

"I'm sure at least one of you needs a reminder." The king glanced at his son.
"These meetings will last a week, each ending with a dinner. The first
meeting will be here, the next will be at our castle, and so on until day
seven has ended."

Sabi's mother nodded. "That's right. Now make sure to treat each other
with respect." she smiled at the prince, who raised his eyebrow at her. She
giggled and continued. "We'll leave you two alone to give introductions."
She motioned for the king to follow her. She nodded to his son and Sabi, then
followed her out of the room.

It was a solid minute before Sabi decided to say something. "Hi." she tried to
say, though it sounded more like a squeak than anything. The prince looked
at her. "Hello," he said, uninterested.

Sabi sighed. "You don't like me very much, do you?" she looked down at
her paws and shuffled them. "I understand."

The prince shook his head. "It's not that," he said. Sabi was taken aback
by his bluntness. He really didn't want to be here.

"Then what is it?" Sabi tried to keep herself from breaking down crying
in front of a prince. Tonight, I'll go to his castle and dine with him,
then maybe he'll appreciate me. The prince just sighed. "It's not
important."

There was another long silence until he decided to speak up again.
"What is your name?" he asked, still uninterested, though maybe he
was trying to break the silence?

"Sabrina," Sabi answered quickly. "or you can call me Sabi." The prince nodded.

"My name is Solomon." he responded, fiddling with his cape. "Call me Solo."

Solo. Sabi couldn't get that name out of her head. It was
fitting, very fitting. Sabi wished she wasn't so attracted to him,
since he obviously didn't like her in the same way. She adjusted the
roses in her hair, but Solo didn't look up.

Footsteps ruined the silence as the king and queen returned to the hall.
"So we'll see you both tonight." the king said, smiling brightly at Sabi.
"I'm looking forward to getting to know you, Princess Sabrina." Sabi nodded
and tried her best to smile. Her effort made the king chuckle. "Come along,
Solomon."

The young prince followed his father out of the castle, not looking back.
Sabi stared after him, finally letting the tears roll down her cheeks, though
she didn't start sobbing until the hall doors closed.

She cried in her mother's arms. "He hates me, Mama!" she cried. "He hates me!"

"Oh no, dear!" her mother tried her best to calm her down. "He doesn't
hate you. That's just how young men are." she pet her daughter's hair
and kissed her forehead. "He just doesn't see the magic in you yet."

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Rose Pixel

[Silver Pandorica]

When I was first exiled, I had no idea where
to go. At seventeen, I was old enough to get a job, but
I’d have to go to another kingdom to get one, since I
was no longer allowed here. When I left, Barrow
secretly gave me a few things to take on my journey
and wished me luck. I really was grateful for his help,
and his kindness made me feel a little guilty. Gosh, I’d
forgotten what guilt felt like, it had been so long, but
I really did feel bad for mistreating him. He had always
been so good to me, and I’d repaid him with hate and
distrust. I made sure to thank him thoroughly, but
didn’t look inside the satchel until I was well out of
sight. Inside, I found a cloak to hide my identity
when passing through town, a few apples and a
pastry for the road, and…my journal. My eyes
widened. Barrow had snuck my journal with all my
notes and documentations into the bag.
Instinctively, my heart ached to thank him a million
times over, but I was already gone. There would be
no going back now.

I would never see him again.

With a heart full of thanks, I threw on the cloak, but
didn’t put the hood up until I reached the village. It
was weird, passing through the town without having
people flock to greet me. Father and I had visited the
village a few times after he forbid me from it only
for the sake of attending some meetings and events.
It was really just a formality. As I padded through the
village, I found some temporary peace in watching all
the people go about their individual lives. And then
someone bumped into me. “Hey, watch it,” I snapped,
then stopped short. This kalon looked…familiar.

“Sorry, sir,” the young man said quickly. It really
looked like…Jacob! One of my childhood friends,
before my father tore them away from me! I nearly
told him, right then and there, but something
stopped me. I couldn’t. I could never tell him, or
visit him, or talk to him again. Everything and
everyone in this town was forbidden from me, and I
would be arrested on the spot if caught.

Mustering whatever willpower I had left, I muttered,
“It’s alright.” He nodded and continued speeding
down the dirt road, intent on getting to wherever he
was going as fast as possible. I stared after him for a
few moments before continuing on at a faster pace
than before. All I wanted now was to get out of here.

* * *

It had been a long day of walking. I was covered head
to toe in dust and dirt, and my robes that I had worn
out of the castle were starting to tear in some places.
Not that I cared about those things. Now, I was
padding through the woods. It was evening, and the
sky had begun to dim. By hitchhiking on the back of
a kind farmer’s wagon, I’d successfully made it out
of the kingdom. I had not, however, made it to the
next town over yet, so I’d entered the woods in
hopes of finding a place to stay for the night. A tree,
a cave, something. Although, I’m pretty sure I’d
circled the same area three times now.

Pushing through a clump of bushes, my paw landed
in something squishy. I yelped and drew it away
quickly. Inspecting my paw in the evening light, I
found that to my relief, it was only mud. I’d come
across a swamp of sorts. Scrunching up my nose, I
tried to go around the area, but it was no use. Soon
enough, I was up to my ankles in mud. Ew. “Maybe
I should just cut around from the outside,” I
muttered, about to turn back. Then something
caught my eye. Smack dab in the center of the
swamp was a small island. A fallen tree acted as a
bridge across the swamp to the patch of land, and
the end of the tree spread across part of the island,
creating a sort of shelter. It was pretty well
protected, due to the swamp, and it would make a
good place to sleep for the night.

Hm.

Lifting my paw, I slowly made my way through the
sticky mud towards the tree trunk. When I was
close enough, I clambered on top of it and crossed,
nearly slipping with my slimy paws. Nearly. After
making it across, I hopped down and wasted no
time crawling under the dried branches of the
tree. Wrapping my cloak tightly around my body, I
shivered and squeezed my eyes shut. I may finally
be free of my father’s kingdom, but now look at
me. A dishonorable, dirty man with no place in the
world. The more I thought about it, the more I
realized going to the next village over was too
dangerous. There were a lot of people who would
want to capture me and sell me for money, or
something weird like that. They might even bring
me back to my kingdom and return me to my
father for a fat sum of cash, and I would be thrown
into the dungeons to live out the rest of my days.

Muddy swamp or dungeon?

Muddy swamp any day.

And so it was decided. When I awoke in the
morning, I dug through my satchel, starving. To my
great dismay, some wild animal had stolen my
food at some point while I was asleep. Frantically,
I checked to see if my journal was still intact.
Flipping through it, at first glance everything seems
to be in order. Then I noticed the tears. Some of
the pages were torn out, some chewed on, some
had crumbs from whatever had been eating over it.
I narrowed my eyes, glaring around furiously at the
trees, as if the creature would be standing right
there watching me. My notes were near half
destroyed. Maybe two thirds. Whatever, maths was
never my thing. But there were missing parts now.
Parts I would have to research and experiment for
again.

Glancing around, I let out a defeated sigh. Where
the heck was I supposed to practice, now? I
couldn't risk taking up residence in another village,
especially with the war. Maybe once that died
down. I'm sure dad must have handed the throne
down to my butt of a cousin since I no longer
held the rights. He'd be married off to Sabi in no
time, problem solved.

Sabi was an interesting character indeed, but
certainly not my type. She was friendly and all,
but I just wasn't interested. I frowned. Forcing
the two of us together was stupid. Good for
the kingdom, sure, but bad for me. I didn't want
to talk to her, or anyone for that matter. Why
couldn't everyone just leave me alone?

I blinked.

I was alone. In fact, no one may ever bother
me again. Although, I wasn't sure if that was a
good thing or a bad thing. It's not like I could
do anything about it if I wanted to.

Now. Onto food. And water. And building up this
shelter.

SEVEN YEARS LATER

"Just need to pull this stupid root out," Solo muttered to himself as he glared at the weed on the edge of his little island, where his herb were growing. Weeds. Weeds had become his worst enemy over the past few years. Well, after wild animals of course. And starvation. Oh, and sickness, and- okay, so maybe weeds weren't the worst thing in the world, but they were extremely irritating. Especially when they disturbed the growth of his important ingredients. Gripping both paws tightly around the root, he yanked as hard as he could. Nothing. He'd been working on this one in particular for a few minutes. The other ones hadn't been so stubborn, but this little invader absolutely refused to leave. Wiping the sweat off his already mud-covered forehead, he took a deep breath and tugged again, then again. Giving one final heave, the weed gave in and came free of the ground. Unfortunately, Solo wasn't quite prepared for it to give way, and after the initial feeling of triumph, he found himself somersaulting down the slope and smack dab in the muddy swamp.

Ever fallen into a swamp? No? Be grateful, because it's disgusting. Popping his head above the water, Solo sucked in a large breath of air and then gripped the ground of the island, heaving himself up. As he lay on dry land again on his back, he glared at the canopy above. The only thing this darn swamp was any good for was keeping intruders out. And, well, the mud was good for his herbs. With a sigh, he stood up and inspected himself. Covered head to toe in the icky stuff, even his cloak. "Great, thanks swamp!" He yelled at the inanimate goo. "Do you know how long it'll take to get this out of my cloak?!" Solo didn't mind raising his voice. It's not like anyone could hear him anyway. As for the mud, he actually didn't mind getting a little dirty. He was used to that. But falling into the swamp on a day where he's already in an extra bad mood? He just couldn't handle that. Not today.

"Hello? Is someone there?"

A voice. Wonderful. He was hearing voices again. Rolling his eyes at himself, Solo peered down at his "garden." There was still a lot of work to be done today. "Hello?" The voice persisted.

Solo raised his eyes to the sky, which he could just barely see through the leafy canopy. "What? What could you possibly want from me now?"

"Excuse me, sir?" His eyes fell ahead and he caught a glimpse of a hooded figure on the other side of the swamp. So he wasn't hearing things. There was actually someone there. It sounded like a girl.

Furrowing his brow, he glared at the figure and waved her off. "Kingdom's that way," he said briefly, indicating the direction of his former home. It wouldn't be the first time someone had stumbled across his swamp asking for directions. It had been a few months since his last encounter, but nothing had changed. He still didn't want visitors and he still wanted to be left alone.

The young woman stopped in her tracks and seemed to be looking in his direction. "Oh, hello. Thank you, but I'm actually looking for the village."

Solo huffed and squinted to try and get a better glance at her from this distance. "What village are you talking about?" Come on, hurry up so I can give you directions and you can be on your way, he thought.

She shuffled her paws. "I'm looking for-"

Suddenly, Solo's eyes widened and he was on the move. "Run!" He yelled at the girl, trying to get to her as fast as he could. Going to the left of his small cabin, he jumped up onto the tree trunk that served as his bridge and sprinted across, not losing his footing once. A bear. It was the same dumb bear who had been lurking around this part of the forest for weeks, eating up all the food in the area. And now, it was attacking.

The bear had reared up onto it's hind legs and was now clawing at the woman, who was screaming and ducking best she could. It caught her with it's claws right across her cheek, and at the very same moment, her hood slid off her head. It was all Solo could do to try not to freeze right where he was standing. This kalon...she looked familiar. In fact, she looked almost exactly like Sabi, the young princess he had nearly been forced to marry. The bear's roars brought him back to reality, and he sped into action once again. With one wild leap, he slammed into the side of the bear to get it's attention. The creature turned and focused it's hungry gaze on him while Sabi's look-alike scrambled into the safety of the bushes. She seemed conflicted almost, like she wanted to help, but the deep cut on her cheek and the attack had worn her out. The creature must have gotten her in the head or something, because she looked near fainting.

Solo shook his head. He'd see to her later. Reaching underneath his cloak, he pulled out a small dagger. It was his only actual weapon, and he carried it hanging on his side wherever he went. You never know what -or who- you might meet out here. Clutching the dagger with one paw, he used his other three to lunge at the bear, landing squarely on it's shoulders. Wasting no time, he dug his claws into the monster's back. It roared with pain. Ha, it didn't know what was coming. Solo raised the dagger high above his head, the plunged it down right between the creature's shoulder blades. The bear was furious. Just for good measure, Solo hopped off and whirled around, stabbing it again right above it's left front leg.

He stepped back to watch the bear squirm in pain, circling until it's eyes found Solo. Glaring at him, the bear snarled then limped off back into the woods. Hopefully it wouldn't show it's face around here again. "Yeah, walk away you big lumbering idiot," he called after it. He stood in triumph for a few moments before remembering the woman. Turning around, he gazed at the clump of bushes she'd taken cover in. She was completely conked out. The blows must have knocked her unconscious. With a reluctant frown, Solo hoisted her up on his back and began the short walk back to his cabin.

***

A small groan sounded from behind. Solo glanced briefly over his shoulder at the young woman. She was stirring lightly in the bed. Solo had come to the conclusion that she was, without a doubt, the same princess from all those years ago. He wasn't so sure how he felt about it, but he was glad she hadn't recognized him. Guess it turned out to be a good thing to be covered in mud. In his rush to get her inside and healed, he still hadn't cleaned himself up. Dried mud and leaves clung to his fur. He'd have to go down to the river and wash up later.

"W-what?" He heard Sabi sit up abruptly. "Where am I? Who are you?"

Gripping the minor healing potion and a rag, Solo turned and walked over to her. "Calm down. You were pretty banged up after that fight, so I brought you here to fix you up."

She leaned back in the bed, wincing as she did so, yet looking relieved. "O-oh, right. The bear." She bit her lip, then peered at Solo as he got the corner of the rag damp with the potion. With a surprisingly gentle paw, he began to dab her cut with the rag, refusing to meet her gaze as he did so. "You look familiar," she noted before wincing again.

He shrugged. "Just one of those faces, I guess." Sabi didn't look convinced. "What brings you to these parts? Surely you couldn't have gotten that far off course to end up here."

"Actually...I'm looking for someone."

"Really," Solo replied absently, wetting the rag again.

"Yes. He's someone I knew a long time ago. I...I believe he was wrongly accused of something, and I just have to find him." Her tone was far away and her gaze had become distant. "I need to see him again."

Solo had froze and was now staring at her. He was wrongly accused of something. His father had framed him for murdering one of their own castle servants just to have an excuse to exile him. Surely she couldn't mean him, though...right? Plenty of people were wrongly accused of crimes. But what other convict would she come so far to find? Swallowing, he continued tending to her wounds. She looked up at him. "I swear, I know you from somewhere. Maybe if your face wasn't covered in mud..." Solo flinched away and turned his back to the princess.

"No, she can't know, she can't know," he muttered to himself as he set the potion down on the rickety wooden table and leaned over it. As he scanned the table for pain-numbing herbs for Sabi, his tail lashed back and forth behind him. Shortly after, he heard a small gasp escape Sabi's lips and then she stood up. He turned. "Hey, you shouldn't be standing. Just wait until I grab this..." her expression caused him to trail off.

"You're him," she murmured in complete awe.

"What are you talking about?" He snapped in response, yet his heart was nearly beating right out of his chest. How did she know?

Her eyes flickered down to his tail, and he glanced back at it. The mud covered most of it, but not his shine. His shine. "Shoot," he said under his breath. Once again meeting Sabi's gaze, he saw near tears in her eyes.

"I can't believe it's you," she breathed. "I've been looking for you for so long."

Solo frowned. "What? Why were you looking for me?"

A blush came over her face. "I-I...I wanted to see you again."

He shook his head. "Can't understand why." Turning back to the table, he gripped the edge with both paws as hard as he could. Splinters dug into his pads. "You're on the hunt for a convicted murderer," he continued, throwing all the sarcasm and spite that he could into the last word.

"But...you didn't do it, right?"

Solo scrunched up his face and continued to glare at the wooden surface. "Of course not." He looked over at her. "I would never hurt anyone." Then, almost to himself, he added guiltily, "Not physically, anyway." He'd hurt lots of people, just not the way most might think. He'd hurt his father by letting him down, he'd hurt Sabi by being cruel, and most of all, he'd hurt Barrow by pushing him away.

"I didn't think so." She continued to watch him with her soft gaze before glancing around the small cabin. "So, you live here now?" He nodded almost shamefully. "I like it, nice and cozy."

"Don't get too comfortable," he said flatly. "You're leaving in the morning."

Sabi's eyes widened. "What? But-"

"It was nice to see you again, really," he said, turning to look at her. His words were not a lie. "But I prefer to be alone." As if that settled it, he walked off to rummage through his storage on the other side of the room where his food was. She was probably hungry.

The princess wasn't done yet. "But I've been seeking you for years." Solo was stunned by her words, but he didn't let it show. Why had she wanted to find him so badly? "I was thinking that maybe...I could...stay with you?"

Solo turned around, considering the idea for a moment, then shook his head. "No. You would just get in my way," he said. Oops, he hadn't meant to say that out loud. "No offense."

She looked hurt for a few seconds before piping up again. "What if I could help you?"

He cocked his head. "And how would you do that?"

As if she'd already thought this through, she immediately replied with, "You still make potions, right? I could gather herbs and ingredients for you. Also," she glanced at his torn and muddy cloak hanging on the back of a chair. "I can mend things pretty well and handle a needle. Not to mention various odd-jobs that you need done. And...I wouldn't get in your way. I promise, I won't mess anything up or be a bother."

Solo remained silent as he stared at the floor, pondering. He could use a helping had around here. The cabin was near falling apart, and gathering food to keep himself alive as well as ingredients for his studies was draining. Plus, as much as he hated to admit it, he was tired of being completely alone and solitary. In fact, he was beginning to think his mind was starting to go, even at the young age of twenty-five. He talked to himself a lot, not to mention speaking towards inanimate objects. Another person in the house would be good for him. "What about your husband?" He asked abruptly.

Sabi looked at him, dumbfounded. "M-my what?"

He frowned. "Didn't you marry after I was exiled?"

Immediately, she shook her head. "No. The new prince was horrible and mean and...I was supposed to get married to him, but..." she trailed off, and Solo could tell she didn't want to talk about it.

Heaving a sigh, he looked her in the eye. "Alright. I suppose you can...stay."

A huge grin broke onto Sabi's face. "Really? This is wonderful!" She beamed, nearly bouncing up and down.

While Sabi continued to bubble with excitement, Solo was having a little trouble containing his own. He managed to keep it inward, but in reality, he really was happy. It had been years since he'd talked to someone for this long, and it felt good. But Sabi wasn't just an acquaintance, no. She was a friend. After so many years, Solo had finally gained a real friend.

Daily Life
Over the years, Solo developed a habit of talking to
himself. Sabi living with him eased that slightly, but
didn't stop it. As much as he may dislike it, living
alone for seven years straight with next to no
contact with other people changed him. Forever.
It is well known that solitude can do things to
your mind, so it isn't uncommon to see Solo talking
to himself or muttering things that don't quite make
sense. He isn't crazy, certainly. He hasn't gone that
far. Solo also tends to lose his temper a lot, but
he's learning to control it for both his and Sabi's
sake.

Besides his odd habits, Solo usually keeps himself
very busy. Nearly every day, he is outside either
tending to his herb garden, searching for ingredients,
or gathering food. He's even taken up building and
repair just to keep the cabin in shape. It's a lot of
work, but it's worth it. Of course, a good majority
of his time is taken up by his main hobby, potions.
He's gotten farther then he ever could have
imagined or anticipated, and is quite past the
average potion-maker. Thankfully, Sabi keeps him
from getting too obsessed with his work so he
doesn't spiral again like he did when he was a
teenager, but most would still call him 'married
to his work.'

creds
(1st art by me)
(2nd art by Trash Mammal)

[Sunniedew]

After I heard of Prince Solomon's exile, I just couldn't
believe my ears. How could he have just been exiled like that? What
happened? Who would I have to marry now? No one. I wasn't going
to marry anyone else. I needed Solomon, and somehow, I bet he
needed me too.

I pushed my nurse out of the way and ran down to my room. I was
able to scramble up a needle and thread, a couple books that I've
read a million times, a necklace that my mother gave me when I
was young, and a couple stuffed animals. I shoved those things
in my bag, pricking myself with a needle. Cursing, I threw on some
bandages and stuffed them in my bag as well.

I ran out into the hall and through the castle entrance doors. I could
hear my nurse and mother calling after me, but I didn't stop.
I didn't want to stop. I needed to keep going.

I ran all the way to the stables, where my white steed Frances was
waiting. She was having a relaxing day. I ran up to her, nearly spooking
her, and I started to untie her from her stable. "I'm so sorry, but we
have to go right now." I breathed in her ear. She huffed in protest, but
I didn't stop.

After I finally got her untied I hopped onto her bareback and kicked her
sides. She reared up and neighed, and began to run out of the stables
and run through our kingdom. "Sorry!" "Excuse me!" "Pardon me!" I
would scream as we raced down the road and into the forest. I could
hear castle horses pounding after us, calling my name and demanding
to me that I come back, but I didn't. I kept going, and I didn't look back.
I mean how could I? It would make me want to go back if I looked back.

It seemed like centuries before I lost them, but I eventually did, so me
and Frances were alone. Really alone. We traveled out a little farther
before finding a cave on the outskirts of the kingdoms, and I quickly
took it as my new shelter. I sat down on the cold hard ground and Frances
lay next to me. We were both exhausted, and worn to shreds. I stuffed
my face into Frances's belly, and began to cry. I don't know how long I
cried, but it seemed like I cried for hours. The tears just kept coming.

SEVEN YEARS LATER

Sabi sat in front of a stone that she had carved the day before. "In memory of Frances. She kept going and so did I." it read. she stared blankly at the stone, reading it over and over again, feeling her heart race as she just continued to sit there.

Something felt right about this though. Not Frances dying of course, but something right about the area that she was currently in. Swampy, muddy, and just overall gross. That gave her a strange feeling of satisfaction, even if she didn't like the smell all that much. She got up and walked over to the stone and put her nose to it, sniffling as she felt herself begin to cry.

"Frances," she began whispering to the stone. "You shall forever be under this stone of honor, and God will take great care of you I just know that he will. I trust him, just as much as I trust you." She lifted her head and looked down at the stone, then to the sky. "Take care Frances, I'll be here if you need me."

Hesitantly, Sabi walked away from the stone and continued her way slowly through the swampy forest. The trees howled and the birds squawked, making her funeral and her journey rather noisy and unpleasant. Sometimes, she did wish she could go home, but she knew she couldn't not after all these years of being alone.

Just as these thoughts were starting to get to her, Sabi heard a slight splash sound from the distance. An animal? A tree branch? She didn't know what made the noise, but she did secretly hope it was a kalon. She started to go towards the noise, hoping that the kalon would be able to show her in the right direction of the village she was going to. She had some special trades to do there.

As she reached the source of the noise, she heard another noise. Cursing and splashing. "Hello? Is someone there?" she called. She heard the figure stop, but then the noise continued.

"Hello?" she called, slightly louder this time. She walked a little bit forward and saw a kalon looking up towards the sky, obviously annoyed with her. Well he's going to have to deal with me. she thought, huffing.

"Excuse me, sir?" she saw him turn around and glare at her. She froze, though tried her best to keep her "brave" stance. "Kingdom's that way," he said, pointing to the kingdom grounds that were off in the distance. She raised her eyebrow at him, though he didn't seem to see.

"Oh, hello. Thank you, but I'm actually looking for the village," she responded, trying not to growl in frustration. By the sound of his voice, that was the last thing he needed right now. Sabi saw him trying to get a better look at her. "What village are you talking about?" he asked her, obviously impatient.

She shuffled her paws awkwardly. Oh god... she thought. "I'm looking for-"

She stopped short to see the kalon suddenly go in a panic. "Run!" he called to her, suddenly on the move. "What?" she called back confused and frightened. She turned around and noticed a huge bear, rearing up and snarling at her. She screamed, and began to run, but the bear caught a blow to her face, sending her flying as she landed right next to a giant oak tree. She tried her best to open her eyes, as she heard the kalon yell and slam into the side of the bear. Her vision was blurry, but this was a sign for her to escape. She crawled quickly to a nearby bush. She could have easily left. I can't leave him! she wailed in her mind. Something about the way this kalon talked with vaguely familiar to her.

She watched the kalon fight the bear, with such bravery, and it made her heart skip a beat a small bit. She watched for as long as she could, until exhaustion and pain had led her to sleep.

---

Sabi slowly opened her eyes as she was greeted with more darkness. Her vision, incredibly blurry, made her feel sick. She laid back down on her back. She touched her cheek where the bear hit her and made a small groan of pain. She turned to lay on her side, and she saw a figure standing in a doorway. "W-what?" Sabi sat up quickly and in panic. "Where am I? Who are you?"

She saw the kalon approach her, she squinted hard and made out the figure. It was the kalon who saved her from the bear attack! She wanted to thank him for saving her life, but maybe the time wasn't right yet. The kalon sat down on a chair next to the bed and took out some sort of potion like bottle. "Calm down. You were pretty banged up after that fight, so I brought you here to fix you up." he said, gruffly.

She leaned back. "O-oh, right. The bear." she looked down at her paws and flinched as he began to fix her wound. She noticed her paw pads were covered in dirt and blood. Why could she never feel them? She sighed and glanced at the kalon who was dressing her cheek, being very gentle with it as well. She was able to make out the shape of him, but couldn't quite make out his face, since her vision was blurry, and she was worried she'd never see right again.

What she was able to see, however, was the shape of the kalon's neck and hair. It looked surprisingly like... Solomon. She sighed and looked down again. No. It can't be... but I shouldn't give up. "You look familiar," she said, flinching as he dotted her cheek with the potion.

He shrugged. "Just one of those faces, I guess." Sabi rolled her eyes. She wasn't convinced.

"What brings you to these parts? Surely you couldn't have gotten that far off course to end up here." He mentioned to her. She shrugged. "Actually..." she began, looking at him with seriousness. "I'm looking for someone."

"Really?" the kalon dabbed the rag in the water again.

"Yes. He's someone I knew a long time ago. I...I believe he was wrongly accused of something, and I just have to find him." As she explained herself, she started to loose her mind, remembering that night when she ran away, and what her views were. She stared off into space. "I need to see him again." She turned around and stared at him with a slight plea in her eyes. Her vision was getting better... and she definitely could see him now... but who was he? She heard him gulp as he continued to dress her wound.

"I swear, I know you from somewhere. Maybe if your face wasn't covered in mud..." she mumbled, continuing to look at him. The kalon got up and turned his back to her, mumbling to himself. He set the potion down on a wooden table and stood over it. He scanned his body and as soon as she saw it, the memories came flooding back to her. She gasped, and stood up and walked closer. "Hey, you shouldn't be standing. Just wait until I grab this..." he trailed off as she looked at him in awe and... love?

"You're him..." she breathed, feeling the tears about to come down. "You're him..."

"What are you talking about?" he snapped, staring at her... but not with anger.

She looked down at his tail. His shine. Mud wasn't covering it. He cursed under his breath. He meant to hide it.

"I can't believe it's you." Sabi continued. "I-I...I wanted to see you again."

"Can't understand why." Turning back to the table, Solo gripped the edge with both paws as hard as he could. Splinters seemed to dig into his pads as she finished. "You're on the hunt for a convicted murderer,"

Sabi looked down at her paws at the realization. Will God punish me for that? she thought. She shook her head. "But... you didn't do it right?"

"Of course not," he said as he tightened his grip. "I would never hurt anyone," he mumbled something to himself, but Sabi's ears were still ringing so she couldn't catch what he said. She shook it off, it didn't matter to her. "I didn't think you did," she said, looking at him with empathy.

She glanced around his cabin. It was small, yes, but it also looked quite cozy. "You live here now?" she mentioned as she looked around. "I like it, nice and cozy."

"Don't get too comfortable," he said flatly. "You're leaving in the morning."

Sabi's eyes widened. Why would he want her to leave? "What? But-"

"It was nice to see you again, really," he said, turning to look at her. He looked expressionless, but Sabi knew he wasn't lying. It made her feel warm inside. "But I prefer to be alone." he nodded, and walked off into another room. Like I'm done with you yet. she thought. She closed her eyes and let out what was on her mind: "But I've been seeking you for years. I was thinking that maybe...I could...stay with you?"

Solo turned around, paused, but then shook his head. "No. You would just get in my way, No offense."

Sabi huffed at that comment. She looked down and sniffed. But she had an idea and looked back up to make eye contact with him again. "What if I could help you?"

Solo cocked his head. "And how would you do that?"

She nodded and immediately replied "You still make potions, right? I could gather herbs and ingredients for you. Also," she glanced at his torn and muddy cloak hanging on the back of a chair. "I can mend things pretty well and handle a needle. Not to mention various odd-jobs that you need done. And...I wouldn't get in your way. I promise, I won't mess anything up or be a bother."

Solo stared at the ground as she said this, obviously thinking it through. Then suddenly, he looked up at her. "What about your husband?" he asked abruptly.

She winced and actually blushed a small bit. "M-my what?" He didn't look pleased with that answer. "Didn't you marry after I was exiled?" he asked her.

Sabi shook her head. He must not know that I left right away after I heard he was exiled. She thought about telling him this, but she decided against it. It's not important.

"No. The new prince was horrible and mean and...I was supposed to get married to him, but..." she trailed off, hoping that answer would satisfy him at least. He seemed to agree with this answer, and sighed heavily, and made eye contact with her. "Alright I supposed you can... stay."

A huge grin broke onto Sabi's face. "Really? This is wonderful!" She beamed, shaking with excitement. She wanted to hug and kiss Solo, but she stopped herself since she didn't think he'd be too thrilled with that. She didn't want to ruin the moment. And besides, she loved Solo so much, and she would get to stay with him.

She looked up at the ceiling and pretended it was the night sky. She was nearly brought to tears. Did you hear that Frances? We found him, and now we can stay with him! We can stay!

art by me

[Silver Pandorica]

Timeline

September 16th, 1648
Solomon Rosaline Dalton is born.

October 28th, 1650
Solo's mother, Rosaline, dies of lung cancer.

1653
King Dalton, Solo's father, begins to have him study and prepare him for becoming king.

1658
Solo is required to begin defense lessons and how to handle a sword. There is the scent of a war in the air, and all men of age nine or older must learn how to fight.

1660
Discovering Solo has befriended some children from the village, the King bans him from going down there any longer. Royalty should not associate with the commonfolk unless absolutely necessary.

1660
The war between kingdoms begins. The blood has been boiling between the two ever since they split up. They used to be one big kingdom, but then one fateful year, two brother fought over who would rule. They ended up each taking half of the kingdom, and they have been split to this day. Just recently, the trades between the two kingdoms have come to a halt, causing a severe lack of food, spices, clothing, and materials. The war began.

Late 1660
Solo takes up the hobby of reading, starting to fully sink into loneliness. This is the beginning of his gradual descent into depression. It isn't long afterwards that he is told of his future engagement to the princess from their opposing kingdom. The news hits him hard.

1661
Curiosity about magic sparks from his reading and he gives in, sneaking out to purchase some books for research. Solo begins to practice the art of potion-making. It becomes his hobby, but is quickly made out into something more. It was his escape from the world, from his responsibilities, and from his father. He went from practicing a few days a week to every day, staying cooped up in his room except when required to leave.

1662
Loses all will to physically take care of himself. Meaning he wouldn't even leave the room to do his hair, take a bath, or even set foot outdoors. His depression was too strong, so he continued to focus on and only on his potion-making.

1663
As the war rages on and his engagement creeps closer, Solo has shut out everyone in his life, and by age fifteen he hated talking to people more then he did before. His introverted personality strengthened and he became cold and distant, snapping at anyone who dared to challenge him or anything he did. Even Barrow could no longer get through to him.

1664
At age sixteen, he finally meets the princess he is to be married to so the hatred between their kingdoms can be over at long last. He takes no interest in her whatsoever. When she accidentally spills his secret hobby of potion-making, the king is furious and forbids him to continue. Solo would not give up that easily, however. He took extra precautions this time to protect his secret.

Early 1665
Barrow walks in on Solo's room. While they are arguing, the concoction he was working on reacts before he can do anything and blows up. Solo protects barrow from the blast, but in turn gets a badly broken leg, leaving him with a limp for the rest of his life. King Dalton is horrified at his actions and scolds him harshly, but at this point, Solo no longer cares.

Late 1665
At seventeen, Solo is exiled by his own father, accusing him of murdering one of the servants. The king would rather have someone else rule the kingdom, and replaced him with Solo's distant cousin. He then killed one of his own castle servants and framed Solomon, using the murder as an excuse for his leave. No longer allowed in the kingdom, Solo is forced into hiding and takes up residence in a dank forest somewhere on the outskirts of the kingdoms.

1673
A young woman stumbles across his swamp, and Solo is trying to get her to leave when a bear attacks from the trees. He fights it off, getting even muddier in the process, but not before the woman is hurt. After fighting off the creature, he picks her up and brings her inside. Upon closer inspection, he discovers the woman to be none other then princess Sabi. He gently fixes her up, and they get to talking. The kingdoms have nearly torn each other apart in the process of searching for Sabi, thinking she was possibly kidnapped by Solo himself. Solo lets her stay for the night, but in the morning she doesn't want to leave. She wants to stay with him.



potion
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art by me

[Sunniedew]

Timeline

October 4th of 1650
Princess Sabrina was born.

1653
Sabi learned how to walk, and she was a very adventurous little one. She would walk all around the castle, and most;y go into the room where all of the gold and diamonds were turned into jewelry. “What that?” she would as her mother, holding her hand. “They’re making pretty necklaces for you and me, as well as beautiful crowns and tiaras.”
After a few more months, Sabi learned that they were jewelers and that they were in charge of putting diamonds on her dresses and making the jewelry. She would say the word “Jeweler” like crazy, driving her father mad, and her mother to giggle a lot.

1657
When Sabi turned 7 years old, her mother began teaching her how to sew and make her own dresses. Her father thought that wasn’t a good idea since they had servants to do it for her, but Sabi didn’t mind at all since she actually enjoyed it. She was able to make her own dresses from then on, and she even adds on her own little touch to them, like diamonds in the middle of the roses.
After she learned how to sew and stitch dresses, she also learned how to make king’s robes and cloaks, and she has a very good eye for things like that. She was also able to fix up clothes so it looked like there was never a problem in the first place.

1660
The war began, and her father had returned home from a battle wounded by the opposite side. He was in the same room in the same castle or almost a year, and on Sabi’s 10th birthday, the king had to end his suffering, and demanded that he be let down. Before his funeral, Sabi had spent the entire night making him a cape, a special one covered in stitched on roses, with flowers in the middle of the flowers. She had her father buried with the cape, so he could remember her, even when he was up with God. She never stitched roses like that again.

1664
She met Prince Solomon to marry him. She immediately figures out that he shows no interest in her whatsoever. She later learns in a house tour that Solomon does things with potions, and she falls in love with him. She accidentally blurts out that he does potions to his father (the king of the opposite kingdom) and regrets it. She does her best to try and make it up to him but nothing works. One night, she goes into her room and makes him a new cape, with one single rose on it. She gives it to him and he snorts and brushes it off. Sabi ignores it, but she secretly hopes that he does like it.

1665
She then learns of his exile. She breaks down and gets on her horse named Frances, and decides that it’s best to go and find Solomon. After running away from her kingdom, she sets up camp on the outskirts of the kingdom boundaries. Her home becomes a small abandoned cave, where she comes back to every so often to rest or gather other things.

1668
Sabi learns how to make different tools and cook different kinds of food, which she starts using fro herself. Then she soon finds an isolated village near her home, and she learns that she can trade the tools and food she makes to the villagers, who gladly give her fabric, needles, thread, and jewels in return, which she uses to make garments again and trade those for better food and tools. She also uses the garments to get better food for Frances.

1673
5 years later, Frances passes away from old age, and Sabi spends three days digging a grave and making it for her dead horse. Then she continues to find Solomon on foot. She comes across him but doesn’t realize it is him. She is attacked by a wild bear and Solomon saves her, though she had received a cut on her cheek, which later becomes a scar. Solomon invites her to his home, and she lives with him from then on.




flower
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art by me

[Silver Pandorica]

(by me)