"The Highest princess?" Darryl asked and turned to Maru's confirmation "It is princess Wang right?"

He remembered that before he left, princess Wang had become the Highest princess in the Chieftain's household and so he thought it was her.

​​

"No Hero," Maru shook her head. "Princess Wang had been dethroned. Remember the time she stole the healer's bracelet at the selection? She never got away with that. This is the new Highest princess, the fourth daughter of the Chieftain. She was still a child when you came but she had grown now. They said she was far more beautiful than Princess Tang,"

The carriage opened and a young girl stepped out. Her eyes were ocean sea and hair with the same shade of her sister Dannah. Her hair was so long it fell past her waist and unlike every woman in the place, she had the fairest skin that everyone would be tempted to touch. Indeed she was far more beautiful than princess Tang, hopefully not as vicious.

"Welcome back home Hero of Somer Isles," She came with a beautiful smile and everyone gave her a curtsy. Even the princesses that came with her did bow unto her to acknowledge her importance.

"Thank you princess…." Darryl paused for a minute wondering what he should call her.

"Lana," She told him gracefully. "Princess Lana. Truth is you can call me anything you want hero as I believe the Hero of Somer Isles is more significant than the Highest princess. So you can call me as you please,"

"Princess Lana then," He gave his bow.

"I came on behalf of my sister princess Song," She announced. "A gunta sent her a message of your arrival and so she wanted to rush her. Unfortunately she was sick so she begged me to come in behalf. She also sent gifts,"

"Had Princess Song been sickly when I left?" There was some worry that came into him when she heard her words.

"No Hero, please do not worry," She refuted. "She had always been well but she spent to much time these days in the farm and since were are still in the rainy season, she must have catch some cold,"

"Farm?"

"She had been maintaining the farm that the healer had left," Maru told Darryl. "She caught some skills in farming as the healer has taught her previously. When she left, Aki Owens continued where they left and she had been farming eversince,"

"I see. I'll send him a word soon and perhaps go and see her," Darryl planned. "But for now, I believe that Baruk Tam has prepared a small feast. Please come and join us,"

"Let's all go, everyone must be hungry and exhausted," Baruk Tam said when Darryl invited everyone in.

They all went in and shared a bountiful meal. There Baruk Tam had told Darryl everything they had missed and some tales that were rather worth sharing. The princess who was there too enjoyed the food, so was the close glance at the Hero of Somer Isle they all adore. Luckily, they came when everyone else didn't know, thanks to princess Song and her messenger.

"Hero it's good that you had come these days," Baruk Tam blabbered when the wine had been served. " I actually planned to send you a word through the Ministry if you could come and visit me soon because I badly need you these days,"

"You planned to send me a word?" That came as a surprise to Darryl because if Baruk Tam had to go that far to get through him, it must be something important.

"Yes Hero..it's not about something bad..it's actually about something good," He smiled widely and went to look at Maru who blushed at the thought of what he was going to announce.

"Tell me then.."

"The Village elders thought I'm already at a good age," Baruk Tam became excited. "So me and Maru will have a wedding soon after the rainy season,"

"Oh?" Darryl too was overjoyed with the news. It amazed him to know that after long years of being cat and dog, the couple was going to finally be wed soon. "That's good to hear. Congratulations,"

"Congratulations Baruk Tam," The princesses gave their approvals to, "And to you Maru. May the Highest God send you great joy and blessings!"

"Spring will come after the rainy season. Indeed it's a good time for a wedding" The highest princess commented, "Congratulations Baruk Tam. Maru is so beautiful and very responsible. You are a lucky man,"

"I am indeed a lucky man. If not for my Maru, I would not have been here now," He turned to her beloved whose blushed even became more pronounced. Even when Maru finds Baruk Tam annoying these days, she was still thrilled that finally they got to be wed. She had long waited for the day.

"I wish the healer was still here," Suddenly Maru became emotional thinking about it. She was one of the people who mourned pitifully when they learned that Xhemin died. "It was her. I want to share these beautiful days and when I think about weddings, it's your wedding that I always think about. I was so beautiful that day,"

"My beloved, do not think about it anymore. You are only making the hero sad," Baruk Tam reached out for her. The once radiant room turned gloomy then as everyone remembered Xhemin, the healer of the Manggan Archipelago.

"Maru do not mourn for her anymore. The healer is okay. I have met her before I left," Darryl announced as he didn't want them anymore to mourn for her.

"What?" Everyone turned to Darryl with hopeful eyes. For such a long time, it was only that they had received news about the healer. They were all convinced she had long been dead as the chieftain told them how the hero was mourning for her.

"It is true. She came back to me after six years," Darryl gave them a bitter smile. "However, I don't she'll come back here anymore,"

After Darryl said that, their conversation turned mostly about Xhemin as Maru and Baruk Tam wanted to ask further questions. Darryl answered all of them patiently, especially that those people then once became their family and they all cared and celebrated them that most of the people they met in their lives.