Serah's POV:

“Should we be cheerful today or the usual?” My conscience asked.

“I’m feeling cheerful.” I replied out loud. My feet felt like flying over the cobblestones of the path I was walking on. A shiver of excitement ran throughout my entire body and I felt like running…so I did. My feet carried me across the market square, through the crowds and out of town.

Finally, I stopped to catch my breath. A large, golden wheat field spread out in front of me. I stood up on a small cliff above it, surveying the beautiful scene. The sun had now officially risen fully as I breathed in deeply. I felt the sudden urge to laugh. To laugh and roll in the grass, to forget my troubles and be a child again. The feeling vanished as soon as it had come as I sensed something. I turned around and faced the direction I had come from. I had pulled myself out of an alleyway in the town so I expected someone to walk past the alley. But a weird feeling had struck me as I now approached the alley. A figure stood in the center, still and silent. I now froze and quietly watched the figure as they approached. As they stepped into the sunlight, I took a step back.

A man stood in front of me, tall and shockingly handsome. He had wavy, brown hair and deep green eyes. He smirked, “Hello.”

“Hello.” I replied, keeping my eyes on him steadily.

“I am Louis.”

Instantly everything inside of me turns cold. Louis. Wasn’t he like, related to Perryn? I remembered doing research on the princes in Persia. Louis, Perryn and then a younger one. His hair and eyes were just like Perryn’s. But he was taller, slightly chubbier. The muscles on his arms, and chest weren’t as defined as—I stopped myself. What was I doing? I shook myself back to reality with a grunt, “What do you want?”

He stepped closer, “You know what.”

A million thoughts raced through my brain, “Your…brother. You want him back.”

He nodded wickedly.

“How did you get on this island?” I asked.

“I have my ways. Now…where is Perryn?”

“Why do you want him?” I demanded.

“We have some…” His eyes flashed angrily, “…unfinished business; my brother and I…You know, princes don’t always get along. My father thinks that Perryn will be the perfect king, not me, the oldest!”

I tried to step away from him, glaring, “I do not wish to be a part of your sibling rivalry. Now, if you will excuse me, I have a lunch to attend too.”

“With my brother?” Louis asked, following me as I stalked out of the alleyway and into market square.

“It doesn’t matter.” I snarled, “Get off my back and off my island.”

“I am a prince.”

“An annoying one!” I protested, turning and shoving his chest away from me. He was too close for comfort, “No wonder your father thinks Perryn will be a better king, he’s not nearly as irritating!”

Louis growled, “Do not speak to me in such a—“

And suddenly, Tanner was there. He grabbed my hand, that embarrassingly was still pushing Louis away.

He frowned at Louis, “Who are you?”

“Louis Sanchez, Prince of Persia.”

Tanner froze. Then his eyes shifted from the man to me, then back to him, “What is a prince doing on this island?” He asked finally, “Some say this is the most dangerous place in all of Persia. And yet…here you are…how do you know that we won’t kill you?”

Louis smirked then looked at me, “She’s your captain, right? Like, your leader, your boss. The person who runs this town. You haven’t killed me yet…” He stepped close to my face, until our noses almost touched. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the others gather, ready to back me up.

“Why haven’t you?” He demanded, continuing, “Are you soft?”

I quickly decided to shut him up. My fist jerked out of Tanner’s grasp, whipped up, and I punched him hard across the face. I felt and heard the crack against my knuckles as my fist met his nose. He howled in outrage as he stumbled backwards from the force of the hit.

“You…dare!?” He demanded.

“Like you said, I run this town. So get off of it.” Now it was I who took the threatening step towards him, “Before I do much worse than just break your nose.”

Louis began to back away before glancing over in the others' direction. His eyes landed instantly on Perryn, who’s face had twisted into a dark scowl. Louis’s scowl matched his brother’s…and then he was gone.