The Princess and The Pauper

(This story is set twenty years after PaDr2 and is situated in space and Earth. In case you're wondering about Dana's name it is a variant of Danu, the goddess of the first religion of man, she was the goddess earth, moon, giving birth/being born, and in-between she grew old and then became the goddess of death (may be real I dunno I got it off 'Come Like Shadows' by Welwyn Wilton Katz-a must read. Also picked Alba's name from it (old name of Scotland) and Martin was named after the illustrator and also a character from an OLD 'neopets' story I wrote. :-P. I recommend also reading Painful Dreams before further reading this. Also some may need a dictionary to read this, especially with Dana's royal tongue. ()

It was hopeless. She knew it in her heart despite her pleas. Her mother frowned, "I know you don't want to but we need to secure the throne. he may not be 'the perfect man' but."
Terra, her mother, Queen Allison's best friend laughed, " 'May not be the 'Perfect Man'' he is a blubbering, fat idiot and you hate him as much as Dana!"
". He IS the Prince of Fia'ran. He IS the ONLY person suitable for you Dana. I know he isn't husband material but he is of a good family." The queen argued.
'Mom's voice is wavering again?' Dana begged, "Please mother, I am not fond of Him!!!"
"You have to marry him."
"No!" She jumped up the golden threads on her kimono sparkling in the light. The light shone off the glass chandeliers hanging on the ceiling at least fifty feet above her head.
Terra, always in a light humour laughed, "Just like you were huh Allison? Minus the tongue though."
"I am departing before you come to a decision of whom I'm more resembling." She stood.
Queen Allison crumpled down, "You will at least attend the ball?"
"Yes, might as well." Sighing she left in a flash brushing off some maids. She approached her room. Entering she waved out the maids. She looked in the mirror.
She was totally unique in looks. Her dark golden eyes looked Asian, which matched her darkly tanned skin, were covered in thick eye shadow which stretched Egyptian-like to her hair. Under the edge of her eyes were large dots. Two little dots were right under the middle of her eyebrows and two more in the same place above them. Her raven hair was in a loose bun and secured with a long, deep red sash. She wore a red kimono, with designs of birds fluttering near stunning flowers stitched into it. A thick gold sash was tied in a very loose bow around her waist so loose in fact you could see it from in front of her. She wore silk slippers on her feet, and her ankles, wrists and fingers were covered in various gold jewellery. On her head was a lone circlet, from her ears hung two large hoops and a ton of miniature ones surrounded her upper ear. Finally around her neck was her mother's locket inside was the only pictures of her father and of her uncle. She was a sight to behold in her splendour. 'My life is not reasonable!!!'

Luke swiped a watch from a small, wide man as he 'accidentally' bumped into him. 'This is the life.' He approached the base and emptied his pockets out on a desk; red hair shone as her lowered his hood.
"Ahh. SHINEIES!!!" Serenity his bosses' half Katu daughter squealed as she pounced on the goods from out of nowhere.
Sighing he stepped back, "Not agin. ya coulda gave me warnin'."
One of 'The Family's leaders: Desiree, Serenity's mother, walked in her arms crossed. "If this keeps up Daddy is going to be disappointed that his little girl isn't pretty when he comes back." Desiree's long streaked hair was pulled back into a loose ponytail. She wore a black t-shirt with black pants and dark makeup.
'As always a great role model in the fashion sense, I pity poor Serenity!' He opened a case brushing his deep red hair. "Got it."
Desiree, or Dez as everyone called her strutted up opening the case. At least five fancy masks and envelopes were in it. "Gather everyone. we got a job. We got to kidnap the Watcher's lil daughter."

As Dana was about to prepare for the ball she heard a voice. "Dana?" Her mother entered. "If you really don't want to you can cancel the wedding." Her tone was dull, "You don't seem that happy with the proposal."
"I am grateful!" She hugged her mom but inside a voice was yelling, 'She never gives up ever something is up. And she sounds dead.'
"Now shouldn't you be at the ball?" Her mother smiled down at her.
"Affirmative, I was presently on the subject of dressing." She put on a new gown. A white Elizabethan dress, it was gold trimmed and hung around her shoulders. Up the front was a bulky strip of gold sequins stitched in with gold thread. Its sleeves ended in a loose triangle. She slipped on gold gloves underneath it and exchanged her circlet for a tiara. Her hair was in a long braid she slung over her shoulder.
Walking out she noticed her pet, Martin, a blue fox called a Palo with a huge red crystal on his forehead, a large gold collar with large pearls and an identical gem decorating it. "Where have you been?"
She scooped him up slipping him on her shoulders like a scarf; he was the only thing she spoke remotely normal to. Palo's understood English but were often confused by some of the larger words, also Marten rarely listened causing her to doubt if he did understand her. He purred rubbing into her cheek his tail brushing the other. She entered the ballroom slipping into the crowd.
A little boy approached her. Terra and Jason's son: Jaron, a little boy that looked similar to his mother. His innocent blue eyes looked up at her, "Danny, I can't find mommy."
She knelt down wrinkling her expensive dress. "Come on, I promise to assist you. What area did you observe her most recent?"
The boy looked thoughtful as he translated her words in his head. "I forget."
She giggled, "In that set of circumstances we must seek out for her." She grabbed his tiny-fingered hand. Pushing through the crowd she noticed Him.
The previous fiancé, Alba DéCrapino approached her (Say it slowly and try not to laugh (I'll-be-da-crap-I-know).) His large frame was pushing couples, chatters, and butlers carrying various specialities from far-off planets causing a ruckus. "Hello Dana what are you up to?" He seemed more interested in her chest than her face and spoke if she were lower than he.
'He is a perverted, simple, little man with no regard to others.' She reminded herself. "Searching for a appropriate suitor and assisting misplaced children." She smiled sweetly.
"What," he looked livid, "Searching for a suitor? You seem to forget that you are betrothed to me."
"Sorry you are misguided." She walked past the prince. "Oh, there is your mother." She spotted Terra over at the punch table. She led Jaron to his parents, "Any person misplace an offspring?"
"Mommy!!!" He soared into Terra's arms.
"Always 'Mommy' under no circumstances 'Daddy'!" A tired sigh came from behind Dana, "Oh well don't blame him." Jason pecked his wife on the cheek appearing from behind the princess.
Martin suddenly jumped off Dana's shoulders disappearing into the dance floor. "Meow?" He winked at Dana playfully.
"Martin what place are you departing to?" She called in aggravation. She lifted her skirt and followed the little fox into the swaying multitude.
She found him rubbing against a surprised masked man. "Meow?"
"Pardon sir, I misplaced him inside the crowd." She blushed knelling down grabbing the childish fox. She stride off quickly backtracking to Terra and her family but stopped as he began to speak.
"'TZ alright, ya wanta dance?" He had handsome red hair and if that wasn't enough his common speech and accent surprised her. His 'S's sounded like 'Z's. Her heart pounded. He stood stiffly, "I'd understan' if ya were too busy."
"I do desire in favour of a miniature dance." She put her fox down, yet the loyal pest followed close to her heels. She took the stranger's hands. They started to glide in synchronized dance. Many stopped to stare at the young couple. She kept the beat surprised how high quality his dancing was.
"A commoner???" Alba stormed off in resentment towards the sake.

Desiree noticed trouble right away. The queen, Allison, was approaching Dana and Luke. "Gary, we need a diversion." She murmured to a figure taking full advantage of the buffet.
"Umm. I know." He grabbed a pie wiping food from his face. "Clown- theory." He flicked the pastry and it hit a noble merman, skidding down his blue face. The queen hurried to help him clean up. No one saw who flicked it. "Always works."

A man stood in the shadows. He watched the princess dance with the commoner, 'little princess. you are mine.'

Everyone was busy watching the couple. A maid giggled as she filled the punch bowl, "They're so cute."
"A princess with a commoner??? So disgraceful!!!" An elderly king snorted.
"Be nice dear. she is graceful enough to lower herself to take pity and dance with the lower class," his wife smiled, "such a sweet girl to take pity on the less fortunate."
"I am appreciative on behalf of the reputation of you dancing along with me," She curtsied self-conscious about the murmurs; "However my obligation as princess is requested."
'Why is it she talks like that, like a textbook? Probly only danced with me to seem nice. What a snob!!!' Luke smiled despite his ill feelings for the princess and forced himself to say: " 'Kay, maybe we can dance agin tonight?"
"Under the condition when the occasion it is allowed." Dana sighed sadly at the chances, "subsequently possibly I could compress a dance into my agenda." She looked at him wising she could see his eyes. 'He is so handsome even with the mask.'
It took a second for him to work it out. "Okay. see ya then." They both split up. He went straight to Desiree, "she sounds like she swallow'd a thesaurus. I could barely understan' her 'vast vocab'. She seemed ta 'pity' me. that SNOB!!!"
"Sounds like you had fun." Their companion, 'Grizzly' laughed, "Always SO kind."
"Shuddup!" Luke snapped.
"Meow?" The little fox-thingy, Princess Dana's pet, looked up at him.
"Hmm." He picked him up lifting him at eye level, "Kind of cute in a eerie sorta way."
It blinked. "Meow? "
"How cute!!!" Serenity appeared grabbing the fox. "Yea!" She spun around causing her green summer dress to sway.
"Marrow" the fox hissed.
"Huh?" A boy walked over, he didn't look much older than Serenity, "Whatcha doin' ta Martin?"
"Huh?" Serenity looked at the boy, he wore a small tuxedo, "How Cute!" She started poking at his tie.
"Serenity. what did I tell you about this party?" Desiree sounded ticked.
Serenity paused scuffing her feet on the floor looking innocently down, "Not to bother anyone?"
". And what are you doing?"
"Nothing..."
"Serenity???"
"What???" She looked innocently up at her mother.
"Why do I even bother the only person she listens to is Kade." Dez moaned and slapped her head.
". Hey Jaron where are you?" A female voice drifted through causing Desiree to curse under her breath.
"Coming mommy!" The boy ran off.
"Darn. it was the Lopez kid. retreat."

Dana's thoughts wandered that night to the strange red haired man that she'd danced with. 'He was so. strange. I cannot stop thinking of him.' She looked up at the ceiling. 'I wonder who he was.' His image flashed through her mind. 'Mother says that you know you are in love if you can't stop thinking of them. no, I barely know him!' She stood up and went to the bathroom. Splashing water on her face she heard something. A low mumble from beneath her bathroom, the council's main meeting room, 'but it should be empty!'
Lowering down putting her ear to the floorboards, she recognized the voice, one of the council members Thane. "Tomorrow we enchant the Princess and we'll use the Queen to get the throne. We have done well enslaving Allison, Cheers!!! The princess will be a good wife I cannot wait to be king."
Dana got up eyes wide open. She knew that his word was higher ranked than hers. If she questioned him it would just be waved off as a bad dream and he'd still probly proceed with the plan. She grabbed a bag she had especially in case she had to go into hiding. She grabbed a piece of paper from her stationary. Writing a note quickly: Dear Aunt Terra, on behalf of an assortment of reasons I have cause in the direction of not specifying, I am required to depart from the palace. I will be wary. Also you should beware, evil is afoot. -Princess Dana, Of the Watcher. She grabbed Martin, taking care not to awaken him, laying him in her bag. She slowly crept past her old nanny. Glad the elderly woman was a heavy sleeper. Once she got to the hall it was simple. Slipping the note in the Lopez's room she snuck past the pacing guard to the outer sector of the palace. She was at the dock before the alarms went off.
A shout came from a hidden guard, "The princess is running away!!!"
Dana ran into her ship. The ~Martin~ was her eighteenth-birthday present from her mother. It had the best parts in the universe, easy controls, and special features; like stealth. "I question if under the circumstance mother was attentive of my campaign intended for this craft on these hours of shadows. would she have presented me the ~Martin~?" She hit a random number on the autopilot. But fate willed it to be a certain co- ordinate of a planet called after the ground, Earth. Or perhaps it was something else that caused it.

Luke stared at the screen. Three ships sunk in front of his eyes. His eyes rolled back in shock, "Yare a monsta." His voce wavered causing his foe to laugh evilly.
He shook his fist at Serenity who was on the computer behind his. He looked at the dots on the battlefield. He selected a spot. A loud bang came from the screen.
Serenity laughed, "You sunk my Battleship!"
A siren went off. "Yea! An unregistered visit from an unlucky captain who gets to forfeit their ship to ME!" She cackled evilly.
"Ya scare ma when ya had chocolate!" Luke sighed.
She ran off to get her mother as he walked out the door staring at a 'shooting star'

The ~Martin~ landed on the rooftop of an old abandoned building. Dana crept out slowly while Martin scrambled out heading towards the fire escape. "Martin please cease dashing, you are acting disgraceful." Suddenly a group appeared in front of her. 'Is it the guard? I can't see.' She shivered scared, "Please accomplish not to make me proceed back to the palace!!!"
"Huh? It is the Princess?" A light revealed a woman; a little Katu girl tugging at her skirt. The woman had blonde streaks in her brown hair. Behind her were two guys; one looked punk with a Mohawk and various tattoos, while the other looked normal, a redhead that reminded her of an old butler at the palace, Patrick.
The woman approached her, "Running away? That was stupid, why did ya do it?"
Dana felt like she could trust the woman for some reason, "An individual of the council is controlling Mother. and is planning on forcing mother to give him the throne and status of being king." The group studied her as she knelt to pick Martin up. She felt funny, wearing a plain green dress. She had taken off all her bracelets, anklets, rings and her circlet. Her makeup still obscured her face and she had been rushing so she forgot her earrings and her locket was still hidden under her dress.
"Mommy?" The little Katu tugged on the woman's sleeve.
"What, Serenity?" She sounded tired.
"Lets help her!" The girl used a very convincing puppy dog look.
"Well." The woman eyed Dana and approached her trying to get a better look. She smiled, "you guys heard her. help Miss Parker."
Dana's ears perked up "Were you acquainted with my father?"
The woman walked up to Dana, "I'm Desiree, me and my husband lead the Family, also we took part in crashing the Organization We were there when he died. He was a nice guy, kind of a clinger towards Allison though, shame..."
Dana realized something, 'Mother never speaks of my father; and Terra and Jason say it is not in their position to tell me of him. may possibly this lady, Desiree. be able to expand my knowledge of him?'
". Come to think about it most guys clung to Allison; glad Kade seemed immune to things like that." Desiree ruffled the little girl's hair. "Anyhow this is my daughter, Serenity."
"Hello, your fox is cute, I like your makeup! Your name is funny!" She twirled around Dana.
"I am conscious of that. it is a modification of the name of Danu, the goddess of the first religion of humans..." She smiled down at the kid as she rambled on.
"Wow, my name is just being ladylike! You speak funny I can barely understand you! What's the fox's name?" She was bouncing up and down.
The guys snickered. "Martin. I am sorry if I am confusing you... using advanced words is necessary to get order within my society."
The girl wrinkled her nose. "Umm. what?"
Snickers followed.
"Using big words is necessary to be heard where I am from."
"Oh! Okay! C'mon lets go home!"
"Luke." Desiree called, "Don't let her know who the dancer was."
"Huh? Why?" He stopped.
"She might run off if she discovers we tried to kidnap her."
He started to walk again, "Key 'TZ fine wit ma." They entered the portal.
Kade was already waiting. "So this is our little captain?" Desiree walked over to her husband whispering their situation. His eyes widened. "Your majesty." He bowed and the princess curtsied.
'Katu are so religious.' Luke rolled his eyes heading towards the door. "I am outta her'!"
"Wait, Luke. Please take the Princess to the spare bedroom across from Sin's." Kade used Serenity's nickname.
"Alrigh'." He paused allowing the princess to walk next to him, 'Why do 'I' have to baby sit her?' He walked her to the stair. "Tis the room wit the black walls, your majesty." He pointed up to the top, sarcastically bowing.
She looked surprised, "But... fine." She walked up the stair without a word or a look back; her head bowed solemnly. Her feet were dragging slowly up to her room.

TBC