Part 3- Friendship

Years passed, but not much changed in Old Felinia, being significantly behind the times in technology. The same Castle with the same rulers, same servants from the same village. However, there was one person who changed.

Princess Kuja grew into a fifteen-year-old young woman. She handled puberty and the changes in her body well. However, she did not have the fragile frame of Cassandra; Kuja was much more athletic and therefore had a lean frame.

The Princess was lonely. She wasn’t allowed to consort with the servants, and she was forbidden to go to the village alone.

The King and Queen began the drawn-out process of suitors as well. Almost every day a rich old or young man would arrive around dinnertime and attempt to woo Kuja. She became very tired of that, and therefore behaved “uncivilized,” doing crazy things such as mussing her hair, dropping food in the suitor’s lap, or belching. Only Kuja was amused by this.

One fine spring day, the Princess could be found in the apple orchid yet again. The trees were just blossoming.

Kuja liked to gather leaves and blossoms from trees and make necklaces and bracelets from them. Whenever she went inside with them, though, the Queen would shriek and demand her to destroy them.

She spent an hour happily making jewelry. Then, she looked around the orchid and noticed someone. It was a girl, and she was also picking off blossoms. Hmmn, Kuja thought. She moved closer to her.

The girl looked up as Kuja approached. The Princess instantly saw that she was a servant, due to the simple blue plaid shift and apron she wore. She was not wearing shoes as well, which was typical among the servants. She’s probably a cook, judging by her apron, Kuja thought.

“Oh! Good mournin, M’lady,” the servant-girl said politely. She curtsied.

“Hi! You don’t have to be so formal,” said Kuja. She grinned.

The servant-girl smiled back. She had shiny sapphire hair styled into a long, thick braid running down her back, large indigo eyes, and rosy cheeks. She also had a nut brown skin tone and brown and blue cat ears and tail. She looked no older than fourteen.

“Whot brings yoo out here, Princess Kooja?”

“Oh, I was just making jewelry from the blossoms...”

“Me too!”

The girls talked for about a half-hour. Then Kuja asked the servant-girl what her name was.

“It’s Sarra. Sarra Baker. Pleased to meet yoo.”

They shook hands and smiled. Then Kuja asked Sarra to tell the Princess more about herself, and she did.

Sarra lived in the village for most of her life, until she started working as a cook in the Castle at age ten. She was happy with her simple life, and she visited her parents often. Sarra was the second oldest in her family; her older brother served in the Royal Army, her younger sister was a seamstress at the Castle, and her youngest brother still lived with her parents.

“I have an idea, M’lady. Maybe yoo could visit my parents with me! I’m going today.”

“Ah, I’d love to, Sarra, but I’m probably not allowed...”

Sarra’s face fell. Then Kuja got an idea.

“I know! I’ll just disguise myself! You have an extra shift, right?”

Sarra nodded.

“Well, we’re pretty much the same size. I could wear one of your shifts. And... I could ‘borrow’ some blue ink from my father’s Study and dye my hair. Then I would look like you! Well, except for my eyes... and my skin tone...” Kuja mused.

Sarra pondered as well. “Well, it’s kind of dark in the kitchens, sow no one would probably recognize yoo. And we could leave the Castle at different times sow we wouldn’t attract attention. But overall yoo have a great idea!”

They grinned and worked out the details of the plan...

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Around three o’clock that afternoon was the end time for Sarra’s duties. Sarra herself made sure she slipped out of the kitchens unnoticed. As she went, she gave Kuja (who was concealed behind the heavy kitchen double doors) the thumbs up.

Kuja slipped into the kitchens as quietly as Sarra did. Well, almost... crash! went a large pot of soup that Kuja brushed against. Vegetable soup splattered everywhere.

“Sarra!” the Head Chef, Ankur, said admonishingly.

“Sorry! I’ll help yoo clean it up,” Kuja said in a flawless thick Old Felinian accent. She had practiced it before. She averted her eyes as Ankur started to look into them. Thankfully, he did not question her.

Several minutes and soggy towels later, Kuja was free to leave. She crossed the bridge connecting the Castle to land and then exited through the front curly iron gates. Sarra was waiting for her.

“This way, M’lady,” Sarra said, pointing. They laughed and ran toward the village.

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Kuja was alone in her bedchamber, her skin still raw from her whipping and her hair back to its vivid red. However, she was happy.

Mr. and Mrs. Baker had accepted the Princess for who she was. Sarra’s siblings were funny and kind. And for the first time in her life, Kuja had a true friend. Her heart glowed just at the thought of it.

After Kuja became acquainted with the Bakers, she and Sarra went to the village square to do some grocery shopping. There were so many sights, sounds, and colors that Kuja didn't know where to look. A couple of times, people asked the two girls if they were sisters. They encountered many different types of people as they shopped. It was... very fun. Fun. The word tasted sweet to her...

The bedchamber door creaked open and he King and Queen entered, interrupting Kuja’s musings.

They still looked angry about Kuja’s escapade. Indeed; the King still had his whip on him.

“We want to talk to you,” Cassandra said sternly.

“Go ahead,” Kuja said evenly.

Medwin began. “You know why we are angry with you, correct?”

“Nope,” the Princess said lightly. She grinned to herself as the Queen’s mouth twitched.

Cassandra couldn’t contain herself. “You are not fit to become Queen of Felinia!”

Kuja raised an eyebrow. “...And?”

Kuja’s mother seethed, and her father said angrily, “Don’t talk to your mother like that! You are acting like a commoner!”

Kuja beamed at her parents. “Exactly. Glad we’re on the same page.”

Medwin pulled out his whip, but surprisingly Cassandra stopped him.

“So it’s true, then. You’d rather be like common filth?!” she exclaimed.

The Princess frowned. “I just became friends with your so-called ‘common filth,’ and I checked. She’s just as clean as us.”

Cassandra made a noise that sounded like “psah!” Medwin just shook his head- it was hopeless.

“You’re on punishment for sassing us,” said Medwin.

“Okay.”

“You are to remain in your bedchamber all day tomorrow.”

“Yep.”

“We’re going to lock your door.”

“You do that.”

Cassandra glared at Kuja, and together the King and Queen marched out of the Princess’s room.

Kuja changed into a nightgown and sank onto her bed. On punishment for the umpteenth time... ah well. Nothing they can do can take a friendship away. She smiled.

The Princess was born with a common name, was a little rebel, and was now a young woman. One day, I’ll be far away from this place, she thought determinedly. She was, after all, Kuja of Felinia, a Royal disappointment.

End Part 3

-A Royal Disappointment, The End-

Author’s Note: Final Thoughts

10/1/05 Tesh: Woot! My first completed story on FP! I really hope you guys liked it! -dances-

Kuja: ... -starts Riverdancing for no reason. in her Princess dress. XD-

Tesh: :O

Kuja: -finishes in a flourish- That was just my celebration dance. :D

Tesh: -claps- That was cool. Anyhoo, now that this story is finished, I can focus more on POF and TLH.

Kuja: You better! I miss Hakkana, Frewin, Favian, and Ince.

Tesh: -wince- Sorry!! -sweat droplet-

Tesh and Kuja: -wave together- We hope you enjoyed this story! The best is yet to come!!!

Love,

Tesh : )