The hot sun beamed down as Peony cantered down the path, towards the rainforest. Her hooves kicked up the dirt behind her, her mane whipping in the wind, her eyes bright and sparkling. She felt free, despite Essa and William both sitting on her back. She might have galloped a few times, pranced in a few circles, and jumped over a few hedges.

She was just glad William was letting her have free reign. He was more lenient and she figured that was because Essa was around. Not only because she could speak with animals, but because of her character. She was a very bright and curious girl, despite being a little naive, which Peony could understand. She was growing attached to this girl. Not that she would ever admit she could grow attached to a human, but Essa was different.

Essa gripped Peony's name, her eyes squeezed shut and a huge smile on her lips. She squealed whenever the Appaloosa mare would jump or prance. It was exhilarating! "I feel like Toki! I feel like I'm flying!" She outstretched her arms. She had always wondered what it was like for Toki to fly. This was the closest thing she was ever going to get to it.

William was just smiling up a storm as he listened to her squeals. He couldn't see her face but he knew she had the biggest smile and the brightest eyes. His hands firmly gripped her waist as she outstretched her arms and mimicked flapping wings. "Heh, yes that is why most people ride. The sensation of flying is as close as we humans will ever get, until something is created to let us fly with the birds, like Toki." His kingdom was bound to create something like that.

Essa smiled brightly, glancing back at William. He was right. It was the closest thing she would ever get to flying. "What do you normally do when you ride Peony?" She knew the Appaloosa mare was William's Loyal horse, but it seemed the things she did with her animal family were quite different than he and others did with animals.

William squinted a little, using one hand to shade his eyes from the sun blazing down on him. "I just ride her around, let her get her daily exercise. She does like to jump, so we also do that. To end our riding time, we cool off in the water." He replied, to which Peony agreed with him, letting out a neigh and bobbing her head.

Essa could see how fun that would be. Yet she also knew William didn't always have time to spend with Peony. "When you don't have time, who takes Peony on a ride?" She thought she recalled something being mentioned that his brother, Chandler took her but she wasn't sure. A lot had happened in the past two weeks, besides, her mind was elsewhere.

William gave Peony's rump a gentle pat. She had been awfully quiet during their speaking. He was thankful but also knew when she was on her rides she soaked it up. "Well, Chandler takes her for rides sometimes, but mostly the stablehands let her run free in the pasture." The pasture was more or so towards the town rather than the palace grounds, which was where the stable was located as well.

Peony slowed down and pranced in a little circle before cantering again. "It's true. I normally wouldn't let Chandler ride me, but he gives me a lot of sugar cubes so how can I not allow him to ride? It's a win-win for all of us!" She loved them and now they had been brought up she was craving them. She hoped William would give her some after the ride was over. What a way to end it.

Essa giggled at how enthusiastic Peony was about it. "Peony agrees. Well, only because Chandler gives her sugar cubes." She didn't understand the whole sugar cube thing but it was something she didn't need or want to understand. She had other things that were more of a priority than that trivial matter.

William chuckled, of course, Peony would go on about sugar cubes. That mare loved them more than anything. "She does love sugar cubes. She is a good girl. I am proud of her and even though she gets into a lot of trouble, she still is my girl." He felt his heart swell with pride. It must be how his mother felt about him and his siblings. Although, he realized his father might've never felt that before.

Then a thought came to Essa about what her animal family was doing right now and with a sign recalling how Misty reacted. She still felt guilty that she was away from them no matter how supportive and insistent the others were. She let a sigh escape her lips, a saddened expression grew on her face as she looked down at Peony's mane.

William took notice of this, she was suddenly sad? Or maybe it was something else. "What's wrong?" He could tell that all of a sudden she was sad. Since they had left the stable, she was giggling and smiling, but now something happened. He just wanted to see her happy and when she wasn't, he felt sad? Or was it something else?

Essa didn't want to dampen the mood so she forced a smile and looked back at him. She wanted to show him she was okay. "Nothing! It is just relaxing." She replied. If she could just play it off perhaps he wouldn't press the issue. Although she wouldn't mind, she just hoped he would let it go. She wanted this to be a happy occasion.

William knew that to not be true. She sighed. He had taken notice that the only time he saw, well, heard her sigh was when someone was on her mind. When something maybe was bothering her? "You don't have to hide anything from me. Something is bothering you. I am willing to listen." He insisted, his voice calm from behind her.

Essa smiled softly, perhaps it wasn't such a bad idea to tell him. "Well . . . it's just . . . Misty hasn't been herself since we arrived here. She didn't seem very happy that you wanted to spend time with just me. I just feel guilty for being without her. Without them." It was probably silly that she would feel that way.

William did not find that silly but understandable. "Ah, there is nothing wrong with feeling guilty. You grew up together. You are all they - she has ever known. Of course, she will act that way. What child wouldn't? She will come around, just give it time." It was only reasonable that she would feel that way. Little kids like his siblings were that way.

Essa didn't feel any better with his words. Though she did smile and was going to be polite since he did offer comforting words. "Thanks." She simply said, then her eyes grew wide as Peony came to walk. "Oh my." She marveled at this lush rainforest. It did remind her of her home. It wasn't home but it could do until she found what she came here for and could return home.

William grinned as he noticed her perk up at the beauty of the rainforest before then. "Like it aye? I thought you might. This whole day can be just for us to forget anything that ails us and focus on having the best day of our lives. Especially since I'm getting married here soon and you are looking for your family." He pushed some low-hanging leaves out of his face.

In speaking, Essa wanted to know how the swatch for her family was. She hadn't heard anything from Taileiah, since she had had Jayme a few times in passing. "How is it going with finding my family? You nor Jayme have said anything about it." She played with Peony's creamy white mane, twisting locks around her fingers.

William sighed heavily. He figured she would ask sooner or later. "So far it hasn't been very rewarding. We started with nobles and royalty since it was fairly easy to find out if anyone had any missing children. Since no one does it means now we have to look and ask around with commoners." He felt bad that they hadn't made any headway with the search.

Essa didn't understand why it was so hard. Wouldn't it have been common knowledge if a child went missing? Someone had to have been missing her, right? "Why is it easier with nobles and royalty rather than commoners?" She looked back at him, her braid flipping off to the side in the wind.

William didn't want to make her sad but he was going, to be honest about the whole situation and how things played out. "Nobles and royals have the funds to send search parties and spread the word while commoners don't have that luxury. More often than not children of commoners are taken and never found for various reasons." He explained, not agreeing with the whole issue.

Essa frowned. That wasn't anything she wanted to hear. Yes, it had been true, but how could people be that way? She couldn't comprehend it. Back on her island if an animal went missing, everyone would pitch in and they would be found. "That is awful. Can't anyone do anything about it?" She knew she had a lot more to learn.

William shook his head. Not everyone had that luxury. "Not every kingdom believes it's worth the time to. They don't see them as anything. On the other hand, when I do become king, I will make sure if a child in our kingdom goes missing we will go out and search for them." He may not want to be king, but he was starting to realize he could improve the kingdom greatly so maybe it wasn't so bad.

Essa was glad to see how much of a good person he was. "You will make a good king." Although she was still getting used to royalty and all the terms titles, she saw how he was different from his father. She knew even though he didn't want to be king, to accept it and try to make the kingdom a better place was honorable. "How much longer until we stop?" She leaned down and asked Peony.

Peony looked back at her and neighed "Oh, just a bit longer." She responded, cantering down a dirt path, looking around to make sure she was going the right way. She had a special place she wanted to show her and soon she jumped over some thick foliage and stopped a few feet away from a beautiful, crystal clear lagoon.

Essa gasped as she looked at the beautiful lagoon before her. It reminded her of the one she showed William. Yes, she still missed her home but this made it feel like she was right back on her island. "Oh my. How did you ever find this?" She questioned, watching a few birds fly from tree to tree.

William slipped off Peony's back and offered his hand for her to take. "It was by accident. I had gotten a little lost and came upon this when I was fifteen. Ever since then, I've come here to destress, isn't that right Peony?" He used his other hand to pat his mare's flank.

Peony bobbed her head confirming what William had said to be true. "Yes! It is true! I was fairly new to trail riding and had gotten spooked at every little thing." She admitted with a laugh. She wasn't ashamed to admit it, because it was part of who she was and her experience of learning. "But now I am not spooked over anything! I have nerves of steel!" She stomped her hoof and held her head up high.

Essa, looking at the Appaloosa mare, smiled softly. "I can see you're quite proud of that aren't you?" She asked to which Peony nodded, confirming what she had asked. "I used to be that way when I first came to my island. I felt so alone, out of place, like I didn't belong because I was different. Every little thing spooked me because it was unfamiliar to me. Even if I didn't remember anything before the storm, I knew this was new to me. I slowly overcame it as I grew up." She could understand what she felt.

She took his hand and slipped off Peony, firmly planting her feet on the ground. "Thanks, William. Whoa -" She almost lost her balance but thankfully William had caught her. Her head rested against his chest as she looked up at him. "Oh, um, thanks." She smiled, feeling her cheeks grow hot at how close they were. She pulled away and brushed her dress off, pushing some hair behind her ear. "My legs feel like mashed bananas." She mumbled looking at the ground.

William chuckled, trying to play it off as nothing. When he had caught her he felt his cheeks and ears grow a little red. It was odd he had had this happen, since the last time he felt this way was with Janessa when she tackled him and pinned him to the ground. "Ah yes, riding a horse can do that to you. You'll grow accustomed to it if you do it every day or every so often." He said, pivoting on his foot.

Essa was so busy trying to calm herself down that she paid no attention to him. She took a deep breath and looked at the lagoon. This was one place she hoped to show her animal family. "Have you ever thought about making a map of all these places?" She asked, recalling how Jayme had followed a map and kept track of where they were on the way to his kingdom from her island.

William had thought about it. However, it wasn't his forte. He was a bit awful with everything creating a map entailed. "Ah, I thought about it. If I am being honest, making a map isn't that easy. Besides, if I did I'd pay Jayme to do it for me since he is better than I am." He admitted sheepishly, rubbing his cheek.

Essa placed her hands on her hips. She could see how that would be. She gave a small smirk and crouched down, taking off her sandals and letting her feet feel the rainforest floor. This was more like it, she felt much freer now. "Come on, William." She exclaimed, darting over to the edge of this sea green lagoon they had stopped at. The water was so clear she could see the rocks at the bottom and got the feeling it was deeper than it appeared.

William pulled his shirt off and cast it to the side, hopping around and pulling off his boots. "Wait for me!" He was glad to share his secret spot with her. Perhaps she could come here with her animal family and follow the trails he had marked. That would be something he'd need to bring up later. Right now, he was simply happy to forget his duties once again.

Essa hopped from one rock to another, then sat down on one in the middle of the lagoon. She waved her feet around in the water looking back at William who had followed her. "This reminds me of my island." She mused, closing her eyes and feeling the warm sunbeams dance on her face. She missed her island dearly and hoped to see it soon.

William looked over at her and silently watched her as she spoke. He couldn't deny that it was similar to her island. "You must be missing it huh?" The island was her home. She missed it. He could understand that. His kingdom wasn't home, the sea felt like home to him. Every day he missed being on the open sea and sleeping amongst the stars.

Essa nodded, that was a little bit of an understatement. She greatly missed her island and she knew her animal family did too. "I had so much free reign where I could do whatever I wanted at any time. Since coming here, all I have been doing is lessons and staying in the greenhouse. It is nice but it isn't like being outside, in nature, feeling the breeze, the ocean water, the sun." She wasn't ungrateful for her accommodations.

William understood where she was coming from. She just missed freedom. Neither of them had much freedom since coming here. Her being an islander which his father and uncle were insistent she stay out of eyesight and him being preoccupied with his wedding. "From here on out, you can leave the greenhouse and adventure wherever you or your animal family wish. If my father has a problem with it, then he can take it up with me. I just want you to feel like you belong while you are here." He vowed, placing his hand over his heart.

Essa had to do a double-take. Was he suggesting she could go wherever she wanted? Wherever her animal family chose to go? "Wait? I couldn't ask you to do that. I wouldn't want to come between your father and you. I am content with the arrangement, it is more than enough." She couldn't task him. That was too much. She knew her animal family couldn't accept that right off the bat either.

William didn't see it as too much. He saw it as something that needed to be done. She needed to be treated as an equal and not someone locked away from everyone. "There is always much between us so don't worry about that. I can handle anything he throws at me and if I ask to be king then he should allow me to make my own decisions. This is one of them, for you to have free reign of the place grounds and even in town." He would make it happen.

Essa felt like crying, tears welled in her eyes. She batted them away and looked over at him worth a soft expression. "Oh, William, that is just too much. How can I ever accept that?" How could anyone ever accept something that grand? She saw it as something huge because she knew that many wouldn't be happy about it. How could she say yes?

William just wanted her to say yes. He would insist on it until she found her family if she didn't accept. He wanted to do this for her. It was the least he could do. "Just accept it. It is the least I can do to try and make up for my previous actions." He had done a lot of things he wasn't proud of. The ship ride home helped him reflect on his actions and helped make him a better person.

Essa simply smiled. Hopefully, that would be a good enough answer. She couldn't find the right words to thank him. She added in a nod, hoping that would be better. She then paused and realized something. "Hmm, why did you treat me badly back on my island? I don't understand what I did. I had been so afraid to ask until now since you seem more relaxed." Since they were alone, she figured it was best to ask.

William hopped from rock to rock after her before sitting down, dipping his own feet into the water. "Oh, you don't need to be fearful. It is only reasonable that you ask me." He wasn't offended but had been waiting for her to ask that. He hadn't found a good time to bring it up and with his schedule, he hadn't any time until now.

He took a deep breath, playing with his fingers. "To start, I was raised on certain prejudices about islanders. It stems from colonization when people - mostly Caucasians believe they are superior in all ways while others are seen as uncivilized due to their ways of life. It is a ridiculous ideology, but it is popular amongst them. Not to mention there is a notion that islanders, like you, carry diseases and such, which is ridiculous."

"It is really sad and I can't express how sorry I am for my ignorance and not being properly informed and open-minded about it. I treated you like an animal, not a human. There is no excuse for my actions, even if I wasn't properly informed. I should have listened to Jayme and tried to understand where he was coming from." He hung his head down and looked at his reflection in the water, feeling bad.

Essa was confused the whole time he spoke. Half of what he said didn't make a lick of sense. The other half did make a bit of sense but even then she was trying to get the general gist of things. "I don't exactly know what you mean, but I understand some. I hold nothing against you for your past views, because ever since we came back you have been nothing but accepting and accommodating to me. You even stood up for me to your parents. You seem quite apologetic, so I accept your apology." She was just glad he changed.

William was glad he had changed too. It took a lot of reflecting on that ship ride. He knew that he wasn't being nice and Jayme was right in the end. She might have been naive to their way of life but she wasn't stupid, she was smart. "Thank you. I will do my best to defend your name, your animal family as well along with helping you feel at home here. I also won't force you to be who you're not, like my mother said, you should be proud of your island and how you grew up." He nudged her with a chuckle.

Essa quickly hugged him tightly. She was so thankful for him. "You're the best!" She exclaimed, pulling away and getting to her feet. "Want to see who can make the biggest splash? Peony can be the judge!" She exclaimed, placing her hands on her hips. That should be fun and she figured that they could talk later and they should use this time to act like kids again.

Peony, who was in the shallow part drinking some water, splashed her hooves around. "Oh yes, yes! I would love to be the judge! I am unbiased!" She was just thrilled Essa was including her. Most of the time, people left her and other horses out, seeing them as mere transportation and not a living, breathing animal with thoughts and feelings. It was a nice change.

William stood up and nodded, running a hand through his hair. "Alright. I must warn you though, I have been known to make plenty of big splashes as a kid. I almost knocked Chandler out of the water once. He thought it was fun, mother was freaking out because he could have gotten hurt, but he didn't and my Governess, she gave me a long talk about how unbecoming I was." He explained.

Essa placed her hand on his shoulder and gave it a few pats. "I am glad to have not met your Governess yet, she doesn't seem like a very nice person." She could only imagine what she would think of her. Yes, she had been taking lessons but as the saying goes, you can take the girl out of the island but not the island out of the girl.

William hoped that Essa wouldn't meet Dalita until he could go over a few things with her. He felt that his Governess would offend Essa. End up doing more harm than good. "She means well, but at times she can be very cold and blunt." He didn't wish to speak any more about her. "Now, you shall go first, m'lady." He grinned and bowed to her.

Essa curtsey as she had been taught to, although it wasn't perfect she had been trying her best. Which was all that mattered. "Thank you, your highness." backed up a bit then ran and launched herself off the rock, pulling her knees up to her chest and plunging into the water, splashing William in the process. It wasn't a big splash, more of a medium one but she was proud of it when she surfaced. "How big was it?"

William chuckled, tapping his finger against his cheek. "Pretty good size. About a medium size, but nothing can top this!" He declared and with that, he stepped back and darted forward, he jumped up in the air, pulled his knees up to his chest, and landed in the water, with a huge splash.

Essa squealed as she had been doused with the water from his splash. She moved her wet hair that clung to her face to her back. "That was huge! Almost Misty huge!" Out of all her animal family, Misty was the only one to create such a huge body, mainly because she was bigger and heavier than the rest.

William laughed as he surfaced, flipping his hair out of his face. "Ha, yeah, that tends to happen when size comes into it." He grinned swimming in circles around her. "This is about the most fun I have had in forever. Thank you for agreeing to come with me." He was thankful she had said yes. He wanted to treat her like she was just another person, although, to him, she was special.

Essa was glad she had been encouraged to accept. "Me too. I suppose after you become king you can no longer do this huh?" She knew the general gist about royal life, from Taileiah, who occasionally would go on and on about what she saw. It was interesting and informative to hear about it.

William nodded. It was true. He would spend his daily life working for the betterment of the kingdom. "It is grueling, to say the least. I never imagined myself as a king and now that the days tick by, inching closer to my marriage. Once that happens there is no turning back. I try to look on the bright side that if it is meant to be, it will happen and if not it won't." It felt good to get this off his chest to someone unbiased.

Essa could tell it wasn't what he wanted and no matter how much he tried to accept it, it weighed in the back of his mind. "Just for today, try and forget about it. Isn't that why we are here? To just have fun?" She splashed him with a smile growing on her face. "How about we see who can reach the lagoon floor first?" She inquired, hoping that brought his mind away from it.

William could do that. He had been known to hold his breath for a long time. Daily practice growing up, for a skill he never knew he needed until he began sailing. It would be fun. "Alright, but I won't go easy on you." He teased then counted to three and both dived into the cool, crystal clear water, swimming towards the floor. Occasionally glancing at each other with bright smiles.

Essa swam behind a rock and waited for him to surface. Once he had she swam up behind him, surfaced, and lunged for him, wrapping her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist. "Got you!" She exclaimed, hoping to have given him a little shock. She was only playing around and she knew he would see that.

William jumped at her sudden movement but ended up laughing. "Essa!" He exclaimed, his hands grabbing her calves to keep her on his back as he moved to the shallow water. "Sneaky are you, hmm?" He teased, doing a little dance with her on his back. He was having a blast with her. He felt like a kid again.

Essa squealed, clinging to his back, laughing and smiling brightly. "William! What are you doing? You look silly!" She teased, rapidly poking his cheek with her finger until he put her down. "Put me down." She thought that maybe this playful annoying him would make him put her down. For some reason, she felt embarrassed to be this close to him?

William laughed, setting her down for a brief moment. "Alright, alright." As soon as he had planted her feet on the floor he tackled her, knocking her off her feet and into the water with a huge splash. "Haha! You didn't see that coming, did you?" He teased, a smug smile on his face and he placed his hands on his hips, puffing out his chest.

Essa gasped, trying to steady herself before planting her feet on the lagoon floor. "How could you!" She cried then ended up in a fit of laughter. "Was that . . . um getting me back for what I did to you?" She inquired, splashing him with a handful of water. She figured it was but she didn't mind, it was enjoyable.

William grinned a cheeky grin, sticking out his tongue like a child. "Maybe." He looked off to the side, trying to play innocent and coy. He was only messing around and he looked at her, his eyes bright. "It is only justified that I get you back! Now if you want to get me back again, you have to catch me." He then dove into the water, swimming as fast as he could.

Essa had no time to process what had just happened. He was just speaking with her then he disappeared into the lagoon. It was no doubt fun. to her. Having a walking stick to play with was something she had yearned for. She now understood why it was so important that she had come along. Otherwise, she wouldn't have learned any of this. "That isn't fair!" She drove in after him, swimming to catch up.

Hours flew by, as they splashed around in the water, jumped into it, dove down, and explored the depth. There wasn't much to find but it wasn't about that, it was spending time together, enjoying the day, and forgetting all the worries that plagued them. Hunger and exhaustion were beginning to set in, but the two ignored it for a little while longer.

William stood up and walked over to Peony, bending down and he picked up his shirt. Pulling on his shirt he looked over at her. "How about we do something that you like? Something that would make you feel right at home." He suggested sitting on a rock and putting on his boots.

Essa walked out of the water and I got her sandals, pulling them on as she thought about it. She looked around the territory they were in. "Hmm, well, how about we climb a tree? I want to see what your kingdom looks like since I haven't been able to explore your kingdom." She pointed to a free that looked fairly easy to climb. "Let's climb that one."

William looked up at the towering trees. That was a setting he hadn't done since he was a child. "Alright." He paused with a cheeky smile. "Whoever can get to the top first is a rotten egg." He exclaimed and darted off to the tree that Essa had pointed to, laughing gleefully.

Laughing, they both climbed up the tree. Occasionally playfully taunting each other. William was having the most fun he had ever had like he was a kid again and Essa was feeling right at home like she was back on her island. Both were thankful this had happened because both had been on their way to losing it with how much stuff they had to do.

Once to the top, Essa pushed back a branch then sat down on a sturdy limb. The wind gently blew her hair, and the warm sun beamed down on her face. From here she could see a good portion of the rainforest and the other way she could see the whole kingdom, including the palace. "Oh! Your kingdom is bigger than I thought."

William sighed sitting beside her, one hand on the limb and his feet against a limb below them. "It is quite big. I never really got to experience all the joys of my kingdom. My father always goes on about it, but we have never experienced it. I want to know what it is like for the people of my kingdom, a normal daily routine. I have asked Alex and Jayme, but it isn't the same." He glanced over to her as he spoke.

Essa yawned softly, looking away so William couldn't see that. "Hmm," She hummed, itching the top of her head. "Perhaps one night you can! Oh, how about one night we get Jayme, Taileah, Rosalya to sneak out with us to the township! We could go in disguise! I recall reading it in a book Jayme allowed me to read to learn to read!" She exclaimed.

William grinned. That sounded like a fantastic idea. He knew just the day. "Alright. Let's do it. We got to cover it with them but I have a day in mind. A night that all our parents will be too tired to even notice." He didn't realize she could come up with such good ideas. "Look at all these good ideas. Still keeping true to your island life and fitting right in with us." He nudged her gently.

Essa nodded. She still might have been having a little trouble with keeping the balance between the two, but Jayme and Taileiah had been supportive, so had her animal family. "Heh, I suppose so. I didn't realize how secluded I was until I came here. The ways of life are so different! I'm not sure if I could ever get used to them no matter how much I try. I prefer my simple island life." She sighed.

William looked over at her, simply watching her as she spoke. She seemed to have this glint in her eyes when speaking about her island that she didn't have for anything else. "It was a simple way of life. I wouldn't mind living a life like that . . . er if I wasn't engaged." He quipped, rubbing the nape of his neck. He shouldn't think such things since nothing could change what was already set in motion.

Essa wondered if she could ever return to live on her island once she found her family. The thought had never crossed her mind before until now. "William? Do you think my family- if I find them - would be okay with letting me visit or live on my island with me?" She wanted to know someone else's opinion rather than her animal family, who said whatever made her happy.

William thought about it for a while. He knew it depended on who her family was. "There isn't a simple answer I could give you. It all rests on who your family is and if they would want to do that. I can't speculate how they would feel about it, however, I can say if it was me I'd want you to be happy and comfortable whatever you choose to do." He hoped that brought some comfort to her.

Essa smiled, looking at him. It did bring her comfort. It was an honest answer that she had wished to hear long before. "Thanks. Oh, in speaking, I am nowhere near good enough for gatherings with others, but I'll eventually get there. Hopefully, by then I can find my family but with how things are going, there isn't much hope." She wished that more than anything.

William rested his hand on top of hers, reaching over his other he pushed some hair behind her ear. "Don't worry. Just keep hoping for the best. We will find your family if it is the last thing we do." He knew just how important families were and how much you needed them and they needed you. He would be happy on the day of Essa and her family's reunion.

Essa was touched by how caring he was. His gentle gestures made her cheeks feel hot. She couldn't take her eyes off of him. She didn't know why nor did she care. She was content and for the first time in her life, she felt something new. Something foreign and she liked it. She liked it more than she would ever admit.

William realized that this might be seen as a compromising position for the both of them so he needed to find another subject and pulled away. "Now, I think we best be getting back. Food and sleep don't sound half bad." He mused, beginning climbing down the tree. "You coming?" He questioned, seeing Essa still sitting on the branch and looking over the kingdom.

Essa felt a little ashamed. She didn't know why but she was trying to find her voice. "Oh! Yes! I'm coming." She quickly answered, swiftly climbing down the tree. She would have to ask someone why she felt this way. Perhaps Taileiah since she was a girl and perhaps have felt the way she did before. It was a human emotion.

The sun was beginning to set and William had lost track of time. It may have been a good thing, but he knew when he got back he would be getting chewed out by his father. He could take it though because this was what he needed to do, not only for himself but for Essa. That made him happy because, to him, Essa was special and her happiness was the most important thing to him.

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A\N:
I have a hard time with this chapter. Trying to figure out what I wanted to happen and not let things drag out. This is why it is so late, but I promise the next one won't be so hard! I have got the general gist. I just need to expand on this. I just want to finish another book this year like I did with Finding Home. I wanna feel accomplished.

I will add on more when I have more ideas. This was sorta rushed and I do apologize for that. I truly am sorry. It won't stay like this for long. I promise. Just gotta get more ideas for this part. I also haven't gotten much sleep and with no sleep because being so tired I have no motivation to do anything.

Edit: I added a few extra things but nothing to big. I am finally happy with how the chapter turned out.

Chapter Talk:
Here is the continuation of the previous chapter. The other was getting kinda long and I didn't even realize it but I'm happy with this. Essa and William seem to be having a friendship and I couldn't be more thrilled. I can't deny that I ship them both but before romance comes, a lot has to happen and I know how to make it. Hehe.

And lastly, anything else I forgot to ask my pals. I am happy to answer anything!

In closing, all rude, impolite and mean comments will be replied to in a diplomatic way, reported or deleted if I feel like it is attacking me personally.

Thanks for reading!