This is a cross over between my WIP Battle of Arelirid (the novel I want to publish) and Tainted Gold. So Guess that means they are in the same universe doesn't it! Feel free to leave suggestions on the next actual chapter update and or more prompts/etc

"Father, not another princess."

"She is from a prestigious kingdom. They had to take a boat to come here, you will speak to her, you will be kind." He snarled. Alistar bit his lip as he sat on his throne, he looked at the palms of his hands. He was studying them, he questioned who would hold them for the rest of his life. The princess sounded snotty, from the kingdom of Magic Borne, pfft, she couldn't be magic. Could she?

That was when the doors to the room opened. He sat up straighter and squinted in surprise as the family walked in. The princess had startling pink hair. He stood and bowed as she entered, he looked up to see her parents also had colored hair but his eyes quickly returned to the girl. She wore a long dress, the top was gold as it lowered into the skirt it was white. Her pink hair was in a braided up do adorned with jewels. He gulped he felt underdressed seeing her. He began to walk towards her stopping a few feet apart.

"Princess Alice." His breath was shaky.

She smiled her eyes narrowed. "Prince Alistar."

"Join me in the gardens?" She nodded taking his arm and following him out to the gardens so their parents could speak. He didn't not like her, but he also didn't dislike her. He knew nothing about her, why was her hair pink? "You look wonderful."

"Interesting words, unlike any other prince my parents have attempted to marry me off to."

"Hmm?"

"You said wonderful not beautiful."

"I..uh-"

She chuckled hearing him stutter, he wasn't like any prince she had met before. He was less sure of himself. "It is nice." She said smiling seeing a gazebo in the distance. "Shall we sit and talk."

"At the gazebo? Yes of course." He helped her sit and sat beside her.

"So I did not see your m-"

"She isn't with us anymore."

Her eyes dropped. "Oh..I am sorry. May she rest peacefully."

"Thank you and it's okay, you didn't know."

"Do you hate these meetings as much as I do? I want to make my parents proud but.. it is so boring..Travel here, travel there, a prince is coming to stay at the castle for a week. Tiring I feel."

"I can agree with you. I do not enjoy these, the fake pleasantries, girls who are snobbish and I don't even want to marry yet."

"I agree, I want to help my family but.. I do not feel I am ready. I want to see more of the world than I have. An adventure or something."

"Me as well. I have never been outside the castle walls. The village within our walls is the most I have ever seen." She looked him over, he sounded trapped, but why? She knew why her brother Alys, was trapped within the castle. He broke tradition and brought shame to her family.

"Why are you stuck within the walls?"

"I have been told that I am a target for a race of people called the Winged. They..I am told they poisoned my mother and plan to kill me too. If they are given the opportunity. I..I wish it wasn't like this. I want to travel. Explore. Meet my people and those outside of my kingdoms reach. If I am to be king I feel I should be able to meet them. Speak to them."

"You long for..connection?"

"That would be a good way to describe it yes."

"I understand that. I feel I have too much connection. My parents make me visit the streets at least four times a week. We have balls and other arrangements to stay connected to the people. However as I have grown older I have noticed a shift in the people, less happy I would say. I hear less music in the kingdom. Less laughter, I fear the people are less than satisfied with my fathers reign."

"Why is that?"

"He enforces to many rules, rules that are... outdated. As old as our kingdom, and time changes as do people. I have noticed you have less.... creatures than our kingdom. Is this normal? You have more... humans. We have a wide array of races."

"I do not know if this is normal, it has been since i was a child. I feel my father may have driven them out. He is paranoid, most of the time at least. He does not trust anything but human. That is.. not to be rude, but why I was surprised when he said you and your family were coming. Because you are different."

She reached her hand up to her hair. "Magic?"

"Yes.. magic. What can you..do?"

She smiled and held her hands a few inches apart. A small ball of lightning began to form."

"Electricity?"

"Yes. I can harness storms and lightning."

"Wow.. I wish I was more than jus-" he was startled by her quick movement. She grabbed his hands in hers, he didn't feel a shock but was surprised by how quickly she moved. Like a flash of lightning.

"You are magic, you just have to find it within you. I see it in you, something is there. You have to nurture it, like a sapling. See that large tree," she pointed to a large maple. "How do you think it got that big? It took time, it was not that large and strong in a day Alistar." He blushed in surprise. "I wish to marry for love, not for politics. I would however like to meet you again one day, when we are both married to the ones we love. I also hope to hear about your adventures, and see this kingdom flourish with life like this garden. I will come to you again one day. If you will allow me back."

He smiled and turned plucking a rose that was almost as pink as her hair. "I would be glad to see you back princess Alice."

She took the rose in her hand. "What will we say to our parents?"

"Leave it to me, lets walk to the lake. Many beautiful fish."

They began to walk the lake side, he showed her a few of his favorite fish. She laughed seeing what he was going to do. "You do this often do you not?"

"Being desperate and clumsy has made this a...normal thing." She laughed as he grabbed a rock and went to skip it, his balance was lost and he was again in the lake. He surfaced again after a few second a lily pad on his head. A small frog jumped from it. "To seeing you again princess."

She smiled and nodded blowing him a meaningless kiss, rushing back to her parents.

"Where is my son?" the King asked looking her over, the rose in her hand seemed to be a good sign.

"He fell into the lake. He requested a bath be started for him." She couldn't help but giggle.

"My god..that boy.." He ordered a few maids to begin his bath, a guard went to retrieve him.

"I apologize princess, this was not meant to happen."

"It is alright my lord, tell Alistar thank you for the wonderful chat. I however do not feel he and I are right for one another."

"I understand princess." He said turning his face away to avoid showing his distaste for her comment. She and her family soon left to explore the countryside and meet princes from nearby kingdoms.