• “I will never marry him!” Naomi screamed as she stormed out of her house.
    “an arranged marriage?! Mother must be mad!” she thought.
    Naomi quickly rushed into the forest near her house, her long black hair flowing behind her.
    By the time she stopped to catch her breath, she was already lost, far inside the forest.
    she stood and brushed the dirt and leaves from her hair, then leaned against a tree and sighed.
    It had all started earlier that evening...
    ~
    “You called for me mother?” Naomi asked as she entered the grand living room.
    “Yes dear, please sit down.” Naomi did as she was told, and sat in the armchair next to her mother.
    “I have news, and it is up to you wether it be good or bad.”
    Her mother took a deep breath “Naomi, I have arranged for you to be married to duke Charles...”
    Naomi stared at her mother with a blank expression.
    “...Pardon?” she asked “You’re getting married.” her mother said once again.
    Naomi stood up in a rage, knocking over the armchair in the process.
    “I have to marry that scum, CHARLES?!” She screamed.
    “Naomi he is a duke, it will be healthy for your future!” Her mother said sternly.
    “It will not!” She protested.
    Just then Charles walked swiftly into the room.
    “How did she take the news?” he asked in his usual snooty tone of voice.
    Naomi grabbed the small table next to her and hurled it at Charles.
    “I would marry a bandit before I would ever marry him!” She proclaimed.
    Charles dodged the table, and it hit the wall creating a fairly large hole in the wall and destroying the table.
    Naomi walked up to him and spat in his face.
    He stumbled backwards, surprised and fell onto the ruins of the table.
    “Naomi! That is not how a lady should act!”
    Naomi screamed in annoyance “Well maybe I don’t want to be a lady! Maybe I want to be normal!”
    Her mother looked at her startled.
    “and, I will never marry him!” she screamed as her ran out of the house.
    “what and unruly daughter you have, madame” Charles stated.
    ~
    Naomi awoke from her daze, to a loud rustle in the bushes.
    Startled she picked up a rock and threw it at the bush. BIG mistake.
    In moments she was surrounded. “Bandits!”
    She mentally slapped herself for throwing the rock, because they looked angry.
    She gasped as she was grabbed from behind. “Pretty young women shouldn’t be out in the woods so late at night, honey” One of the men said.
    Naomi struggled as the man walked closer and closer. Then she closed her eyes tightly and waited for it to be over and done with. But suddenly she heard the sound of a flute.
    “Have i gone mad too?” She asked herself.
    A few seconds later she felt the grip around her waist loosen until it was gone.
    Then she heard a few bloody screams in the distance.
    “...Am I dead?” she whispered quietly.
    “I am afraid not, love, unless you want to be since you are out alone at this time of night!” Naomi gasped and opened her eyes.
    She saw a tall boy around her age. He had long blonde hair that almost ran past his back, he was dressed in white shorts a white tank top and sandals. He had a pair of goggles on top of his head, they were tinted blue and the rim was white.
    He stood there sheathing his sword and grinning like a mad man.
    “My name is Leon.” He said bowing and extending a hand out to her.
    “And you are?” He said lifting his head.
    Naomi gave him her hand and said “I am Naomi.” She smiled lightly as he kissed her hand.
    “And I do not wish to die!” She said slightly annoyed.
    “I simply wish that I didn’t have to marry a halfwit!”
    “A halfwit you say...” Leon stood straight and chuckled.
    “Then come and live with me!” He exclaimed.
    Naomi was taken back by his statement.
    “But I have only just met you!” she stated.
    “very well” he said. “I will give you my flute, and if you change your mind, come back to the forest and play a note.” He handed Naomi his flute.
    “But what if I don’t come back? You would have not only lost me, but your flute, forever.” she said.
    “Oh do not worry. I have a good feeling about you”
    Naomi smiled and embraced him.
    Then she pulled away and nodded her head. “I shall go tell my mother then I will return” She said.
    “Till’ then love.” He said, than ran away some where far in the woods.
    Naomi gripped the flute tight as she started for home.
    ~
    When she arrived home her mother was waiting for her.
    “Honey I’m sorry but I’m sure you will have a wonderful life with Charles.”
    Said her mother.
    “You are right mother, I will”
    She said as she entered the house and gathered enough gold to last her a year or so, And as she walked out of the house again she whispered in her mothers ear “I will have a wonderful life... without Charles.”
    Then Naomi quickly burst into a sprint before her mother could reply.
    ~
    When she arrived at the forest she held the flute up to her mouth and played one solemn note.
    She waited by a large oak tree, for him to come. But as the hours passed she started to lose hope, but she wouldn’t leave until he came. She eventually fell asleep under the large tree.
    Another hour passed until strong arms picked her up.
    “I am sorry, love” He whispered in her ear.
    “But you see to find you in the woods, is like trying to find a needle in a hay stack.” and with that he kissed her forehead, and ventured farther into the forest



    The next morning Naomi awoke to Leons icy blue eyes staring into her own.
    He smiled. “Did you sleep well, love?” he whispered quietly.
    “I thought you forgot about me.” she whispered quietly.
    He frowned. “Never, love.”
    Naomi smirked “I heard your lame excuse, and it kept repeating itself so much in my head, that you were all I dreamed of last night.”
    She leaned in and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek.
    He chuckled and helped her out of bed.
    “I thought it was pretty romantic, considering my intelligence on romance.”
    ~
    “We are at an Inn?” She asked him as they walked down the stairs to the front desk.
    “Yes I adventure a lot, so I find no need for a real home.” He stated.
    “an adventurer... are you a pirate?” She asked.
    “Well... I own a ship and a crew, but I only steal from the rich.”
    Naomi laughed lightly and Leon paid the Inn keeper.
    As they walked outside Naomi laughed again.
    Leon looked at her questionably
    “And what may I ask is so funny?” He asked.
    “Before I left home” Naomi stifled a laugh. “I told my mother I would rather marry a bandit.”
    Leon chuckled and patted her on the head.
    “Looks like you got your wish!” He exclaimed
    “Who said I was going to marry you?” She stated bluntly, then smirked.
    “you did.” He said.
    “When did I say “I want to marry you”?” She asked him.
    “Just now!” He said smiling while he picked her up and placed her over his shoulder.
    Naomi laughed. “Oh yes and a husband always finds the need to kidnap his wife.”
    “well of course” Leon exclaimed and they both started to laugh as they walked onto his ship... this was the start of a beautiful relationship...


    THE END