The World of Rhune

Bella knew she had to go and face Gent soon, but a carefree hour with Avery had been relaxing and fun. They'd raced, and Avery won, like always. Bella had bluffed it was that he'd gotten a head start, but she had only lost distance. Bella had occasionally glanced to the shore where she saw her parents sitting in the sand or enjoying the ocean in the shallow parts. After about half an hour of playing with Avery, she had seen Gent leave with his things, and leave her parents be. Not that she could completely tell if he had truly left, but he probably had. "Avery!" Bella shouted, looking ten feet away where Avery was trying to get his dolphin to flip. "Body surfing?" she asked as Avery came over. His face lit up, "Awesome. Near shore?" He slipped off the dolphin easily, his hair matted and splayed across his face. " Haha, yep. Gent left, and my parents will be cool with it." Bella mentally checked herself. She had been in Avery's company for an hour and a half, and she was already talking like him. "Sweet, by porpise dudes," Avery waved to the dolphins and winked at Bella smiling. "How do you know their not girls?" "Not answering that one," Avery replied, his eyes not hiding very well the mischeif that lurked in his mind. Bella laughed a bit, and ducked just under the water, looking around.

The water was murky around there, but only because of a sand bank twenty feet off. Though Bella could see the bright colored coral fish swimming about like nobody's buisness. Then she felt the water get colder, and looked up to Avery blocking her sun. She flipped over, almost getting salt water up her nose, and motioned for him to move. He just mouthed "Daddy's power girl," with a taunting face. Bella struck her foot up fast, for water, but Avery's sight didnt slow under water, and caught it in the nick of time. He made the universal ,"You shouldnt have done that" face, and yanked up hard on her foot, dragging her up a couple feet. As Bella scrounged for balance, Avery flipped her ankle, making her flip with it. He smiled down with a funny face, and then surfaced, sputtering in Bella's face. She shot a fake glare at him, " Wanted to make sure it was salt water, not sugar water," Avery lied, keeping up his trade-mark smile. "Yeah, then I'm gonna find a way to test sugar water, and see if it's salt water!" Bella threatened, jumping, as well as she could in water, onto Avery. He immediatly made himself sink, with her still hanging on. Bella felt her ears pop as they got slowly lower. "Hey," Avery said all bubbly, silently laughing as the bubbles popped when they hit her face. Bella let go, and started swimming away as fast as she could.

Though when Avery sped ahead of her, she started trying to catching him, and his kicking feet. " Watch it!!" Bella screamed as they entered the corals again, and a small, snapping turtle was coming his way. Avery back peddaled, and stopped an inch from the turtle, sucking in his stomach, and holding his breath. Just as the turtle passed, Bella came hurdling into Avery, pushing him forwards a good five feet. They both resurfaced, breathing heavily. "Hey, I thought you were supposed to be sweet, not sour!" He teased, splashing a bit of water at Bella, she covered her face with her hands to block the water, laughing, "You forgot my favorite candy was chocolate on the outside, and mint on the in," she said, splashing Avery back when he least expected it. "haha, good one," Avery rolled his eyes at her lame joke, and ducked under. Bella followed, weaving her way in between the colorful corals, tickling Avery's feet when they got too close to her face, on purpose. Bella glided up to the shore on her hands when they could reach the bottom, coming out of the ocean with her hair looking sleek and coffee colored. She then smiled at her sitting parents, only to oof when Avery flattened her, just as the tide came up, washing around her face and getting sand in her hair and mouth. Bella looked up to both her parents laughing at her, and she could tell her hair was probably a mess by now. Bella looked up at Avery, who's hair was dropping water onto her. "Do you mind?" she said, supporting her head with her hands, her elbows digging into the sand. "Not a bit, honey. I never realized your hair could look so..." Avery smiled down on Bella, his eyes flashing. "Pretty soon you're hair's gonna look worse." Bella said, throwing Avery off her into the sand. She got up and ran to her parents, tripping on wood and collaspsing at her parent's feet. "Hey, mom, dad." Bella smiled up at her parents, exhausted. Her parents grinned at her, while her mom shook her head slowly in amazement. "Dear, you can be such a nut, why, here's your distant cousin," Queen Grace picked up a pastacio and ate it with a crunch. Bella smiled, and laughed; only at her mother's fail of telling jokes. She heard Avery coming up behind her, and grabbed a nut. Bella tossed it high in the air, and didnt hear it drop. "That was really good, remind me where you get those?" Avery said laid back as he walked up, hands in his trunks. King Marcelo smiled. "Farmers market, how are you doing, Avery? Havent seen you around in a while." "Pretty well, thank you, King Marcelo. How about yourself?" Avery straightened up his hang loose type of accent. He bowed to the monarchs. "Doing quite nicely, no war or anything with Folic lately, thank you very much." the kind King smiled at Avery. "And how about you, Queen Grace? I've already had the aquantiance of your daughter, so no need to include her," Bella smiled with narrowed eyes, and tossed sand onto his foot. " Surely well, I finally reigned Isabella in enough for marriage." the queen looked at her blushing daughter. Avery nudged Bella in the ribs with his foot. "That's one wedding I'll be coming to. So when do I call Isabella Mrs.?" Avery was pointed to the monarchs, but really talking to Bella. "Never," Bella said rudely as her father said ,"sly dog, I used the same one on my sister!" Marcelo laughed, though Grace didnt see as much humor as her husband. "Never the less, two weeks. Whether Isabella likes it or not," Bella sat up, brushing the sand off herself. "If your going to talk like I'm not here, then I'll leave," She stood up, and marched back towards sea, exclaiming right after, "Mother! I found a sand dollar!" "Is it big?" Grace stood up out of her chair and walked to her daughter, still youthful at age thirty nine. The two women observed the shell closely, washing it off and handling it with care, leaving the two men behind. 

"Well son, I may be a monarch, but on vacation, I'm like your uncle. None of the proper stuff. I know you too well, my boy." the king punched Avery in the forearm and motioned for him to take Bella's chair. Avery relaxed, smiling at the king, "Atleast I still have my wits about me," he nodded his chin to where the queen and princess were making such a scene over a sand dollar." "Amen to that!" the king and Avery burst into laughter. "Missed having you around, though Gent is a great guy. I'm glad Bella's found someone reasonable who can rule after us, and that she likes." Avery showed his trademark smile, "I barely want to be Lord, let alone a King. And right now, I'm not suckered into any marriage mish-mash. Atleast, so far." Avery let his normal words find their way into his sentances. "Right you are, somtimes I wished I had had that option, but Grace is wonderful. There's no reason to wish that anymore." The king advised, and glanced at the receding sun, and perfect waves. "I may be old, but I still have a few good waves left in me. Would you like to show me the new moves you youngsters have figured out these days?" Avery stood up, grinning. "Yes, sir. Best sport of 'em all, surfing." The two nobles quickly grabbed two boards from near by servants, and plunged into the waves, Avery knocking Bella with his board as he passed her, sticking out his tongue. "Loser!" Bella teased, only to be scolded by her mother. Avery laughed, and jumped on his board, trying to keep pace with the surprisingly strong king. "They didnt call me The Surfer for nothing!" the king shouted as he reached the perfect surfing point before Avery. "That sir, is one exaderated backstory I'll believe," Avery called as he moved towards the king on his board. The king smiled with crinkled eyes and angled his board straight, laying super back on his board to where his feet dangled. Avery raised his eyebrow, and got into his regular position towards the middle back, where his feet didnt hang, even though he was taller than the king. "Ready?" "Yup!" Avery responded, pumping his arms through the water three times when the King did five incredibly fast strokes in the same time. They both caught the same wave at the same time, and twisted and moved the board along the waves as they went. Close to shore, the two jumped off into the semi warm ocean. "I didnt know you could surf like that!" Avery said, bewildered at the skill of the King, "And guess what?" Bella came up to the two men. "I can surf better," She was walking with her own board now, decorated with a big purple and highlighter red flower, native to Ralea. Avery raised his eyebrows with disbelief. "Yeah right," Avery said, watching as she glided into the water. "Bella, and how, may I ask, do you even know how to surf?" But Bella knew he was only saying that because of her mom. She had her dad's personality, and her mom's looks. And Marcelo's personality contained the want of freedom and courage to do what is fun, not completely proper. "I am a visual learner, plus I've picked up some hints from friends." Bella eyed Avery and layed down on her board, paddling out quickly and surely.

 "How the?!" Avery had just been shown up by two people he had most thought he could beat. He stood on his board and Bella surfed around him, doing a whole bunch of tricks. "I'm not helpless, you know." Bella said, coming up to Avery. "But that doesnt explain the...." Avery was lost for words. "You said earlier I was supposed to be sweet not sour. Well, I have some sweet moves on this board." Bella nosed her board a little bit, letting water touch her feet, and then let it pop back onto the surface. "More like wicked, hon," Avery shot back "Heard that," Marcelo smiled, five feet away. Avery turned back to Bella, "Daddy's girl," Bella looked at Avery with disbelief, and tickled him in his weak spot. Avery started laughing and cringing, losing his balance. "Bye sweet thang!" Bella said, using surfer language and pushed Avery off his board into the cool surf. "Heeey!!" Avery yelled, spitting out salt water. "Ha, ha!" Bella laughed while her father chuckled. She jumped of her board and started swimming towards Avery. "I'm better than you!" Bella taunted as she swam up to Avery, tugging her board behind her. Avery smiled, shaking his head at her. He wadded through the water to Bella, and before she could speak yelled, "Dunk check!" and grabbed Bella, forcing her down under the water with his hands before shoving her further with his feet on her shoulders. Bella surfaced quickly, spitting water out on Avery. "You!" Bella was cut off. "Good one, Avery."