Outside the Palace, Floating City

The peasants of Cartasia were enjoying yet another afternoon, bathed in luxury and happiness. Not a soul on Cartasia had worry in their hearts because the Queen had not given them anything to burden their hearts. All in all, life could not have been any better.

One place, in particular, had enjoyed at least three times the prosperity of the common folk-Ethereal. Ethereal was the most famous restaurant on the face of Cartasia. Not only did it serve food, but it was a boisterous place where musicians and entertainers would flaunt their most popular acts, where anyone could relax and chat with their newfound or long time friends, where people came just to relax. There was only one exception-no business while in the restaurant. It was designed for fun, not work.

What was most astonishing was the dimensions and the design of the restaurant. The walls that held the building in place were so high that many claimed they could not see the ceiling. Inside, Ethereal was painted in all shades of blue, designed to give its customers the feeling of coolness and expansiveness, so that they feel like they were under the water or under the stars. The place only consisted of one large room, but it was vast enough to hold over 15,000 people.

Business thrived for Ethereal, especially when their was a waiting list of performers and entertainers waiting to be able to step on the platform that was perched high above the heads of the customers in the center of the restaurant.

That particular day, Ethereal was overbooked as more than 15,000 people enjoyed a nice summer day cooling off in the restaurant. More than 5,000 bustling waiters and waitresses ran to and fro serving the customers. The noise level had reached the pain threshold for many, but nobody cared. They were all having a blast.

Just then, they heard the boom on the microphone. At last, another performance. Some actually stopped their conversations to enjoy their daily ritual-listening to wonderful musical creativity by some unknown artist. Others ignored the performers and continued with their own conversations.

That summer day, though, more people had diverted their attention to the performer on stage since they really had nothing else to do. To their surprise, it was not another musical performance. Rather, a storyteller had sat in the middle with a microphone while 8 instrumentalists sat in a semicircle behind him, adding a little dimension to his story.

Intrigued, most of the audience quieted down, waiting for the storyteller to begin. Stories were rare, but always welcomed, especially during this lazy afternoon. And so, the storyteller began a legend that everyone on Cartasia had caught pieces of, but never really heard it whole. It was the story of the Frozen Youth that had been bestowed to Cartasia not too long ago, a symbol of good luck and prosperity.

The serene music began as the storyteller's pure, lilting voice pervaded the whole room, resonating through every corner of Ethereal. And so the story begins:

"In the Palace of the Floating City today lies the frozen flesh of one of the fairest of our kind, a reincarnation of the gentlest of the Gods in the form of an ETHEREAL human being."

The story teller paused, smiling at his use of the name of the restaurant in his story. All eyes were now locked on his small form. Knowing that the subject had captured his audience's attention since the room became totally silent, the story teller continued.

"Perhaps our people have given the youth a name, yet his existence could not be summed up by a four letter mortal word. All you have to do is gaze upon his silk-like strands of hair made smoother by ambrosia, and the most majestic blue eyes reflecting the color of the most beautiful bodies of water on earth, to know that this youth was not a mortal creation, but rather a creation by the divinities.

Such a spirit could not have been tamed by anyone, you would think. But the reality is that the body had been fettered, encased in a simple layer of carbonite by our glorious Queen. The youth will be forever a reminder of the glory of our country because the day the youth was frozen in time and space was the day the Cartasia dominated the world yet again and eliminated all threats to peace and prosperity.

And so what is the story that lies beneath? It is the story of the beginnings of this new millenium, taking place in the then chaotic United States. From the southern border of the country, in a place where beauty takes the form of luscious palm trees and golden sandy beaches, in a place called Florida, our hero was born."

As the story teller began one of the best known sagas in Cartasia, four men sat solemnly and a woman, drinking every word of the story with intensity and determination. How long did it take them to get this far into Cartasia? How many moral codes have they broken just for the chance to get a glimpse at a friend that they had not set their eyes on in six years? How many lives had they hurt in order to sit in that very restaurant to be able to listen to the story of someone who had burdened their hearts for so long?

And now, just hearing about Nick's story sent shudders rippling through their bodies. Perhaps it was the anticipation of seeing him once again, or rather the joy of knowing that he had been idolized as a God-like figure, but Brian, Kevin, AJ, Howie and Crystal tried their hardest to appear less than excited by the story teller's words.

So Nick was indeed alive! Perhaps motionless, but nevertheless still capable of living. They listened on as the storyteller sang about a life they knew all too well, that is, until he had been kidnapped by the U.S. President and sent off to Cartasia against his will. Unknown to them, the story was but a figment of imagination of its storyteller and no where drew near the reality of the whole situation.

The story was in fact designed for entertainment, not for education. And so, the 5 friends absorbed the every details of the story, thinking that their Nick had lived an exciting, adventure-filled year in Cartasia before his blood had literally stopped flowing in his vessels. Like the other 20,000 souls in Ethereal, they would probably never know how cruel and less than attractive the truth really was.

The Palace of the Floating City

Nick's body lay crouched with a thin crust of transparent carbonite etched around his well-toned body. There he remained motionless for the select few to gaze upon him, like gazing upon a priceless portrait. Every angle of his face, every curve of his figure was kept on display, and at times, they were over-analyzed.

Yet many of those that beheld his face had no inkling of the events that had led to his ultimate punishment. Most of the political figures that held the power before the well-known coup had been replaced by Queen Feya after she had reclaimed her throne five years ago. Now, Queen Feya's new government was ridden with individuals who expressed an unquestioning loyalty to the youthful Queen.

Yet, inquisitive minds were hard to do away with, and the rumors and stories behind this handsome, but frozen blond teenager became the talk of the country. Not many people had known about his origins, but many found him mystical and mysterious. His name had been elusive to everyone except the few that had known him.

Perhaps it was because of the peace that the bored minds of the Cartasians sought excitement in the mystical and the unknown. After all, Earth had been embraced with peace ever since the U.S. government had been stripped of its power.

Whatever the reason, stories of this handsome blond prisoner had circulated the entire country.

Queen Feya sauntered with grace through the hallways of the palace, heading towards the general vicinity of the carbonite chambers. Five years had flashed before her so quickly that the memories of Nick still seemed too vivid and exotic. Her eyes had not rested on his frozen, lifeless body for many months. Strangely, today, she felt an uncontrollable urge to gaze upon his youthful face once again.

As she stepped into the carbonite chamber, she felt a chill race through her every veins, feeding her excitement and vitality. Every time she set her foot in that place, she felt a playful, teasing presence, a cool, soothing aura. She usually visited these chambers when she struggled in her leadership or when troubles flare up in her empire which pained her mind.

Today, though, she knew not the reason for seeking out Nick's presence. The world had been very quiet and peaceful lately. All her sisters and subjects were in good health and enjoyed their wealth and prosperity. Finor, her king, had stopped pestering her with his selfish thoughts. She did not need a lifeless body to comfort her or bring her joy, or so she thought.

Yet Feya's elegant face expressed an indescribable sadness. Perhaps this was the first time in five fleeting years that she had the chance to reflect and to remember. And her first thoughts were of the young boy she had taken into custody over six years ago. She had aged so much since then, but she wanted to retrace her footsteps and to recapture that youth and vigor which she had shared with the teenage boy so long ago.

Feya, by now, was standing in front of the crouched, frozen body of the one individual she had always felt insecure with. His cool blue eyes looked so fearful and lost. The transparent carbonite now formed a thin casing around his well-toned figure.

But Feya had never repented for Nick's sufferings. At least this way, she could keep him to herself. She had tracked down his family and the other Boys once, but since they were so powerless to act, she had dismissed their insignificant existence. She leaned down to touch Nick's cold cheeks, her rosy lips curled into a smile.

He never ceased to warm her heart to his presence. At times, she toyed with the idea of keeping him like that-motionless and mindless-forever, but as time passed, she longed for his voice. However, she wondered what feelings he would have bottled up in his heart. Would he feel the wrath?

But she had come to a decision last night. She would let him breathe again, let him once again taste life's reality. Hopefully, this time, his life would be dictated by happiness and joy. She herself had lost much joy in the past few years. When his life had been frozen, she felt a part of her being deadened along with his flesh.

She thought she could have gotten along without him. She did, but her existence became more somber, less exciting.

With one last glance at Nick's form, Feya turned around and strolled away suddenly. She called to the two scientists who have kept guard of Nick's body since the first day. Within seconds, they kneeled before her, awaiting her orders.

"I want him breathing by tomorrow morning. Do not forget to give him the antidote to the poison. And . . . " Queen Feya paused, still deciding upon the last part. She shrugged her doubts away. "If it is possible, clear his memory." With that said, Feya strode away.

The two guards looked at each other, shocked by Queen Feya's sudden decision. Then each got up from their position and prepared for that night. At last, five years of constant surveillance of the handsome young boy had come to an end. They would finally see for themselves how he is in real flesh. They have wondered about how he came to be in such a situation. They did not know because they were only hired after the fact that he was frozen. Before then, they were like any other citizen in Cartasia, clueless as to the events surrounding Meina's coup and the reasons why a power struggle existed amongst the elite of their government.

Not many knew the nature of the relationship between Queen Feya and the blond American boy. However, judging from his extremely attractive form, they reasoned that the relationship bordered on romance.

Now though, they were going to find out. It appeared that Queen Feya had began a new chapter in her life and her enthronement. A new page had been turned, and all hoped that whatever lies ahead will be glory. And with the revival of this mysterious blond beauty came a promise of excitement. Perhaps he did not play much of a role in the past five years to Cartasia, but he had shaped Queen Feya's every emotion and thoughts.

And even before he was brought to life, they could feel his liveliness pervading the ambiance around them.

The palace buzzed with excitement at the news of the revival of the "Gift" from the U.S. Five years had washed away the fearful memories of the stranger. All who had fought for his destruction had yielded and quieted their calls for his death. All those involved in the coup had managed to push him out of their thoughts, until now.

The teenager no longer embodied evil or posed any threat to the country. In actuality, the excitement was building exponentially. In fact, nearly three quarters of the Cartasian government now consisted of people who had never set their eyes upon this stranger. All they had heard about was his breath-taking beauty. He had been so well hidden from the public that stories had been written about him and rumors had started to spread about his divine features.

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