It was a dark and stormy night, and King Jonathan was pacing frantically in his bedchamber. He was waiting impatiently for the return of one of his most trusted subjects. He had been sending him around all day and it was getting quite late. With every passing minute, the king became more restless. He went to the window for another look. The king stifled a frustrated shout.

"Sire?" a voice inquired meekly.

"What news?" asked King Jonathan in a voice attempting to stifle his anxiousness.

"We have looked everywhere -- at least twice. She is no where to be found."

"The wedding is tomorrow!"

"So you have reminded us. However, she did state that should would never marry that man."

"So you think she ran away..."

"Her betrothed is three times her age."

"He is only forty-two. You make him sound ancient."

"You arranged to marry her off to someone who was 7 years older than you -- her father."

"I understand that a fourteen year old girl would be too young to understand the benefits of this union. However, someone was supposed to be watching her."

"Princess Angelina ordered to be left alone when she went to the bathroom. There are no exits, so we did not post double guards at the door. Perhaps that was an oversight on our behalf. She must have simply slipped past her guardian."

"You are being kind to the woman. Should we hire a great detective from England to deduce how she managed to get out of that locked room?"

"No sire. The guardian has been thoroughly interrogated. Bribery is apparent."

"But we do not know who or why?"

"That is correct. The tracks are well covered."

"And it is your contention to make me believe that a teenager of fourteen bribed her guardian to escape, snuck through this entire complex alone and undetected, made her way to the garage, stole a suncar, and just drove away."

"Well..."

"I am flattered that you think my little girl is so resourceful."

"She is very intelligent and wise for her age."

"You forgot headstrong."

"I would never..."

"Of course not. In any event, which suncar is gone?"

"Number 135 sire."

"The newest one. The one we had not put the tracker on yet. Whoever did this is quite smart indeed."

"As you will sire. What are your orders?"

"Have King Thorbjorn meet me in the reception room in half an hour, and have the trackers look for traces on which direction my daughter and her abductors have headed."

"Yes sire."

King Jonathan had spent the entire day in his bed clothes. He directed the search with his subordinates from the early hours of the day, but to no effect. His daughter was not going to be retrieved in time to be wed to King Thorbjorn of Lakeland. The agreement the two men had made would have to wait. Nevertheless, the groom must be informed of the situation. This could only be done by the king and face to face.

However, to meet with his fellow king, he would have to be made presentable. He put on a pair of charcoal-gray pinstriped pants and a dark purple shirt. Over the shirt, he put on a vest and jacket that matched his pants. Over the suit he put on a purple ermine cape. He topped off the ensemble with his jewel encrusted crown.

He went down the 17 floors of the living quarters tower. At the lowest floor, he walked the long and twisting hallways to the back of the reception room. King Thorbjorn was there waiting.

"I am sorry to keep you waiting King Thorbjorn," began King Jonathan with a warm handshake.

"It must be very important to arouse me at this hour," replied the other king.

"It is about my daughter."

"What?" asked King Thorbjorn. "Is everything all right?"

"I wish I could say that it was, but I cannot."

"What happened?"

"My daughter has disappeared."

"Disappeared?"

"We are not sure what happened, but we are looking into it."

"That is a convenient excuse to avoid this wedding ceremony."

"I assure you my good friend that this is no game and not an attempt at supplying an excuse for delay. She is gone. A suncar is missing, and we have made a thorough search of the grounds. She has not been found anywhere on the complex grounds."

"Perhaps the lovely thing does not wish to marry an old man like myself."

"There are many things that point to her being abducted rather than her just running away."

"Abducted? Have you received a ransom note?"

"We have not, but there are plenty of individuals who would be happy if this alliance falls through."

"That is certainly true."

"Never fear. We have trackers looking for clues to her whereabouts. This wedding will occur as soon as she is located."

"I am afraid that is not good enough," replied King Thorbjorn with a heavy sigh. "I went through a great deal of trouble to get here on this day, and I shall not wait around for you to track down the runaway bride. I have many things that need my attention."

"But..."

"I am afraid that my mind is made up in this matter. I will follow through with my original wedding plans."

"I am sorry to hear that."

"As am I. Your daughter is by far the most beautiful woman in the land. Needless to say, that is not enough of a reason for me to delay a moment longer. I must return home and attend to my affairs."

"Princess Olivia is a fair maiden in her own right."

"She will be a barer of children which is a fine thing, but the future queen cannot compare to the lovely Angelina. However, I will make an offer that you may find appealing."

"What is it?"

"I will grant the treaty lands, which were to be given to you, as a wedding gift to your daughter if she marries my son Prince William."

"That is a very generous offer."

"I have an ulterior motive. There is a prophesy in my kingdom that claims a young prince who rescues the fairest maiden in the land will unite the kingdoms of Morica. I must let William determine if this is his destiny."

"If the four kingdoms of Morica were united, they would be a very powerful force indeed. I am not sure how I feel about such an outcome."

"Nevertheless, my son will be tasked with finding the princess. It will happen with or without your permission."

"We will do what we can to aid Prince William in his quest."

The monarchs of Lakeland had always been an ambitious bunch. King Thorbjorn's reign had been no exception. He was always looking at ways to increase the size of his kingdom. In fact, in the early part of his reign, he was at war with one of his neighbors. This seemed to be the way it was for them and they thought of no other way to expand their territory.

Lakeland had once been a smallish kingdom with lakes abound. It had a very large lake at its eastern border, and thousands of small lakes throughout the territory. Freshwater fish was an excellent moneymaker for them.

They also had some agricultural trade. However, being a northern territory, their growing season was very short. The farmers had to grow things that would produce quickly or they would not get anything. Needless to say, winters were harsh.

The first of King Thorbjorn's line was bent on expanding the territory. The kingdoms to the south were way too powerful for the small kingdom; thus, they warred with their northern neighbors.

Soon, they conquered all the lands to the northwest that did not belong to the Calmondak kingdom. This gave them access to saltwater fish as they gained access to the western ocean. Lakeland grew even more wealthy on the fish trade.

However, it was not enough. Thus, the kings began gradually pushing southward. They eventually expanded down to the southern gulf. There was lots of rich farmland in this region. Not to mention, there was access to more fishing.

During King Thorbjorn's reign, he attempted to push farther east. However, most of his borders were either lakes or rivers. Thus, there were some natural protections for his neighbors.

Nonetheless, King Thorbjorn was determined to expand his realm. However, he did not wish to upset his neighbor to the west. Thus, to assure King Jonathan that he was not interested in his lands, King Thorbjorn sent his son Prince William to stay in Calmondak. Hence, Prince William and Princess Angelina had played together in their youth.

King Thorbjorn attacked his neighbor in the gap between the great river and one of the large lakes. At first, he had some success. His plan caught his neighbor completely off guard. The army advanced to a river the southern border river of that kingdom.

However, he was in a difficult position, as he could advance no further. He attempted to negotiate a peace, but was unsuccessful. Eventually the easterners rallied and pushed him back. His five years of war came to nothing except strained relations.

Prince William was recalled, and the warring king considered attacking King Jonathan when his army had regained its strength. This would have been foolish with the eastern neighbors looking for a weakness. Hence, King Thorbjorn was forced to strengthen his ties with the west.

When King Thorbjorn's wife died, a new queen was needed. At first, he looked to the east. It would appease his eastern neighbors to wed one of their daughters, but he saw the beauty of Princess Angelina. Therefore, the succession of land idea was declared. This would cement the alliance of Lakeland and Calmondak, and King Thorbjorn could cast his eyes eastward without worry.

With the postponement of the wedding, the Lakeland King would wed a daughter of the east. This would force the king to set his sites elsewhere for land acquisition. It was not an ideal situation, but the king would cope. However, he still wished for a secure western border. Thus, granting Princess Angelina and his son the land was a strategic move.

There is also the prophecy to consider. The Lakeland's residents have always been one for prophecy. There had been a long standing one where a prince would rescue and princess and unite all of Morica. With this, the idea of the treaty lands was even more logical in the mind of the king. It would give an incentive to Prince William and allow King Jonathan to go along. However, the king should not have mentioned the prophecy to his fellow king, but what was done was done.

Early the next morning, Prince William met with King Jonathan's trackers. He looked at the signs the sun car left. It was obvious that the car went west.

"We think they are going northwest into the lands of Princess Angelina's mother," stated one of the trackers.

"Is there any reason to think she was taken by her kinsmen?" asked Prince William.

"The forbidden lands are very dangerous," replied the tracker. "Thus, it seems to reason that they would not head there. Thus, perhaps her kin are involved."

"Are the forbidden lands that treacherous?"

"No one has come back from an exploration of the forbidden lands. That is good enough for me."

"Would that not make an excellent place to hide?"

"Being killed is no way to hide."

"How bad can it be?"

"First off, there is no water to be found there. The fugitives did not steal any water from our stores, nor did they take any water storage vessels. Furthermore, there are the most poisonous insects and snakes living there. It is an awful place."

"If no one has survived a trip there, then how do you know this?"

"I know from the old time reports before the water wars. Do not treat me like some ignorant kid young man. I have been around."

"I was just asking..."

"It looks like they took the ancient trail west," stated the tracker. "We would have to follow the trail to know exactly where they went. Nevertheless, that would be an arduous task. Thus, we have scouts looking out for them in the northwest. We expect to find her soon."

"I think I am going to follow her trail," replied Prince William.

"Good luck," replied the tracker. "It will be a long and hard trail to follow. We'll probably have her before you reach the trail split."

Prince William did not know if the tracker was telling the truth, or trying to lead him astray. It did make sense that whoever took the princess would avoid the Forbidden Zone, but it also made sense to hide there. What dangers did this place have? Was it just a legend to scare away strangers? What secrets did it hide? There were enough questions to keep him going. Besides, being king over all of Morica was very tempting situation.

King Jonathan was called the "Cattle King" by the neighboring kingdoms. His lands were very dry, but they were highly suited to raising livestock. He had vast herds of bison grazing his lands. Deer, moose, and wild cow also thrived there. Much of the wild game on his lands was hunted for sport in his kingdom. He got his power and influence from the wealth he obtained in the meat trade.

After the water wars of Calmondak's southern neighbors, King Jonathan's father expanded the kingdom farther south. This land was also arid, but it too was suitable to livestock grazing. The people working these lands fit right in to how their neighbors to the north ran things.

However, there was a large desert in the southwestern portion of these southern kingdoms. With the irrigation practices of the former kingdoms -- and before -- the Great Monoran Desert had grown substantially. The aquifer had nearly vanished allowing the desert to expand.

This desert was a dangerous and foreboding place where numerous explorers had never returned. It was hot and dry. Very little could survive there. After an exploratory party entered the desert and did not return, King Jonathan forbade anyone from entering. It was labeled the "Forbidden Zone."

When King Jonathan was a fairly young man, he wed Princess Marcellina. With the marriage and its arrangements, the Calmondak kingdom gained some timberland and some orchards in the northwest. There were also some fine vineyards that complemented the ones in Calmondak. Thus, King Jonathan could slightly diversify where his wealth was being generated.

Other than from the vines and from fruit trees, very little food could be grown in Calmondak without irrigation. It was this aridness that resulted in the water wars of these southern kingdoms. The lack of water had caused destruction of the previous civilization living on the land as well. It was simply not something with which King Jonathan wanted to get involved. Thus, he would continue to import most of his required grains from Lakeland.

The acquisition of the treaty land would not change this. However, it would extend Calmondak's border to the Misery River to the west. This would be more preferable to the current border with the Lakeland Kingdom. This border was determined more arbitrarily when one of the southern kingdom negotiated for it. With the river as the border, it would prevent any disputes over land rights. In this way, friendly trade would continue between the neighbors.

Furthermore, the land of this treaty was mostly similar to the much of the southern lands that were already part of Calmondak. There was a small mountain range and some swamps, but a majority of the land was similar. Most of it could be used as grazing lands. The big difference was that it also gave Calmondak access to an oceanic gulf which could also open up trade with more eastern kingdoms.

Nonetheless, all of this was for not with Princess Angelina's disappearance. A new treaty was discussed giving Prince William and Princess Angelina control over the land should they marry. However, it would likely revert to Lakeland should anything happen to the pair. Further, there was the prophecy proclaimed by King Thorbjorn.

While King Jonathan was completely willing to allow Prince William to search for his daughter, the marriage of the pair would be considered at another time. The benefits of this union would be far less than the previous arrangement. Further, he did not particularly believe in prophecies, so anyone looking for his daughter would be welcome.

Princess Angelina was not an only child. She had an older brother, Prince James. He was the heir to the Calmondak throne. He was a tall statuesque young man. He was also quite striking in appearance. However, like Princess Angelina, he took after his mother more than his father. Thus, many thought him a bit effeminate. Of this, Princess Angelina took much offense.

There was talk in some circles that Princess Angelina was the much stronger of the pair. She was much more suited to be heir to the throne than the -- in their opinion -- much weaker prince. While the princess would agree that she was stronger, again she took offense to the sentiment.

The two children were educated along side each other. While there was a few years difference in their ages, Angelina did act much more mature for her age. Further, she had a voracious appetite for learning. She just did not seem to be able to get enough.

Perhaps this was the big difference between the two. Prince James accepted his role in the scheme of things, but Princess Angelina felt that there was always something that could be done. She was not afraid to take action. She was not afraid to step outside her role as princess and see the world differently. This made her appear strong and made James appear weak.

The two siblings were quite close due to their situation. In fact, they had spent many hours discussing the upcoming wedding. However, Prince James did not know what the princess could or would do about stopping the upcoming nuptials.

She had asked Prince James about driving the suncars. He gave her a few pointers and lessons, but he did not think she would be able to drive away by herself. He felt that she would need assistance. Thus, he was under the impression that she had been abducted.

He had been questioned thoroughly. It was apparent that despite his confession of teacher her the rudiments of the sun car, he did not know where she was. In fact, because they were very close, if she had run away, she may have wanted him to not know where she was going. Thus, he was in the dark about the events of the day of her disappearance.

Prince William of Lakeland asked Prince James some questions about the Forbidden Zone and if she knew anything about it. Prince James told him what he told everyone.

"It is the most dangerous place in Calmondak, and no one would go there on purpose. Certainly my sister knows that! If she ran away, she certainly would not head there!"

Prince William had spoken to most of King Jonathan's staff. They were fairly evenly split on whether Princess Angelina ran away or whether she was abducted. However, they were almost unanimous on their belief that no one would go purposely into the Forbidden Zone.

Nonetheless, Prince William would follow the trail where it led. Thus, if it went into this foreboding area, he would need to be prepared for it. Therefore, he put several water containers into his suncar as he set off following Princess Angelina's trail.

The ancient roadway was quite a bit west of the castle complex. It was once a busy north/south road for travelers; however, now it was just an little used trail. Prince William double checked the track he was following. Both he and King Jonathan's trackers concluded that the suncar headed south. He checked the trail and was certain that is the direction to go.

This ancient road south led to the ruins of a city. It was once a major metropolitan area, but it was now little more than rubble. The many conflicts hit this mountain city hard. What made it an excellent place for a city also made it a place where people fought. This was the way of many of the old cities.

Because of its location, there were several roads which the ancients had constructed that led into and out of this major metropolitan area. These roads went off in all directions. Anyone going this direction would be difficult to track. Once again, it was an excellent choice to hide the destination of any traveling vehicle.

While this ancient city was about an hour from King Jonathan's residential complex by suncar, it was going to take Prince William a while to determine the exact path. Prince William's suncar had little difficulty traveling over the ancient roads. That is, until it got nearer to the ruined city. The battles had taken their toll on these roads.

Nonetheless, it made it somewhat easier to track. There were places where there was debris in the roads where tire tracks could be seen. There were broken plants. There were many clues to follow. However, it was a time consuming task for Prince William. There could be other vehicles traveling along this route.

As he suspected, the trail led to the west. This did not mean that they were headed directly into the Forbidden Zone. The ancient road headed to the west through the mountains and towards the Monoran desert. However, the ancient road had a split where a suncar could head north, continue west, or even loop back. It was clear to Prince William that the route chosen was very good one for concealing the final destination.

However, now that Prince William knew that the trail headed west, it would be easier to track. With the mountainous terrain, there were few options until the next split. Thus, once he left the ruined city, he could make pretty good time.

The tracking took its toll on Prince William, and he camped at one of the few intersections in the mountains for the night. He felt he was making good time, and hoped to reach the next major intersection of the ancient roadway by midday. Nevertheless, it was still going to take him a while to catch up with Princess Angelina at this rate. Although, it would take even longer if he missed her trail. Thus, he was being very methodical.

In any event, if King Jonathan's trackers were to be believed, they would have the Princess back before he reached the next split in the road. It would be at this point when Prince William would know for certain if the suncar went into the forbidden area. If it did, then the Princess could be in great distress.

With first light, Prince William was back on the trail. He could tell he was getting closer to the desert as it was becoming increasingly dry. He did cross a minor trickle of a river, and he wondered if there were more like it.

The sun was hot and high in the sky when he reached the crossroads. A blockade had been constructed to prevent southward travel. However, it had been removed. Thus, it was clear to Prince William that the Princess was in the Forbidden Zone.

He double and triple checked the trail, but it was unmistakable. The suncar clearly entered the forbidden area. Thus, the prince had no choice but to follow the track. He turned his suncar south and headed into the hot desert.

The road was rough. Sections of the road had seen great battles. Some of the ancient attack vehicles still sat there slowly being covered in sand. They were once great metal beasts, but now just hunks of scrap. Sand slowly wearing them smooth in places and rough in others.

The track he was following was clear in the sand. He could easily follow it as it led into the desert. So few had come this way, that the track looked fresh even though it could have been days or even weeks old. He thought he would catch up to the Princess in no time.

Suddenly, a huge cloud of sand blew across his path. The sand storm blocked out the sun, and his suncar lost power. The sand blasted against the side of his car. He could almost feel the sand tearing the solar panels off the car. His car sat there motionless as the sand ripped across his path. The roar of the sand and wind was almost deafening.

Just as suddenly as it started, it stopped. The roar ceased and all was silent again. The sun returned. Prince William let out a huge sigh. He took a small drink of water from his stores and stepped out of his car.

Some of the panels were damaged, but he quickly repaired them. His car had survived with little damage. Then he realized it. The trail he was following was gone. The wind had erased the easy trail that had led him to this spot. What was he going to do next? The Forbidden Zone was beginning to live up to its name.

Prince William stood there looking at the foreboding road ahead. The trail he was following was gone. He hoped he could pick it up again, but it did not appear too likely. The fierce sandstorm, while it did not last long, had wide-ranging effects. There was no for him to know where the princess was without being able to follow her trail.

The prince decided to follow the ancient road slowly. If there were signs, he did not wish to miss them. Whoever was driving the princess's suncar could have left the old road at any time, but the road was all the prince had. Thus, he pushed on.

With the slow going, Prince William could see how someone could get lost out here. The sand storm he had just experienced was small, he could imagine them being much larger and burying a suncar in sand. Further, there was the heat and the dryness. The thought of it made him thirsty, so he stopped and drank from his water reserves.

He took a moment to look closely for signs, but there were none. However, he did notice something odd. He got out to investigate. Out of a sand dune, there was a large flat reflecting panel. He looked around and he saw dozens. Looking some more there were hundreds. They were semi-concealed in the dunes.

The wind picked up a little bit and he rushed back to his suncar. He took another drink, and continued forward on the ancient road. The sand raced across his car, but he managed to keep going. There was not the same amount of sand in this round. However, if there was a track to follow here, it would have been enough to erase it.

The temperature outside the suncar was soaring. Prince William fiddled with the interior cooling system. The power demand of the suncar was at its maximum. This would limit his speed, but more importantly, another sand storm could stop him. The Forbidden Zone was becoming clear to him. It was clearly a very dangerous place. Any number of things could mean life and death. He was grateful he brought water, but began wondering if it were enough.

Slowly, he continued following the ancient road. It was a desolate area, yet strangely beautiful. There were colorful mesas in the distance. However, he had gone most of the day without seeing anything move. It was as if the land were a void of life. He thought that perhaps that changed at night out of the heat of the day.

The mesas soon gave way to flat desert. He passed the ruins of some small towns that once existed in the desert -- victims of the water wars. He noticed bridges over now dry river beds. Water once flowed in the stretch of desert. The prince wondered how long ago the water flowed.

He continued driving looking for the trail. He did not see any trace of the suncar's tracks. It could have come this way, but it might not have. Slowly he went, and it was getting late in the day. It was clear that he would have to spend the night in the desert. Thus, he began looking for a place to stop. Once the sun went down, his suncar would stop. Hence, he looked for a place protected from the wind.

There was an intersecting road where it appeared to be a spot where some people had lived long ago. He pulled onto a frontage road and drove a short distance. There was an ancient concrete building still standing there. He parked close to it to protect his car from the wind and sand. It looked like an long deserted saloon.

Prince William got out of his car and looked around. A short distance away, there was a small trickle of a very muddy river. It appeared that it would dry up at the peak of the dry season. In fact, there was a wash that would flow into this small river during storms. Nonetheless, there was enough water around to support a few scraggly trees. The rest of the terrain was scrub brush and tumbleweeds.

It was closing in on dusk, and it was still hot. The prince had a decision to make. He had gone quite a distance with no sign of the Princess's trail. Should he continue following the ancient road? Should he give up? How well his night went was going to determine his course of action. If he feared for his life, he would turn back. However, if the night passed with little incident, he decided he would follow the road further.

The prince gathered some brush to build a fire. The material he gathered was so dry he thought it might catch fire in his hands. He dug a small pit in the sand and placed some of the material into it. He gathered enough material to have the fire go all night because he did not want to wander off in the dark to obtain more.

While gather the material for the fire, Prince William noticed more of the reflecting panels. He thought there must be thousands of them scattered throughout the desert. He wondered who had put them there. Did they belong to the ancients? Were they remnants of a once great society? Did they survive the water wars? What did they do?

These fleeting thoughts went through his head, but his thoughts turned to food and survival. He thought the fire would keep away any dangerous night visitors. He thought he might hunt for some food, but he then thought better of it. He had enough provisions to last a few days. There was no need to take any risks at this point in his journey.

Just as the last bit of sun sank below the horizon, he lit his fire. He was amazed at the number of stars he could see. It was a dark clear night. He was sure his fire could be visible for miles, and he heard some howling animals in the distance. At night, the desert did come alive.

He settled down and got some sleep. It was not a restful sleep as he wanted to keep the fire alight. He was about to put some more fuel on the fire, but he marveled at the sky and the darkness. It is then that he saw the lights in the distance. Something was going on in the Forbidden Zone. Was there a city off in the distance? The area was supposed to be dead. What were the source of those lights? He would investigate when the sun came up.

Once Prince William saw the lights shining in the night, he lost the ability to sleep. His curiosity kept him awake. His mind would not let it go. He just sat and wondered. It was odd to see evidence of life in a so-called lifeless zone. The possibilities raced in his mind. He just could not figure it out.

As the dawn broke, the distant lights faded. It was only in the darkness that the illumination was visible that far off. Furthermore, Prince William's curiosity overrode his quest. After all, it appeared that the ancient road led directly towards the lights. Further, he did not have a trail to follow the Princess. Thus, he was going to investigate where the lights originated.

He put out his fire and gathered his things. He got in his suncar and headed off on the old road. He no longer worried about the trail; he just went as fast as his car could go. Although it was the cool part of the day, it was still hot. Nonetheless, he turned off the car's cooling system to increase his speed.

As he sped along, he saw some barricades along the side of the road. It appeared that there were still roadblocks along this road. However, they were moved to the side. Thus, he raced on past. Someone else had come this way. Perhaps, he thought, it was the Princess and her suncar.

The heat began putting its mirages upon the surface of the road he was traveling. After a short distance, there were still no signs of a city up ahead. It was a flat and desolate road. The Prince began to wonder if what he had seen during the night was a mirage. Did he dream it? Was he following shadows? Was it just his mind playing tricks upon him?

The doubts crept into his mind, but he kept going. He had no leads to the Princess, so this gave him a task to complete. He had a purpose. On the other hand, it could be leading him away from his quarry. However, his curiosity had to be satisfied. He could make it back to his camp, and only lose the time he wasted on this particular adventure.

As fast as the suncar could go, Prince William drove along the road to the southwest. There were more warnings moved away from the road. Someone had definitely come this way recently and moved the roadblocks. The signs read Danger and Keep Out, but onward the Prince drove. After all, these signs no longer blocked the road. Thus, perhaps they no longer applied.

After about an hour and a half of driving, a few rather tall buildings appeared in front of him. These were surprisingly in good shape for an ancient city. Most of the ancient cities in the area did not survive intact during the water wars. Also, most of the tall buildings were destroyed in the fighting. From this distance, this city appeared to have escaped from the much of the destruction.

Prince William thought that perhaps the once great city was abandoned, but it still had access to power. Thus, it would illuminate because no one shut off the electricity to the buildings. With it being in the forbidden zone, no one had rectified the situation. It would also explain the reflecting panels in the desert. They could power such a city.

In his car, the Prince was getting quite warm. Thus, he slowed his car down and enabled the interior cooling system. After a brief drive, he pulled over to get a good drink from his water reserves. He could see the city clearly from his vantage point. It was an ancient metropolitan area in the midst of a very foreboding desert.

The old city had many opulent buildings. There were several high-rise buildings. Each uniquely and elaborately constructed. These structures showed amazing architecture. It was different than most of the ancient cities that Prince William had encountered. This was clearly a town of wealth.

As he got closer, he could see that the city was likely the source of the lights. Many of the buildings were still lit in the height of the morning. At the height of this city's life, this city was likely resplendent in the night. It could have been a city of lights.

Just off the ancient road, there were more and more opulent buildings. However, there were no exits. All of the ancient intersections were blocked. Prince William was funneled into the depths of the ancient city. There was no way off the ancient road except the way he had come, or some place deeper in the city. He drove on.

As he got deeper into the city, he began seeing evidence of activity. He would see things move out of the corner of his eyes. He was not sure if they were people or vehicles or something else. Nevertheless, the farther he got into the city the more he observed such movements.

Eventually, he was forced to stop. The way forward was completely blocked. When he came to a complete stop, a gate closed behind him. He was trapped. Some people in masks and black jumpsuits jump out and surround his car.

With their weapons drawn, they told the prince to get out of his car.

"I am Prince William Thorbjornson of Lakeland," the Prince explained as he exited his car with his hands in the air.

"What part of Forbidden Zone did you not understand?" asked one of the armed individuals.

"I demand to be taken to see the ambassador," Prince William stated firmly.

"You are not even heir to the throne," laughed the black clan man. "The king might not even pay to get you back."

"The ambassador..."

"Forbidden Zone..."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"As far as anyone is concerned, the moment you entered this restricted area, you died. Thus, your claims of royalty and honor and privilege mean absolutely nothing here."

"But..."

"Come with me and keep quiet," demanded the man as he brandished his weapon.

The Prince complied.