"Miss, Sirs I- I must thank you somehow!" The woman stood, smiling gratefully.
The young man in blue bowed. "Call me Shane, ma'am. And there is no need to thank me. However," he turned to Elodie, who was busy brushing the dust off of her green dress. "Miss, if I may ask, which kingdom are you from? Perhaps the Woodland Kingdom? But I've never heard of such a powerful sorceress." Shane thought aloud.
"Who I am is not of importance." Elodie turned to the supposed maid without answering Shane's question. "I do have more questions for you. Could you perhaps tell me how old your son is?"
The woman bowed, holding her little boy tighter. "His sixth birthday was last week, Miss-"
"Victoria, Miss Victoria," Elodie smiled.
Adam glanced at her but didn't say anything.
"In that case, Miss Victoria, Mister Shane, and Sir Adam. There is something I should confess, in case my life is endangered in the near future,"
The woman rushed up to Elodie, grabbing her hands.
"Wha-" Elodie tried to pull back.
The woman stopped her by placing an unfamiliar object into her hands. "Miss, this item is important to the prince; for whatever reason, I feel like I can trust you with this. Please, don't let it be taken!"
"Oh?" Elodie raised a brow, and in the next second, the woman's hushed whispering became loud sobs.
"Please! Protect my son! No matter what!"
Elodie quickly realized what the woman was doing. In the next second, she was patting the woman's back.
"Do not worry, do not worry. Nothing will come if you. Your son will grow with an excellent mother by his side for years to come." As she spoke, the two men quickly relaxed, nodding in unison.
"Yes, Miss Victoria is right!" Shane quickly agreed.
With light sniffles, the woman backed away, nodding. "In that case, we must be going. Thank you all; I have no idea how to repay such a debt."
"I do," Elodie suddenly spoke. Adam cleared his throat. Caught off guard by her boldness. "Once you are settled, once you and your son are stable in life, come and find me again."
The woman was shocked, quickly beginning to speak. "How will I find you?"
Elodie smiled. With a strong expression, she met the face of the maid. "If things proceed the way I have in mind, it shall not be difficult, hmm?"
"I-I..." The maid pursed her lips, thinking. After a second of thought, she nodded. "I understand!"
Elodie, turning back to Adam, grinning. Strangely so, any danger signs poking out of her head were eradicated. Shane couldn't help but be suspicious of the woman in green's actual origin. Where on earth did she come from?
"Should we continue home?" Elodie asked Adam.
Adam was about to correct her when he remembered his end of their deal. In exchange for not killing Prince James, he would allow her to stay with him. Though Adam inwardly sighed when he realized he'd set himself up by not specifying a time. He was forced to nod to Elodie's question, worried of what might happen if he didn't.
"Alright. Miss Shane, we shall be leaving." Elodie waved joyfully. The two's demeanor contrasted greatly.
"Save travels!"
"Thank you, once again!"
With a nod, Elodie and Adam walked back to their horse. After helping her mount, Adam spoke up. "Do you always use Victoria?"
"Hmm?" Elodie glanced at him. "What are you talking about?"
Adam went silent, mounting the horse behind her, opposed to in front of. As he adjusted himself, his hands circled her waist, holding the reins.
"When you lie to people." He said it softly by her ear. Elodie's lashes fluttered in shock and quickly created distance between her back and his chest.
"Now, you know how she would've reacted should I have revealed my real identity. Why should I stress that poor woman any further?"
Adam didn't respond. Instead, he snapped the reins. The horse took off. "What did she give you? Adam asked after a brief moment of silence.
"You are quick on your toes, my love." Elodie smiled, but she didn't seem to realize what she had just called him. Or perhaps, for some reason, she didn't care? It made Adam question his relationship with the Evil Witch once more. "Once we get home, I shall let you know."
Adam began to feel slightly uneasy towards Elodie staying in his home. She was already implying it was her own!
๏๏๏ꪉꪉꪉꪉꪉꪉꪉꪉꪉꪉꪉꪉꪉꪉꪉꪉꪉꪉꪉꪉꪉꪉꪉ๏๏๏
Across the forest, in a glamorously decorated and dimly lit room of the royal palace.
A short amount of time had passed since the incident at the inn. Yet laying down on his bed, the Prince of Love held his cheek with his hand. On his other arm was a concubine. She fed him grapes while laughing cutely.
A guard walked in and bowed. "Reporting to the Second Prince." He said, having to clear his throat once realizing the prince hadn't heard him.
"Stand, what is the status of the girl we sent out?" The prince barely looked over to the guard; his eyes focused on the pale woman in silk and translucent colored robes. Yet, after several moments of silence, his eyes fell over to the royal guard in front of him.
"That is," the guard cleared his throat. "We have been unable to detect her for three hours."
Prince James slammed his fist to the table. "Preposterous!! Are all of you men useless!!??"
"I-"
"Baby, relax. Don't worry about those foolish people, hmm?" The concubine chuckled, soothing Prince James' flickering anger with a perfumed palm. "I'm sure she has been dealt with. Don't worry!"
The concubine passed him another grape, and in a matter of seconds, his demeanor calmed. Prince James was far too simple when it came to the charms of women.
The guard took it as his cue to leave, exiting the room quickly.
As he did, the princess passed in the hall. Her face was serious, her eyes deep in thought.
"Princess Jade!" The guard quickly bowed as she passed him. Surprisingly so, the princess stopped in her footsteps and turned to the guard, her eyes lingering on the door behind him. Her brother's room.
"Is my brother inside?"
"Replying to the Princess, the prince is currently..." He started to respond, but the sound of a woman giggling interrupted his words. The guard only bowed deeper.
Princess Isabella's lips furrowed. But in order not to lose face, she taut her chin higher and tightened her jaw.
"Has he tracked Elodie's whereabouts yet?" She questioned. The guard paused, about to open his mouth, when the princess stopped him. "It seems my second brother is far too incompetent for this task. I will speak to my 3rd brother. You are dismissed."
"Yes, Miss!"
With a bow, the guard walked off, unaware of the change in expression of the royal he had left standing there. Princess Jade's face turned sour, more sour and ugly than ever before. It grew in annoyance and disgust as another laughter-filled moan left the doors of her brother's room.
"Imputed and disgraceful!" She walked off, already thinking many thoughts of how to deal with Elodie.