The time has passed and Sierra woke up
Sierra: "Uhh… Where. Where am I?" she looked around there are two big coffins. The single coffin is enough for two people.
Hero: "We are on a carriage and it will take us far away from the capital.. I need to get you outside the capital right now. It is not safe at all for you."
Sierra: "What?! Why?!"
Hero: "The palace has fallen. Do you still want to go back? The kidnapper might come and get you."
Sierra: her eyes were widely open. "But mother…. Father…!"
Hero: "Don't worry. I know they are safe. But we need to get you away from the palace and the capital itself.
The carriage was moving.
Hero: "Great that you wield swords even in your birthday party."
Sierra: "I'm a knight. It is my duty to carry the sword to use it whenever is needed." She placed her hands in the air and two swords appeared out of nowhere.
Hero: whistled "Heh… knights…"
Sierra a voice in her head. "(Go to Saih harbor. Never go back to the palace.)" "??"
Sierra ignored the voice. "(What was that?)"
Hero: "I should take you away from the palace. The knights must be rumbling around to take you back." Sierra was not listening.
Hero: He smiled wide with his teeth showing while he was watching outside.
Sierra: "What's wrong?"
Hero: "I think we shouldn't be worried about anything else more than this." and he pointed at someone from outside the cover of the carriage.
♦ ♥ ♣ ♠
Sierra: "Yikes!"
Hero: "Shh… don't worry." he was smiling with confidence "The knights…. Maybe they are not aware of the idea that you are also in danger if you go back. We shall not let them take you back to the capital again."
Sierra: "What should we do?"
Hero: "Shhh…"
Hero: "…Keep calm." Whispering to her and smiling with confidence
Guards: "This is a checkpoint. Please show us everything inside the carriage."
Cart man: "I cannot show you. These are coffins of dead people. I will take them to their hometowns"
Guards: "I'm sorry but these are the orders. The princess has gone missing. We need to check the cart and everything in these coffins. We must find the princess and take her back to the palace."
Sierra and Hero inside the coffin
Sierra: "They are from the Capital. Why are we hiding from them?"
Hero: "Sierra… The Palace has fallen. The Queen and the King are surely in hiding. If the palace has fallen, that means the knights now are following another leader's orders. The kidnapper will sure come to get you too if you went back.If there is any chance we can get out of this, it would be pure luck. It's a miracle that we found left the palace without the kidnapper's notice."
Sierra kept staring at the knights outside.
Sierra: Aniston came on her head. "(Not all of them.)"
Sierra: "But how? I'm responsible for this so…yes, maybe. Maybe if I told Aniston he will help us." She was going to show herself off.
Hero: Grabbing her hand "Shh…"
Guard: "Princess Sierra has gone missing. We need to make sure she does not leave outside the capital. These are orders from commander Aniston. Reveal what is inside the coffins now."
Cart man: "You have no manners! How could you do such a thing? And you call yourself a knight of justice."
Guard: "You gave us no choice old man."
Sierra was sweating and Hero was watching with smile and confidence.
The guards opened the cloth above cart and he found two coffins. They went toward the coffin to open it.
Sierra and Hero were inside the big coffin, both of them.
Hero and Sierra became nervous and sweating. Swallowing. But Hero is still have a big smile in his face.
???????: "Stop it!"
Sierra: From inside the coffin. "This voice…" she looked at Hero.
Aniston: "If they were real corpses and they were revealed under my instructions, I will never forgive myself. Search somewhere else."
The guards saluted Aniston. "Ha!"
Sierra: She was amazed about what she heard… "Aniston…" She was smiling with blush.
Hero: "Heh… He never changes."
Sierra: "Hero… I think we should tell him---" She was about to show herself but Hero grabbed her hand.
Hero: "Wait wait have you lost your mind?"
Sierra: "He might help us. I don't see why not."
Hero: "You will be taken directly to the palace. Is that what you want?"
Sierra: She looked at hero "…no…but."
A sound from her head appeared: "(Do not go back to the palace at all cost.)"
Sierra: "…Huh!" "(This voice is familiar…)"
Hero: "(I know he's Her fiancé but it's strange. If the palace has fallen, that means the knights now are following another leader's orders. It is obvious that the princess will not be safe returning back to the palace. What's going on?)"
Sierra: She was relieved to hear Aniston's voice any way. In a quiet relieved voice "Aniston."
When the cart moved a little bit now, Sierra opened the box to watch Aniston from afar.
Hero: "(I didn't want to tell her that her parents were caught …. Not yet.)"
…..
When the cart was far away from the knights
Aniston: "Any clue about the princess?"
Soldiers: "Not yet sir."
Aniston: "…I see…" And looked down and closed his eyes. His grasp was shaking.
A bit far away inside the cart
Sierra: "…Aniston…"
............…..
Then the cart reached its destination.
Hero: "Haaaa. I can breathe now." He got out from the coffin along with Sierra.
Sierra: 'Big inhale'.
Hero: "Hmm why are you looking at me?"
Sierra: "You. You were pretty calm back there."
Hero: "Well I guess I have faith in the old man. That's all."
Sierra: "There was a big chance that they will get us, but…"
Hero: "You worry a lot dear princess. Calm down and relax."
Sierra: "Aniston…"
......…
At Maximal mansion.
Jewel: She was unconscious on a chair.
Maximal: "Marvelous Albert!!"
Albert: "…" He wasn't happy at all.
Maximal: "Keep your eyes on her. I don't want her to run away."
Someone with a white mask and white clothes.
Albert looked toward the fainted girl.
The white mask guy is approaching her.
Jewel: "Ahuhh... Huh…" She is gaining consciousness. She started looking slowly everywhere, until she noticed Albert… and the white mask man.
Albert: "Finally awake princess…" He smiled and clumsily talking. He went to her and sat on his knee to talk to her "You are in lord Maximal's mansion sweetie."
Jewel: "Maximal...?"
...
While the cart was moving. Sierra and Hero inside it.
Sierra was hugging her legs. Suddenly she looked up.
Sierra: "Maximal??" It is like the word from Jewel's mouth reached Sierra.
Hero: "Hmm, what's wrong?" like nothing has happened. He seemed optimistic and happy with serious look.
Sierra: "I can feel it…"
Hero: "What can you feel?"
Sierra: "Jewel… I can sense that she's scared and tired…and…"
Hero: "That's so romantic" optimistic and with blank face.
Hero: "You said you are responsible, but I don't see that. They suddenly came and kidnapped her. No need to blame yourself."
Sierra looked the other way and did not answer.
Hero: "It is ok. I understand." He did not want to push her.
Sierra: "They mistook me with her. I'm the one who is supposed to get kidnapped. Not her…"
Hero: "Really? but—"
Cart old man: "We've arrived!"
Both Sierra and Hero got off from the cart.
Sierra: "Thank you sir for helping us."
Hero: "Thanks old man. We were really about to get caught back there."
Cart old man: "Don't worry Youngman. This is the least I can do to repay for saving my life the last time."
Sierra: "You saved him?"
Hero: He looked toward Sierra "Yeah, he escorted me to the capital and we were attacked by wolves. It wasn't a big deal actually."
Cart old man: "Excuse me for my rudeness young miss but you ARE the missing princess, aren't you?"
Sierra: "…" She tried to be cautious and hide a little bit behind hero.
Hero: "Haha… Yes she is. Don't be scared he will keep your secret in a well."
Cart old man: "Don't be shy now. This old bone in front of you will not tell a soul. But you should be careful. The knights will be here sooner or later."
Sierra: "Yes, I will be on my toes." She smiled
Hero: "Heh good." He is happy that she smiled.
Sierra: "And what was these coffins for."
Cart man: "Someone asked me to deliver them to the city in the south of here."
Sierra: "Ah I see."
Hero: "Come Princess, let's go."
Now they reached the golden forest in the dawn
Hero: "Sierra!"
Sierra: "Huh…?"
Hero: "Here." He grabbed her hand and placed the crystal key on her hand.
Sierra: "The key! I thought I lost it forever! Where did you find it?"
Hero: "Heh." Rubbing his nose. "It fell from you in the city yesterday when you were in the capital strolling."
Sierra: She placed the key in her chest. "Okay." She became cheerful and smiled. "Let's go!"
Hero: "Heh alright."
Hero: walked a bit deep in the forest. "One of the kidnappers had this brooch. I think I've seen it before." He showed the brooch to Sierra.
Sierra went so close to him to take a look at it. "Let me see".
Hero: "Hmmm I think—"
Sierra: "The Maximal family!!!" She shouted
Hero: "Whoa my ears."
Sierra: "Yes! Are you sure it was with one of them! I remember hearing the name maximal when I was in the cart. I thought it was my imagination but…"
Hero: "Actually, I heard the men who abducted your sister mentioning lord Maximal when I was getting you out of there. I heard them say they were done queen and the king."
Sierra: "How could this be?"
Hero: "Well yeah, that look was scary. And this brooch, It dropped from one of the kidnappers who was firing the fireworks. I was thinking of selling it and give the money to my townspeople."
Sierra: "You really care about them."
Hero: "am I?"
Sierra: "You're a nice guy."
Hero: "But don't put your guard down anytime princess."
Sierra: "Hehe. Don't worry, I won't." She smiled to him
Hero: "So you know how to laugh? What a relief." He seemed happy.
Sierra: "I think we have a clue for where my sister is, but where does he live? How are we supposed to find him?"
Hero: "One of his mansions near my town."
Sierra: "We have to stop there then. Where is your hometown?"
Hero: "We should cross the water to reach there."
Sierra: "You mean by boat?"
Hero: "Yeah. Never been there?"
Sierra: "I did not leave the continent before."
Hero: "You sure haven't seen anything yet then."
They are still walking in the golden forest.
Hero: "When we cross the wood we will reach the harbor."
Sierra: She nodded to him
Hero: "This wood is called the golden because it has an amount of fruits that can be sold around the world and the gain money from it just like selling gold."
Sierra: Amazed "You know too much"
Hero: "Well I traveled several times to the capital. I know my way around."
Sierra: "I wish the knights won't follow us here."
Hero: "I think they will."
Sierra: "I think that too. I am sure that Aniston would not fall for what we did back there and he will be tracking the cart by now."
Hero: "Here!" he gave her a big strawberry from the forest. He wanted her to forget her worries. "It is delicious." It was big as a small watermelon.
Sierra: "Hmm… Thank you" she gently smiled. Like princesses. "Jewel once said that a golden apple grew here in this forest. I will try to take a look around and search for the tree."
Hero: "Sigh. You're weird." -_-?
Sierra: Still searching
Hero: "You haven't eaten the strawberry yet?"
Sierra: She took a bite. "It is delicious!"
Hero: "I have three more here. If you felt hungry just tell me."
Hero suddenly looked serious.
Hero: Hero suddenly looked serious. "I have to take you away from this palace." He was talking in a low voice whispering to himself.
Sierra: "Did you say something?"
Hero: Smiled "Nope."