Earlier that day, the Princess had just arrived at the Castle grounds and made a decision to announce her presence to her parents so they would be well assured that she's safe.
"Princess, please where are you heading to?" Leo asked worriedly, putting out his hand to obstruct her path, taking a wild guess on what could have prompted this sudden action.
'Don't go in, it would be much better if you went to your Chambers instead.' He thought.
The other guards gulped on their saliva, trying their best to make it appear they were not interested in what was happening before them and minded their business by looking away in the opposite direction.
"Move away Leo." Mae said through gritted teeth, trying her best to calm her nerves by taking long deep breaths with a forced smile, lightly clapping her hands.
"No one can do Princess." He held his ground, not budging from his stance.
The other guards stationed at the door, took sharp breaths, their eyes wide with shock on his daring attitude. He might be the chief guard, but what he was currently doing was definitely out of line.
"We were ordered to bring you safely home and that is what we did, if His and Her Majesty should know of our arrival, there would be no need to make an appearance before them, don't you think?" Leo sweatdropped.
He had been making a mental note since the time they had left the Castle. The sudden news he had received made him question if he could really go through with the plan.
"LEO!" Mae yelled at the top of her lungs, confident that her parents could have heard her.
"Is there something you aren't telling me? Something I needed to know?" She narrowed her eyes at Leo and then at the guards who trembled slightly upon her intimidating gaze on them during that brief moment, trying to get a possible lead on their strange behaviour.
"N–no Your H– highness." The first guard stammered.
Princess Mae raised a brow to his response, there was something oddly fishy going on, which made her want to find out this mystery for herself.
"R–right boss?" The second guard looked hopefully at Leo, who scoffed and gave a dry laugh in response.
'Idiot!' He made a mental note. "Of course." He replied through gritted teeth, internally cursing the guard who had put him in a tight spot.
"What are you two doing anyways?" Her hands akimbo, she frowned at the guards who stood motionless with a straight face after their initial response, like nothing had happened a few seconds ago.
The guards gave a quick glance at each other, none wanting to ask if the question was directed to them first or the other or who to speak first.
Frustrated, Mae let out a loud groan, holding onto her face. "Open the doors, please!" She stressed, forcing a smile at the guard on the left.
"Y-yes Your Highness." Slowly the guard did as he was told. The creaking noise of the large wooden door letting out the passage of bright light seep through the opening, the wider it became the more the intensity of it.
Leo looked back momentarily, glaring at the guard who had defied his order against what he knew was to befall the Princess as soon as she was given the chance to meet with her parents.
Mae looked at Leo's outstretched hand, now confident he couldn't stop her from going in as whatever action they carried out was within the view of the King and Queen.
Dropping his hand, he facepalmed. He knew he tried his best to stall their meeting, but he still couldn't get why the Princess would act so childish, couldn't she tell he was trying to protect her?
'Don't you get it? I'm trying to protect you and buy you time, you are definitely not going to like what you hear once you go in.' His green eyes said as he searched her hazel one's, hoping she would get the message.
"Leo?" Mae smiled, finally satisfied she had the upper hand at this now, then she looked above his shoulder, locking her gaze with her father who paused momentarily from his discussion with Elvis–his back towards her. The King raised a brow at what he saw, tilting his head to the left, nudging his wife to look over in their direction.
"I do apologize to Your Highness." Leo gave a bow, moving away from the way, allowing her access.
Feeling proud of herself, she had a smug smile, her shoulder raised, her chin raised high as she elegantly walked towards her parents.
"Good day father. Mother. " She greeted with a curtsey.
A nod of acknowledgement from her father, but then she sensed something strange in her mother's eyes, it carried a lot of hurt–if not anguish. But why?
"Mother are you all–" Mae had begun but was interrupted with the raise of King Morgan's palm.
Looking over to his wife, he shook his head signalling his disapproval if she shared any word other than what they had prepared. Queen Vivian looked downcast, she feared how her daughter would see her after this.
Moving closer to Morgan, she whispered to his hearing: "Darling do you think we really need to–"
"We are glad you had a great day outdoors today, but your mother and I have something we want to discuss with you." He said with a stern voice, never for once breaking eye contact with Mae.
Mae furrowed her brows, she looked behind her for a moment, it was in that split of a second did she begin to replay all that moment Leo had tried warning–if not stopping her when she had made a grave mistake to walk through those doors, even the guards acted strangely, like they knew something she didn't.
Snapping out of whatever trance-like state she was in, she responded quickly. "What information could you possibly want to share that doesn't involve yet another fairytale story, I am past the age of five or was it seven then? Oh whatever, you know what I mean."