Tiptoeing towards her door, her hands clasped over her mouth to a giggle from escaping, she opened the door slightly to peer out for any sign of movement.
'Phew!' She let out a sigh of relief, but immediately that was dashed out the window.
"Princess Mae." Leo came running back out of breath, bending over as he tried catching his breath.
"What?" Mae jumped back in shock,before immediately composed herself. "Why are you back?"
Leo looked up, a mixture of confusion and hurt flashing his features at once. "Well I was told to remind you not to look for ways to escape. They said the guards have been doubled." He warned, suspecting she would actually do something foolish.
"Uh-" She scoffed, "Tell me, has that ever worked?" She smirked, she had always found a way to avoid the guards with ease.
"Why do I feel you'd actually run off somewhere today?" Leo narrowed his eyes, pointing an accusing finger at her.
"Now who says I would do that?" She whistled, looking anywhere but his face.
"Hmmm." He hummed but said nothing. "So I have to get going, I need to change." She laughed nervously, itching to get back into her room to change into the dress she had picked out.
"Right." Leo bowed, scurrying away.
"Silly." She muttered, closing her door.
–––––––––––
'Did I make a mistake coming here?' Mae thought as she observed her surroundings, the constant presence of trees not sitting well with her.
Instantly she felt regret for venturing outdoors once again, in the forest at that. "I should have at least brought my journal." She sighed.
"This was all a mistake." She dragged her feet, walking towards her horse which was tied to a tree.
"Where do you think you're going?" An all too familiar voice stopped her right in her tracks.
"Lance?" She turned around, to face him.
"In the flesh." Lance nodded his head with a smirk on his lips.
"I'm looking for a place to stay." She told him.
"I don't know about that, Princess." Lance replied, looking her over. "I-I mean Mae which the other title is insignificant."
"I'm sick and tired of my life not being in my hands." She explained. "I want freedom, I was told it's going to be the case, but it's not." She grumbled.
Lance looked awkwardly to the side, this was a whole lot of information to handle, he was glad she had come by the parts of the woods, this gave him a chance to study her, to learn about her, to figure out what he could do to help her, he wanted to say something, but he couldn't think of anything to say that wouldn't be a lame advice.
"With a face like yours, females must be swooning over you." Mae took her seat on the grass, which still felt weird to her, not necessarily be present in the forest, but it was safe, and she could use that moment to look up at the sky.
"Beautiful isn't it?" Lance commented, but his gaze on her the whole time.
"Yes it is." She replied with a smile, patting her side for him to sit beside her.
Taking the cue, Lance sat beside her, he was glad she had come. The first thing he did was to show he was more than willing to listen, "I'm glad you came, thankyou for making out time to come even though it seemed you sneaked out this time around." He joked, nudging her in the ribs.
His gaze shifted back to her, studying her face, he was more interested in what she was thinking.
"I didn't..." Mae said, interrupting Lance's thought, she was hesitant to tell him what she was getting herself into. "...Intend to sneak out but my home has become a battle ground to me and before that's quenched, I see a repetition of what I'm doing."
"Mae, I have something I need to tell you." He brought her chin up and studied her face until she was forced to meet his gaze, her eyes flickered up and down his body, she noticed his eyes locked onto her lips before going back to her face, she found it attractive, his eyes, they held her, they were the most interesting part of him.
She wanted to look at him more, she wanted to know more about him, to figure out more about this guy who is the reason she felt so safe right then, she was nervous, she knew this was a good idea, yet she was nervous.
"Princess Mae!" A voice called from afar, the distinctive clip-clop sound of a trotting horse echoed in the forest.
'Why would you come to meet me here of all places?' She internally facepalmed.
Her stomach flip-flopped, it was her friend and bodyguard in the Castle, he was the only man she had ever known for such a long time so much so that could easily call her Princess and hit in the forest, he was the only man she had ever since that majorly defines not even go.
Yet again, Princess Mae pushed him into the bushes.
"Hey!" Lance protested, "Why the sudden change of heart?" He whispered.
"Shh!" She hushed him, "Don't talk, he's coming." She placed her index finger over her lip.
"Princess Mae." Leo pulled on the reins of the horse, jumping off his horse.
"Please tell me, what's wrong?" She questioned, intentionally blinking a few times to ease the tension building.
"You sneaked out even when I clearly warned you so." He went straight to the point.
"Ah! I see, you've learned about that too." Mae had a guilty smile on her face.
"Please come back home. It wouldn't be right if you were to stay here alone in the forest." Mae tried to reason it.
"Besides I'm comfortable as it is." She affirmed. "What are you? A Knight?" She joked but yet no response nor any that gave away Leo's resolve.
–––––––––––
In the bush, Lance could feel something walk up into his sleeve and it was making its way towards his neck. Slapping his hand on his neck, his hand caressed something scaley, bloody and wild.