AUTHOR'S
Helena woke up with a terrible headache. The cold morning sun seeped through the metal bars, hitting her eyes and blurring her vision even more. With her head still achingly spinning, she took her time until she found herself inside a tumbleweed wagon, caged like an animal and pulled by two horses in the thick snow. Her lips trembled not in the cold but in fright seeing that she's been captured by some rebels. The last thing Helena remembered was that she was ending a conversation with Levin, then she started to feel unwell. She searched around with her eyes, looking for Stellan and the others. Apparently, there were no signs of them, even their horses. Refusing to believe the bitter truth, Helena realized Levin sold her. As a royal, she has some great value to trade for the merchant. She could just shake her head in such misfortune to be related to an unlikable grandfather.
"You're Royal Highness is awake! Greetings, Your Majesty!", a voice of a man said.
"Let me see!", another man with a scar on his brow, sunken cheeks and hoop earring on his nose climbed up on the metal bars and eyed amorously on Helena. "Wow!"!, his eyes ogled bigger than before, balling them out with a disturbing grin like a buffoon at Helena.
"What a pretty face, yea?", another one said with a red scarf tied on his forehead. "How much do you think can we get from her?", he asked.
"Maybe 10,000 gold?", another answered.
"Or a hundred! Ha ha! I can't wait for Valdemar to see what we got from the merchant. That merchant surely find good things just to keep his ass alive", the man with the nose earring kept staring lasciviously at Helena. "Or she can be my wife", he licked his lips a smooched an air kiss at the caged bird they just caught.
The man with a red scarf smacked him out of his wit. "Quit daydreaming you dumb twat! Get off from there and drive 'em horses!", he said furiously. "Valdemar takes the princess, and sells her for a big sum of gold, you idiot!", he darkened his eyes at the glaring captive.
'At least they don't know that I'm a soul traveler', Helena thought as she watch these crude men argue. And as long as she is inside the wooden cage with metal bars, she's safe. Ultimately, Helena hoped that Stellan would notice her disappearance soon before they reach Valdemar.
Helena sat in the middle of the wagon, hugging her knees tightly. The bumpy ride made her dizzy, and the smell of animal blood inside the tumbleweed make her stomach churn. Even if she uses her magic to tip over the wagon or bury these men in the snow, she still won't be able to get out of the wheeled prison. Plotting her escape, Helena searched inside the wagon whatever aids her escape. If only she has Iaso's stone, she would've turned back the time already, she thought.
"There's no way out, Princess. This wagon has magic that traps royals", one rebel said.
"Just sit tight, and enjoy the ride, will ya?", the man with a scar on the brow licked his lips and gave Helena a wink.
MEANWHILE
Stellan was awakened by a series of quick heavy pounds on the door. But what instantly dragged him out of the cold bed is seeing it empty, with Helena nowhere to be seen. He opened the door and a disheveled priest popped out.
"She's gone!", Umbriel wailed in tremendous fright. "I couldn't do anything, I was.. I was too scared", he continued to breakdown in tears.
"Calm down Umbriel, tell me what happened", Stellan winced a little at the brightness that welcomed him from opening the door. His ears rang, hearing Umbriel going frenzy while he speak frantically in tears.
Atrius and Ottis rushed out of their room after hearing Umbriel's cries. " What's going on?", Atrius asked sleepily. Umbriel gabbled his words as he try to explain what happened. However, not a single phrase came out loud and clear to be comprehended.
To everyone's surprise, Ottis slapped Umbriel, calming him down. "Alright, speak slowly!"
Umbriel swallowed a lump in his throat, catching his breath. Then, he wiped his tears with the sleeves of his cassock. "The.. old man!! The old man just sold Princess Helena to the rebels!", Umbriel said that made Stellan's blood boil.
"HE WHAT?!", Stellan's heart drop with furrowed brows hoping that this is just one of the terrible nightmares which he can instantly wake up from.
LATER
"Speak while we're still being nice.", Jac drove Levin in the kitchen corner with his foot stepped on the stool. Pressuring the old man, he jabbed a knife on top of the table with much intimidation to wring out the truth in the trembling old man. Crouched and lost in daze while muttering under his breath, Levin rocked his body back and forth bearing his nebulous mind. He simultaneously clasps his hands in fist, and then rubs his face with his palms.
"Hey, old man?!", Atrius snapped his fingers near Levin's face. "Talk now before I lose my patience!!", he furiously said. Fearing for Helena's safety, he started to feel his hackles rise knowing that Helena have no match with any of the rebels. However, Levin stayed unfocused and distracted, refusing to cooperate with them.
"Sometimes, being alone for too long makes you lose your mind", Ottis said.
"Hey cuckoo, why did you sell Helena to the rebels? Where did they take her?", Jac then grabbed Levin by his clothes and lifted the old man against the wall. "Have you gone completely mad?!", he savagely asked. Levin tearfully gasped with his eyes madly open, until an insane laughter escaped his mouth.
"Maybe it's protection. He gets untouched if he gives a massive prize. It should be it", Ottis assumed. After all, Levin lives in an isolated part of the kingdom. "Put him down, Jac. We're not getting anything from him. What did you hear, Priest?" he asked while Jac puts Levin down.
"I heard him trading Princess Helena with the rebels.. He.. He gave something to the Princess that made her sleep, then someone picked her up from the kitchen floor", Umbriel entailed. "I'm sorry... I got scared, I didn't protected her", Umbriel lowered his eyes in shame.
"That's enough.", Stellan blurted out, as he fix coat. "Ottis, trace them while the snow haven't covered their tracks. They can't be too far ahead. Umbriel, prepare our things. Atrius, Jac get the horses", he ordered that the men followed the paladin at once. Stellan faced the old man who's still out of his wit. "You get to live today, but let's not meet again. Your clan would be proud of you for selling the daughter of Tris", he said as the old man jolted away from the paladin.