One day, a male stranger arrived at the manor, and the servants assumed he was the new tutor for Yohana's medical studies. They led him to the study room.
Yohana remembered how she eagerly awaited her lesson, brimming with excitement to share her newfound knowledge with Fabian.
"Hello!" The man greeted her.
Surprisingly, the man didn't carry any books with him, and Yohana inquired eagerly, "Where are the books? Aren't we going to learn right away? I can't wait!"
But the man had other plans. He suggested they have the lesson outside, which only fueled Yohana's enthusiasm. She imagined herself curing patients, just like the family doctor brought junior doctors along for visits.
Yohana's face brightened at the thought of meeting patients, and she willingly took the man's hand, unaware of any danger.
They left the study room, and when a passing servant, Nina, asked if the lesson had ended, the man assured her they were having it outside.
She was twelve at the time, so she remembered the timeline of the incident well. But for some reason, she couldn't remember his face. She only remembered his rough hands because of the scars.
"I'm going to meet patients!" Yohana exclaimed, her excitement overwhelming any suspicion.
Nina, caught up in Yohana's enthusiasm, allowed them to leave without questioning the unusual change in the lesson's location.
Yohana later recalled how Nina fell to her knees, begging for forgiveness for her oversight, but Yohana couldn't blame her. She knew the blame rested solely on herself.
They traveled on foot for a while before finally boarding a waiting carriage.
Yohana was amazed at how well-prepared this supposed tutor was, and she leaned into the window, eager to enjoy the view on their way to a patient's house.
But her excitement was short-lived as the man yanked her hand away with a harsh demand.
"Stay away from the window!" he barked, instilling fear in her.
Despite his order, curiosity got the better of her, and she crawled back to the window. The man's response was violent; he grabbed her by the hair and forcefully threw her onto the carriage floor.
"Stay there and be quiet if you want to live!" he growled.
Trembling and terrified, Yohana found herself obediently following his commands. Reality dawned on her, and she realized that this man was not the tutor her father had chosen. The thought of her father assigning someone so discourteous to teach her was inconceivable.
During the long, uncertain journey to an unknown destination, Yohana hugged herself, tears streaming down her cheeks. She couldn't stop praying for Fabian to come and rescue her.
She had faith that he would, as he must have realized by now that Yohana was missing. She just had to be patient.
***
Once they arrived at the mysterious destination, Yohana's eyes were blindfolded, and her wrists were bound together. However, the man didn't realize that the knot was too loose for Yohana's small wrists.
She cleverly pretended that he had done an impeccable job, biding her time until the right moment to release herself and escape.
Guided by the man's forceful nudges, Yohana stumbled over pebbles and stairs, hindered by the blindfold that obscured her vision.
"Stop here. Don't move!" the man ordered before his footsteps gradually faded away.
Alone and trembling, Yohana focused on calming her pounding heart and listening to the sounds around her.
Finally, she seized the opportunity to untie herself and pull down the blindfold. Her eyes widened as she witnessed an encounter between the man and a furious woman.
The woman was dressed exquisitely, adorned with luxurious jewelry, and her golden hair was elegantly styled.
"Your Majesty," the man greeted the woman, identifying her as Queen Charlotte. Then, this must be the royal palace.
Yohana's mind raced with questions, wondering why someone of the queen's stature would be involved in her kidnapping.
Her father had always been loyal to the crown, and she couldn't fathom what benefit the queen would gain from this.
The queen's anger was evident as she snapped at the man, "Are you crazy? Why did you bring her here?"
It became clear to Yohana that the queen's original plan likely didn't involve kidnapping her. The worst-case scenario now painted the image of Queen Charlotte seeking to harm or even kill her.
But the question remained unanswered—why would the queen have such intentions, and what motive lay behind her actions?
"Your messenger told me to bring her to you," the man made excuses.
Queen Charlotte let out a tired sigh, holding her temple as if she had a headache. "I said keep her somewhere no one would know. I would like to see her, so it has to be accessible to me too. But I didn't mean here!"
"What do you want me to do now? It's risky to take that girl outside again and wander around while searching for another place. This is the safest place, Your Majesty. No one will find her here," the man argued.
"Tsk!" At that moment, Queen Charlotte's eyes fell on Yohana, who was no longer tied or blindfolded. "Don't tell me... did you let her roam free?"
"What?" The man turned around to see Yohana. "No, how...? Wait!"
Seizing the opportunity, Yohana dashed as fast as she could. She didn't know where to go, but she didn't stop running. Her legs carried her farther from that dangerous spot. The only thing on her mind was to free herself from the man's clutches.
Exhausted and lost, Yohana found herself in a massive park within the royal palace. She hadn't expected it to be so vast.
Her heart pounded as she stopped running, and her desperate escape led to her collapsing on the grass, leaning against a tree.
Tears streamed down her cheeks, and her hunger intensified her hopelessness.
As day turned into night, Yohana's fear lingered, unsure if the man was still searching for her. She knew she had to move soon if she wanted to escape, but exhaustion overwhelmed her.
In her moment of vulnerability, she whispered the name that brought her solace, "Fabian..."
Soon, sleep claimed her, and she dozed off in the park. When she woke up, a young boy stood before her, bending down to meet her eyes.
"Who are you? What are you doing here?" he asked.
***
The boy sported golden hair, much like Queen Charlotte's. If Yohana paid close attention, she could see that he had similar features as the queen, except for his green eyes, whereas the queen had gray eyes.
"I'm, uh… Yohana," Yohana answered. She intended to lie to hide her identity, fearing that revealing it might lead to dire consequences, but she couldn't think of any good lie, so she spoke the truth.
"Are you lost?" the boy offered his hand.
Yohana took it to help her get up. "Um, yes."
"I'll take you to the palace," he said.
"No!" Yohana took a step back spontaneously. She was afraid to meet that man again or the queen.
"Why? You said you're lost. I will guide you back." The boy seemed confused, and Yohana didn't know how to explain.
"I don't want to see the queen," Yohana blurted out the truth. She quickly clasped her mouth in shock.
She thought that she was done for. This boy would surely tell the queen about her. But the reality was different.
Instead of reporting Yohana's words, the boy laughed. "I understand. Sometimes, I also don't want to meet her."
The boy took a seat beside her and introduced himself, "I'm Ansgar."
"You're the crown prince?" Yohana confirmed.