"What?"

"You heard me right Royal Musketeer." Odette, the Swan Princess, sighed. "Royal Cavalry and Royal Matador were out now for other missions."

"But Fanny and Lancelot are the best assets of Royal Guards." Lesley whispered.

Odette massaged her temples, easing the stress she was feeling. "I know. But you and Royal Magister, your little brother are also our best assets. Do you wish to team up with him?"

Lesley shook her head, "No, let him stay here in the Swan Kingdom grounds."

Odette nodded and went near her to hold her hands, "I'm sorry for giving you this difficult mission Les. But I believe in you okay? Please, please come back safe."

Lesley smiled, "Of course. I'll come back safe."

Odette smiled, though worry was still evident on her eyes. She was very guilty to send her friend to a dangerous mission.

"Even though you are one of the Royal Guards, you are my friend Lesley. I don't really want to give you this mission but you are the only capable of catching him."

Lesley smiled, "I know Odette. Thank you. Just please make sure that Harley won't follow me."

Odette nodded and hugged her before she went out of the castle.

Lesley didn't bother to bring subordinates for she was not used to do missions with other people. She preferred to work alone, well, except with her little brother.

But she didn't want to risk her little brother's safety. After all, she was going to hunt down the notorious King of Thieves, Claude.

The Elven Kingdom warned them about the thief after he successfully stole the important scrolls of the King of Elves, Estes. They believed that Claude wasn't alone, except for his monkey partner Dexter, that the King of Thieves has a companion.

Odette also thought that he was working for someone else. She meant that what could Claude possibly do with the jewelries and other important things such as the scrolls?

Lesley sighed. She could only think of one possible reason to as why Claude stole the scrolls.

Maybe he wanted to know where the Twilight Orb was. And now, maybe he wanted to steal Odette's magical staff and some other important documents found in the basement library of the castle.

Many people said that the Twilight Orb was just a legend. But for Lesley, why would kingdoms have confidential documents and any hints to the location of the Twilight Orb?

A legend or not, it didn't matter to Lesley. What was more important to her was to catch Claude and make sure that he wouldn't lay a finger to her friend, though she knew Lancelot would also protect Odette at all cost.

Lesley sighed as she climbed up on a tree to rest. She was in the boundary of the Swan Kingdom. The moon was full tonight and Lesley was mesmerized by its beauty.

She sighed once again as she closed her eyes. She knew that the King of Thieves would show himself later, her instincts were telling her so.

And a few moments later, she sensed someone in the perimeter. She gripped on her rifle and as she made herself on guard.

Lesley smirked as she pointed her rifle to someone who was walking below, with a monkey on his shoulder.

"Halt! Move and you'll die." She said while still pointing her rifle to the thief.

The thief, as well as the monkey, looked up to her. "Whoa! If it isn't the Royal Musketeer." He smirked, "Were you waiting for me?"

Lesley's lips formed a thin line. She was pissed by his cockiness. "I am here to arrest you. Just surrender yourself without resisting."

The King of Thieves chuckled, "You know, you shouldn't really let your guard down, Miss Royal Musketeer."

What?

Before Lesley could move, she felt a pair of arms around her waist and pulled her down the tree.

She yelped because it was all of a sudden and she released a sigh of relief as they landed safely on the ground.

Lesley turned her head to look at that someone who was still holding her tightly and was ready to yell at him.

But she was greeted by a pair of teal eyes, shining as it was reflecting the moonlight.

Silver hair, captivating pair of teal eyes, pointed nose, perfect lips, perfect sculpted face– Lesley was unable to utter any word as she stared at him.

"Like what you see Miss Pretty Musketeer?" The man asked her, making her to come back to her senses.

She carefully reached for her grenade but the man felt her move as he held her hand and the other snaked around her waist.

"No grenades my lady." He said, winking at her.

Lesley squinted her eyes at him as she tried to get out from his grip but the man was of course, stronger than her.

"So my hunch was right. You were not alone." Lesley said as she looked at Claude, "But I didn't expect that your companion was the infamous Moonlight Sonata."

The man who was holding her chuckled, "Oh, you know me?"

Lesley nearly snorted to him. Of course she knew him.

He was an assassin, his service was for hire. Some of the noble men had spoken his pseudonym and his skills in some gatherings.

She heard from Odette that she thought of hiring him to catch Claude, but good thing Odette didn't do it as the Moonlight Sonata and the King of Thieves were companions.

"How long do you plan on holding me?" Lesley asked him instead.

"Oh." She felt he loosen his grip on her and she was about to step out but then he fully wrapped his arms around her waist! "I don't have any plans on letting you go now, Miss Pretty Musketeer."

Lesley's eyes widened as she was about to struggle once again but she felt his lips brushed against her left ear.

It gave her goosebumps, not to mention that the man's hot breath was fanning to her ear!

She heard him whispered words to her hear that she didn't understand. It sounded like... a chant or spell.

Lesley didn't know but suddenly she felt sleepy.

"Sleep well, my lady."

Those were the last words she heard, before her vision went black.

=====

"Is she okay?"

"Of course."

"But she's been sleeping for four days!"

"She is fme, don't worry. She'll wake up tomorrow."

Lesley slowly opened her eyes. Her vision was still blurry that she had to blink a few times more before her sight adjusted.

She was in an unfamiliar room. Everything around her was made of wood, some were looked like antiques.

She looked at the window and saw that it was already morning.

She sat up and held her head. She was feeling light-headed.

The door suddenly opened, revealing the man with silver hair and pair of teal eyes.

Her eyes widened as her hand searched for her rifle. She looked around and she panicked more because her rifle was nowhere in sight.

"Whoa whoa– calm down Miss Pretty Musketeer, I brought your breakfast." He placed the tray of food on the bed she didn't notice he was holding, "And as for your rifle and grenades, I hid them in my room for a while but I'll give them back to you don't worry."

"Where am I? What did you do to me?" She asked him as she clenched her fist, "Why didn't you just killed me last night?"

The man shook his head lightly, "You've been asleep for five days Miss Pretty Musketeer."

"What?" She shouted, her eyes widened in shock.

The Moonlight Sonata smiled and pushed the tray of food towards her, "I know you're hungry so eat."

"I don't want to."

"Oh, being stubborn now eh? Eat up Miss Pretty Musketeer, or do you want me to eat you instead–"

She glared at him.

The man chuckled, "Or do you want me to force feed you? The choice is yours, my lady."

Lesley glared at the man once again who was still chuckling at her.

She was hungry, yes. She needed to eat so she could have enough energy to beat and finally, to catch them.

Two birds with one stone huh.

She finished her breakfast, much to the man's delight.

He picked up the tray with one hand and offered his other hand to her, "Come with me?"

She confusedly looked at him but took his hand nonetheless, "Where?"

"To seventh heaven."

Lesley immediately punched him in the arm as she glared at him. She suddenly remembered how she was encaged in those strong pair of arms five nights ago.

Lesley blushed at the thought and shook her head furiously to erase it.

She shouldn't be thinking things like that now!

"You have a very strong punch my lady. I'm sorry okay, I'm just kidding. I just wanna show you something."

That picked up Lesley's interest once again as she looked at him.

"Maybe this could change your mind Miss Lesley Vance."

How did he know my name?

=====

Lesley followed him until they reached a two-storey house. When they got inside, she saw a lot of people, lying down on their beds: some were coughing, some were too old and such.

They all looked... sick.

"We've been providing their daily needs, even medical. This is where all those things that Claude stole go." The Moonlight Sonata began explaining, "We tried to bring them to some kingdom for their treatment but the guards didn't let us in. They lived near the Dark Abyss after all."

Lesley gasped and looked at him with widened eyes.

"And no, they didn't submit theirselves to the Dark Abyss... yet. We rescued them before they do so." He reached the stairs and started climbing up, "And the reason why Claude stole some scrolls from the Elven Kingdom so we can treat them, even just a little. I can cast some spells so I am learning it."

"What?"

So my assumption was incorrect?

The Moonlight Sonata stopped in front of a door then he faced her, "And here we placed a woman who was abused and badly hurt by some people. She hated... humans. She also had her sibling Leo, which is a saber-toothed–"

"Huh? How did it became her sibling?" Lesley cut him.

"They have been together for a long time and I told you, she hated humans." The man gave her a small smile, "But good thing, she trusts Claude and I."

He opened the door and there she saw a woman sitting on her bed, the saber-toothed tiger was peacefully sleeping on the floor and Claude was sitting on the chair beside the bed.

"Oh! She's awake already." Claude exclaimed and pointed to her.

Lesley noticed that the woman with red hair was just staring at her. There was no anger in her eyes that Lesley sighed in relief. But she noticed that the woman has many scars on her arms, even on the face. She felt a pang on her heart.

How could they do this to her?

Lesley slowly approached the woman. The latter flinched and clenched the blanket.

Lesley smiled at her, "Hi, I'm Lesley. Nice to meet you."

The woman seemed to relax the moment she smiled.

She sat on the bed, "What's your name?"

"I-Irithel." The woman answered in a whisper, but enough for Lesley to hear it.

Now that Lesley could see the woman up close, she had a better view of her face... and her scars.

It brought tears in her eyes for she thought that Irithel didn't deserve what she had been through.

She hugged her, which shocked the red hair woman, as her tears were now flowing on her face.

"I'm sorry that you had to experience what you had been through." Lesley said.

She heard her sobs, and returned her hug.

=====

"I'll tell Princess Odette about this problem. She'll be willing to help once she knew." Lesley said as she fixed her hat and held her rifle. "But please, return those scrolls already to the Elven Kingdom. King Estes had already warned us about you."

The man with the silver hair chuckled, "Yes yes, we will. I already memorized the healing spell."

Lesley smiled and started to walk but then she remembered something, "So you kidnapped me to show me those?"

The Moonlight Sonata grinned at her, "Partly."

"Partly?"

"Let's just say, I have my own intentions."

She arched her eyebrow at him, "Don't tell me you took advantage of me while I was asleep?"

"Oh, okay. I won't tell you then." He said while still grinning widely.

Lesley's eyes widened and pointed her rifle to him, "What the hell–"

In a blink of an eye, he was already in front of her. Their faces were so close that one wrong move and their lips would touch.

"No cursing my lady." He said with a teasing grin on his lips.

She felt the blush was slowly creeping to her face. She pushed him away that earned a chuckle from him.

"Whatever, I'm leaving." She said, turning her back to him.

"I'm going to accompany you Miss Pretty Musketeer." She heard him said.

"No thanks. I can handle myself."

"I know, but I insist."

Lesley just rolled her eyes to him and started walking.

The whole travel was quiet, much to Lesley's delight.

She was about to enter the borders of Swan Kingdom when she remembered something.

"Hey wait." Lesley called him.

He stopped on his tracks and looked at her.

"I didn't get to know your name."

That earned a smirk on his lips, "Interested now, are we?"

That made her pissed and turned her back to him, "Whatever. It's not like I'm going to meet you again."

Lesley was about to take a step but she felt his presence behind her.

"The name is Gusion Paxley, my lady. And this is not the last time we will meet. Definitely not." He whispered to her ear.

She turned her head to her back but he was nowhere to be found.

Gusion Paxley huh? Lesley thought as she began walking towards Swan Kingdom.

The smile never left her lips.