✴ ️ᴩʀɪɴᴄᴇꜱꜱ ɪɴ ᴛʀᴏᴜʙʟᴇ ✴️

Another typical day passed. Chara dipped her bucket in the river, as the water flowed inside. When it was filled, both of her hands tightly grips the handle of the bucket, as she lifted it out of the water.

A few meters from her left side, she saw the boy she met yesterday. He was sawing logs and near his side, an unfinished wooden boat, almost a half size of a house, Chara was amazed and it caught her attention.

She putted down her bucket full of water and walk near his huge creation.

Seeing her presence, Bren paused at sawing and stared at her. "What brings you here, fair maiden?" he asked.

"What are you doing?" Chara ask, eyes still glue on his work.

"What do you think? I'm doing my own business." he said sarcastically.

Chara rolled her eyes, she doesn't know if his teasing or joking, whatever it is, it only made her annoyed.

"Bren right? I haven't seen any big boat like this."

He smiled and said, "Oh, so you do remember my name."

"Actually no, that's why I'm asking," she answered with a smirk, and Bren's smile vanish.

"For your information, that's not just a boat, it's gonna be a wooden ship. You can see plenty of this in the open sea sailing all over the kingdoms in the world. And someday soon I will sail across the wide ocean, and I will be one of the greatest explorer." he said.

Chara smiled at him. She tried to visualize his big dream. I wish I could explore too, she thought.

The only reason she stayed in her village is because of her parents. She just can't leave them behind while she goes anywhere she likes.

"Tell me, do you have any experience being an explorer?" she asked.

"To be honest, none. My father serve Prince Aryan, elf prince of Eldea. My father is the captain of the prince's soldiers, and he also trained and encourage me to follow his footstep. But that's not exactly what I want. That's why I'm doing my best to make my own dreams happens." he answered.

Sweat dripped down his forehead, because of his tiredness, he felt his lime green shirt already soaking in sweat.

"I must go, I can't stay long, there's plenty of chores waiting for me." said Chara, as she started to lift up the bucket off the ground.

"Wait, may I know your name?" he asked before she could leave.

"Chara, you can call me Chara." she answered and smiled at him, and walked away.

"'Till we meet again, Chara." he waved farewell.

✴ ️✴️ ✴️

Luna grabbed her red velvet cloak hidden in her closet, and she wore it instantly.

Now covering herself, she walked out of her room and planned to go straight towards the door out of the castle.

She peeked at the hallway to check if there's any person in it, luckily she seen none. Luna doesn't want anybody to know what she's planning, especially her father, he will probably hate her more.

Stepping on foot through the linoleum floor, the heel of her purple sandal immediately made an echoing sound through the empty hallway.

Irritated, Luna bend down to take off her sandals, "Oh for goodness sake, this will definitely alarm people that they're princess is trying to escape the castle."

Luna was about to run to the door when suddenly she heard someone called her.

"Luna?" she gasped. The princess turned around to see Eloisa staring at her. "Is what I heard is true? You wanted to escape?"

"What! No, not exactly." Luna snort and laugh, trying to hide her pair of sandals in her back.

The duchess eyed the princess's bare feet, freezing because of the coldness of the floor.

Eloisa breathed out.

"Luna please wear back your sandals. A princess should always look presentable and you need to portray yourself like a princess, and lastly, you should always act like one."

Seeing the princess wears back her sandals, Eloisa begun to speak in a worried tone, "Didn't I told you, you can tell me what's bothering you or all of your problems, and we can fix it together."

"Trust me aunt Eloisa, everything is fine. I just wanna see our kingdom are doing. Besides, I'm gonna be queen someday, I have the right to know it." Luna proudly said.

"What a nice thing to do dear." Eloisa smiled. "Fine, I will let you go, and we'll keep this a secret, okay?"

Luna's face brightened as she gleefully nodded, and gave her aunt a great big hug. "Thanks aunt Eloisa." she waved farewell and ran outside the castle.

She followed the path near the flowing river in its side.

The breeze of the cold wind touches her skin.

For the first time, she felt herself free. Her mind was completely peaceful and calm. Luna enjoyed walking in the grassy field.

* * *

Not knowing where she is, Luna continues to walk in a very dense forest covered in thick green mosses.

High above the trees, Luna felt someone was watching her, she heard the continues rattling of leaves above following her trail. Terrified, she started to ran around the deep forest.

Luna turned her head behind her shoulder and saw a lady, wearing a green, fitted ninja suit, and was trying to catch up with Luna by running and jumping flexibly through the long, and thick branches of the trees.

She didn't pay any attention to where she's going, instead she focused on why does this unknown lady is following her.

In a sudden, Luna didn't notice a long root was in her way. She tripped hard on the ground. Thorny vines immediately wrapped around her legs.

She forced herself to get up, but she felt pain in her body, she groaned in agony as she tried to lift herself up.

In a blink of an eye, the lady was fast, she jumped towards Luna, a knife in her hands was ready to hit the princess's chest.

Luckily, a blond-male elf pushed away the lady before she could land on Luna.

Luna stared at them, she putted her palm in her chest and felt her heartbeat was beating fast.

He swiveled the ax in his hands and tried to hit the lady, but she avoided it easily. She hopped away, and quickly climbed up the tree and escape away from him.

Seeing her fleeing away, he knew it was safe. He eyed the girl wearing red cloak. Luna noticed him walking closer to her direction, she fixed the hood in her face to keep her identity hidden.

He cut the vines wrapped around her and offered her a hand, "You okay?" he asked.

"Yes, of course." she answered, Luna took his hand in a firm clasp, as he helped her stand up.

"If you say so," he said, eyes drifting downward.

Luna followed them to her gashed legs, waterfalls of brilliant blood and wounded elbows.

"Wait a minute, you look familiar." he said, noticing her hiding her face.

Luna froze. She had thought her deception seemed to be working.

"Impossible, maybe you only mistook me for another person." she tried to make an excuse, and she added, "I apologize but I have to go."

Luna tried to run, but when she did, her wounds started to cause severe pain.

He watched her limped away, as Luna tried to conceal the pain she felt. She walked on a few steps and lost her balance and fell down again.

She cried in agony as she felt extreme pain when her wounds has touch the ground.

He gasped and rapidly ran towards her and help her. But before Luna knew, her hood fell back, revealing her face with its magenta eyes, straight nose, and thin lips.

"Princess Luna?" he asked surprisingly. "I thought princesses like you should stay inside the castle walls."

"I know and I regret it, I shouldn't think of leaving," she sighed.

"Will you please help me get back in my castle, and in return I shall ask for my father to reward you."

"No need for that, I'm willing to save the princess of Cardonia from harm without any rewards given." he said and carried her the princess and walk towards his wooden cart with a brown horse waiting for its owner to arrive.

He assists her to sit comfortably on the back of the cart. "We're off to the castle of Cardonia, your majesty." he said, and grabbed the rein of the horse as it started to walk.

"By the way, may I know the name of my rescuer." Luna asked.

"Bren, Bren Lofton of Eldea." his replied.

Luna only nod, she tried to remember the geographical lessons her teacher had taught her.

She was rarely listening to her lessons when it comes about and lands in the kingdom of Cardonia. All she cares is how to be prim and proper.

That's why now, she doesn't know where Eldea is located, is it on the northern part of Cardonia, or is it east?

"Where am I exactly?" she asked.

"We're in the eastern forest, across the river is the human village of the kingdom." he explained.

"So where is Eldea?" Luna ask.

"Next below the river near the village." he answered.

"Why is there too many rivers?" she scratched her head in confusion.

"The River Royaume connects to all land in Cardonia. Like a string that ties and to unite, that's the prominence of the river. And the central river is found in your castle because it is the center land of Cardonia, you can notice it because the castle of Cardonia is surrounded by the river." his long explanation.

He glanced at the princess in his back, she looked amuse at what she just heard, as if she haven't known all of it. He returned his gaze back to the road.

"I also thought a princess should know all things about her kingdom. It should be taught by your advisor if your gonna be queen." he added.

Luna's eyebrows narrowed, she was offended. "Are you insulting my role as a royalty!"

His response blend in the swooshing sound of the wind. It was blowing hard through them. Luna was already tired, she didn't hear or minded his words. Instead, she inhaled the air, it was sweet and fresh.

She blinked tiredly and yawned as she fell asleep on the ride.