Sierra was having a dream. Dancing. Dancing with who. Aniston. "Yes. He is my fiancé. I love him. But why things turn upside down every time we get close?" and looked there. "Jewel." Princess Jewel was sleeping on a chair. "Richard." Prince Richard is shielding Jewel without Jewel's notice. "My…. Family."
............…..
At Lard Maximal Territory
Jewel was sleeping on the bed… catching her moonstone with her both hands…
Someone wearing black mask was peeking through the panel of the door…
Black Masked man: "…My gemstone… Still asleep…" Clink clink clink… a sound of lock of the door…
Jewel: "(Someone is unlocking the door…)"
She stood up… She wanted to see what's going on…
"Catch him…!! Intruder…!!"
"Grr… catch me if you can…" then a voice of running steps…
Jewel: "(Someone was trying to save me…)" She merged her hands…
Later… Jewel was sitting in the corner of the room… There was only a bed…
The door opened… A man entered…
Jewel: "…" Staring at him…
Albert: "Princess… It's me albert… Don't you remember me…?"
Jewel: "…" She does remember him… But she ignored him…
Albert: "Here's the tray of the food…" a guard entered with a tray… and placed it near jewel…
Jewel: "Get it away…"
Albert: "Worried if it was poisoned…?" He cut a piece of the bread and ate it "See…!"
Jewel looked at the other side…
Albert: "Come on princess… Have a bite… or Richard will be mad…"
Jewel: "…" Catching her moonstone… "I can't eat…"
Albert: "Why not…??"
Jewel: "My stomach…" She is having stomachache…
A man wearing white mask entered… and walked toward her… "Here…" He brought her a cup with water and a piece of ginger…
Jewel: "…"
The man placed the cup near her… he was about to place his hand on her head… she caught his hand…
White masked: "…!"
Jewel: "Don't… Touch me…"
Albert: "Whoa… Princess… Always aggressive…"
He stood up and left
In the next day.
Hero and Sierra woke up at the same time.
Sierra was hugging her legs while sleeping. "Sniff…Sniff…." Crying while sleeping before.
Hero: "....." Woke up
Sierra: "Uhh…." She woke up
Both of them: "Huh!"
Someone was sleeping near them.
Hero: "Who's this…little girl?"
Sierra: shaking her head as 'no idea.' and then wiped her tears.
Hero: "(Princess… was she crying in her sleep?) Should I wake her up—?"
Sierra: "No no no it's okay just leave her. She seems harmless. I think she's the one who was following us yesterday." She was wiping her tears.
Hero: "No doubt about it. But why did she—?"
Crystelle: "Yaaaawn"
Hero: "—sleep here?"
Crystelle: "Huh…?" gasped and jumped holding sharp cards.
Hero: "Acting so violent while you're the one who approached us"
Crystelle: "You will help me infiltrate Maximal's territory, or else."
Hero: "Heh, or what?" He seemed very confident
Crystelle: "or I will kill her."
Sierra: "…" Looked serious toward her.
Hero: "I refuse."
Sierra: "…" Still serious.
Crystelle: "Then I have no choice but to tear this pretty face of her." And she threw a card "'gasp!'"
Sierra did not move or blink at all.
She trusts Hero.
Hero dodge it easily in front of Sierra's face. "Dangerous stuff you've got there kid. But." And he swifts suddenly and threw the cards from her hands and caught her hand from behind. While squeezing her hands "We don't need any more delay…"
Crystelle: "Augh!"
Sierra: "Wait hero." Then she looked at Crystelle "What is your intention? Why do you want to infiltrate lord Maximal's mansion? And how did you know that we were going to see him? Also you were hesitating while throwing the card at me."
Crystelle: "Let us go to Bellosoma and from there I will tell you everything,"
They walked behind her.
Hero: "Why were you crying? Nightmare?" smiling.
Sierra looked wondering as she remembered the dream.
...…..
When they approached Bellosoma
Sierra: "Wow, flowers are everywhere. And the view is majestic."
Crystelle: "All the trees here are pink as well."
Hero: "…" staring and looking at Crystelle "You might be here to kidnap the princess…Or worse…Am I wrong?"
Crystelle: "The Princess??!!"
Sierra: Looked at her with a small smile.
Crystelle: "I will tell you everything when we reach there I promise. You can have my weapons for now until we reach the town… deal?"
Sierra: Walked toward Hero whispering "Hero. She might be a good person."
Hero: "We're not sure yet… Just be on your guard okay… She might lead us to a trap."
Crystelle: "Well it is very rude to whisper when you have a third person with you."
Hero: "Well it wasn't rude to jump on us from nowhere and sleep between us."
Sierra: "Hero?! I'm sorry… but do you know if Lord Maximal is hiding my sister or not? If you know please tell us."
Crystelle: "I promised to tell you everything I know once we reach Bellosoma's inn. Or you don't trust me?"
Sierra: "Trust is built with time. We cannot discuss about trust and we just met, don't you think? Unlike Jewel, I might be a naïve princess who is not aware of the great danger around her but, I never let my guard down to complete strangers. That is what I have learned through all these years of training."
Crystelle: "Hmph, it is not that I trust you too—"
Sierra: "No you do trust us. Otherwise, you will not let your guard around us and sleep near. You were sleeping peacefully. And you seek help from us. Let's move now. We wasted a lot of time." and she went ahead of all of them
Both Hero and Crystelle followed her quietly. Crystelle was amazed. Hero had a small smile in his face. Who was worried about Sierra at the beginning, but it appeared that there is no need to worry about her anymore.
Hero: "I guess I was worried for nothing." With smile in his face.
When they arrived to the city of cherry blossom, Bellosoma.
Someone was about to recognize the princess and then Hero held her hand to hide her identity.
They entered the inn.
Hero: "Lock the door and don't open it to anyone except myself, you hear?"
Crystelle: "You two look like a husband and a wife. You do fit with each other. And you really care about her. Are you two lovers?"
Sierra looked like she had not heard anything. It did not offend her.
Hero: "Ahem… Do you know how to keep your mouth shut for a while?"
Hero: "Now I will go deliver the medicine to the villagers then will hear this girl out. Sierra, stay here and be on your guard." He meant from Crystelle.
Sierra: "Okay…Good luck." With gentle smile.
Hero: "Or…. I changed my mind, you will come with me." He pulled Crystelle. "Sierra. Stay put while I finish the unfinished business."
Sierra stayed blinking. Then nodded.
Hero nodded to her smiling. "Good.
He walked serious while pulling crystelle behind him.
Crystelle: "Heh. Still don't trust me being with the girl alone."
Hero: "The girl can finish you in a minute never misjudge a book from its cover."
Crystelle: "(I doubt.)"
Hero: "You need us. We don't need you. Stay here under this tree while I can see you. I will be back." He never smiled a bit with crystelle. Unlike with Seirra, he was always smiling and cheerful. "We will hear you out after this."
Crystelle: "Fine fine. Mark my word. I'm not running away."
Hero: "…." Gave her a nasty look.
Hero went to his destination and everyone from the village came
Everyone: "Welcome back~" "He came with the medicine." "Did you find it?"
Hero: "I have bought many bottles enough for everyone."
Everyone: "Thanks a lot." "Thanks, you're a life saver." "Thanks a ton."
Hero: "Okay see you later. I have something to attend to."
Young boy: "Who was that beautiful lady?"
Another young boy: "Yeah I saw two ladies with you."
Old Lady: "My , My. This boy is finally going to get married…ho ho ho."
Hero: "Tsk…They were just traveling at the same cart I came with, that's all" while turned the other way with a serious look. "(If Aniston hear this he will kill me.)"
Young boy: "We saw you holding hands with the longest one." Giggling.
Hero: "Okay, okay she's my girlfriend. Happy??! (Haha… Aniston will definitely kill me if he hear this) This is for you… this is for you… aaand~ this is for you." He was distributing the medicine.
Nun: "Come on hero Son…. Aren't you going to get married?"
Hero: "Not yet… heh."
Nun: "I don't see why not dear. Since you already chose one…"
Hero: "Wait wait…. Let me make it clear. She's already betrothed."
Everyone: "Oooo~"
Hero: "I will see you all around."
All the kids at the orphanage were pulling Hero wanting to play with him. He was holding them and kissing them like a father and a big brother.
Crystelle was watching all this.
Sierra was alone in the room.
Looked at the room then sat on the bed and hugged her legs
She remembered Aniston.
Sierra: "What's going on….?"
She Remembered when she saw him in Saih harbor.
Then she covered her face more.
Grabbing the golden apple in one hand.
Hero and Crystelle returned back to The princess and pulling Crystelle behind him.
Hero: "This is my place. Make yourself at home."
Sierra: "It's clean."
Crystelle: "You live in the inn."
Hero: "Since I have no family here. The townspeople gave me this room. The Orphanage only takes care of youngsters. I am no young anymore. The townspeople keep my place tidy and clean when I leave the city."
Crystelle: "Where should I begin? First. I actually heard you two talking about Lord Maximal in Emeraldene."
Hero: "Eavesdropping?"
Crystelle: "No! I didn't mean that!"
Sierra: "Hero!" then looked at the girl "It's ok. Complete."
Crystelle: "One of his mansions is near this town. His men are dealing with the leaf organization behind his back. They spread it everywhere now. Lord maximal has something in his mind. But I don't care---."
Hero: "You want to kill him." Serious look
Crystelle: "Pretty sharp indeed."
Sierra: "It's obvious."
Crystelle: "I want to work alongside you two. Together we can infiltrate his mansion in no time."
Sierra: "We are not sure. But we think that he is having my sister. But we need more information. If we can ask around, we might find something."
Crystelle: "I remember seeing a book in his hand with a nearly torn cover."
Sierra: "What color was it?"
Crystelle: "Gold and white in the morning. Blue and black at night."
Sierra: "It's the missing tome from the palace! That explains everything. Now we are sure he's the one who kidnapped her. Many spells in that book cannot be done unless we use the Jewel bearer as a medium or as a caster. However, most of them are forbidden spells that have a severe side effect that sometimes cannot be undone. But why did he kidnap her not me?"
Hero: Signed for Sierra to not to reveal that she is a jewel bearer to Crystelle
Hero: "We're not sure yet. We need to check out for ourselves. All the evidence points at Maximal. Being a noble does not mean you can do anything like kidnapping the princess."
Sierra Nodded
Hero: "You're not worried about the king and the queen."
Sierra: "Nobody should. They can take care of themselves. I barely believe that they are kept in the palace. (I admit I'm a little worried. My parents after all.)"
Sierra: "Well then, Crystelle right?"
Crystelle: "How did you know my name?"
Sierra: "It is written in your pendent.
Crystelle: "It's written in a different language."
Sierra: "I can read several languages."
Crystelle: "Amazing! Err… I mean how did you do that!"
Sierra: "How old are you?"
Crystelle: "16"
Sierra: "Where did you come from?"
Crystelle: "Bellosoma."
Sierra: "What are you intending to do after this?
Crystelle: "Wait, wait here. Why do you ask all these questions?"
Sierra: "I think you said we should get along."
Crystelle: "These questions will never make you trust me y'know"
Sierra: "Aww shy to answer… You're so sweet. We are friends now right?"
Crystelle: "Mmmmm!!!" her head is boiling "FINE!"
Sierra: "You're the first female friend outside the palace. Nice to meet you!" and she offered her hands to shake with her.
Crystelle: Blushed "O…Okay…" And she shook her hands with Sierra.
Sierra: "Hehe…"
Hero: "Phew, I thought you two will end up in a cat fight."
Crystelle threw a spoon aiming at his face but he dodged it easily with closed eyes.
Hero: "It is nearly dark now. Try to get enough rest and we will investigate this more in the morning."
Sierra: "Good night Hero."
Hero: "Good night." Hero closed the door.
Sierra went directly to the bed taking a deep breath.
Crystelle: "I'm tired." And she placed her head on the other bed.
Sierra: "Two beds in this room yet he lives alone."