Ci held her arm over her face, expecting the final blow upon her as she trembled. But all that passed was a silence, and the weight of the guard's boot on her wrist lightened, but not enough to let her wriggle out.

  "What did you just say...?" His gruff voice shook. Ci's chest rose and fell rapidly as her heartrate sped. She swallowed thickly and lowered her arm, looking up to meet him in the eyes.

  "I... am the missing Princess. I'm Princess Marina Amon of Alverot." She wavered in her normal, feminine speaking voice, forcing herself not to tear her eyes away from his for even a single, fleeting moment.

  The guard looked down upon her, searching her for any form of deceit. But now that he could see her face in the still moment, taking in how the light reflected off her features and how her hair (albeit a shorter length now) curled, he suddenly had a recognition, and his eyes widened. His breath shook.

  "Princess...?" His boot came off her wrist. She stared at him like a frightened animal, slowly moving to sit up, careful that if she adjusted too quickly, she would scare him into attacking her again. She then finally tore her eyes away as she noticed a figure in her peripherals. It was the woman she had come to rescue. She was shrunken down to the ground, frozen a few yards away with her hands cpped over her mouth, watching in fear.

  Ci turned her head back, reminding herself of those awful things that could've happened to this innocent citizen. All due to power imbances. All due to oppression. All due to corrupt individuals, such as the guard that hovered over her.

  And yet, the guard stopped for her. He only stopped because her title held power, because he knew that if he attempted any harm against her that he would face dire consequences. But Ci knew he wouldn't have stopped for that poor woman. Her cries would have been to no avail had she not come to her aid. It wasn't fair. It wasn't fair that Ci's voice meant more than any other woman's in this kingdom.

  Her jaw clenched and she bore her teeth at the guard with a vicious anger, her fear dissapating away once more. She reached for the weapon he had disarmed her of and gripped its handle, swinging quickly, taking a fierce and tearing ssh to the man's leg. He wailed, taking to his knees and clutching the wound. But he didn't attempt to strike back. He simply stared down at the blood on his hand in shock. As Ci stood to her feet, his head slowly drifted up to face her.

  "Your highness... Why...?" He whispered, searching her eyes for her history, searching for answers about where she has been, searching for the reason of her abandoned throne. She looked down on him without answer. Then she dropped her sword and approached the woman, extending her hand.

  "Please. Let me help you home safely." Ci awaited calmly.

  The woman watched her every move with fear and hesitancy, unsure of what to believe or how to react. But she reasoned she would be much safer with this boyish looking girl than with the bleeding guard that tried to y hands on her. She trembled as she lifted her hand from her side, and took Ci's.

  Ci nodded with a reassuring smile, pulling the woman to her feet. She took one st look at the guard before ushering the woman off the street.

  "Princess wait! Please, forgive me... Where are you going? Your father has searched everywhere for you!" He called out to her, straining to his feet as he clutched his flowing gash. Ci cmped her eyes shut, trying to faze out his voice as she kept walking, escorting the woman to her home.

  The woman walked quietly apart from her shaking breath, following the path she knew back to her house. Ci watched her out of the corner of her eye, noticing her hands trembling. She knew it was from shock, but she hoped it wasn't also due to the possibility of her arriving too te.

  "They didn't hurt you did they...?" Ci whispered, her voice tender and caring. The woman shook her head, biting her bottom lip. Ci sighed, forcing herself to look away from the woman, but she couldn't help but worry about her. All her fears of men, her fears of being abused, her fears of losing her autonomy... they were all being realized in her citizens... in people she was supposed to lead and protect. This stranger was evidence of that.

  The woman finally arrived at her home, murmuring a "thank you" as she walked up the path. Ci stopped before the path to the front door, assuring a comfortable distance to not put anymore stress on the woman. Ci turned to walk up the street side, returning to her home when she heard a voice call out to her.

  "Hey... Would you... like to come inside for a moment...?"

  It was the woman's. She was standing in the doorway with her hand on the doorframe. She had a nervous look on her face, but she stopped trembling. Ci couldn't help the handdog look that appeared on her expression.

  "Are you sure?" She turned, not yet walking towards her. The woman nodded and opened the door wider. Ci took a modest step forward, before approaching the porch and going through the door, the woman shutting it behind them.

  "Can I make you some tea or anything?" The woman offered. Ci looked all around the interior of her home. It smelled fresh and it had a simir quaintness to that of Babcia's house, but not as elderly of a feeling lived in it. Ci hummed, realizing the woman had asked her a question.

  "Uh... yes... tea would be lovely..." She treaded lightly in the space, before politely sitting down at the woman's humble kitchen table. The woman filled the kettle with water and set it on the gaslit stove, sighing with her arms crossed.

  "You didn't have to do what you did." The woman turned. Upon seeing her up close, Ci could see some exhaustion in her eyes. She recognized that same kind of exhaustion she would sometimes see in Babcia and Remora, and it made her heart sink.

  "I couldn't just... not do something... I had no idea how... how corrupt our guards had become... and during war of all times! As if people aren't already suffering enough! It isn't right!" Ci smmed her hand down on the table, some of the woman's decor cttering. Ci felt her body jolt from her own outburst, and she calmly exhaled, folding her hands back in her p. The woman studied her for a long moment before responding.

  "So... you really are...?" She implied. Ci dipped her head, already knowing what she was to ask.

  "Yes. I'm Marina Amon... The missing princess." She admitted ashamedly, keeping her gaze downcast. The woman tapped her finger in thought.

  "I would've... never guessed... um... do I...?" She started to kneel, pointing at the ground. Ci's eyes widened and she scoffed, shaking her head reassuringly.

  "Oh, no, please don't... I really don't like when people do that." Ci lifted her hand, affirming the woman not bow to her. The woman smiled and straightened up.

  "My name is Winona..." She smiled, before adding a pyful squint. "You look nothing like the pictures I've seen of you." The woman jested. Ci ughed.

  "Yeah... I've been doing some... redefining." Their heads turned as the kettle began to whistle. The woman poured them both a cup and they sat at the isnd quietly sipping in thought.

  "So... A year missing. That's quite impressive considering how frantically the kingdom was searching for you." Winona commented, her gaze not exactly present. Ci felt her chest tighten, knowing where this was headed. "They said you must've been kidnapped or you fled to another country."

  "I've been here the whole time." Ci admitted. "Hiding in the quiet little cracks of this world..." She watched as the woman's eyes lifted, squinting in curiosity. "I don't know what people have been saying..." Ci sighed, that same bitterness about being kept in the dark by Babcia and Remora returning to her. "...but I wasn't kidnapped. I ran away. I didn't want to marry, and I wasn't given any say in it... So I had no choice but to run." Ci looked away ashamedly.

  "That's understandable. The rulers of Furlinver are very openly corrupt, and it seems the Prince is no exception." Winona sipped. "This war is senseless."

  "Senseless... Yes.... And it is my fault that this has happened." Ci wilted. "I was the symbol of peace... my choices... I am the cause of this senseless violence..." She shook her head. Winona blinked at her, searching for her response.

  "Men start wars. Not women. Yes, you might have been a factor, but you must know that the history of Furlinver has been built off of cruelty, petty wars, and violence for years. It's not your fault for wanting to seperate yourself from that." Winona's gaze was still as she spoke. Ci had no response to that.

  "Mommy...?" A tiny voice murmured from a dimmed room across from the kitchen. Winona immediately diverted her attention to the voice, Ci following her gaze. A little girl with a sleepy expression stood in the doorway, carrying a stuffed animal; a little white kitty.

  "Yes, baby?" Winona's voice was soft and maternal. She knelt down as the little girl hurried to her, wrapping her arms around Winona to be picked up.

  "I can't sleep... I want Daddy." She whined, before sending a shy look to Ci, then hiding her face behind her mother's, who was cooing her and rubbing her back. "Who's she?" The girl whispered.

  "This is..." Winona was about to expin, before sending a weary look towards Ci. "She's just a friend of Mommy's..." She smiled reassuringly. Ci felt her heart sink... that this woman was protecting her identity, that she didn't bme her or her title for what was happening.

  "She's pretty." The little girl whispered. Winona smiled and it infected Ci who shyly dipped her head down. Winona chuckled and agreed with her.

  Winona put the little girl back to sleep as Ci finished her tea. She felt like she was overstaying and picked herself up, putting the mug in the sink. Winona reemerged from the girl's bedroom.

  "Oh, thank you." She said with a bit of surprise at Ci's action. "Sorry, the little ones have just been so restless around here without their father. Julie especially, she's become much more sleepless these days..." Winona sighed, leaning against the kitchen isnd.

  "I'm so sorry... is he...?" Ci implied. Winona smiled tiredly and shook her head.

  "He's serving. Overseas somewhere... Luckily somewhere pretty peaceful... at least for now. I just feel terrible for how many other wives and sons and daughters out there who have took such a loss... It's an ugly world." Winona's gaze went spacey as it drifted out the window. Ci reflected her sad expression. None of this was fair. Men are dying, women and children suffering. And again, that shadowy little voice in her head whispered to her about her being helpless once more, infecting every corner of her thoughts.

  What could be done? It felt like the world was colpsing around her, and she felt like her freedom was meaningless amongst all this pain and darkness of this world... and there was nothing she could do...

  Unless...

  Her eyes darted around as the gears turned in her head. Her jaw tightened and her hands clenched into fists as she solidified the idea. She approached Winona and csped her hands, a sudden fire of determination in her eyes.

  "I'm going to fix this. I promise." She assured before taking to the door, leaving little time for Winona to react as she began slipping on her boots. Winona blinked at her with wide eyes.

  "What? What do you mean...?" She followed after her.

  But Ci didn't answer her. She opened the door and hurried out her thank yous for the woman's hospitality and rushed down the path and onto the streetsides. Winona watched after her with a worried expression, sinking against the doorframe as Ci disappeared into the night.

  Ci finally returned home, the sounds of Babcia's wind chimes greeting her, but they didn't feel peaceful anymore... more like, mencholic as she shifted quietly to the door. Babcia and Remora were pacing in the kitchen, when their heads turned to the sound of the door creaking open.

  "Oh, Ci!" Babcia cried as they rushed to her. Remora pulled Ci into a hug in an instant. Ci hesitated, before slowly lifting her hands up Remora's back, half-heartedly returning it. She wasn't even angry with them anymore, only left in a state of quiet devastation. Remora pulled away and held her by her shoulders.

  "We were worried sick about you... I thought something had happened... or..." But Remora stopped as she saw the look in Ci's eyes. "Oh, Ci... We're so sorry... I'm so sorry for ever hiding it all from you..." Her fingers curled around Ci's shirt. Ci had a somber look in her eyes, and Remora began to think Ci would push her away and run off again. But finally, Ci pulled her in again into a much more tender embrace. Ci took in a deep breath, soaking in the sandalwood and vanil scent that lingered on Remora. She clung onto her, her knuckles turning white as the fabric of Remora's clothes bunched into her fingers.

  "I'm going...I'm going back tomorrow." Ci murmured quietly. Remora's brow furrowed and she pulled away, sending a confused gnce to Babcia, then back at Ci.

  "Going... where...?" Remora's voice wavered. Ci gazed at her with a hard stare.

  "Home... To the pace.

  ...

  To Camaro."