3 Your Highness

While she is looking for tea to brew for him she can't help but to be feel angry when she saw the kitchen of the little bamboo hut with almost nothing within it.

"urgggggg..why is it seems that there's nobody living here and it is now abandoned? Don't tell me that I need to go outside just to look for foods so that we won't starve tonight? It's almost dark outside and it is still snowing. But I need to go fetch some foods so that atleast I'm able to pay him by saving me. After all if he didn't save me then my life is counted as forfeit. demmmmm..the strugle is real. Watever! But....huhuhu..it's so cold outside and I only wear t-shirt and jeans."

She looked around the kitchen until she found some cloth that looks like a curtains near the door. She picked it up.

"Hmmmm, not bad. It's better than freezing outside. I'll just do some little changes so that there's still some style" she said while she examined the cloth.

"Crude materials can also turn to something fantastic if the designer is great. Designers capability is the key while the cloth quality is only a bonus. Well, there's some exeption though. And it just happend that I'm great..ahaha" she said praising her self again.

She walked out from the kitchen's back door and headed to the forest.

She sigh while saying "what's the use of this plants here if I don't even know it's uses if either it's edible or not?"

"I wonder if there's plants and fruits that are the same from what I have seen from my world. But what if I find one and the problem is that it's poisonous here while it's edible in my world. That would be disastrous. Grrrrrrr..it's hard you know?"

"I wonder if I can go back to my world. I miss my family. I'm not even sure what happend to me there."

"Hahaysssss..life is unpredictable. I won't dwelled into the matters yet since I need to survive this ordeal first. While there's life there's hope. Fighting!"

She continued walking until she heard a cry of a child.

"W..wait, it's a cry of a child. A child in the middle of the forest? Am I hallucinating or it's a tiyanak[1]?"

"Urggggg demmmm it! I don't even have any foods to eat and now I'm the one to be eaten instead?" she said feeling indignant.

"But what if it's really a child? Then the child is in danger. There's many beast here especially it's going to be dark soon." she said concerned.

"Ah! Whatever. I will go check it out." she said determined.

She quickly search where the cry came from.

Whaaaa whaaaa whahaaa

"The sounds is just near here. It seems it's beyond that bushy plants"

She walked near the sound and she moved the plants using her hands so that she can get pass to the other side.

She saw a child that looks like at the age of 6 years old in front of her crying while the wolves are slowly coming toward him.

"What the f! This is it again. Why is my path with wolves always crossing. Am I destined to be with the wolves? Don't tell me that my 'forever'[2] is a half wolf half man? Hmmmm..interesting..hehe."

"Wait wait wait. Stop imagining. I need to save this pitiful child first but the big question is how? I'm just only a weak girl and if I will look for some help right now then maybe after I found one then the pitiful child is already become their dinner. Urggggg..think."

While she's still thinking she happen to lower her head and saw the stones in the ground. An idea come up in her mind.

"Bahala na si batman![3]"

She pick up the small stone and throw it as hard as she can to the leader of the wolves but it just fall in front of it.

The wolves startled and looked at her direction. While the child stop crying and looked at her direction too.

"Opsss, sorry. hehe" she said sheepishly.

The wolves leave the child and it is now slowly coming towards her.

"Owh mhen, if you're the unlucky one" she said slapping her forehead.

She looked at the wolves again and said while trying to give her brightest smile.

"Hi Mr. Wolves. Do you perhaps find me attractive that's why you come at me? I know I'm attractive but I'm not tasty so don't eat me okay? We can be friends if you want"

The wolves is still slowly walking forward while she is slowly walking backward.

"Hmphhh! You don't want to be friends with me? Then I don't want to be friends with you too. Ugly wolves!"

After she said those words she run as fast as she can.

She was chased by the wolves and when the wolves are near her they jump at her ready to swallow her whole.

She looked back and saw the wolves jumping straight at her when she heard a wosh sound passing in her ear and shot directly at the throat of the wolves. One strike but three down.

"Sh*t, it's always like this. Me being almost eaten just to be saved in the end. Did the 'god of fate' toying with me? I'm almost having a heart attack. I don't have much luck left. I'm afraid I'm not that lucky next time."

"But atleast I'm still safe now" she said while patting her heart.

She looked to where the arrow came from and saw a tall man wearing black hanfu. His long hair was tied in a simple ponytail without any much adornment. There's a basket with rabbit and fruits inside at his back.

"I'm really like I'm in the ancient china. I only saw people wearing hanfu here. Amazing!" she said looking at the man while her eyes is twinkling.

"Miss, are you okay?" the man asked.

"Ah! Yes, I'm fine Mr. Cupid ah eh I mean Mister"

"Just call me Chen"

"Ah okay. You can also call me gorgeous"

"huh?" asked Chen.

"Hahahah, just kidding. I'm Ye. Nice meeting you Chen"

"Ahhh, nice meeting you too Ye"

"Do you perhaps see any child here around 6 years old?"

She suddenly remember the child earlier and she immediately run back to where the child is.

"Yes, I did. Follow me."

When they arrived the child is still there sitting in the ground and crying silently.

"My Leng" Chen shout running towards the child.

"Brother!" shouted the kid while running towards Chen.

The brothers are hugging each other.

"Are you okay Leng?"

"Yes brother I'm fine. I was being helped by the girl that accompany you"

Chen turn around and thanked Ye.

"Thank you for saving my little brother"

"Nah! That's no big deal. You also helped me too."

"We don't have much money because we're just poor but I can give you this rabbit that I catch and this fruits as a sign of thanks"

"Hehe..then I won't be polite and accept it. It's just at the right time that I really need some foods to eat"

"But I will just take some since we're only two in the hut and so that there's still some left for you two to take home"

"I really thank you Ye. If there's a chance that we will meet again in the future then I will help you no matter what it is"

"Don't mind it. I'll take my leave now. Thank you for the foods again. Bye." said Ye.

She walked back to the hut.

When she enter the kitchen again through the back door she looked for wok or any pans to cook the rabbit.

"Hahayssssss How do I wash this wok when there's no water here? Grrrrrrrr..so it means that I need to go out again to look for water? Urggggggg! So annoying"

She again walked out from the kitchens back door under the moonlight and then she looked for any water nearby until she saw a river. She immediately fetch some water with the two pails she got from the kitchen.

"Urggggg..this is insane. But I still need to do it because of my debt of gratitude for saving my life. I can do it. Fighting!"

She was able to come back in the hut but with sweats pouring down all over her body while carrying the two pails of water. She took it inside and started washing the tools needed.

"Hayyyyssss, thank God I'm done washing" Ye said while wiping the sweats in her forhead.

"But wait there's more. How can I make fire when I don't have any lighter or atleast a match?"

"Urgggggg..so hard dude..this life is so harrrrrddddd" Ye said while pulling her hair from frustration.

"So it means that I'm like those people during prehistoric time that only use stones in creating fire? Like the java man? hahayssss..okay..watever..I will just think that I'm in girl scout camping."

She look for any bamboo and scrape it's outside. She then split it into two. She make a tiny hole in one of the split bamboo and make two splints from the other bamboo. Then she put the scraped bamboo above the tiny notch and then put the the two split above it. She now hold the bamboo with the scaped and rub it against the side of the other bamboo to induce friction.

== Minutes Passed ==

"Ang pasensya ko ay hindi dali daling mauubos pero ang lakas ko kunting kunti nalang[4]" Ye said while rubbing the bamboo and sweats still pouring down from his forehead.

"Hold on besh just hold on, you can make it and you can eat dinner for sure." Ye said consoling herself.

== Minutes Passed ==

"Ahhhhhhhhhh" screamed Ye.

The man with the blue cape immediately come in the kitchen to look on what happened to Ye that make her scream.

Whe he saw Ye his mouth twitched involuntarily.

He saw Ye so happy looking at the small smoke coming from the bamboo like she was a fool.

"What happen?" he asked.

"Finally, it's a success!" Ye said while jumping out of joy while still looking at the bamboo that is now on fire.

"Just for a simple fire you already scream like there's some monster attacking you?" he said sarcasticaly.

"How about you make some fire then let's see if you can do it easily?" Ye said angrily.

"Hmphhh! Just fire? Then look at this" he said while his index finger is pointing to the dried wood that is already filed below the wok.

Ye was flabbergasted when she saw the dried woods on fire after the man point his finger to it.

"Y..yo..you have ma..magic?" asked Ye shocked.

"Why? Are you scared of me now?"

"Are you an engkanto? Spirit of this forest? Or you're a demon?"

"Heh! Your choice"

"Da hel, is he crazy? He just let me choose instead of answering. If I choose demon then he might harm me. Ah! I will choose spirit of this forest" Ye said to herself.

"You're the spirit of this forest"

"Wrong!" he answered.

"Engkanto?"

"Wrong!"

"Sh*t! So it means he's a demon?" Ye said in her mind while her eyes open wide looking at him.

"You're a DEMON! AHHHHHHH!" Ye screamed while she throw anything that she can get toward the man.

While the man is avoiding the things being thrown at him.

"Wait, let me explain" he said.

But Ye still keeps on throwing.

Until he wave his right hand and suddenly Ye can't move.

"Wh..what are you doing? Let me go. AHHHHHHHH!"

"Listen! I'm not a spirit of this forest nor an engkanto specially not a demon. Understand? But I can't tell you what I really am."

She released Ye from his magic and she was able to move again.

"Hayyyyyy that's a relief" Ye said while patting her throbbing heart.

"It's fine if you won't tell me. I'm even okay whether you're a spirit, engkanto or even a demon as long as you won't harm me."

"Really? That's why you're being hysterical earlier?" he said sarcastically.

"Oh sya sya, if you thought I'm scared then I'm scared. The end."

"I don't see any tea here but I got some wild rabbit and fruits here so just be content with it" she said while rolling her eyes at him.

At last her foods are now cooked.

She is now preparing the foods in the table in front of him and then she sit facing him afterwards.

"Oh help yourself Mr. Masungit. Pardon for the taste of these foods since there's only small amount of seasonings left in the kitchen" Ye said while rolling her eyes.

He ignored Ye and just eat quitely.

"May I know your name Mr. Masungit?" Ye asked.

"Sheng Li"

== Seconds Passed ==

Cricket cricket cricket

"You won't ask for my name?" Ye said angrily.

He just looked at her and then he go back at eating.

"Urggggghhhhh..my name is Ric Ye. Remember that!"

"Why do I need to remember that? We won't be seeing each other again, right?"

"Urggghh..this guy really is hateful"

"Oh well! Suit yourself" Ye said angrily while stomping her feet hard walking to the room.

Ye who is tired was immediately got fall asleep when she lay down in bed inside the room while Li is still sitting in the wooden chair near the window looking at the stars.

== Early morning in the next day ==

Ye walked out the room and saw Li sitting in the wooden chair with his eyes closed.

When she is already near him, he open his eyes and said.

"Oh your already awake. I just want to tell you that I"ll be leaving today because I have some important things to do and you're not allowed to follow me. You just go to the town. You won't be eaten by beast there and you can find a job for you to earn money." he explain.

"By the way, why do I need to explain it to her? When did I become patient explaining to someone? I can just leave her here if I want to. Why do I feel concerned with her?" he asked his self in his mind confused.

"You will leave me Mr. Masungit?" asked Ye shocked.

"Why did you have to leave me when you said that love would conquer all.

Why did you have to leave me when you said that dreaming is as good as reality[5]" said Ye.

"Huh? When did I said that?" he asked confused.

"Nah! Nevermind."

"I think it's time to stand on my own feet. It's not right to always stay by your side forever just because you're the only one I know here. Anyways, thank you for all the help that you give me. Don't worry I will still pay your kindness when we meet again" Ye said smiling.

"That's not necessary. I will take my leave now. Take care of yourself Miss Reckless. Haha" Li said laughing.

"Atleast now you can laugh a little" Ye said smiling.

Li was shocked because he didn't notice that he's already laughing.

"You also take care Mr. Masungit" Ye said.

And Li walked out away from the hut and Ye are preparing for her trip to the town.

She saw some old white hanfu clothes in the room inside the wooden box under the bed. She change her outfit from t-shirt and pants and some other old cloth she saw in the kitchen that she worn to the old hanfu clothes that she found. She put her clothes in the wooden box in exchange for the old hanfu.

Suddenly she feel the call of the nature.

"Where's the comfort room here?" Ye said while looking around inside and outside the hut.

"No CR? Da hel! How do I do it then?" said Ye shocked

"Hahaysss" Ye said sighing.

"Hmmm, how do people take their nature call during the old times? I should have researched it in the internet while I'm still able to in my world"

"Ah! I remembered it. There's a time before when I was still a child in which our CR got renovated and I can't really take it anymore and I really needed to take it out. They make a hole in the ground and they made me do the business there and they just covered it with soil afterwards. Urrrkkkkk! Ewwww. So gross. I know I did it before but when I remembered it now I feel like I wanted to puke."

"Ah! watever. I can't take it anymore" Ye said while holding her stomach and cringing.

While she is digging she suddenly remembered that she only have one piece of tissue in her skinny short under the hanfu.

"Eh? How do I wipe it when I only have one piece of tissue? Wait. Ahahhahah. I remembered my co-worker talking about it before. He asked: what if you only have one piece of tissue left and there's no water at that time what would you do? Nobody knows so he answered his own question saying: it's like this you need to put the tissue in one of your finger and then use that finger in wiping your dirt and then afterwards wipe your finger using the tissue pulling it out from your finger."

"Ahahhaha, he's really funny but gross. I don't need to do it since I still have water left in the kitchen"

Ye did the things she needed to do and she now set off from the small hut.

== In the town ==

"Wew, it's beutifel here"

She saw people wearing hanfu that seems like in those ancient china. Some are busy selling their goods while some are busy buying and strolling around the streets. She also saw some beggars in the corner sitting and some dirty children running.

While she was busy looking at the goods she was suddenly bump by the teenager girl wearing tattered hanfu and the girl immediately throw the expensive looking bag to her and run. She catch it and wonder what is it.

"Eh? What is this? Is this a bag? It looks expensive. Why did the girl with the tattered clothes give it to me?

When she tried to look what was inside she suddenly heard some hurried footsteps running toward her direction.

"Catch the theft!" said one of the soldier while pointing at her.

"What? Me? A theft? When? Why I wasn't informed?" aske Ye to her self.

"Catch her at any cost. Either dead or alive"

Ye was shocked by what she heard. Before she got captured by the soldiers she already sprint.

She was able to lost them and now she is catching her breath hiding at the back of the cart with hay going to the castle.

Whenever the cart driver stop to take some rest she also hop and stole some foods around the vicinity just to ease her hunger also do the nature call. She just hide in the hay whenever there's an inspection in the gates that they passed by. Until one week passed and they now arrived at the gate of the castle.

She hop in the cart and saw a long line of girls at the entrance of the palace gate.

"Huh? Why are they falling in line? Is it relief goods? Wew just in the right time I'm hungry"

She fall in line at the end.

She poke the girl in front of her.

"Excuse me but what is this line for?" she asked.

"You're just new here Miss, right? We fall in line here because every Month of Snow there will be some chances that let all girls try to draw the sword thrusted in the stone in hope that they will be the next Queen of Pantashya." the girl explained.

"Huh? I don't understand."

"It's like this. Once upon a time the 'god of protection' thrust the sword in the stone hoping that one day the rightful owner of the kingdom of Pantashya will show up but until now there's no one able to lift it up"

"If nobody succeed then it means that there's no one governing the kingdom right now?"

"Tsk! Tsk! You're wrong. Because there's some agreement that until there's someone who can pull it the authority will still remain at the hands of the descendants of the previous king"

"Ah I see"

The line moves going inside the gate while Ye remains standing and looked at the lines.

"So it is like excalibur? Haha, you need to find Arthur first before you can pull that sword" he said while shaking her head.

"But where is that excalibur came from? All I know is that the sword is already thrust in the stone when Arthur pull it, they didn't mentioned where it came from or I just didn't heard it at that time? And also why is it called excalibur? Is there a meaning behind it or the owner just name it because he just like the word 'Excalibur'?" Ye said wondering.

"Hmmmmm..I want to check that sword but I already learn from my past that curiousity can kill you. Hmmmm..should I go or not? Ahhhhh..nevermind. Just do what you wanted to do and be versatile on any consequences..ahahhahah."

"Bring it on fate! Whoah ohhh! Yeah!" Ye said with her closing palm swinging sideward in front of her like punching the air while her body is moving like captured worm.

While she is dancing in weird step she heard running footsteps.

When she turn her head to the direction of the sound she see the soldiers that are persistently tracking her running toward her direction.

"The theft is over there!" said one of the soldiers pointing at her direction.

"wew..they're good huh! They able to track me here? Awesome."

She immediately run inside the gate of the castle and go to the area with dense trees and hide there.

"Huff huff, this is so tiring. I hope they won't see me here" she said panting.

She looked around the area and her curiousity syndrome turn on. She was wandering the area when she saw some small metal door covered with leaves that slighty open. It will not be discovered easily if it's not slightly open because it just look like any other fence covered with leaves.

"Hmmmmm...where is this door lead me to? Let's see. Ting de deng de deng excitingggg."

She now open the door wide and go inside when she was shocked by what she see.

"Owh mey gesh! I thought I'm Mary Lennox discovering the secret garden but I didn't expect that I would see the famous excalibur in person. wew..the gold sword is shining. How much would I get if I sold it?"

Suddenly she saw some people afar going toward her direction. She immediately hide behind the big tree.

She saw a beautiful lady wearing a red hanfu while the two hansome men beside her wore some European Medieval costume. They stop in front of the sword.

"Eh? European Medieval costume?" Ye said wondering.

The handsome man that looks like in his 30's said to the girl in red dress.

"Miss Mae, please try to pull the sword now"

Mae slowly walk like a celestial being toward the sword and tried to pull it. She tried hard in pulling the sword that the veins in her neck and hands shows up and her face turns red.

Minutes passed but she still persistently trying to pull the sword with all her might until it was slowly being lifted slightly.

But before it was pull off from the stone they heard some voice.

"There she is. Capture her!" said the captain.

"Urggggg, so hateful. Super hateful. Why are they so amazing in finding people. Are they detectives?"

"What's the meaning of this?" asked the middle aged man.

"Pardon us Duke Ryan, we are just trying to catch that theft over there" said the Captain.

"Wow! Judgemental? Theft already? Can't it be that you just mistaken me for something?" said Ye defending herself.

"You don't need to explain cause we saw everything. Capture her now!" command the captain.

"Hmphh, you saw everything then why are you still mistaken me for a theft?" Ye said raising her eyebrows.

The soldiers are now running towards her.

"Sh*t! I can't die here yet. Demmmm it. Urghhhh!" Ye said while panicking.

"Hmmmm how about if I take that rich looking man over there as a hostage? Ah watever I don't have any idea right now"

She was just going over to the middle age man when one of the soldiers catch her and hold her hands. She know some martials arts so when the soldier grip her hands she immediately turn her hand around ang grip the mans arm and turn it outward and then she punch it in the face. The soldiers didn't expect that she will fight that make him relax his guard and was punched in the face instead. Afterwards Ye immediately run towards the rich man when the other soldier slash his sword toward her. And Ye by instinct grab the sword that are now near her and pull it to shield from the attack.

There's a blinding light that sorrounds the place.

== Outside the place of the sword ==

"What was that light?" one of the girl falling in line asked.

"Yeah, what was that?" the other girl asked.

"It's the choosen one!" the other girl exclaimed.

== Back to the place where the sword is ==

When Ye open her eyes she saw that the sword are already in her right hand. Her eyes widen and when she turn her head toward the soldiers it become more wider.

The soldiers and the people that are in the area are now kneeling with one knee while lowering their head.

"Your Higness!"

She jumped in fright and stood still where she is.

"What the heck!"

[1] Tiyanak

- Philippine mythical creature that transform into what looks like a normal baby to trick human and when it's within its reach it will turn back to it's true form and eat its prey.

You can read it more on

(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine_mythical_creatures)

[2] Forever

- it means your lover for a lifetime

[3] Bahala na si Batman

- it's up to Batman or leave it up to Batman

It means one has left the outcome to fate.

You can read it more on

(https://www.quora.com/What-does-Bahala-na-si-Batman-mean)

[4] Ang pasensya ko ay hindi dali daling mauubos pero ang lakas ko kunting kunti nalang

(My patience will not easily exhausted but my strength is almost fading)

It's from the Filipino movie famous line "One More Try".

Original line:

"Ang pera natin hindi basta basta mauubos pero ang pasensya ko kunting kunti nalang"

(Our money will not easily lost but my patience is almost at it's limit)

whahah..I can't think of any better translation..it's hard you know.

[5] Stay by Daryl Ong (song)