Reason #16: Only Troublesome Days Ahead (9)

After shoving the boys to bed, we cleaned up the mess they made and hope that things will be back to normal.

Just when I thought the day has finally turn peaceful, a man suddenly rushes through the door and yells, "Boss, we have bad news."

It was one of the young men that came along with Peterson when he first arrived. As he immediately ran over to Peterson's side, he whispered into his ear, and Peterson's expression turns serious.

"What's wrong?"

I quickly went over his side, fearing that something might have happened.

"Earlier, we've gotten word that there were damages to the Ester Lake's dam due to the storm. The villagers were hoping to seal the crack as quickly as they could during the eye, but just now, I heard the damage was a lot worse than they expected, and the dam might not hold when the eye passes."

"What?" Ivy's face turns pale as what she had feared would happen happened.

"What should we do now? What will happen to us?"

"We have to move out fast. We are still in the middle of the eye. It would be best to get everyone to escape now and head towards higher ground. The patrol tower is nearby. We should be safe there."

"But," She hesitated as she was afraid to ask, "What about Hensley's Inn? Will it be ok?"

Peterson just held her by the shoulder and shook his head.

"I don't know, but nothing is more important than getting everyone to safety first."

Ivy turns her gaze downwards as she felt like crying from frustration, but Peterson held on to her shoulders and shook her out of it.

"This is not the time to be crying."

He said, making her look up and stare at his serious face.

His grave look made her realize that her priority now is to help everyone to safety first, and nothing else matters.

So she nodded and immediately went to action. After Peterson told her to gather everyone downstairs and wait in the front hallway, she quickly ran up to wake Prince Leon.

Along the way, she banged every room and shouted, "There's a flood coming, please gather downstairs! We have evacuate immediately!"

Before she reaches the Prince's room, the prince had already woken from the loud commotion.

"Leon!" she called out to him as soon as she saw him in the hallway, "We need to leave now. There is a flood coming."

"What?" The Prince was surprised to hear the sudden news as he held the shaking Ivy tightly when she came near.

As Ivy tried to calm down while she catches her breath, she explains to the Prince what happened.

"Peterson has gotten the news that the Ester Lake's dam might burst due to the storm. There is no time, and we have to get everyone out of here while we still can."

Without any hesitation in his eyes, he just nodded and followed her orders. Then they spread out and gather everyone outside as fast as they could.

Everything was going according to plan until the word got to Hensley's ear.

"NO!!!" He yelled while he sticks himself tightly to the bed.

"I won't leave my family's Inn! This inn has been pass down from my great-great-grandfather and finally from my father to me! I won't! You can't make me!"

"Pops!" Robbie yelled at Hensley while he tried to pull his sheets away. "Didn't you hear, the dam is broken, a large flood is coming! And if it does, this old Inn won't hold!"

"How could you say such a thing! This inn had held out a whole lot tougher storm than this. IT WILL HOLD!!"

Hensley pulls back his sheets and hide under the covers, insisted that he will not move an inch from there.

"Daddy"x3

The sisters surrounded Hensley as they try to convince him to change his mind.

"Daddy, please come with us. It's too dangerous for you to be here." Kourtney shook his shoulder

"Daddy, please stop being stubborn! Come with us now!" Kim started yelling while she hammer punch him from the back

"Daddy...." Khloe just started crying as she tugs Hensley by the side, and when she began to cry, the rest of the sisters started to cry too.

But regardless of what they did, Hensley still wouldn't move a muscle.

The siblings knew that they are running out of time as they could hear the rumbling sounds of the running footsteps coming down the stairs.

With time pressing on them, it made Robbie immensely frustrated with Hensley's attitude. So with all his might, he pulls away from the sheets that his father was hiding under and slapped him in the face.

"You idiot, old man!" He shouted, "What's more important? Your Inn or Your daughters?!"

After he finally uncovered Hensley, Hensley saw the crying faces of his three beautiful daughters.

Then crying loudly and hugged them and said, "I'm sorry!!!"

And so, with two of Hensley's wagon and a couple of horses, we manage to move the sick and elderly on the cart first and send them to the patrol tower while the rest of us will wait at the inn and go after.

"Finally, only two groups left, and the evacuation will be complete," Ivy says as she ran another round to finish her final checking.

While the last groups were ready to board the wagon and leave, Ivy notices that a massive amount of water was starting to flow in through the front door.

"Kyaa!!" Kim yelled, "the flood is here!!!"

The water level had risen; the signs of the flood are coming.

As soon as Peterson noticed that the eye had started to pass without wasting any more time, he quickly requests everyone to move a little bit faster.

"We have to move out now. Everyone gets on the...".

Suddenly a lightning strike on one of the tall trees nearby the wagons.

And as the loud noise shook the horses, one of it ran out of control.

Before the driver could calm the horse down, one of the wagon wheels ran into a mud hole and made the wagon tilt to one side, causing the passengers on board to lose their balance.

During the sudden confusion, a small girl was about to fell out from the cart, but Prince Leon manages to slide in and catch her in time.

And like a series of unfortunate events, the tree that was hit by the lightning earlier began to fell and was about to crash into their wagon.

With a *Swish!* and a *Slash!*, Prince Leon cuts down the burning tree and slices it into pieces.

"Are you ok?" The Prince charmingly smiles at the little girl while the little girl just replies, "Big handsome brother, I love you." With hearts in her eyes.

"I'm sorry, Big brother already loves someone else."

Then as the Prince turn his gaze and wave at Ivy as if he was waiting for a compliment from her, Ivy just felt the terrorizing gaze from the little girl.

<If you have time to fool around, then can please quickly get us out of here> Ivy getting annoyed with Prince Leon relaxing attitude.

"Hmph... your lover is handsome and strong, too, huh?" Robbie said as he gave a sharp look.

Ivy just kept silent and smile.

<I just won't comment on that.> Ivy's inner voice.

While the man tried their best to push the wagon out from the mud hole, the water level has risen close to knee length, and it was rising higher and faster.

"There's no point on pushing the wagon out now. We don't have enough time left. We'll have to carry the rest by horses."

Peterson shouts as he immediately ordered his men to untie the wagon horse.

"But Boss, there won't be enough horses to carry everyone."

"The women and children go first. Five men will have to stay behind. We come back for them with horses later."

But when they search through the group for volunteers, no man was willing to step out as most of them were with their family. While the people argued about who should be left behind, Robbie came out and volunteer.

"Robbie! No!" Kourtney yelled. "You are barely an adult. You shouldn't have to stay!"

"Yes, Robbie." Ivy went to his side to change his mind. "We will figure something else. We can't let you stay behind."

But Robbie shook his head and pushed her away.

"I may just be a boy, but I'm also part owner of this Inn. I cannot let my guest stay while I leave them behind."

When the sisters saw how their young brother acting like a brave man, they stepped out from the wagon and stood by his side.

"We'll stay too." X3

They said as they surrounded him and stood firm with their decision.

"Hey, wait a minute, leaving a boy and three young girls behind. Are you all trying to make me the bad guy here?" Peterson rubbed his forehead, thinking that he might be getting a headache.

"We are four captains of Hensley Inn. We are standing by our ship until the end," Kim yelled and stood proudly.

"Kids, stop joking around!" Peterson yelled as he was getting agitated with their attitudes, "Do you believe that I'm going to leave you, kids, behind even without a single adult?!"

"Then I'll stay too."

Ivy suddenly steps into their circle and join them.

"Haaaaaar???" Peterson's jaw dropped as he couldn't believe his ears. "How does that make any difference? You are still a kid yourself!" Peterson shouts back, not believing his eyes that the situation had gone worse for him

"I'm at least a whole lot mature than you, Mr.Peterson, and besides, I'm also one of the employees at Hensley's Inn. I can't leave my sisters behind."

Ivy turns and looks at the sisters as if they already had this mutual agreement.

"Harrrrrr???!!" Peterson got even angrier because of Ivy's words, and he scratches his head even more with frustration.

"Look, Mr. Hensley, the water is rising, we don't have much time, and you have five volunteers here who are willing to wait for your return. If I were you, the best step for you now is to leave and come back and get us quickly. If we die, we will be sure that we will make you regret it forever."

Ivy gave Peterson a stern look while she stands firm with her resolute.

"FINE!" Peterson finally gave up after hearing Ivy's judgment, "I can't win against you after all, but until I return, all of you stay inside and stay alive!"

The five of them nodded and smile.

"Then I'll stay too" x2

Prince Leon and Sir Ingrid step out at the same time then gave each other a hateful look.

"What are you talking about?" Ivy held her hands on her hips and pout. "If you of two stay, then who is going to ride the horses and carry the guest out? Please don't be selfish children and quickly be on your way and remember to play nice."

Ivy then waved both her arms at them and shooed them away.

"Ivy, but I..." Prince Leon held her hands and gave her a worried look, as he couldn't bear to leave by her side.

"Leon," Ivy hugs him tightly around the neck and whisper into his ears, "You are my prince, right? Then a prince should protect his people first, then come back and save his princess. I'll be waiting for your return."

While the Prince was stunned when he heard her words, before he could say anything else, she let him go, gave him a gentle push behind, and then ran back to Hensley's.

As he continues to stand frozen by her charm, he saw her turn her back as she waves and shouts.

"You must come back and rescue me!"

Then she gave him that smile again. The very smile that warms him even in the coldest of winter.

And so he smiled back at her with an OK, and without further hesitation, he immediately got on his horse and went away.

As Prince Leon left, Robbie held Ivy's hands tightly as he saw her eyes drowning in concerns.

"He'll be ok."

And as he said that, Ivy gaze back at him and said

"We will be ok too, I promise."

***********

To be continued in the next chapter