16 Story of Alathia (part 2), the lost princess.

The party of five Ents and a human girl tried to search for a place to stay, but they all stopped as they remembered something important, they don't have money. The Ents don't produce human currency so they were in a tough spot. As of now, they are wandering the streets thinking of a way to get money.

Trunk couldn't help but ask, "what are we going to do now? Any ideas?". The rest looked at Alathia who was still in middle of thinking. Suddenly, a man who went passed them stopped on his tracks and stood there motionless. The party noticed his actions and got their guard up.

He wore a brown cloak with a hood on. He more or less looked like a rouge. The party didn't give him a second glance and left the place while keeping vigilance.

The man then regained himself and hurriedly searched for them, to be accurate, her. He went the way which they used and searched for them on the way for 30 minutes. He shoved and pushed off anyone on his way and avoided obstacles. After another 15 minutes, he finally found the party going inside a store, so he decided to wait outside.

He looked at the board above the store and it said "Jean's Jewelry". He waited for more than 10 minutes. At last, all six of them came out and went on their way, while he following them.

The group already sensed him when he found them enter the store. They were getting more and more suspicious and finally confirmed that he was up to no good.

They took a turn in an alley way where no one was around. The man also took the turn and found that they were gone. He immediately rushed forward and felt himself being pulled to the side. What greeted him was an Axe, a spear, a hammer and two swords pointed at his neck.

Edith, who was burning with rage asked in a cold tone, "Now then... Could ya tell us why the FUCK were you tailing us!? Or would you like me to free your head from your shoulders? My patience is running out so better hurry up if ye wanna live!" he growled at him. The rest looked at the man with sharp eyes.

The man stayed silent. Ewwin then said, "As expects of a human assassin, they will never speak! I think its best we end him". The man then looked at Alathia in eyes. He finally spoke, "What is your name?".

His question stupefied them, including her. Edith was about cut off his head when she stopped him, "Stop! Don't do it yet, brother Edith". He looked at her and nodded but still pointed his sword at his neck.

She then looked at the man and asked, "Why do you want to know my name? Is that the reason why you were following us?". He then looked her eyes and said, "I wasn't following them, I was following you and I will tell the reason when you tell me your name".

The rest of them were confused as to what's happening. She thought for a bit then said, "Thia, my name is Thia, now tell us the reason of you following us". The man shook his head. Trunk was starting to get pissed off. He said, "let me just smash his head off!". She looked at him with sharp eyes and he stopped.

She then looked at the man and said in a cold tone, "You said you will tell us the reason and yet you are going back on your word? Do you not favor your life?". The man still looked her in the eyes and said, "I favor something else more than my life and what you are gonna say depends on it". She then looked confused and asked, "My name? I already told you its Thia". He then shook his head again and said, "I asked for your full name, not the half". She then looked surprised that he saw through that, even the Ents were surprised.

She then let out a *sigh* and said, "Alathia, my full name is Alathia, now tell us the reason of yo-" she was cut off by the man as he took a step forward and asked in a hurried tone with wide eyes, "Are you by chance the supposed to be dead princess of Glamancia!? The third princess and the daughter of Melena!? Tell me!". Sword of Lavender pierced his chest and yet he didn't seem to mind it and looked very eager to know if she is the princess or not. The Ents were startled by the mans words. They all knew that the human prince and princess hired assassins to kill her, so they thought that he was also one of them. Lavender was about to push her sword deep into his chest, but she stopped when she heard Alathia shout, "wait! Don't do it yet sister". She then looked at the man, deep in his eyes and said, "What if I am? What will you do?".

The man trembled and his eyes started to form tears. He went on his knee and started to tear down. "Finally..... Finally..... After all these years of searching.... I finally found you! I FINALLY FOUND THE PRINCESS!" he shouted at the top of his lungs. They were startled at his behavior.

She was about to ask him but he knelt down on one knee and his right hand on his left chest as he spoke in a respectful tone, "Your royal highness, Flinn of the Shadow cause, at your service!". They were all stupefied by his word once again. Ella was the first one to ask, "What do you mean by that! Wasn't it you people who sent assassins to kill her!? Now you are at her service!? Don't make me laugh you pitiful pest!". Alathia looked Ella with a "stop it" gaze and the enraged Ella stopped it. She then said, "Lower your weapons".

They were surprised by her words. Ewwin then said, "We can't trust him Thia! He could be lying for all we know!". She looked him and said, "Look at his eyes and say that again". She said, "lift your head". Flinn lifted his head for them to see. The Ents could see others real intension when looked deep into the eyes of that person. If that person is lying, they will know or if that person was telling the truth, they will also know that. When looking at his eyes, they saw happiness, respect and guilt but not the hint of a lie. They all then lowered their weapons and sheathed them.

She nodded in agreement with others and asked, "Who are you?". Flinn lowered his head again and said, "My name is Flinn, I'm from the Shadow cause". They felt he was making fun of them by saying the same thing again, but they kept quiet. Lavender then asked, "Was it you that chased her to kill her nine years ago?". Flinn gashed his teeth and said, "NO! It wasn't us! It was those filth from the Dark Mercenary Guild hired by princess Mona! We tried to save her! But....we lost her track in the forest, but we still didn't give up our search! We searched for her throughout the whole nation and even the neighboring countries! And finally....I found her.....". His words were even more confusing now.

The group looked at each other. Alathia then asked, "You said you were searching for me, but wasn't there rumors that I died? There was a chance that I might have really died, so why were you searching till now?". He lifted his head and said, "Cause you are our princess, the last surviving member of the royal family! Even if we have to tear down the word to find you, we will! It's our duty!".

Alathia asked, "Isn't my excuse of a brothers and sister and that bastard of a father still alive? How can I be the last of the royal family when they are all living?". Flinn shook his head and said, "I never said anything about the pigs from Glamancia, your Highness, you are the last living person with the royal blood of Dorgan".

They all looked surprised at him. They heard about human countries having wars within themselves and Dorgan was considered as one of the powerful nation and yet they were defeated in war with Glamancia or so the Ents heard. It was a mystery to them that how a powerful and peaceful country like Dorgan, could fall under the fangs of Glamancia. They could only say that Glamancia was stronger. But looking at the man in front of them, they know that what they thought they know was not all true.

Alathia then asked, "How am I the princess of Dorgan? And wasn't that country defeated by Glamancia in a war 21 years ago?". Flinn looked gloomy as he said, "We were not defeated! We were tricked! With Dorgan's military power, we can defeat Glamancia three times over!". She then asked, "Then why were you defeated if you were that strong?".

He said, "Dorganians will do anything for the royal family. They were good to people and friendly with soldiers, they treated all of us like a huge family, but one day it all came to an end, the prince of Glamancia, Faluin, came to Dorgan and invited the royal family to a banquet they are conducting or so they said! We believed them and those snakes set up an ambush for them on the way, two thousand Glamancian soldiers surrounded them and there was only two hundred Dorgan soldiers and twenty assassins from the Shadow cause were with them as escorts, the soldiers tried to hold them off while the assassins tried to open a way for them to escape. King Leon got out of the carriage and fought with the soldiers, but he was killed. This enraged the soldiers and they went on a killing spree while the assassins also did the same and forgot their task. Prince Faluin got in the carriage and killed Her Majesty the Queen and captured Her highness the Princess, the soldiers had no other option but to surrender and so did the Shadow cause, but one of them escaped to tell the news but he was too late when the army of Glamancia marched on Dorgan. They used the princess as their trump and killed more than half of the Dorgan forces while the rest escaped into the mountains, Dorgan was defeated and Princess Melena and she gave birth to you a year after.

We, the Shadow cause, tried to save the princess and you many time but we never had the chance, when we saw how badly your mother was being treated, we vowed that no matter what! We will burn these bastards to ground and no one will stop us until we accomplish our goal or die trying it!" he ended his story.

The Ents and Alathia had a complex expression, they never in their wildest dreams thought that humans will be so vicious and cunning. She then asked, "You said 'us' so are there others like you? Searching for me?". Flinn nodded his head and said, "We the shadow cause took the job of searching for you over the past nine years and there are 543 assassin from Shadow cause searching for you in five countries, there are 12 here in this city including me, your Highness". She was surprised by the number and how serious these guys are. She then said, "Rise and take me to your leader, I wish to speak to him".

Flinn excitedly got up and nodded his head as he lead them out of the alley. They walked around the town for 10 minutes and they arrived at the market place. He led them to a blacksmith shop. The shopkeeper looked like a middle aged man. His gaze turned a bit indifferent when he saw the group come in.

He looked at Finn and asked in a way which friends greet, "Hey there buddy, I see you brought some friends of yours! What can I do for ya today?". Flinn shrugged his shoulders and said, "Night is rough and price is high, it's a tough world to live in and coming across fortune is a Dream Come True". His face showed surprise and his mouth and eyes went wide. He immediately said to the customers, "Everyone! Shops closed for the rest of the day! Come back tomorrow if y'all want something! Now hurry up and get out!". The customers were surprised by his sudden turn of action.

A young boy who looked like he was only 18 with a blonde hair came forward and asked, "What do you mean by that!? I still haven't got my sword yet! How could I just leave!?" beside him stood a girl around his age with same hair. The Ents and Alathia thought they were siblings.

The shopkeeper hurried them, "Just take this sword and get out of here lad!". He gave the boy a well made one-hand sword. The boy looked surprised and said, "i- i- I can't take this! I don't have that much money with me!". The shopkeeper was losing his patience and he growled at him, "Just take it for free and get the hell out of here!" the boy and girl, along with others went out of the shop wondering what happened to him all of a sudden.

When everyone left the shop, he hurriedly locked the doors and rushed towards Flinn at an unbelievable speed and his figure disappeared!

He held the shoulders of Flinn and shook them hard as he asked, "Did you really find her! Is she alive!? Is she well!? Where is she!?". Flinn escaped his hold and pointed at Alathia. The shopkeeper finally noticed them and looked at her deep in her eyes. He then started to tear up just Flinn did. He immediately knelt on the ground with his right hand on his left chest, same gesture as Flinn, and said, "Brock of the Shadow cause, at you service your Highness the Princess!" Flinn followed his suite leaving the group of six stand dumbfounded.