1 The Princess is Kidnapped?

"Let us depart." A soft yet dignified voice rang out from an opulent white carriage bearing the insignia of auspicious clouds and a bright, golden sun. The flags atop it waved lightly in the wind as the carriage moved forward. The crowd promptly made way when they saw the carriage, bowing respectfully as they did.

This does not come as a surprise for the person in the carriage was the eldest princess of the Cloudhaven Kingdom, renowned for her beauty and timeless grace. Scholars and artists regard her as their patroness for her ceaseless support for education and the arts. Aside from that, she herself was known to be a genius strategist and an expert painter. Plenty were the poems and stories that she herself had penned and was published throughout the kingdom.

Isolde Illestri Nimbus, the beloved peony of Cloudhaven. She was the perfect and obedient princess.

"Sigh. How stifling." Isolde numbly looked on through the carriage windows. Her eyes followed along the changing scenery. She was on her way to their summer palace where her siblings were waiting for her. Truthfully, Isolde did not want to go to this annual gala in the east. At this point, it was far too boring for her. There was nothing to look forward to except for the same old fawning people and their same old pretentious smiles.

Isolde would rather stay within the confines of the royal library reading to pass her time. Or in the secret training grounds of her palace to sharpen her archery and swordsmanship. She could also have a discussion with the scholars within the Cloudhaven Royal University regarding the newest medical discoveries. Or focus on researching various painting techniques. Isolde could also spend time with the children in the orphanages or go incognito to heal the sick of their empire's slums.

In her opinion, such activities were more productive. They were things that could actually help the progress of their kingdom and its people. Going to galas and parties where gourmet food overflows all night long and dancing around with people who only want to curry favor was tedious and exhausting. But Isolde also knows that these kinds of interactions are vital for the monarchy.

Even more so for her who is now of age. Her presence in the annual summer gala held a different purpose this year. It was time for her to find a prospective husband. Her marriage was not something dreamy nor was it something to yearn for. In this aspect, Isolde was envious of the common people or even the nobility who, one way or another, had a say to who they will spend the rest of their lives with.

Being a princess is to denounce this right. Her lifelong happiness was something that must benefit the royal family and the kingdom. It was a necessary evil. It was her duty as a princess who shoulders the lives of thousands of citizens. And duty often means doing the things that the heart may well regret.

"It would be nice though, if I could have a day to myself and do everything that I want." Isolde murmured to myself. Her voice held an inexplicable yearning to it.

A yearning for freedom.

Thud! Thud!

A sudden jolt threw Isolde towards the other side of the carriage. She winced in pain when the hardwood collided with her shoulder. Isolde dazedly looked around, wondering why the carriage halted.

"Barbarians! The barbarians are attacking! Protect the Princess!" Isolde heard the muffled shouts of her guards. Her brows creased in worry.

Barbarians? That's strange. They were usually a bunch of people who kept to themselves within the desert borderlands. Why were they attacking now? Have they joined the anti-royal rebels?

Isolde clenched her hands and held the hem of her gown firmly. In a swift, decisive manner she opened the carriage doors and alighted. She was met with the sight of her knights in desperate straits battling against a bunch of tall, well-built, silver-haired men. Some of them were even rendered unconscious. Fortunately, it seems that the barbarians did not plan to kill any of them.

"Cease your fighting." Isolde said in a loud, clear voice taking the attention of both the knights and the barbarians. Multiple pairs of eyes directed their gaze to her form. Some riddled with worry, others held curiosity and wariness.

"Princess, please get back on the carriage. It is dangerous here." The head of her knight escort, Sir Neil, cautioned as he stood in front of her protectively. Isolde shook her head at this and stepped out from behind him.

"Stand back, Sir Neil. There is no need for further violence. I shall handle this." She stated, her voice held an inviolable command. Isolde walked and slowly approached the bunch of silver-haired men. Most people would have been intimidated by their towering figures and muscles. But Isolde could not sense any hostility from them. This made her wonder about the cause of their actions.

"May I ask why you gentlemen attacked my carriage?" Isolde's tone was neutral and calm, devoid of any traces of fear. There was a flash of surprise in the eyes of the barbarian. Just then, the man who was noticeably shorter than the others stepped forward and met her.

Isolde peered at him observingly. The man looked young. Younger than her at the very least. He had the unique silver hair and tanned skin of the barbarians of the Eastern deserts. He was less muscular than the rest probably due to his young age. There were a couple of strange orange gems woven into a strand of his hair. They sparkled beautifully resembling a sunbeam.

The young man bowed slightly towards her. "Greetings to the eldest princess of Cloudhaven. We do not want to hurt your men any further. Would it be possible for you to go with us? Oh and we apologize for inflicting injuries upon them. It was in self defense."

Isolde was stunned at this before bursting uncontrollably in an amused laugh. Well, look here. Such polite abductors. This was a sight one does not see everyday. She knew that it was unwise for her to agree to them since they were basically asking her to let herself get kidnapped. But at the same time, Isolde had the strong urge of not declining them.

Well, she knew either way they would still take her. Only that it would be one heck of a fight that might result in casualties. Why would she trouble herself when it would be simpler to just go with them? She would also be saving her knights at the same time.

Who was she kidding? In truth, Isolde wanted to go not for any noble reasons as protecting her knights. But a selfish one. She really didn't want to attend the summer gala.

Isolde retained her bemused smile and stared at the young man's amber eyes.

"Very well. I shall go with you. But please send my knights unharmed." She responded and walked further to their side.

Sir Neil, the captain of her escorts, held onto her hand in a panic.

"Your highness, what nonsense is this? We can take on these barbarians so please save yourself." He shouted almost pleadingly. The other guards also drew their swords in preparation of a desperate fight.

"Sir Neil!" Isolde bellowed, squinting her eyes at the captain.

"Are you absolutely sure that you can take them on? I do not. They are stronger than you. You might be willing to die for my sake but I do not want anyone to lay down their life for me. Especially when the circumstances are salvageable. I shall go with them. I am sure that just as they did not end your lives, they will not bring me to harm. You can at least trust my intelligence and abilities. Leave now, Captain. This is an order."

Ending her remark at that, Isolde ambled quickly to the silver-haired men without a semblance of reservation. The young man who talked to her followed behind silently. Captain Neil stood stiffly, unable to utter a refute. He was bound by duty to protect the princess and obey her orders. Though, he desperately wanted to deny her command this time, Captain Neil also feared that his action would lead to her safety being even more compromised.

"I forbid you all from making a move." Isolde said with her back towards them. She held a hand out to the young man from earlier, gesturing to him to aid her up the horse. This surprised the latter but he eventually helped her out.

After she had settled herself on the horse, Isolde gazed at the knights who were looking at her in despair.

"Why are you all looking like that? They will not kill me. If they had that purpose, they would not go through all this trouble nor would they spare your lives. Go back and tell my father that I am merely on my way to a little vacation. I will return in one piece." Isolde calmly stated. She heaved a helpless sigh at their terrible expressions, especially that of the Captain's. Still, Isolde remained firm. She turned to her kidnappers waved dismissively.

"You may now take me away from here."