You talk too much

"I forgive you." She sighed, walking away without another word.

Leo's eyes reflected how shocked he was at her words, he couldn't help but run up towards her.

Catching up to her, he stared at her for a moment before finally speaking, "Princess Mae. What does that mean?" He called out of breath.

"Just as you heard it." She replied, clearing her throat, she allowed him to understand she needed him out of the way.

"But I–" His words were cut off with a raise of her hand.

"Would you stop bringing that up?" She frowned, sick and tired of him making reference to one of the most embarrassing situations she had ever experienced.

"I would like to get back to the Castle." She stomped towards her brown stallion.

Neighing upon seeing his master, he snorted upon noticing Leo not so far behind.

"Jip, did you miss me?" She ran towards her horse, caressing his mane to his pleasure, neighing in response.

"I knew you would." She said in a high pitched voice.

"Jip?" Leo blurted out at her choice of name for the horse.

Suddenly the horse stomped it's hind legs, snorting in annoyance upon listening to Leo's comment. Mae realised how tense Jip had been and looked behind her.

"I had almost forgotten you were here." She rolled her eyes, trying to calm her horse.

"Do you have an issue with its name?" She snorted.

"No, no. It's a beautiful name." Leo immediately replied, her new attitude was somewhat scary, he had never thought of the day he would share the same fear he had for the King with his daughter.

"You could say it again." She huffed climbing on her horse.

Whipping her hair back, she held onto the reins, "I got a favor to ask of you." She finally remembered what she had wanted to say.

"Y–yes?" He looked up awaiting her next words.

"Don't make mention of my little outing nor should you follow me here except well I request it. Do you get that?!" She made a slitting throat gesture.

Leo gulped, he could never get used to this side of her, he didn't mean to push her to the limit, "As Your Highness wishes." He gave a slight bow.

"I'll be leaving first then. You could stay or play if you'd want, but do not follow me, are we clear on this?!" She narrowed her eyes on Leo.

Leo gave a nod in response, looking around at the numerous vegetation.

"Very well then." She let out a smile of satisfaction, riding off towards the Castle.

–––––––––––

Finally alone, Leo rushed towards the bush where all his suspicions had sprung from. Using his sword, he turned the snake to it's stomach, where a twig had been driven into it and broken which had killed it.

But now it all boiled to how an animal could be capable of such complicated thinking if attacked by the snake.

"What's the missing piece I can't seem to get?" He squatted, staring at the snake and then at the drops of blood in the bush, there was no mistake; it definitely came from someone or something bleeding.

Noticing the drops of blood actually made a trail, he stood back up, making his way to follow it. Pushing away branches in his path, he followed it dutifully; determined to get a lead on who could have made Mae want to protect so badly.

Halting and out of breath, he reached out for a branch, he pulled off of it, a few strands of hair with its tip in dried blood made him look at it in horror.

'This is definitely the hair of a human! I was right he was bitten by the snake and by the looks of it, he had bled out for a while.' Leo observed, quickly heading back to where his horse was.

'What if he couldn't make it?' Leo shook the thought off, he couldn't be thinking negatively at that point.

Knowing Princess Mae's horse riding skill and knowledge of the forest, he was sure that he could catch up with her by taking a faster route; he needed to report what he had observed to the Princess.

–––––––––––

Behind a pillar, Mae watched as some Knights walked by, chatting to one another right in front of her door, two guards stationed at her door nonchalant to what the Knights were doing, oblivious to Mae watching them.

'Would you all just slack off your job for once, I really need to just make this last run towards my Chambers!' She cried in her thoughts impatiently.

"We still have five days till their arrival, what do you think they look like? I heard you were a captive of the three Kingdoms a long time ago before you were shown some grace here, you should have seen at least one of their heirs." One of the Knights whispered to the other, nudging the other in the rib.

"Shhh!" The other, a little weary of who listened, smiled at the guards who just stood there. He was sure they were listening and couldn't help but feel threatened by his past being brought up in front of anyone other than the Knight squad.

"You talk too much." The Knight in question scolded, pulling the other by the ear, "I am your superior and that's what matters now. Speak to me as one, you fool." He knocked his head to correct his thinking.

"I'm sorry Sir, it won't happen again." He rubbed his head.

The two guards shared a brief glance, amused at such a show being performed right in front of them, but as duty expected they made no comments and pretended not to be interested in what was said, nor repeat what was being heard.

"I give you all too much leniency. I have a task that would suit you so well." A smirk played on his lips on what he had planned for the Knight who had dared bring up his past.

"Ow! Ow! Sir?! Please no, not there!" He cried as he was pulled by the ear away by his superior

"A captive to the three Kingdoms... Must have seen the heirs–in other words the Prince or know their names." Mae murmured in conclusion, changing her approach she had made her mind to meet that Knight instead.

"Princess Mae." She heard a whisper of her name from behind. She cringed after she was caught, slowly turning around to get a glimpse of who had managed to sneak up on her without her knowledge.