Chapter Three

. . .

Even before she was accused of banditry, the princess of Leighnia had been warned of her visit to Grendella.

Pursed lips riddled her of its dangers. Grendella was no place for a Leighnian.

"Princess!"

Celestine looked up. Her youthful face finally off the book that she's been reading for hours. She had green eyes, long black hair that flowed like waves down to her waist, and soft features that boast elegance and beauty.

"Please keep Court Lady Jasmine's words in mind!" Mina begged her. "We might end up dead if we slip up!"

Mina had been Celestine's maidservant for all she could remember. The girl still had the same hairstyle from eight years ago—two pigtails tied in a bun that always made her look a year younger than Celestine, or two when they're the same age. And a youthful face that had been painted with worry.

They've been through almost everything. Every trouble, and every punishment that came after. Kneeling for hours with a stack of books at hand, plucking weeds in the garden after leaving the mansion, and then getting caught.

Everything.

But nothing as perilous as this journey.

"I can even recite them asleep, Mina," Celestine sighed. "Never show yourself to anyone, never tell anyone your name..."

Mina nodded. "And most importantly?"

"Never, not at any chance, ever admit to anyone you're from Leighnia," she said. "But shouldn't you worry about yourself first? You've been calling me princess when mother asked you not to."

"Ah! That's right!" Mina banged her head on the carriage, and for the first time in their entire trip, Celestine dropped her book to prevent her servant from sustaining a concussion. "Milady, milady, milady. That's how I should address you from now on."

"Forget about calling me Milady," Celestine flicked her on the forehead. "You should stop this bad habit of yours first."

Celestine parted the curtains of the carriage to have a better look at the outside. Nothing but green meadows stretched for miles, and some lone trees every now and then.

A rough estimate tells Celestine they'll reach the borders of Grendella by sunset, and she wished a couple of hours would be enough for Mina to reset her tongue.

Last night, Court Lady Jasmine asked them to be as cautious as possible. They were about to enter a dangerous place like freshwater fish swimming in the vastness of the ocean.

She said there was no room for compromise.

"But why do we need to keep our identities to ourselves?" Mina had asked, "It's not like we're outlaws. Why should we deny being Leighnians?"

"Outlaws? That would be an understatement. Grendellans consider us worse..." Court Lady Jasmine poked her nose into Mina's face like a predator sniffing its prey. "No Grendellan in their right mind would welcome a Leighnian inside their kingdom. Always remember that, ladies."

Celestine didn't need the court lady's storytelling. She'd heard of this story countless times before.

"Grendellans hate us. No. Loathe us," Court Lady Jasmine opened her eyes so wide she looked taunting. "A Leighnian man once shopped the streets of Grendella and was asked by a smiling vendor where he was from. And when the fool replied with an honest, "I'm from Leighnia," the same smiley face revealed its fangs, and egg trays were emptied on his body within seconds!"

Mina gasped. "They hate us so much they'll waste so many eggs?"

"Uhuh!" Lady Jasmine continued. "With tattered clothes barely intact from the riot, that man crawled home to his family dressed in a week's worth of breakfast, and a lifetime of trauma inside his basket when his wife asked for vegetables!"

"What tragedy!"

"You shouldn't scare Mina like that, Lady Jasmine," Celestine sighed, "The royal family wouldn't invite us to their prince's birthday party if they consider us varmints."

"That might be true. Your parents shared a close bond with their royal family," Lady Jasmine said. "But the citizens of Grendella don't know that. They call your mother a traitor and every Leighnian altogether. I'm afraid we won't be changing their minds anytime soon."

. . .

Celestine knew they've reached their destination when an unusual chill crawled up her skin. The sensation reminded her of the nastiest welcome drink she'd tasted from an infamous inn she'd rather not call out.

The gooey red-brown shot in memory tasted as ominous as it looked.

Unwelcoming.

Like the kingdom of Grendella.

To keep their identities intact, they booked an old inn. It smelled of old wood and wine. Not too fancy but also not too shabby.

"This is a humiliation!" The floors creaked with Mina's every move as she unpacked their luggage. "How dare this kingdom force you to stay at such a rundown place."

Eventually, after an hour of preparation and listening to Mina's non-stop ranting, they finally reached the palace in a carriage.

Celestine chose to attend such a grand occasion wearing a simple white dress. It would be best not to draw any attention to herself, she thought. Not aware of how much her presence attracts attention even when she tries hard to conceal it.

A mix of emotions welcomed her upon their entry to the palace. How could a place feel so familiar and unfamiliar at the same time? She wondered.

The guards asked for an invitation and upon seeing the Queen's seal on Celestine's card, a robust soldier clad in full armor escorted them to an open space pavilion in the middle of a beautiful garden.

It was somewhat secluded, or to sugarcoat it--exclusive.

No other guest was present, and the soldier left after telling them to wait, and that someone will come for them.

Despite the cold air blowing past her ears, Mina's eyes burned with vigilance. "I sense a foreboding feeling. Maybe... this is a trap!"

As if things couldn't get any more suspicious, a crow as dark as night landed on the marble seat beside Celestine.

"Ahh! Crows are a symbol of bad luck!" Mina was about to shoo the bird away but Celestine stopped her.

"Stop being superstitious, Mina. It's hungry and has come for us for food." she took out the sachet of sunflower seeds that she sometimes nibbles while reading. "Here you go."

After having its fill, the crow flew away before it could even hear Mina's comment calling it an "ungrateful bird."

"We can't sit here and await doom," Mina said. "I'll go around and check if I can find Lady Jasmine. Don't go around wandering about, okay?"

Mina knew Celestine, and she was right. The moment she bolted out of her highness' sight, Celestine decided it wouldn't be such a bad idea to stroll around the garden.

The place felt like it was pulled right out of a storybook, and the flowers that bloomed underneath the moonlight weren't taken care of just to be ignored.

After an hour of strolling, she found herself nowhere near the pavilion. In the middle of recounting her steps, a wisteria tree caught her attention.

Its flowers were in full bloom so the pond beside it reflected the moonlight in a shade of purple.

Mesmerized by the water, Celestine crossed the stone bridge above it to admire the koi fish.

The following seconds flashed before her eyes like a haze. She heard the sound of wings flapping, and recognized the bird from earlier.

"What's this?" Her shoulders stiffened to make way for the crow's perching. "You have a gift for me?"

Her eyes widened upon seeing such a fancy button. This was the most beautiful piece of clothing she'd seen in years!

It glowed too bright she wouldn't be surprised to know it was polished a hundred times.

Where in the world did this crow got this treasure from? She wondered.

Seconds later, her question found its answer. When a strange boy started marching towards the bridge, the crow flew away but left the button in her the palm of her hand. Celestine was met with a great dilemma.

Was she supposed to run away? The boy looked like he could push her off the bridge anytime. But at the same time, he looked harmless, like a flower boy who bathes in roses and milk. He was as pristine as snow.

Before Celestine could make a decision, the boy had already gotten close and had grabbed her arm. She instantly regretted not running away as his pair of blue eyes met her gaze with clear aversion.

"How did you get here?" he said, "You couldn't have possibly trained an entire flock of crow to carry you into the palace walls. Have you?"

Celestine blinked. She'd never heard of a more ridiculous conclusion before. This boy probably was not a fan of reading books.

"I beg your pardon?" She replied.

"Bandits are becoming more and more crafty nowadays." He spoke as if he was only talking to himself, and wouldn't even meet Celestine's eyes like she was a lifeless mannequin, "I can't believe I'd catch one in the act."

"B-bandit?" Celestine's throat dried up. "Me?"

"Yes. You." The boy stared at her palms, and she realized what was happening. He was eyeing the golden button.

"Bandits like you have been training birds to steal jewelry. I caught you red-handed. You're coming with me--"

"That's not true!" Celestine said, her eyes wide from his accusation. "I'm not a bandit and I didn't steal this. That crow gave this to me as a gift!"

"And you think I believe that?" He inhaled a lungful of breath before letting his loud voice through, "Guards! Guards--"

Celestine covered his mouth but it was too late. His voice already caught the attention of two guards who were roaming around.

"Who goes there?!"

This is bad. Celestine thought to herself.

How was she supposed to explain herself while keeping her identity a secret?

. . .