Corinne walked out to where the balloon and the king were waiting.
Louis held his hand down to her "Glad you could make it."
Corinne grabbed his hand and was pulled up into the balloon "Your Majesty," she said as soon as she had regained her balance, also getting a curious look from the king "We need to talk."
Louis nodded as he released the balloon from the ground "Obviously. You haven't called me Your Majesty in two years."
"Well…" Corinne leaned against the side of the basket "There's a problem."
Louis' looked over at her seriously confused "What's wrong?"
"We overheard your conversation with Jameston." Corinne answered "I know about the Princess of Trylvania."
Louis groaned "Corinne, listen to me. I'm not marrying Princess Josephina."
"How do you know?"
"Because, I can make my own decisions." Louis hadn't moved from where he had been standing since the ride started "I can choose if I marry or not."
"Well, you may actually life Princess Josephina." Corinne pointed out.
"I may." Louis agreed "But I can promise you this. I won't fall in love with her."
"How do you know?"
He didn't answer. He just smiled at her, and then continued his chore of steering the hot air balloon.
Corinne shook her head, then turned around so she could see the sights below.
Something odd caught her attention. There was a golden carriage driving through the woods on an old dirt path. Apparently, they had gotten sidetracked from the ship docks.
"Louis." Corinne said "We have to start landing this thing right now, right here."
"Why?" Louis asked, but starting to do as instructed.
"Someone of means is traveling through robber territory." Corinne answered, pointing to the carriage "Get as close to the trees as you can, then try to go get my friends."
Louis glanced at her uncertain, but he didn't question her command. When they were six feet over the tree tops, Corinne jumped over the side of the balloon's basket, and when one came into reach, she grabbed a tree branch. She waved at Louis so he knew she was okay, then he raised the balloon back into the air and steered it back towards the castle.
Corinne jumped from tree to tree following the carriage, being sure to keep a close eye out for anything out of the ordinary. Then she saw it, a group of three guys crouched behind a bush, watching as the carriage rolled toward them.
One of them jumped out, a sword in hand, and shouted for the carriage to stop, which it immediately did. He was tall and broad, with scraggly brown hair.
"Get out of the carriage." The man growled as his two partners joined him..
Corinne watched as a woman in a shiny yellow dress with a golden crown stepped out. Followed by a man in a burgundy suit, also wearing a crown. And a young man with chocolate brown hair in faded work clothes followed.
"Give us your money." The man demanded "Or suffer the price."
Corinne jumped from her position in the tree and landed on top of the carriage.
"Is this how you always greet those that are passing through?" she asked.
The two royals and the boy looked up at her surprised.
The robber stared at her "Who are you and where did you come from?"
"I dropped from the sky." Corinne answered "And, I'm your worst nightmare."
The leader laughed as he motioned his two buddies to draw their weapons. One a sword, the other a bow and arrow. The one with the bow, pulled out an arrow and aimed it at her "Does this scare you little girl?"
Corinne placed her hands on her hips, her right hand just centimeters from where her sword was hidden "No."
The man shot, and quick as lightning, Corinne pulled out her sword and held it straight in front of her.
The arrow hit the sharp blade, that sliced straight down the wooden rod, splitting the arrow in two. The pieces flew by on either side of the blonde's head and on past.
"Y… You're an armed girl?" The archer stammered.
The leader of the clan pointed to her "I know who you are! You're Corinne, from Gascony. You're one of the musketeers."
Corinne flipped off the top of the carriage and landed five feet in front of the robbers "I am. What are you going to do about it?"
The two with swords lunged at her, but in a matter of a few seconds, their swords were gone.
The leader of the gang just sneered "You have us beat." He said.
Corinne eyed him closely. She knew he was up to something.
"Look out!" the young man shouted.
Corinne instantly spun around, knocking swords out of three other guys' hands.
Then she saw them. A group of ten more robbers walking towards her.
"Oh great." She thought "This is not good."
The young man grabbed tossed one of the swords to Corinne and picked up the other two and stood behind her.
"I take it you're really good with swords." He said, watching the men slowly advance.
Corinne chuckled wryly "I'd better be." She glanced back at him "What's your name?"
"Conrad."
She nodded, whishing her friends were there.
"So…" Conrad said "I take the ones on the left, you take the ones on the right?"
Corinne huffed "I reckon." Then the fight was on.
The two royals had jumped back into the carriage, along with the driver, and the sixteen robbers, a weapon in both hands advanced towards them.
Louis made it back to the castle and ran at top speed to where the girls were talking.
"Corinne needs help!" He shouted as soon as he saw them.
"What happened?" Renee asked "And why is she not with you?"
"She jumped out of the balloon." Louis said, immediately wishing he's worded it different.
"What!?" the four girls exclaimed.
"We saw a carriage riding through the eastern woods." Louis said "Corinne left the balloon to try to hold off any robbers until I could get back here and find y'all!"
"Let's go!" Viveca said "She probably needs help right now!"
The other two musketeers nodded and they ran out the door.
Joana stepped up next to Louis and watched as the girls leapt onto their horses and sped away "What do we do?" she asked.
Louis sighed "The only thing to do. Wait."
Joana was quiet for a moment before she looked up at the king "Are you in love with Corinne?"
Louis glanced down at her and shrugged "It doesn't really matter." He answers "What matters is if the other person feels the same way. And if she'll admit it." He turned to the girl to say something but froze. Then his eyes grew wide and he stepped back in shock.