The words are back in motion once more…

The messengers were being sent out at last, slowly all over the continent the word was out. The princess was missing. But unaware to it all she sat, her eyes alert of the smallest detail as the ladies of the court were at brunch.

Taking in the fine minutiae detail of the chairs, table, roof, windows, practically anything WITH detail, she sat with her hands in her lap, sitting straight and her feet slightly crossed. Her etiquette had always been of an impeccably high standard but her tolerance levels were low. Smiling politely and answering short, but not rude, answers. Don't get her wrong, she wasn't very spoiled, she just thought the company of these ladies, how ever rich, boring.

The food was exquisite but the talk was quite boring, the talk hardly strayed from fashion, the eligibility of the princes and horrible gossip.

'Fare-thee-well!' one of the slightly older and withered duchesses stated after another hour and a quarter. 'Anon, goodbye.' I said rising. They also rose and slowly walked towards the door. Outside all started to disband from small talk and get ready for lunch which was in three hours.

Stephanie very slowly headed towards one corridor until a pair of hands caught hers and another grabbed her shoulders and pulled. Stifling a scream with their hands,she stumbled backwards, they swiftly led her down a corridor until they were at the other side of the palace. And she sat where they led her. The dark shadows came towards her, presenting their faces. She smiled at them sweetly and they smiled back.

'Why didn't you scream or wail?' Jeremy asked slightly distressed.

Timothy looked at her, and a realisation dawned on him. 'She knew it was us.'

Stephanie shrugged, 'Well I taught you all the basics of your trickery!' She smiled roguishly, winking.

'I guess,' Jeremy said slightly misbelieving 'Still thou could've made it slightly fun.'

Jem and Tim were two of Prince Peter Jacobs's brothers, who were identical twins making it easier to get out of trouble or to confuse people. They were always a nuisance and trouble, Stephanie had taught them almost all they presently knew about being a trickster.

Raising her eye brows she looked at them, 'That wasn't even funny! I expected more from my prime pupils!'

'Sure it was!' Tim said with his shifty eyes.

'By the way Steph we are your ONLY pupils.' Jem added

Stephanie snorted, 'so still expected more, and yeah twasreally hilarious, I'm laughing soo hard you cant even notice it.' Standing up she walked towards the door. 'Well, fare-thee-well then.'

'Wait! Steph, come on, here us out ok?' Jem said pleadingly. Steph glanced at Tim who smiled mischievously.

'Fine but just this once, because I have nothing better to do. This better be worth my time!'

Twenty minutes later they were outside next to the woods.

'How bout now?' Stephanie asked for the four hundredth time.

'No!' they answered in unison, they were outside searching the grounds.

'Now?' she smiled weakly.

'Hey, if you ask constantly are your chances of us answering what kind of prank were playing going to get any higher?' Jem asked as Tim giggled.

'Found them!' Tim proclaimed.

'Excellent! What is it?'

Shoving it into his pocket Tim just giggled more and ran off, closely followed by Jem.

'Didn't they ever tell you ladies don't run?' Steph yelled after them, soon hot on their heels, her hair flowing and glistening behind her.

Running to the courtyard they slowed, walking through a side, servant's door. As they walked along, headed towards the kitchen they stopped.

'Ok Steph? You stay here. We'll be back soon.'

To Steph what seemed like forever passed until they twins came bolting down the passage from the kitchens holding a brown cake with decorated cream on the top.

'Chocolate? Can I have some?' Steph asked hopefully.

'Sure Steph you can ruin our whole plan!' Tim said smiling sarcastically, 'In other words, no you cant have some.'

She was slightly disheartened but excited about the prank that was still to come.

'Ok Steph this is what we want you to do,' they then explained to her all about how she was to walk in and sit with the ladies of the courtwhile they ate their lunch and the prank would be played while she was in the room, when it happened she would take a hasty retreat, and run as far away as possible, hoping to escape the wrath of their parents.

She walked gracefully in and sat down in an unoccupied chair and soon after the lunch was served, every rich food thinkable was brought in my servants in many different courses. Though she ate nothing out of suspicion of the trick, but the whole meal went without trouble and she was slowly starting to relax as desert was brought out.

A richly creamed dark brown cake was brought out and she thought it looked slightly familiar. Déjà vu… she thought.

But as it got closer she realised that it really did look familiar, the boys cake!

'Doesn't it look delicious?' she said to her neighbour, holding in a giggle.

'Excellent,' a stuffy Duchess replied from her left.

But as the cake was put on the table it seemed to be slightly moving.

As a richly dressed lady reached over to cut a piece off the finely adorned brown cake, it moved and two brightgreen frogs jumped out.

'Frogs!' they all jumped and squirmed about. The dirt from the dirt pie quickly covering the pristine white table cloth and the women's clothing, hardly stifling a laugh she saw Tim and Jem's faces watching through the door.

What happened next was extremely hilarious to witness, havoc broke out. Women were jumping about trying to stand on the tables, but squashing the food, they knocked over chairs and vases and within moments the room was wrecked.

Giving her the thumbs up, they raced over to her and they made their escape.

They quickly stepped to the corridor, running as hard as they could until they were so out of breath from laughing and running they collapsed on the ground. Rolling on the ground, quick footsteps came into hearing range and they stopped laughing, but were still giggling.

'Jeremy! Timothy! What do you think you are doing?' Christian came into view, a very stern look on his face.

She looked around, just to seethe twinsretreating backs whip around the corners.

'Thanks guys!' she yelled after them. Looking back up at Christian from the ground Steph realised that he was smiling, she started to laugh again, shaking her head.

'Didn't actually think I had become a tart now did you?' he smiled offering her his hand.

She took his large, strong hand and he pulled her up.

'Thanks.' She said while laughing softly.

'You've only been here a few days and already you're organising their little pranks.' He clicked his tongue.

'I honestly did not organise it!' her laughter abruptly stopped.

'Sure, sure, whatever you say, princess!'

She rolled her eyes and huffed while she started walking back to her rooms.

'Hey, wait up! By the way, I have to show you our spot. You haven't seen it in ages.' He jogged after her.

'Tomorrow.'

'Now?'

'Tomorrow?'

'Now?'

'Im stuborrn, im not going with you ok? Tomorrow, mabye.'

'Come on Stephie…. now!' he started walking and she followed.

'Tomorrow. Stop whining.'

'Why not now?'

'Cause I have to rest.'

He snorted indignantly, 'What is it,' he looked out the closest window, ' around four? You honestly don't need you're rest.'

'Sure I do. I'm a dainty little princess remember?'

'Well you don't need beauty rest, and you don't look tired. And most ladys just pretend to be dainty, I have known you all my life and you my dear, are certainly NOT dainty.'

'Looks can be deceiving.'

'Too bad we're here now.'

She glanced around and to her surprise she noticed he had talked her all the way to their spot.

'Am I really all that easy to manipulate?' sheasked bitterly, half to herself.

'Yes.' He called over his shoulder as he sat down on the bench that sat looking across the forest.

'Remember when we thought this was the whole world?' she said sitting down.

The small room was at the top of a tower, it was extremely hard to get into, the stairs were hidden under a suit of knights armour and it was covered in dust most of the time except when Christian and Stephanie were together. When they were little they vowed tonever come to"Their Place" without the other. Once up the stairs you had to pick the lock but once inside it's worth the thousand, harrowing,steps.It was one of the tallest towers but it only contained a single room, with astone bench thatlooks over theforrest surrounding the castle.

'It's my whole world.' He answered cryptically.

'You know what I mean. If you wanted to you would just ride off, go anywhere you wanted to.'

'Not anymore I couldn't.'

'Why not? You own a few dozen horses, and enough funds to support yourself for a thousand years! Simple.'

'Same for you though.'

'No its not.'

'Yes it is. You just walked out on your father.'

'What was I supposed to do, Christian? Stand there and watch myself live out my boring life married to Lord Obese Disgusting Freakshow Man?'

'Very ladylike nickname Steph, I guess not. But you still left.'

'The funniest part is he probably has just realised I have gone missing. Still he probably wont even try and find me, justconvince everyone I had died of something. Eventually even Sam and Will will forget about me, they'll go on with their lives,' She said bitterly.

'Steph, he has started looking for you. The whole continent knows about it, the princess who escaped, Sam and Will wont ever forget you. They are the most noble men I have ever met.' Her breathing quickened but he spoke again, 'I will protect you.' He said bravely, she shrugged.

'I guess you can try. Still probably wont work. By the way you still didn't answer my previous question.'

'Was that the why I cant I just escape question?' she nodded ' well I guess I couldn't just desert everyone like that, people that I love and care about, my country, it is my life, without it I am lost.' His chivalrous side coming through as he spoke these words.

'If you really wanted to explore, there's a whole world out there, far too vast just to sit in one kingdom your entire life.'

'By the way, we can't tell anyone about who you are or why you're here. No one ok? Promise me that you won't go outside your rooms without Tim, Jem, Peter or me.'

'Fine I won't go outside without you.'

'Promise it Steph. Sware on the holiness of this castle and um.. our spot, sware on our spot.'

'I promise not to leave my chambers without Christian, Jeremy, Timothy or Peter Jacob. I sware I will not leave my rooms without an escort, I sware it on Christian and Stephanie's magical spot and the holiness of this castle. Happy?'

'Very much so.' He beamed

'I don't know though. I mean I can stay undetected forever, I'll have to leave some time. I think I may come back someday.' She rested her head on his shoulder looking out to the horizon. 'It was nice seeing you again but I guess I better find another place to hide out for a while.'

'There's something you should know. He placed fifty thousand gold on you, dead or alive to be brought back to him.' He looked uncertainly up at her with his large brown eyes.

'All that shimmers in this world is bound to fade away at some time, I may fade quicker but I would rather be snuffed like a candle, quick and painless rather than live a long life, dangling on the edge, waiting to be burned by the flame.' She smiled resignedly up at him.

He put his arm around her shoulder carefully. 'Stay with me for a while. Then we shall go gallivanting off on adventures. Wherever you want to go.'

'Really?'

'Really.'

'You shall be my knight in shining armour, and I your maiden in distress. Will you teach me how to use a sword, Chris? Then I can help you kill the evil minions and dragons.'

He chuckled, 'If you like. We'll kill the evils of the world and save the needy, you and I.'

'I'm looking forward to this. You promised. You cant ever brake a promise.'

'I wont.'

They stayed up very late watching the sun set and planning their mighty adventure, until very late when she fell asleep talking and he carried her back to her chambers.

OK, ok, I know, I haven't updated for like ever. And have no excuse for it, except I started writing a new story, Ballerina, which feels like its really going somewhere by the way if anyone cares chapter five is almost up only a few more hundred words to go! Awesome well back to this…. Yeah. Here it is! Next chap shall be up soon, shifty eyes … promise cough cough…. Thnx for reading!

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