It had been roughly ten minutes since the Foresters returned to Fort Lucus. With the adrenaline and excitement running itself out of their systems, they joined around and presented the spoils of the raid. Naturally, much boasting and yarns of their harrowing thefts were told to bolster their status, but all in good fun as everyone shared their mini adventures through the capital.

Lillia showed off her new collection of books to Lucient. "Check it out! I found an amazing selection filled with fantastical epics of the old days. Ooh, like of Sinbad, the Weavile who sails the high seas on adventure! Or of Gilgamesh, the Conkeldurr king of legend!"

Lucient chuckled. "An excellent selection of books, Lillia. I have actually read those stories myself. Perhaps we could discuss them over tea."

She grinned and nodded. "Fantastic idea! I shall provide the snacks."

"Give it back! It's mine!" The two jumped out of the way as Jewel chased Gold around the fort, hopping over obstacles and fellow Foresters. "I saw the shiny spoon first, Brother!"

"But I wanted it more, Sister!" Gold exclaimed with a cheeky grin.

"Return the shiny at once!"

Lucient and Lillia shared a look with each other before sighing and shrugging their shoulders.

Ragger and Leon, after relishing in their spoils, got into something of what could only be described as a spirited debate. "I totally saw you losing steam in the last three minutes of the raid!" Ragger argued. "I clearly won our bet!"

Leon huffed. "As if. You were even more off-balance than normal. Clearly you were on the brink of passing out, whereas I conserved my stamina to the very end. Ergo, I win the bet."

Ragger crossed his arms and laughed. "You call standing still a victory? I'd say you were pretty close to taking a well-needed nap after all those beatings your shield took. I was convinced I had to drag your sorry behind back to base. A little sympathy from me to showcase I am not a sore winner."

Leon rolled his eyes. "And yet you try so desperately to claim victory in this pointless bet."

"You're the one who wanted to take part in it!"

"I caved in because you wouldn't shut up. I just went along with it to prove a point."

"That my fighting style is better?"

"That I could outlast you in a fight."

Ragger slammed his fists together, crackling with electricity. "That a challenge? Alright, tonight! You and me, after dinner! One-on-one! Winner gets bragging rights."

"How is that any different to now?" Leon asked with a raised brow.

The two kept going back and forth at each other, to which eventually Wyatt, Avel, and Kenny tuned them out. "Man, for a pair that don't get along, they sure have a lot to say," Wyatt commented.

Avel sighed. "It is the cruel irony of bitter rivalries. Cruel for us as now we have to listen to them." Kenny nodded in agreement.

Wyatt smiled. "Eh, whatever. At least we had a great haul." He picked up his bag and opened it. "Feast your eyes on my treasures, Kenny!"

The Cubchoo peeked inside with excitement, but frowned. No jewels, gold, or weaponry of any kind rested inside the cloth bag…no weapons if one didn't count spatulas, at least. Indeed, what he did find were an assortment of baking items. Baking powder, flour, homemade syrup, etc.

Kenny looked up at Wyatt and signed, "Did you rob someone's pantry?"

Wyatt held his hips and laughed. "What greater treasure is there than the all-inspiring mealtime that is breakfast? I stole a whole bunch of ingredients needed to make pancakes! We'll be eating like kings for weeks!"

Kenny blinked twice and gave Wyatt a thumbs-up.

Nearby, Melissa listened in to all her friends as they bantered, happy to see everyone getting along in their own special ways. She stood by her own bag of goods, but kept it hidden behind her back. She'd rather not show off what she stole until she was…better prepared, so to speak.

In fact, Melissa purposely distanced herself from the boasting because of her bag. Some Woodlands did swing by to see what she stole from her own castle, but Melissa assured them it will be a surprise for later. A surprise she hoped to high heavens she will never have to speak about.

She was waiting for Sadie so they can get the job done, but the Audino was a bit preoccupied. The second they returned, and much to her surprise, Sadie bolted straight for Blitz and tackled him into a loving hug and kiss.

So, that's what she meant when she said her fella had special eyes. Melissa shook her head and giggled. Oh Sadie.

"I'm sorry, Blitz!" Melissa raised her ears toward the two lovebirds. She looked over and saw Sadie on her hands and knees, pleading to the Charmeleon who looked more confused than upset. "I didn't mean anything by it, honest!"

Blitz scratched his head. "Sadie, you know I don't mind if you have to use your Sleeping Beauty's Kiss if necessary."

"But I still needed to get it off my chest!" She hugged Blitz's waist and pressed her face against his stomach. "I missed you so much!"

Blitz smiled. He pulled her arms off and lifted her to her feet. "Oh Sadie…" He caressed her faces. His claws made their way to her ears and gently massaged it. Sadie purred and thumped her leg happily, which made Melissa giggle. "I missed you, too. The world was so silent without your enchanting voice filling the void around me."

"Oh Blitz!" Sadie hugged his neck and kissed him, which he happily returned.

"Aww!" Melissa gushed, fluttering her feet. "So precious~!"

"Another reason Sadie's extraction was so important, you could say." Melissa tensed up as Jason and Jet approached her. Jason crossed his arms and smirked. "Is this a pastime for you? Spying on happy couples and getting secondhand joy out of it?"

Melissa laughed awkwardly and shuffled closer to her bag. "I-I rather not answer that."

Jet shook his head. "Anyway, we came over to offer our congrats. You were able to get Sadie out without too much difficulty, correct?"

Melissa turned away and tried to hide her panicky smile. "Oh, you know, a few bumps here and there. Nothing to worry yourselves over, right? Haha."

For once, her panicky behavior was so commonplace, neither of her superiors noticed anything unusual. "You've truly improved since you arrived, Melissa," Jason said. "I'm proud of your growth. I'd say whatever nonsense your father fed into you, he was wrong. You are capable of acting independently and with remarkable leadership potential. Though, we'll see that for ourselves in the next couple of months before your heist exam starts."

"Heh, yeah—" Melissa froze as Jet approached her bag.

"So, what did you purloin with?" He gave the bag a good, hard kick. "Feels like clothes." He sighed and shook his head. "Why am I not surprised—"

"Haha, yeah! Clothes!" Melissa scooped the bag up and stumbled back from the weight. "Heh, you know me! I love dressing up and feeling pretty! M-Maybe the girls and I should have a dress-up party sometime!" She paused, then smirked off to the side. "Actually, it would be interesting seeing Pandora in a ball gown. And funny." She shook the thought away and returned to nervous laughter. "B-But, you know, nothing for you guys to take interest in!"

Jet raised his brow. "Uh, right."

Jason reached out to Melissa. "If you happen to have any old dresses you don't need anymore, hand them off to Adenine. We typically convert spare cloth into new clothes for poorer villages."

"R-Right! I will be sure to do that!" Melissa stumbled trying to find her balance. "H-Hey, Sadie!"

Sadie pulled away from Blitz. "Yeah?"

"Uh, need some help with this."

Jet raised his hand. "I could help—"

"NO!" Melissa slapped her mouth shut with her ear, averting her gaze from Jet's wide-eyed response. She forced a laugh and said, "Uh, this is a ladies' only thing."

Jet glared. "Rookie, I'm offering help to carry a bag, not pilfer your undergarments. Who do you think I am? Marie?"

Melissa kept laughing, stumbling her way over to Sadie. "P-Perhaps, but we have so much to catch up on. What better way than to sort through my fancy dresses?" She shot a distressed look toward the Audino. "Right, Sadie?"

Sadie gasped. She darted her eyes awkwardly from her confused boyfriend and laughed. "Uh, yeah. Girl stuff." She shuffled over to Melissa and took one half of the bag. "W-We'll see you all at dinnertime, though!" The girls hurriedly shuffled away with the bag.

Blitz walked over to Jason and Jet, confusion plastered over his face. "What was that about?"

Jet sighed. "Women are so weird, I swear."

Melissa checked over her shoulder to be sure they were out of earshot, then sighed. "That was close," she whispered.

"Let's just dump this in my hut. I'll see if I can't bribe Godfrey to dump it off somewhere," Sadie whispered back. "You go to Shade's hut and find something to keep our treasure quiet."

Melissa nodded. "Alright—"

"Gold, seriously! Give it back, now!"

The girls gasped as the twins took their chase toward them, running circles around them. Jewel kept swiping at Gold's tail while Gold danced around her grabs. Melissa and Sadie stumbled on their feet trying to keep the bag over their heads.

"Ah! Gold, Jewel! Cut it out!" Melissa cried.

"Will you two dimwits get lost—" Sadie tried to say, but her stumbling caused her to accidentally step on Gold's foot.

"OW!" Gold staggered, causing Jewel to run into him, and then the girls.

Everyone turned to the commotion as the four tumbled over each other and smacked down on the floor. The bag slipped from Melissa and Sadie's hands and flew open, sending dresses scattering across the platform. One particularly bundle rolled out. Multiple dresses were wrapped around something, and tightly.

"What in the…?" Jet walked up to the strange bundle and pulled it apart. His eyes widened, and he jumped back with a gasp. "What the hell?!"

Jason and Blitz ran over to his side. Jason recoiled in disbelief. "Huh?!"

Blitz squinted at the multicolored blur at his feet. "What is it?"

"It's…It's a Snivy!"

Jason's horrified announcement garnered the attention of all the present Foresters, pooling into a tight group to see there was, in fact, a Snivy from Melissa's loot bag. The Snivy's limbs, mouth, and eyes were bound with ripped strips of cloth, and she looked as if she got out of a tough fight.

Jason crouched down and pressed his fingers against her neck. He sighed in relief. "She's alive."

Klaus pushed his way through the crowd, then gasped. "Hold on! That's the same knight my team ran into in the Echo Bell Kingdom. That's Luna Freia!"

Jason glared. "A knight?"

With the attention off her, Melissa quietly rose to her feet and tiptoed away, trying to quell the trembling running through her body. She couldn't get three steps in before dozens of eyes locked onto her with glares that could bore holes through her soul. She instantly froze up, a horrified smile stuck across her face.

"Rookie…" Jason addressed with a low growl. "What's the meaning of this?"

Bullets of sweat ran down Melissa's face. Maybe if I do not move, they will think I died of embarrassment. I can live the rest of my life as a statue, right?

Sadly for Melissa, her statue plan didn't last long.

"What were you thinking?!"

BAM! BAM!

Melissa and Sadie reeled back, covering the welts on their heads after a swift chastising from Jet's scalchop. They were immediately dragged into Jason's hut, now under interrogation with the three leads and Eadwulf, who looked equally as unimpressed as the trio.

Jason pinched between his eyes and calmed himself down. "Melissa, Sadie. I understand circumstances in the last several months required us to perform some rather dubious actions to further our cause. That said, that doesn't give you open permission to abscond with an entire person at your own leisure!"

Melissa pressed her hands together, tears streaming down her face. "I'm so sorry, Jason! I didn't mean it, honest!"

"You didn't mean to kidnap someone?"

"It…It's complicated, I swear!"

Blitz sighed. "Sadie, how did you get roped into this?"

Sadie shrugged. "Honestly, I was just going along with Melissa. Works out for me since Marie and Pandora told me to off the Snivy."

"They told you to do what?!" Jet snapped.

Sadie blinked, then tapped her chin. "Or…I guess their exact words were to keep her quiet. I wasn't planning to murder anyone, honest."

Jason ran his hands across his face and sighed. "I don't think I need to reiterate that we aren't in the business of kidnapping. We've had exceptions, and we're not exactly angels, but I don't want the reputation of the Foresters on par with boogiemen who snatch bad children out from windows. I will have a chat with Marie and Pandora later. I need to know right now what spurred this hasty decision."

Melissa stumbled forward from an 'encouraging' push from Sadie. She turned and pouted at her. "Coward."

Sadie snickered. "Missed you, too."

Melissa gulped and faced her superiors with a nervous twitch in her ear. "Jason, I did not mean anything by my actions, I promise. I panicked. Sadie and I were escaping through the dungeon, we ran into…allies of yours, I guess? A lot happened." She sighed and rubbed her arm. "I know Luna Freia as a capable knight among my father's forces. One of the youngest, and the only girl to ever pass training here in Verde Kingdom. From the stories I have heard, she is very driven to her position, having worked so hard to get to where she is now."

Jason nodded. "Okay…"

"I…I feared she would have done what was best for the kingdom had she been left free." Melissa clenched her eyes shut and finally blurted, "She found out I am Melissa Penworth!"

The leads and Eadwulf recoiled and gasped. "You're kidding!" Jet exclaimed.

"She found out you're the princess? That you're Harlow?" Eadwulf asked.

Melissa nodded meekly. "Mhmm. She said it straight to my face, confidently and all, before passing out. She even called me a traitor to my own kingdom."

Jason's expression softened. "I see." He sighed and shook his head. "I shouldn't be surprised. You have an uncanny habit of coming up with ridiculous ideas when you're stressed. I just never expected a second kidnapping from Harlow." He glared at them. "Do I even want to know what you were planning to do with her?"

Sadie awkwardly raised her hand. "I was going to bribe Godfrey to dump her off at a faraway village. Far enough to where she wouldn't be an issue."

"Unbelievable," Jason groaned, massaging his forehead in frustration.

"We did it for the good of the Foresters and to prevent a potential outrage from the kingdom," Sadie admitted. "Though, I suppose kidnapping a knight doesn't make this any better, but it wouldn't have been worse than a princess going rogue."

Jason narrowed his eyes. "If the people found out about Melissa's misdeeds as Harlow, it could send the people into a riot. The entire capital will tear itself apart, unable to trust their leaders. Though, are you two sure Luna would've actually revealed Melissa's secret?"

Sadie frowned. "Would you take that risk?"

Jason didn't answer. He looked away, hiding his gaze from her.

Jet growled. "Look, all I'm hearing is we have to babysit another prisoner. Let's just dump her off like the rest of them—"

"Unfortunately, it won't be that simple this time," Eadwulf said. "Unlike the previous times, we aren't dealing with criminals. We can't just dump her off at some random prison, and we can't just pawn her off to slave traders. That'd be worse."

Jason nodded. "And sending her off to a faraway village would only delay the inevitable."

"We could send her off on a one-way boat to a different region," Blitz suggested. "No way she knows how to sail a boat, right?"

"…" Jason looked away. "We'll put a pin in that."

Melissa's ears dangled over her face. "Are we in trouble?"

Jason stared at Melissa's sorrowful expression. He felt a pang of guilt for yelling at her over the matter, especially with how understandably worried she was about her secret spreading. She was an unusual case for the Foresters where an overexaggerated secret was the best way to keep her cover, but it was detriment. The more Harlow does, the worse it will look on Melissa. Taking her off missions was the logical step, but after seeing how much the rogue princess improved, Jason didn't want to cut her path short.

He sighed before leaning forward on his desk. "You and Sadie will be on cleanup duty for a week."

Melissa perked up. "Just a week?"

"Seriously?" Sadie asked. "I was expecting something harsher."

"Don't push it." Jason shook his head. "Ever since you came here, Melissa, we've had to work our system around to keep you safe. I'd say that makes you a liability, but your recklessness has done more good than harm, as much as I hate to admit it. Don't make a habit of it, of course, but I understand why you had to do what you did."

Melissa wiped her tears and smiled weakly. "Th-Thank you, sir—"

"But please! Please do not kidnap anyone else!" Jason pressed. "The last thing we need is for you to kidnap, I don't know, another member of the royal family. I can't handle another political outrage over another missing prince or princess."

Melissa shied away and giggled nervously. "I…promise, sir."

Sadie smirked. "You've gotten soft since I last saw you, Jason."

"Two weeks for you," he immediately countered.

"There's that crusty ol' Pikachu I know!"

Jason fell back into his seat and waved them off. "Get going, you two. I'll have a cleaning schedule for you tomorrow." They nodded and shuffled out the door. He pressed his hands to his face and groaned. "It just keeps piling on."

Blitz sighed. "So, what do we do with our surprise prisoner?"

Jason slid his hands off his face and glared. "Get Tank and Pandora, now."

Sunset was fast approaching. The Foresters were out getting dinner and spending the last few hours of curfew they had before it was time to tuck away into the late hours. On the edge of Fort Lucus, however, a new installment was being implemented into the base.

Tank hammered in the final nails to the roof while Pandora finished installing the security measures to the exterior. It was a small shack made from spare wood laying around. Though it wouldn't hold up against a jailbreak, no sane individual would ever think of breaking out against over a hundred Foresters on standby. The door was reinforced, however, with several locking mechanisms.

Jason and Eadwulf watched their progress. Standing by was their prisoner and her two guards. Ursula rocked herself on her crutches while Basil lay on the floor. He held the rope that was connected to Luna's bindings.

Speaking of Luna, she stood beside the Foresters with a grumpy look on her face. After getting her injuries checked out by Shade, she was escorted over with a fresh set of clothes. Well, as fresh as a raggedy shirt and pants could be. She had her armor and weapons repossessed by Pandora. To keep her from using any moves, she was also given a neutralizing potion to weaken her.

Tank finished his installations and jumped down beside Pandora. "Alright, not a bad job if I do say so myself." He placed his hammer back on his toolbelt and dusted his hands off. "Not too comfy, but not too uncomfortable."

Pandora slid up beside Luna and grabbed her shoulders. "Oh, you're going to love the accommodations we provided for you. Your very own bed made from the hay our good buddy, Godfrey, eats!"

Luna deadpanned. "Lucky me. And what if I need to take a bath or to use the bathroom—" Tank pulled out a bar of soap and a bucket. She shivered. "I shouldn't have asked."

Pandora patted her back. "Most prisoners could only dream of such necessities in their cells. You are indeed a lucky, lucky prisoner."

Luna glared at her feet. "I still can't believe it. The princess…turning rogue?"

Jason pushed her toward the shack. "Can't say I blame her."

"Do any of you realize what her absence has done to the kingdom? There are rumors of that war our in the east breaking out in these parts, all because everyone believes the Verde Kingdom has lost power." Luna clenched her fists. "Do any of you care what happens to this kingdom?"

Jason ignored her question and pushed her into the shack. She tripped and landed in her hay bed. "Someone will come by in an hour to deliver your dinner." Jason dumped the bucket and soap inside. "Make yourself at home, I guess."

Luna lifted her head and stared at the back wall. "…How long do you intend to keep me locked up?"

"Depends on how difficult you make this." Jason slowly closed the door.

Luna huffed. "We'll see, then. We'll see—" The door slammed shut and cut her off.

Jason secured the locking mechanisms, then turned to Ursula and Basil. "Basil, you'll get the day shift. Ursula, since you'll be out of commission for a while, you get the night shift. No problem with that, right?"

Ursula shook her head. "None, sir. I don't need my leg to put up a fight."

Basil bowed to Jason. "I look for to entertaining our guest."

Jason nodded, then walked away with Eadwulf in tow. He matched pace with the Pikachu and asked, "Seriously, how long are we going to hold her for?"

"Just until we can come to some agreement about Melissa's secret," Jason said. "The entire kingdom is going to be on our case for this. I'm worried our suppliers might consider cutting off our relations."

Eadwulf shook his head. "We've gotten through some tough times before, and I'm sure our suppliers will understand."

"I don't know, Eadwulf. It took a lot of convincing to keep them from cutting ties over Melissa's disappearance. I can't help but worry whatever curveball finds its way to us next." He glanced over his shoulder. "For now, we need to play it cool and see what we have to work with."

Eadwulf patted his shoulder. "We'll be fine, Jason, just like always. Have a little faith in that."

Jason glared at the floor. "I sure hope you're right."

With the day slipping away, a sense of normality returned to the Verde capital. Another day, another surprise raid by the Foresters done with. By now, it become so commonplace that most nobles shrugged the events off. A few missing jewels here and there didn't cripple them, though it was infuriating on repeated raids. Regardless, life could go back to normal.

The castle, however, was of a different story.

The staff eventually left the dining hall and returned to their duties, namely cleaning up the mess left behind in Ivone and company's little rampage around the halls. Knights set out to investigate the dungeon on the escape of Theobald Dencourt and the beggar woman, Ydalyn. The entire dungeon was closed off until they turned up any evidence regarding the escape.

Despite that, Theobald's disappearance wasn't at the forefront of Matthias' mind. Another matter brought to his attention by Ivone left him in a haze. They conversed in the main foyer alongside Jakke and Nathaniel. Nathaniel was stripped of his armor and bandaged after his sacrificial shielding. He sat on the stairs with Jakke while their superiors hashed out the situation.

"…" Matthias stood in silence, staring at the main castle doors, hands tucked behind his waist. Ivone waited patiently for the captain's input, stoic in his stance and expression. Finally, the Infernape turned and asked, "And you're quite sure of what you saw?"

Ivone nodded. "Affirmative. There can be no mistaking that Harlow and the traitor, Sadie, took off through the escape tunnel Dencort and Ydalyn used. It was brief, but I saw them shoving Lady Freia into a sack and making off with her. I tried to pursue them, but they were long gone by the time I got outside." He bowed his head. "I'm sorry."

"I see." Matthias crossed his arms and glared off to the side. "Most peculiar."

Nathanial raised his hand. "If I may speak, sirs. I just can't understand why the Foresters would kidnap Luna. Kidnapping the princess, that makes sense despite a poor search, but a knight? There's nothing particularly special about her beyond her unusual position in the forces."

Jakke rubbed his chin. "You don't suppose they're abducting women for a sacrificial ritual, right? No, no, they're actually taking these women to become the concubines of the demon king—" Nathanial slapped him in the back of the head.

Ivone shook his head. "I agree with Nathaniel. There's nothing about Luna worth kidnapping. There's no reason Harlow to kidnap her."

Matthias glared a moment, then stroked his chin. "Not…necessarily."

"Hmm? What do you mean, sir?"

"When Luna returned, I recall our conversation. She mentioned some puzzling experiences in her time with the Visconti family. There is one connection: Harlow stole the information on Sir Gerard. Luna fought her for it, but it was ultimately lost."

Ivone glared. "Luna had an encounter with Harlow? Was this revenge?"

"If so, for what?" Matthias turned to the main doors. "It makes no sense. Why go after Luna if she wanted the scroll? Why would Harlow need Sir Gerard's information?" His glare deepened. "Or…did Harlow even need the scroll?"

"Sir?"

"I never did get an answer out of Luna, but there was zero reason for Harlow to take that scroll, or at least based off the information we have. The only liable connection is Dencourt, as this whole business ties back to the Crownless King conspiracy, but we no longer have him in our custody. We know at least that Dencourt associated with the Foresters, but would that spur any reason to take Sir Gerard's information? This is either one giant conspiracy, or we have to assume the simplest explanation."

"Like what, sir?" Jakke asked.

"That Luna was the victim of one giant snowball of coincidences. Of course, we have none of the liable witnesses to confirm this, Foresters or Luna. So, there has to be some ulterior motive to Harlow's kidnapping of Luna."

Nathaniel scratched his chin for a moment. His eyes widened with an idea. "What if it has something to do with the princess?"

Matthias faced the Lucario. "How so?"

"Think about it. We've hit a dead end trying to find Princess Penworth. Our attempts of combing the forest lead us in circles, and we haven't had any ransom notice or confirmation of her safety. But what if Luna figured out where they're hiding the princess? And Harlow wanted to make sure she didn't say anything?"

Matthias glared at the floor in thought. "That…could make sense."

"Even better, what if it's connected to this Crownless King stuff? Maybe that's how Luna figured out what happened to the princess. It's the only other explanation that makes sense."

Matthias shook his head. "There has to be more to this than we can see, but it's the best we've got. If your theory is correct, Nathaniel, we need to lead an investigation on Sir Gerard and figure out everything he knows about the Crownless King. With any luck, it'll get us closer to finding the princess and Luna."

"When should we prep the journey?" Ivone asked.

"Soon. We'll have to inform the king upon his return."

As the knights conversed, poking out from the eastern hall, Gustavo and Hilda spied on them with increasing concern. They ducked back to take a deep breath. Gustavo gripped his ears and whispered, "This is pure follia! Everything is all topsy-turvy like I've never imagined. I might just faint if one more surprise comes our way."

Hilda wrung her hands through her apron. "I know what you mean."

"…" He turned to Hilda and asked, "Are you absolutely sure that was Melissa you saw? You couldn't have been mistaken."

Hilda shook her head. "I always considered Melissa like a daughter to me. I could never misplace her face, even against a thousand Buneary. That was definitely her."

Gustavo touched his forehead and slid to the ground, appearing quite faint. "What happened to our darling principessa? Has she been gone for so long that she fell in with the wrong crowd?" He gasped. "They indoctrinated her into becoming a ruffian, oh no!" He wept into his hands.

Hilda sat down and patted his shoulder. "No, Gustavo. I…I don't think anything like that happened to Melissa."

"W…What do you mean?"

Hilda stared at the opposing wall and frowned. "I…I remember when I last saw her. I keep replaying our last words to each other, whether to myself or in my dreams. I can't stop thinking about when I tucked her into bed that night." She clutched her apron tightly. "I remember her saying that…she loved me. She said it with so much love, but…oh, how could I have been so blind?"

"Blind?"

Hilda closed her eyes. "So much love in those words, and yet…so much pain. I knew she was nervous about her wedding to Prince Talbot, but I'm starting to wonder if that wasn't the case. And her room. Oh, her room. It was so neat and tidy when I tried to wake her up, only to find an empty bed. The knights said it couldn't been deliberately cleaned of evidence, but I'm beginning to think there was no mastermind behind her abduction. Gustavo, I think Melissa ran away."

Gustavo gasped. "Ran away? But why so? And before her wedding day?"

"She was unhappy with her father's dealings with King Talbot, how she wasn't allowed the same power as the prince. The poor girl must've finally snapped and did something completely unthinkable. Oh Gustavo, it makes so much sense now. No one would ever believe Melissa had such rebelliousness in her blood. She was raised to be prim and proper, and we've been deluded by rumors and a fantasy. This Harlow was Melissa's rebellious side finally lashing out."

Gustavo's eyes widened in awe. "Mamma Mia…" He blinked and faced the wall as well. "I…I don't know what to say. What do we do? Should we tell someone? Should we tell Matthias?"

Hilda's first gut reaction was to say yes so they could continue the manhunt for her darling princess, but she hesitated. Melissa was so reclusive from the outside world that the idea of her running away seemed too extraordinary a concept. The poor darling got shy around her various suitors, and never left the castle without supervision. If Melissa chose to run away, it wasn't just a spur of the moment decision. It was something she wanted more than anything.

Hilda wasn't sure how she felt about Melissa turning to crime, but…she never did things without a reason. She's only ever had one goal since the day she could talk: become the greatest ruler of the Verde Kingdom and bring peace to Virdis.

"…No."

Gustavo blinked and faced her. "Pardon?"

Hilda shook her head. "No matter what she does, Melissa is a good girl who follows her heart, and what kind of nurse would I be if I stopped her from following her dreams?" She smiled at Gustavo. "I know, deep down, that Melissa is doing what she can to become her best self. That's the little girl I've raised all these years, and she will become the greatest queen of the century."

Gustavo stared at her in awe. "You have…so much faith for our little principessa." He closed his eyes and showed his best Gengar smile. "If you will keep her secret, then so will I. Let's support Melissa from a distance, and wait for her to return home as the queen she deserves to be."

Hilda smiled brightly, tears in her eyes. "Oh, I would love that so much." She leaned in and hugged Gustavo. The Gengar tensed up from the contact, but relaxed and hugged her back with a softer grin.

Just then, as they pulled away from each other, a resounding trumpet blared outside the castle. Hilda and Gustavo stood up and walked into the foyer while the knights gathered near the door. All their eyes widened as they recognized the instrument's significance, and they all looked to each other with equal alarm.

"The king returns," Matthias said. He sighed and dusted off his damaged armor. "Nathaniel, quickly alert the royal advisor." Nathaniel nodded and ran off. Matthias then looked to Gustavo and Hilda. "You two."

They tensed up and smiled nervously. "Y-Yes?" Gustavo stuttered.

"We will need your assistance for any luggage the king has brought back with him."

Hilda glared in confusion. "Luggage? King Penworth has only been gone since this morning. Why would he have luggage?"

Matthias glared suspiciously at the doors. "Strangely, I don't know myself. Only Advisor Ortwin explained it to me, but refused to elaborate."

Gustavo and Hilda shared a confused glance before staring at the main doors. Just what prompted the king's surprise trips this month?

The steps to the entrance were swept clean, and the foyer was dusted to a state of suitability. As the carriage rolled up through the courtyard, Matthias and Ortwin stood at the foot of the castle entrance, kneeling in preparation. Standing by were Ivone and his team, alongside a nervous Gustavo and Hilda.

The carriage rolled to a stop before the party, followed by the accompanying knights. Matthias and Ortwin lifted their heads as a knight stepped off his steed and opened the carriage door. Matthias heard a hesitant sigh from the Noivern advisor, who leaned warily on his cane. It gave the black knight a pause of concern, but he pushed the thought aside and focused on greeting the king.

The door swung open, and the kingly Lopunny stepped out. His magnificent cloak blocked the view of the carriage's interior, which Matthias noted as he could've sworn he heard something else shuffling inside. Again, he pushed the thought aside and rose to his feet.

"King Penworth," he greeted. "We're glad you returned safely from your trip."

Roscoe ignored the sentiment, his eyes wandering around the castle. Matthias followed his gaze and withheld a grimace at the sight of the torched garden. It still smelled of death and cinders.

"Did you get into an argument with the gardeners?" Roscoe asked lightly.

Matthias sighed. "No, sir. In your absence, we were struck by another Forester raid. No civilians were hurt, but there have been a number of complications in the aftermath."

"That so?"

Matthias nodded. "One of the maids and the beggar woman you invited to stay with us turned traitor. The beggar woman broke Theobald Dencourt out of prison, and the traitorous maid turned out to be a Forester. We've concluded we were the victims of an elaborate hoax set up by two allying parties. I'm terribly sorry for our failure, my king."

Roscoe finished his observation of the castle before heaving a sigh. "It can't be helped. Not what I call the best first impression, but it can't be helped."

Matthias lifted his head. "What do you mean, sir? First impression?"

Roscoe closed his eyes. "As you all have probably heard in passing, with the rumors of our kingdom's power waning in the disappearance of Princess Penworth, forces outside the kingdom will be attempting to assimilate our land into theirs. I'm, of course, referring to the warring state of the New Chariot Empire. We have no idea when they will strike, but they clearly see us as a weakening kingdom. The people's faith wanes because they have lost hope in the Penworth name. As such, we need to reignite that faith."

"How so, Your Majesty?" Ivone asked.

"By giving them a new hope to lean on, one that will lead the Verde Kingdom in a new direction." Roscoe shook his head. "All I ever wanted was to end this senselessness between the ten kingdoms, but we will not be bullied by the arrogance of conquerors. That is why I've implemented to break tradition and strength the Penworth name's waning power." He stepped aside and kneeled to the carriage. "Our hopes rest upon his shoulders, now."

Gasps sounded from the greeting party as a small Clobbopus scuttled off the carriage, carrying a small bag with him. He felt the eyes staring at him and shied behind his luggage.

"My…My king," Matthias muttered. "You actually…!"

Roscoe lifted his head and glared at the stunned party. "I did. We must not fall behind. The Penworth name may not live on by blood anymore, thus we must take every precaution for its legacy to continue."

Matthias narrowed his eyes at the king, then turned to the shy Clobbopus. Matthias closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and kneeled to the child. Ortwin followed suit, bowing his head. Ivone and his team joined Matthias in kneeling. Gustavo and Hilda hesitated, looking between each other with concerned faces, but ultimately kneeled to the child.

The Clobbopus lowered his luggage and looked upon the group in awe. He could feel the respect being placed on him by such simple gestures. He felt a change in the air, the same change he felt ever since he stepped into the carriage alongside the king.

Roscoe rose and gestured to the party, making his official announcement for all to here:

"With the new year among us, we shall usher in a new rule! I hereby introduce my heir: Prince Charlie Penworth!"

-FIN-

Next Time- Bandits of the Forest pt3: Withered Spirits