Chapter 3

"Lord Cyrus?" quivered one of the servants to a tall man in all black coat, staring out of one of the dirt windows.

"What?" asked the Lord.

"Sir, Flint and Liam have returned-" started the servant.

"It's about bloody time, do they have him?" turning around to face the servant.

"I believe so," replied the servant.

"Well, don't just stand there show them in!" shouted the Lord. The servant spun around and opened the door. Lord Cyrus grinned greedily he loved making his servants on edge, but as the door started to open again to the little inn that he had taken over he lost his smile as he got back into character.

"My Lord," said Liam as he knelt down before his master. Flint also knelt before him but not before pushing the walking blanket onto the floor.

"Well what do we have here?" asked Lord Cyrus, he started walking around the bundle that was kneeling before him. The Princess underneath the blanket did not speak

I need a plan. Is all she could think about, and then it dawned on her.

"You know Tom you shouldn't have run away before, you should have known you would have gotten caught."

"Umm… My lord I-" Liam never finished for his master put up his hand signaling him to stop.

Tom, thought Tor, what does he want with Tom. She continued to reach for her knife in her left boot which she always kept there just in case.

"Tom? Why is he not talking?" he looked at the other two, and as Liam was about to answer, when the Princess released her binds with her knife and jumped up from her position on the floor.

"Because," started tor throwing the blanket at the Liam, "I am not Thomas Kint!" holding the knife out in front of her.

"Who is she!" shouted the Lord.

"I am Princess Victoria, Daughter of King Harry, the Ruler of the Land of Lasta!" shouted the Princess, getting quite sick of these people.

"The Princess Victoria? Aka The Princess Tor" looking at Liam and Flint.

"Yes" they replied.

"I ask you to do one thing, one thing bring me Tom Kint and his map-"

"Map?" asked Tor.

"Yes," answering the Princess's question then turning back to the two men, "and you bring me a Princess?"

"We're sorry my Lord," said Liam.

"What for, you brought me the goose that lays the golden eggs," grinning at her.

"What?" shouted the other three.

"You my dear," pointing at Tor, "are going to be my bargaining chip." Tor was shocked.

"I am no ones bargaining chip," glaring at the Lord.

"Really? You look ike one."

"Well I'm not and if you will excuses me, I have to be going."

"Um no."

"Yes!"

"No, you aren't going anywhere, GET HER!"

"You really shouldn't have done that," then the Princess turned around at her first attacker and kicked him square in the nose. This began the fight for escape.

Back at the castle Tom was looking all over the place for Tor, he wanted to explain everything, but he could not find her. After searching the whole castle he want back to her room just in case they missed each other and she was in her room the whole time. He walked in with Cookie on his shoulder, "This isn't right," he said to Cookie, "I mean she is no where in the whole castle. Something is up."

"I agree," said Cookie hoping off his shoulder and onto the Princess's bed.

"You don't think…" started Tom.

"No… It couldn't," said Cookie then looking down at the floor seeing that the rug was messed up, "was that there before?" asked Cookie.

"I don't remember it being there," looking down at the rug too.

"I wonder what happened." Suddenly Tom put the pieces together and ran out of the room, "Tom! Where are you going?" exclaimed Cookie running behind him.

"Cookie," pausing so the monkey could catch up, "I think the Princess is in danger."

"Isn't she always?" said Cookie finally face to face with his master.

"No… Just sometimes but that's not the point, this time she is in real danger, like life or death."

"Are you implying that we were followed after all, and someone took her to lure you out?" asked Cookie.

"I don't know but I have to find out," they ran down the hall, out to the stables and left on Tom's trusted horse before Cookie had time to speak another word. The rode for about a good four minutes until they found tracks leading to the north. Tom saw no other tracks to follow so they started following them. Crying out Tor's name as he continued his search for the Princess of his Kingdom.

She had almost had it, one more punch in the gut and she was down for, but she would never show it and continued fighting for her freedom. She jumped out of the reach of one of the Lords men, making him hit the wall. She turned the door was open and her escape looked brighter than ever, she then turned back and throw the knife still in her hand at Lord Cyrus, hitting him in the shoulder. He wailed and she beamed from ear to ear before she sprinted from the inn. As she did she could hear him yelling at his men to bring her back or it would be her dagger in their shoulder next. The men ran out of the inn after the fleeing girl as fasted as they could they brought chains, rope, netting, and anything else they could find to catch the Princess.

Tor continued to run smiling as she remembered how she took out all the men in the inn. I enjoy being a girl, she thought. When she heard her name being called, she tuned around nope wasn't the men chasing me, then she heard it again, "TOM!" shouted.

"Tor," shouted Tom where could she be, he looked around and shouted again, "Tor," nothing. He was about to shout again when he heard his name he was close he could tell and he pushed his horse to go onward shouting the Princess's name in every direction.

"Tom," she continued running faster, hearing her name in every direction. See was so excited she didn't see the giant rock in the middle of the path. "Ow," she said, "that was stupid I mean that rock is huge how did I miss that!"

"I don't know," said a voice she looked up.

"Ugg," she was seriously sick of these guys. Standing before her was none other than her not so favorite henchmen Flint and Liam.

"Not happy to see us?" said Liam lifting her to her feet. She winced. "Was that a no?" he asked.

"That was a painful ankle that I all most broke," she said angrily.

"Does that mean you were happy to see us," asked Liam deviously.

"Can you walk on it?" asked Flint, supporting her.

"I think so," she said putting presser on it and starting to hobble around on it.

"Good," said Liam, "Flint, carry her."

"What? I just said I could walk on it!" yelled the Princess as Flint lifted her over his shoulder.

"Yeah, do you think I'm an idiot!" she nodded yes he ignored it and continued "I heard you calling to Tom. You thought that if you could stale he would be able to save you!" The Princess was shocked it was like he read her mind.

They walked back to Duff town as fast they could with one carrying a person could. When they reach the little town Lord Cyrus was waiting outside of the inn, Flint carried the Princess over to him and plopped her down at his feet. She looked up at him, "So how far did she get?" he asked Liam but starred down at Tor as if saying I won ha ha!

"Not very, see she tripped over a rock as she was yelling for Tom," he said.

"What!" exclaimed Cyrus and the winning smile changed hands. He looked down at her again "Where is he!" he yelled at her, she remained silent, "Where is He!" he said again lifting her off the ground this time. She just smiled.

"Sir, I don't think he was very close or he could have caught up with us," explained Flint.

"Well in that case," releasing the Princess, "Shackle the Princess I don't want the same problem as last time," Flint grabbed the Princess as Liam grabbed the shackles.

"You can't do this," she cried.

"Oh but I can't!" staring back at her.

"Tom, will come and when he does he will kill you!" walked back to her, and grabbed her chin focusing her to look straight at him.

"I know Tom will come, but when he does it won't be me with a sword in his gut, it will be you," he whispered to her.

"But…But…" he released her as she looked for words to say.

"This game bores me, gag her as well," at once Tor found the words she needed.

"You think I bore you!" before the gag reached her mouth.

"No, not at all just this little spat that we were having," still walking away from her.

"Then why the gag!" she yelled as she dodged it again.

"Because," turning around and walking back towards her, "you must look the part," he then took the gag from Liam and shoved it in her mouth. Then he tapped her on the nose, and he glared at his pride.

Tom cantered his horse, the rest of forest no stop until he reached the town that he never wanted to see again. Duff town it looked the same as he left it, but in the middle of the town was a man holding a girl. Tom jumped off his horse and ran the rest of the way to them. With sword drawn at hand he was about fight his way. "Cyrus! Let her go!"

"Tom so glad, you could join us," pulling the girl closer.

"She has nothing to do with this, just let her go!"

"Or what," now crushing Tor next to him, causing her to let out a muffled yelp.

"I'll… I'll give you everything, the map, and the half of the key!"

"I got a better idea I get the map, and the half of the key, and you help me with what ever I needed you to do or I kill her," pushing a dagger close to her neck. This when Tor decided to make her move, she stomped on his foot causing him to loosen his grip. She then bent her body forward making something come out of the shirt. She then slammed the back of her head into his forcing him to let her go. Stumbling for only a second he regained control, took hold of her arms and made her face him. "What are you doing?" shaking her a bit.

"Don't touch her!" he started to approach them.

"Restrain him," he was about to release the Princess when he saw the medallion that hung around her neck, "Where did you get this?" he asked. She did not reply.

"I'll do what ever you want just let her go," Tom continued to break through the men who were holding him back. Cyrus took off the gag, and asked again.

"Where did you get this?" holding the piece in her face.

"I… It was the last thing my mother gave my along with…" she drifted into silence remembering her mother, and how she grew up with out her.

"Along with what?" he persisted.

"A story, about the treasure of untold."

"What kind treasure?" he was getting impatient.

"Leave her alone!" cried Tom.

"Shut up!" yelling at Tom, "Tell me the treasure!"

"All I know is that it is a sword with magic powers beyond believes, but it was just a story!" he finally let go of her.

"And you," walking over to Tom, "Where did you get yours?" Tom was silent.

"Don't make me ask again!" said Cyrus.

"From the Queen," a little above a whisper.

"And how did you get that from the Queen?" asked Cyrus pompously.

"Please not in front of her, if you can grant me one thing don't make me tell why in front of her, it would hurt her immensely," Tom begged.

"If I could grant you one thing, you would want me to make you say why the Queen gave this to you in front of your Princess?" holding the other medallion up.

"Yes," he replied.

"Why? Why wouldn't you ask for your freedoms?" he asked curiously.

"Because I already said I would help you if you let her go and you did, and I will not leave after I gave me word."

"Well why not hers then?"

"Because I know she would not leave if the option was hers, she would try and save me. She always does." The Lord looked back at the Princess, who was trying to listen in.

"If grant you this what do I get in return?"

"My loyalty," Tom bowed his head.

"Well then bring them inside, Tom and I are going to have a talk."