:(I'm so sorry it took me forever to finish this chapter. Thanks for stickin' to it, though!):

Chapter 20

"That was good advice you gave her, Lance," said Minerva once we had traveled a ways in the woods.

"Really? I just said the first thing that came to mind," I said a little absently.

She hesitated then said softly, "I wish I had such advice when I was younger."

I cocked my head in surprise and saw her duck her head in embarrassment as she probably thought about her past life. Her hood was off but her curly almost unruly hair covered her blushing face.

I didn't press her. Obviously if she didn't want to talk about her past I didn't need to worry, though I could not help but wonder.

I was confused about her. After all her mood, actions and voice had changed so quickly and unexpectedly that it left me very baffled. First she was sly and mysterious with Conrad and I when we knew her as Perceval. Then after Conrad's captureshe listened intently to me as I talked about everything under the sun, so by the end of the day she knew everything about me and my life. Then she was cold with me while at our stay at the tavern, as if I had been a stranger.

But at the T clan she had been a perfect blast, joking, laughing (in a Percy and Minerva way), and telling stories just as much as the bard himself. And all during the days I had known her she would sometimes be as strong as a tiger, then the next moment she was as weak as a kitten and very willing and humble. That puzzled me, though I only expressed this in my widening eyes and raising eyebrows.

"How old are you really?" I asked, clearing my throat.

"Nineteen," she answered shortly.

Oh, dear she was in one of her cold moments.

"That's the same as Conrad. Speaking of which, shouldn't we start at where the wild men were, to pick up a better trail?"

"No. That won't work," she said a little curtly. Then her mood suddenly changed. "What I mean is that I don't think I will be able to find a trail over there. We can find him just fine by going straight ahead."

Her eyes dropped to the ground and she swung off and seemed to be checking the soft dirt for signs. I was about to answer, but then a something caught my eye, and I stopped Ares.

"Hey, looky, there. It's a bee."

Minerva blinked in surprise then squinted in confusion at the busy bee.

"So it is," she said. "What of it?"

"What of it?" I repeated. "Have you ever eaten wild bee honey?"

"No. Have you?"

"Actually I have. When I was a boy I was allowed to go visit my grandmother who lived way out in the country. I would leave her droning on to herself in the library, and hooked up with an old man there. He would show me all kinds of things in the woods, including the bees. I've eaten from hundreds of beehives in the wild."

"Did you ever get stung?"

"Come to think of it, no. I never did. Neither did the man. Come on, let's get some honey. We didn't get breakfast anyway. Unless of course you are still full from that huge breakfast you had yesterday."

She blushed. "I still feel sickened from that, yes. I never ate so much in my life."

"Huh. Then good acting on being a teenage boy. Come on, the bee is leaving."

Ares seemed reluctant to follow the bee fellow and snorted to tell me so. I swung off and tied Ares to a tree. He was especially irritated. He pawed the ground and stood stock still, glaring warily at the striped insect as it sniffed a flower.

Minerva noticed this and said, "You go, I'll stay here and watch the horses... and signs."

I shrugged. "All right. I won't be gone to long."

She nodded and averted her eyes as a blush crept up her cheeks. I smiled sympathetically. Poor girl. I'm sure something was bothering her dreadfully to act so, and I wondered what it wasas I set out on foot after the insect.

A sudden groan made me stop however, and I turned quickly. Minerva was on her knees and doubled over in sheer pain. Her eyes were half closed and her lips and face had turned blue as if she was freezing.

"Minerva! What's wrong!" I cried, hurrying over to her, shocked at what was happening.

"He's looking for me," she whispered in a tortured voice.

"Whose looking for you? Where?" I asked as my hand went instinctivly to my sword.

Suddenly she gasped and her face went ashen white. She grasped my hand so tightly her knuckles turned white, and she stared fearfully into the woods. If she had had enough strength she would have screamed, but as she was weak, she only whispered, "Oh, he's found me! He found me! I have to get away! Far away. I can't bare the sight of him! Take me away, Lance. You'll do that won't you?"

She looked at me with the widest blue eyes I'd ever seen. She was so scared. I didn't answer right away, just gaped at her, wondering what in the world was happening. "Minerva, what's wrong? There is no..."

"Oh, oh. Why didn't I listen? Lance. Lance, I didn't want to. I tried to leave. It was him. I didn't do anything. Nothing. I'm innocent, but oh..."

Her voice grew fainter and fainter until her lips hardly moved at all and she collasped all together into an oblivion. Her grip on my hand loosened, and I almost thought she was dead until I saw she was breathing.

"Minerva," I whispered, but then decided not to wake her.

Carefully and rather gingerly, as if I was handling a box of fragile glass, I picked her up and set her beside a tree. Her face was still pale and looked so delicatly pretty, I again wondered how she pulled off the boy stunt for so long. She was too far too pretty to have done it and even then, she was so tiny, so weak

In my life as prince I had met hundreds of girls and had come to think I knew the basic natures of them. Some, like Anastasia, were as selfish as could be and thought the world revolved around them and only them.

Another type of girl were the docile sweet ones. Carrie was one of those. They were generally small with sweet faces and rarely smiled, and only did it to please. They were generous and were all about being kind to others, and forgiving, and obeying. That's fine with me. They were better than the selfish Ana ones. But sometimes they are just too meek and gentle. (Like Carrie being afraid of horses)

The last time is the most annoying type of all. Well, after the Ana type. Those are the she- warrior ladies who think they're really something because they can wield a sword and they wear boys clothing, and they don't like to cook or dress up their hair. Some of them make a big deal about how women are equal to men and therefore they shouldn't have to do those things and they don't a Prince Charming to come sweep them off their feet blah blah blah.

All the girls I've met that are like that are married and have three kids.

Now before all the girls out there start throwing tomatoes at me or challenging me to sword fights, let me finish. There was one girl who was like that, but she was not like that. She was equal to me with the sword, she did not enjoy cooking or going to balls. But. She did. She did not complain about the silk and the makeup and the sweet talk. And she did all that very well. She could easily be a young lady pleasing her father (and suitors) but still ride off after a dragon with a shining armor and rescue maidens... or distraught knights.

She was really the only girl I ever liked. But then she got married to some shepherd who won her heart with his lute playing and knowledge of plants.

Why was I saying all that?

Minerva suddenly stirred to my right, and I jumped slightly.

Oh, yeah, Minerva...

She was totally different from other girls. Yeah, she was skillful with the bow, but what about all the times she acted like a little lady, or like a little Carrie. Why did she change so much?

I found myself looking at her curiously again then shook it off. I had forgotten about her scare, she would probably not be able to travel for a while. With this thought in mind, I got up and decided to look for some kind of stream to fill our drinking pouches. I hesitated at the edge of the meadow. I didn't want to leave Minerva like she was all alone; what if she woke up and freaked out again?

That got me to wondering who it was that was looking for her. How was he looking for her, where was he, and more importantly who was he?

"Oh, Eric you are so hilarious!"

Stanley winced when he heard the princess giggle again in response to the deep voice of that freakish handsome guy, Eric. He had been listening to their insane 'love' chatter for so long his mind was becoming numb. He was disgusted, apalled at what he had seen and heard from the two.

The Princess had fallen head over heels for this new guy, the brother of Robina, his leader. He had heard rumors about this man, how his valiant, leader, Robina, would practically shake in her boots at just the name, either with fear or anger. He had always thought this big bad brother would be something more than a flirting weasel.

He was mostly disgusted with Anastasia though. He had begun to think that the Princess of Kuran had some spunk and that she was independent and smart, like Stanley's beloved Robina. Obviously she wasn't if she could fall so easily into the trap this Eric had played on her. Couldn't she see it was all just a sham? He was playing with her. He didn't mean all the loving words he said every so often. He probably just wanted her loyalty... money, and title.

He wondered if she saw him go to the witch's home as he had seen. Probably not. She was asleep then, to be sure. But he had seen Eric go off in the middle of the night, while he was wondering about the disappearance of Robina. He had followed the sneaky man and had seen him go straight for the witch's house at the edge of town. Witches were abundant in Adelfos, since Gaul kicked them all out. He hadn't followed him any further. He wasn't that dumb.

But just seeing the creep go to the witches house was enough to make him shiver. He looked back at Eric and Ana. She was looking affectionately at him while he murmured something sweet and poisoning to her. They were holding hands while riding.

Stanley turned back quickly.He shook his head in absolute disgust. He was glad Robina never fell for anyone. Her only love and care was for her men, him. If it hadn't been for that promise he had made to Robina he would have ditched the two a long time ago.