It was an average day in Parro's marketplace. Shoppers were shopping, sellers were selling, Amnelis was hustling, and Istvan and Suni were going to get breakfast. Our two heroes were on a local stand that sells melons. "Ok Suni, time we work our magic." Istvan said.
"On it." Suni said.
Suni lowered herself to the stand, but the owner didn't notice because he was trying to get someone to buy a melon. "Come one; come all for the best ."
When Suni picked up one of the melons, the owner finally noticed her. "Hey ya hairball, you have to pay for that!" he yelled.
"Make me." Suni said, after which she stuck her tongue out at him.
"Why you." After that, the owner put down a melon he was trying to sell off to people and started a tug-of-war with Suni for the melon she had. During this fight, Istvan reached down and grabbed the melon the owner was featuring and brought it back to the stand's roof. Suni saw this and released the melon she had. The owner went to put the melon with the one he was featuring, only to see it was missing. He looked back towards Suni, thinking he had it, but Suni waved bye-bye to him.
Back on the roof of the stand, Istvan broke the melon he had in two on his knee. "Congrats on a job well done Suni."
"Aw, you flatter me Istvan." Suni said, clearly enjoying the complements.
"Breakfast is served." Istvan said, handing Suni her melon half.
At this moment, we see Sayori, wearing her disguse, walking through the market. At each stand, the vendor tried to sell her something.
"Would you like pot, pretty lady? No finer pot in brass or silver." said an owner.
"Sugar dates, sugar dates and figs! Sugar dates and pistachios." said another owner.
"A necklace for the lady," Another owner asks smiling while holding a necklace to Sayori, "A pretty necklace for a pretty lady."
At the next stand, Sayori was startled by a fish held up to her face. "Fresh Fish! We catch them, you buy them." said the fisherman who ran the stand.
"Uh, no thanks." Sayori said politely as she backed away. What she didn't notice was that she was backing up into a fire eater resulting in him swallowing his flame in one gulp. Sayori saw what happened, "Oh my, I'm sorry."
The fire eater, as a response, belches flames and beat his chest from LITERAL heart burn. Istvan looked over and saw what was going on. Sayori was surprised and had her hood fall down from the fire eater's burp. "Really, I'm sorry for all this."
Istvan starred dreamily at Sayori as she put her hood back up. He had been struck with feelings of love. "Wow…" Suni noticed Istvan's somewhat goofy looking face. "Hey Istvan, you okay?" Suni didn't get an answer. She tried waving her hand in front of Istvan's face. After a few seconds, Suni understood the situation. "Wait, I know that look. That's the I've seen the girl of my dreams look. So who is it? Is it her? Is it her? Her? Her?..." Suni kept this up for some time.
As the girl of Ben's dreams continued her walk, Sayori noticed a kid, who was starving, eyeing an apple stand. "Oh, you must be hungry. Here." As Sayori said this, she handed the kid the apple.
"Wow, thanks." The kid thanked as he ran off.
"You better be able to pay for that." said a very annoyed and angered voice from the stand. Sayori turned to see that the voice came from the owner of the apple stand.
At this point Sayori remembered something she didn't bring with her, MONEY. She forgot about it thanks to her life of luxury. "Pay?" was all Sayori could bring herself to say to this man.
"No one steals from my stand." He said.
"I'm sorry, I don't have any money on me." Sayori said sheepishly. That was a mistake.
"Thief! Well, I'm a thief too, but I don't like thieves who steal from ME!" He said. With that, he grabbed Sayori's hand and slammed it down on the counter of his stand. The commotion had finally gotten the attention of everyone in the market, including a certain hero and his friend.
"Please, if you let me go, I can go to the palace and get you your money from the King and Queen of Parro." Sayori said trying to please the man. It wasn't working.
"Do you know the penalty for stealing?" asked the angry man
"Prison?" Sayori asked hopefully.
"Normally, yes, but for stealing from me…" He said as he drew a hunting knife and prepared to cut off Sayori's arm.
"No, please." Sayori closed her eyes, not wanting to see the blade.
Just as he was about to get his hands dirty, another hand came and stopped his assault. This hand belonged to Istvan. "Thank you, kind sir, for finding her for me," Istvan said to the man before grabbing Sayori's arm and scolding her, "I have been looking everywhere for you."
"What are you doing?" asked Sayori. She doesn't even know this guy.
"Play along." Istvan instructed. This is just a plot to get Sayori away from the angry man.
"You know this girl?" The man asked in confusion.
"Sadly yes," Istvan said, creating a brilliant cover story, "she is my sister. She's a bit crazy." Sayori was not happy to be called crazy, especially by someone she didn't know.
"She said she knew the king and queen." The man pointed out. How do you explain that?
"She thinks my friend and I are the king and queen." Istvan said while pointing towards Suni, who was about to steal someone's wallet until she noticed everyone looking at her.
Sayori understood what Istvan was trying to do and acted as if she was crazy, "All hail the king and queen."
Suni enjoyed this and acted as if she were a queen, "Quite so and what not and uh…blah-de-blah-de-blah." Suni then patted Sayori on the head.
Back with Istvan and the now calm man, Istvan picked up an apple from the man's stand with his foot and handed it back to him, appearing as if he was returning the apple Sayori gave the kid. "Tragic, yes, but no harm done." Istvan then pulled Sayori off the ground and started to take her someplace safe. "Come on, sis, time to see the doctor."
"Hello doctor." Sayori said to a horse that she and Istvan were passing.
"No, not that one sis," Istvan said, a little annoyed with Sayori's acting, "Come on your highness." Istvan said to Suni, who has some kind of cape around her neck with some unknown objects in them.
"I give ado." Suni said as regally as possible. Unfortunately, all the objects in Suni's cape fell out, which were the apple man's tip jar and a few apples.
"What the?" The man screamed. Istvan and Sayori saw what Suni had done and took off running with Suni grabbing everything she dropped and rushing off to catch up with her friend and her friend's love. "I'll get you thieves, I swear, I'll get you." The apple man shouted.
Off in a secret lab hidden in the palace, we see Naris attaching numerous wires to a device that is being powered by Astrias running on a treadmill.
"With all due respect, your rottenness, couldn't we make this a lot easier on ourselves?" asked Astrias.
"Save your breath, Astrias, faster." Naris said while placing the twins' rings in the mouth of a statue of a snake, which was attached to an hourglass.
"Yes, oh great evil one." Astrias said sarcastically. Astrias started running as fast as he could, creating a bolt of lightning from the machine that struck the rings. Energy flowed through the hourglass and sand in the top half took on the shape of the Cave of Wonders's head.
Naris smiled evilly as he neared the hourglass, "That's it, show me the one who may pass and enter the Cave of Wonders." The hourglass duplicate of the Cave of Wonders's head dissolved into the lower half and showed Naris an image of Istvan with Sayori and Suni. "Yes, there's our little chosen one."
Astrias was less than enthusiastic about whom Istvan was, "What? That's him? That's the guy we've been looking…" Astrias was then swept into the gears of the device and was beaten up by it.
"Let's give him an invite to the palace, shall we?" Naris said.
Astrias was finally thrown out of the device and hit the wall. "Let's." Astrias said weakly. With that Naris laughed evilly into his hourglass.
Back with Istvan, Sayori, and Suni, the group was on the roof of a building making their way to Istvan's and Suni's home. "Careful, careful." Istvan cautioned to Sayori as he brought up a ladder. Sayori tripped on the top rung, but Istvan caught her before she hit the ground …er roof.
Sayori blushed a bit and pulled herself out of Istvan's arms. "Ahem, uh, thanks for stopping that man." she said.
"Oh forget it." Istvan said with a shrug as he takes a pole nearby. "I take it this is your first time here in the marketplace, huh?" Istvan asked Sayori as he and Suni pole vault to the next building with Sayori staying on the previous rooftop.
"Obvious, huh." Sayori asked her new friends.
"Well, huh, you do stand out, most of the time." Istvan said humorously looking at her with affection. Sayori blushed and gave him the same look.
"Well, you don't know how dangerous Parro can be without protection, or money."
Istvan put a plank between the buildings to help Sayori cross onto his building, but the moment he put the plank down Sayori pole vaults right over him and safely lands on Istvan's building. Istvan and Suni have their jaws drop.
"I am a fast learner!" Sayori said playfully as she tosses the pole to Istvan, making his and Suni's eyes to widen in amazement. For a new girl in Parro, she sure heck learn quick enough! Istvan shrugged it off and gave the pole to Suni, much to her annoyance. No one takes her and Istvan spotlight.
"Okay, this way." Istvan said as he takes Sayori through the roof of a building right to where our heroes live. Istvan aided Sayori by having her duck and dodge stuff hanging from the roof as he said, "Watch your head, careful."
Sayori looked around Istvan's home in amazement. It might be a dump, but it still looked good. "So you live here, huh?"
"Yep! Just me and Suni. Anyway, we come and go as we please." Istvan explains to Sayori making her smile a bit.
"Wow, it's incredible." Sayori said.
"Well, not that much..." Istvan then pulls back the curtain nearby and shows the view of the palace. "Great view, huh? Man, does that palace look great or what?"
Sayori frowned. She didn't want Istvan hoping for a life that she ran away from. She sat down and spoke sarcastically, "Oh yeah, it's great, really. Nice."
"I wonder what it's like to live there. Getting your own servants and valets..." Istvan said looking at the palace in wonder, not seeing the annoyance on Sayori's face.
"Right, and with a bunch of officials telling you where to go and how to dress." Sayori said disdainfully.
"Well, anything is better than this place. You always steal food and running from the guards." Istvan said as he grabs an apple from Suni, who was going to eat it, much to her annoyance.
"Not free to make your own choices." Sayori said with a sad sigh.
"Sometimes you feel so..."
"You are really..."
"Trapped," Istvan and Sayori said at the same time. They turn and realize what they just did, blushing happily.
Istvan rolls the apple down his arm and towards Sayori, "So where are you from?"
Sayori caught the apple and frowns at Ben's question. She snaps, "Look, it doesn't matter where I came from. I ran away and I don't want to go back."
"Oh really? How come?" Istvan asks as he bites into another apple and gave it to Suni, disgusting her.
"Oh, come on. This is…" Suni stopped when she saw the apple that Sayori had wasn't bitten into yet and smirks evilly, planning on getting it.
As Istvan sat down next to Sayori, the princess sighs sadly as she said, "My parents wants me to get married against my will."
"Oh, that's terrible. You shouldn't force someone to marry." Istvan said in disbelief.
Suni is sneaking behind Sayori, trying to steal the apple. Too bad Istvan saw what she's doing and snaps at her, "Suni!"
Suni yelps and runs up to the roof, muttering under her breath, "Well, I got the apple. It's no fair if she gets it."
"Okay, what is she saying?" Sayori asked puzzled.
"Well, Suni says..." Istvan said trying to think. He smiles while saying, "It's not fair."
"Yeah," Suni said, believing Istvan is talking about her apple.
"That you're being forced to marry." Istvan added. This caused Suni to get confused and annoyed, Istvan was talking about Sayori, not her apple.
"Is that so?" Sayori asked slyly. She knew that Istvan was just trying to make her feel better. Well, it's working.
"Yeah, sure." IstvN said with a nod while taking Sayori's hand all so lovingly.
"Does Suni have anything else to say?"
"Well, Suni did mention she wishes there is something she can do to help."
"No I didn't." Suni said in annoyance as she turns around, crossing her arms. Though her complaint went unheard.
Sayori chuckles happily as she smiles before saying, "In that case, tell her, that's...sweet..." Istvan and Sayori look at each longingly before leaning in preparing to kiss.
"There you are!" snapped a sinister, yet oh so familiar, voice. Our heroes turn and they saw Valerious and his men entering the building. The guards have found Istvan's hideout, and are gonna get payback!
"They're after me!" Istvan and Sayori exclaim at once. Then they turn to each other in confusion asking, "Wait, they're after you?"
Sayori feared they had been sent to bring her back. Istvan feared being killed and searched for an exit. The princess said, "Oh dear, my parents must have sent them..."
"Do you trust me?" Istvan asks quickly. Sayori turns and sees the man near the window edge.
"Huh?"
"Do you trust me?"
Istvan extends his hand out wanting Sayori to take it. In hesitation, the girl takes the hand and said, "Well, yes."
"Then jump!" Istvan exclaim quickly. He and Sayori jump off the roof followed by Suni escaping the guards in the nick of time. The group fall and land in a pile of garbage bags below.
The group got out of the trash and run off only for Valerious to appear from out of nowhere, grabbing Istvan, just as he had in the marketplace, as he said sinisterly, "We just keep running into each other, huh street rat? First the guy working at the apple stand, now you, this must be my lucky day! Ha ha ha!"
Valerious yelps, however, as Suni pulls down his hat once more forcing the villain to let go of Istvan and get it off his face. He and Sayori try to make a run for it but the other hunters appear, blocking their exit in time. Worst yet, Vaerious got his hat off, grabbed Suni, and throws her into a nearby garbage can.
As the guards grab and strangle Istvan, Valerious smirks evilly as he said, "You're going to the dungeon forever. No escape for you, this time! Ha ha ha ha!"
"Get your hands off him!" Sayori snaps as she hit Valerious receptively. However it was pointless.
"Hey, check this out, men, a street mouse!" Valerious laughs sinisterly as he throws Sayori to the ground.
"You will let him go!" Sayori snaps furiously as she got up before removing the hood of her cloak, revealing herself in the progress, "By the order of the princess."
Valerious and the guards gasp in shock upon realizing who it is. In alarm, all of the troops bowed and forced Istvan to bow as Valerious exclaimed, "Princess Sayori!"
"The princess?" Istvan asks in disbelief as he forced his head up to see Sayori, much to his shock
"The princess?" Suni asked in amazement from inside the garbage can.
"What...why are you outside of the palace?" Valerious asks Sayori dumbstruck.
"Look, does it matter why I am doing out? Release them at once." Sayori snap at the hunters angrily.
"Well, I would do so, but our orders come from Naris. You'll have to take this up with him." Valerious said as his men arrested Istvan.
"Believe me, I will. And all talk to him about why we have bounty hunters as guards." Sayori said angrily.
…
Back at the palace, a wall opens up to the secret entrance of Naris's lab while Naris's pokes his eye out and looks around. Sure that it's safe to come out, the villain did so and begins to slide the wall back into place, slowly. Too bad he didn't see a familiar, and angry, princess storming into the room before he could finish doing so.
"Naris," Julie yells at Naris, getting his attention.
"Oh, Princess Sayori," Naris said turning around innocently. Astrias was leaving the secret lab at this moment, but then his master close the door shut, pinning the poor criminal inside the wall in the progress.
"Gah! Astrias, help! I'm stuck!" Astrias said, gasping for air.
Naris used his body to hide the hole in the wall before speaking, "To what reason you came to me today?"
"Valerious and his men have arrested a man from the market under your orders!" Sayori said harshly, getting up into Naris face.
"Well, I just want to help and keep the peace in Parro. The man was a criminal." Naris explains innocently.
"What was his crime?" Sayori asked suspiciously.
"Gah, Naris, can't breathe here! Do something!" Astrias said, gasping for air, to Naris while tugging on his clothes to get assistance.
Naris, doing his best to ignore Astrias's pleading, thought up a lie and said, "Why kidnapping the princess, of course."
"Can you please just..." Astrias tried to ask Naris for help, but Naris kicks Astrias right back onto the other side of the passageway, causing the wall to close all the way. Astrias crashes into something behind the door groaning, "Okay, that hurts!"
"He didn't kidnap me, I ran away!" Sayori exclaim angrily at Naris
Naris walks away acting as if he were shocked as he said, "Oh dear, if only I had known."
"What are you talking about?" Sayori asked puzzled.
Naris faced Sayori with a fake frown on his face. "Sadly, the boy's sentence has already been carried out."
"What sentence?"
"Death," Naris said darkly making Sayori gasp in horror. "By beheading."
"No, no." Sayori said horrified as she sat down on the chair.
"I am really sorry, princess." Naris said, lying through his teeth.
"How could you?"
Sayori angrily got up and ran from the room crying.
By this time, Astrias was busy trying to make his way out onto the other side of the wall and soon he got out, barely. Astrias coughed and gagged all the way up Naris's side before recovering. He asked curiously, "So how did it go?"
"I think she took it...rather well." Naris said with a sadistic smirk that Astrias returned as they watched where the crying Sayori ran off to a while ago.
…
At night, Sayori was in the garden crying near the edge of the fountain. Rajah came over and tried to cheer her up. No matter how happy he is to see Sayori, it couldn't overpower his feeling of sorrow for her. Sayori looked up at Rajah and wiped her tears.
"It's all my fault, Rajah. I didn't even know his name!" Julie said sadly before she hugged Rajah as he tried to comfort her. This has ruined her chances at true love. Now Istvan is dead… or is he?