Keira's heart once again pounded on her chest while walked through the forest trees as she neared Jack's. She walked over the fallen branches and roots scattered about the ground but she quickly came to a stop when a hand placed itself on her shoulder and a familiar voice asked.

"Keira what are you doing out here?"

Keira's body shook with fear and she quickly turned around to lock eyes with Celia who was staring back at her with a greatly concerned look.

"C-C-Celia…" Keira stuttered out in surprise. "W-What are you doing here?"

Celia removed her hand from her shoulder and looked at her sternly. "I should be asking you that. You know that you shouldn't be wandering outside of the castle at this hour, especially in the forest. It's dangerous out here. Do you want to get kidnapped again or worse?" She asked rather loudly.

Keira swatted at Celia's arm. "I'll only get kidnapped again if you keep shouting and attract attention."

Celia brushed the bottom of her dress to try and recompose herself. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have yelled."

"How did you find me?" Keira asked.

"I-I followed you…" Celia answered sounding a little ashamed with herself. "I was a little worried with the way you've been acting recently and wanted to make sure you were ok."

Keira slowly began to smile. It seemed that maybe Celia could understand what was going on with her.

"But Keira what are you doing here?" Celia asked.

Keira stared silently for a moment as her smile began to recede just as slowly as it formed. She could either admit she was out here to see Jack and hope for the best or she could tell her she was out on a walk and return to the castle without her learning about her secret.

"Well?" Celia asked.

Keira brought her hand up to her chest and looked away. "I-I'm here to see Jack…"

Celia appeared like she had never heard the name before. "Jack?"

"That farmer who saved my life…" Keira told her quietly. "I came out here to see him again…"

Celia's eyes widened. "That farmer? You're out here to see him?" She paused for a moment. "Again?"

Keira glanced up at her and slowly nodded her head.

"What do you mean again?" Celia asked as she took a few steps towards her.

"I… I've been leaving the castle to come out here to see him…" Keira admitted. "Not to walk out around town like I've said I've been recently…"

Celia stared at her in disbelief. "You mean you've been lying to everyone this whole time?"

Keira slowly nodded her head.

Celia paused for a moment as she began to think. "When… When you ran away at the festival… you ran out her to see him didn't you?"

Keira nodded her head once more before starting to shake it a little. "Well not exactly."

"What do you mean?" Celia asked.

Keira looked around and noticed a tree stump nearby and sat down on it. "Well it's just that…" She rested her head in her hands. "Oh where do I begin…?" She took a deep breath. "Celia, ever since that night I met him he's always been on my mind. I was starting to think that I had feelings for him and I came out here a few times to see him but it appeared that he didn't see me as anything special. I tried to keep my shrinking hopes for him alive but then at the festival I saw him kissing some girl and got worried so I ran out here. Then when I came out here I had a talk…" She stopped herself. Celia wouldn't believe her if she said that she talked with, let alone saw, the Harvest Goddess. "A-A while to think before going to Jack's to admit my feelings and well… He's agreed to court me…"

"Court you?" Celia asked in disbelief as she sat down beside her.

Keira nodded her head.

Celia shook her head frantically as she stood up. "No, no, no… I can't let you do this Keira." Keira looked up at her. "You can't be courted by a farmer, you can't!"

"Why not?" Keira asked in slightly angry tone as she quickly rose up from her seat on the stump.

"Because I'm your friend!" Celia shouted at her. "And as your friend it's my duty to serve you and that means making sure you don't go and get yourself into trouble!"

"Trouble? What sort of trouble?" Keira asked.

"The trouble you'll get in if you go and run off with a farmer." Celia answered. "He probably doesn't even love you! He's probably just using you as a way to increase his social status. And how do you know he's not going to hurt you or something?"

Keira stared at her angrily. "Jack isn't using me and he certainly wouldn't hurt me!" She shouted.

"Well how do you know that?" Celia asked in a harsh tone.

"Because I actually know him and that's not who he is." Keira replied.

As soon as she finished her sentence she turned around and crossed her arms.

"I'm going to see him." She told Celia.

She dropped her arms down and tried to walk away but Celia quickly grabbed onto her arm to stop her.

"No Keira." She said in a stern voice. "I can't let you go. I can't let you ruin your life like this."

Keira forcefully pulled her arm out of Celia's grip. "You think I'm ruining my life?" She asked in an almost hysterical manner. "You think by 'running off' with some farmer I'll ruin my life." She walked up to Celia and stared her in the eye. "I can assure you…" She began in a serious tone. "I am doing just the opposite."

Celia looked at Keira dumbfounded for a moment while she continued to stare at her for a moment before turning around and walking down the trail towards Jack's. Only when Keira's body began to fade into the shadows of the trees did she begin to run up to her.

"Keira wait!" She shouted.

Keira turned around as she approached her. "What is it?"

"I… I'm coming with." Celia replied.

"What?" Keira asked.

"I'm coming with you to this farmer's house." Celia told her. "It's my job to protect you."

"Protection? I don't need protection." Keira told her in a harsh tone.

"Yes you do! You don't know this farmer's true intentions for wanted to court you." Celia argued. "You don't know if he…"

"That's enough!" Keira shouted stopping her midsentence. She raised her finger up. "You listen to me…! Jack is not that kind of a person… I care about him like he cares about me… He would never, ever, do anything to hurt me in any way… He unlike anyone else actually understands me and what I want… Now I'm going to go and see him… you can come with so you can see this for yourself…" She paused for a moment. "But… If you say anything, anything, about him trying to use me… I will be sure to see that you are immediately removed from your position… understood?"

Celia stared at Keira silently in disbelief. She had never seen Keira get this angry before let alone have her threaten her. After a short moment Keira turned around without saying a word and continued into the forest. Slowly, she began to follow her.