The sun still wasn't even starting to brighten up the sky as both Keira and Celia silently trekked through the remainder of the forest sitting between them and Jack's house and once they arrived at the large soil field it sat on Keira quickly distanced herself from Celia by running over to it. She raised her hand up to knock on the door once she stood in front of it but she lowered it for a moment as she looked back at Celia who slowly approached her. Once she stood at her side Keira lightly tapped on the door and the loud barking of a now awakened Buddy seemed to startle Celia as she jumped back a bit behind her as she patiently remained still. After a short moment Jack groggily opened the door while rubbing his eye as he tried to wake up.
"K-Keira?" He asked as he seemed to try and identify her figure in the night. "Is that you?"
She nodded her head. "Look I know its early Jack but I really wanted to see you again."
He gave her a little smile. "It's alright, you're always welcome here." His eyes wandered over at Celia who was slowly emerging from behind her. "Who this you've brought with you?"
Keira stepped aside fully revealing Celia. "This is my good friend and caretaker, Celia."
He gave her a smile as well. "It's nice to meet you Celia."
She simply formed a nervous smile and nodded her head to which Keira responded to by swatting her arm again seeming to tell her to be nice.
"I-It's nice to meet you too." Celia replied in a forced manner.
Keira turned to Jack and smiled. "She's been a little curious towards where I've been going off to recently and decided to come along with me today to see for where I've been going herself."
"That's understandable" Jack remarked. "I'd be pretty curious to where you've been going off to too if I was one of your servants."
Just then Buddy stepped out from between Jack's feet and began to rapidly bark at Celia, who was still a stranger to him, causing her to once again jump back.
"Oh it's alright Celia." Keira told her as she looked back at her. "He's not going to hurt you." She bent over and picked up Buddy. "Isn't that right?"
Buddy looked over at Celia and growled at her for a moment before focusing his attention on Keira who was holding him. He stared at her for a moment and gave her a friendly bark before licking her face causing her to laugh a little.
Celia on the other hand was startled by how Keira was allowing herself to hold a dirty animal and even more so let it lick her. "Keira, I think…" She began in a quiet voice before stopping herself once she got a good look at her.
That smile that was on her face and the happiness she was emitting at the moment, she had never seen it before. Sure she had seen Keira happy plenty of times but this time it just seemed different, it didn't seem as forced. She actually appeared to be truly happy.
Keira placed Buddy down on the ground after a moment and walked over to Celia's side.
"This is my friend Celia, Buddy." She told him as she placed her hand on her shoulder. "She's friendly, like me."
Buddy approached the two and stuck his head out as he began to sniff her. Keira gave Celia a light tap and she nervously bent down and stuck her hand out in front of Buddy's nose. He leaned in closer and sniffed her hand for a moment before licking it causing her to pull it away and shake it.
Keira began to laugh a little. "That means he likes you."
"Oh, well that's good…" Celia replied in a nervous manner as a cold gust of wind blew past her and Keira.
Jack stepped aside opening the doorway. "Come in you two. It's still pretty cold out and I'm sure you could both use something to eat."
Keira nodded her head and stepped inside. "Yeah, your right." She looked back at Celia who was still standing outside. "Are you coming?"
Celia's eyes bounced back and forth between Jack and Keira. She didn't know whether she should chose to believe Keira's words about this farmer and step into his house or if she should leave and possibly safe her life. But she couldn't just leave; after all, protecting Keira was her job and if she was to leave and then something were to her it would be her fault. Hesitantly she stepped inside.
Later that morning, Keira's mother frantically paced back and forth in the castles throne room while her father sat patiently in his seat.
"I just don't understand what's gotten into that daughter of ours." Her mother said in a worried tone. "First she starts constantly leaving the castle grounds, then she runs off during festivals and now she's arguing with her own mother!"
Her father motioned his hand up and down to calm her. "Don't work yourself up. I'm sure it's nothing."
"Nothing?" Her mother asked in an upset tone. "And I'm sure you thought her giving that peasant a kiss a while ago was nothing?" She asked causing him to cringe at that memory as she thought for a moment. "You know that's when all of her strange behavior started…"
Her father crossed his arms and looked away. "Bah, damn peasants… you make contact with them in any way and they spread their dreadful habits to you like a plague…"
The door to the throne room opened and one of the castle's servants entered.
"Well?" Her mother asked the servant as he approached her.
He shook his head. "It would appear that Princess Keira has left the castle grounds again."
Her mother let out a disgusted sigh. "Of course… probably out in the town again…"
"Actually she isn't." A voice told her.
She looked back at the doorway to watch as Edwin stepped in the room. "What do you mean?" She asked.
"I ran into her earlier this morning and she said she was going to take a solo walk about the town." He explained as he continued to approach her. "I let her go and stepped out a while later but she was nowhere to be found."
"Well that's just great." Her mother sarcastically remarked. "Now she's gone off to who knows where!" She looked over at her husband. "Maybe you're right; maybe that peasant did do something to her."
Edwin raised his eyebrow in curiosity. "What peasant?"
"Oh just some peasant who apparently saved her life awhile back." She answered as she waved her arm as if it wasn't important. "I'm beginning to doubt if that was even true now."
Edwin began to think for a moment. Could this be the same peasant that he had met at the festival the other day? He suddenly remembered that peasants parting words to Keira that day.
"I guess I'll see you next time you stop by."
"She must have left to go and see that farmer…" He thought to himself.
Keira's father cleared his throat and looked over at the servant who was still in the room. "Well, whatever the case is, I'd like my daughter to know that I'd like to have a word with her once she returns." He told him. "Rather if she chooses to return."
Her mother turned and looked at him strangely. "What do you mean if she chooses to come back?"
He shook his head. "Nothing, just that she might be better off not coming back at all if she knows what awaits her."
Even later that morning as the sun began to near the center of the sky, Celia watched silently from the distance with Buddy at her feet as Jack and Keira sat silently on the tree stump in the middle of the field with his arm wrapped around her.
Celia shook her head as she continued to keep her hand placed below her mouth. "I just don't get it… what does she see in this commoner… and what does he want with her…?" She heard as Buddy let out a whine and looked down at him. "What is it?"
He placed his front legs on her and whined again before looking out at Jack and Keira.
"What is it?" Celia asked again as she pulled the bottom of her dress causing him to drop down.
He tilted his head and whined again, almost as if he could read her thoughts.
She sighed and crouched down by him. "Fine, I'm worried about your master, that's all."
He gave a questioning whine.
"It's just that… how can a princess like Keira like a farmer?" She asked. "And… well I'm worried that he's just using her to increase his status."
Buddy gave an angry bark at that comment.
"Well it's not like it's unnatural for a servant like me to think that. It's my job to be worried about her." She told him before looking back out at the pair. "Though he does seem nice…"
He gave a friendlier sounding bark.
"Maybe your right… maybe I should stop worrying…" She paused for a moment before standing up. "Oh what am I saying, you're a dog for goddess's sake, you can't understand me."
He barked a little angrily at her.
She sighed again and looked back out at the two on the stump before looking up at the sky and sighing again. "Look," She began as she looked back down at him. "I have to be getting back to the castle now, just promise me you'll make sure nothing bad happens to Keira."
He gave her an affirmative bark.
She gave him a little smile. "Thanks."
Celia then proceeded to walk towards Jack and Keira.
"Keira." She called out as she approached them.
Keira turned around. "What is it Celia?"
"I'm going to head back to the castle now." She answered.
"You're leaving so soon?" Keira asked.
"Well it's getting a little late and I have my duties there to attend to." She replied. "Do you know how to get back to town from here?"
"You just walk straight that way." Jack told her as he pointed down the path he had shown Keira before on the other side of the field."
"Thank you." Celia said. "I guess I'll see you when you return." She told Keira.
Keira nodded her head.
"Goodbye." Celia said with a quick bow.
She turned around to walk down the path she had just been directed in when Keira suddenly stood.
"Celia wait!" She shouted.
"What is it Keira?" Celia asked as she turned around.
"Celia please you have to promise me." Keira began as she clapped her hands together. "You have to promise not to tell anyone about Jack."
Celia started to shake her head. "Keira, I don't…"
"Promise me Celia! Promise me!" Keira begged.
"Keira this is serious, I don't know if this should be kept a secret." Celia told her.
"Celia please! If my parents find out I know they'll try to hurt Jack and separate us!" Keira told her. "You have to promise me you won't tell anyone!"
Celia stared at her silently.
Keira placed her hands on Celia's shoulders and shook her. "Please! Promise me."
Celia looked away at the ground for a moment before sighing and looking up at her. "I… I won't tell anyone…"
Keira slowly began to smile before hugging her. "Thank you Celia."