"Oh, I heard of the Western Mountains Bandit King, but who's Maeve?" I act confusedly.

"You don't know?" Cassiopeya acts surprised.

"No? Should I know?" I scratch my nose bridge.

Green cloak helps get me seated and put some food on my plate, but damn it I can't eat these food. What if there's poison?

Cassiopeya places a hand on top on mine, "Maeve ran away from his wedding with his sister and apparently disguised as a Kalorian soldier."

The day isn't even over yet and even civilized people know about my unwanted wedding? I'm exhausted.

"I would love to show you my summer houses," Nillin changes the subject. "I have one up north with the cold breezes from the snowy mountain tops; and another down south with the ocean breezes. It's too hot here for a lady like yourself."

Woah. His tongue is sweet like honey! Good thing he isn't mine.

"Stop looking at me like that you theft! It's disgusting. Of course only barbarians like you can act like animal towards the same sex!"

Take that back, his mouth is vile and toxic. I can't believe I fell for the presentation when the actual thing is a turd.

"Alright, what are you two planning to use me for," I decide to stop beating around the bush. I want to get out of here and back to my family.

Nillin looks pass the civilized architectures to the high and dangerous mountains where my family lives via a glass window that is a wall by itself.

They want a free passage.

"You are our hostage. We want your father to not just allow my army and the Kalorian Military to pass through to Aarth freely and easily, but protect our route and supplies until I'm King of Aarth."

Nillin doesn't waste a breath while Cassiopeya smiles with etiquette like the royalty she is.

"What happens to us after you become King of Aarth?" I ball my fists and tap my foot unable to calm down.

They both smile and laugh, "Of course we're going to help your family reinstitute back into civilization!"

I bite my tongue, but continue to talk anyway, "How can we be reinstitute back into civilization when we never started in civilization?"

"Savages like you, you're silly," they brush my rhetorical question off after a moment of sincere silence.

I smirk trying to go for a bluff.

"What's so funny?" Cassiopeya asks.

"Nothing. Just thinking about how I'm going to escape right here and right now."

Nillin turns his body towards me and a group of highly skilled soldiers breaks into the room and block all openings.

"You're bluffing," Nillin clicks his tongue. I'm sure he is stressed.

I make the cutest confused face I know, "Isn't it odd that my family haven't found me yet when we're known for tracking? Hm, what could I possibly be implying?"

Cassiopeya stabs a fork through my hand that is resting on the dinner table. She's crazy too!

I seal my lips and nothing escapes.

"He couldn't even evade my attack, he's bluffing," Cassiopeya snares.

A tiny smirk is all I can manage and hopefully that is enough.

"Princess," I speak because no one else dares to. "Lord Nillin, are you truly sane to use a man who was only trying to escape an arranged marriage for your country conquering conquest? Hearing that out loud, don't you both sound pitiful?"

I laugh even until I think it's not funny anymore, but I continue to laugh. My hand really hurts. I'm sure she added some sort of poison to the points of the fork.

My head is light. It has been a long day and I'm exhausted. Before I know it, I'm sleeping in a moving carriage.

I sigh and face the ceiling. I'm definitely hating myself for disguising as a Kalorian soldier.

My whole body is tied up like a live human sacrifice and my mouth is even stuff with silk. At least they treated my stabbed hand.

Cassiopeya is a freak. I like her… As a person who I would like to be friend with if the circumstances are different. Yes.

Then the carriage stops and I hear father's horn like voice that can be heard by anyone ten kilometers away, maybe. I need to be considerate of the deaf and the old.

I’m still a little dizzy and I still can’t move my body freely.

"Where is my son!" Just father's voice brings me comfort. In just a little bit, I'll be home.

"Western Mountains Bandit King!" That homophobic commander speaks just as loud and it's annoying. "I'm here to ask for a bargain."

"I'm a reasonable person," Oh no. Father is being father again. "Why don't we talk things over my collection of beverages?"

I hear father's horse turns around, walk a few meters before turning back, "You're not bringing my son?"

"What happen if you take your son without accepting my offers? It wouldn't be a bargain would it?"

"It's not a bargain when you kidnapped my son for ransom," father is no longer in his default cheerful self.

Man. I'm put in a box that fix exactly my size which is also part of the carriage so I can't even make a sound with my body. Not that I can anyway.

"The truth is, father," what in the world is Nillin going for?

"Who's your father?" Father must've stomp his spare onto the ground because even I can feel the earthquake.

"Maeve and I have fallen in love and I cannot return your son to you, father." Nillin gets off his high homophobic horse? "I simply ask for your blessing and help your son-in-law be the next king of Aarth. Your son shall be my consort queen."

"Now this certainly changes everything," father has always been loud so even I can hear his nervousness.

More importantly, I can–cannot, can never believe that filthy homophobe can lie to father and about marrying me.

The carriage begins moving and I somehow lose my consciousness again. Probably the poison.

Once I’m awake, I notice my limbs are tied up.

I'm so glad for my brothers because the knots Aarthians use don't compare to theirs. I have been tied up countless time before.

Now that I hear what that homophobe said to father, I can say what I want.

I undo all the knots to just have a sword on my neck by the green cloak. Great.

"Speak and you die. Move and you die."

"Scary," I whisper. The sword has a millimeter on me, "Can you afford me to die here? Shall I die here? I actually don't mind. Death don't really scare me."

"Freak!" Green cloak mutters as he takes me out of the carriage. I'm surrounded and at the edge of a cliff.