Ingrid woke up to a maid starting to unbutton her shirt. She instinctively grabbed her wrist.

-NO! DON'T!-She said to the maid loud.

Ingrid was panting and kept the maid's hand away until her mind comprehended the situation.

The half-human prince smelled something nice, and saw vapor in the room.

Ingrid sat up, and pushed the maid's hand away. She was so surprised, she jumped back.

-Oh sorry little Master! I didn't know you were awake.-Said the young woman. She held her hand to her chest, as if Ingrid had constrained it too hard.

-What were you up to?!-Asked Ingrid her while she tried to button up her shirt. -Where am I???

-My Majesty commanded me to bath you before continuing your journey. He said, that you are probably too tired from the travel.

She said and let her hands down with a sigh. Ingrid looked away for a moment and saw a big wooden tub, with steaming water in it.

-You are in his secondary room Sir. -She said, and the northern looked around.

The room had unusually pointy, high ceiling, from which heavy dark red textile was being hanged.

-In his WHAT? - She startled out suddenly by the fact that she fell asleep somewhere where THAT prince found her, and he may have brought her here in....HIS ARMS!

Ingrid had to look away from the maid 'cause her face turned red. The bed was cozy and colored red with golden flower embroidery.

-WHERE IS HE? IS IT STILL NIGHT?-Ingrid asked the maiden while she's jumped out of the bed and searched for a window to check the time. It was still pitch dark outside.

-It is early in the morning Sir... Prince Karakan uses his other room.

-WHAT-A-SHAAAAME! WHY AM I UNDRESSED?

-Sir...

-WHY AM I ONLY WEARING MY UNDERGARMENTS???

-SIR! Please calm down!...*sigh* MASTER! Your clothes are being washed in this moment! My Majesty said, that they got dirty accidentally by his fault, so he will take care of it.

-He did WHAAAAT?!-She asked the servant while she looked up in her eyes and grabbed both of her arms. The servant tried to slip out from her hands.

-Majesty didn't say any details, but some said you were sleeping next to his Cerberus... Is this...true?

-Cerbe...you mean his dogs?... Well...-Ingrid tried to recall what had happened while she let the maiden go. Her dream popped in to her mind, but she hushed it away.

- That could have happened...now that I think about it... What was that place?

-What place?

-That dark place, where the dogs were.

-Ah! You must mean the stable!

-Stable?

-Yes, where you've been found.

-What...?- That place was definitely not a stable...

-Sorry Sir! I really didn't mean to hurry you or anything, but we should really start to bath you. The carts will depart soon.

Said the maiden while she tried to pull closer to the little prince to reach her shirt again.

-Oh well all right....BUT STOP! I'll do it myself!

-But Sir...

-I can bath myself! Just leave the things here and I will take care of myself!

The maiden pulled her corner of mouth, then opened the huge cabinet and pulled out a couple of clean clothes. She walked out without any further words and closed the door.

Finally Ingrid had a few moments to realize what just happened.

The dress was a teal two part suit with silver rhombus patterns.

"Is this Karakan's childhood robe?" Ingrid smelled the suit and could recognize Karakan's smell. Suddenly she remembered one of Karakan's letter about his feelings from last winter. He wrote a poem, that described obviously his longing for her company, for Adora's company.

"I wonder if he knows that Adora is me?"

She ensured that the door is locked, then she sank in the tub naked.
The water was very hot and smelled like flowers and fruits.

"I don't know how long was it since I took a real bath."

Ingrid pulled her head under the water and washed her hair too. She felt her body flat and weird.

She thought about her mother again, what she said.

"You are a wonderful creature, even if you don't have what others do."

As she missed the hugs and endearment, she didn't notice, that unconsciously started to long for the southern prince.

...

The robe was tight till the neck. Ingrid buttoned up till the top.

It was almost choking, but she liked it since it felt almost as some kind of "hugging", and that dress was the only source of some kind of care at that moment.

It was almost daybreak.
Ingrid was standing next to a cart.
They had now 10 carts, and to Ingrid's despair she got her own cart.

She saw Sigfrid yawned and got in his cart with the "night-lady" who seemed to be very weary.

"I wonder when will the time come when I experience THAT thing with someone?"

Ingrid looked on the line of wagons and saw the last one was very strange. It was black, and had very tiny hole-like windows with thick curtains. At the top was only a big wooden box.

A big black chappy walked out slowly from the castle pulling his long, black cape on the ground.

The rider opened up the cart door for him.

The dark figure stepped there, and for a moment he looked up, and Ingrid could feel, he was looking at her.

He nodded his head a little then got on so smooth like a smoke. The cart-boy pushed the black cloth in, and closed the door. "I wonder if my letters are still in my box."

A soldier stepped behind Ingrid.

-Please get on, we are departing now!

Ingrid did as she was ordered and she felt like a helpless kid.

They started their trip to the next stop to the Middle-Valury Fortress.

They were jolting on the road since hours already.
Ingrid was sketching the nature while she was looking out from the window. The landscape looked quiet and peaceful.

She saw people working on the hilly fields and some stopping when they noticed the carts in the distance.

The cricket's noise was loud, the rape and sunflower meadows were dazzlingly bright.

The little prince loved it and hated it.

"All this beauty, and no one to share with."

Hundreds of butterflies flew up from the puddles.

It felt like they were going into the summer itself.

"Maybe I could escape. Who would care anyway? But...
I am still just a "child" in body. I couldn't defend myself."

...

Ingrid found herself drawing windows in her journal when they stopped.
They were in the shadowy woods.

She opened the door and looked out what was going on. A soldier was standing next to her and looked at the same direction.

At the front, there was some kind of broken cart, but it seemed very odd.

A man was fudging about something.

Sigfrid stuck out his head to look.
He looked back onto Ingrid, worrying.

The whole thing was fishy.

Ingrid looked around in the dense bushy woods.
Suddenly I noticed more men were sneaking in our direction.

-It's an AAMBUUUSH!!!- Shouted out Ingrid and pulled back into the wagon.

The soldiers stood at attention.

-NOW!-Said someone at the front and loud clashing noises started to crash.

The little prince's heart was beating hard and fast.

The soldier next to her cart gave out a painful puff when he got shot through by a lance. The spear went through the door.

"That's it, I'm out!"

The moment Ingrid breathed in and shut her mouth, the other door opened.

The time slowed down.

An ugly-faced bandit was standing at the door.
In one hand he held a shabby mace.
Ingrid noticed a small knife at his belt. She took it off.

Ingrid has actually never killed a man before.

"Should I stab him?!
Should I spare his life?!
He is someone's son, maybe someone's father, right?! RIGHT?!"

She hesitated to much, and she had to breath again.

The time started to go on slowly again as she started to loose air, and a bucket of blood burst out of his neck into Ingrid's face.

She fell back, and started to gasp for air insanely, but tasted iron only.

She dropped the knife like it's hot and escaped out from the cart on all fours.

Just when she pushed out her head, a strong fist hit her nape.
She fainted.

...

Ingrid dreamed stabbing the tug all over again and saw crying children and women above the body.

She woke up crying and trembling upside down. She reeked like a rotten meat.

It was dark.

Her swollen face was pulsating on the ground. She was on her belly corded on a log.

-Look at tha' lit'le wretch! It's cryin'!-Said a rusty voiced man behind Ingrid and many more men started to laugh.

Someone stepped to the log, and pulled her up to sit.

He clung onto her neck.

The little prince's butt was hurting badly and her vision was blurry. She was probably punished for killing their fellow.
"At least I am not undressed."

A lot of men was sitting around a fire drinking wine.

-Did you know,...-he started while he held out his arm and pointed to the greens. -... that behind everything, there is a collective mind that rules EEEv'rythin' in the world?

-Wo jumpin the lake! -Murmured Ingrid to him in tears.

He laughed, than hit the kid with his fist.

She fell back to the ground again.

-Yuu, Maggot! -He spitted on the brat.

-I think, I may discha'ge myself from t-wine I drank!

The northern turned her face away to the log and started to sob again.

"It's a disgrace, disgrace, disgrace!!! Even if I stop the time, I can't move!!!"

Smelly warm fluid poured on her neck while everybody laughed maniacally.

Ingrid clenched her eyes and mouth.

-I AM SO MUCH LIGHTER...OH WAITT'S NO' OVER YET! HAHAHAA...

Ingrid trembled hopelessly.

On spur of a moment the pouring stopped, and the man was gone.
-WHAT WAS THAT?!

-THAT THIN' TOOK LUCAS AWAY!

-WHEA' IS THAT?!

-DID YO' SEE THAT?! WHAT WAS THAT?!

Ingrid was too afraid to turn her head to look the disturbance.

The voices of shouting and screaming men were pulled away, until everything went silence, and the only things Ingrid could hear the crackle of fire and her own sniffle.

It took minutes to notice, someone was standing behind her.

She felt the breeze as he was leaning towards her. Ingrid tried to cry quietly and not opening her eyes.

He held her up in his lap with one arm, like a knight.

She opened her eyes and even though her vision was misty, the woods were dark, she knew it was the black prince, Karakan.

-I..am dirty.- She shook and cried out loud.

He didn't say a word, just started to walk carefully into the woods.

Ingrid hid her face.
"What a humiliation! Everybody will know in the kingdom, I went through these disgraceful events!
...and WHY in the world had to be him of them all, who sees me like this?"

They stopped, and the southern prince put the little prince down. It was dark, but a nearby lake reflected the moon on the wane.

Karakan untied Ingrid, then unpinned his heavy cape...took off his dress, then his shirt, his boots and pants.

Ingrid was glad, she had blurred vision, and even happier that it was dark, so he couldn't see how red she was.

-What are you waiting for?-He asked impatiently and made her startle.

Ingrid tried to undress as fast as she could, but she couldn't make herself to take off her underpants.

Ingrid wobbled into the water and tried to wash off the dried blood and piss from her face as fast as possible.

She heard him walking in a few meters away so she peeped to that direction behind her shoulder.

The black prince turned his back to her and untied his hair. The water reached only his hips.

Ingrid was gazing him. Somehow she could see him clearly now.

She felt hot and almost dizzy... unconsciously she slowed down the time.

He was moving very...very slowly.

He sank in the water, then rose out.

He turned around in slow-motion, but his eyes were moving normally.

He dipped into the water again and elevated out in front of Ingrid.

The little prince was so mesmerized she couldn't even close her mouth.

-What..-he started and grabbed her shoulders. -...are you... -turned her around. -...lookin' at?!-He asked irritated and pushed Ingrid under the water.
-Why aren't you washing yourself?..You reeks of piss!-He said when Ingrid stood up again coughing.

-I'm sorry... -She coughed.

-...or...Does your body hurt that much?-He gentled his tone.

-Ohmm...-Ingrid couldn't answer she was so nervous.

She started to rub her face like crazy.
Her heart was beating in her throat.

"What was I thinking?! I keep forgetting, I am a little boy!"

-Will you be alright?- He asked once from the shore.

Ingrid looked there and said "yes" timidly.

-I take your clothes and wash them elsewhere...-He said while he tied his underpants and grabbed their clothes.

-...do not go anywhere until I get back, you hear me?-He said and Ingrid nodded.

-If someone comes, just stay underwater until he passes...I will be right back.

She nodded her head again, then he left.

She dipped under the water. The time stopped.

"Is this, what they call "Love"?"

She was lost in her thoughts when a strong arm pulled her out from the water.

-Are you drowning?-Karakan asked while he was holding the girl up by her wrist.
-No...-Said to him surprised. "Didn't I stopped the time?"

Behind him campfire ignited as time went on. The dresses were hanged on branches all clean to dry.

-Well that was strange.-Turned his head towards the shore. -I thought they will never take fire.

He let her go, and went out. The girl followed him.

"What have just happened? It seemed that indeed I stopped the time, but then again he prepared all this?"

"Who is he? Can he be someone... like me?"

She sat in front of him and stared at him.
Karakan did the same.

"Does he know?"

-Your face is almost fully healed.- He said.
-My..face?-Ingrid touched her eyes that was no longer swollen. -It must have been the water, it cleared my wounds out, you know.

He narrowed his eyes and gazed at hers. She kept looking innocently but her face turned red again. He looked away and pulled his fingers through his hair.

-I heal fast too...-he murmured to himself. -It's a Luck that they didn't kill you.

-Yeah...oh now that you mentioned, what about the others?

-They are fine...most of them.-Started he while staring at the kid who was gazing at him.
-They escaped to the next village. They won't wait us there, because I commanded to go straight to Valury.

-Is my brother, Sigfrid al...

-He's fine. Otherwise they wouldn't go ahead... We will follow them.

-I see...

Ingrid's stomach rumbled.

-You hungry?

-Ohm yes...-She said embarrassed.

-Fish is fine, right?-He stood up and dusted himself off.

-Yes, thank you.

He walked into the water again and Ingrid slowed down the time to see him slow-motioned.

He stood there still.

Suddenly he hit into the water and pulled out a rigid fish. The kid was surprised and let the time goes.

The fish moved.

He bashed into his palm and the fish died.
Ingrid watched him preparing the roasted fish silently.

"Somehow my time-stopping ability is not working on him. Did he notice anything? If he is the same as me, doesn't it mean that he's like really old?"

-Maybe this water is really magical. -He said, while he pierced a sprig through the fish.

-You think so? I wonder...if it's the case.

Silence sat in between them.