'So, why does it seem we almost ran away?'

'What do you mean?' The Boss replied.

'Oh, please. Don't tell me this is how you normally are when you leave a camping site.' There was no answer. 'Come on. What was it that was so scary that the person who I know as the most fearless woman, run away like a scared bunny?'

The Boss snapped back at her. 'I wasn't running away, Cinderella. Stop saying I was.' But when she said that, her facial expressions were hasty, and she couldn't focus on one spot.

Cinderella sighed but let it rest for now. There was no point in fighting. They had a long road ahead, and they have to spend 24/7 with each other. It's best when it's peaceful. They had been walking for an hour, and already Cinderella's feet hurt. Other than that, the sun was shining, and Cinderella could hear the birds singing their morning songs. She inhaled, and she smelled the fresh grass.

They were walking in a field, and gorgeous flowers surrounded them. She wanted to pluck them but decided not to. Her mother once told her she shouldn't pluck them because they would die. Her mind drifted away to her childhood. They often visited a field of flowers when they were still a family.

Often they would bring a blanket to sit on and a basket full of snacks and something to drink. Those memories brought back a lot of feelings, and Cinderella felt how her eyes grew hot. She quickly looked away from the field of flowers, onto the road before her. She didn't want The Boss to see her like that.

'You were right, by the way.' The Boss broke the silence.

Cinderella woke up from her daydreaming and looked at her. 'Right about what?'

'About the packing things quicker than normal.'

Cinderella raised an eyebrow. 'Really?' She smiled softly. 'Are you alright? You already put an arm around me when we left this morning, and now you're saying I'm right?'

'I know. But in case something happens, I want you to know at least something.'

'Like what?'

The Boss started talking. 'I have a feeling we're being followed.'

'What? By who?' Cinderella's eyes were wide open, and she looked around to see if she could spot someone. There was no one besides The Boss and her.

'Stop looking around, you fool. Keep on walking.'

Cinderella did as she said but kept on looking around.

'I'm not sure, but for the last couple of days, I feel like someone has been watching us. He has been following us from the road to the castle, to here. I hoped I could avoid this, but I guess you drew quite some attention to yourself when you lost the shoe.' The Boss sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. 'Anyway, the fact remains that we have someone on our tale, and we have to get rid of it.'

'Do you know who it is?'

The Boss dropped her hand to her side and looked at Cinderella. For the first time, The Boss's eyes looked worried. 'I have an idea, but I don't know for sure. But if I'm correct, then we are in big trouble.'

Anxiety and nerves came rushing when The Boss said that. Cinderella stopped walking. This was all her fault. If she had paid attention to her surroundings and didn't lose the shoe, they wouldn't have to deal with this. Maybe she shouldn't be thinking about this, but her stepmother once told her she was never good enough for anything. Her stepmother told her over and over again. When you say something that awful to a person, that person is going to remember that. And when you keep on saying it, the person is going to believe that.

'Hey.' The Boss came closer and lifted Cinderella's head. 'Stop getting in your head. Whatever you're thinking about, it's not true. The people who said that to you were wrong, you know.'

'I know. But it still hurts.'

"This was the first time we bonded. It was really something. When we looked at each other, it almost looked like we were watching in the mirror. She was a bit older and maybe with more wrinkles, but we both had some damage here and there."

Are you going to be sentimental to me, now?

"Sometimes it's okay, you know?"

I rest my case.

The Boss stroked her cheek. 'I know.' For a second, they were silent. Then: 'Alright. Let's get going. We have a long way ahead.'

They started walking again, and this time, the silence was comforting. The sun was high up in the sky since it was almost noon, but it wasn't too hot. The birds were singing their songs, and for a moment, just a moment, everything felt how it should be. Quiet and peaceful. No screaming voices shouting at her, how she should do this and that. No nagging stepmother telling her what to do. Just the sunshine, the relaxed walking pace, and a long road ahead.

'We're almost at a market. I need to grab some food and meet a couple of people. If we're lucky, we can sleep in an inn tonight.'

'Alright. Who will we meet?'

'You will meet no one. However, you will not do a thing.'

Cinderella felt surpassed. 'Why not? Is this someone so dangerous that I need to stay behind?' When The Boss didn't answer immediately, Cinderella continued. 'You're the one who showed me how to fight. If you're the one telling me to stay behind because you're afraid I'll get hurt, you are saying that you can't teach.'

The Boss was taken aback. Cinderella thought she was stunned because of her cleverness, but The Boss was stunned because of her stupidness. 'No, you moron. I'm saying you need to stay behind because people will recognize you. Remember last night? You're famous now. You know what famous people do?' Cinderella wanted to answer but didn't get the chance. 'They hide. They don't show up in public places. So, you hide and don't show up in public places.' When she wanted to protest, The Boss ended it with: 'If you don't do as I say, you can't stay at an inn tonight, and then we have to sleep in the cold again. Got it?' The Boss looked irritated, and Cinderella just agreed.

When she was like this, you better do as she says. Besides, she had a point. With a stunt like last night, she attracted a lot of attention. Not only from the royals and their guards but also from the attending and non-attending guests.

They arrived at the market, and The Boss gave Cinderella a veil to wear. 'Hide your face. I'm going to make some stops, and when I come back, I want you standing at this exact spot, got it?'

Cinderella nodded and put on the veil. With this, she should be unrecognizable. But who knew she'd ran into someone from her past?