“Just what is going on here?” Chloe asked, gazing at the scene unfolding before her.

Everyone had turned to Chloe; the knights in shock, the crowd in awe, and the rest of us confused.

“It’s princess Chloe!”

 “What is she doing out here?”

I raised my head from the ground, still clutching my side as I looked towards her. Sure enough, my ears didn’t deceive me. Chloe Thalassa, princess of the kingdom of Neptunus, and one of the six main characters of my story.

“Princess Chloe,” the knights started, bowing respectfully.

“It is an honor to see you here. However, might I ask what has brought you all the way out here to our beloved kingdom of Mercuria?”

Chloe narrowed her eyes as she gazed at the knight before her, “Do not try to change the subject to me sir knight. I am here on urgent royal business. That is none of your concern. What should be your concern, however, is explaining to me what is transpiring in the middle of this marketplace.”

The knights and Chloe locked eyes for a moment before the knight up front spoke once more.

“As you could clearly see princess, the black cat in question here injured this poor girl to use as a sacrifice for her own selfish wish to her white fox slave. We knights interfered on the people’s behalf to ensure the wish, whatever it may be, doesn’t bring harm upon our citizens.”

Chloe gazed around at all three of us before turning back to the knights.

“I see. Do you agree with his testimony?” Chloe asked, addressing Fauve and Evolet.

“Of course not! They are the ones who picked a fight with us, and they hurt Liliya too…” Fauve argued before giving up and turning away, her magic dispersing.

Chloe turned to me as I gazed up at her from my position on the ground. “Hmm. It seems there are two different sides to this story. However, one thing that is the same is that she is the one that was hurt. Therefore, I will ask her for the truth,” Chloe spoke as she stepped towards me.

“Hold on princess, it is too dangerous for you. We believe she may have been hypnotized by this cat,” the knight spoke, standing up and blocking Chloe’s way.

Chloe glared at his arm in front of her before turning her glare to him and pushing him out of her way. “I’ll be the judge of that.”

Chloe step towards me and Fauve tensed, however Fauve relaxed after I gave her a reassuring smile. Kneeling down in front of me, Chloe raised her hand before letting her hand be consumed in an icy blue glow. I closed my eyes at the light before me, and when I re-opened them, all of my previous pain had disappeared. I gasped in surprise as I sat up in awe of how quickly the pain disappeared.

Chloe smiled, “Now that that is remedied, would you mind telling me your side of the story?”

I nodded. “I was lost in the nearby forest when I accidentally stumbled upon a magic beast’s territory. In its rage, it attacked me, and these two showed up and saved me before I could get anymore hurt. These two brought me into town to find a healer, when we ran into these knights here. They threatened these two and spoke nasty lies about them before they tossed me aside and drew their swords, looking for a fight. That’s what really happened,” I told her.

“Princess Chloe! You mustn’t listen to her brainwashed lies!” The knights in question yelled.

“I detected no use of such magic on Miss Liliya here when I healed her. Furthermore, it seems the real liars here are the knights standing before me. What say you?” Chloe questioned standing before the knights.

“Princess!” The knights gasped, flabbergasted.

“It is indeed a princess’s duty to trust in her knights. However, it is even more important for a princess to work in service to the people. Therefore, based on my judgment I believe the knights are the ones in the wrong here!” Chloe spoke plainly.

“Tsk,” the knights scanned the surrounding crowd, realizing there’s nothing much they can do here.

“Now, while I have no power to punish the knights of this kingdom, I will however, send word to someone who does. Now begone,” Chloe released them with a swishing gesture as the knights scoffed and left, however not before mentioning something interesting. 

“Let’s go, we still have our own matters to attend to.”

“The dungeon sighting?”

“Do you really think it’s real?”

“Only one way to find out boys. Who knows, maybe we will find the treasure inside to be more valuable than the fox.” The knight cackled. 

A dungeon? I thought watching the knights disappear.

“Are you alright?” Chloe asked, holding her hand out to me.

“I’m fine now, thanks,” I returned, taking her hand and standing up.

“That’s good. I’m glad everything was cleared up quite smoothly,” Chloe spoke as the crowd dispersed. 

“What do you all plan to do now?” Chloe asked as Evolet and Fauve approached. Evolet handed my book back to me as I nodded to her in thanks.

“Well now that she is healed, Fauve and I will be on our way. We have places to be,” Evolet spoke up.

“Oh, and what about you Liliya?” Chloe asked.

“I-I still have to find my way home,” I muttered nervously.

“Your way home? Oh yes, you did mention you were lost didn’t you. What town are you from? Perhaps I can help you,” Chloe offered. 

“Um…” I muttered nervously trying to think of an answer.

“She has amnesia, she doesn’t know where her home is,” Fauve spoke calmly.

“Wait, she has amnesia, has no idea how to return home, and you two are just leaving her?!”

“It is none of our business,” Evolet countered.

“It’s ok, I can figure it out on my own,” I tried to defend, but it all went to deaf ears.

“None of your- how can you say that?! Didn’t you two save her?!” Chloe argued.

“It was convenient for us at the time, that is all.”

“Convenient?!”

I sighed letting the two argue back and forth as my mind wandered to what the knights talked about as they left. Dungeons were one of the things I purposefully omitted from the story. I felt that the concept was boring and over used at the time so I left it out, but if so, then how do the knights even know about it. If I left it out of the story then shouldn’t it not exist at all?

“Um guys?” I spoke up.

“I hate to interrupt, but what is a dungeon? I heard those knights talking about it as they left…” I asked them, curious to their answer.  

“A dungeon?”

“You’ve never heard of them?” Chloe and Evolet replied, looking at me in surprise.

So they have heard about it.

“No… and even if I did, I don’t remember…” I replied, keeping up the fib.

“Dungeons are locked gateways to magical mazes,” Fauve spoke up.
“It is said that these mazes are home too many powerful magical beasts and monsters that attack on sight. It’s said that if you beat all of the creatures in your path and clear the maze, you will be led into the boss room. If you successfully beat the boss, you’ll be rewarded the treasure sealed within the maze. Of course, to do all of that you have to survive. Anyway, all of this are just rumors. Since the gateways are sealed, no one has actually been in a dungeon before,” Fauve explained.

“They’re sealed? Where did these dungeons even come from?” I ask curiously.

As I thought, I made sure to cut them from the story, yet they’re somehow here. Now that I think about it, the same thing goes for the Altalion’s powers too. I created the Altalion, but I never gave it any powers, at least not yet. None of these should’ve existed. I wonder is the story, this world, trying to fill in the gaps I left behind? Hmm, maybe what Fauve says will give me some answers.

“No one knows,” Fauve shrugged.

I fell over comically, shocked, but not surprised. I never wrote an explanation for the dungeons, so it makes sense that there isn’t one.

That adds up, I thought with a small laugh standing back up. I guess somethings are still left unfinished. 

“The knights must’ve gotten a report about a locked gate sighting. It’s nothing for us to worry about. Pretty normal actually,” Chloe explained.

“Anyway, back to the topic at hand-”

Growwwllll~

All four of us blushed, embarrassed at the sound of our stomachs.

“Maybe we should get some dinner first. It is getting late,” I noted turning to the darkening sky.

“Yes, didn’t you say you had royal business to attend to?” Evolet questioned.

“I do as a matter of fact, and now I’m going to be late. Do what you want, I’m heading towards restaurant row for some food before my royal business,” Chloe huffed turning and storming away.

“Heh-heh, well, why don’t we get something to eat too?” I suggested nervously.

“What makes you think we’re going with you?” Evolet questioned.

Looking at the two, Fauve looked away while Evolet glared with her arms crossed.

Right, they probably wouldn’t be welcome at any restaurant.

Regardless, I grabbed their hands with a smile and pulled them along. “Don’t worry, I’m sure we’ll find-”

Evolet cut me off, pulling her hand from mine, and knocking my hand from Fauve’s.

“Don’t be delusional,” Evolet scolded.

“We have no reason to go with you and we have no reason to trust you.”

I looked at both of them in shock.

Fauve turned away, “Sorry, but she’s right. You’re better off without us anyway.”

“But-” I reached out.

“Goodbye Liliya.” The two turned away and left without another word, leaving me alone on the street because I couldn’t muster up the courage to say anything to comfort them.

My hand fell to my side as they disappeared from sight, as I gazed down at the book in my hands, its golden embellishments reflecting back at me. I stared down at my saddened expression before suddenly the reflection changed, and I gasped as a hand covered over my mouth.