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Not long after Arcane entered the orchards, her attention was drawn to a tree bearing bright pink fruits. Intrigued, she had to investigate. Holding her puffy dress in her teeth, she climbed up one of the branches and sat there, munching on a fruit that looked like an apple painted pink. However, the satisfied look on her face indicated that it tasted much better than an apple.
"Oh! I am stuffed," she patted her belly that was peeking out at her. "I better go back now," she said as she prepared to jump down. But something else caught her attention. She stepped up on a higher branch to get a better view behind the walls. To her surprise, she saw small houses in the distance, it seemed as if it was the town.
"I didn't know that the town was this close to the palace," Arcane mumbled. "I wonder if Saorsa is out there sneaking away from her palace." Arcane's words contained envy, her eyes twinkled at the sight of the freedom that was waiting for her beyond those walls.
But as she gazed at the town, the branch she stood on broke, and Arcane's eyes widened at the sudden stimuli. She was about to fall badly, but her reflexes kicked in and she landed on her feet like a cat. "Ho!" a sound of disbelief escaped her lips. "I thought this body was weak, so I didn't bother practicing. Turns out it's rather flexible," she chuckled, not realizing the scratch on her arm from the sharp edge of the branch.
On her way out of the orchards, she discovered another fact: she was lost. "Agh! Why am I so dumb!" Arcane lightly hit her head and spoke in an annoyed tone.
"My Lady! Is everything alright?" A sweet and calm voice came from behind the bushes. Arcane turned around to see who it was. A guy with crimson hair and emerald green eyes emerged from the bushes. He was wearing a formal uniform and looked like an official knight. He was tall and handsome, making Arcane pause in her steps and stare at him without blinking, her mouth half-open.
"Miss?" he asked again.
"Oh!" Arcane finally blinked and shifted her gaze away from the guy. "That... I am lost," said Arcane, feeling embarrassed.
"Chuckle" There was a low chuckle that entered Arcane's ear. She looked at the guy with a funny expression.
"Is there something wrong?" she asked.
"No! Not at all...I was just." The man, William Brice, corrected his attitude and spoke again, this time with a hint of nervousness in his voice. "Allow me the honor of escorting you back to your room." He bowed slightly, his voice laced with politeness and a hint of eagerness.
"You will? I mean, you'll do that for me?" Arcane couldn't hide the surprise and gratitude in her voice.
"It's not a big deal, it's our job to assist those in need," William replied, a hint of a smile on his lips, his voice filled with genuine kindness.
Arcane smiled in gratitude, her heart warming at his willingness to help. "That's so kind of you. By the way, what should I call you?"
"William Brice," he said, his eyes meeting hers, a hint of attraction in his gaze.
"William Brice," Arcane repeated, something about the name ringing a bell in her mind but she couldn't place it. "Shall we go then, Sir Brice?"
As they walked through the orchards, Arcane couldn't shake off the feeling that the name had significance in her story, but she couldn't remember why. Her thoughts were so deep that she didn't notice the prickly bushes in front of her until William pulled her back just in time.
"My lady, are you alright?" William's hands were holding her by the arms, concern etched on his face, his grip gentle and protective.
"Ah!" Arcane winced in pain, William's grip had landed on her injured arm. He immediately released her with a look of guilt on his face, his voice filled with remorse. "I am sorry, I couldn't control my strength while helping you," he said, his face flushing with embarrassment, his eyes filled with regret.
Arcane looked at his white glove that was now stained with her blood. "Tsk... your glove got dirty," she pouted, her tone light but her heart heavy with guilt for causing him distress. "Let me help you clean it." But William was more focused on her injury.
"Did... did I do that?" he asked, looking at her arm with wide eyes, his voice filled with self-doubt. "I'm so sorry."
"No, no! I got hurt after I fell off a tree," Arcane tried to reassure him, her voice soothing and her touch gentle as she placed her hand on his arm. But William couldn't shake off the guilt. He pulled out a handkerchief from his pocket and handed it to her, his voice filled with concern. "My lady, please press it against the wound, it will stop the bleeding for now," he said, his voice trembling.
Not long after Arcane stepped into the orchards, her gaze was drawn to a tree laden with bright pink fruits. Intrigued, curiosity spurred her to investigate. Gripping her puffy dress in her teeth, she nimbly climbed up a branch and settled there, savoring a fruit resembling a pink-painted apple. The contented expression on her face spoke volumes—it clearly surpassed the flavor of an apple.
"Oh, I'm stuffed," she patted her belly peeking out at her. "Time to head back," she mused aloud, preparing to descend. Yet, something else caught her eye. Ascending a higher branch for an improved vantage point beyond the walls, she was stunned to spot a cluster of small houses in the distance—it looked like the town.
"I had no idea the town was this close to the palace," Arcane murmured. "I wonder if Saorsa is out there, escaping from her royal confinements." Envy tinged Arcane's words, her eyes sparkling at the hint of freedom lying beyond those enclosures.
As she fixated on the town, the branch supporting her snapped, jolting Arcane from her reverie. She was teetering on the verge of a bad fall when her instincts kicked in, causing her to land gracefully on her feet like a cat. "Ho!" a sound of disbelief escaped her lips. "I underestimated this body's strength; I never bothered practicing. Yet, it turns out to be quite agile," she chuckled, oblivious to the scratch on her arm from the sharp branch edge.
On her way out of the orchards, she stumbled upon another truth: she was lost. "Agh! Why am I so dense!" Arcane lightly thwacked her head, annoyance evident in her tone.
"My Lady! Everything alright?" A sweet, composed voice emerged from behind the bushes. Arcane turned to ascertain the source. Emerging from the foliage was a man with crimson hair and emerald eyes. He sported a formal uniform, an unmistakable air of an official knight. Tall and handsome, he compelled Arcane to halt mid-step, staring at him, momentarily unblinking, her mouth slightly ajar.
"Miss?" he inquired again.
"Oh!" Arcane finally blinked, breaking her gaze from the man. "Um... I'm lost," she admitted, feeling embarrassed.
"Chuckle." A low chuckle reached Arcane's ears, prompting her to glance at the man quizzically.
"Is something amiss?" she asked.
"No, not at all... I was just..." William Brice, the man, adjusted his demeanor, speaking anew, this time with a trace of nervousness. "May I offer the honor of escorting you back to your chambers?" He bowed slightly, his voice a blend of politeness and a dash of eagerness.
"You would? I mean, you're willing to do that for me?" Arcane's surprise and gratitude were unmistakable.
"It's no bother, we're here to aid those in need," William replied, a ghost of a smile on his lips, his voice exuding genuine benevolence.
Arcane smiled in gratitude, warmed by his readiness to assist. "That's truly kind. By the way, what should I call you?"
"William Brice," he introduced himself, his gaze meeting hers, a hint of attraction twinkling in his eyes.
"William Brice," Arcane repeated, a faint sense of familiarity accompanying the name, though its origin eluded her. "Shall we then, Sir Brice?"
As they strolled through the orchards, a persistent feeling tugged at Arcane, suggesting that the name held significance in her story, though she struggled to recall why. Her thoughts ran deep, unaware of the thorny bushes ahead until William promptly pulled her back, saving her from the prickly embrace.
"My lady, are you unharmed?" William's hands cradled her arms, concern etched across his features, his touch gentle and protective.
"Ah!" Arcane winced in pain, William's grip landing on her injured arm. He swiftly released her, his expression tinged with guilt, his voice laced with regret. "I apologize, I didn't gauge my strength properly while assisting you," he explained, his cheeks flushing with embarrassment, eyes betraying his remorse.
Arcane observed the stained glove on his hand. "Tsk... your glove got soiled," she playfully pouted, her tone light, though guilt weighed on her heart for causing him concern. "Allow me to help clean it." Yet William remained preoccupied by her injury.
"Did... did I cause that?" he queried, wide-eyed, his voice tinged with self-doubt. "I'm so sorry."
"No, no! I got hurt when I fell from a tree," Arcane reassured, her voice soothing as she placed her hand on his arm, her touch tender. But William couldn't shake off his guilt. Retrieving a handkerchief from his pocket, he handed it to her, his tone laden with concern. "My lady, press this against the wound; it'll halt the bleeding for now," he advised, his voice quivering.
As they neared the palace, Arcane expressed her gratitude to William and assured him that she would return the handkerchief to him later. Her voice held a blend of appreciation and regret, recognizing the pang of leaving him with a sense of disappointment. She observed his departing figure, his troubled countenance and slumped shoulders a poignant sight. When she judged herself far enough away to speak without being overheard, she murmured to herself, "William Brice... I've come across that name before, but who is he?" Her thoughts swirled in a mixture of confusion and curiosity, her lip caught between her teeth in contemplation.
"Princess!" Arcane lifted her head at the sight of Blanca racing toward her, tears streaking her cheeks. Worry and relief commingled in Blanca's voice. "Where have you been? I've been searching everywhere for you!" Blanca's exclamation was a blend of relief and concern.
"Right here, where else would I go?" Arcane responded, her tone composed, her eyes searching Blanca's face.
"Princess, why are you holding a handkerchief against your arm?" Blanca inquired, her expression a mixture of curiosity and worry.
"I got injured while walking," Arcane replied, her tone matter-of-fact.
"Princess, what happened to your arm?" Blanca's concern deepened as she observed the handkerchief wrapped around Arcane's wound.
"I hurt myself while walking," Arcane reiterated, her voice even, yet heavy with the burden of worrying Blanca.
"Princess, you must be more cautious during your outings. Why do you take such risks?" Blanca's reprimand carried an undertone of maternal concern as she began to tend to Arcane's injury.
"I understand, Blanca," Arcane conceded, remorse lacing her tone. "Blanca, did you locate the library?" she redirected the conversation.
"Yes, Princess," Blanca replied, her brow furrowing in mild confusion at the sudden topic shift.
"Excellent. I wish to visit. Would you kindly guide me there?" Arcane's voice brimmed with determination.
Blanca's features contorted in concern. "But, Princess, you should rest. You're wounded," she implored, her concern evident.
"I can't afford to rest. I need to discover a way back," Arcane murmured with urgency, her resolve palpable.
Blanca's gaze flickered to the now bloodstained handkerchief, perplexed by Arcane's relentless determination to return to a place that held such painful memories.
"Also, Blanca, please safeguard this handkerchief. I'll wash it once I'm back in my room," Arcane added, a tinge of guilt permeating her voice for the trouble she'd caused.
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