Meeting The Princes

For a moment I could not breathe.

I was still in the man's arms, my heart pounding so loudly I was sure he could hear it. His grip on me was firm but careful, as if he was afraid I might break. I slowly lifted my head to look at him.

He was young, perhaps a few years older than me. His dark hair fell slightly over his forehead and his eyes were a deep shade of blue I had never seen before. His clothes were nothing like the robes the villagers wore. He wore dark leather and a cloak draped over one shoulder, the fabric looked rich but simple at the same time.

He was still staring at me with concern. "My lady, are you hurt?" he asked again.

His voice was calm, but I could hear curiosity in it.

"I... I'm fine," I managed to say, though my voice came out weak.

He gently placed me back on my feet but kept his hands close, just in case I slipped again. I quickly stepped back, embarrassed.

"You said those fruits are poisonous?" I asked, pointing at the red berries above us.

He glanced up at the tree and nodded. "They are. Eating them would make you very sick. In some cases, people don't survive it." My stomach twisted when I heard that.

So I had almost killed myself.

"Thank you," I said quietly.

Before he could respond, another voice came from behind him.

"Valdanus, did you find.."

The second man suddenly stopped speaking when he saw me standing there. He stepped forward slowly, his sharp eyes studying me from head to toe.

Unlike the first man, this one had lighter hair, almost golden in the morning light. His expression was harder, more cautious. His clothes were similar to the first man's but decorated with silver patterns that caught the sunlight.

"Who is she?" he asked.

His voice carried authority. The man who caught me turned slightly toward him.

"I found her trying to eat poison berries," he replied calmly. "She nearly fell from the tree."

The second man raised an eyebrow and looked at me again. "That explains the gown," he muttered.

Only then did I remember what I was wearing. My royal gown was gone, and I stood there in a simple linen dress with dirt on my arms and leaves tangled in my hair. I must have looked ridiculous.

The first man looked back at me and offered a small smile. "I am Prince Valdanus," he said politely. "And this is my brother, Prince Estevan."

My eyes widened. Princes? Maria and I had just escaped from one kingdom and now I had stumbled into another.

I quickly lowered my head in respect. "My name is Pandora," I said softly.

Estevan crossed his arms. "And where exactly did you come from, Pandora?" he asked. “ You definitely don't look like you're from around here,” he continued.

His tone wasn't rude, but it wasn't friendly either. I hesitated. Should I tell them the truth? Valdanus seemed to notice my hesitation.

"You don't have to be afraid," he said gently. "You are safe here."

Something about his voice made my chest loosen slightly. I took a deep breath.

"My friend, her name is Maria, and I escaped from our kingdom," I began slowly. "There was... trouble at the castle."

Estevan looked unimpressed. "What kind of trouble?"

I looked down at the ground. "My father... the king... wanted to force me into a marriage I did not want. When I refused, things became dangerous."

Both princes went silent. Valdanus looked troubled. "A forced marriage?" he repeated quietly.

I nodded.

"We fled during the night and jumped into the river to escape the guards. The current carried us far away. I woke up near the forest with my friend.”

"And she is where?" Estevan asked quickly.

"She's waiting near the edge of the forest," I replied. "She is injured and very hungry."

Valdanus immediately looked concerned. "Injured?"

"It's not too serious," I said quickly. "But she needs rest."

Estevan glanced at his brother. "Valdanus," he said quietly, "we don't even know if she's telling the truth."

Valdanus frowned slightly. "She doesn't look like a spy."

Estevan shrugged. "Spies rarely do."

I looked between them nervously. Their conversation felt strange. They were speaking our language, but some of their words sounded slightly different, almost like an accent I had never heard before.

Valdanus turned back to me. "Pandora, the town you saw belongs to our kingdom. Most people there speak the local dialect. That is probably why they couldn't understand you."

I nodded slowly. "That explains a lot."

Estevan sighed. "If her friend is injured, we should at least see her."

Valdanus nodded in agreement. "Can you take us to her?"

"Yes," I said quickly.

We began walking back toward the place where Maria was waiting. The two princes followed beside me, though Estevan stayed slightly behind, watching carefully.

The silence between us felt strange. Finally Valdanus spoke again. "You climbed that tree yourself?"

I looked at him sheepishly. "I was hungry." To my surprise, he laughed softly.

"That is a dangerous way to search for food."

"I realize that now," I admitted.

Estevan spoke from behind us. "You must not know much about forests."

"I don't," I replied honestly.

Valdanus glanced at me again. "You grew up in a castle, didn't you?.

I looked at him in surprise.

"How did you know?"

He smiled slightly. "You climb trees like someone who has never climbed one before." Even Estevan let out a quiet chuckle. For the first time since leaving my kingdom, I felt something strange. It wasn't fear, something lighter, hope.

Soon the edge of the forest came into view. Maria was still sitting where I left her. When she saw me walking toward her with two unfamiliar men, she immediately stood up in alarm.

"Pan!" she cried.

"It's alright," I called out quickly. "They helped me."

Maria looked between the two princes nervously. Valdanus stepped forward gently.

"You must be Maria," he said kindly.

She looked surprised. "Y... yes."

"I am Prince Valdanus, and this is my brother Prince Estevan."

Maria immediately bowed her head. "Your Highness."

Estevan glanced at the two of us again, still studying us carefully. Then he looked at Valdanus.

"Well," he said quietly. "It seems our morning just became interesting."

And somehow, I had a feeling that meeting these two princes would change our lives in ways I could not yet imagine.