The man could only stare and become more and more sure, that this person was really the one he had lost…

Her face was only more matured, yet strangely thin, but it still looked very familiar. He remembered always wanting to pinch her little, puffy cheeks when she had been smaller. But now, she was slowly growing up, showing slight, small signs of becoming a young adult already. The man still found that there was something wrong though, her face looked tired and a little sick…

Was she not well?

Her green eyes took him in, holding him hostage. They hadn’t changed at all…

Then, her beautiful hair…

Stunned, the man saw that the hair colour was different…

It was so strange, that he was sure that this was her, yet, why had her hair changed colour? It was now dark brown, instead of a light auburn colour. But there was that slight wave, even though it was up into a hair style, the man noticed the same wave that was in her hair previously.

He wanted to speak with her! Find out what was going on! He wanted to pinch her cheeks and touch that wave in her hair…

“Am I unwelcome, Princess? Or would you like to sit and have tea with me?” The man said. He knew of her moods, if he could find how she would treat him, he’d know how to start having her to forgive him.

He watched her lips part but not say a word and he really started to panic…Now that he looked at her face, she looked like she wasn’t angry, nor was she upset…

It was exactly like the other times! Like she had no idea who he was!

Becoming silent himself, the man took a tiny step back. He had not thought that this would happen again, it was a shock!

The maid, seeing the strange silence between them, stepped in front of Dupli and then said, “The Princess would like to have tea with you, my lord.”

Dupli found herself again and bowed her head, “Yes, please, I’d be much obliged.”

The maid turned to her and sneered. She thought this guy was handsome and seemed to like her, so she wanted to see what she can get out of it. Having not really liked anyone of the opposite sex, the Princess was quite enthusiastic!

Feeling like too much had overcome her, Dupli desperately wanted to run away. The hidden palace was a cage, that she might have been freed from, yet, she was still within another cage…

She had forgotten about becoming the Princess since she had entered into the capital. Her time as a maid was already becoming worse and worse by the day, but now, being the Princess once again, she was worried another attempt at her life was going to come soon.

Fearing the worst, was something she had started to do after the first time she had been attacked. After she started thinking of the worst, she wasn’t so disappointed anymore about the way she was treated or what else she had to endure. Instead, she found that small things had been easily enjoyed, like reading those books, and being able to eat better for a short period of time. Even though those things didn’t last long, she was able to think good of at least a few things in the last two years…

Taking a deep breath and closing her feelings off once again, she started to walk to the closest tea house.

The man had seen every facial expression the Princess made and was starting to wonder what was going on. He knew, from previous experience of watching her face, that the Princess was…Very sad…

Why was she very sad?

Then, her face showed nothing!

Only one other time he had seen her with that face!

Following behind the Princess, the man sighed in his heart. Wanting to hold her until she smiled, but he could only start from scratch…Again!

Sadly, looking at the lonely back of the figure in front of him, the man grew more upset to see that not only her face looked slightly weak, but her whole body.

Scary thoughts rushed out to his mind before he could stop them, and he stopped himself from stealing this girl away.

She was a Princess, how could they mistreat her? If he took her away, wouldn’t she just disappear once again?

He knew of her stubbornness, it was stronger then his! She is an unyielding, little minx that could take years to unhitch!

Perhaps in a week, she will be better again, and he won’t have to worry about how she’s being treated…

He already wanted to search around anyway and find a place to keep an eye on her.

Sighing, he was just glad that she had at least agreed to tea for now, she can begin to learn about him once again…

But, he had no idea that the one who had wanted to go, was not Dupli, but in fact the Princess.

After they had been seated for a time, both of them unable to speak of anything due to the new feelings going through them, the maid of the Princess made an excuse for the Princess to leave.

Upon a strange want to find out everything about this man, the Princess had felt herself in the wrong position. She was a maid at the moment! How much better would it be if she were the Princess sitting opposite him!?

Having the idea that she could just change with Dupli and become the Princess once again, she had the excuse to be said and for the man to wait for a moment.

It was when Dupli had stood up, to go follow the maid towards the carriage, that an assassin put out a poisonous dart flying towards her.

The man opposite the Princess, again without thinking, stopped the poisoned dart and threw it back at the assassin in retaliation.

Turning back to the Princess, the man widened his eyes to see a knife had been thrown into her stomach and Dupli went to put her hand to the knife.

As the man stopped her hand from pulling out the knife, he found her starting to collapse and held her against him.

A sound escaped his mouth as he couldn’t believe his sight. The Princess rolled her eyes back and fainted, making the man extremely terrified and hurriedly put her body on the floor and put his hand to the knife.

In one swift moment, he took out the knife and then threw it to the side. Putting both his hands over the wound, he waited for a few seconds before he removed them.

Falling down onto the ground, he breathed out a big breath of relief, as memories invaded him…

Every time, he had hated it!

He knew it couldn’t be helped, but he had hated it!

Watching her leave him stabbed his heart millions of times, yet, he could only have held her to him.

This time, he was so glad he was here!

Is this why she looked weak? Because her life was in danger?

Wiping sweat off his forehead, the man breathed out yet another sigh in relief.

Looking at the girl still not moving, he noticed that she looked a bit better now. His pure healing upon her body had not only healed her wound but helped heal other things in her body as well.

Gently looking at her, he found that others were picking her up and taking her away in a strange manner.

Frowning, he watched as they quickly put her roughly into the carriage and left, without even saying their thanks or goodbye.

Standing up, watching the carriage disappear, he couldn’t help but think that she really needed him…And that he had to stay closer to her. If others treated her like this, how was she being treated in the palace?

***

Dupli found herself in a dream, running at such a fast speed and holding something very carefully.

“Brother, brother look! Look! I did it! I did it! I made one all by myself!”

“My dear, your brother had left a few minutes ago, he said he’ll be back in no time.”

Dupli found herself looking at someone familiar but couldn’t remember who it was.

“I made it!”

“Yes, my dear.” The woman said back to her, she had on simple attire and looked pretty old. She put her hand to the Dupli’s back and started to walk her back to a small house close by.

“Brother said he would teach me more after I made it.” Dupli found herself saying.

“Your brother told me that he didn’t say that at all, and that you said that!”

Dupli found herself pouting, “Even so, I made something hard and since I put so much effort into it, then he should teach me more!”

The woman chuckled, “Your brother dotes on you well, when you show him your own hand made chime, he will surely teach you more.”

Dupli found herself smiling like an idiot, “Really!?”

“Yes, my dear!”

“Oh, look who we have here, a little one and a big one…”

Dupli was moved behind the old woman and tried to see where the voice had come from. She saw two man that were dirty and bloody, looking at them greedily. “Ah, seems like a good day. Leaving the war behind has only given us fortune”

“Yeah, should have done it years ago!” The other man said.

“Our master is not far, I suggest you go away before he sees you here.” The older woman said.

“Don’t worry, we will be gone…Very quickly!”

Dupli found herself being pushed away from the woman and she turned and yelled, “Run!”

Looking back at the woman, Dupli wanted to help her, but a man had already caught her, holding her tight.

“Run fast! Davina! Don’t stop!” The woman yelled, before her mouth was covered.

Dupli saw the other man come towards her and she got scared. Quickly, she turned and ran, ran as fast as she could, as she was told.

“Get back here, you little runt!” The man running after her yelled.

Seeing a big amount of water in front of her, Dupli then woke from her dream in a rush and found herself heavily breathing…

***

Closing her eyes, Dupli took a deep breath in and then opened them again. She vaguely remembered her dream and couldn’t help but swallow and hold back her tears.

Her name was Davina…Her real name…Was Davina.

Trying to smile, but unable to, Dupli wiped away a tear.

Looking around, she saw a person staring at her mockingly and shake their head as they walked away.

Getting out of bed, Dupli put her dream behind her. Her life now was different, if she let any kind of warm feelings in, it might make it harder to survive.

She really wanted to think more about it, but she didn’t let herself.

Putting on her outer maid uniform, she went about with her chores, staying the ever so silent and cold, detached person that she had become…

No words were said to her, no thanks, no punishment or gift. Nothing.

She had taken a dagger into her stomach, which somehow miraculously healed, and yet felt like she had done nothing at all.

It was what was expected, it was her job.

Whenever she had to do work near the Princess, she was practically ignored, but she had overheard that the man had healed her, due to Royal Consort Muriel coming in to see the Princess.

Dupli’s sad eyes found that the Princess had taken her role as the person who had been stabbed and saved. Telling her mother that she sincerely wanted to thank this person very much for saving her life and gift him a treasure.

Dupli finished her chore and walked out towards the back of the courtyard.

Finding that no one was around, Dupli slide down the wall and cuddled herself.

They always told her that she was nothing, she wasn’t of anyone’s concern. Today, she found that she couldn’t keep her upset thoughts away and they clouded her vision.

Quietly, she cried and tried to calm herself down.

Was it because of the dream that I feel weak today?

Rubbing her eyes onto her knees, through her outfit, Dupli stopped crying.

Even if the dream seemed truly like a beautiful dream, this here, was her life now.

Lifting up her head, looking far away and in a daze, she decided that her past didn’t matter anymore. If she depended on anybody or anything, she might be let down and she couldn’t afford that!

The position that she was in, required her to be strong, Dupli didn’t quite understand it, but she felt weak, thinking of a past that could have been better then now.

Slowly getting up, Dupli’s heart closed up and her cold eyes returned.

If I was going to give up…I would have left ages ago!

Feeling refreshed, Dupli let out a breath, then went to go continue her chores.

But, as she went closer to the Princess’s quarters…There was suddenly a hanging chime…

Seeing it swaying slightly to the wind, Dupli found herself blanking out.

Quick, unfamiliar flashes flowed through her mind, but she couldn’t make anything from them.

Staring at the chime, Dupli’s eyes changed to that of interest and walked closer to the chime.

Lifting a hand to move the chime gently, she smiled as random music began to play.

Listening to it, and closing her eyes, she felt like the world suddenly changed and once again heard a familiar voice, ‘You will forever be my moving chime.’

“Just what I wanted, a maid not working!”

Dupli snapped out of her thoughts in haste, then turned to the head maid who looked at her with interest. “The Princess specifically told me to find a place to put a dog. Now come with me!”

Dupli swallowed and then followed behind the head maid. After about a five-minute walk, they were near another part of the wall, in the corner.

Dupli waited, and the head maid finally said, “Dig out an area for a fence, no food until it’s done!”

Nodding, because there was nothing else she could do, Dupli went to walk towards the maid’s quarters to get a tool to dig but…

“Do it by hand!”

Slowly turning around, Dupli went back to the corner and started to dig, not even sure how big the area she had to dig or how often to dig holes.

The head maid just chuckled and walked away…

Till sunset, all day long, Dupli dug, using only her hands.

And all this time a man had sat and watched. He had seen them come out to this desolate corner and how this maid was treated. He found it somewhat strange that he had made the land purer and yet there was still quite an amount of corruption already. Having mostly used his power near the new border of the Kingdom of Eden, the palace only got half the amount and he hadn’t even reached the hidden palace near the mountains. Having used everything he had, and having to take almost a year to recuperate, he found himself still unhappy with what he had accomplished…He was sure many people would have been hit with purity and that they should have changed, at least a small amount. Yet, here he was, personally overseeing a maid get treated very poorly…

He had thought she had given up by now, but she diligently powered on. Her straight holes going out and then back to the other wall, were every metre or so and her hands had long been dirtied.

He found himself admiring her endurance and thoughts of doing a good job, even though she was being bullied.

Not wanting to watch her further, he knocked her out and finished her job for her, leaving her against the tree.

He hadn’t hit her too hard, as she already looked quite weak, and only needed a few minutes to finish her job for her, but he wasn’t able to watch any longer.

Since darkness was starting to come over the area, he had been able to use that to finally put her to sleep.

Going back into his hiding area, he watched her wake up shortly after and she looked around her, trying to put a hand to the back of her neck.

Seeing her put her hand down, she sat there a moment longer and he saw her purse her lips.

How could he find her so similar? Whenever she pursed her lips, it meant that she was confused…No doubt this maid was confused now as well…So similar…

Noticing that she was very much alike to the Princess he had met formally now, the man shook his head in irritation.

He wasn’t going to falter after everything he had said and done now!

There was no way that he was going to change who he loved so dearly to anyone else!

Yet, as the girl slowly stood up and walked towards the corner again, he was still watching her…

Dupli looked around to find the work being completed and couldn’t remember doing it herself. She was sure she had been hit, as it still slightly hurt…

But, her work was done. Now she could get something to eat and try to clean up her dirty hands, before going to rest.

Exhausted, Dupli started to walk back towards the maid’s quarters and when she finally made it, she saw that nothing was left out for her to eat.

Normally, there would at least be one bowl, but this time there was nothing.

Narrowing her eyes, she clenched her hands and breathed out, trying to calm herself down.

Walking towards the kitchen area in the maid’s quarters, there were dishes, but there was no food and Dupli was sure that someone had also taken her one bowl this time too.

With nothing left to do, being dirty and exhausted. She turned and went to clean her hands, but even the big water barrel and small buckets were all empty.

For a whole minute, Dupli stood there, slowly shaking her head.

Why isn’t there any water at all?

Putting her hands in front of her, she closed her eyes and focused. Feeling something come towards her and using that and the inner force inside of her, she cleansed her hands and opened her eyes.

Her hands were finally cleaned, and now she could rest…Even though she was still a little thirsty...

She had been growing in her powers, so she felt glad that she was no longer so parched that she felt faint from dehydration...

***

The next morning, Dupli was up early, waiting at the eating part of the quarters for her food. She was too hungry to care for anything else and couldn’t let both bowls get taken this time.

Having gone to bed angry and upset, she felt the same still, and she wasn’t going to deal with it today!

“You’re too early, come back later.” A maid said, shuffling in and sitting down.

Dupli glared at her, not saying a word nor moving.

The maid frowned, “Didn’t you hear me, go!”

Standing up, Dupli went to stand next to the maid and glared at her again.

Having no idea that Dupli was giving her a last warning and had had enough of tolerating, the other maid stood up too.

“Don’t look at me like that! You worthless, little runt!”

When she went push Dupli, Dupli went to grab both of her hands and twisted her wrists, hearing a crack.

The maid screamed and cried out, and Dupli let her hands go, and then sat back down.

“Hey! You!” The maid tried to talk but found herself in too much pain.

Again, Dupli stared at her.

The maid tried to comfort her hands and started to cry, running out of the small area.

Upon seeing the maid run out, two others came into the eating area and came to stand before Dupli, “What did you do to her!?”

Dupli glared at them, slowly going from one and to the other, again, not saying a word.

“Looks like she wants to learn a thing or two! Uh!?” The one who spoke this raised a hand and went to slap Dupli.

Before the hand could reach Dupli’s face, she grabbed it and broke the maid’s wrist, then dropped the hand.

A cry came out of the maid, and the other went to slap Dupli, so she did the same to her as well.

No one had ever seen this side of Dupli before, she always came across as someone that took and never gave back any of their ways. The Princess had hardly known who she had been back in the hidden palace either, but Dupli had fought back a few times. When she had been put into a corner and been so angry, she had to let something out!

And at this moment, Dupli was finally feeling a little bit better.

She didn’t want to stop, she wanted them all to know, she was going to eat today!

When the two crying maids left, she, again, was left alone. And when the two bowls were put in front of her, she started to eat…

For the first time in a long time, maids let her have two bowls of food, as they had heard what Dupli had done to three maids.

Most didn’t think it was that big of a deal as they all should get two bowls of food, yet, one, who had been stealing a bowl from Dupli nearly every day, was really annoyed…

When Dupli left, the maid that was annoyed could only continue on with her chores.

But, not long after Dupli left, she was told to see the head maid.

Without saying a word to Dupli upon entering a room inside the maid’s quarters, she was whipped…

The head maid then started to yell and curse her, whipping her at the same time. But still gave no real reason why she was doing it.

Five lashes, and the head maid finally stopped, then said, “Now, go do your chores!”

Dupli stood up, from where she had fallen to the floor in pain. Quietly, she left, and continued to do what she was going to do before.

Her whipping marks were mostly on her back, one had gotten her front and a small amount of blood could be seen on both her front and back.

The pain was harsh, and Dupli ran to where she went the day before, healing herself once again.

Why do they keep hurting me? Why do they want to make things hard for me and only me!?

Shaking her head in absolute fury, Dupli turned and then punched the wall.

Blood gushed out of her knuckles and Dupli stared at it. It had not made her feel any better…

Seeing that she had just done something that didn’t help, she fixed her hand up, using the last of her inner force, and left.

An hour later, Dupli was found by the head maid once again, but this time it was to continue with the fence for the dog. Telling her the wood was by the wall, the head maid walked off, leaving Dupli alone once again.

Walking towards the corner of the wall once again, Dupli stopped, seeing that there was no wood there.

Sighing, Dupli walked around the wall of the courtyard and found that the wood had been placed in the total opposite wall and was quite heavy.

Having to drag the big pieces, Dupli was already sweating profusely and regretted punching the wall.

If she hadn’t punched the wall and used her inner force, she would be better off now…

With ever trip, it took her longer and longer to take the wood from one place to the other…

Five hours later, Dupli fell down, letting go of the last piece of wood and could not get back up. She was truly exhausted, and her muscles were hurting terribly. She had splinters in her arms and fingers, even on the side of her neck, but right now, she couldn’t do anything…

Falling completely to the grass, laying down, she found that her eyes became shut and her head tilted to the side.

The man, once again, could not help but see the endurance of this little girl.

Having seen the small blood on her clothes on her second trip, he had wanted to help her straight away. And as time wore on, he began to not care more and more about being seen by somebody.

He was here to protect the Princess, if someone were to see him, he’d have to find another way to do it and most likely a harder place to protect her from. His hiding spot was inside of the courtyard, and in the distance, he could see the Princess’s quarters.

Twice, at night time, he had gone towards her quarters. The first time was to put the chime up for her and the second time was to make sure that she was well again. He was able to get right into her bed chambers upon finally knowing when the easiest time to do this was. Upon seeing her being well taken care of and looking well again, he has just stayed here for now...

But this little maid seemed to start to take his mind away from the Princess.

Seeing her faint away and that no one was close by, the man quickly got down and put the little girl up against a tree.

Keeping an eye out, so no one could see him, he put the fence together for her.

Leaving the last bit, because he could see her starting to awaken, he went into hiding again and watched curiously on what she would do.