The three of us powerwalked out of the woods, and what awaits us outside were two shiny black cars. And standing in front of it was another group of hunters, or should I say B-Hunters – the elite bodyguards of our society.

"Go with him." Sevyr instructed me, as he went inside the first car. I simply nodded and went along with John on the other vehicle.

We sat at the back in silence, as two hunters sat in front. The crickets in my head are the only friendly companions I have at this very moment.

As we drove pass the village, I accidentally looked to my side, and saw John touching the top of his junior. I blushed mentally.

Omg. I bet his balls are in total pain right now after what I did earlier.

"Does it hurt?" I asked him in almost a whisper.

John looked at me with the cutest surprise face a man could possibly make. He then blinked his blue eyes a dozen of times, before he answered my question. "Uhm. No Princess. I was just, uh..." He's beginning to stutter, and I laughed pretty hard. I know I'm cruel, but he's so cute.

"I'll take that as a yes." I paused and looked at him seriously in the eyes. "I'm sorry for kicking your balls." This time the other two hunters by the front laughed their hearts out. I didn't know they were eavesdropping. Lol.

John blushed, and immediately let go of his gaze on me, while looking at his side of the window. I grunted mentally, now I need to apologize again for embarrassing him.

I decided to zip my mouth for this ride, or I might say something wrong again and embarrass him further. We pass a strawberry farm, and I saw vendors or farmers selling their goods by the road. I then asked the other hunters if we could stop for a moment. They stared at each other for a bit and nodded.

"I won't take long." I said and run out of the car. John hastily followed me. I stopped in front of an old lady vendor, and bought a box full of fresh strawberry jams. The old lady handed me my change and I shook my head, while I close her hands. "Buy your family a great dinner tonight ma'am." I said and she flashed me a full smile, without a set of front teeth of course.

One of my father's bodyguards went to us and asked John what's going on. "I bought this." I answered for him, and bid farewell to the old lady.

"Bless you my child." She said and held my hand, while drawing me down to her. "You remind me of my daughter." She said with teary eyes, then she let go of me, when the other hunter held my arm.

John was about to take the box from me to put it on the trunk, but I refused. I held it tightly within my arms. This was from my grandma, I said to myself. That brief moment with her, when I saw her eyes, it felt like I was looking directly to a mirror. She has the same eyes I have.

I knew right then and there, that she's my grandmother, even without a DNA test. I felt lukso ng dugo – it's a term Filipinos use when we meet a stranger that turns out to be our relative.

The car drove off immediately after I got back inside, but I kept on glancing back to where the old lady was. I was also smiling the whole time, while looking at her as she waved her hands at us.

"Do you know her?" John asked me.

I smiled to him and without any second thoughts, I answered him with pride. "Yes." He simply nodded and didn't pry any further.

The car went inside one of those private lots, but this time it wasn't a secluded one. It has a ton of people roaming around doing their own business, though most of these people looked similar to the hunters inside this car – well the uniform gave it away. I looked by the window and it seems like every yard that we've passed by, has a private plane sitting on it. Like a horse with its own parking lot.

"Where are we?" I asked my curiosity is boiling, again.

"This is the hunters' central headquarters ma'am, well, in this country." The one sitting on the shotgun seat answered my question.

"Oh." I said prolonging the word while I kept glancing outside. This place is amazing, I even see a ton of hunters training by the field. "And please don't call me ma'am, it's for old ladies." I said and he laughed.

The car stopped in a field where two helicopter sat in the middle. I sighed, and I can almost imagine my face going green. Not again. I think its way better if they can just slingshot me to wherever were going. That way I'll only suffer half the time, compared to being on a plane, or in this situation a helicopter – which is a hundred times worse.

Sevyr went to my side when we got out the car, immediately a girl run up to him. By looking at her, she looks like a secretary or a teacher, well I don't know, she dresses like one. Sevyr then looked at me.

"Victoria, this is Marie, your personal assistant. She'll tell you what to do, and you can tell her whatever you need." He simply said. "I'll leave you two for a few minutes. I need to discuss some things with the general." He said and left.

Well I know everything is still a bit weird, and it's impossible to take this all in for just a day. But I won't let them see it, I'll play the perfect princess they want me to be. For this is my first step to the ladder of change, though it may not be how I planned in the first place. So, I can't afford to mess things up. I have to play this game perfectly.

I looked at Marie and she was all smiles, a rehearsed one at that. "Uhm. We need to talk about your scheduled appointments Princess." She said, going straight to business. She then looked at her tab, scrolling and looking at her list. "Your father instructed me that after we land in Manila. We'll immediately depart for Italy. And you'll stay there until we caught the queen's murderer."

"For how long?" I asked. Was he planning to lock me up? How about my family, friends, or even school, for that matter.

"We don't know Princess, but I'm guessing it will last a couple of months or years." She paused and lowered her voice. "And I heard that the murderer is almost impossible to track, so it will take time to catch the culprit."

I sighed. "There's no way of changing his mind?" I asked and Marie simply shook her head. "Well then, you'll need to rearrange my appointments. Later." I said and ran towards the helicopter.

I hopped inside and tapped the pilot's shoulder. "Sir. I need you to take me to Cebu." The pilot in front looked at me with genuine surprise written on his face. "It's an order. I'm your Princess." I said and I buckled my seatbelt.

Well, sometimes there's a need to be a bitch.

Well, fuck being the perfect princess, it can wait. For now, I need to see my loved ones before I disappear – probably forever.

"Princess!" Marie kept calling me even though her voice was almost impossible to hear, especially with all the hovering. I saw John ran up to her side, and then looked at me. He too had shouted the same word Marie has been chanting, the moment I jumped inside this escape pod – my so called title.

Princess my ass.

I looked away, I don't need conscience to change my mind. The helicopter was probably a meter above ground, when we felt a weight holding us down. I looked and saw John dangling by the foot of this helicopter.

"What the fuck are you doing?!" I shouted to him. There's no way were landing back, we might flatten him.

"Don't ask! Just help me out will you!?" He shouted back, and I sighed before I unbuckle my seatbelt.