The Chase

Running out the door and weaving their way through the crowded streets, Ace turned to the girl holding onto his arm.

“You LIED to me? He said. Your name's, not Bridget.”

"Well, same goes for you, telling me you know the Bard when you ARE that Bard!"

"Well, you didn't tell me you're a wanted PRINCESS!?"

"Now you know so there, also why would I tell you that! You could be working for Prince Kai!"

“I don't even know Prince Kai!” he said looking back at the two knights in black armour chasing them. 

"Quick behind this wall!", Ace whispered. The two quickly hid in the shadows of a broken wall.

Ace stood in front of Laureline to hide her from view. "Are you okay?" he said softly. He froze realizing how close he was to the girl. Looking down he saw the girl turn bright red, making him in turn, turn bright red. Laureline then stared intently at Ace. She must think I'm handsome he thought giving her a dashing smile. The girl moved her face closer to Ace’s slowly narrowing her eyes. Is she going in for a kiss? We just met, not that I mind. He started to move closer as well and closed his eyes.

“Are you wearing eye coal?” she questioned.

Ace abruptly stopped and opened his eyes at the question, lips puckered midair.

"Huh?" His brain finally processed the question.

He chuckled, "Yeah."

"Why were your lips puckered? Were you going to kiss me!!!!??? I just met you dude!!!"

"I wasn't going to kiss you-" he stammered, "I was just testing the air condition."

"With…your lips?" she said skeptically. 

"It's a foreign concept you've probably never heard of it."

"Okay, thenn."  Lauraline looked away to avoid eye contact.

Embarrassed Ace turned and looked to see if the guards had left, only to make eye contact with one.

"They split up! and ones coming here right now!" 

"Do you have a plan?" she asked.

"Just..um…run and duck so they can't see us!"

"WHAT a horrendous plan!!!!!"

"You know what? New plan run fast!"

"Sure, let's go with our only option here!" 

Ace picked up the pace and dragged Laureline along dodging all the people on the street.  One guard came charging at them from the side ready to collide with Laureline. Ace pushed her out of the way into a small quilt shop, as the Knight tackled Ace to the ground. The surrounding crowd was in utter shock, anger, and confusion. The Knight turned to the crowd, "You all scram, or you will be charged with treason for stopping Prince Kai's orders." The people immediately scrambled into their houses not wanting to be one of Prince Kai’s enemies. “As for you you're under arrest for guarding the enemy on Prince Kai’s territory, you will remain silent, or you will face the consequences."

 “Let me guess you loved my performance so much you wanted an autograph but didn't know how to use your words?" Ace mocked.

"Shut up! " The Knight yelled as he cuffed Ace’s hands behind him and pulled him off the ground pushing him forward. The guard turned to another guard that had been following closely behind.

“Quick find the Princess!!! She couldn't have gotten far-” The Knight was interrupted by a heavy quilt thrown over his head from above. Ace promptly rammed himself into the quilted knight knocking him down and allowing him to break free. Laureline, watching from the roof of the quilt stand wasted no time jumping off and grabbing Ace’s arm to make a run for it.

"You think a quilt is gonna stop us?" The other Knight came and blocked the two's path. "How pathetic. Now stop trying to run away."

The Knight with the quilt on his head ripped it off and came up behind and grabbed Ace’s cuffed hands holding him back. While the other guard grabbed Laureline's arms and held them behind her back.

"Don't you dare touch her!" Ace said agitated as he kicked behind him to get the Knight to let him go.

"Oh, you want to fight now, well here! " The Knight turned Ace around and a fist made brute contact with Ace’s head.

''What the heck man! I'm bleeding! Wow, hitting a celebrity, your heart is truly as black as your armour."

"Shut it." The Knight threw another punch this time in Ace’s stomach, making him hunch over in pain.

The Knight holding on to Ace walked him over to where Laureline was being held and got into her face.

"See, that's what will happen to you if you're not a good girl Princess he evilly grinned, Prince Kai just said to bring you in he never said you couldn't get a few scratches along the way."

"Well what did a mere small princess like me do that made you “handsome” Knights so agitated? But please do allow me one favor before you kidnap me," she said batting her eyes.

He snarled, "What could you possibly want?" he said.

"Do forgive me I feel ahh ahhh a sneeze ahh ahh she said tilting her head slowly back ahhhhh choooo!!!!!! She said as she crazily threw her head forward making her forehead hit the knight's exposed forehead.

Taking advantage of the disorientation of the Knight Ace broke free and maneuvered his arms from behind his back and swiftly rotated his shoulder to enable him to bring his hands from his back to the front. He hit the knight holding the princess with his handcuffs cutting the guard's face with the metal and grabbed her hand running for cover.

"What is up with this place, I'm used to running from crazed fangirls, but why do all these big burly dudes keep chasing after me, it's creepin' me out." Quick thinking though with the quilt and head budding! That was awesome!" He said wincing in pain.

"I would have been captured if it weren't for you," she said huffing from running.

"I have a plan now! No more running we’re hiding! He quickly went and turned in all kinds of random directions in the maze-like city. "Here!" He said.

"Wah!!" Laureline squeaked, as she was tugged into the random alley.

"Hurry! We need to gain as much distance as we can."

 Laureline looked back and saw that the two knights had found them. Ace looked at his surroundings, "There!" He said pointing toward an old rusty ladder on the side of an abandoned building. "Up we go into the unknown!" As they quickly made their way toward the ladder Ace mustered up the strength he had to pull the ladder to the ground with his handcuffed hands.

"Quick go first!" Ace said.

"Okay!" Laureline replied.

Climbing up the ladder Laureline glanced back. "Ace!! He’s right behind us!" she panicked. "If he catches me I'll be skinned alive or worse be forced to marry Prince Kai!!!!"

"Not on my watch!" Ace climbed behind her. "Keep climb- "

Ace was stopped from grabbing the next rung. 

"You aren’t getting away, not after the trash you put me through!" the Knight growled, grabbing ahold of Ace’s leg. "This stops now!"

"No."  Sticking out his tongue toward the guard "You ruined my date, how rude!" Ace spat.

"Why you little!!! " The guard said, wiping Ace’s spit off his face.

"Hey man this wasn't a fair fight to begin with, so it's a free for all now! I'm handcuffed, bleeding, and injured then you and your pampered rear just waltz in here for round two! Im good." he said using his other leg to kick the guard in his face making him let go of the ladder allowing Ace to scurry up. Laurline grabbed Ace's bound hands pulling him up. She then pushed the ladder off the roof. Hitting the Knights on the ground.

"Get lost you creeps!" Laureline yelled.

Turning to Ace who was laying on the ground went and kneeled by his side. "Thank you, for protecting me she said. I'm so sorry for dragging you into this mess I..Ill make it up to you!" She looked at him "Oh no you're starting to bleed again!!" She tore off a piece of her dress and used it to press on the wound to make it stop bleeding. Your poor face she said touching where Ace got punched, wincing Ace sat up.  Laureline kissed her two fingers and placed the kiss on his cheek.

"That’s um thank you, and to make your wounds feel better." she blushed.

“I guess this no longer makes us strangers!” Ace said smiling. “Now how do I get these handcuffs off?”