The Scolding

"Oh! I have just the thing!" she said as she hurriedly searched through the pocket of her dress. Laureline pulled out a small pocket knife. "Here!", she said cutely.

Ace looked at her dumbfounded, “You Had a knife this WHOLE time!!???”

"Oh I guess I did." she laughed all bubbly, "Stupid me!!"

He looked at the knife noticing a pearl-like glisten from the blade in the girl's hand.

"Is that a Scintillate Knife?" Ace asked.

"Yes, it is! How did you know!!?? Not everyone has seen such a precious stone." she replied.

"I have a friend who had a fishing hook made out of this stuff. He saved me from drowning with it."

"That's Scintillate for you. Indestructible, reliable, and beautiful. Strange your friend has some though, this stuff is crazy expensive."

"Hmm, he said he found it around his house."

Laureline looked straight up “It's around his house!?" She looked deadpanned into his face.

"Yeah, why is that strange?"

"No…" she looked away then back "Why would rocks be strange?.. In the ground...where rocks are supposed to be."

This girl is crazy Ace thought to himself. I like it.

She put the knife on the metal cuffs pausing for a brief moment as she stared at Ace's hands, and whispered, "Wow your hands are nice."

"What did you say? I couldn't hear you." Ace said smirking.

"I said Wow you don't have lice!"

"What kind of compliment is that!?"

Snapping back to her senses, Laureline started hacking at the cuffs wrapped around Ace's hands.

"Woah! Woah there calm down you're gonna chop off my hands along with the cuffs.

"Stop talking or you might distract me and I'll chop off more than your hands," she smirked.

"Hehe," he nervously laughed.

"You’re free!!!" She squealed.

"Thank you! Now after that whole fiasco, I think we should have a proper introduction." Ace said.

Laureline elegantly held her torn skirt in a curtsy, “I am Princess Laureline Ellianna Louise the 3rd."

He took Laureline’s hand and bowed, "The one and only talented Ace the Bard." As he went to kiss her hand she quickly pulled away and slapped his hand.

"Sorry natural reflex to a flirt," she grinned.

Ace grinned, “I've never had my hand slapped by a girl before," He grinned "I kinda like it."

Laureline then smirked "Sorry but a princess must always keep her guard up." She said avoiding eye contact and letting her smile fade.

"Hey, what’s...Aghh!" he winced at his injury.

"Quick we need to get your wounds properly treated and get out of the public eye."

"We can go to my hotel room there's some medical supplies there."

After carefully dodging Prince Kai's guard dogs the two made it to the hotel room as soon as evening set in.

"It's room 302 on the left," Ace said as Laureline helped him to the door.  Ace went to put the key in the lock only to find the door already open.

"What the…" Ace started.

"Yeah, what the, is right," Johnny said as he became visible sitting on the bed arms crossed. "Ace, you got some explaining to do man, We had a deal you sing, we travel, we make deals, we grow, not run off for some random wench." he said glaring at Laureline.

"YOU did not just call me a wench you imbecile!" she glared.

"YOU! You just decided to come and kidnap a celebrity! Running away from your kingdom wasn't enough?"

"Wh..What how do you…?" she questioned.

"I have my connections! You went and ruined Ace’s face! the money maker and not only that but you put him in danger of Prince Kai!!!???? We're not in this for Politics Laureline, we are here to get famous. Ace came to me for help, you're just a distraction you need to go!"

Laureline started to sniffle trying to hold back the tears.

"Woah Woah! Slow down Johnny you're flying off the rail this has nothing to do with Laureline! I went voluntarily by myself with her, this is a me thing man don't blame her." Ace pleaded.

"You know what, you're right, you don't want this you just want to have fun!!" Johnny spat.

"What's gotten into you man calm down." Ace bit back.

"Look I don't mean to be such a prick, but we got amazing offers to perform at huge venues. All we had to do was have a meeting with the venue holders and you were missing bro. Do you know how stupid I looked vouching for you when you never showed up?"

"Look I'm so sorry, I.. we can get new offers, she needed help."

"No there are no more offers. Those were the biggest names in this country and you blew it. All my efforts for nothing. Money wasted. That's it we’re done, you're done Ace, you're no longer going to make it as a Bard." 

Ace’s heart sank. "I blew it?"

"No! No, you didn't Ace! This is my fault! And I owe you you helped me with those pesky guards. Look I'm going to personally introduce you at the Grand Ball that my Father is holding!" Laureline said.

"Are you for real?" Johnny questioned. "You have that power? I thought only the king's trusted advisers pick who performs?"

"Yeah. I'm positive I'm his daughter. You think he's going to tell his own daughter no? Plus Ace will be my plus one." 

"And me?" Johnny asked skeptically.

"You can be Ace 's plus one."

"Wow, how generous," he grumbled.

Ace turned to Laureline. "Are you serious!?" he grabbed her hands "I get to perform in front of thousands of people!!??"

She grinned "Of course the people will love you, Ace!!!! You truly are something special, something that the people of Cerulean need." she said staring into his eyes. "The only thing I ask in return is a safe travel back to the capital."

"You have my word Laureline. I would never let anything happen to you." The two held each other's hands and stared at each other for a moment.

Johnny rolled his eyes as far back into his head as they would go. (COUGH COUGH HACK HACK)

The two immediately let each other's hands go.

"I mean that's what any good guy would do for a princess," Ace said scratching the back of his head.

"I mean yeah you are a good guy, and I am a princess so it checks out heheheh.." Laureline blushed.

"Well, as much as I would like to sit here and be a babysitter we got to get moving! Now that the Princess of Cerulean is with us everyone is going to try and kill us! Yay!" Johnny said rolling his eyes.

He looked at Ace "Go clean up your face you look like trash. I'll be back I'm going to get us something to eat." Johnny said as he made his way out the door.

Ace went to the bathroom chamber and started to clean off his face.

"Ace!" Laureline squeaked "Thank you for sticking up for me."

"I have to apologize that was totally on me Johnny is never like this I don't know where this came from, he's usually completely chill.

"Chill? Like he's cold?" she looked at Ace confused.

"Ah, no not quite," he said smiling at the girl's confusion.

He reached over to the clean towel on the counter as the girl did the same, their hands brushed against each other. They both blushed.

"“Sorry,"" the two said in unison.

"Here," she took the towel from Ace, and dampened it “You have dry blood.” She used her slim fingers to brush his hair away from his injury. She started to wipe away the blood carefully tapping the cloth on his face.

Ace stared at the girl's face who was focused on the task. He looked at her long eyelashes and then her lips, "what would her lips feel like if I kissed them right now" he thought. His thoughts broke when Laureline's blue eyes shot up.

"There! You're all done. The only thing I would suggest is medicine for the pain." Laureline said. Ace looked at the white cloth dyed red from his blood.

"I agree."

They both made their way to the area with the two beds.

"Here!" Ace said pulling out a small box with medicine and bandages.

"Now take off your shirt!" Laureline demanded.

"What?" He said dumbfounded.

"That guy punched you in the stomach, right?"

"Yeah, but it's fine, hardly felt a thing."

"He had a gauntlet on, and your shirt has a spot of blood. Don't think I didn't notice 'cause you're wearing a dark color."

He hesitated.

"I'm not a pervert" she rolled her eyes. "Now off with the shirt so I can bandage your wound! It is my fault so I must take responsibility for my actions!"

He took off his shirt and revealed his wound. The girl paused, staring at his toned abs, snapping out of it, she slowly moved closer to Ace.

"It's not completely horrible, you won't need any major medical operations."

Ace chuckled as Laureline went to wrap the bandage. Her hand touched his skin making her fumble and drop the bandages. They both went to pick it up only to hit their heads.

""Ow"' they both said.

"Sorry. my bad." she turned cherry-red.

"Um here let me just pick up the bandage." Laureline quickly tossed the bandage around Ace, tied it, and cut the bandage.

"All done! Pretty good if I do say so myself!!!" She beamed.

Ace cheesed said, “Absolutely!”

Johnny walked through the door and froze with two dinner trays in his hands from downstairs. "I'm gone for like, 2 minutes and you're practically naked! He panicked and went over to the two."

"No, it's not like that!, I was bandaging his wound from earlier," Laureline said.

He looked at Laureline then at Ace, "You call that bandaging? The knots are not even tight" he flicked it and all the badges unraveled onto the floor. Ace shocked looked at Laureline who looked embarrassed at being proud of her work.

"I thought she did pretty good!" Ace said trying to cheer up the girl.

"Oh course YOU did," Jonny said rolling his eyes.

"What's THAT supposed to mean!" he glared at Johhny.

Johnny picked up the bandages. "Okay play time’s over." he got some alcohol from the kit and splashed it onto the wound.

"OOOOWWW." Ace cried " That burns!"

He then tied the bandages and looked at Laureline "You sleep on that couch over there! As far as you can!" He threw a blanket at Laureline. "Now go to bed we have work to do in the morning!" as Johnny went to the washroom to wash up for bed Laureline ran over to Ace and tied a Bow with the excess bandages hanging near the knot. She stuck her tongue out at Johnny through the door.

"I'm sorry!" Laureline apologized. "I feel so stupid."

"No, don't be Johnny’s just agitated."

She looked up at him in admiration and opened her mouth then stopped and looked away. then quickly headed to the couch.

"What was that about she looked like she wanted to say something."  Ace, thought.

Ace sat in bed not being able to sleep knowing Laureline was in the same room.

"Man, I can see her, and I still can't stop thinking about her." He chuckled She was so cute tying those bandages" Ace thought as he touched the little bow she made on his bandage. The bathroom door slammed shut as Johnny came back out and jumped into the other bed.

"Lights out kiddies. We got a long journey ahead of us." Johnny said as he turned off the light.