Masters Of Disguise

I didn't think it would be difficult to get out of town. I had carefully memorized all the routes we were going to take and I was sure that the soldiers wouldn't dare go into the forest. They must have known the creatures lurking there.

No one suspected us as we made our way toward the town. The soldiers accepted us as ordinary members of society, which made it easy for us to move through the town unnoticed. The prince's plan was working perfectly.

But my feet were killing me. It was my first time wearing high heels and I had trouble walking in them. I didn't want to wear them, but we had to be careful and blend in. So I put on high heels as the prince told me to.

When the prince realized I was having difficulty walking, he gently took my arm and whispered so that only I could hear: "Let me help you."

I whispered back: "Do ı really need to do that? These heels are so tight and I want to take them off."

"Don't do anything like that," he warned. "The soldiers will notice you. Besides, you look beautiful in them."

I used to like being complimented, but this compliment seemed to soften my heart. My voice thinned and my cheeks flushed.

"Oh, do you?" I asked.

"Yes," she replied. "You look beautiful. And look, we're almost there. The entrance to the forest is just over there."

Just as the prince had said, we had reached the exit. Everything seemed to be going smoothly and we thought we would make it out without any problems. But at that very moment, an unknown young woman's voice called out from behind us: "Where are you going?"

We were certain that she was speaking to us. There weren't many people heading in this direction - in fact, we were the only ones. The prince leaned in and whispered in my ear: "Act naturally."

The person standing before us was a young warrior girl, a few years older than me. She wasn't wearing a soldier's uniform, but it was clear that she was experienced. The sword at her waist and her long white coat gave away that she worked for the kingdom.

We waited for her to leave without saying anything, but she approached us with quick steps. It would be foolish to fight her in such a crowded place. She still didn't know who we were since she hadn't attacked us. I was sure that we could talk our way out of this situation if we just did as the prince said and acted naturally.

When the warrior girl arrived, she asked her question coldly: "I asked you a question."

The prince responded in a different tone: "Us? We're just traveling through the forest."

"Don't you know that the forest you're heading to is dangerous?" she asked. "There are creatures there and wanted people on the outside."

I joined the conversation to help the prince: "Yes, we are aware of the situation. But the truth is..."

He turned his head to me without breaking his will. "I am listening," he said.

At that moment my mind went blank and I didn't know what to say. "Well, well, well..."

The prince suddenly jumped into the conversation and saved me from this awkward situation. "As a matter of fact, young lady," he said in a soft voice. "The reason we're going to the forest is that today is our anniversary and that's where we first met."

"In the woods? Is that where you met?" she asked skeptically.

"Yes," he replied with a smile. "It was fate. The creatures don't like the sun, so we thought it would be safe to go in the morning. Didn't we, darling?"

The rapid turn of events caught me off guard, but I agreed anyway: "Yes, it is, darling."

"I understand," he said slowly. "But what if you meet one of the wanted men?"

"I'm sure they'll run when they see you," she replied confidently.

"As much as I'd like that to happen," he said, frowning. "I don't think it will be easy. The people they're looking for are very dangerous. They destroyed two cannons and nearly a hundred soldiers in a matter of minutes."

"Well, well, well," he said thoughtfully.

"Our intelligence indicates they're still nearby," he continued. "So I strongly advise you to stay here for your own safety."

"But it's really important for us to go to the forest," he insisted. "We go there every year on our anniversary."

The warrior asked us another question, her suspicion evident in her tone: "Oh yeah? How long have you been married?"

"Five years," I blurted out.

"Ten years," the prince said at the same time.

We were caught. Our conflicting answers had aroused her suspicion even further. I expected her to attack us at any moment, but somehow the prince managed to keep us afloat with his words: "Look at how time flies," he said smoothly.

The young warrior in front of us seemed to believe what we said and thought it was just a coincidence. But she still didn't intend to let us go.

"I understand you," she said. "But as I said…"

As she spoke, a soldier came running from the center of town. When he reached the paladin next to us, he said excitedly and breathlessly: "Sir, according to the information we've received, one of the wanted men was seen on the train this morning. And it's said that he was accompanied by an elite soldier."

At that moment, I unintentionally let a few words slip out of my mouth: "Hiro…"

I quickly restrained myself, but the warrior lady had already turned her head towards me, searching for meaning in what I had said.

"Did you say something, madam?" she asked.

The prince once again intervened and saved me from my silence. He took control of the situation: "Excuse my wife," he said smoothly. "She's a little distracted. It's best if we go home and you go back to work."

The warrior seemed to accept this proposal as reasonable. "I'm glad we're on the same page," she said.

She turned to the soldier who was waiting for orders: "Let's not waste any time. Tell the soldiers in C-block to meet me at the railway station."

"Yes, sir," he replied.

As the warrior girl took a few steps forward, she turned her head back towards us. I wondered if we had been caught, but she simply said her piece and walked away: "Happy anniversary to you both," she called over her shoulder.

She looked at me strangely as she walked away, but eventually, she disappeared from sight. Without wasting any more time, we left the town and headed into the forest.