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"What are they doing here? Quick, we need to hide” Maria felt the push but not before he eyes met a familiar pair of green ones.

Howl was looking right in their direction with a frown on her face and Maria felt her heart in her throat.

Were they going to be exposed?

“We need to start heading back. It is clear that we cannot take this way out anymore” Nao hissed in a low voice and her anger evident in her voice. Maria could do nothing but nod along.

The bush was not dense enough to hide them fully and Maria felt her heart stop when Princess Neah turned to face their direction as well.

“Is there something in that direction? You have been starting there for a while now” Neah’s clear voice reached the pair and Maria felt longing course through herself. She wanted to leap out and greet her friend.

“Don’t be a fool. Princess Neah is not an ally of ours” Nao whispered and Maria felt frozen in her place. The princess looked the same as Maria had seen her the last time but there was a shadow haunting her now.

It made survival instincts ring inside Maria’s mind and she knew it was better for her to follow along than to fight them.

“I know that I cannot expose ourselves but we might not get a chance to. Howl has spotted us here” Maria whispered and felt her voice too be too loud.

Nao did not reply, knowing that Maria was right. It was all up to Howl now.

“No, there is nothing. I thought I saw something move but it might be an animal I mistook for a human” Maria felt her breathe ease up. Also exhaled a heavy sigh of relief but it was short-lived.

Princess Neah’s expression did not change at the answer but Maria felt the mood change around her. The princess had her hand clasp Howl’s face but Maria saw the tightness that grip had.

It was scarring Howl’s face with the nail imprints.

“Do not try and lie to me. I do not find it funny to be made a fool of and that is what you are trying to do. Guards, go and look who is there” Princess Neah ordered and Maria felt Nao nudge her.

They had a few seconds of window between Princess Neah’s verbal reprimand and her orders. It was just enough time for them to quietly climb the tree and cast a magic illusion.

‘It should be safe here for us as long as we do not move’ Nao signaled those words toward Maira who nodded in agreement. The pair watched the soldiers come closer.

The search was fruitless but Maria did feel like fainting as the soldiers looked up toward their direction. The angle was bad enough to show the underside of her skirt and Maria felt her face bloom into a blush.

“There is no sign of anyone here” the guard replied once he came back. Maria took this window to back away from the tree and jump back to another. Nao followed quietly as well, using the tree’s canopy to hide their movement.

Maria could see the knowing glint in Howl’s eyes but the princess did not seem to be aware.

“You all are useless but I’ll take your words for it. My magic cannot detect any lies in your words anyway and I have another place to check” the princess dismissed the soldiers and that was the last Maria saw of them.

The pair traveled the path to the point they had started first from and Maria finally felt like they were safe. The immediate threat was gone from their face.

“It was Howl with the princess. Why was she there with her? Since when? And how? Was she betraying us all this time? And” Nao stopped her words as she looked Maria in the face.

Maria watched emotions flash in Nao’s face, from surprise to anger to betrayal. They were fluctuating too fast for Maria to keep track of and she felt scared of the intensity.

“Me? Know? Of course, I did not know. I was as surprised as you were” Maria assured but even she could hear the lie in her tone.

Her heart sank at the flat and disappointed look she got from Nao. This was the particular situation Maria had wanted to avoid but she had found herself in it regardless.

“If you are going to lie then at least put the effort in it. Still, I cannot believe you kept it from me. How long have you known? How long?” Nao was almost in Maria’s face with the yelling.

Maria felt afraid of attracting attention by the loud yell but she also wanted to let Nao get her anger out by yelling. It was a lose-lose situation for Maria and she had been at fault.

“I had a vision about Princess Neah and Howl being together when I was in Simon’s court. I also might have seen the princess and Howl in the market while we were shopping” Maria admitted guilty.

Nao looked like she would blow her head with anger at any time. She was red in the face and her magic was also building up.

“YOU SHOULD HAVE TOLD ME. I DON’T KEEP SUCH SECRETS FROM YOU SO WHY DID YOU FEEL LIKE YOU COULD NOT TRUST ME? YOU SHOULD HAVE TOLD ME” Nao snapped and finally yelled.

Maria found it unfair of Nao to say. After all, Maria was not the only one to be keeping secrets. Nao had plenty of her own which she never told Maria about. Nao even lied to Maria and this just angered Maria more.

“Trust you and tell you the truth? Like you told me about the truth about our identity papers that were prepared by my mother? See, you don’t trust me so how can you expect the trust to be returned by me?” Maria asked in a whisper-yell and instantly felt Nao’s expression change.

She looked afraid and also shocked at the admission. There was fear and regret mixed in her eyes but not guilt.

Nao likely felt like her actions were in the right. Then, had it been an order that had caused Nao to hide it all.

“How do you know about it? No, more importantly, why did you not confront me about it?” Nao asked with a hollow voice and Maria felt something inside her break.

Why was it her fault this was happening? Maria had done nothing to deserve this kind of treatment from Nao.

“It is not my fault the situation turned out like this. I never-” Maria stopped as soon as she felt the footsteps behind her.

“No, please continue. It was just getting good as well”