Teysa slowly awakens, her eyes fluttering open to find herself on a cozy couch in someone else's living room. She catches sight of a little girl standing beside her and she starts to doze off again.

Suddenly, she hears a sweet voice exclaim, "You're a princess!" Causing her eyes to snap open, wide with surprise.

Teysa jolts into a sitting position and asks, "Wait, what? Where am I?"

The little girl giggles mischievously and replies, "You're in my house!"

Teysa takes in her surroundings, rubbing her eyes in awe. Candlesticks flicker along the brick walls, casting a soft glow, and creating a warm and comforting ambiance.

Paintings and tapestries decorate the walls, and a wooden glass coffee table sits in front of her.

Teysa's gaze then falls across the living room, beyond the wooden furniture, where the walls become drywall and she could see a well-equipped kitchen.

As Teysa yawns and gathers her thoughts, she turns her attention to the little girl standing before her. "And who are you?" she asks.

With a bright smile, the little girl replies, "Hi, I'm Tina, and I'm 8 years old!"

"Tina? Okay. Hi, I'm Teysa.”

The room is filled with a lingering aroma of freshly prepared food, as if it had just been there, not too long ago. Teysa exclaims, "Hey! That yummy smell is back!" She recalls, "I was following it outside when a gross rat came out of nowhere! After that, I’m not really sure what happened."

Tina nods knowingly. "You were probably smelling my papa's food. This place is not only our home but also a restaurant."

Teysa's eyes widen with excitement. "Really!? So, you're saying you live in a restaurant?"

Tina giggles. "Kind of... We live on the second floor, and my papa runs a famous restaurant on the first floor. It's pretty cool, huh?"

Teysa's stomach growls in agreement. "I'll say! I'm starving! Let's go get some food!" she suggests, jumping up with excitement.

Just then, the man with glasses who brought her in, steps into the room from downstairs and says, "Princess! Please, you should be resting."

Teysa turns to look at the man, her posture firm and assertive, "Huh? Hey, who are you?"

The man immediately sinks to one knee, offering a deferential apology, "Forgive me, princess. My name is Maxwell, and I've been tending to your injuries for the past few hours now. Alongside my daughter..." He gestures to Tina, beckoning her to kneel beside him, which she does promptly. "We've been following your tournament battles on TV. Witnessing your defeat this time was very heart-wrenching. I can't imagine what you must be going through.”

Teysa grins and her posture softens. "No worries! That's all in the past now. And hey, I don't know what medicine you gave me, but I feel so much better now, Thanks!" She clenches her fists determinedly. "From now on, mark my words... I'm winning everything!"

"Everything?" they both respond.

Teysa proudly raises her fist to the sky. "Everything!" But then her stomach growls loudly, and her expression turns queasy. "Um... But maybe after I've had some of your delicious food, please."

Maxwell shoots up, "But of course, princess! Please! Allow me to prepare a meal in honor of you and your courage."

"Hey, yeah! That sounds amazing! Thank you so much."

Maxwell's face lights up with a wide smile. "Please, feel free to make yourself comfortable while I fetch your meal. I've been preparing it since the moment I found you. And hey, after you've eaten, maybe you can share with us how you ended up at my humble abode. I mean, you being a princess and all, it's quite a rare occurrence!"

Teysa nods eagerly. "Yeah, sure! I'd be happy to share my story with you."

Maxwell turns to leave, adjusting his glasses as his smile fades. A sinister expression replaces his demeanor as he descends the stairs, pondering to himself, "I don't understand, how can she be healed? The substance I administered was meant to sedate her, not heal her. Hmm... I’ll have to enhance the potency and add it to her food."

Meanwhile, Teysa explores the upstairs living room, her gaze drawn to the pictures adorning the walls. She pauses at one displaying another girl, sparking her curiosity.

Tentatively, she picks up the photo and inquires, "Is this your sister?"

Tina lowers her head, her voice heavy with sorrow, "Yeah, she died though."

“Oh, I’m sorry, I didn't know.”

Teysa returns the picture and she approaches Tina, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. Tina meets her gaze and hesitantly asks, "Will you stay with me this time? Or will you leave like the others?"

"What do you mean?” Teysa asks. “What others?"

"Well, whenever Papa brings someone here, they don't stay too long. They might play with me on the first day if they wake up. But then they always end up leaving in the morning. He's never brought a princess over before. Will you stay with me? I miss having a sister around."

Caught off guard, Teysa grapples with the situation when Maxwell enters with a grand feast, exclaiming, "Here you are, princess! A feast fit for a Queen!"

Teysa's anticipation for the meal consumes her, and Maxwell, delighted by her eagerness, presents the food.

Teysa's mouth starts watering as Maxwell proudly shares, "I put a lot of effort into this feast. Why-when I saw you on my doorstep, I… I couldn't believe it—a real princess! I knew I had to come up with something special."

Teysa's eyes remain fixed on the food, completely absorbed in the meal. Maxwell realizes that she's not even listening to what he's saying so he kindly urges her, "Please, dig in, Your Highness."

Without hesitation, Teysa dives into the food like a famished animal. Plate after plate quickly piles up as she devours every last morsel. Maxwell watches in awe as she finishes, and eagerly asks, "How did it taste, Your Highness?"

Teysa, with the last plate stacked up, lets out a hearty burp and exclaims, "Wow! That was amazing! You're an incredible chef, Max!"

Maxwell bows, a smile lighting up his face. "Thank you! Your words mean a lot to me. I'm really glad you enjoyed it, Princess. By the way, they've been searching for you everywhere. The King was on TV, saying you've gone missing."

Teysa casually picks food out of her teeth with a toothpick saying, “I’m not missing, I ran away.”

Maxwell replies with astonishment, “You did!? But why?”

"I was tired of my grandpa's rules. I just needed some freedom is all. And my Grandma told me about these cool tournaments outside of the Kingdom. Where I can fight strong fighters and not hold back."

"I see.” Curious, Maxwell asks, “When do you plan on returning to the Kingdom?”

“Hmm… I don't know yet. I guess when I become a champion so I can tell my Grandma about it.”

“Your grandmother must be very special to you, princess.”

Teysa nods with a confident smile, saying, “She’s the best!”

Maxwell smiles back. “So tell me, Princess, how did you end up on my doorstep?”

(Teysa tells Maxwell everything. From the moment she jumped out of the infirmary window, to when she saw a rat in the alleyway after slipping on poop.)

“Heyyy, by the way,” she says, looking down at her foot, “my foot’s clean!”

"Yes, that was the first thing I took care of when I found you."

"Wow, thank you so much!"

"No problem at all, your Highness. Happy to help!"

Maxwell recalls struggling to remove her boot, only to have it suddenly come off and hit his face, leaving a little stain. He shudders at the memory. "You know, Princess, I could help you leave the Kingdom completely... if you'd allow me the privilege."

"Really? How? You've already done so much for me, Max. You've healed me, fed me, and cleaned my boots. I couldn't possibly ask for more."

Maxwell's expression turns serious. "Well, you see, I'll be leaving the Kingdom tomorrow to pick up supplies in a far-off village. You can hide in my wagon if you'd like. I'm well-known at the security gates, and they never check my stuff." He grins. "I just bribe them with free food."

If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.

"Wow, really? Your food is really yummy. Okay, then. I'm in!"

Maxwell grins, pondering to himself, "How on earth is she still standing? She devoured the entire meal. Just a few bites would have knocked out a grown man. What in the world is she made of?"

Abruptly, a loud knock echoes from outside...

"...Who's in there? Open up!"

Maxwell's heart races as he quickly formulates a plan, saying, "Princess, come with me."

“Huh? But why? Maybe it's just a hungry customer,” Teysa suggests.

“No, I closed the restaurant hours ago to tend to your injuries. I have a feeling it's the King's soldiers who have come looking for you.”

He guides Teysa to a nearby closet and reveals a hidden room behind its door.

"Please stay here until they're gone. I won't let them find you, I promise."

Maxwell gently shuts the door, enveloping Teysa in complete darkness.

"Hey, I can't see anything! Max?" she calls out, her voice filled with concern.

Amid the deafening silence, Teysa's thoughts turn to her beloved grandmother. "Oh, grandma… I miss you so much already. And I really hate that I won't get to see you again for a while. Hopefully, you're not too worried about me. I've met two really nice people so far, and I haven't even left yet! A man named Max and his daughter Tina. They say they're gonna help me leave the Kingdom soon. Just you wait and see, Grandma. The next time you see me, you won't even recognize me. I'll become a great champion, just like Mom was!”

All of a sudden, Maxwell swings the door wide open. "We need to leave now,” he urges.

"Why what's happening?"

"Those knocks were from next door. They're looking for you princess and they're going door to door to find you. We need to move quickly; they'll search the entire place. I have a wagon out front. Tina, you stay here and let them do their search. Tell them I went out for supplies."

Tina nods in approval and Teysa follows Maxwell downstairs. They hear men talking loudly outside at the neighbor's house. “She's not here, let's go check the next one."

Their shadows shoot through the front windows as they walk toward Max's restaurant. Maxwell looks at Teysa, saying, "Princess, I need you to stay here and wait for my signal, then I want you to sneak into the back of my wagon and cover yourself. You got that?"

"Got it!"

"Okay good. Lay low."

Maxwell puts on a coat and walks out the front door. He leaves it open and makes his way to the wagon. He pretends not to notice the two men approaching as they call out for him. “Hey, you there! Stop right now!"

Maxwell turns to greet them. "Good afternoon gentlemen. How may I be of service to you?"

"We're looking for a girl. Have you seen her?"

One of them holds out a picture of Teysa, saying, "The King is searching for her. There's a nice reward for any information you might have."

"I'm sorry, but the only girl that I've seen around here is my daughter, Tina. She's inside. I was just on my way out to pick up some much-needed supplies outside of the Kingdom."

"Hmf, haven't you heard? The gates are closed, per the King's orders, until we find the girl in this picture."

"Oh, well that's just terrible. I've run completely dry of my secret ingredient and I have so many important people counting on me to provide my signature taste."

"Yeah well, the King has more important matters than a few plates. You wouldn't mind if we searched your wagon, would you?"

"No, not at all sir. Go right ahead."

The two start rummaging around the wagon, lifting seats, shifting covers, digging through boxes, and checking under everything. One of them glances at Maxwell with a subtle warning. "You do realize that lying to the King about anything can be punishable by death, right?"

"But of course! I would never dream of doing such a foolish thing."

Suddenly, a fleeting silhouette of a girl is seen dashing within the house. The two men swiftly pivot their heads to catch sight of her. "Did you see that? It's the princess!"

"After her!"

They both rush into the house, completely oblivious to Teysa, who crouches next to the front door. She peeks out, and Maxwell signals for her to hop into the wagon. Teysa does, and moments later, the two men emerge, clutching Tina. "This ain't no princess," one of them remarks.

"Yeah," agrees the other. "Why were you runnin' like that, you little brat?"

They release Tina, and she scampers over to Maxwell, who tells them, "I already told you, guys. My daughter is the only girl I've seen around here."

"Maybe so, but we're still gonna check your restaurant, just to be sure."

He gives his partner a signal to go check things out, and he follows closely behind. Once inside, they begin turning everything upside down, and one of them declares, "I'm going to check upstairs."

He ascends the stairs, continuing his search by flipping things over and inspecting every nook and cranny. Suddenly, his attention is captured by a series of pictures hanging on the wall. One particular photo catches his eye: Maxwell standing alongside King Marco. "What in the world? Why is this lowly chef in a picture with the King?"

He notices another picture adjacent to it, featuring Maxwell and a renowned actor. "Huh?" And next to that, yet another photo of Maxwell alongside a major celebrity. Then, to his astonishment, a picture of Maxwell with one of the most notorious kingpins on the planet.

"Oh no."

Overwhelmed with a sense of dread, he breaks into a sweat, realizing that they may have committed a grave error. He rushes downstairs, shouting at his partner, "Hey! We're leaving!"

"But I'm not finished yet! There's still more to look around."

"No! We have to go now! Trust me."

"Alright, but if the King asks, I'm telling him you stopped me."

"I don't care, let's just go!"

They step outside and meet up with Maxwell. Then the man who found the pictures takes a sudden bow. "My apologies sir, we found nothing."

Maxwell picks up Tina and puts her in the wagon. "Well, I'm glad. I heard a lot of noise coming from inside while you guys were searching. You two didn't break anything did you?"

The man starts sweating nervously. "I’m so sorry sir! We may have damaged some of your things but we can send someone over immediately to replace anything."

Maxwell doesn’t say a word and the man’s partner blurts out, "Why the hell are you apologizing to this moron!? Let's just finish up and move on to the next house."

"Shut the hell up you fool! If anything, let's get back in there and start cleaning!"

Maxwell faces them, speaking softly, "No need for that. I'm sorry about my daughter running off. If there's nothing else, I'd like to get on with my errand."

"Absolutely, I'll inform the main gate that you're on your way."

Maxwell climbs into his wagon, adding, "Once again, it's not necessary."

The man gives a nod, and then Maxwell turns the wagon around and drives off. As soon as they get far enough from the two guys, Teysa pops her head out. "Hey, Max?"

"Yes, princess?"

"Why was that guy acting so weird? And how are we gonna get passed the gate?"

"Well, I can't quite figure out why humans behave the way that they do. But as I mentioned before, if we simply provide them with complimentary food, they'll allow us passage.”

"Alright! I too would open the gate if you offered me some of your food. Your food is awesome!"

Maxwell’s face falls with a defeated expression as he mutters, "You shouldn't even be awake with what I fed you."

"Huh? Did you say something, Max?"

Maxwell chuckles nervously. "No, no... just humming a little tune, is all."

Tina pulls Maxwell's arm, asking, "Papa, how long is this drive?"

Maxwell gazes at Tina as she settles in beside him. "It's quite long Tina. It's okay to take a nap."

Suddenly, he hears snoring from the back and he silently cheers, thinking to himself, "Finally! She's out!"

After hours of travel, the wagon reaches the main gates. Maxwell has a chat with security and gets through smoothly. Teysa sleeps through it all, and they don't exchange any food.

They continue for about another hour, passing through the vast plains surrounding the Kingdom. They journey through numerous towns and villages until they finally enter a dark, spooky forest.

As Maxwell guides the wagon deeper into the forest, Teysa remains blissfully asleep in the back, oblivious to the eerie surroundings. The trees stretch out with their branches and the dense forest limits visibility ahead.

Maxwell brings the wagon to a halt as the ground becomes cluttered with debris, making it difficult to proceed.

A chilly breeze then sends a shiver down his spine, prompting him to wrap his coat tightly around himself.

The forest is eerily silent, with only the whispering of the wind through the trees and the sporadic bird calls in the distance.

Maxwell mutters to himself, "Well, this seems like a suitable spot to stop."

"Papa, why did we stop here? It looks really scary," Tina asks, confused.

Maxwell hops off the wagon. "Don't worry, sweetheart. This is where we're supposed to be,” he affirms as he strides towards the back.

With the utmost delicacy, he peels away the covers, unveiling Teysa who remains in a serene slumber. "Good," he thinks to himself, "She's still snoring. This transaction will go smoothly."

Maxwell gently places the covers back on Teysa, causing her to wake up suddenly. "Huh? Max?" she mumbles, rubbing her eyes, "Are we there yet?"

"Umm, no princess! I was just coming back here to check on you is all," Maxwell quickly responds, trying to calm Teysa.

"Oh, okay. I'm doing good.”

Teysa looks around and steps off the wagon. “Woah, where are we?”

She reaches up, stretching her arms wide, when suddenly, a projectile strikes and binds her arms together. "Huh!?" Another projectile swiftly clamps her legs, causing her to drop to the ground. She squirms and shouts, "What's going on?! Who did this!? Let me go now! Max, help me!"

Maxwell looms above her, a grin spreading across his face as he adjusts his glasses. "My apologies, princess. But it seems that you possess a rather substantial price tag."

"What do you mean?! I'm not for sale!"

Suddenly, amidst the trees, a towering figure emerges, casting an ominous shadow over Teysa. His sleek, straight ebony hair cascades past his ears to his shoulders, with a few loose strands draping over a glowing red eye. A broad grin unfurls across his rugged face as he savors a sizeable cigar.

His upper body, sculpted like marble, showcases every muscle beneath a worn, rust-colored tank top. A stylish red gem dangles elegantly from his neck, while tight charcoal-colored jeans are tucked into his jet black combat boots.

Most notably, one of his arms is a chrome mechanical cannon, emitting wisps of smoke that hint at the source of the projectiles.

Taking a slow drag from his cigar, his deep, gruff voice reverberates, "Well, I'll be damned. When I heard you snagged a princess, I thought it was all hogwash." He releases a puff of smoke and continues, "But here ya are, provin’ me wrong."

Maxwell grins proudly, his eyes shining with confidence. Meanwhile, Tina trembles in fear from behind her seat as the man’s cannon reverts into a sleek mechanical hand.

"Papa, what's happening?"

The man glances at Tina. "I see you've brought the little one."

"Not by choice,” Maxwell responds. “I was stopped at my home by soldiers and she helped me out is all. I didn't have enough time to prepare and I wanted to get the princess out as soon as possible. The entire Kingdom is searching for her."

"Did anybody lay eyes on ya while you took her?"

"Not at all. She slept hidden in my wagon the entire journey here."

Teysa's anger reaches its peak as she shouts, "Hey, let go of me, Max! I thought we were friends! What's the big idea?"

With sheer determination, she pulls herself upright, extending her legs and flexing her arms. The handcuffs begin to crack, leaving the man wide-eyed as he exclaims, "How in the?! Those damn cuffs are supposed to be the latest tech!"

Teysa clenches her fists even harder, letting out a fierce shout, "Hrrrrrraaaaaahhh!!!" She forcefully pulls her hands apart, shattering the cuffs into pieces.

Anger radiates from her as she confronts Maxwell, "You lied to me, Max!"

Teysa reaches down to grab the cuffs on her feet, but before she can react, Maxwell injects her with a syringe in the neck.

Confused, Teysa utters, "Huh?" Her hands fall to her side, and she collapses, unconscious. Teysa yawns and the man looks at Maxwell in disbelief. "You damn fool! You went way overboard! Father's gonna shut us both down!"

"Relax, this isn't the first dose I've had to make. Trust me, it's just enough for her. Now give me the money and take her away. I need to get my daughter home."

Tina, still trying to make sense of the situation, quietly calls out for Maxwell, uncertain if her father is still the same man she knew from back home, "Papa?"

The man hands Maxwell an envelope, and then effortlessly throws Teysa over his shoulder. "Can't believe she snapped my cuffs. With that kinda strength... father might not need to recruit any more fighters."

Adjusting his glasses, Maxwell responds, "I'm just glad she's out of my hair." He opens the envelope, peeks inside, and his eyes widen with excitement. "Wow! What a trade! With this money, I can run my restaurant worry-free! I won't have to make any more trades for a while, and it gives me more time to spend with my daughter."

Maxwell gives a big smile to Tina and walks over to her, getting into his wagon. Tina, feeling unsure, slowly backs away in her seat as Maxwell calls out to her, "Tina?"

"Yes?" she responds, her voice filled with uncertainty.

Maxwell's smile widens as he reassures her, "Let's go home."

Tina glances back at the man carrying Teysa, who taps his mechanical wrist, causing a holographic screen to appear with a woman's face on it. "Yes, hello Gorin. Have you completed your mission?"

"I sure have! Tell Father this one's a real treasure. I reckon an upgrade should be included in my payment."

The woman on the holographic screen responds, "I will let Father know that you have completed your mission. Please return for payment."

Gorin hangs up, muttering to himself, "Hmf... I better be sittin’ pretty after this one."

He holds Teysa tightly and bends his knees, aiming his one free palm at the floor. Suddenly, his boots and mechanical hand transform into rocket boosters, lighting up with incredible force.

A gust of wind and debris fills the air as Gorin and Teysa soar into the sky. "Hey, Max! Make sure you take good care of yourself, ya hear? Stay safe out there, partner!” Gorin shouts.

Tina covers her face to shield herself from the wind and watches in awe as they disappear into the distance. The sound of the rocket boosters echoes in her ears as she catches her breath. She turns to Maxwell, her voice filled with concern. "Papa, why did you let that man take the princess?"

Maxwell reassures her, "Don't worry, Tina. He's just escorting her to visit your grandpa. You remember how sweet he is, right?"

Tina calms down a bit. "Yeah, he's really nice."

Maxwell turns the wagon around, heading back home. "I'll explain everything in more detail at the restaurant. How does that sound?"

"Okay, papa," Tina responds.

The wagon then continues on its way, gradually disappearing behind a small hill in the distance.