It's Princess Andoria!" A guard shouted from above the towers as he spotted her running. "Guards, get her!"

Andoria ran as fast as she could but her dress and heels kept tripping her.

"This stupid dress!" Andoria exclaimed and without thinking, she tore her dress off and got rid of her shoes.

She then managed to run faster and was so close to the gates.

"CLOSE THE GATES!" A guard shouted as he and a few other guards ran after her.

Darn it!

She then quickly looked around and saw the stairs. She quickly ran up the stairs and within minutes was surrounded by guards.

"Princess Andoria!" The guards yelled. "Get down here or we will use force."

"You liars," Andoria muttered. "Being obedient doesn't really look good on me."

She then looked down at the balcony and with no second thought, she dropped.

***

MEANWHILE BACK IN THE CASTLE

"We are sorry Princess Theia, but you'll be locked in the dungeon because of suspicion of letting Princess Andoria out," A guard informed her.

"If you prove innocent, you will be free," The second guard added. "If not, the queen has ordered for you to be locked up for betraying her orders."

Theia looked down and managed a small nod.

***

Andoria ran.

She didn't know where she would go, but she kept running.

She will never go back to that palace.

Bam!

Andoria wasn't looking and ran into someone.

"Princess...?" The man asked.

"I heard her running this way!" A guard said from a few feet away.

"Please h-" Andoria started to say but then the guy grabbed her hand.

"HURRY LET'S GO!" The man cried.

He then muttered something and a portal appeared.

"What's that?!" Andoria asked, frightened by the sight, she had never seen anything like it.

"DO YOU VALUE YOUR LIFE OR NOT?!" The man asked.

Andoria stopped arguing and stepped in with the man and appeared in a cabin.

"Here," He said, giving a brown torn blanket to her. "The winds are getting cold."

Andoria wrapped herself with the blanket.

"Thank you..." Andoria said.

"Now, what is Princess Andoria doing here?" He asked as he ruffled his brown hair.

"How did you know I was Princess Andoria?" She asked.

"Are you stupid?" He asked and rolled his eyes. "You have a crown on your head, you were close to the Sterulia palace, you are covered in luxurious clothes, gold everywhere and you have black hair. Seems like royalty."

"But-"

"What are you doing here, princess?" He repeated.

"Don't take me back there... that's all please," She pleaded.

"I will, if you don't tell me the reason."

"I don't want to be sold off," She begged and the man turned pale. "I knew at the back of my mind it would happen. But it's too soon, I'm only 14."

"14?" He asked. "The clothes and everything makes you look a lot older."

"I don't want to be sold off and live a miserable life," She said. "I want to be stronger, I just want to be free."

He paused for a moment.

"The outside world isn't as you think, kid," He said with a sigh. "The best place for comfort and luxury was the palace."

To her surprise, the man spread his wings out. Andoria assumed he was a fairy, but his wings looked like bones.

"See my wings?" The man asked and she nodded.

"Yes, you are someone from the Elbonia Empire," Andoria answered.

"After the queen died, the king destroyed my village," He spat out. "She burned down everything, including my wings."

"She did that...?" Andoria asked, shocked.

"My wife Sheana and my daughter Mylaela died," He softly said. "I barely made it. I can never fly again, it's like taking away a human's ability to walk."

He then slammed his table, like how Sir Galor did when he was really mad.

"You were always cuddled up in your palace, that you never knew what happens in the real world." He pointed to the door. "Go back."

"I can't!" She said, "I don't want to be treated like a tool anymore!"

"You are a weak and feeble elf, you cannot survive outside the palace," He pointed out. "The food won't be up to your taste, the clothes will be uncomfortable and scratch on your skin and you will have no privileges."

"I know it's selfish, but I can't go back," She mumbled, shaking her head. "It would be worse than death."

He scoffed. "Do you prefer your sister being locked up forever then?"

"What do you mean?"

He groaned. "Everyone knows the suspect for your escape is your sister. She will be locked up until you come back."

"I need to go back," She exclaimed and got up.

"Either way, the queen will most likely execute you and your sister for treason anyway," He shrugged.

She then looked down. "Then I will become queen."

"You must be joking, Princess Andoria becoming the queen!" He laughed. "You are 3rd in line, unless you kill your sisters and the queen. You can't become a ruler.

Now Andoria started gritting her teeth.

"You kept on complaining how much I lack. Would you prefer Delphiea to become queen with such a lack of knowledge?" She angrily asked. "Or would you prefer me after I learn more to be a queen? I can change these issues you face if I'm a royal."

"You're talking like it's easy!" He pointed out.

"My sister's life is on the line," She retorted. "If I stay hidden at least my sister will still be alive."

"So you prefer your sister to stay in a dungeon until you come?" He asked with a scoff.

"Of course not! What can I do now?!" She replied. "My sister risked her life for me, I won't needlessly go back and get her killed! I don't care about my life! If I wasn't so inexperienced, I would never leave and make her suffer the consequences! I want my sister to live and this is the best choice."

"Maybe if I take a shot I can become queen. This is an opportunity to show me what the real world is like so I can make it better in the future!" She continued. "This is the only chance at saving others!"

She then took off her crown and it glowed. "I swear upon the crown that I will solve everyone's problems."

She then looked up at the guy, whose gaze has softened. He sighed.

"Dior, my name," He said. "If you want to stay you need to prove to me that you are not a waste of space."

She smiled and her eyes lightened up.

"Until you are a grown-up, I will take care of you," He continued. "The odds are against us, but it's better than nothing. I'm doing this because you are the best chance I will ever get to change this world."

"Really?" She asked and he nodded. "Thank you so much!"

"Call me teacher," He informed her. "To this day, I will be teaching you how to become stronger."

***

IN THE STERULIA PALACE

"FIND HER!" Queen Nalia shouted at the guards.

"B-but my queen, there are more than 4 billion people with black hair!" One of the guards stammered. "It will take us years to look through every single one of them."

"FIND PRINCESS ANDORIA!" She screamed. "BLACK HAIR AND BLUE EYES. BRING HER BACK ALIVE!