Chapter 850: 850-Saving The Princess
Emmet:
A yawn escaped my lips as I woke up in a completely unknown place. I could tell this was my home, and maybe it had always been this empty. I looked around feeling nothing. I remembered nothing, or maybe this was how I lived.
Maybe this is what the world was like. I woke every day with new memories. The world was only me.
I got out of bed and looked around, noticing how empty the walls were. Everything was just white, the walls, the bed, and the curtains too. Then I stepped into the hallway. It was a long hall, and after I crossed it there was a light. I went out and felt a cold wind against my face. It was odd.
"Do I always feel this way?" I asked myself. "Is it always this empty when I wake? Do I always question my memories and what I do here? Why do I exist?" I asked, scratching the back of my neck in confusion.
For minutes I just lingered, staring at things with my hands in my pockets. It was cold, but a big black jacket gave me warmth. I ran my hand through my long hair and tied it in a man bun behind my head, casually staring at the sky.
An hour passed and I still didn’t know what to do. Should I return to where I came from? Is this how it works? Do I always go back to bed and then wake to a new day with nothing happening?
As I started back, I heard a little giggle from the side. I frowned, moved toward the sound, and peeked from behind a tree at the water. There sat a beautiful woman next to the water, running her hand through it and smiling, almost too happy to be there. I was confused.
Have I met her before? I wondered. Was the world just the two of us? It was so confusing, but I could not stop staring at her to learn about her.
When I approached, she suddenly stopped, and panicked, and then covered herself with her hands, and stepped away. Even fully clothed, she looked like she did not want to be seen.
"I’m so sorry. I did not mean to scare you," I said, raising my hand.
She slowly lowered her hands and formed a small, comfortable smile.
"It’s alright. I thought you were one of those people," she mumbled, her eyes full of fear.
"What people?" I asked. She sniffled just a little but I was so waiting for her response.
"The ones who are looking for me," she said, which confused me even more. There were more people than us?
"I’m so sorry. Do you live here?" I asked, pointing around.
"Yes." She looked at me. "Don’t you remember me?" she asked, smiling weakly. She had short hair and pretty eyes, but I couldn’t focus on their color. She felt vague to me, maybe I didn’t want to go too deep into it, or maybe I wasn’t attracted to her. She was beautiful, but she was all I had seen in the world.
"Are some people coming after you?" I asked.
"I have been running from them. I’m the princess of this world. You must have known about me. How come you don’t?" she asked.
I thought deeper. I was so wrong, the world had more people, but only a handful. She was our princess? I didn’t remember.
"I’m so sorry. Maybe I haven’t," I said. "I live in a quiet place," I added, pointing back toward the woods exit.
"Oh, that makes sense. Anyway, there are bad people. They’ve been looking for me. I ran away from my castle to save myself. They want to make this world ugly by killing me. You see, the only thing keeping this world together is me," she said, placing her hand on her chest and smiling meekly.
"That is horrible. Where is your castle? I’ll take you there," I suggested, suddenly feeling like my life had a purpose. And seeing my courage, she smiled widely.
"Really? You’re so kind. May I know your name?" she asked.
I stuttered, watching her and scratching the back of my neck. "
It’s all right. I know my people. I can shake your hand and tell you your name," she mumbled. She was amazing.
The minute she extended her hand, I took it. The moment we touched she smiled.
"Your name is Emmet. And Emmet, you’re meeting Princess Azura," she said softly. The name sounded familiar. So she was the princess.
"I’ll take you home," I stated determinedly, but as I turned around, I felt lost.
"It’s alright, I can direct you. But are you sure you’ll be able to fight those people? They are very cunning, and they are good with their words. They can manipulate anyone into joining them," she feared.
As soon as she said that, I shook my head, more aggressively this time.
"Do you think I’d ever hurt my own princess? No way," I said confidently, giving her reassurance. It seemed to work, because she finally took a deep breath and smiled.
"Oh goodness, thank you so much," she cheered, sounding at peace.
But as soon as we began to walk away, someone appeared, almost rushing toward us.
"Step away from her. She is evil."
Just like she had warned, a stranger came out of nowhere, fists clenched, ready to attack. She instantly grabbed my hand, hiding behind me.
"Oh no, he is here," she whispered.
"Stand back, mister. You’re not gonna hurt her," I warned with a grunt.
The man slowed down, pointing at his chest.
"You don’t recognize me, Emmet? I’m your brother, Maximus," he said, his voice full of force and emotion. For a moment, I froze, unable to respond. Then Princess Azura squeezed my hand tighter.
"See? I told you they were good at manipulating," she said softly. Her words snapped me out of it.
"And I told you, nobody can manipulate me," I reassured her before turning back to the man who called himself Maximus. "If you were my brother, I would have remembered you. Now walk off, because I’m not gonna let you hurt her."
His eyes widened in shock. He was confused why he couldn’t manipulate me.