When Sahara went to leave, after taking a deep breath and focusing her eyes, she finally saw the man still in the room. “Oh! Hey! Imma leave now!”

Sahara let out a small laugh and started to walk gingerly to the door.

Oh! The good ol days! Haha, I remember when…

“Let me take you home.” The man said, interrupting her thoughts.

Sahara blinked, as she believed he was standing up…She could be wrong…

“Sure!” And then Sahara hiccuped.

He chuckled, as the door was opened and helped her out.

Matthew made sure that she didn’t hit anything, taking extra effort to guide her, but she was giggling and nearly slipped down the stairs.

Taking her waist in his arms, he brought her into his body. A moment passed by, as Matthew greedily smelled some kind of scent on her. It really was a beautiful scent!

The girl mumbled in his embrace and Matthew took her into both of his arms and walked down the stairs.

“I want to walk!”

Her demand did not make him upset at all. Her voice was groggy and drunk. She came across as a cute, little bundle that he wanted to wrap up and take home!

“I was just helping you down the stairs, little lass.”

“I’m sure I woulda had more fun trying to get down em myself!” She retorted, not moving from where she was placed back down onto her feet.

Matthew chuckled, “But you could have been hurt.”

Her laughing face stunned him once again, as she said, “Ah! Just a reminder in the morning! War wound! War wound!”

Matthew laughed, “Then next time I won’t help you.”

“Deal, and I won’t help you either!” She said, pointing her finger.

Smiling, even feeling his muscles were starting to hurt through smiling too much, Matthew said, “Fine, fine. Next time, I won’t help you and you won’t help me.”

“Yes! Then we can have fun getting down the stairs together!” She said, smiling yet again.

Matthew wanted to take her back upstairs and try it this instant! If he took her to her home, then he wouldn’t be able to see her…He wasn’t ready to let her go yet!

Clearing his throat, in an attempt to gain control, Matthew pointed towards the door. “I’ll take you home now.”

“Oh yeah! Haha, I forgot!”

Again, hit with a beautifully smiling face…

Unable to take it anymore, he grabbed her hand and started to walk towards the door that led towards the outside of the tavern. There were too many reasons why he shouldn’t do as he wanted and just take her to his own residence! As much as she made him laugh and made him feel…Peaceful…He needed to look into her first!

When they got outside, a carriage came forward in perfect timing to their departure of the tavern.

Sahara looked at the man and watched as he put his hand out towards the carriage in front of them.

Smiling, she went in it and sat heavily on the seat inside. She felt quite lightheaded but was freaked out when she had sat down, from feeling heavy suddenly. She had forgotten what drinking alcohol was like…Things were different.

It’s like you, but you in another you. You are you…Haha…

Sahara’s thoughts started to scatter off, as her head fell to the side of the wall, and she closed her eyes.

…Hearing the man’s voice, she tried to make sense of it.

“Where does the young miss live?”

Where does the young miss live? Where does the young miss live?

Sahara opened her eyes a fraction, and said loudly, “Call me Sahara! I…Have a name!”

She got over people calling her ‘young miss’ nearly every day! She was still somewhat used to Earth and people using names a hell of a lot more, and Sahara didn’t like that her servant wouldn’t ever use it!

After a short silence the man continued, “Where do you live, Sahara?”

Having heard her name, Matthew had smiled. He had felt like he received a special gift from her yet…To her it was no special gift, she just wanted to be called Sahara instead of ‘young miss’!

Where do you live…Where do I…Fuck…Live. Life, Live. Life lives in…

“Oh! Haha, at my ‘house’! I live my life…In my house! Where else would I live? What a stupid question! Mmm.”

Sahara’s eyes had fluttered opened by now and she nodded her head in completion for her answer. Her basic and simple mind had taken over...She really did have more to say and more to think but her mind just didn’t allow her to think much more!

Yep, my house…

Matthew found her absolutely charming, he even felt that it was his fault for not asking the question the right way. Having her this way, he wanted to continue to talk all night, seeing her silly answers to every question he could come up with…But she was a lady after all, she really did need to go home before a rumor could be spread about her being out all night.

His protectiveness over her reputation made him serious again, “Do you live in an estate, Sahara?”

“Mmm, Rolland…Roll…and…Haha, roll over, rolling…”

Sahara couldn’t stay awake any longer, putting her head against the wall and shutting her eyes.

“Ro…Rolland?” Matthew was quite surprised! That was the Right Minister’s estate!

Seeing the sleeping lass before him, Matthew sighed and told the person in front where to go.

As he watched the lass sleep, he thought about the young ladies that he knew of in the Rolland Estate.

Sahara…Sahara…

Matthew furrowed his eyebrows, he could not recollect any kind of information about this young lass…

It wasn’t strange that he didn’t know, because the Right Minister wasn’t someone he was worried about, not as much as…

Nonetheless, he was upset that he didn’t know who this girl was…

When they finally arrived at the Rolland Estate, he found people running around so madly, that some of them got into each other’s way…

Picking up the small bundle of joy, he exited the carriage with her in his arms like a princess.

Seeing someone with the young miss in a man’s arms, a maidservant yelled towards the second young master’s direction, that Sahara had been found.

Talon rushed towards the entrance to find something utterly surprising.

Not only was his daughter being carried, but the person carrying his daughter…

Having met this person before, even though he was dressed slightly different at present, Talon knew of whom it was almost straight away!

​

“Your…Your Highness!” Bowing in respect, Talon tried not to show his surprise.

“You may rise.”

Looking up at the Second Prince, Talon tried to think of what to say, but found himself speechless.

“Your Highness, how splendid! You have found our beloved Sahara! Much thanks, much thanks!”

Talon turned towards his father and sighed. His father had found out about Sahara’s vanishing by accident, but afterwards a lot more people searched for her, so Talon wasn’t sure if he was pleased or not.

“She is safe. I believe nothing bad had happened to her. It was just a coincidence that this Prince found her.”

“Very good! She is safe! Talon, send her to bed and make sure this never happens again! Her safety is of most importance!”

The Right Minister’s words were light heartened, but Talon knew they were stern. Talon agreed to them happily, nonetheless, as he cared deeply for this young girl and naturally wanted her to be safe.

When Talon went to take his daughter though, the stare he received from the Prince made him shutter.

After he stopped dead in his tracks, the Prince’s voice sounded, “I hope to assume that this child is being well taken care of!”

“Yes, yes, of course, Your Highness! She is a most beloved daughter of mine!”

“We do dote on Sahara very much, Your Highness. We treat her very well!” Said the Right Minister, backing his son.

“…And yet, this happens?”

Both father and son were shocked into silence.

How could I say that she ran away after I yelled and accused her?

Talon was severely silent, so his father said, “Just a misunderstanding, Your Highness. She is young and misunderstood.”

“…Misunderstood?”

The Prince’s voice and protective stance, made them worry.

Why is he so protective?

Why does he care so much?

It really was quite a spectacle event to see the Prince finally care for another female, it has been two years since…

Before they questioned things further, the Prince carefully gave the lass to her father and walked away, without another word.

Both father and son stared at each other, wondering if they should worry if this matter would become known outside. They both knew that a girl’s reputation could spiral downwards and be absolutely ruined if the knowledge becomes known that she had been out for this long at night.

“Keep watch on her! She is not to run off ever again!” The Right Minister said storming off and leaving Talon, who was looking down at the sleeping child in his arms.

He was glad that she was back and safe…But also angry with her, because of the turn of events.

***

After that night, Sahara saw a change. Her father didn’t visit her every day and she constantly had someone following her…That wasn’t her brother.

Talon, having heard reports from the person following Sahara, was surprised. He had always wanted to know where she would disappear off to sometimes!

There was a clearway through a small bush area, that lead to a small cliff face, and she would seem to meditate on that for quite some time every day.

Another thing that Talon hadn’t known, was that Sahara played with the animals…And even went to see the other small children of the family.

She seemed to have taken over the responsibility of a rabbit and saw it twice a day. The children she visited, ended up being infants to toddlers and she would even be scolded, when she was found out.

There was one child, however, that wasn’t a toddler nor infant. He was about fourteen years old and of a sickly constitution, and she would go see and talk to him in the garden and bring her ‘pet’ rabbit to him.

Even though Talon had started the follower because of an upset reaction, he became more interested each time the follower came back to report to him about her!

After a few days of Sahara trying not to care about the way that she was suddenly being ignored by her favorite person here on this planet, she accepted the fact that she actually did care.

And since she cared, Sahara ventured to find her father, who was in his study. “Father.”

He looked up, then hastily looked away again, “Father is busy, you can take your leave.”

If she stays, she would find out that I miss her…

Sahara narrowed her eyes and shook her head, “Typical!”

With Sahara’s strange word, and presence still lingering, Talon looked up again questioningly.

Sahara stared at him then, and simply said, “Why are you angry? I want to understand.”

She needed to give him this chance, she needed him to see that she can’t go on in having him be blind. Not only that, she was not a hundred percent certain why he was ignoring her…She had ideas, but which one was it, or was it all of them?

Sahara wanted both of them to chat it out and get it over with!

She wasn’t normally one that asked for much…

…She hoped father could see that she wanted him to answer her question. That…Was what she wanted…

“This…This is nothing for you to worry about! Please leave!”

​

...His words hurt! Sahara seemed to have put in so much hope to talk to him, that she felt utterly let down!

How could he change so much, so quickly!

She was already used to people not caring about her, through this she recognized his way of talking and attitude…She knew it well!

Clenching her fists, to her emotional pain, Sahara said, “I’m not one to beg for forgiveness for something I didn’t do, yet I’ve done that to keep the peace. I have now decided that I won’t do it anymore! If Gabriella tries to harm or scheme against me anymore, I will obtain evidence to show you!”

With that said, Sahara walked out proudly…But the faith and tenderness she once had for him didn’t follow her…