“You’re holding it the wrong way, miss.” đã đưa ý kiến the cashier.

Courtney had a small black object in her right hand, her left hand covering the other. What was the object? A gun. Courtney was at the gun and súng trường shop, only about twenty phút away from the café she was just at. She flipped the gun around and pointed it at the wall.

“Oh, thanks! I could have killed myself.” she đã đưa ý kiến with a nervous laugh. She had never used a gun before, and who could blame her if she held it the wrong way? She walked over to the counter, money at hand.

“That will be $150, please.” đã đưa ý kiến the cashier.

Courtney handed the man the money and picked out a small leather case. She clipped the case onto her pants and slid the gun inside. Courtney ran out the door towards the palace. As she ran up the pathway, she forgot about how the bridge was broken. She slowed down her paced and looked down the cliff. Nothing but darkness and branches growing out of the sides.

Great. Now how am I going to save him?

*******

“Julius! I demand to know what bạn are doing!”

“Your highness,” he đã đưa ý kiến with a bow, “I have brought back your rebellious dish-cleaner.”

Julius, Clara, Charles, and Duncan were all seated in the living room. Duncan looked dead with his hands in handcuffs. Clara was nervously pacing the room while Charles was rubbing his temples. Julius had his hands holding down Duncan’s hands, which really had no point since they were already handcuffed.

“I can see that, but what is he doing here?”

“I came to exterminate him. It turns out that he kidnapped Courtney.” he lied.

“Do bạn expect me to believe that? My daughter left a note saying she ran away with Duncan. I can understand why.” he said, his lips pressed in a tight line.

“That’s what he wanted bạn to think. He wrote that note to make bạn think that Courtney wrote it.” he whispered, pointing at Duncan. Charles approached him, his eyes dull and filled with worry.

“Did you, Duncan? Did bạn write that note and kidnap my daughter?”

“No. No I didn’t. How could bạn believe that?” he whispered.

“I don’t.” he đã đưa ý kiến with relief. “Release him.”

“But—” stuttered Julius.

“Look. If bạn find Courtney before six p.m. today, bạn may still marry her. But if bạn don’t, than I have no other choice but give the ngôi vua, ngai vàng to my nephew, Philip. Now release Duncan. He didn’t do anything wrong.”

Julius regretfully took off Duncan’s handcuffs. There was silence in the room for about a minute. Julius quietly walked out the door while Duncan went through the other door. He ran through the Forbidden Forest towards the cliff. There, on the other side, was Courtney. She was sitting on a rock staring off into space. Duncan was filled with relief to see her.

“Courtney!” he shouted. His very loud voice made her jump. She ran over to the side of the cliff and stared in disbelief at Duncan.

“You’re here. How’d bạn get here?” she mumbled quietly.

“Doesn’t matter. Listen, bạn only have to hide for one thêm giờ and then bạn won’t have to marry Julius at all. Your father đã đưa ý kiến that at six p.m. Philip would take the throne.”

“Really? But what about Julius? What if he finds bạn again?”

“He won’t.” he đã đưa ý kiến halfheartedly. Courtney pulled out her gun and leather pouch. Duncan stepped back as he suddenly grew very nervous. He had never seen her with a gun before.

“Don’t look so scared. Here.” she shouted. She threw the gun across the cliff while it landed with a thud on the ground. Duncan picked up the gun and started to give Courtney instructions on where to hide.

“He’ll probably be here in a few minutes. bạn should probably hide somewhere in the town.” he đã đưa ý kiến quickly.

“How about just hiding under the bàn at the café again?”

“Nah. That’s the first place he’ll look.”

“How about inside that hotel we stayed at? I can hide behind the front counter.” she suggested.

“Good idea.” he đã đưa ý kiến as he pulled out a small white box. “Oh, and I got bạn this for your birthday while we were in the town yesterday.”

He tossed the box across the cliff, shortly landing on the grass. Courtney walked over and opened up the box. Inside was a small silver bracelet with the letter C etched into it. Courtney smiled and slid it onto her wrist.

“Thanks.”

“Ah, whatever. It’s nothing special.” he đã đưa ý kiến sheepishly. He slid the gun into the leather case. As they both walked separate ways from the cliff, Courtney turned around and spoke three words.

“I tình yêu you.” she said. Duncan stopped in his tracks, but a một phút later he started walking again. They both walked opposite ways, not knowing what to expect next.