{Help}

                                    

                                          

"A princess." the man that holds Aurora says. She looks up in disbelief. How did they know she was the princess? Maybe it was the clothing, she thought. "A princess," the skinny man laughs, "now what can we do with her?" 
Aurora's face went pale. She looked at the group of thieves and counted 4. She knew there was more but they haven't seem to come back, so she assumed Xavier took care of them. Aurora checked her surroundings, trying to figure out a way to escape. Though there was no obvious way, she still wanted to try it. 
"I was thinking we can sell her. We would be set for life! All of us!" Your captor says as he lifts his arms in the air, in a way to show his "grand" idea. Once Aurora felt his arms off, she dashed through the forest. She didn't care and didn't know where she was going. All that went through her mind was the word 'survive'. Maybe running wasn't the best chance at survival, but it had to be better than dealing with whatever the thieves want to put her through.
She winced with every step, wishing she had on her shoes. Aurora heard heavy footsteps close behind her but she didn't give up. Her legs burned and her feet stung. Sadly, she was tackled down and she groaned in pain as her head connected with the ground. The man that caught her before was now angrier than ever. His nose flared and his face was dripping in sweat. "You whore," he spat on her. Aurora wanted to gag but she held it back. The man got up and huffed. 
He glares at the young woman and slapped her before he jerked her up. Aurora cried out in pain and felt her eyes burn with tears. The man dragged her back, not caring if she stumbled anymore. If Aurora fell, he was going to drag her through the dirt. 
When they arrived back at camp all eyes were on Aurora. "I didn't know the princess was a fighter." A short man jokes. The man got closer to Aurora and she could see something shine in his hand. He smirked menacingly and showed her a dagger. "If you try to run again, or do anything funny, I wont hesitate to cut that pretty skin of yours." He threatens. He takes the dagger and pushes it against Aurora's cheek. Aurora shuts her eyes as she feels the cool metal against her. She feels something warm run down her cheek and she only wished it was a tear, but with her adrenaline running she couldn't tell if she was cut.
"Okay, that's enough," The skinny one interrupts, "if we want to make money off her we have to keep her in the best condition." Aurora could only imagine what she looked like right now. She could see her feet were dirty, her dress was covered in dirt and leaves, bruises on her arms, and who knows how her face and hair looked. Aurora wondered what Xavier and the rest were doing. Had Mary told them about her kidnapping yet?
"What should we do now?" Your main captor asks as he sits down on a log. "We're going to sleep. I'm too tired right now. Tomorrow we can head to town." The skinny one replies. "What should we do with her? What if she tries to run away again?" The short one points to Aurora.
"Tie her against a tree." The skinny man says as he lays down. The short one complies and does it immediately. Aurora is pushed near a tree and forced to sit. He ties a rope around her body and grumbles out curses towards her. Aurora doesn't bother to look the man in the eyes. She was exhausted, she didn't even have enough energy to look up anymore.
Soon, all the bandits settled and began to fall asleep. Aurora tried hard to fight her sleep but failed. She went through so much that her body was now begging to sleep. As she was continuously in and out of sleep, Aurora heard the sound of leaves crunching. She wanted to concentrate but couldn't due to her horrible condition. She started to hear whispers and she tried to look around but everything was blurry, as if she were in a dream.
Seconds later, she heard the sound of fighting. Metal clashed and fists were swung. "Get him!" She could hear the voice of her captors. The fighting quickly quieted down and she squinted her eyes, trying to figure out what had happened. She feels the rope around her loosen and Aurora almost falls limp.  The fabrics around her mouth and hands are also cut off. She feels somebody grab her and she musters up all her strength to push them back. "Get away!" Aurora cries. 
"It's me, Xavier." He grumbled. Aurora felt instant relief hearing the familiar voice and leaned on his shoulder. Aurora felt herself be held by his strong arms. "How did you find me?" Aurora said, almost inaudible. "Since it rained, I was able to trace their footprints easily." He replied softly as he carried her through the woods, bridal style. Aurora didn't say anything. She was just glad that she was found. "Is Mary okay?" Aurora choked. "Yes," Xavier simply stated. Aurora smiled softly, "Good."
Aurora put a hand on Xavier's chest and tried to feel his warmth. "I'm cold," she complained. "I'll get you somewhere warm soon." Xavier said as he watched the young woman fall asleep in his arms. Once she fell asleep, he glared as he thought about the thieves. They had left her body bruised and cut.
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Xavier arrived at the camp and Mary wiped her tears when she saw the princess sleeping in his arms. "My Lady!" Mary ran towards them and inspected Aurora's body. Mary gasped when she saw Aurora covered in bruises and small cuts throughout her body. "She needs to rest." Xavier continues his way to the tent.
By this time the clouds started to clear, so they could see through the night better. "I'll clean her up." Mary said as she went to grab supplies. Xavier entered the tent and placed the princess on the thin mattress. Mary hurried back with water, fabric, and a lantern. Mary looked down at her with sadness in her eyes. Mary placed a hand on Aurora's head as a way to comfort Aurora. Mary's eyes landed on the long cut on her cheek, "Do you think they did that to her? All her other cuts are so small compared to this one." Mary asked as she began to soak the cloths with water. "They did." Xavier grunted. Xavier could tell immediately that, that cut wasn't an accident. He didn't show it but he was furious. Xavier excused himself and exited the tent. 
The coachman and guard were picking up the mess the thieves had made. Xavier looked at the ground and glared down at the limp bodies of the bandits. "Take them somewhere."  Xavier spoke to the guard. "Where, your highness?" The guard asked quickly. Xavier frowned, "Anywhere. I don't care. I just want them gone before Lady Aurora awakens." 
The guard nodded and threw a body over his shoulder. Xavier watched as he walked into the forest and scoffed. If that guard was working under him, he would've abandoned him instantly. What kind of guard wasn't alert, Xavier thought. "We will leave once we've cleaned up." Xavier told the coachman. The coachman opened his mouth to detest but he quickly shut it when he noticed Xavier wasn't giving him a choice. Xavier glanced at the horses, surprised they didn't run away during the attack. 
Xavier went back into the tent and he was shocked to see that Aurora was awake. Aurora's eyes stayed stuck onto the ceiling. She winced every so often when Mary dabbed on her sensitive skin. Obviously, the princess had never been through something so harsh. "How are you feeling?" Xavier steps closer to the pair. Aurora lifts her head up quickly, completely ignoring her headache. "Don't move so quick!" Mary demanded.
"I'm doing okay, thank you." Aurora replied with a small smile.  Xavier nodded in response. Aurora felt the throbbing in her head again so she rested her head. "We're going to leave soon." Xavier announced. "Is that a good idea? We're all exhausted." Aurora said. "No, but it will be safer. We don't know if there are anymore bandits out there." Xavier advised. Aurora and Mary glanced at each other. They both were unsure but they agreed.
After everything was cleaned up, the guard and coachmen entered the tent. They bowed, "We need to pack the tent." The coachman said awkwardly. Aurora fought the urge to complain and struggled to get up. "Take it easy." Mary says as she put a helping hand on Aurora's back. Aurora lets out a humorless laugh as she feels the soreness sting her body with every move. Xavier sighs and walks towards her. 
Aurora frowns,"Just give me a minute. I can do- oh!" Xavier scoops her up and takes her to the carriage. Aurora repeatedly blinks at him in surprise. "I could've gotten up by myself." Aurora says shyly. "I think it's better this way. We don't want to stay here the rest of the night." Xavier retorts as he places her in the carriage. Aurora let's out a 'hmph' and Xavier closes the door. Xavier is about to walk away when Aurora clutches his shirt. He looks down at her hand and she hesitates to let him go.
"Thank you, for everything." She beams.