Robyn: Princess of Thieves ⏸

Loophole

"Ahhh " I screamed, jolting up as I breathed for air.

"Hey!" a voice whispered calmly against my cheek. I blinked to adjust my vision and searched for the voice that soothed me. It was Charles.

"Hello!" Charles whispered, grabbing me and holding me in his arms. "Are you okay? you disappeared within the flash of light?" he frowned, pulling me up to stand. I jumped into his arms, kissing his lips with care but he calmly pulled me off, blushing at my embrace which I thought was a bit strange. 

"Charles...I saw her and him! Your father was there and the ring..." I babbled trying to form my sentences.

"The ring? What ring? Are you okay miss?" Charles frowned again, inspecting my eyes with care. "I think you may have bumped your head a little too hard. I only swam over here because you were lifeless" he confesses through a frown.

"The ring! Charles! You smashed it against the rock. Don't you remember?"

"No...I cannot say I do. All I know is that I came here to explore and I found you lifeless on this stump." he frowned, inspecting my features as if it was the first time. My stomach churned with fear as I remembered the words of Iradessa.

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Flashback from the chapter entitled:The Watcher

"There are only two options," she said with a serious tone. We waited to hear her words as she paused for effect.

"You can destroy the ring but things will go back to the way they were."

"The way they were?" I repeated after her.

"You two will have never meet. Both of you will cease to even exist, but the balance will be restored," she said.

I looked at Charles and held his hand in fear.

"Or?" he asked her.

"Or?" she lifted a brow in question.

"Well, your enchantedness. You said there were two options. Surely destroying the ring is not the only choice" I asked desperately.

"The only other option is....I take the ring and give it to the rightful heir. A smart and deserving young man who will change the course of Enchancia. Once the ring is on their hand, instantly, they will become the rightful heir to the throne"

Sydney, with this second option, Charles will no longer know you. You two will never cross paths again."

"I can be king...But... that means...I will never know Sydney?" he muttered,pain filling his voice.

"And I will cease to know Charles " I looked up to the fairy goddess. She nodded her head and pouted, sharing the sadness we felt.

"That is the bad thing about magical things like these; some things are beyond my control." Iradessa looked down to both of us.

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"But how can we still exist ...if everything was supposed to start over?" I clutched Charles's neck and cried, pushing my forehead against his neck.
He kissed my scalp as I cried in his warmth, lifting my palm to his lips to embrace them.

"I'm sorry...I don't know young maiden. I wish I could help you..your hear seems troubled" he frowns. Although he knew not who I was, I could tell he felt safe in my warmth. I pushed away from him and tilt my gaze to the tree that stood tall in the middle of the river.