As the clang reverberated into the night, the trio stood still, Henrick’s words sinking in as Elsie struggled to comprehend the information. After a few more moments, Aron stepped forward, more confident now that Elsie was disarmed. "So… Um… Princess?” he asked, stopping next to the desperate-looking prince. “Will you help us?” 

Elsie's lips pursed into a tight line staring daggers at the two. “So you're telling me. I’m a lost princess from another world?” The stare didn't soften as the boy named Henrick stepped closer.

“Please, Princess. I know it's sudden, but we need you.”  

“You… Need me?” Elsie was silent for a moment before doubling over in laughter, the sudden change in emotion confusing the boys. Any semblance of hope disappearing as their one chance at victory struggled to catch her breath. 

“Wow! Well, now I know your problem!” Elsie wheezed as she worked to re-compose herself. “You guys aren't just creepy, YOU'RE CRAZY!”

“Princess, please, calm down,” Aron eased. “We’re telling you the truth. Do you really think that we would make something like this up?” 

“Look, I don't know why you would do something like this, but if you are willing to stalk me and my family, draw me out in the middle of the night, and then tell me some BS story about being a princess, you're not going to be someone I call mentally stable!” 

“Then how do you explain the locket?” Henrick piped in.

“What do you mean?” she asked, suspicious. 

“You saw it! There is a painting of you in there. If we were lying, why would we have a picture of you, if we just met today?” Henrick stood his ground, sure that the question would do the stubborn girl in.

“I- Look, I don't know how you got a picture, much less a portrait of me, but that doesn't excuse the fact that this entire situation is creepy and way too far-fetched to be true!”

Elsie started to make her way back towards the house, picking up the poker as she went, its icy handle quickly heating up in her hands. “As far as you two are concerned, this never happened, got it?

“But you're interested aren't you?”

Elsie turned around to see the other boy still by the gate, a casual look on his face as he analyzed her. She didn't have time for this.

 "I don’t want you near my house again." 

“Princess wait!” Henrick pleaded running forward. 

“STOP CALLING ME THAT!!” Elsie whipped around, the poker striking hard into Henrick's arm, sending him to the ground. “STAY AWAY FROM ME, YOU GOT THAT!!!! I AM NOT A PRINCESS, I AM NOT THE CHOSEN ONE, AND I REFUSE TO HUMOUR THESE RIDICULOUS ACCUSATIONS!”

Elsie stalked back into the house, slamming the door behind her. Henrick tried to stand up, pain searing through his arm when he put his hand to the pavement. “Yeah, that's not gonna work,” he hissed, grasping the point of impact, grimacing at the sight of blood, the crude weapon had drawn. Aron made his way towards the prince, trying his best to hold back the laughter inside him. 

“You have to admit,” he snickered, “she's fiercer than I expected.” 

“And you couldn't stop her from attacking me with that thing!”

“Well, that's what you get when you decide to run away from where I can give you protection.”

“Aren't you supposed to follow me?”

“Henrick, I will follow you into battle, but you’re on your own when you piss off the angry girl with the poker.”

Henrick grumbled, as they made their way out of the garden and onto the sidewalk, his good arm slung around Aron for support. They both looked back and watched as the only light in the house snapped off, and the street returned to a restful silence. 

“So that's it then?” Aron asked, looking down at the young prince. “We go home? I mean, we found her, and we tried to get her to listen to us, and that didn't work-your arm is proof of that-I say, we cut our losses, and just work with what we-”

“No” A determined look glazed over Henriks eyes, as he started back at the house where “their lost princess” had just rejected them. “We tried being nice about this Aron, now we do things my way.”

“Henrick, I'm sorry but we are not going to kidnap her! It goes against any morals that we may have! If we kidnap her from here we are no better than Mordal.”

“Henrick pondered this a moment before the determined glint was replaced with one of cunning. “Your right, Aaron. But who said we need to kidnap her? Maybe all we need to do is take a more direct approach.”

******************************************************************************

Sunlight streamed into Elsie’s room, causing her to squint. She had finally gone to bed around one in the morning, but she hadn't slept long with the memory of the conversation in her head. What that boy with Henrick had said was right, as much as she hated to admit it. The story was enough to catch her intrigue, and it had kept her up for the rest of the night. 

“What does it matter anyway,” she said to herself, making her way downstairs. “It’s too crazy to be real.”

Elsie made her way into the townhouse's small kitchen, her eye catching on a note pinned to the fridge as she began to make a pot of coffee.

Hey Guys!,

Heads up! Your father and I have to work late tonight. Dinner will be on you. Have a fun first day in D.C.!

-Mom

Elsie sighed at the note. It always seemed like mom to make a good first impression at new offices she worked at. More often than not this meant working late. Pouring a cup of coffee, Elsie made her way into the sitting room, still dark from the curtains drawn to impede the glare of the rising sun. 

Elsie lazily dragged open the curtains, allowing the light to flood the room, and revealing a horrifying sight. Casually sitting in an armchair, a slight smirk playing at his lips sat Henrick, eyes assessing the shocked girl with patronizing boredom, as if it should have been expected that they would break in. 

“You know you could have invited us in. It really is cold out there.”