Stolen Princess

Chapter 5

Luckily, it had been easy to come up with an excuse as to why Lottie and Haru had left. Disappearing just made them two more to go to their winter holidays. Jamie and Ellie were packed and ready to leave early in the morning, wanting to return to Maradova immediately. They could not waste any unnecessary time. They didn't know where Lottie was, what they wanted from her and what they were going to do to her. Thinking about that sent shivers down Ellie's spine. It was her fault. She should have told Jamie about Haru, Lottie's safety was more important than Sayuri's trust. They took all the clues they had gathered until now relating Leviathan. That way, they would be able to start plotting their next move. They would stop at nothing to rescue Lottie. 

Haru was carrying a tied-up Lottie while he ran through the woods. While they were running, Lottie lost consciousness. She woke up with a slight pain in her head and neck. She looked around and recognized her surroundings. She was in a plain. The only possible destination being Japan, their home base. She tried to untie the binds restraining her hands and feet to no success. Suddenly, she heard a voice behind her, and her head jerked up. "Well, the sleeping beauty has finally awoken" he said, icy sarcasm dripping from his voice. "Drink this he said," placing a glass filled with a green-ish liquid. "No," she growled to which Haru responded with a laugh. "I'm in charge here princess," he said, an eerie calm to his voice that sent a shiver down her spine. He took a knife out of his pocket and held it to her throat, "now drink." Seeing as she had no option she drank. It left a strange burning aftertaste which didn't last long as she slowly drifted to sleep. She thought she'd heard him say, soon you'll be much more obedient but, she was too tired to process it completely.

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Ellie and Jamie had just arrived in Maradova and they had requested immediate audience with the king. They entered through the impeccable, ornate door into the grand throne room. They stood hands behind their back until the king made a gesture, indicating that Jamie could talk. Jamie told the king and the queen everything, through gritted teeth. Even though his face was expressionless, it pained Jamie to be here without Lottie. Ellie explained in more detail how Haru had taken Lottie without them noticing. She also told them how they thought she was in their home base, in Japan. The kings face stayed calm, unreadable, not a single expression shown across his face. He didn't dislike Lottie but, in his point of view, she was a portman. She got paid for this and knew it was coming. It was no big deal. Meanwhile, Jamie could see the queen struggling to hold back tears. She loved Lottie as if she were part of the family. He looked towards Ellie and saw that she was biting her lip, trying to hold back the tears that threatened to spill at any moment. What worried them the most was that they didn't know where in Japan they were holding her captive. Japan was a vast country, she could be anywhere. It made everything harder. They didn't have much time.

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Lottie woke up and stretched her back, she had been lying on the floor. She looked around and found herself in a dark room, the only source of light a small window in the bathroom. She stood up, struggling against the binds and headed towards the door. She pulled and pushed with all her force, but it was of no use. She was locked in there for good with no way of getting out. She was frightened and alone, but she had faith, she knew she would get out of here, whether it was with the help of her friends or alone. She was hoping they would come rescue her but if Ellie was planning on coming then she'd have to escape alone. She had to keep her safe, no matter the cost. 

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A week had passed, and Jamie and Ellie still hadn't managed to figure out anything which was related to the location of Leviathan's base. They were getting very frustrated and they were taking it out on each other, especially Ellie. At first she had thought it was her fault, but then she had realised it was his fault for leaving her alone. She was supposed to protect her and he left her alone. She was forgetting that he knew nothing about Haru working for Leviathan. Jamie was trying his best not to take it out on himself now, he knew that wouldn't help Lottie, but Ellie's "it's all your fault" sentences weren't exactly making it easy for him. Of course it was his fault, but reminding him every five minutes was only distracting them from their actual goal. She thought of Lottie and how she would tell them that it's not their fault but hers, for not fighting back. She would also tell them that's she's fine, that they shouldn't worry about her.