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The knight continued his long march through the forest. He was beginning to feel desperate and even more so worried. The forest was dark and dense he wondered if anyone to survive in it for long.

Soon the sound of his footsteps was accompanied by the sound of falling water. Not a mere stream or even a river that simply bubbles. He followed the roar until it was almost deafening.

Then his steps stopped. A waterfall came tumbling down a high wall of rock that stopped the sea of trees behind him. The forest was gone and in its place was a wide clearing at the base of the falls. Filled with tall grass and hundreds of flowers of various colors. Bees busily traveled from one flower to the next while butterflies wove lazily through. Off to the side, a rabbit timidly hopped along as it sniffed about the surrounding plants.

The only thing in the serene setting was a small white cottage with a single door and no windows. The cottage was wrapped snuggly in ivy and flowered vines. In front of the cottage was what had his heart thudding in excitement.

"She's alive," he breathed.

Princess Camellia had vanished years ago after a devastating attack on the kingdom. Many were taken by invaders, that included the Princess. The king had taken what few knights left who weren't too badly injured in search of her and others.

The main worry wasn't death or injuries. Men have been found wandering half-mad without a mark on them. It seemed as though something inside of them had been stolen.

Now here she stood. She wore her favorite dress of white silk that shimmered silver as it moved. The bottom was stained with mud and grass with many tears. To his confusion strapped over the dress were various pieces of armor that didn't all match. In her hand was a long, mostly straight staff most likely from the woods.

He slowly made his way toward the princess careful not to forget the etiquette of approaching any member of the royal family. But he feared that the real reason was that she might be a dream. A dream of the woman he loved so dearly being alive and sweet as fresh strawberries still hot from the sun.

Camellia held her staff out like a barricade as he came closer. Arms shaking and lip quivering she prayed this moment would never come. Now all she prayed was that Jason's keen eyes wouldn't notice the fiery red color of shame rising to her face. It was never supposed to be him to find her. Her father would have been less painful.

Tears sprang to her eyes when she thought of her father. How when she was a little girl and she had a fever that wouldn't stop rising he picked her up and held her in the fountain in the courtyard. Stroking her hair as he sang. When he ran out of lullabies to sing he began making some up. Stuttering trying to find the right words and often repeating the same ones over again. No. No, she decided that her father finding her would be just as bad.

Jason had reached her and was now bowing very low. The bow he saved for his moments of shame or that time she gave him a rose in the garden. Her shaking was almost uncontrollable now.

He can't be here! He can't find out how I failed!

"Leave," Camellia uttered.

Jason bolted up in such surprise all rules of etiquette escaped his mind. "W-what?"

"Leave," she said more firmly. "You can't be here you have to go." She tried holding her head up high, but it was difficult.

Jason looked around warily. "Are they here?"

"No, they are not here!" She snapped.

They both took a sharp breath. She had never done such a thing before and it made her sick with guilt. The guilt was swallowed up by the guilt she already felt, making her tighten her grip on her stick.

"I just don't want you here. Do you understand? And I'm not coming back at all so you can tell my father that he doesn't have a daughter anymore because she - she - HATES him!"

She didn't fool him. He took a steady step closer. The way her face twisted with different emotions closely mirrored how he felt. She looked sick with pain and guilt. Thousands of possibilities flooded his mind of all the things that could have happened to cause such turmoil as he took yet another step forward.

"It's all right," Jason said quietly. "Whatever happened you're safe now I'm here." He silently cursed himself. He knows he's supposed to say he'll take her to her father not draw attention to himself.

Camellia couldn't stop the tears from spilling over. She had quickly learned how to live with the pain of the invasion and witnessing all that had happened, but the pain of having to tell all she loved what she failed to do was too much. Oh, how he was looking at her. Like she was the answer to a long question. An answer he had greatly wished for.

"No, no, no!" she pleaded.

His hands gripped her staff firmly. "Let go," he whispered. "I'm here now."

She let him take the staff from her. All of her strength left her as she finally broke down into pitiful sobs. His arms wrapped tightly around her, pulling her into him.

"You did everything you could. Now let us take you home."