unwanted TREASURE

chapter five

Harry

I never really understood what it was about this village that made me feel alive. Maybe it was the freedom, the lack of responsibility, or the fact that no one cared who I was. No titles. No expectations. Just Harry.

I laughed as I walked through the bustling streets with my friends, making noise and causing a bit of chaos for the villagers. It was exactly what I needed—just a break from all the pressure back at the palace.

Arthur, who usually wasn’t much of a troublemaker, grinned at me. “We should do this more often, since you can easily make it to this place.”

I smiled, feeling the weight of our carefree escape. “I’m always down for a little fun, but trust me, it wasn’t easy to get here.”

Sean, as usual, was more cautious, his brow furrowed as he glanced nervously around. “We’re still at risk, you know. The king is going to behead me for this.”

Scott joined in, shaking his head. “And he’ll gorge out my eyes if he finds out we came here.”

I scoffed, rolling my eyes. “You guys worry too much. No one even knows we’re here.”

Jeff, the quiet one of our group, raised an eyebrow. “But what exactly happened, Prince Harry?”

I stopped walking and turned to face him. “Please, just call me Harry. We’re friends, after all.” I waved him off, still grinning.

Jeff raised his hands in surrender. “Fine. But why the bad blood between the two kingdoms? What’s going on with that?”

I sighed, my smile fading for a brief moment. “It’s a long story, and honestly, it’s not something I want to be part of. I don’t like to think about it.”

Arthur, ever the curious one, couldn’t resist adding, “Unlike Prince Richard, huh?”

I shot him a look, but didn’t say anything. Richard and I had very different views on how to approach life, especially when it came to the political mess between our kingdoms. But that wasn’t something I wanted to get into now.

We continued on, and Sean suddenly pointed ahead. “What are those?”

I looked up to see a fruit I recognized from the Middle East, hanging from a tree nearby. Only a few trees of this kind grew in this area. “Fruits,” Arthur said, sounding pleased with himself. “They only grow here.”

Scott grinned. “I want to taste it.”

Jeff shrugged. “Go ahead, get it then.”

As we continued, my eyes drifted over to the girls walking alongside their horses. Sydney and Juliana. The sight of them made my heart skip a beat. There was something different about them, something about Sydney in particular. She wasn’t like the other women I’d met—she was confident, yet kind. A rare combination.

Sean looked over at the girls, his eyes narrowing slightly. “So you’re just going to let them pass us by?”

Jeff, ever the bold one, decided to speak up. “Hey!” he called, trying to get their attention.

The girls didn’t even glance at us, their faces indifferent, as if they were too good for us to matter. I could feel the heat rise in my cheeks. Was I... feeling shy?

I muttered to myself, “Feeling a little bit shy, I guess.”

Sydney suddenly stopped, turning back to face me. My heart nearly stopped as her eyes locked with mine. She raised an eyebrow, her voice cool. “Shy is a very strong word for someone of your kind, don’t you think?”

I was speechless for a moment, completely caught off guard by her directness.

Arthur, seemingly sensing my discomfort, quickly tried to smooth things over. “I am really sorry,” he said, stepping forward with a slight bow. “My friends are visitors to this land. Please, do not take whatever they say to heart.”

Scott raised an eyebrow, clearly annoyed. “Arthur, what is wrong with you?”

Sean laughed under his breath. “Afraid of a girl?”

Sydney turned her head slightly, her expression not changing. “Please teach them good manners,” she said, her voice steady and calm, “and show them how to respect people, no matter the gender or status. Have a nice day.”

Juliana, who had been silent until now, smiled faintly, but didn’t say anything.

Jeff, clearly caught off guard by the princess's grace, managed a polite, “Thank you.”

As the girls walked away, I felt a strange mixture of admiration and frustration. Why was she so different from every other princess I had met? She was kind and composed, but there was an air of authority in her words. I had to admit—she was unlike anyone else.

The others stood there, dumbfounded.

Arthur glanced back at the group, his voice low. “That’s the Princess of this land. Princess Sydney.”

The boys froze, eyes widening. They were all silent for a moment, processing the information. I couldn’t blame them—I was still in shock myself.

“You’re kidding, right?” I said, trying to make sense of it all.

But Arthur wasn’t joking. “We’re serious.”

Sean shook his head. “She doesn’t look or act like one. I mean, she’s beautiful, but she doesn’t carry herself with the usual high regard that you’d expect from royalty.”

Arthur’s smile was soft, almost fond. “That’s because she’s nice. She wants to be seen as everyone else. She believes in equality for all.”

Jeff let out a low whistle. “But you wouldn’t want to know what she can do when she’s annoyed.”

I raised an eyebrow, intrigued. “She’s a nice person, then?”

Arthur nodded. “Exactly.”

Scott, clearly wanting to get the conversation off the subject of the princess, groaned. “Okay, let’s not talk about her all day. We’re here to have fun, not discuss her.”

I couldn’t help but chuckle. “Right.”

Sean grinned, slapping me on the back. “Let’s go shake the place up, then.”

Jeff joined in. “I’m in.”

Arthur looked at us all sternly, as if remembering the real reason we were here. “But no damaging people’s property. We agreed on that.”

I rolled my eyes, but I couldn’t help but smile. This was the kind of day I had been craving. No responsibilities, no expectations—just pure, unfiltered fun.

---

The noise in the village square grew louder as we entered, and I felt the familiar excitement bubbling up in my chest. But before we could get too comfortable, a voice rang out through the crowd.

“What’s going on here?”

The crowd parted as a tall figure emerged from the throng—Cyrus, Prince of the Middle East, with his guards in tow. He looked displeased, his eyes scanning the scene.

I stood there, silently hoping he wouldn’t recognize us. But of course, he did.

The guard stepped forward, his voice respectful yet firm. “These five men were causing trouble for the sellers, my prince.”

I raised my hands in surrender. “There’s been a misunderstanding here.”

Cyrus’s gaze landed on me, narrowing. “And who gave you the right to speak?”

Before I could respond, Jeff cut in. “Harry, no,” he warned, recognizing the tension in the air.

Cyrus’s glare shifted to Jeff. “Don’t you people know the rules of this place? And I’ve never seen these three before.”

Sean stepped forward, trying to play it cool. “We’re from the Middle West.”

Cyrus’s expression darkened. “Guards, put all of them in the dunjan immediately.”

My blood ran cold. “What? I’m a prince! You can’t just throw me in the dunjan.”

Cyrus didn’t flinch. “You’re on my soil, you do as I say. Guards, take them away.”

I didn’t even have time to protest before the guards closed in, grabbing us roughly and dragging us toward the dunjan. My heart pounded in my chest, and I realized—this was only the beginning.