Five years have passed since Penelope and Leonardo were living together.
They got married quietly and had a son together whose name was Maverick.
Maverick was only six years old, but his parents raised him to be compassionate and loyal.
Maverick deemed as an intelligent child to his parents and brought them joy upon this. Though, Penelope and Leonardo homeschooled their son, he was able to adapt quickly and learn new things alone.
Maverick would sometimes dream of going to real school and making friends but his parents would never allow him to.
"Please, mother and father. Let me go to real school and make friends! I'm tired of living in this thick lonely forest with no one but you guys." Maverick pleaded.
"Sweetheart, we have reasons that we can't allow you to go to school in town. You're safer by us and homeschooling is just better for you." Penelope said softly.
"Your mother is right. Listen to us son." Leonardo said.
Maverick then threw a big temper tantrum which is not most like of him to do. Then his parents sent him to his room to steam off.
Penelope was really worried about their son running off very soon, so she spoke.to Leonardo about it.
"Our son is tired of staying in the forest. He's five and he has that much awareness despite being a child." Penelope said worriedly.
"We need to figure something out. We still don't know if your family and you ex-fiancée are still looking for us. But we should do everything in our power to protect our son from the outside harms." Leonardo stated.
"You're right. Let's just make him happier while he's here, so that he won't get exhausted of this place quickly."
"Maverick is a uniqe child. He won't go on with us for that long."
Meanwhile, Maverick, who was seething in his room had a brilliant idea.
His father would usually go out to cut wood for the family once in a while. So he was thinking that maybe, he would beg his father to take him out the next time he goes to cut wood. And while he's at it, he'll make a smooth escape and run to the town.
Maverick already knew where the town was located because of how his father would tell him about it and he even had a map from the forest to the town, placed under his bed.
Maverick schemed of how he was going to steal the map and make his escape.
The next time they run out of wood and Leonardo is about to go out to get more, Maverick pleaded his father to take him to the forest and Leonardo agrees to this.
Penelope wishes them a safe trip while she decides to go to the village. Since she hadn't been there for years, she was curious to find out what was going on around town.
What Penelope did, running away from her engagement years back has brought alot of controversy in the kingdom. Some believed she was right to run off while others believed that she was neglecting her duty as the princess, and not taking her people seriously.
Alez had gone back to Kanarua and was made the new king of his Kanarua after his father had passed.
Alez still made visits to Luopetia often when he was free. He had power of Luopetia as they owed him their princess and he threatened the king to find her or else, he would proclaim a war against Luopetia.
Although, Alez still did his best to search for her and he still hasn't given up.
The decree he made years back about no one leaving Luopetia had upset most of the citizens, which means they would not be able to see their loved ones from outside the kingdom. They have be imprisoned in their own kingdom for years.
Alez promised them that they would get rid of the decree as soon as the princess is found and some believed him while others doubted.
One particular day, when Maverick and Leonardo were going to get wood, Alez was in the palace of Luopetia. He was arguing with the king for delaying his promise about Penelope becoming his wife. Alez was taking out his frustration on king Ulric and queen Amber.
"I have waited years. I have tried my absolute best to help you out but it seems like you're not even trying to bring the princess back!" Alez yelled.
"Please, prince- I meant king Alez. We're doing our best. My daughter clearly doesn't want to come back to you or her family.
W-why not just marry another princess from another kingdom?" King Ulric suggested.
Alez snapped back at him angrily.
"I don't want another wife either than Penelope! If you are not able to find her and bring her to me to wed, then I will start a war in this kingdom! Luopetia is known as one of the weakest nations after all. A war would surely obliterate everyone in this kingdom." Alez said cunningly.
"No, no! Please, we will bring the princess back to you as soon as possible!" King Ulric said in panic.
"You've been saying that for the past five years. I will give you seven days. When your time is up and I don't have Penelope as my wife by then, your kingdom will have a fall." Alez saying so, turned out of the palace and went back to Kanarua.
The king ad queen of Luopetia were deeply distressed about their daughters reluctant behaviour, which has now landed then in their plight matter with king Alez.
"Whatever shall we do?" The queen asked. "Penelope is nowhere to be seen and we have a deadline."
"If only she came to her senses and hadn't run off with that commoner, we would have not been in this mess." King Ulric said.
"Oh, Penelope... Luopetia needs you to step out and submit to king Alez."
The kings eyes suddenly filled with peculiar delight.
"I have an idea!" King Ulric said, suddenly.
"And what's that, my dear?" Queen Amber asked.
"I shall make a new decree. Just watch and see for yourself, dear. Penelope will surely come back."
Meanwhile, Leonardo and his son Maverick are both in the forest. Leonardo is cutting a tree while Maverick is wandering around the forest.
"Careful, Maverick." Leonardo warned. "I don't want you loitering off to the village on your own."
That was exactly what Maverick intended to do, so he just nodded slightly and came a bit closer to his father.
Moments later when Leonardo had cut all the sufficient wood they needed, he decided to rest under a dense mahogany tree nearby. Maverick tailed along and made sure that he stayed by his father's side until he was deep asleep so that he could make his escape.
When Leonardo was deep in sleep, Maverick swiftly left his side and sprinted to the direction of the village. Maverick intended to explore the village and come back before his father woke up.
With the aid of the map, Maverick reached the village of Luopetia in no time.
Maverick was truly wondered by all the things he saw after years of living in the forest with his parents.
He saw domesticated animals, wells, shops and small stalls for fruits, people walking freely around the town together as they liked. This was the kind of life that Maverick wanted to live.
Maverick walked further down the town until he saw a school packed with alot of students playing outside. Maverick assumed that it was their recess as he approached the school.
Maverick stood by watching as the children played together. He had an intense urge to join them in their fun but his mother taught him that it's rude to show up without being invited.
A small brunette girl noticed how intensely Maverick was staring at them.
They locked contact as she stared at him with her hazel eyes and Maverick with his blue ones.
The girl reluctantly approached Maverick which frankly startled him. The girl smiled at him warmly as she observed him.
Maverick stumbled as he tried walking back but the girl laughed and helped him up.
Maverick dusted himself as the girl introduced herself, "Hello, I'm Hestia."
Maverick timidly introduced himself.
"I'm Maverick."
"You don't seem like you're from around here, are you?" Hestia questioned him.
"It's not nice to question strangers like that." Maverick replied abruptly.
"Whoa, I didn't know you were so skilled in etiquette. But you should know that it's not nice to stare at my peers and me."
Maverick felt a flush of humiliation run through his veins.
"I-i'm very sorry about that." He said. "I didn't mean to stare at you all like that. I was just intrigued by how you were having fun together."
"Fun?" Hestia grined. "So you want to join us?"
"Um, yes please..."
"Of course! Follow me and I'll introduce you to my peers."
Hestia sized his hand and dragged him to join her other peers.
They were more than happy to receive him and played games together until the end of their recess.
Penelope was looking through town and all of the sudden, there was a huge crowd of villagers with one of the royal court members standing above them with a few guards.
He apparently had a new announcement from the palace to make.
"Citizens of Luopetia!" He yelled loudly. "The king has made a decree that all ladies of Luopetia are to be present at the palace tomorrow morning. He has sent guards to be at all the borders to scout for all ladies for today and tomorrow so don't think you can escape."
Whispers filled amongst the villagers.
"If all you ladies are really curious about the reason behind this, it is because king Alez will be choosing a wife amongst you." He said. "But for all of you who are legally married, will still appear at the palace tomorrow and just simply show the king your marriage papers and he will release you to your families."
Penelope was stunned. She believed that her father deliberately set this decree to find her. And Penelope knew that her and Leonardo were not legally married and if she were to show up at the palace tomorrow, she would be caught red handed. She thought hard.
"Seems like Alez has not yet given up on me." She quietly said.
There was no way that she could stay at their small cabin while a swarm of guards searched everywhere.