Louisa's POV
After Gianna was gone, I asked Darren, "What happened?"
Darren looked away and said, "Nothing. I was..."
I held his arms and said, "Darren, look at me. Tell me what happened."
Darren looked at me and said, "Louisa, let's go to the Mountainside Village now. I'll tell you on our way there."
Colt said, "I'll go to tell Alex to prepare the carriage for us."
Then, he walked off the tent.
"Darren, tell me. Is there anything going to happen to Gianna's child?" I asked.
Darren looked at me and shook his head.
"Then what is it?" I asked.
"I really don't know, Louisa. I'm not powerful enough to predict anyone's future. I'm not a fortune teller. I can only sense some disturbance. That's it," he said.
"That traveling druid said very disturbing things about Gianna and her baby. I will never ever let it happen to her. She's like a sister to me." I clenched my fists and said.
"Louisa, please stay out of this. The disturbance I felt was very strong. I really don't think you should get involved..." Darren said.
"Darren, you're like a puzzle to me. I really wish I could learn more about you, but you never want to tell me anything," I said. "It hurts me to see you like this."
"Sorry, Louisa. I wish I could tell you more, but I really don't know anything. You know that I'll do everything for you," he whispered.
At that time, Will rushed into the tent. He was out of breath.
"Louisa... They... They've caught Mana and Mata!"
"Who took them?" I was shocked.
"A lady named Josephine and her maids! She claimed that Mata stole from her!" Will said in a trembling voice. "I wanted to take them away, but the sun is up. I couldn't stay there for long..."
"Where are they right now?"
"They're in front of Akela's tent!"
Snow jumped into Will's arms. She pressed herself against his chest, trying to comfort him.
"Stay here and don't go anywhere, Will," I said.
Then, I ran out of the tent. Darren followed me, and so did my new personal guards.
By the time I arrived at Akela's tent, I saw some guards and maids circling Mana and Mata in the center, kicking and beating them.
"We didn't steal anything from you!"
"Please don't beat us!"
"Please let us go!"
They exclaimed and cried in pain and distress, but nobody could hear them.
I charged at them and used all my effort to press them away. Then, I blocked Mana and Mata with my body and shouted, "Stop hurting them! Can't you see that they're in pain?!"
"Louisa!"
"We know you'll come here and save us!"
"That lady is really mean! Her earrings are gone and she blames us for stealing them!"
"We didn't steal anything!"
"We were playing with Will in the woods and came back. We didn't even get into her tent!"
They cried their hearts out in my arms.
I held them tightly in my arms.
My personal guards Mick and Lynel stepped forwards and pushed other guards and maids away.
"Step back. Leave them alone," they said.
Then, I heard Josephine's dramatic voice.
"Well, well, well. Look at that! A filthy little servant girl holding two ugly thieves! Look at her retarded face! She's trying to help these two thieves to get away with stealing. Soldiers! Beat her!"
I stood up and said in a calm voice, "Mick, tell your brothers' to stay out of this."
"But Miss Louisa..." Mick said.
"Do not interfere," I said.
Mick looked at his brothers and they stepped back.
I took out Colt's comb knife from my pocket, looked at the soldiers, and asked, "Who wants to beat me? Come forward."
The soldiers looked intimidated and didn't move.
I guessed my reputation had preceded me. Everyone knew that I was the crazy girl who stabbed someone in the head and slapped a Lycan during the Grand Ball.
Darren walked forward and pulled Mana and Mata up from the ground. They hid behind him while holding his legs with trembling arms.
Josephine stomped her feet and shouted, "Soldiers! Are you deaf?! Are you afraid of a little girl? Go beat her right now!"
The soldiers moved forward reluctantly, and some of them tried to grab my arms.
I waved the comb knife at them, and they immediately withdrew.
"Louisa, do you want me to...?" Darren asked.
"Stay out of this, Darren. Don't get involved," I said.
Then, I looked at Josephine and said, "Since your people don't want to come forward and beat me, now let's talk. You claimed that Mana and Mata stole your earrings. Do you have any proof or witness?"
"I don't need any proof or witness!" Josephine shouted. "My beautiful pearl earrings! They're the most amazing black pearls in a unique heart shape! Lucas gave them to me on my birthday and I want to wear them for today's excursion trip. I was wearing them last night and this morning they evaporated! These two ugly tuna heads must have stolen them because they stole Akela's jewelry last night!"
I said, "They stole Akela's jewelry and they got caught by me. Then they returned the jewelry back to Akela. That doesn't mean that they must have stolen your earrings."
"Once a thief, always a thief! I can't find my earrings and they must have stolen them!" Josephine grabbed her hair and yelled.
"If you can't find your earrings, go look for them. Don't just blame some random people for stealing. If you don't have proof or witness but keep defaming others, that's called slander." I said.
"Slan...?! How dare you talk to me like this?! I'm going to destroy you!" Josephine charged at me, but she was stopped by her maids and soldiers.
"Hey, what are you guys doing in front of my tent? Are you having a party?"
I turned back and saw Akela walking towards us.
She was followed by her soldiers and I immediately saw a pair of heart-shaped black pearl earrings on her earlobes.
"Lady Akela," all the soldiers and maids bowed and greeted her.
Josephine recognized her earrings and exclaimed, "My earrings! Akela, why are you wearing my earrings?!"
Akela smiled at Josephine and said, "Oh, this pair of earrings? I found them on my floor last night. I found them really cute, so I wore them this morning to have breakfast with Lucas. Do they make my nose smaller?" Akela pointed at those earrings and asked with a sparkling smile.