*Eloisa has entered the world of Yondareth

My character was in the same location as when I’d last logged out, standing at the bars of the jail cell. In the past, our group had tried breaking into the cell with the help of the allies we’d gathered but every time we’d done that, huge swarms of trolls had come into the room, overwhelming us in seconds. After countless tries at this, we’d deduced that the way to help the princess did not involve breaking down the doorway. But after that, we’d been completely stuck. In the meantime, I’d left for Anza and sworn off the game for a while.

I moved Eloisa forward to speak to the princess once again to see if I’d remembered her words right from the last time I’d spoken to her. She always said the same thing and only that one thing when she was hailed.

*Eloisa says, “Hail, Princess Alloreah’ala”

*Princess Alloreah’ala says, “I am bound by despair.”

Four bonds. Four allies. Despair. The allies had to help the princess free herself. Somehow I had to convince them to do it.

After we had discovered that Sergeant GriffonShield had been waiting for us to ask him for help and he’d told us to gather his allies, we’d gathered the four closest allies to the princess and brought them with us.

I approached the princess’s trusted maidservant, Maiden Liliannl’a.

*Eloisa says, “Hail, Maiden Liliannl’a”

*Maiden Liliannl’a says, “What must I do?”

*Eloisa says, “Use your love to free the princess from despair.”

*Maiden Liliannl’a says, “I will try.”

Then I watched as the maidservant approached her princess, curtsied and said, “My dearest princess. I love you and I wish to use my love to set you free.”

I held my breath, waiting for something to happen.

Suddenly the bond holding down her right foot glowed golden and vanished.

Holy. Shit.

The breath rushed out of me. I almost hollered in victory until I remembered that it was three in the morning and Mom was asleep on the other side of the wall.

I sucked in a quick breath, feeling giddy with excitement. I hoped that my group wouldn’t hate me for doing this without them but I couldn’t wake them up at this hour. I hoped they’d understand why I had to have this finished before I saw Adam again.

I approached the three other allies all in turn. First the bodyguard, who did the exact same thing the Maiden did and freed her other leg. Then the princess’s best friend. She freed the princess’s left arm.

The last one I approached, the princess’s lost love—General SylvenWood, the broken-down man from the very first quest given in the game. He was the non-player character whom I had figured out last year was the one who triggered the secret quest.

When I asked him to do the same thing, to use his love to free the princess from despair, he turned to me with sad eyes.

*General SylvenWood says, “Alas, Eloisa, we once had a great love. But I made some terrible mistakes and so did she. Our love was not enough to save us from the heartache that life put in our path. We separated and the great evil used this separation to spirit my love away from me. Since she left, I am a broken man, a prisoner of my own despair.”

*Eloisa says, “Your love will set her free.”

*General SylvenWood hangs his head and sighs.

*General SylvenWood says, “I will try.”

The General approached the cell and, in similar words, professed his love. But instead of the bond glowing and breaking immediately, the princess looked up at him and said, “SylvenWood, my one true love. I thought you had abandoned me. All these years, I’d never forgotten you. But I thought you had forgotten me.”

The general held his hands forward, as if pleading with her. “My one true love. I’ve suffered every day that you’ve been away from me. I never abandoned you. I just had no idea how to help you. I love you with all my heart.”

Suddenly the last bond dissipated and the princess weakly stood. With each movement, she appeared stronger, more powerful, until she made her way to the cell door and, with her own powerful magic, sent it flying open.

The allies gathered around her, cheering, hugging and kissing her.

But as if remembering by happenstance, the princess turned and approached me.

*Princess Alloreah’ala says, “Hail, Eloisa.”

*Eloisa curtsies.

*Princess Alloreah’ala says, “Thank you for gathering my allies. Thank you for finding my true love. You will be rewarded for your kindness. And you will find that your one true love is waiting for you to find him, too, Emilia.”