It really wasn't such a surprise anymore.

The first it had happened Reina was still a child, and Clarion's heart nearly burst out of her chest as it beats so rapidly while she sent fairies and sparrowmen to look for her daughter, only to find her hiding in a hollow log by the river, the hole hidden so securely by leaves that it was almost impossible to find if not for Vidia who had blown a strong wind as she flew by.

The second time, the log was the first place they had search for her, but the young Princess was not there. It was later discovered that she had crawled into one of the rabbit's holes.

Thus Reina running away this time was not a surprise at all.

If it was not for the fact that the range of her hiding place had expanded far and wide.

Not only Winter Woods, she had once caught her daughter finding her way to the beach where human's things had washed ashore, the Princess has become more daring.

"But does she really is brave enough to travel beyond Pixie Hollow?" Minister of Autumn had voiced his question with wonder.

"I do not know." She kept her voice and tone even and calm, there was no need for her to express her panic, at least not yet. "But if we really could not find her anywhere, I will have to send a search party to look around Neverland."

"Milori."

She had once again traveled to where Autumn touched Winter, alone this time, knowing fully well that the words of the Princess' disappearance would spread around Pixie Hollow, and that he would come to speak to her.

"Is it true? Has Reina run away again?" He asked as he jumped off his trusted owl, approaching her until they met at the bridge. When she nodded, he let out a quiet sigh. "I already request for fairies to keep an eye, in case she came back here."

"She must be angry." Her shoulders felt heavy, for caring for a child apparently was harder than ruling over Pixie Hollow. "She was born here, in Winter Woods, it is in her nature to wish to come back; it is a part of her."

The apparent weight on her shoulders was clear for him to see, and Milori will forever live the regret and hurt of not being able to stay by her side to raise Reina. "I will look for her." He promised her, trying his best not to take her hand, as they both had sworn to keep what they have between them a secret of their own. "I will bring her back to you as soon as I can, you have my word."

He found her sitting alone at the edge of a cliff.

Her monarch wings was not as easy to spot, as it blended with the color of the snow, thus he was thankful that he had been able to see it upon narrowing his eyes.

She looked so troubled, and suddenly Milori's heart was faced with a decision. It was best for her to return to her mother as soon as he had found her, he had thought like that before, but now seeing just how blue she was, he did not have the heart to sadden the girl any further.

"You are sending me back to the warm seasons." Her voice was soft, the fire that he had found along with her stubbornness when he first met her was nowhere to be found, and it only sunk his heart more.

"I am." It was hard for him to say that, not when he knew it was the source of her sadness, but he had to. "But not now, not yet."

"Why?"

Sitting down beside her, his legs joining hers in dangling at the edge, he took a deep breath. "I know how much you yearn for freedom, I understand that, Reina. But think of your mother, you have her worried sick."

"I do think about her." The Princess looked down onto her lap, chewing the bottom of her lip as she toyed with her own fingers. "It just that she would not listen, Lord Milori. She holds onto her words and her words only, she would not listen to the fact that I'm fine, that somehow my wings and not even my body is affected by the cold."

"Maybe you aren't, but what about the others?" Her head turned, mouth open and ready to protest, but he placed a hand on her shoulder as he continued on. "You are a Princess, one day you will be a Queen, fairies and sparrowmen all look up to you." He could see from her eyes on how she was processing what he had just told her. "You have to set an example for them, to keep them safe."

He found that letting Reina voiced out her thoughts before explaining to her in a civil manner worked the best in getting logic into her mind, because the Princess' head slowly nodded. "I was being selfish." She concluded, though it was not what he had in mind, yet she seemed to be satisfied enough with it. "I'm sorry Lord Milori, for troubling you so much."

"It's quite alright, Reina." He smiled at her before standing up, a hand extended to her direction. "Ready to go back now?"

"Yeah, I want to go back now."