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The royal's servants sat quietly and beheld her as she stood on her bed, passionately retelling last night's daring events. Though it was a bit difficult to follow her ramblings as she spoke faster than she could catch her breath.

"Robin Hood fell right into my trap! He sent the palace into a frenzy as he tried to escape the guards through the secret tunnels! Just when he was about to make his escape, he woke me when he was meddling with the gate! And, then I─ Uh..."

Esmeralda catches her breath as she prepares to confess what she did next.

"This might make me sound like a bit of a villain, but I couldn't just let him get away!... So, I may have... accidentally... Struck him over the head with a chair... He fell to the ground and stopped moving..." Esmeralda awkwardly wrings her hands together and presses them against her lips, silencing herself from spilling any further.

The servants were left speechless. The royal smiles sheepishly at the shock plastered on their faces.

"...Esmeralda... are you telling us this because you don't know where you will hide the body?" Snorkmaiden's suspension tickled the Princess.

She bursts into a fit of laughter. Her eerie amusement further pushed the Snorks theory that all her years spent alone in this tower were slowly unraveling her mind.

"Aha! Oh, Snorkmaiden, you make me laugh! Ahh... No. I can assure you, he is very much alive... He is so alive that it's the exact reason why I called you here! I have some marvelous news!" The girl could hardly contain her excitement; Her beam grew brighter as her subjects grew ever more concerned.

"...Robin Hood has accepted my offer! Now, I shall finally explore the world and escape this loathsome palace! Oh, can't you just envision it, girls? All the exploits I'll feat and foreign lands I'll venture into! Henceforth, this is where my life begins! I will be free, at last!" Esmeralda exclaimed, full of wanderlust and overwhelming joy.

The creatures were tight-lipped for a moment, both simply blinked, dumbfounded before glancing at each other with similar expressions of unease.

"...Ahh, I understand now, Moominmamma! This is just another one of Esmeralda's practical jokes! No need to worry." Snorkmaiden consults, though her hunch is quickly proven wrong when the princess eagerly races toward her extensive wardrobe.

She rummages through her collection of elaborately adorned gowns. Plucking one after another off the rack, she searched for the most discreet one she owned. With two options in hand, she displays them before her maids.

"Hmm... Which appears to be more... flexible?" She queries, shifting between the two.

"...On second thought, perhaps we should worry," Snorkmaiden mumbles though it wasn't out of ridicule.

Truth be told, the trolls only cared for the girl's safety. Alas, they also cared for her happiness, and both knew all too well that this was an opportunity she had been yearning for her entire life.

Not wanting to hinder this chance they take the leap of faith with her. Both rise from their seats and aid Esmeralda in her quest for a suitable disguise.

The creatures dress the royal in a flowy, white gown. It was adorned with ropes of pearls and the royal sigil, a crescent moon on her chest. The trolls then cloak the subtle but still vivid gown in a pitch-black cloak. Spinning in place, Esmeralda tests her flexibility.

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