Three guards with the king were trying to get to the royal carriage. One of them was holding Straw. He had his arms wrapped tightly around her waist, lifting her off her feet as he stumbled over the thick roots on the forest floor.
Straw demanded that the guard put her down, which he did because Straw wasn't letting him carry her properly. She thrashed against his grip, kicking her legs and digging her elbows into his chest until he had no choice but to drop her back onto the grass with a heavy grunt.
"What is it, Lady Straw? We have to keep going…" Apple said. He spun around to look at her, his face tight with anxiety as he glanced back down the trail they had just used to escape the clearing.
Straw turned to the king, trying to catch her breath, her chest heaved as she sucked in the cool air, her hands trembling by her sides. The sudden rush of events left her head spinning, and she refused to move another step until someone explained what was happening.
