Elias caught up to her and stopped in front of the beautiful lady.
"H-Hey! Wh-what're you doing here? I mean… sorry, um…you remember me, Elias Bonserwick."
He said awkwardly bowing, but his looks made up for how stupid he sounded. He was surprised by the fact that he didn't have to talk very loudly to her, with all of the people around. A man shouting selling potatoes or something at one market, then someone scolding their child for stealing.
His head started to pound, but he was still focused on the princess, and why she was out of the palace? He pulled his hood back up over his chestnut brown hair, turning gold in the sunlight.
Elara quirked a pale eyebrow, her eyes giving the prince a quick once over, like she was judging something known only to her. As they landed back on his, her mismatched eyes showed a flicker of something that passed too quick for it to be name-able. "I remember ya, yeah." It was even more notable out here, the speech patterns typically associated with 'peasants', that she refused to drop despite the numerous comments of 'unrefined speech' from almost anyone at the palace. "Jus' runnin' some errands. This is my city, after all."
His eyes stuck to her gorgeous mismatched eyes, he gives her a quick smile, which looked a little confused.
"Oh um yeah…. sorry, of course, you would."
A grin crawls on his face, that half-smile he does all the time, but not too much.
"Elias Bonzerwich, you probably already know my name, but not me."
He held out his gloved hand, his cloak blowing in the light breeze. The air was a little bitter, but the hot sun evened it out.
The sun reflecting off of the puddles of water on the street, he wished he could always be outside, he felt weird being a little jealous of the peasants here, but he was, he wanted to live like them. He wanted to work to live instead of not being allowed to even fix dinner. He would trade his life for peasants life in a heartbeat if he could.
"Tha's the secon' time you've given out your full name." Elara commented, eyeing his hand for a minute before removing her own from her pocket to take it. Thin white scars criss-crossed her tanned skin, from varying blades and situations. Some were from messing up while playing the knife game, badges that acted as proof of the skills she'd developed. Others, were from other people, as opposed to herself and stupid decisions. Not all vendors were happy when they caught you stealing. Which is why you don't get caught now. Or…you didn't. "Elara Acacius, call me Elara." It was her mother's last name, not the royal last name. Another thing she'd refused to give up.
Elias still smiling, looks at her hand, then back up at her face.
"Ah sorry, so are you happy about… Ya know getting married or Nah?"
He says desperately trying to start a conversation, although he's very bad at it. That's probably why he hasn't gotten a girl yet. He's way too awkward and for him, they're way too complicated.
Elara arched an eyebrow, not quite sure whether he was making a joke at her expense, or really just asking. She withdrew her hand after shaking his, returning it to her pocket to fiddle with something. "No' really. Gettin' married was never somethin' I thought I'd do, let alone…like this." She shook her head, her loose and somewhat messy braid shifting on her shoulder.
Incredibly nervous, Elias scratches the back if his head.
"Yeah…I guess that does suck."
He looks around nervously.
"Well I should get back to the palace"
He was getting a little awkward, he might as well save her time for the other princes.
(Sorry my writings a little bad right now I'm really tired)
Make an effort to be nice, Elara. So far, he's the best you've met when it comes to your options. Elara sighed, her eyes flickering to the alleyway that seemed to call her name. "I'd hate t' keep ya busy if you got places t' be. But if ya don', I'm meetin' up with someone an' could use some company on the way."
Elias surprised turns around and looks at the lady.
"Wait like….right now? Because the place I need to be can definitely wait!"
He says with a stupid smile on his face. He didn't expect a princess to talk like this, but he'll take it… it's not like he doesn't like it, it's just a little not… Normal.
That managed to draw a laugh from Elara, more a huffed puff of air, but close enough. "Yeah. I'm sure Mack'll be thrilled t' have someone else t' talk to, too." She motioned for him to follow, slipping into the alley. With all the evidence pointing towards her despising her position as Princess, she still walked like one, even out on her own like this and with a duffel bag slung over one shoulder. Like the rest of the world couldn't touch her. "This way. Try'n avoid eye contact with anyone we pass."
Shocked by how shady she was acting, Elias still followed her into the dark alley.
"Oh, okay… so where are we going? And…. whos Mack?"
He asks curiously, trying not to make eye contact, his hood up over his head. Just noticing how shady he must look also.
This princess wasn't like all of the others, but he liked that… he's been called to be married to plenty of princesses, but all of them have always picked one of the other princes that were brought there for the same reason. He's never been the first pick…. or even the second. He wasn't surprised, All of the other princes here were much more attractive than he was anyways. He agreed to come here just to get out of his place. All he really did was ride his horse in the fields, he liked it but it was getting a little boring.
"We're goin' t' meet up with some people I know. Mack is one o' 'em." Elara said simply, if vaguely. She was well aware that that wasn't the answer he was looking for, but she was being careful with just how much she was sharing. Already, it was a bit too much, nearing that loss of control, but she was hanging on carefully. She let the way out onto another street, then a different alley, another alley, another street, and it continued like that as they moved farther and farther from the Heart. Towards the Fringes.
Well-known as the worst parts of the city, the Fringes were the outer edges of Kavyo. They were where the poor were tossed, vagrants and the homeless, petty criminals and those who just couldn't afford anything further in. They were where she'd grown up, too. While the whole city was her home, she had been born on the Fringes, and that's where she'd spent her early life and quite a bit of the rest of it. She was easily confident on these streets, though her hand occasionally itched to settle on her dagger as they passed a few not-so-friendly faces. Most faces down here were along those lines, but Elara knew how to tell who to stay away from. That was how she'd lived so long, after all.
Elias looked around nervously once again. He wondered why she seemed so familiar with this place, people giving them looks of all sorts. He's been in shading places, but this was a little scary, afraid someone was going to stab him in the back, he always kept an eye out for every one he walked past.
"Oh okay…"
That definitely wasn't the answer he wanted, but he wasn't going to keep asking questions. And if he died… Well, he was kind of fine with that. He was sick and tired living the same life, day after day after day. It would be a nice, yet disturbing change if he married this girl, and then maybe… Just maybe he wouldn't hate his life. He will finally have a purpose, and he would actually get to love someone with them loving him back for once. He's always loved the idea of love and romance. He's always wanted a girl for when every time he would look at her, he would just think of how much he loved his life, and her. And oh how he longed for that, but for now… He's given up. Nobody would fall in love with him, at least not enough to marry him.
"I grew up ou' here, on the Fringes." Elara said, her eyes flickering to Elias for just a moment. He wasn't from around here, so it made sense that he didn't know. The King liked to keep that somewhat under wraps, too, as though that would somehow make her a better fit. She didn't care. While the Fringes were nothing to be proud of, they were a part of her story and who she was. She wouldn't pretend otherwise.
There. She'd answered a question of his, to make up for the one she hadn't. Even if it was unspoken.
Elias looks around, regretting following her a little. When he heard what she said his mind stopped working for a second. She was a princess, that grew up…here? Was she like…adopted? He had to find out more… Or did he? He didn't really want to get all up in her business but at the same time, he was too curious not to ask.
"Wait… How'd, you grow up….here?"
"Same way any kid does." Elara deadpanned, nodding at a group of burly looking men they passed. They'd helped her out when she was sixteen, and being followed by some guy late at night. She had, in a moment of desperation and fear, asked for them to let her join their group for a few minutes, until he had moved on. They had willingly helped her out, and promised that if she ever needed help again, she should go to them. "Born an' raised ou' here. You don' know the story, do ya?"
Elias clearly confused like the little idiot he is, looks at the men then at his swords hanging down from his belt, the sheathes white, blue, and gold.
"Uh…no? Do you mind telling me?"
He asks her nervously, halfway hoping she wouldn't. He didnt know if he actually wanted to know the story of this sketchy princess. It's not like he's going to marry her or anything.
"I'm a bastard child, accordin' t' the advisors when they think I ain' listenin'." Elara said, shrugging a shoulder as she continued leading the way along the street. "The King's my father, but my mother was a escort. One time thing, but she ended up pregnant. Tha's how I came t' be. Mom figured I was better off with her than him, an' raised me alone. Ou' here." Maybe the truth would scare him off. If she could just scare off the rest of them, she'd be set.
"Oh my…. Wait so… You aren't like " true royalty?"
He says, doing the air quote signs with fingers as he says it. He's never net royalty whos had this type of background, and to be honest, Elias was a little jealous. He's always wanted to have an interesting life, but he's just stuck at a prince, in a palace, only leaving to be rejected my women and watch people die.
"What a succinct way t' put it." Elara said with a snort, nodding once. "I didn' even know I was royalty 'till a year ago. How's that for a story." One hand withdrew from her pockets to fiddle with the handle of her dagger, which was strapped at her waist. A gift from her mother.
"Ah I'm so sorry, I didn't mean it like that!"
Elias had no idea what she said due to the way she talked but he basically did.
"Well, that is an interesting story…"
He takes a deep breath then sighs. Hed always wondered what it was like to not live in captivity.
"Some days, I find myself wishin' I could go back. Even if it means not eatin' for days at a time." Elara shook her head, her hair shifting around her face and glowing slightly in the fading light. She took a sudden turn, cutting down into an alley and stopping in front of a door, slipping her key from her pocket and digging around her bag with her other hand. "You'll hafta wear a mask."
Surprised, and a little nervous he looks at the key.
"Oh? Okay."
He says pulling the neck of his shirt over the lower half of his face. His hood up, he was always prepared to be shady. He sneaks out every once in awhile, but man was he glad he was prepared.
"Is this the place?"
He says with a muffled voice through the mask.
"Yeah. An' I meant ya'd need this." She pulled a sick-mask from her bag, the kind you might find in a disease ward of a hospital(or a walk-in clinic). Elara didn't bother with one for herself. Her body, likely the magic that resided inside her, burned up most diseases before they could do any harm. She stuck the key in the lock, turning it and pulling open the door.
The front door led straight into a cluttered living room, books and old kid's toys and various other items strewn about in a somewhat messy way. The opening of the door had grabbed the attention of someone out of sight, and a deep and rough voice called out. "That you, Magpie? Ya haven' been 'round in a hot minute." A large and burly man with a face lined with stubble appeared, his eyes flickering to Elias, and then back to Elara, raising an en eyebrow in question.
"Yeah, hell and a half at the palace." Was Elara's response as she stepped in, motioning for Elias to follow and closing the door behind him. "This is Elias. He's taggin' along."
Elias, looking at the large man, then at the ground… He had no idea what he was doing in such a place like this.
maybe I shouldn't have come… maybe this was a bad idea after all…. I mean, I'm not gonna marry her, so it's fine if I leave- wait… no, that's not prince like at all!
He thought to himself nervously. His mother always told him to be a prince like. He's always followed his mother's rules, he loved her to death, but he was a little tired of acting like a prince, but he wasn't going to be rude.
what in the world is this place…. and what are we doing here?
