Though Meghan didn't have her mother's talent for baking, the smell always helped calm her, and truthfully she didn't mind helping. It brought back happier memories from before her father passed, before she started seeing… things. Almost absentmindedly, she reached up and fiddled with the chain she wore so that her father's secret would stay safe. Her mother knew about the key he had given her on his deathbed and what it opened but she didn't know the truth behind it… She couldn't, Meghan remembered. Most people wouldn't understand.
The abrupt sound of bells shook her from her thoughts. Normally, she would try to avoid trouble but before she could even think things through, she had grabbed her cloak and walked out of the building. Fortunately, she remembered to pull her hood up to help hide her eyes. Ever since… there was something about them that others found unsettling. But she didn't fully understand what it was other than a suspicion it had to do with what she could see.
One by one the four men dismounted and pulled a handful of papers out from their saddlebag. At that point a number of other curious villagers wandered their way forward, and the soldiers separated to meet with each of them. One of the Guard eventually approached Meghan. He reeked of sweat and stale whiskey. He held up a paper, almost impatiently like she was the one taking up his time. The paper had a drawing of a man with an angled jaw and eyes made to look angry. “If you see this man alert your local government immediately. He is considered extremely dangerous, and is wanted by his Majesty, the King, for high treason.”
Adriano winced as he watched the men. Certainly they were showing off wanted papers for himself. Absentmindedly, he stroked Fleur’s neck for some feeling of comfort. The innkeeper knew what he looked like, the storekeeper did too, and surely several others had seen his face out and about.
Meghan stood stock still, her brow furrowed, as the soldier approached her before taking the the paper he was showing her. Personally, she didn't trust soldiers. She respected the job they were supposed to have, just as she respected the King and his family’s title. But… Well, she hardly trusted anyone anymore.
She stayed silent but nodded briefly at his instructions if only to make him and the others leave quickly. That simple phrase would be enough to make anyone fall in line almost instantly but Meghan had to bite her tongue to keep from asking what this man had done to warrant the charge. It was likely the soldier wouldn't answer anyway or if he did… It wouldn't be pleasant for her.
The soldiers stayed only as long as it took to give the people outside each a paper, then nail the leftovers to a wooden post for anyone who hadn’t been told directly. Adriano’s villainous face for all to see. Then they were mounted on their horses again, and rode off with the sound of bells gradually getting fainter.
Adriano waited until he could just barely hear bells to slip out of the stables. He had Fleur saddled and ready, if he could just brush past all those folks without being recognized… Tucking his chin to his chest, he guided Fleur into the road. Best to stay low, best to stay unnoticed.
“You!” The innkeeper. A stout man with a full beard and stern face, pointing at Adriano.
Adriano couldn’t help it; he woged.
Meghan let out a long breath when the guard finally left and leaned back against the doorpost. She hated how that encounter made her feel. The desire to go and hit that man was still swimming in her head. She turned to go back inside when she heard the uproar. Her hand quickly clenched the dagger she had hidden in her cloak and spun towards the outcry.
She sighed trying to relax as she made her way over to the innkeeper. She knew the man… In a village like this, it was hard not to know people. “Someone forget to pay for their room again?” she asked, not seeing Adriano yet as the horse was blocking her view.
“Near ‘bout,” Neil replied with a scoff. He thrust a hand, vaguely gesturing towards Adriano again. “‘Bout didn’t pay his meal tab either—ya don’t think I didn’t see ya ready to leave in a hurry. And now with your horse all tacked up? Pay up, I’ve got a family to feed.” Perhaps he hadn’t seen the papers yet.
Adriano relaxed from his wogue, though still visibly shaken. Especially when he heard the other voice. “Oh. No, I- I’m very sorry, sir. Here.” He fumbled around for some coins in his bag, then after counting as much as he needed, stepped out from hiding to give Neil the money. If just for a moment, he turned his glance over to Meghan.
Meghan almost chuckled at Neil's antics and gently patted the horse's neck, as if it wasn't completely unusual for him to chase after a patron or two. "Glad it wasn't more serious." she said with a small smile before looking over at the stranger. "I hate when those soldiers have to come through. All so important and make the rest of us feel… weak and pathetic." she admitted, assuming that he was just shaken up by their brief appearance. "Fortunately, it's few and far between when they actually come here…" her voice trailed off as she took in his face for that moment before finally recognizing him from the caricature on the wanted poster.
Her jaw almost dropped when she made the realization and tightly gripped the horse's reigns. "Why the sudden rush to leave?" she asked, hoping to delay him long enough for either someone else to recognize him or find a way to get him alone for a few minutes so she could… talk to him.
Neil took the money with a satisfied huff, and dipped his head to Meghan before turning on his heel. There were several other more pressing matters to attend to. The rushed business of running a tavern and all.
Adriano kept nodding along, even though he made a point to avoid looking straight at her. In a way, the royal guard was what had shaken him up. “Mhm, yes. Yes, they’re the worst.” He reached up to hold onto Fleur’s reins. His heart sank as he felt the tension, this stranger holding onto them too. He swallowed. Floundered for an answer to her question. “I, uhm, I realized I was late…for an appointment.”
Meghan barely acknowledged Neil leaving as she kept her eyes on the wanted man in front of her. “It’s nice to meet someone who isn't afraid to mention a shared dislike of those guards.” she commented, her face an impassive mask. “Most people believe they’ll be arrested for just thinking that way.” she said glancing around very briefly, not taking her hand off the horse's harness.
“I’d imagine it's a very important meeting. Someone special, perhaps?” she asked coyly as she brought the paper up discreetly so just the two of them would see it. “More influential than dealing with those soldiers, I'm sure.”
Adriano bit at the inside of his cheek. His hands went sweaty, fidgeting with the hem of his pants. Silently he begged her to let go of his horse, desperate to get away. He could dash away now. Slip between the buildings and disappear. “I suppose so,” he replied. The paper caught his attention and held it securely. His eyes, turning a bright yellow-green, widened. “Really, I have to go now.” As if he expected that would somehow convince her. He pulled at Fleur’s harness a bit tighter. “I-I need my horse. If you please.”
Meghan raised a brow at his rather miserable attempt to get her to let him leave. “Is that your best at persuasion?” she asked in disbelief. She shook her head slightly and looked at the picture again. “You know, I have a hard time believing these posters sometimes. They do so much to make the person looking intimidating… I mean, honestly, they could have at least drawn your eyes correctly.” she pointed out still making sure that no one else was around to listen. “Or just mentioned your unique eye color. That would be a much better way to make sure they found the right man, instead of the usual fear-mongering tactics.”
Adriano swallowed again. He never was the greatest at persuasion—never needed to be—until the skill suddenly seemed a desirable one to have. There wasn’t much to do other than stand stiffly while she continued to speak. On edge. Itching to escape. His gaze flicked back to her when she mentioned his eye color, and his breath hitched. Surely she was just talking about the bluish-green. Surely she couldn’t see the yellow. Though just in case, he craned his neck to check under the hem of her hood. “Grimm,” he snarled, fully woged except for those with a common eye. He let go of the reins and stumbled backwards, nearly tripping on his own feet.
Meghan’s eyes hardened when she saw the man turn into a white panther but managed to stand her ground. “Well, that's a new one.” she murmured to herself as she hadn't encountered this type of Wesen before. “Is that why they're looking for you? Or is there something more serious that I should know about before I make up my mind?” she asked firmly. Her heart racing as it always did when she dealt with these creatures. The thought that they could expose her or call her a witch always lingered in the back of her mind… But this time, almost felt like an impasse. Yes, he could still do either of those things but she could also expose him as the one the soldiers had been looking for.
Adriano remained speechless, wanting to say something, anything, but the words caught in his throat. His breath coming out in rattling huffs, chest heaving with each inhale. Obviously there was no talking himself out of this, he lacked the skills. He knew it would be unwise of him to fight a Grimm. Especially where everyone else in the village could see. He stood no chance. With everything else considered there was only a single option left. His gaze flicked over to Fleur, almost apologetically. I’ll come back for you. And with that silent promise he darted off between the buildings.
Meghan sighed when he ran, not completely surprised as it happened often when she met almost any Wesen. She was tempted to run after him but she wasn't dressed for a fight and she couldn't leave the horse out in the middle of the road. “Hey! If you want your horse, stop by my house! You can't miss it!” she called after him. “I’ll be waiting!” That last part may have sounded like a warning but she didn't care. She shook her head and lead the horse to the stable behind her home. “Your owner is a bit of a coward, isn't he? Assuming that he is your owner and he didn't steal you from the king or something.” she said gently to the animal. “Don’t worry, though. I can take care of you until we get things straightened out.”
Adriano stopped just behind the closest building once he realized the Grimm wasn’t following him. He leaned against the wall while he caught his breath, watching her lead Fleur away, just around the corner. Her house. She was taking Fleur to her house, she’d called. He retracted from his woge and lowered himself to sit on the ground. Just for a little while so he could gain some control over anxiety.
Then maybe no more than a few minutes later he pushed himself up, lowered his hat, and started towards the direction he saw the Grimm leave with his horse. Fortunately no-one stopped him while he crossed the road. He earned a few glances due to his earlier frenzy, but nothing more. Adriano followed the Grimm’s path to a stable behind one of the houses.
Meghan had spent her time waiting in the stable, removing the horse's gear as she wasn't sure when the supposed owner would return… Or if. It was hard to tell when people are that scared, though she hoped he would. She had a lot of questions for him.
“Well, that was fast.” she said, turning to face the stable door when she heard it creak open. It hadn't been fully closed, just enough to make some noise when someone else walked in. She had her hood down, as there was no point in hiding, and her arms crossed as she stood in front of the horse.
Adriano pushed through the stable door, frowning when he saw the Grimm again. He took another step forward. Far enough away to keep a several pace distance between them. As much as he wanted to, and as much as he tried, he couldn’t make himself have the semblance of anything but entirely uncomfortable. “I…I don’t know what sort of Grimm tactic you’re using. Or, or if you want a reward—“ he pulled the coin pouch out of his bag and held it out, “—you can have it. It’s probably more than they’d give out, anyway. I just need my horse. Please.” The pouch looked expensive, made out of a deep blue velvet.
Meghan let him keep the distance, keeping her face unemotional as she was still wary of him as well. “Pretty. But if I needed money, I would have turned you in the moment I recognized you from the picture.” she pointed out. “For all I know this horse might not even be yours. I could get a reward for returning her as well if that's the case. Besides, money can't give me what I really want.” she added softly, more to herself than to him. “Right now I only want answers from you. Depending on the answers and how much I believe them… I just might forget I saw you. For instance, what exactly are you? And what did you do that is so terrible you are wanted by the King?” she asked, starting with her two biggest questions.
Adriano lowered the pouch, then eventually tucked it back into his bag. She had a point; if she was after the money he might be in the hands of the Royal Guards by now. Maybe even dead. Still, Grimms were full of tricks and he’d do best to be cautious. “Answers,” he echoed, tapping a finger against the side of his leg impatiently. “Fine. I’m a Pflichttreue.” Without his mother he would have floundered at that question. The first time he woged he hadn’t been prepared, it hurt, and when he saw himself in the mirror the first word he thought was monster. “Secondly, I, uh…I don’t know how to answer that.” Not without explaining his royal identity, at least.
Meghan nodded thoughtfully at the new word, the specific name of this type of Wesen, but raised a brow at the second answer. On one hand, she had heard that royalty was strange and unpredictable so it wouldn't surprise her too much if they just needed a scapegoat and it just happened to be the man before her. Or he genuinely was dangerous. She didn't have any good experiences with Wesen, so she didn't have any reason to think otherwise… Yet. “Do you have a suspicion then, if you're not sure? You can't really expect me to believe that you're being hunted and don't know why.” she pointed out, almost bluffing as she still wanted a good reason.
Adriano’s gaze darted around the stable, taking note of the places he could climb to or escape just in case their conversation went south. He needed his horse in order to leave the village with any success. Every approach he could possibly take landed in a dead-end, with the Grimm predominantly the cause, standing all smug-like between him and Fleur. His attention flicked back to their discussion when she spoke. “Not really. I suspect they just don’t like Wesen, particularly one like me. Now can I please have my horse back?”
Meghan rolled her eyes a little as she noticed him looking around. “If you’re looking for a place to hide here, I know them all. I played in this stable a lot when I was a child.” she pointed out, trying to keep a… mostly civil conversation as she had a few more questions. She gave a half nod-half shrug at the possibility he offered, even if she thought it was a bit weak in her opinion. “I suppose I can understand that… Prejudice is… usually pretty unfair.” she said in a softer tone. “I guess that this horse either really is yours or just very valuable. I actually have a couple questions left; what’s your name and where you ran from? I know those are more personal but… I have a curious streak I can't always help.” she admitted with a faint blush.
Adriano’s gaze dropped to the ground when he realized he’d been noticed. “I figured.” He let out a sigh, long and defeated. At least she seemed to accept his answer, thankfully, as vague as it was. His weight shifted from foot to foot while he considered her comment. Prejudice was unfair, but it felt more complicated than the way the Grimm put it. It felt like betrayal, confusion, weighing down on his shoulders like a bag of rocks. “She’s mine. And very valuable to me, yes,” he replied flatly. Fleur wasn’t technically his own. If he had taken his own horse they both would have been more easily recognizable, and he couldn’t take that chance. “My, uh, my name’s Adriano. I can’t tell you where I’m running from.”
Meghan nodded at his answers, though she still felt like he was leaving something out… She sighed and decided to at least extend the same courtesy she just asked. “I’m Meghan.” she told him. “I would say it's nice to meet you but…” she shrugged, hinting at the complicated nature of him being wanted for treason as well as Wesen while she was a Grimm. Honestly, she couldn't blame him for not telling her where he was from. “Then where do you plan to hide? I don't think that the King or his soldiers will just leave you alone… No matter where you run.” she pointed out. Ironically, she was starting to think that the safest place for a Wesen “criminal”… was with someone they wouldn't expect.
