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Post by Vyncent Schwarz on May 23, 2008 12:32:33 GMT -5
The moon was just beginning to peak over the turrets of Cressa's grand castle, casting its ghostly light over the well constructed stones and pooling out over the city, working its way into the nooks and crannies of even the darkest alleyways where people, in general, did not want to be found. The light from inside the castle windows illuminated the entire structure, making it appear as though it were on fire, were it not for the silence that drifted across the grounds and around the outskirts of Cressa, where the nobles and the respectable citizens dwelled. The breeze that rustled the branches of the trees in the grounds of the castle was cool, and the night was young. This was particularly true for one Phoenix Gracia, who had completed, in his opinion, a very good evening's work and was now heading back into the slums of the great city.
He didn't know what it was about the inner-city that he disliked - it seemed lacking something; people, life perhaps. Oh, sure, the castle was magnificent and the grand houses surrounding it were just as awe-inspiring (and the value of the artifacts inside them were equally so, as he had discovered just a few hours back). But there was no soul to the place, it was just money and buildings and nobles and royalty. Where were the pub brawls, the market stalls, the haggling old women who hung around from dawn til dusk trying to get a bargain? This part of Cressa just seemed a little too fake for his liking, and though he wouldn't pass up one of those giant houses if it were offered to him on a silver platter, he was quite happy where he was thank you very much.
This was equally true considering that the hefty amulet now hidden in his waist-coat, covered by a cloth was probably worth twice as much as his own home(s) (Phoenix tended to live everywhere... with EVERYONE).
He glanced up as faint applause broke the silence of the streets, the thief freezing with practised elegance, blending suddenly into the shadows of a house. Then he let out a sigh of relief as he realised the noise was coming from the castle; he couldn't see many of the lights inside it, and he didn't see it often so he allowed himself a moment to admire the turrets and the expensive handiwork of talented architects. Red-gold brows knotted into a frown as he realised what the applause was for - of course, the princess was betrothed, wasn't she? She was getting married tomorrow, if the gentleman calling to people from the market stall this morning had been correct. Hm.
"Perhaps I'll have something to do tomorrow as well..." he muttered to himself as he wandered back onto the main pathway through the city, the moonlight catching the light smirk on his face. The parade after the wedding was common knowledge, even to your average slum-dweller. Just what Phoenix loved most; hundreds of people packed together, hundreds of pieces of gold just waiting to be snatched up. He shook his head, pouting a little. Of course he couldn't stay, that was stupid. Besides that, the Moonlight Market was being held tonight in his district... in fact, it was just about to start. Damn! At this rate he was going to miss the opening dance which served as entertainment for the people. And it wasn't often that he would pass up the opportunity to watch Layla dance, even if she was in a mood with him right now.
"Sorry princess," he laughed softly to himself, vibrant red hair catching the moonlight as he glanced over his shoulder just once more, "Afraid I'll have to miss your wedding celebration. Duty calls, you see." he shrugged.
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Post by Angel ♥ on May 23, 2008 12:55:16 GMT -5
A shadow flitted across the moonlit street before melting back into the protective shelter of the darkness that lined the edges of the street, hiding away from the all seeing eye of the indifferent moon. The Princess had made her apperance at the ball, having been seen to arrive and mingle with the guests for a while before excusing herself to retire to her chambers and rest as tomorrow promised to be a tiring day for her. She had actually allowed her mother to escort her to her room and sit and lecture her on how to be a good wife for half an hour before she left; she had fufilled her duties for the day, that way no-one would even notice that she was missing until they came to wake her in the morning to get ready, or so she hoped.
Her heart was hammering in her chest as she leant back against the immaculate, white stone work of one of the many elaborate and stylish houses that filled this area. Her eyes flashed purple in the dim light as she turned her attention to the castle, holding her breath as she listened to the applause, checking that no-one was following her. The applause would be for her father's speech, or the speech or her finace; either way it meant that no-one would be leaving the ball for a long while, which gave her time to intergrate herself into the city. However, if time ran short she would have to escape into the slums, they would never think to look for her there. She would rather avoid that area if possible; she knew of it's terrible reputation and she knew that it wasn't a place that someone like her would be welcome.
Her dark grey cloak billowed out around her ankles as she began walking once again, sticking to the shadows as much as possible. She still stood out though, even with her hood tugged up to hide her fancy hair style and to cast darkness down over her feature. She just looked...upper class. So upper class that it would create scandal if word broke out that she had been wandering the streets alone at night. A young woman, alone, at night, and not at the Princess' party? Scandal!
It wasn't just the expensive cloak that made her seem so out of place, but also the way she walked with a straight back and a slight, feminin swing to her hips and the air of authority that seemed surrounded her. In short, she just couldn't escape who she was, no matter how hard she tried.
She looked up as she heard someone mutter her name, or rather her title, stopping her her tracks, seeming bemused as she noticed the man walking toward her. Oh no, he recognised her? Was that possible? Ohh God, what should she do? She just couldn't make her legs move. She couldn't be caught already, she nad been free for barely twenty minutes...
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Post by Vyncent Schwarz on May 23, 2008 16:25:45 GMT -5
And Phoenix glanced forwards again just in time to half collide with her, having to swerve slightly to avoid walking straight into her - that would have guaranteed to end with one, or both of them on the ground. If it had been busy he would have just kept walking; slum-dwellers knew that the streets had no manners, and pausing to apologise just ate up valuable time. As it was, however, the streets were deserted, and terribly silent. The thief paused, glancing up and staring into the shadows of her hood for just a split second as he brushed his bangs out of his face.
"Sorry about that..." he mumbled, his mind still clearly on the dance that he was missing as he continued on without a word, in the way that she had just been walking. As his footsteps echoed through the silence, a frowned just a little bit, realisation washing over his features. He had never seen the princess, he had only even seen a few pictures of her, but he knew that she was beautiful, beyond measure or comparison. He'd never given it much thought before, a princess wouldn't go wandering around alone... that was just idiocy. But for a split-second, when he'd looked into the face of that woman... Well, he could bet that the princess herself couldn't compete! And all thoughts of the Moonlight Market were gone, what kind of a gentleman would he BE to allow a defenceless woman (diregarding that she looked rich and was breathtakingly beautiful) to wander around alone at night?
He glanced down at his right hand, the pouch he'd lifted from the folds of her cloak in that split second they'd been in contact sitting heavily in his palm. Well, well. He suddenly stopped and leant down as though he was plucking something from the ground, before spinning on heel to clear this throat as though to get her attention, and smile that charismatic, Phoenix-smile. "S'cuse me, Miss." his accent was typically from the slums, pleasantly common but lined with that Avalan charm, "I think you've dropped something back here." he held up the pouch, tilting his head at her curiously. To see her face again, he had to take a good look at her, even if it would end up simply in his memory.
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Post by Angel ♥ on May 23, 2008 16:43:57 GMT -5
"I'm sorry." She murmured as the man bumped into her, not noticing the theft of her money pouch. She smoothed out her cloak as she started walking again, biting her lower lip. She must have been hearing things, maybe it was just her imagination playing tricks on her? She just needed to get out of here as soon as possible.
The pouch was heavier than what the nobility generally carried around, made from soft red velvet with the royal emblem swen onto it in golden thread. She hadn't been sure how much money to bring, and in truth she had never understood the value of money. She could spend more than an average familiy would spend in a year in ten minutes without thinking anything of it. She had never understood how hard money was to earn, nor had she understood the price of things. To her, prices were just insignificant numbers.
She paused and turned as the man called to her, or she guessed that he was speaking to her as she was the only one in the street. She arched an eyebrow at the pouch, her hand moving to her pocket where it should have been before a comfused expression played over her features. How had it got there? She was lucky he had found it or she would be stuck. "Oh...thank you. It must have slipped from my pocket." Her voice was oh so different to his; soft and sophisticated, with each word properly pronounced instead of shortened.
She moved to walk over to him to get her coins back, rather surprised that he hadn't just taken them. Tsk, people must be wrong about these slum dwellers, maybe they weren't all murderers and theives.
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Post by Vyncent Schwarz on May 23, 2008 16:54:50 GMT -5
Not all of them were, but most of them were. It was true what they said - in the slums you were one or the other. And Phoenix was a thief, but he could safely say that he wasn't a murderer. Yet. Desperation made people do some questionable things, but he'd been lucky enough so far to keep his head above water and get away with a few scuffles and fights, but nothing more. It was a good thing she hadn't known his original motive; simply to take her coins and run. It was her beauty and intrigue that had saved her from a theft, but for people like Phoenix that was simply the way of the world.
He glanced down at the pouch as she moved forward to collect it, and if you looked closely you could practically see the pieces fitting together in his mind, green eyes alight with interest. He held the pouch up to the light as she drew closer, frowning a little. "How strange." he murmured, mostly to himself as he held the soft velvet out for her to take, his gaze flitting towards the shadows of her hood again, to confirm something. "You shouldn't be wandering around alone, y'know." he told her matter-of-factly, glancing behind her to the castle. At least it truly would be safe for a pretty creature like her to wander around the noble districts of the city tonight, considering that the majority of the people were at the ball right now.
"That's a curious thing to hold your coins in... even for a noble. If you'll excuse my asking, why are you out here? Someone like you should be inside the walls of the castle, I'd think..." he gazed down at her, his expression calculating. The more he thought about it, the more familiar she began to look. It was just out of reach in his mind, who was she?
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Post by Angel ♥ on May 23, 2008 17:06:06 GMT -5
Aurora wouldn't notice that there were coins missing, she was too glad that he had the decency to call her back to tell her that she had dropped the bag. The Princess just always tried to think the best of people, and she was naive enough to think that he was returning the pouch with all the coins in there all because he was a good person. In fact, all people from the slums had suddenly gone up in her expectations, which was probably a bad thing as it would make her more trusting, which would lead to her downfall.
She took the bag as he held it out, tucking it away into her pocket once more, making sure that it was safe within one of the inner pockets before looking up again. He was...staring at her? She couldn't help but blush and glance away, her cheeks coloured with a light pink tint; she was such an innocent wasn't she? She was used to people looking at her, obviously, but she wasn't quite used to people looking at her like that. It made her embarassed and flattered all at the same time. She wasn't sure what he wanted from her, and she knew that she had never met him before, but she was sure that she had seen a hint of recognition in his eyes.
"It was a gift, from the King to my father..." She murmured, lying arkwardly. As you can guess, lying wasn't one of her talents and it wasn't something that she enjoyed doing. "I wasn't feeling very well, so I decided...to...go home..." She continued, biting her lower lip lightly. She didn't even sound convinced herself, so how was he expected to believe her?
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Post by Vyncent Schwarz on May 23, 2008 17:17:34 GMT -5
"Hmm..." he didn't even seem to hear her excuses, he had already realised that whatever she was going to say was going to be a lie... Phoenix was an excellent liar after all, he could spot deceit a mile away. He frowned lightly as he simply couldn't locate where he had seen her before, sighing almost in defeat. "I can't have met you before. I wouldn't have let such a pretty one get away." he smirked softly, half turning away when it hit him. The pouch, the fact that she was JUST outside the castle, and she seemed so nervous, so... out of place. That did it, the thief turning slowly back around to look at her, clear recognition in his eyes by this point. "Ah, now that's why I would have had to let you go. I don't really stand much of a chance against princesses, do I?" he rested one hand on his belt, next to his lock picks.
He was pretty dumbfounded, although he hid it well. A princess, a gift from Heaven had just practically fallen into his lap! All sorts of questions were raising by now though, such as why she was outside the castle instead of in the centre of the festivities. Or why she had such a vast amount of money in her/his possession. And then, of course, the dread settled over him. He was a known thief, he played with the law as though they only existed for his personal amusement. He'd been caught once or twice as well, though never for very long. But to be seen with a royal, he'd be hung before he'd even breathed an excuse. Treason, kidnapping, lies, thievery. Ohh, it was all playing around in his head now. Best to depart before anyone noticed.
"I guess it's none of my business." he muttered, shifting his gaze rather quickly to the ground. "You'd better be careful. Not everyone is as well mannered as me, and they'd just as soon kill you as look at you." he warned. Yes, it was best to warn her about the city, the slums, the-- why the hell wasn't she in the castle?
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Post by Angel ♥ on May 23, 2008 17:29:27 GMT -5
Her gaze flickered back up to him at his first comment, smiling ever so lightly as she allowed herself a moment to look at him. He was really rather charming, in the sort of rougish and ungroomed way that she didn't see around the castle. He was a person unlike any she had ever met before, then again, she hadn't really met many different types of people. In fact, he was probably the first person that she had met that wasn't a noble or a servant...which demonstrated how much of a sheltered life she lived. Her blush had intensified a little by now, Aurora starting to feel a little arkward.
"Princess?" She murmured at his accusation, her shock evident on her face, the purple in her eyes flashing in the shadows of the hood. "I think that you must have me mistaken." She mumbled, reaching up to brush a stray strand of hair back from her face before she shook her head a little. Oh no, now there was a witness to her escape, and she didn't doubt that he would give up information on her when a reward was offered, which would probably happen within hours of the discovery of her disappearance.
She was rather greatful that he didn't ask any further questions, though she felt a slight sinking feeling in her stomach as he said what would count as his goodbye; he was going and she would be alone and lost again. "Thank you for the advise, I will be sure to follow it." She nodded to him polietly, moving to take a step back away from him before looking around. Hmmm, where to go now?
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Post by Vyncent Schwarz on May 23, 2008 17:40:01 GMT -5
He turned away from her and began to walk away, cursing himself every step of the way. He could see she was in trouble, she didn't look very princess-y... or, well, how he had imagined royalty would be. She seemed almost nervous to be outside, but then again, he thought, she probably isn't meant to be outside of the castle in the first place. Especially with her wedding being tomorrow. He paused to glance over his shoulder as she stopped, seeming curious. He couldn't just leave her, even if it meant that he would be killed for it. Clearly something wasn't right about this whole thing. With a light sigh, he rubbed his eyes and began to stroll back towards her, cursing himself once again. Layla would kill him for this, if he showed up with a freakin' PRINCESS in tow. Well to hell with what Layla thinks, Phoenix grumbled to himself before lifting his head to look at her.
"Sorry if you think I'm prying, but you look lost. Don't you know where you're meant to be?" he asked softly, deciding not to bring up this princess idea again - he was already completely certain who it was that stood opposite him, but if it made her feel better he'd play along. "Because the way you're going you'll run into a dead end in front of the castle. To get into the heart of the city you'll want to come this way." he jabbed a thumb over his shoulder to where he was going. "...But that depends on where it is you're trying to go. I know it's late and everything, but if you need to get somewhere I don't mind taking you." That and you are twice as beautiful as any dancer that I'd see at the market tonight, he thought to himself secretly.
Well, now he had done it. She'd only have to smile and he'd take her anywhere she'd want to go, even though the amulet was heavy in his waist coat pocket and he was getting tired... and he had no idea when a wandering noble may appear on their way home. And he did not want to be caught in THAT cross-fire of a conversation.
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Post by Angel ♥ on May 23, 2008 17:52:57 GMT -5
And smile at him was what she did. A greateful smile tugged at the edges of her lips as her gaze found its way back over to him, nodding just a little. He was offering to help her, which she found to be rather odd gesture for someone that was meant to be a theif or a murderer, though she had decided that she liked this man and that he could trust him. Yes, she had exchanged a few words with him and she had already decided that she would be able to trust him and that he wouldn't purposly lead her into trouble, right? He seemed to be a genuine person, and he had given her the money back...she was safer with him than alone.
"In truth, I don't know where I am trying to go..." She confessed with a light sigh, shuffling her feet a little as her gaze flickered to the ground. "I just want to get away from the palace, as far away as possible...where they won't find me." She explained to him, seeming to have given in to the idea that he would have to know who she was if she wanted his help, though she hadn't really confirmed his comment on her being the Princess; that very same Princess that should be getting married today so the reason that she was running away would be really rather obvious to anyone who thought about it for a second.
"My name is Aurora, by the way." She nodded to him, smiling to him rather enderingly. "And if you are busy or need to return home or...anything then you shouldn't guide me around. I wouldn't want to get you into trouble." She added, not seeming to realise that he would be in trouble merely for helping her, but that was if they were caught and Rory didn't plan on being caught.
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Post by Vyncent Schwarz on May 24, 2008 3:28:26 GMT -5
He felt an odd tug on his heart when she smiled; no, now he really couldn't leave her alone, that would be foolish. He nodded a little as she spoke, glancing back at the grand castle that loomed overhead, practically able to hear the chatter of voices, the floating bits of conversation about the upcoming wedding. But then again, he couldn't stay with her either! A known thief wandering around with a missing princess? Perhaps he could persuade her to go back... maybe she just needed someone to talk to for a while. He suspected that when you were royalty you rarely got to hear anyone else's point of view.
"I'm not busy, and I don't need to be anywhere anyway." he told her with a friendly smile, turning around to glance down the pathway. He would take her to the Amber Fountain, he'd decided; it was well into the slums and just outside his particular district. Far enough from the palace to be able to talk without the worry of guards, and it would be quiet even there wih the Moonlight Market taking place. "Follow me." he told her, setting off at a rather fast stride, in order to lead them away from the castle quickly, but without arousing suspicion.
"I'm Phoenix." he grinned over his shoulder, "Now, why is it that you want to run away from the castle? I heard that Princesses in general are very happy up there." he laughed as they broke off from the main path rather suddenly, the thief wandering expertly through the network of buildings and walls blended into shadow as though he had done it a thousand times before. The deeper they got into the city, and the faster they managed to do that, the better, he supposed.
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Post by Angel ♥ on May 24, 2008 15:05:49 GMT -5
She knew what he was thinking, or she could make a rather accurate guess. She had caught his glance to the castle, which read both as he was wondering why she wasn't there and that he was worrying about being caught with her. She couldn't blame him really, because if she were in his situation then she would probably be thinking the very same thing, though she didn't quite realise how much trouble he would be in if he were caught with a runaway Princess; if she'd have known the severity of his potential punishment for helping her she would never have accepted it. No matter how selfish people thought royalty was, Aurora was too noble to let someone suffer because of her if she could do anything about it.
She didn't need aasking to fall into step behind him, her silk slippers dancing over the cobbles street swiftly to keep up with him. They weren't the most practical of shoes but, as with her hair, she hadn't had time to change them to anything more practical...in fact...she doubted that she owned any practical shoes. Oh well, if she needed some she would just have to buy some, there was no point in worry about something she couldn't change now.
"What they let you hear about what goes on behind those walls and what actually happens are two seperate things." She sighed lightly, not wanting to sound too cynical. "Some Princess' feel trapped up there, and some don't like people telling them how to live their lives." She nodded slowly. "It's complicated."
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Post by Vyncent Schwarz on May 24, 2008 19:19:26 GMT -5
"It's nice that you think they actually let us know about things that go on up there." he laughed softly, glancing briefly over his shoulder as they began to work their way deeper into the city - soon they'd even go beyond the depths, to the fringes and the slums and the areas nobody liked to think about. But that was Phoenix's home, and he couldn't have it any other way. As bad of a reputation the slum-dwellers had, you couldn't find nicer people to help you out of a bad situation. Granted, they were helping you into a situation that probably wasn't much better than the original, but still. "No, that's a lie..." he shrugged at his first statement, "The people of Cressa are probably really well informed, it's just the slums that get all the rumours and half finished stories." he smiled to himself, not sounding irked or annoyed by this at all.
"Ah, life is complicated. A fact people tend to learn very early on." he told her as they travelled, lights beginning to appear around them slowly as they made their way out of the noble districts and back into the streets of Cressa. Most people would still be asleep by this point though, he doubted anywhere but the Moonlight Market would still be bustling, since that tended to continue long into the night. He fell silent at her comment about being told how to live your life, ducking through an alleyway and emerging through to the other side without a sound, moving rather quickly now. Well, if he wanted to talk to her, convince her to stay at the castle and get her back there before sunrise, he'd have to move fast.
"I s'pose that's the difference between a princess and a... well, someone like me." He made a point of skirting around his profession; he wouldn't lie to her if she asked, he had nothing to hide, but he guessed he wouldn't appear very approachable if she realised she was talking to a thief. "Nobody tells me how to live, where to go, what to wear, what to do." he paused suddenly to climb onto a low ledge leading onto the rooftops which, in themselves were a detailed pathway to the slums. He straightened up, smirking down at her. "Don't get me wrong, people have tried. But you gotta live your life for you. Otherwise, what's the point eh?" he chuckled, leaning over to offer her a helping hand up.
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Post by Angel ♥ on May 25, 2008 19:11:11 GMT -5
"They only tell you half truths and manipluations." She rolled her eyes at him, shaking her head just a little. "They only tell you what they want you to know, mostly to cover up gossip and scandal that's leaked out. They don't want everyone to know that the people in the palace as probably worse than those who live in the slums...no offence..." She added the last bit in rather quickly, not meaning to offend him, but the comparison clearly demonstated what she wanted him to understand. "They wouldn't tell you anything if they didn't have to, but they realised that people need to hear some things from the castle or they start getting suspicious."
Her gaze flickered around to absorb every aspect of her suroundings as they walked, making sure to stick close to Phoenix as the buildings began to deteriorate and the streets became dirtier. She wrapped her arms around herself under her cloak, wrinkling her nose a little at the smell. How could people live like this? She had never realised that this was the level of poverty that people experienced every day...and this was only a taster of the troubles they had to deal with on a daily basis.
"There shouldn't be a difference." She murmred in response to his comment. "Just because I am a Princess that doesn't mean that I am in capable of making decisions for myself. It's my life, not theirs, and I don't want to waste it on something that they think is for the better." She huffed and pouted, glancing to his hand before reaching out to take it, her grip light and hand warm. She let him help her up onto the ledge, tilting her head at him a little. "Where are we going?"
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Post by Vyncent Schwarz on May 26, 2008 5:58:57 GMT -5
He raised his eyebrows as she began to talk - well, this was different. What happened to the shy little thing that he'd been talking to a few minutes ago, who blatantly refused to be a princess at all? He supposed people did get more confident when speaking about things they were passionate about, but the change in her was less than subtle. "If you know so much about the city and it's people then why do you seem to out of place in these streets?" he asked softly as he tugged her onto the ledge with him - his grip was completely different from hers, strong and calloused, his strength surprising considering his lack of height.
He didn't seem offended by her comment about the slums, however seemed a little irritated by the implication that nobles and slum-dwellers were exactly the same. He had nothing against nobles, but if they were exactly the same as the people living on the streets then shouldn't the poor and the starving get the same luxury as the people living above them? "So instead of doing what they think is for the better you're going to run away from it, causing chaos and fear throughout your kingdom?" he tilted his head at her and clambered onto the flat rooftop, walking briskly along it, "Perhaps you're right. The people in the palace probably are worse than in the slums..."
He fell silent after that, jumping over the little gaps in the rooftops with ease and smiling lightly as faint noise began to fill the air from the Moonlight Market - it was still quite far away, but it was clear they were in the slums now from the noise and the shabby buildings and the like. "I'm taking you to the Amber Fountain." he told her swiftly, "For somewhere so deep in the slums it's not bad looking." he leapt down from the rooftop suddenly, landing softly on the ground at the bottom and looking up at her expectantly.
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