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Post by Angel ♥ on May 26, 2008 6:14:57 GMT -5
"I never implied that." She told him, seeming to realise that he wasn't understanding what she was saying. How could she expect him to understand? He had never been in the castle like she had never been in the slums, and you could only really understand a place once you had lived there. She also realised that there was no point in explaining anything to him, and she had caught the underlying resentment in his voice. She could appreciate what he was saying though, but she doubted that he would feel the same way if he were put in her position. He had said himself that there was no point to life if you didn't live it, and being trapped in the castle wasn't any type of life that she wanted to live. It seemed that the universal opinion was that if you were a Princess you deserved to lead an utterly miserable life.
She breathed out a light sigh as she followed him, seeming to revert back to being quiet as quickly as she had grown confident. He wasn't a bad person, he just...couldn't understand her point of view. Plus, her disapperance would just be a nuisance rather than causing what he described as choas and fear. There would just be a brief period of uproar where they would be looking for her, but in time that would die down. The kingdom still had it's Prince's, it could afford the loss of a Princess. She wasn't really all that important, and all they expected her to do was marry and have children and be obedient; she just couldn't live like that.
Aurora didn't experience the same ease at traveling over the rooftops, seeming uncomfortable with jumping the gaps between the buildings and the increasingly creaky ground that she was walking on. Half an hour of freedom and it was likely that she would slip and fall to her death, that would be rather ironic wouldn't it? She blinked at Phoenix disappeared from view, pausing to crouch down at the edge of the roof and peer down at him with wide eyes. "You want me to...jump?" She seemed bemused by that, backing away from the edge of the roof as if to say she couldn't do it.
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Post by Vyncent Schwarz on May 26, 2008 6:59:46 GMT -5
"You wanna stay up there all night?" he asked, tilting his head at her in confusion. Oh. He hadn't been thinking, had he? People used the rooftops for travel all the time in the slums... well, all the thieves and outlaws used it commonly. He had just done what had come naturally to him and now, staring up at her through the half-light, he seemed to realise his mistake. Of course a princess wouldn't be used to clambering over rooftops and leaping from heights. There would have to be a little bit of give and take in both of them for them to be able to last together for even a few minutes. He sighed - it wasn't exhasperated or annoyed, more like he was preparing for something.
"It's okay, I'll catch you." he told her, moving into the light of one of the lamps so she could see him staring up at her, as if that would help to stop her fear. "Just sit down and move to the edge of the roof, you'll be fine." he murmured, the faint sounds of the Moonlight Market around them rather comforting to the thief. They could afford to wait a few minutes, nobody would come looking for them. As long as the market was alive and busy nobody would be wandering the streets, they wouldn't be seen.
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Post by Angel ♥ on May 26, 2008 7:14:25 GMT -5
No, Princess' didn't generally travel around over roof tops, they generally travelled around in carriges with an armed guard and a huge entourage of people that they usually didn't like very much; travelling over roof tops was very difficult for her. Plus, she was finding out that she didn't really like heights. She much preferred real, steady ground under her feet.
"You promise you won't drop me?" She asked as she arched an eyebrow at him, tilting her head a little as she moved to sit on the edge of the roof with her legs dangling over the edge as he had instructed. She bit her lower lip lightly, her heart beating rather quickly in her chest, the light breeze making her cloak ripple around her. It was, however, rather comforting, however, when he stepped into the light. At least she knew that he was looking at her so there was less of a chance that he would drop her or just...not catch her at all.
Ok, it was now or never. She couldn't stay up on the roof all night and she doubted that he would let her just drop, he didn't seem to be the type of person that would do that. She pressed her hands over her eyes as she shuffled forward, finally allowing herself to drop from the edge of the roof and...fall; squeaking lightly as she felt her stomach flip. Oh, she didn't like this at all.
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Post by Vyncent Schwarz on May 26, 2008 7:23:36 GMT -5
He smiled reassuringly as she sat on the edge of the roof - he was directly underneath her now, it shouldn't be too hard to catch her. He'd done it with kids a thousand times... then again, this wasn't a child. Oh shit, if he KILLED the princess what the hell was he going to--
And then she was dropping through the air and he had no time to worry about that, levelling himself on the ground and catching her swiftly. He staggered back just a little but managed to brace himself against the stone, straightening up again with her in his arms. Oh, thank God. "See, you're fine." he smiled at her, shaking his red bangs out of his face as he glanced at her to make sure she was okay. Whoa, she was even prettier close up, he nearly dropped her just looking at her! He laughed softly then, glancing around to check nobody had spotted them. "You must be the princess." he murmured as he reluctantly set her down. "Because I definitely wouldn't have let someone like you get away."
He brushed himself off, making certain that HE hadn't broken anything catching her, and motioned for her to follow him once more through the streets into the shadows.
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Post by Angel ♥ on May 26, 2008 7:38:13 GMT -5
Her arms automatically went around his neck as he caught her, half clinging to him to make sure that he really had caught her. Her hood had fallen back as he caught her, fully revealing her face for the first time. She really was pretty, and it was rather sweet how she still had her eyes pressed closed even though he had caught her. Her fringe fell across her eyes, the rest of her hair fastened up in an elaborate style, which showed that she had been to the ball earlier this evening. Three plaits ran down the right side of her head, hair clipped up at the back so that strands of hair spiked out, as was the current style. The diamond clips in her hair glittered in the light as she moved her head, opening her eyes slowly to look up at Phoenix as he spoke, blushing lightly.
She smoothed out her clothing as he set her down, taking a small step back away from him so that they weren't so close together, glancing around to make sure that they hadn't been seen before she tugged her hood back up, casting shadows over her face once again. "Thank you, but I don't think I want to be doing that again."
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Post by Vyncent Schwarz on May 26, 2008 7:49:10 GMT -5
"Completely understandable." he chuckled, glancing over his shoulder as she pulled her hood back up to make sure she was still with him, before rushing off once again through alleyways and between houses and the like. It was a few minutes before he finally seemed to have reached their destination, the sounds of the Moonlight Market near enough gone again by this point. The Amber Fountain was located in a tiny square in one of the slum districts - the fountain was of an angel with spread wings, the low wall around it allowing visitors to sit down. It's name came from the fact that this was the first thing the sun hit when it burst over the horizon, bathing the water in gold and turning the angel into nothing more than an amber silhouette.
The fountain seemed rather ghostly now however, considering the darkness and the silence, the rushing water the only sound breaking through the night. "Alright, I think we're near enough away from the palace by now for you to relax for a little while." Phoenix stretched - that damn amulet was starting to dig into him, he'd have to physically throw it at Kade for making him travel so far to get it. But then again, it was all worth it since he'd met Aurora on the way back, he would have done it again and again for the same opportunity. The thief moved to perch on the top of the fountain, sat in the crook of one of the angel's wings where the water didn't reach.
He looked as though he'd done it dozens of times before, completely comfortable here unlike when he was in the noble districts - although cocky and confident even then, he'd felt rather subdued there. "So, why exactly are you fleeing the palace?" he asked curiously, pushing his fiery red hair out of his face. "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to, but I DID save you from being stuck on the rooftops all night." he laughed a little.
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Post by Angel ♥ on May 26, 2008 8:05:49 GMT -5
A smile graced her features as the fountain came into view, not having been expecting something so pretty to be found amongst these run down houses. The silence was something else that she hadn't been expecting. The slums had always been described as being bustling and full of activity and she was surprised to find it so...empty. Even though it was getting late she had been expecting that there would still be people hanging around, obviously she had been wrong.
She found herself grinning at Phoenix as he clambered up to sit in the crook of the angel's wing while she settled down on the low wall which surrounded the inky water. He was an odd character, just like the rouges described in the books she read; charming, charismatic and confident. She found herself enjoying his company even though they had only just met, and she felt much more comfortable around him than she felt around many of the people in the palace.
She glanced up at him as he spoke again, the dim light picking out the purple in her eyes, making them stand out against her pale features. "The main reason? They want me to get married to a stuck up noble who probably doesn't even know my name and only agreed to this engagement because of who I am." She scowled a little and turned her attention down to the water, looking at her reflection as if gazed up at her. "My father wouldn't listen to me, I didn't know what else to do."
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Post by Vyncent Schwarz on May 26, 2008 8:16:36 GMT -5
"Well, couldn't you have at least met with him first of all? And then left him at the altar or something? That would have been a lot more dramatic than escaping from the palace and then almost getting stuck on a rooftop until you were hauled back there." he grinned down at her, though he seemed to understand where she was coming from by now. "You really don't want to do this, do you?" he tilted his head - he hadn't realised that he would find himself feeling sympathy for her. It was true that you could have everything and be miserable, wasn't it? He smirked inwardly; he could see this ending with him 'kidnapping' the youngest princess of Cressa, even though his original intention was to persuade her to go back to the castle.
"But what do you plan to do now?" he murmured, leaping from the fountain to land in front of her softly, straightening up to gaze down at her. "People are gonna be looking for you, especially considering that your wedding day is tomorrow. There's gonna be chaos even if it's short-lived. Where are you planning to go?" he asked; she must have had some kind of plan after escaping the palace than just to wander around Cressa until someone found her, but he couldn't see what it was. The thief glanced over his shoulder as a faint cheer broke out behind them from the bustling market, and he couldn't help but smile lightly. That would have been Layla or possibly one of the other girls beginning the dance, but he definitely felt as though he was the one having the better time.
He hadn't realised that a princess would have such a strong will or opinion, he assumed they were all for living for their people, making their people happy and all that. To meet a rebel princess, he may have gotten in over his head!
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Post by Angel ♥ on May 26, 2008 8:28:31 GMT -5
"I have met him. He didn't even speak to me, he just talked at me. I think that he would have just kept on talking even if I left the room." She sighed, running her hand through the water to break up her reflection. "They would have disowned me if I did that, I think that they would have dragged me back there and made me do it. I don't really have much of a choice in all of this." She rubbed at the side of her head for a moment before looking up at him, her worry about being forced into the marriage quite clear in her eyes. "I really don't want to do this." She confirmed before looking away from him again, playing with a loose thread on her cloak nervously.
A plan? She hadn't really had time to come up with any coherent plan, she had really just been focused on getting out of the castle and as far away from it as quickly as possible. "I was going to try and find a friend..." She murmured eventually, "But...now I'm out here that seems like it will be much harder than I had anticipated." Aurora had come up with a vauge plan that involved finding her author friend, though she had no idea where he was and wasn't even sure that he would be able to help her. She hadn't spoken to him in over a year, he may even be married with a family and in no position to help a runaway Princess.
She glanced up at the sound of the cheer, moving her attention to Phoenix. "I figured that there would be enough people here for me to hide myself amongst. They won't realise I'm gone until morning and then they would have to organise a search, I was hoping that I had been able to find somewhere to go by then..."
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Post by Vyncent Schwarz on May 26, 2008 8:39:41 GMT -5
"There's a lot more to hiding from the law than just mingling in with the rest of the crowd." he smiled at her softly, folding his arms, "For starters, you don't walk, talk, or act like a slum-dweller. And that cloak too well made to even be seen down here. You'll stick out like a sore thumb even amongst the rest of the people." he sighed, moving to sit down next to her. "You shouldn't have to do anything you don't want to. If you don't mind sticking with me for a day or so... I guess we could try and find this friend of yours." Now he had done it, he'd done exactly what he was trying to avoid. But who cared - she was pretty and in trouble, and a god-damned PRINCESS. He almost felt like it was his duty as a citizen to help her.
"I mean, hell, the law already hates me. Let's add treason to the list!" he chuckled, that actually seeming to amuse him. Phoenix got his kicks out of messing with the guards, stuff like that was what made a bad day turn good. "Just remember that as long as you're outside those palace walls there's always a choice. And nobody can tell you any different. Got it?" he turned to look at her, giving that charming Phoenix grin again and leaning back on his hands to look up at the angel statue. "Besides, now you're with me it shouldn't be too hard to hide you for a few hours, at least. I've got a few favours I can cash in, people who owe me for stuff. You don't need to worry about a thing."
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Post by Angel ♥ on May 26, 2008 8:52:58 GMT -5
She stood out without meaning to, even just walking around it would be obvious to everyone that she didn't belong here...and if she stood out so much then it would be easy for the guards to find her. She hadn't thought that blending in would be so difficult, but she had never met a slum-dweller except Phoenix, so she hadn't really had anyone to base her expectations on. She was actually surprised by his next statement, smiling brightly as she nodded to him a little. "You wouldn't mind helping me? You're sure? Oh...thank you Phoenix." Ahh, now she sounded excitable, even though there was only a slim chance that this author friend of hers would even be in Cressa, nevermind that they would actually be able to find him...but Aurora had always been an optimist.
She nodded gratefully to his comment about having a choice, not really sure how she was supposed to thank him for everything that he was doing for her. Ohhh! But she did have something that she could give him! She slipped a ring from her finger and held it out to him, the blue stone almost seeming black in the darkness. "Here...you can take this...as a token of my gratitude."
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Post by Vyncent Schwarz on May 26, 2008 9:02:48 GMT -5
He seemed taken aback as she offered him the ring, lifting a red-gold brow in confusion. That thing must have cost a fortune, it was probably worth twice as much as the amulet sitting in his waistcoat pocket, probably more than anything he'd ever looted before in his life-- and it was a gift? Had she been any other person but the princess of his city he may have even given a dizzy little laugh, snatched the thing and run like the wind, but since she was right opposite him he had sense enough just to nod a little and take the ring from her hand, admiring it under the moonlight. "You don't need to give me anything to thank me, you know." he murmured as he spotted instantly the authenticity of the stone in the ring, glancing at her. "I'd have done it for nothing." he smirked.
Though he'd guessed by now this wasn't just a ring she wore for fashion purposes, and since she wouldn't be getting married now it would be a waste just to discard it. He slipped the thing into his pocket rather carefully, before getting to his feet. "Alright Princess Aurora, I solemnly vow to get you to this friend of yours." he grinned, laughter dancing in his green eyes as he gave a rather roguish bow, which was charming all the same. "Though Aurora is a name too high class for the slums, people would guess who you were straight away... how about I just call you Rory? It's cute, and no one'll suspect a thing." he smiled at her.
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Post by Angel ♥ on May 26, 2008 9:14:58 GMT -5
"It's a gift, for you helping me." She nodded to him, grinning ever so slightly at his reaction. That ring was probably worth more money than he would be able to spend, though he would have to be careful what he did with it because if he was found with the Princess' ring so close after her disapperance he would be having a trip to the castle to answer to the King himself. "I know that I don't need to give you anything, but I want to. If you don't take it then I am throwing it in the fountain." She told him, knowing that there was no way that he would refuse that gift.
She couldn't help but laugh lightly as he bowed to her, shaking her head at him a little. He was strange, wasn't he? It was charming though, he was just a very charming person, and she guessed that she would have to be careful to not let him charm her too much. "Rory is fine, I prefer that anyway."
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Post by Vyncent Schwarz on May 26, 2008 9:21:33 GMT -5
"Alright then, Rory. Let's get going." he nodded and turned to head off towards the sound of the cheering. "We'll head over to the Moonlight Market; that ruckus you can hear every now and then. A friend of mine will be there, she can put us up for the night and tomorrow we can find out just where your friend is and get you to them." he murmured, as if voicing the plan out loud would make it easier to follow. "Just stick close behind me when we get there. It's a lot more crowded than here - and keep a close eye on that money pouch of yours." he warned softly, though he frowned a little. Few people came up against Phoenix when he had a woman in his company, simply out of courtesy but, like all thieves there were going to be people who didn't like him... and people he wasn't too fond of right back.
"Who are they, by the way? I doubt they'll be close by, being a friend of the princess and all, but I might at least be able to get a lead on whether they're even in Cressa or not." he glanced over his shoulder, eyes suddenly a vivid green in the moonlight as he looked at her, seeming puzzled.
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Post by Angel ♥ on May 26, 2008 9:29:37 GMT -5
"Moonlight Market?" She asked, tilting her head a little, seeming intrigued by the concept. It must be some sort of clandestine market where thieves went to sell their wares, which would explain why he told her to keep an eye on her money pouch. She put her hand over the pouch, as if that would keep it protected, moving to follow Phoenix through the streets of the Cressan slums once again. "Why are they all cheering if it's a market?" She questioned, seeming rather bemused by that idea. Markets were for buying and selling, right? She couldn't understand what would be so thrilling about that, unless there were some street entertainers there to earn a few coins. How perculiar.
"He's an author, called Rodger Reichs, he was visiting Cressa the last time I heard from him." She explained, missing out the part of the story which told that it had been a year since she had heard from him because her father had stopped all correspondance between the two.
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