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?
"Ya think he's a threat?" At Elara's shake of her head, a silent 'no, I don't', he nodded and motioned down the hallway. His eyes swept over Elias, as though making sure he wasn't a threat.
Elara tapped Elias's shoulder once, letting him know she was moving and to follow, before starting down the hall. Her previous slightly stony expression was replaced by a grin, as she pushed open one of the doors lining the hallway. "Knock knock, guess who?"
"Ellie!" A little girl's voice piped up happily, followed by a cough. The room was dark, lit with a few candles placed high up on shelves and revealing a room just as cluttered as the living room, though more obviously the mess one would expect a child to cause. The little girl who'd spoken, a girl with short bright red hair and sickly pale skin, was wearing a grin that matched Elara's.
Elias smiled at the little girl as she glanced over at him. It made him sad looking at her. If he could take her to the palace she could get proper care, but he knew he couldn't do that. He smiles even though they can see it, and does a tiny little wave towards her.
"What is this place?"
He whispers to her rather quietly, he was afraid she wouldn't hear him.
"'S a home." Elara answered, raising an eyebrow slightly before digging around her bag. "Hey Mack, this is Elias. He's a prince." It was an odd thing to tack on afterward, but the reason she did became pretty apparent with Mack's excited gasp.
"Are you really?!" Mack asked, her eyes lighting up even more as she looked at Elias. "Does that mean you live in a castle too? Do you have a crown? Have you ever seen a dragon?"
Elias laughed a little before replying.
"yes, yes, and no…. I don't think so…. oh wait…. yes"
He got something out of his pocket. A necklace with a little star engraved into a golden circle.
Bending down to the little girl and handing it to her.
"here keep it!"
He put a finger to his covered mouth. Seeing her like this broke his heart. He never really wanted to go into the town, he knew he would see people like this. He was way too curious for his won good.
Elara raised an eyebrow slightly in surprise, as Mack accepted the necklace with a happy smile. "Thank you! What was the dragon like? Ellie says she's seen a dragon before, but it was 'the size of a large lizard'. It was her friend's pet!" The fast pace of her words, paired with so much information, was kind of adorable.
Elara pulled a small drawstring bag from her own, tossing it to the man as he passed behind her in the hallway. He opened his mouth to say something, and she cut him off with a firm shake of her head.
He puts his finger to his chin as to be thinking,
"It was HUGE, about 100 feet tall."
He was, of course, overexaggerating just a tad bit. He has seen a dragon before, but no that big.
"Some are just the size of a big horse!"
He smiled at the girl.
"Now keep that necklace safe!"
He winks at her, then standing up facing Elara, wondering what she was doing.
"Dad said we can't get a dragon 'cause they're too messy and dangerous." Mack said solemnly, though her eyes still sparkled at the talk of dragons. "And I will!"
"Ya can' get a dragon 'cause we ain't got room. And they are dangerous, kiddo." The man said, earning a laugh from Elara. Her laugh was startling, more so than the grin, which were both incredibly positive emotions, compared to her stony disposition earlier. A light and musical sound, it made the man grin smugly, as though he'd managed to win some sort of prize. "An' we don' need any more mess in here. Nice t' meetcha, your Highness."
"Oh no the pleasure is all mine!"
He says kindly to him, wondering if he could take the mask if, it was getting a little hot, and he didn't like looking so shady when he was trying to be nice and sweet.
The man shook his head, reaching up to rub the back of his neck. "Two royals in our home. Who'd'a thunk." He commented, before his brows drew together in a frown aimed at Elara. "Speakin' of, how long've you been out."
"Just a coupl'a hours, no biggie-"
"Dammit, Magpie. Ya can' just blow off yer responsibilities." He switched to a strange language, slightly harsh sounding in it's pronunciation. The two seemed to argue for a minute, before he spoke in the common tongue again. "Ya should head back, an' come by on Tuesday for lunch. Bring yer prince along."
Elias incredibly confused nudged Elara with his elbow.
"Yeah I'm guessing it's getting a little dark out too, it was pretty late when I snuck out…"
He looks back at the girl, pulling his mask down a little hit, for only her si see, smiling sweetly at her and waving, making sure Elara didn't see him pulling his mask off, he quickly pulls it back up over his mouth and nose. Looking back at Elara, wondering why he had to wear a mask. He just assumed since it was such a shady part of town, he couldn't show himself as the prince. But showing his face to a little girl wouldn't do any harm.