Time of Tyranny (w/ Everly)

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Her words sparking the energy needed for him to pull the memory from the depths of his brain. "Oh right." He said at the realization. He man had been the captain when Caloop was first recruited. From what he remembered The captain had been a very cruel and harsh man and was probably the reason for him being stripped of his position and thrown out. However at that time Caloop wasn't high enough in the ranks to get told that kind of information, as it was very rude for guards to gossip about each other so he was never told the true reason. "As for the other men that had accompanied him, they must have been the supporters of Carson." Although Caloop was never told the reason for why Carson was leaving it was never hidden from him. In fact he remembered the day when the king had assembled the majority of the guards and had told any supporters of Carson to leave with him. There hadn't been many, and no one he knew, but a few did leave with him. However the few that left would not account for the force that had attacked the castle. "But there is nothing we can do about it now."

As he turned to look at her he noticed the streak of something dark in her forehead. This was one of those awkward times when someone you didn't know very well had something wrong with their appearance but you didn't want to point it about because it might be awkward to bring up but if you left it could be even more awkward if it was brought up later on. He decided it would be best to tell her now. "Um Princess I do not mean to be rude, however you have something smeared on your forehead." As he spoke he was clearly uneasy with the situation with the tight tone in his voice.
 
Keladry reached up automatically, but her hand froze before it came into contact with her forehead. At first she had been confused. It was instinct. What was on her forehead? Yet before she felt it, she realized that she knew what was there. She slowly lowered her hand, staring at it. Now that they weren't crouched and hiding, the moonlight filtered through the trees and made what she had hidden before plainly visible. Her hands, though drying now, were covered in dark red. The blood had left streaks on her forearms as well from the dripping, and she had some splattered on her dress that was hard to see thanks to the fact that it was red. She also had dirt from kneeling, however, and that was not so easily hidden. The silence stretched on as she stared at her hands and inwardly agonized about the situation.

Felicity. She was gone. And Keladry had taken a life - a human man was dead and it was entirely her fault. What if he had a family? Had it been the only solution? It was an accident, but that did not matter. He was dead and his blood was literally on her hands now. Did he have children waiting for him to return home? What about Felicity? She had watched her friend die, but did she have to? If she had proper medical training or had reacted faster, would Felicity be alive now? And what was she supposed to tell Caloop? She hadn't mentioned what had taken her so long, and he had said it didn't matter, but it did. Of course it did. She slowly looked up at him, her voice caught in her throat. Torn between brushing off his concerns, lying, and simply telling him that she had killed a man. A faint sound of agonized torment escaped her, but she had no time for anything else, as she heard more voices approaching and they had to quickly move on or be found.
 
As the moonlight illuminated the dark red color on her hands a wave of panic washed over him telling him that she was hurt. How had he missed something so obvious? But logic prevailed over the sudden surge of emotion. There was too much blood for her to still be able to walk. Something must have happened when he left her in the stables. That extra minuet that it took her to run across to the forest is when it must have happened he realized. She wasn't hurt, not physically anyway, but she was in shreds emotionally. The green in her eyes almost seemed to sparkle in the moonlight, but the sadness that was behind them made his heart want to break. It was because of that mixed with the dirt on her dress that made him, for the first time, see the princess as a normal person. She was a very scared young women that had been pushed to her breaking point and was still managing to keep herself together.

The voices were man coming from the castle. Probably a patrol to make sure there was no one hiding in the thicket of green. That also meant that the castle has been taken. What about the king and queen? Where they still alive? What about the guards? Where were they? The two made eye contact and communicated without speaking a word. He took off running moving toward the colorful lights that were just in sight now. The closer they got the easier it became to see. When the voices behind them stopped he knew they had been seem, but it didn't matter. They would be too far ahead and would blend in with the crowd when the reached the city and the forest was too thick to allow a proper shot from an arrow. As they crossed out of the forest and onto the brick laid road they startled a couple that was directly in front of them. Caloop apologized to the couple quickly before walking toward the market street. As expected it was extremely busy.
 
Without thinking, Keladry took off after Caloop. What choice did she have? Standing around and brooding about what she had done was not going to help her, and nothing could help Felicity now. She could not take back what she had done, nor could she go back alone. So she ran, her hands holding up her skirts just enough that she wouldn't trip over them as they went. Her pulse raced as she silently prayed they wouldn't be shot with arrows from behind, but their luck seemed to hold. Before she knew it they were in the city and people were glancing at them. She held her hands behind her back, trying to look at ease while also hiding the evidence of what she had done. Being spotted like this in a crowd would not help at all - they needed to blend in if they were to hide. That meant she could not be recognized.

As they moved, she realized they were going to be forced through the market since they were taking the merchant streets. She could use this to her advantage. Reaching in her pocket, she curled her fingers around a golden coin and waited for the perfect moment. Finally she saw her chance. As they passed a table selling gloves and scarves, she picked up a pair of gloves and dropped the coin, not even pausing in her steps. She would have felt terrible to steal them, after all, and she could afford to overpay the merchant. He didn't even notice. She tugged them on quickly, glancing around as she kept close behind Caloop. He had said something about where they were going. What had he called it? Less accommodating? Less desirable? Something to that effect. Hopefully they did not immediately sell her to the highest bidder as some would.
 
As they continued walking he noticed people staring at the princess as if unsure it was her. She did still look like the princess of course, however no one would expect her to be walking around in such a crowed area with out guards and to think she would be covered in dirt would be unthinkable. He prayed that no one would have the courage to approach her. If she was noticed it would spread like wildfire and cause an immense amount of head ache. He weaved through the crowd making his way towards the center town square checking over his shoulder every so often to make sure that she was still following. And by doing this he was able to make sure they weren't being followed. As far as he could tell they weren't. The men hadn't chased them out of the forest, probably didn't want the public to know that the castle had been taken over until they were ready to let them know. Carson was as smart as he was strong, the way he took over the castle had been perfectly planed and he wasn't going to screw it up by letting the public know before he had a bargaining chip to use against them. But what would the bargaining chip be? That was something that Caloop preferred not to think about.

He turned sharply off of the main market street and entered what was known as the slums. It wasn't as busy here they had enough room to walk beside each other now, but there were still people milling about. The people looked different however, their clothes dirty and ragged, their hair stuck out at odd angle as if it hadn't been washed properly in weeks. On the side of the road propped up against the wall were beggars. Some wanted money other wanted food but beggars none the less. The stares shifted from the princess to staring at him. He had grown up in the slums so he knew a large amount of the population that lived there. It had only been a few years since he had left the slums and even though he had changed drastically he was still recognizable. But he didn't make eye contact with any of them as to avoid conversation.

He stopped in front of what looked like a small clothing shop, and being in the slums it was not a high class one. "When we get in there let me do all the talking. The owner can be a bit stubborn and we aren't on the best of terms at the moment."
 
The princess followed in silence, keeping her gaze down to avoid catching the eye of anybody who looked at her. If any of her noble girlfriends saw her, all would be lost. Thankfully they seemed to pass unnoticed and soon entered a part of the city that she was unfamiliar with. Noticing the crowd thinned, she looked up and blinked in surprise. People they were passing now seemed.. dirty. Some underfed. She frowned, glancing around at the buildings and noticing that they were not in nearly as good repair as the merchant streets. What was this place? Clearly she was still in the city, but it was.. different. She had no idea that there were poor people in their city. Why? What was the point? People did not need to suffer. There was enough coin and food for everybody to live well if the royal family and the nobles decided to help instead of hang on to all they had. It seemed cruel. Why had nobody mentioned this part of the city to her before? Perhaps they had assumed she knew and didn't care.

But she did care, and she cared a lot.

"Okay," she murmured absently to Caloop, half listening to what he was saying. She glanced up at the shop and realized it sold clothing. Oh. That was probably a very wise decision. In this neighborhood, her satin dress stood out even more than it had in the crowd of festival revelers. She nodded once and followed him inside, staying behind him and not saying another word as she looked around curiously.
 
Growing up in the slums he was use to seeing people at their worst. Most of the people that lived here were mostly just on hard times. Some having just moved to the city and couldn't afford a higher class place, some their business not doing well and ending up having to move to a lower class area. However these people were never the ones begging. They had enough money to put food on the table but not afford luxuries like having multiple pares of clothes or to be able to wash on a regular basis. The beggars, minus the odd exception, had gotten to this place in life by poor life choices. One of the men that Caloop had gotten to know well when he was younger had lost his money to gambling. And when someone make a bet they can't pay their name becomes tarnished which in turn means no one will hire them. He didn't hate the slums, the people here were nice, but everyone in the slums wants something more from their life. That opportunity was presented to him when the King offered him the job as a knight.

Caloop walks into the shop pushing the dark wooden door that hits a set of small chimes sending a pleasant ring through the shop. The shop is small. Directly in the center of the room is a couple of tables with piles of clothes folded and stacked high with a few articles hanging on hangers on the wall. All of the clothing looks to be made out of a rough material just dyed different colors, but none of them bright and flashy like they were in the upper class stores. The floor and walls are all worn down aged wood. In the corner closest to the front of he store is a small desk with a stool behind it where payments would be taken.

Directly across the room is a set of stairs leading to the upper floor. The stairs creak as a small elderly women descends them carrying a arm load of pants. "I'll be with you in a minute!" Her voice was a little rough from years of smoking but still feminine. She walked passed them and the smell of some exotic herbs floated over to tingle their nose. Her gray hair was tied back into a tight bun that sat on the pot of her head. She placed down the load of clothes on the desk to the right of them. "What can I help.." She stopped realizing who it was. "I'm guessing you aren't here to buy clothes?" She asked with a clear tone of distaste.

"No we actually need a place to stay." He said with a sheepish smile, knowing that it was going to set the old women off. The old women's eye brows shot up, deepening the wrinkles that were already there. "Now why would I help a grandson that never comes around to see his grandmother anymore? Hm? Answer me that Caloop!" She retorted wagging a finger at him for emphasis. That wasn't the reason why she was really mad. She was upset with him for following in her husbands footsteps. Caloop's grandfather had been a guard, but had died in battle when Caloop was very young. So when the King had offered to hire Caloop, his grandmother hated the idea. She didn't want to lose another family member the same way. A broad smile spread across his face, knowing exactly what to say. "Because family comes before anything." That was something she always said when he was a child.
 
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Keladry blinked in surprise, then bit back a hint of a smile. Grandmother. No wonder she was stubborn and upset at him. She doubted that Caloop had been permitted to leave the castle often to go visiting, since she knew all guards were constantly training. The poor old woman. Stepping aside to let them bicker their way through their troubles, she took a good look around the shop. It was small, yes, but she found it charming. Everything in here was made by somebody - likely all the old woman herself. The princess would never be capable of making garments, even simple ones. She tilted her head and picked up a shirt curiously, noting that it seemed about her size. Interesting. She had never worn anything but a dress before. Now she found herself wondering what it would be like to wear something else. Would it be uncomfortable? Perhaps not. Some dresses were terribly heavy, but these shirts seemed light and airy. How peculiar.. She lost herself in thought about clothes, her mind relieved to latch on to something other than what was going on.
 
The old women crossed her arms over her chest, but her shoulders relaxed and Caloop knew that he had won. "You wouldn't kick out your favorite grandson would you?" He questioned as her walked toward her his arms open, waiting for her to give in and give him a hug. But she just rolled her eyes and turned to look our the front of the store giving him the cold shoulder. "You technically aren't my grandson." She was right of course. She wasn't his grandmother through blood. When Caloop had been very young is parents disappeared leaving him on his own. His grandmother, or Karin, had taken him in and raised him until he went off to become a Knight.

"Loopy?" a small voice called from up the stairs. It was then followed by a streak and a little girl dounding down the stairs. Her brown hair was pulled back and woven into a braid that hung down her back. She flew accross the floor leaping into the air and wrapping her arms around his neck. Caloop hugged the little girl and spinning as he did so that she didn't knock him over. "Hi Mirry!" He spoke with a broad smile spread across his face. He looked over at Karin knowing she was gonna let him stay.
 
Keladry paused in her casual inspection of the shop when she heard the woman say that Caloop wasn't her grandson. Strange. Adopted, perhaps? Or just good friends. She wasn't certain. Her own grandparents were long dead, and she couldn't remember ever meeting them. Supposedly her grandfather was the greatest king of the age and he had been adored by all, but it was just a story to her. She had never met the man. Was he kind to his family? Would he have liked to have met her? Perhaps. She considered that, lost in silent thought for a long moment before a girl ran by her. Blinking in surprise, she turned and saw the girl jump into Caloop's arms. The gesture made her smile. They were close. She had always longed for younger siblings to have a bond like that, but it was simply not meant to be. It was still nice to see that her companion had such strong family ties, though. She felt more secure with him now, more assured that he was on her side.

"I would greatly appreciate your kindness if you did allow us to stay here temporarily, but I will understand if you do not. Either way, I hope that you forgive your grandson. He is a good man," she said to the older woman while Caloop was occupied with the child. She gave the woman a bit of a smile and looked away, not elaborating. Caloop had saved her life, but she didn't want to be reminded of the bloodshed. She shifted uncomfortably, thankful for the gloves on her hands. "I do not wish to burden you. You have family here. Caloop, is this wise? I do not wish to endanger children," she added, glancing at the guard with a frown.
 
The elderly women looked form the princess Caloop raising an eye brow clearly questioning the relationship between them. The girl did look familiar but the exact memory need to connect her was just out of reach. "By the sounds of that you have gotten yourselves in a bit of trouble. But I'm going to assume that you haven't told the girl about what makes this ragtag old shop so special have you?" Caloop gave a quick uneasy glance at the pricess before replying. "I wanted to make sure you were going to let us stay before I said anything." I'm truth Caloop hadn't wanted to admit to the princess that he had been a thief. He wanted to preserve the image of being a good honest person. That was why he had waited to tell the princess.

There was a moment of silence, as Karin looking into the they now hardened eyes of the boy she had raised. The girls kind words hadn't had any influence on her decision. She was going to let them stay as soon as they walk in the doors. She missed him terribly. And worried about him every day. As much as she was proud of Caloop and becoming apart of the Royal Guard, she also wanted him home. She enjoyed having his at home both to keep her from worrying and to help her with the shop and to help with raising Mirrium. It would destroy the young girl if anything bad ever happened to him. A loving smile spread across her face any hostility melting away. "Of course you can stay. But are we talking about a place to stay or a place to hide?" Relaxed and hugged Karin, propping up Mirriun on his other arm. "We need a place to hide. But it will be the princess' decision to tell you the reason or not."

The wrinkles around karin's eyes deepened as her eye lids pulled back in shock. She had thought the girl had just been one of the girls that had left the slums when she was young and that's why she wasn't able to identify her. Why was Caloop out with only the princess? Why did he bring her here? Why were they in need of a hiding place? Karins thoughts shifted to the realization of how rude she had been when she noticed it was Caloop. She had practically ignored they young women. "Oh my gosh please excuse my rudeness your highness." She exclaimed with a low bow, keeping her back straight to show respect.
 
Keladry frowned as the woman bowed to her. It was a gesture she was used to, but here, it seemed wrong. She had done nothing to earn the respect of this woman - in fact, they were in the woman's own shop, so why would she be bowing? It made her feel strange and uneasy. Plus, she would need to blend in if she was going to hide. That meant no more telling people who she was, she supposed. She laid a hand on Karin's shoulder, gesturing for her to rise. No need to make the woman stay in such a position or make her feel worse for how she had acted. If anything, it had been entertaining to see her scold Caloop like that, and had gotten her mind off of other things.

"Please, do not apologize. You reacted in much the same manner that most would if strangers walked in," she assured Karin with an attempt of a smile. It soon faded and she glanced at Caloop before looking back at the woman. "Caloop is right. We are hiding. There was.. an attack on the castle. I do not know who is in charge of it or what is going on, or if the king and queen are.. are.." she began, trailing off as her voice began trembling. Dead. Were they? Maybe. She swallowed and looked down at her shaking hands, trying to get a grip.
 
Karin straightened up to see the smile of the princess fade. Being a commoner word had spread fast that the princess was extremely kind to the people,and her reaction was proving it. Her face became troubled as she was told the news about the kingdom. But it was clear that she had been through a lot and so she didn't press for any more information from the young princess. "However we suspect that then men attacked the castle will be looking for her." Caloop finished for her. "And that is why I brought her here. This would be the only place in the city that I could guarantee she would be safe." Karin nodded understanding. There was a moment of silence as they all thought about the castle and what might have become of it by now.

"Well let's get you kids settled in then!" Karin said suddenly cheery, probably trying to move away from the dreaded feeling that had come over them all. She started walking towards the back of the shop and stopped in front of a pair hanging green tunics on the wall with a couple in different colors. She bent her hard down low and walked in between the two racks. There was a small click and the old women seemed to disappear into the wall. "There is a small door in the wall that opens up into a stair way." Caloop explained as the princess didn't know of it's existence. The shop was more of a front for what was behind the door. The true purpose of the shop was to provide a hide out. Most of the people that used this purpose of the shop were thiefs. One think think that running a shop like this would be rather dangerous, however it was quite safe. Thiefs were never killers, and for the most part, kind people.
 
Keladry barely listened to Caloop. Did it really matter that people were looking for her if her parents were already dead? They had never been able to conceive another child together, though there were whispers of rumors that the king had another daughter with an Elvish maid and had sent her away to be hidden. Personally, the princess had not believed that story. Her father was a kind man and would never be disloyal to his wife. The queen had always been happy, surely she would not have been if the stories were true? Keladry frowned to herself, pushing the thoughts away as she heard Karin invite them to settle in. Despite her forced cheer, it was obvious that the older woman felt the same coldness that they did. The kingdom was falling to pieces around them, and if the castle fell, nobody would be able to avoid the blow. Even this neighborhood.

"Okay," she murmured softly to Caloop as he gestured to the space where Karin had vanished. She felt disconnected from everything, but she dutifully walked forward and ducked as Karin had, emerging on the other side of the door to find the staircase Caloop had spoken of. A secret passage. Any other time, the princess would have been thrilled with such a discovery. She adored tales of adventure.. but now, it was all too real, and it made her ache for the familiar walls of the castle where surprises simply did not happen. She walked up the stairs, pausing at the top to try and figure out what they were supposed to do next.
 
The stairwell was made of out of very dark stone bring that was smooth to the touch and was very tight. There was just enough room for one person so they had to go down single file. A candle sat on a small plate that was stuck between the bricks every few feet as they walked down the stairs but it was still dimly lit. After two full spirals, descending a few feet, the stairwell ended in complete darkness. Karin took one of the candles off the wall and lit some torches that hung from holders near the roof. The new light illuminated a shot corridor made out of the same dark stone, with only four wooden doors on either side. "It's nothing spectacular but it will get the job done." Karin spoke with her hands on her hips looking proud of the small hiding spot. Karin walked from the end of the hallways over to where they were standing. "Well I'm sure you two don't want me hanging around. And you either!" She said touching the nose of Mirrium resulting in a happy giggle. Caloop put down the little girl with a little protest but reassured her that he would see her later and gave her a hug. She sighed heavily before walking off back up the steps. "I'm glad you are home, although I wish they were under better circumstances." Karin said as her gave him one last hug before walking off up the stairs following the young girl.

Caloop turned and looked at the princess, she was clearly upset but he had already over stepped his boundaries as a guard multiple times today. So unless she made any indication, he wasn't going to do anything more then be her guard. "The bedrooms are on the right and bathrooms are on the left." Caloop explained gesturing to both as he did. He knew that the rooms wouldn't be a luxurious as she was use to and worried that she might hate having to stay here. But from his interactions with her so far he thought she would understand that it was the best option for them. Now that they were out of danger he was able to really look at her, properly take in her features for the first time. She was extremely attractive even with all of the dirt and grim that had made its way onto her. It was no wonder she had princes from all over the country coming to the city to try to woo her. But as far as he knew no prince had succeeded yet. She really was beautiful. The contrast between her green eyes and her red hair was stunning to any man. Her figure was clear through the dress, she was skinny but well fed. He pushed the thoughts out of his head. He was her guard nothing more. "I would suggest that you take the room at the end of the hall. Just in case of the unlikely event that the men do find us I will be able to stop them before they get to you."
 
Keladry looked around as the torches lit up the hallway. Four doors. She nodded as Karin left, giving the little girl a slight wave as they both vanished. Once they were gone, she looked up at Caloop and listened as he explained the layout of the rooms. Easy enough to remember. Bedrooms right, bathrooms left. She nodded slightly as he suggested which room she should take, looking back up at him with a faint smile.

"Thank you, Cal. I hope you get some rest. Goodnight," she murmured quietly, giving him a gentle kiss on the cheek in appreciation for all he had done for her that day.

She turned and went to the bedroom he had indicated, stepping inside to look around. It was much smaller than she was used to, but she found that she liked it. Cozy. She pulled off her gloves and set them aside, then pulled the pins from her hair and set those down too. The fireworks were starting to go off outside, the bright lights illuminating the room in a dazzling array of color. Normally it would thrill her, but now she was just thankful that nobody was around because she did not have to force cheer. She sighed and pulled off her shoes and filthy dress, setting both aside. Her shift was decent enough to sleep in, so she climbed into bed and gazed at the window.

Hours passed and the princess did not sleep nor stir. She was still staring at the window, despite the fact that the fireworks had long since faded from view and the rest of the city was asleep. All that she could think of was what had happened, what she had seen. Blood. Death. She had killed a man. His death was on her hands. Caloop had killed too, right in front of her. She didn't blame him in the least, but the memory of those sights haunted her. She was a killer. Murderer. She should hang. Those thoughts kept her awake and shivering all night long, and when dawn came, she hadn't even dozed off for a moment.
 
Caloop nodded in response to her thanks. He forced himself to not let his mind wander as she kissed him on the cheek. It didn't mean anything. When the princess had retreated back to her room he himself went to his. The small simple room was comforting. He had spent a lot of time in this room when he had first become a thief. At that time he wasn't very good so the people he was stealing from would usually notice what he was doing. Being in such a small room with such simple amenities always seemed to help his mind organize itself and calm him down. He pulled off the dirty clothes leaving them in a heap on the floor, he wouldn't be wearing them again. He crawled into bed in just his undergarment and pulled the thick blanket over him. The air was always cold being this low under ground and resulted in there always being a thick blanket on the bed.

He lay there motionless listening to the sounds of the fireworks exploding sending a flash of light onto his closed eyelids. He was a bit more prepared to deal whit death. Going through training they tried to prepare you for the day when you had to kill a person. In the end it always came down to he had to do it. It was no different now. The people were going to kill him or the princess if he had not killed them first. This was a true fact and yet he still felt the guilt of taking their lives weighing down his check as if his bones had been turned to stone. Caloop lay in the bed thinking until the fireworks stopped and then fell into a slight sleep, just under the verge of consciousness, so that if anyone was to come down he would be able to stop them before the reached the princess.

To his relief the night was event-less. As the sun started to rise but still hidden behind the edge of the world he heard small foot steps coming down the stairs. He knew exactly who it was so he didn't worry. It was the little girl he viewed as his sister. Of course just as Karin they weren't blood related. As the door pulled open silently he rolled over and put a finger to his lips telling her to be quite. She nodded her brown hair tangled on the right side of her head from sleeping. He lifted up the blanket and the little girl slip in snugging up to him. This use to be a common occurrence when he still lived at home, however instead of falling asleep she lay awake. Caloop could feel her gaze as he lay there with is eyes closed. So he gave up on sleeping and started talking to the young girl in whispers. He asked how she was doing with her studies and if there were any new friends she had made. He asked if there were any boys she liked but was given a no and a disgusted face. He laughed quietly knowing that would be the answer.

As the sun broke over the horizon casting it's white rays out, the city began to wake up. The sounds of civilization started to drift in from the window as people went about starting their day. He reached over the young girl and plucked the dirty leather pants off the ground and fished around in it's pockets until his found a small silver coin. He told Mirrium to take it and go buy the hot cinnamon rolls from the baker. She left the basement quietly but as soon as the door upstairs closed she sprinted to get changed. Caloop got up and stretched bringing his stiff muscles back to life. He walked over to the trunk that sat at the end of the bed. Inside, folded neatly were a pair of gray pants and tunic. The were much to big for him, as they draped over his figure. But he knew that Karin always put the over sized clothing down here so that the resident could put something on and try out the different clothes up in the shop. There was no mirror in the rooms so he didn't know what his hair might have done over night. He ran his hands through his hair hoping that it would turn out decent and left the room walking over to the princess'. He knocked lightly unsure if she was still sleeping or not, but quietly enough that if she was it wouldn't wake her.
 
Once Keladry realized it was officially morning, she got out of bed. There was no point in laying there any longer. She had stretched and rubbed her face, unaware of how dark circles had settled under her eyes on her otherwise pale and flawless skin. Now she had taken a haunted appearance, with glazed eyes and a lack of her normal smile. She wandered around the room listlessly, finally thinking to look in the tall cabinet that stood off to the side. Clothes. Hmm.. Most of it was the same faded grey color, but a few pieces were brown instead. No dresses. Interesting. Keladry had never worn anything else, but she was willing to try.

In a few minutes, she was dressed, finishing just as Caloop knocked. She walked over and opened the door without pause, simply assuming it was him. In place of her elegant dress the night before, she wore grey leggings that were a bit too big but cinched at the waist with a tied belt. Over those, she had on a long brown tunic that also had a belt over it to keep her from feeling as though she was swimming in it. She had braided her hair back, a few shorter pieces falling to curl around her face. Besides the obvious look of her not having slept, the only other real thing wrong was that she still had dried blood streaked on her hands, but she had been in the process of pulling her gloves back on when he had knocked.

"Good morning."
 
He was a bit surprised when the door opened and the princess was standing there is the slightly large clothing. He hadn't heard a sound from her room all night. Had she just been that quiet or had he just been so preoccupied with his own thoughts that they didn't register? "Good morning" He said with a slight smile knowing that he probably looked completely ridiculous in the over sized clothing. She however looked good, well put together and ready for the day, even for the baggy clothing. The one thing that did catch his eye were the dark semicircular rings under her eyes. "Did you sleep well" He asked out of genuine curiosity. The rings suggested she hadn't but after everything that had happened it would only make sense for her to need more then just a single nights rest to recover.

"Before we do with anything I need to know how you would like to proceed." He had gotten her out of the castle and to safety, but now it was her turn to make a decision. Did she want to just run away and never come back? Or did she want to go back to the castle and try to take it back? Or perhaps find out about the King and Queen before making a decision. There were plenty of different options and he would blindly accept whatever choice she made.
 
"I slept fine," she murmured automatically. It was a lie, obviously, but she assumed that he would just accept it and not question her. Nobody ever questioned her for the most part, except for her parents and occasional the noble girls, but they were only teasing. It was actually quite boring. She had never had a fight in her life. Well.. apart from now, with the fight for her home. Not much of a fight there. She had been run out and hadn't looked back. Were the king and queen alright? She didn't know. It was too tiring to think about. She shook her head slightly, trying to wake herself up and focus on what Cal was saying to her. Proceed. She had to make a decision.

"I.. don't know," she admitted after a few silent moments. She looked up at him, her expression more at place on a lost child than a confident princess. All she wanted was to curl up in a corner and try to stop the relentless thoughts that her mind kept attacking her with.
 
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