Of Shadows and Swords (Chiarra)

She smiled for him, but all he did was nod. "The truth, then. You know I'll have to stop you, when you try to run away, and I know that you'll order me not to so as to facilitate your escape. I am your personal guard. Whether I am present at the time of your escape or not will not matter. I will be to blame. I will be bound, surely, and likely whipped, if not killed immediately." He left her with that, staying silent a while so that she could figure out on her own that he was right, and that the only way he would ever live, should she leave, is if he left with her.
 
((Still away))


She bit her lip, not sure what to do. Whether she left with or without him he would get into trouble because of her. At least if he went with her he would be in trouble but no punishment would be enacted. Or she could stay here and marry and risk getting beaten the rest of her life. "You don't want to be whipped and then killed, I don't to endure being beaten and living through it to suffer more. We can both leave and get away from it," she said, trying to convince him.
 
He gave her a slight incline of the head to show he acknowledged what she'd said. "The only other way out, given the perameters, is if someone were to kill your new King." Which was highly possible, as the man wasn't likeable, but Lucius certainly wasn't going to be the one to do it. Even if he'd felt so inclined, he couldn't risk tarnishing the Ravens' reputations even further. There was enough of a manhunt on as it was. ". . . We leave after nightfall. I will return for you before midnight."
 
He was right, the only way for them to both stay and not get into trouble is to get someone to kill him. She wasn't a killer though and she knew Lucius wasn't, if he was he'd be going against his duty. She was glad he chose this time to go with her. That she didn't force him. "Thank you," she said. "I couldn't bear you being killed because of me." She was thinking now, realizing he may have someone he would want to say goodbye too. She knew they would have to leave the kingdom, else she would be easily found. "We could stop by to whoever you would like to say goodbye to," she said. "And...I'm sorry for taking you away from them." She did feel horrible about that. 
((And back ^_^ ))
 
((Right as I leave to go to the store xD Sorry, I'll be back in a bit))


He curled one hand into a fist, on the side that wasn't visible to her, but managed to keep from clenching his teeth. "I'll say my goodbyes when I leave at night, before I return for you. No need to make suspicious side trips." He generally never left her during the way, or at least never left her general vicinity. Running home would seem strange. She was grateful to him for relieving her of guilt, and he hadn't been chivalrous or kind he might've felt like hitting her. She didn't understand at all. As long as she left, she was forcing him into two choice, and neither was good.
 
((Lol okay then see ya when you get back ^_^ . And man, I know this is just an rp, but I can't help feeling so bad for him lol. I'm kind of curious how this is going to turn into a romance lol))


She nodded. There wasn't much else they could do. They were both leaving behind people they loved and she wished they're could be another way. Then an idea hit her. "Maybe...maybe they could come with us, so you won't have to leave them behind and you won't have to say goodbye to them. You shouldn't have to leave them behind because of me." She really was trying to make amends and try to make it better for him.


((I thought that would give you a chance to use Archer some more, since he does travel outside of the kingdom anyways ^_^ . If you are wanting to play him throughout the whole rp anyways lol))
 
((I figure Archer would be a nice reprieve, and a little bit of a de-stresser for them so that maybe eventually the romance will happen easier xD ))


Lucius only shook his head. "There are only two. Aaric will not leave." He wasn't even going to say goodbye to Aaric. He would make a very heartfelt goodnight to the man that had raised him, and simply leave a note behind. If he didn't do it that way, Aaric would try to stop him, and there was no choice anymore. "And the other . . ." He sighed softly. "He is a very free spirit. If he follows me, it won't be because I ask." Lucius actually did suspect Archer would follow, if only to keep an eye on him and find out what was going on. But if asked to do things, Archer generally said no on principal. It was best to let the thief decide on his own.
 
((What I was thinking too ^_^ ))


She wanted to ask who Aaric was but didn't. "Well, I hope the second one does follow you. I don't want you to be alone and I'm sorry you have to be involved in this. I almost wish you weren't my guard so you wouldn't have to be." She had said almost, because she did like him. He was there to listen to her and he was somebody to talk to, though she wished he would have emotion in his voice. "It would just be simpler and better for everyone if you weren't my guard but..." she bit her lip softly. "You are my favorite one so far. Because you would actually listen to me and talk to me when I'm alone." She had no idea he really hated her, though she still wouldn't blame him if he did.
 
Lucius shook his head. "There is no reason to keep silent, so long as I am respectful enough." Other guards were simply afraid of saying something wrong. But look at where it had gotten him now. Some days he just wished he'd kept his mouth shut and saved himself a whole lot of trouble. Maybe Archer was right. He was too 'nice' for his own good.
 
She sighed softly, looking at him. "Please be yourself around me," she said. "And speak your mind whenever you want to. You don't have to be so stiff all the time and please sit down, you stand up all day everyday. Relax," She knew it was his job to do this, but...as long as she was around and they were alone he could and if they were caught, a word from her would keep him safe. "And...when we are away from here, please don't treat me like I'm a princess."
 
He tried not to take offense, truly. When he was insulted to his face, it didn't matter, but it was this sort of unintentional backhanded slap that got him irritated. "I'm a soldier," He said simply, temper reigned in. "This is me. And I prefer to stand." Standing meant he was ready, and he took his duty seriously so it required being serious about things. She didn't understand one thing about him and she probably never would.
 
She looked down then. "I only meant, that you don't have to guard your words around me," she said. "I'm sorry," she said simply before she hugged her knees to her chest and resting her chin on her knees and she sighed softly. She didn't know what else to say to him. She was trying to be kind and polite to him but...she didn't think she was doing a very good job. "Don't answer if you don't want to, but....will you tell me about yourself?" He had guarded her for a year, but she barely knew a thing about him.
 
He sighed soflty. "I don't guard my words for you. I guard them for anyone listening." It didn't matter what he said to her if no one was around to hear. She would never report him for anything, he knew that. He shook his head, took a quick look around just to be sure there were no threats, and gave her his attention, though his expression remained stoic. "What would you like to know, Princess?"
 
She simply sighed at his words and said, "Well, when we are away, please don't guard them anymore." When he next spoke, she replied, "My name's Melody and you can tell me whatever you want me to know about you, if anything. Like....what do you like to do in your free time when you have it?"
 
He shrugged slightly at the quarry and had to think about it. "I have duties at home as well, so I haven't much free time." He spent his days guarding her, after all. "I compete in tournaments, but you've seen that." There were many held on castle grounds that he was allowed a replacement for so he could attend and compete. "I read sometimes, sometimes." There really wasn't much he did besides work. Anything else was just little side tasks and not really hobbies. He did sometimes play with the children that happened to be around, but that didn't feel like something he wanted to say.
 
She smiled when he spoke and mentioned the tournaments. When he was done, she said, "I love watching you compete in tournaments," she told him. She blushed a bit, but said, "I always root for you to win and hope that you don't get hurt. Those tournaments can be deadly sometimes," she said, remembering one year watching one of the men die. It was horrible. She didn't just hope for him to not get hurt though, but she was a bit embarrassed to say what she really did, that she prayed for his safety. He really was her favorite guard and she didn't want anything to happen to him. "Do you like music?" she asked him. She hoped so, she planned on bringing her miniature harp with her to play on occasion and she didn't want to bug him with it, so if he didn't like it she would play it when he wasn't around.
 
"I'm not in any danger." He said, because it was true. The tournaments were supposed to be regulated, and the brutes that bypassed the rules were generally the big, lumbering men that thought all they needed was strength to get by. He knew better. Agility and skill were also a factor, and he was too fast for them. "I don't mind music, I just don't listen often." He didn't usually have occasion, unless she was at a ball or some such thing and he had to keep watch.
 
She just smiled softly at him. She didn't know what else to say to him and so she just sat there, hoping he would say something.


Later that night, she was packing her things up, her small harp to remember her mother by, since she was the one who got it for her and a doll her father had gotten her when she was little. She also packed a few books to read and then waited for Lucius to come for her like he said he would.
 
Archer wasn't happy, that much was clear, and even Aaric seemed suspicious, but Lucius left in the night without either awake to send him back to bed. He relieved the guard at Melody's door, then slipped inside once the last patrol had gone past. "Time to go." He said, quiet and quick, taking her bag from her. "Follow me and stay stilent." If she walked quickyl and quietly enough, they were in the clear.
 
He took her bag from her and she was about to argue but didn't. They didn't have time for that. She instead followed him as quickly and quietly as she could. She was nervous and a bit scared at doing this, but remembered why she was.
 
It was a quick, careful trip down and out of the castle, one he'd planned meticulously the day before while doing his rounds. They made it unseen, and once in the stables Lucius started to quickly and quietly shed his armor, a horse saddled and waiting for them already. There was just one, as they had to draw as little attention to themselves as possible. When his armor was off, in a pile hidden by hay, he strapped their two bags to the horse's saddle and got up, holding out a hand to Melody. "Let's go."
 
She followed him out and then to the stables where she watched him shed his armor. He then offered his hand to her and she took it, allowing him to lift her up onto the horse. She sat in front of him and she felt safe with his arms on either side of her. She wondered where they would be going to.
 
Lucius pulled the hood of her cloak down, as well as his own, and started the horse off at a trot, then a canter. It wasn't too difficult getting out of the kingdom, as most of it shut down pretty thoroughly at night. "We'll probably end up sleeping outside for a couple nights, before we find some place to settle." He shrugged slightly. "I might know a place a few days' walk from here.
 
Her hood was pulled down and she didn't fight it. She knew he knew what he was doing. She didn't say anything, being quiet while they rode. When he spoke, she nodded and said, "That's fine." She wondered where they would settle at though.
 
They rode almost until the sun was up before finally stopping, in a section of tree off the beaten path that would keep them hidden. He tied the horse where she could eat good green grass, then went about setting up a blanket on the ground for the princess. "You'll sleep here. I'll be nearby." He had no problems simply sleeping on the ground, and it wasn't cold so he wouldn't need a blanket to cover himself. He would need to sleep since he hadn't the night before.
 
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