Royal Captive

[erikaleeanne]

Annabeth was silent, almost speechless. She hadn't expected a response like that from someone like him. Then, she reached up, and began gently pulling apart his fingers into an open palm. "For a task that great, one would need many, many stars."


Then, she asked, "Why did you choose to work for...well, whoever sent you to kidnap me? What could they possibly be offering you?"

 

[Prizzy Kriyze]

He didn't move his arm or his gaze as she started touching his hand. He gave the sky a tilted smile and chuckled lowly. "What a depressing thought..." He said, and then slowly faded back into his neutral look as he starred up into the heavens. It was as if there was something up there only he could see.


He was pulled out of his thoughts by her next question, and leaned his head over to look at her. "Money." he quietly stated, and got a sad look in his eyes, then looked back up at the sky again. "We all have to make our livings. I'm a mercenary, though I've never accepted any contract that is solely for killing someone. I'm not an assassin." He relaxed his arm and it landed on his chest with a low thud. "Sometimes I wish there was something else I was good at though."

 

[erikaleeanne]

Annabeth quietly pondered his words for a moment. As he relaxed his hand onto his chest, she kept her hers in the air, and began to slowly trace the moon with her finger as it grew larger and larger in the sky.


"You wanna know what else is in the sky that's pretty neat?" She asked, "The moon. Lots of people have said lots of thing about the moon, especially in books. But no one has really seen the moon, you know? No one knows everything about it. Things both bad and good are said about the moon, and yet it still hangs in the sky every night. It still has a duty, a job. For all we know, that big slab of a thing could be slowly pulling us apart at the seams, but we respect it for always being there to do what it has to."


She turned her head to Garret, "In a way, you remind me of the moon. In many ways, in fact. So there's something you're pretty good at. Being like the moon." Annabeth then turned back to the sky, continuing to trace the moon's outline, and smirked. "I may start calling you my little moon, now. Just to piss you off until all of this over, and I'll hopefully return back to that dismal old palace of mine."

 

[Prizzy Kriyze]

Garret chuckled again. "You talk with the wise words of someone much older than yourself." He looked at her again, and added "Is that what being pent up in a castle does to you?" Without taking his eyes off her her added "I bet you've had a lot of time to think things over." He leaned his head back towards the sandstone again. As she mentioned returning to the palace he got something distant in his eyes. "Yeah... hopefully."


He looked up against the sky one final time. "No matter where in this world you travel or when you look at it, the moon always shows the same side." He objectively stated. "I wonder what it's hiding." He then reached up and grabbed her hand and pulled it down so that the sand didn't envelop her hand as he closed the opening above them, shutting the cold winds out completely. He rolled over, but still had his back up close to her as he tried to fall asleep.

 

[erikaleeanne]

Annabeth sighed as he grabbed her hand, pulling it down as the sand enveloped them. "Hopefully, hopefully." She stated to herself rather quietly, before turning over and slowly drifting off to sleep.

 

[Prizzy Kriyze]

-A week later-


It was early in the morning, but Garret was already stomping through the sand back to the little camp they'd set up. He had woken up while it was still dark, and for some reason couldn't go back to sleep. Instead of lying in his bed 'til the sun rose, he decided to go for a water run to the oasis. The sun was just peeking over the horizon now, and casting a little heat over the otherwise cold landscape. Garret sighed as he dropped the heavy leather water satchel next to the crate of food, and sat down on his hammock. He opened the crate to get himself something to eat, and found that it was almost empty. For a moment he sat there kind of annoyed, but then he looked up at the hammock across from him and a smile grew on his face. Hey, that's an idea. He thought before he walked across the small camp.


He leaned over her hammock and was just about to wake her up when he paused and looked at her. She looked so peaceful when she slept, like she was unburdened by the troubles of the world. Something like a lonely rose in a field of thistles. Of course, the sad truth was he knew that she was burdened by it. Probably a lot more than most. He shook his head.


He grabbed her shoulder and shook her gently. "Anna, wake up." He said quietly, and then waited for a reaction.

 

[erikaleeanne]

Annabeth had had one of the most peaceful dreams that she'd had in a while. Usually her dreams were of bandits and villains of all sorts; but this time, Garret was in her dream. And he was smiling. It rarely happened, but it was nice whenever it did.


She was shaken from her dream by a gently touch, and the word "Anna". Only Garret called her Anna. Her eyes opened to his face. His face was youthful, yet his eyes looked old and weak, as if he was never fully rested, which was probably true.


"Morning," she muttered, slowly sitting up, "Is everything alright?"

 

[Prizzy Kriyze]

He gave her a faded smile and backed up to a respectful distance. "Yepp, things are pretty good as a matter of fact. I just found out we're running low on food, so I figured I should wake you up with some good news." He waited a minute for her reaction to the strange statement. After a few seconds he continued "Of course those aren't the good news. The good news is you're finally going to get change in environment. There's a sort of town, about a day's walk from here, and we've gotta go there. Have you ever been to a bazaar?"

 

[erikaleeanne]

Annabeth's eyes lit up. She almost said "I've read about them", but she figured that that was a phrase she uttered way to often; so, she simply replied with a "No."


Pausing. she swung her legs over the hammock and hopped down. "And you've heard nothing from your...master?" She added. Annabeth had asked multiple times about the man behind all of what happened, but she stil hadn't gotten much closer to finding an answer.

 

[Prizzy Kriyze]

He gave her a sly smile and said "You haven't read about them?" He let the words ring out for a second, then continued "Nontheless, it's bound to be a pretty interesting experience." He started going through the things littered around the camp for a backpack. He stopped when she mentioned his employer, and looked up at her. "He's not my master." he responded sternly, and then picked the backpack up. "Besides, what are you trying to gain by inquiring about him constantly?"

 

[erikaleeanne]

She crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow. "Knowledge," she replied, "If you'd been kidnapped, wouldn't you want to know who was masterminding the operation?" Annabeth sighed, deciding that she wasn't going to get anything from him.


"A bazaar will definitely be a nice change of scenery. Exciting, hopefully."

 

[Prizzy Kriyze]

Garret tightened the backpack over his shoulder, and shrugged until it got into a comfortable position. "Weeell, I don't think there's a lot of steps between winning and dying for a sorcerer, but my main priority would probably be to escape if I was caught." He met her gaze and couldn't help but smile a little. To be honest, it was probably a nervous/embarassed smile from meeting her gaze, but he instead faked it as if he was humoured by what he himself had said. "But you're right, I probably would."


He tightened a purse to his waist, just inside the large piece of cloth he had wrapped around himself, and started walking out into the sand. "Well, well. The bazaar isn't the only thing to be seen there!" He shouted over his shoulder with enthusiasm.

 

[erikaleeanne]

Annabeth had blushed a little when their gazes met, but she shook any odd thoughts away as he began advancing into the sand.


"What else is to be seen, then?" She called, catching up and treading beside him.

 

[Prizzy Kriyze]

He pushed his thumbs under the straps of the back pack and trudged through the sand. "Well, it's actually a pretty big town, borderline city, that's situated next to a large river. Have you ever been to the southern countries as an ambassador or something? In that case, you'll know what it's all about." He smirked at the thought. They really knew how to handle people in places like that. "The food... I don't know about you, but I think everything from there is just amazing." He rubbed his hands together at the thought, and then returned them to behind the straps. "And you might just be sophisticated enough to be able to share my interest in their amazing architecture. Lots of the bigger buildings are made out of smooth sandstone, and are more like elaborate works of art than they are houses. Don't get me wrong, they're perfectly fine to live in, but they're also beautiful to look at."


He came to a sudden halt in the sand, and rubbed his chin. "I was sure there was a third thing..." He started walking again, only to suddenly stop a second time and raise his finger in the air "Oh yes! How could I even forget it!" He resumed his walk and continued "Their spas! Oh god, their spas." He faked some sort of dramatic tone when talking about them. "I've been to three in my whole life, all the way from some of the most expensive elaborate ones, to the dirtiest shit hole you could find, yet somehow it's always equally amazing." He smiled at the thought. "I mean, it was kind of uncomfortable to be semi-felt-up by a middle-aged man at the shit hole place, but I can't say he was worse than any of the other ones. Southern massages are amazing in general. I wonder what shaped their country so much in the past that caused them to be so proficient with massaging." He philosophized aloud.

 

[erikaleeanne]

The thought of such a town brought Annabeth's spirits up just a bit. The exceptional food, the apparently beautiful architecture! The thought of such extravagance after spending the past week in a horribly sandy existence made her want to almost shout with joy. And the spas! Her father, the king, spoke fondly of spas, although she had never experienced one herself.


She shuffled her feet in the sand beside Garret, laughing almost hysterically when he spoke of the said spas. When he was done with his description, she looked at him and admired the innocence in his face when he spoke of things he liked. "Well," she said, "I accompanied my parents to such a town once, before my mother's passing. I was incredibly young, though." She smirked, "My father spoke of spas once or twice, although I don't recall him mentioning anything about being 'semi-felt up by a middle aged man in a shit hole of a place'. Also, I've read somewhere that massages originated in Western culture, believe it or not, and it migrated into other regions by..." Annabeth stopped herself. "I probably sound like quite the lunatic, babbling over reading about spa practices."

 

[Prizzy Kriyze]

Garret smiled as she laughed. To hear such a light-hearted way of expressing happiness, especially from her, was a nice change from the usual dull atmosphere. As soon as she started talking he shut his mouth and listened. He didn't want her to stop talking, and maybe if he'd keep quiet she'd keep talking. She was awfully self-conscious of how boring she must sound to many when she goes on one of those rants. He didn't share the opinion of many, but liked to hear her talk. It was usually something sophisticated -borderline aristocratic- and interesting anyway.


"Not a lunatic, no." He said. "Please, keep going. I know little to nothing about history. I've learnt everything I know from travelling the world, and history is seldom painted over every sign." He looked up at the sun, which had risen a bit above the horizon now. It's light spread a nice warmth over the cold dunes, and Garret subconsciously dropped the shield he'd erected around himself that warmed him up ever so slightly. "... Tell me more... about stuff..." He said casually, though lingering on every word as if he was unsure of what to say.

 

[erikaleeanne]

Annabeth's eyes widened in surprise. She hadn't met anyone in...well, ever...who wanted to hear what she had to say. She studied him for a moment as they walked closer and closer to their destination.


"You mean it?" She asked, not waiting for an answer before she felt a wave of excitement that came with a load of information:


"Well, the ones who came before us, though we haven't exactly a name for them yet, lived almost exclusively in the west (and some north) of our lands. It wasn't until pursuers of medicine came about that they became popular. A sort of therapy, they say. Helped the laborers and soldiers of the time, you know? And even before that, people used massages as signs of respect to ones in power above them! Oh, and all of this sand reminds me of a couple of writings that I found at the castle of people who thrived amongst the sand, can you believe it? They worshipped it! It told of these men..."


As she continued to talk, she looked for a sign in Garret's face that he wanted her to stop, but she couldn't seem to find one; or if he wanted her to stop, he was very good at hiding it. In the distance, Annabeth could also see the faded peaks of buildings in the distance. The bazaar, perhaps?

 

[Prizzy Kriyze]

Garret calmly kept trudging through the sand as she spoke on and on about things he hadn't even heard of before. The sun slowly rose over them, and never once did he interject or tell her to stop. There was no reason to. Besides being interesting, her voice going on and on calmed him. He sent a glance over at her and couldn't help but smirk. She seemed to have a passion for knowledge. That's respectable. He thought to himself. When the sun was in the middle of the sky above them they reached the top of a dune, and suddenly what had previously been peaks on the horizon were revealed to be some of the bigger houses of the large town that laid out before them.


"Oh, I never get enough of this view." He quietly said as he stopped at the top of the dune. The large river cut the land in half as it spread across the scene, and the spires and towers protruded from the town reflected the sunlight and glimmered like gems. He looked down the hill that lead to the city, and smirked. "You know what I think would be fun?" He said, and bowed over. He placed his hand on the sand, and it looked like it started moving in over itself, until finally a sheet of hard sand appeared. "Sledding is a lot more popular in colder areas, but that doesn't mean it can't be enjoyed wherever you want to." He said as he stood on it, trying out it's durability. "C'mere." He said, signalling to Annabeth.

 

[erikaleeanne]

As Annabeth's words began to trail off as they reached the top of the dune, she admired the view. It really was a nice spot to simply gaze over.


As Garret called her over, she looked to the sand, then to the sorcerer, then to the sand, and back again. She slowly and doubtfully walked by him. " My, my," she said with disbelief, "Are we really going to sled down an enormous dune?" She peered downward. "I'm assuming it's safe?"

 

[Prizzy Kriyze]

"You betcha." He said as he leaned back and forth on the sheet, seeing how balanced it was. "Or well, I wasn't planning to sit down." He extended his hand to her, and said "Get on, and hold on tight."

 

[erikaleeanne]

Annabeth was extremely doubtful; yet, what he wanted to do was definitely unexpected, and (to be truthful) sounded fun. Not to mention there weren't many other ways to get down. So, she slowly took the sorcerer's hand.

 

[Prizzy Kriyze]

As soon as she grabbed his hand Garret pulled her in and wrapped his arm around her, holding on tightly. "Oh, and to be honest, it ain't completely safe." Before she had a chance to get off he snapped his fingers, and a current of air caught them and sent the sheet of sandstone down the hill at an increasingly fast pace. Garret laughed and shouted "Woohoo!" loudly as they momentarily left the ground, and then shook violently from the impact of the landing. "Oh geez, that was close." He laughed as they continued down the slope.


He slid to a stop and let go of Annabeth as he tumbled and fell into the sand when they hit the end of the slope, still laughing loudly. "That was hilarious! We've gotta do that again sometime!"

 

[erikaleeanne]

"What?" She shouted, but she soon found herself air bound, then back to the ground again as they slid at a surprisingly fast speed. Annabeth clung to him like her life depended on it, before the slowed to a stop. When he let go of her and rolled onto the ground, she found that her balance was failing her, and she rolled onto the ground beside him, a few inches from him. Her hair was tousled every which way, and her heart was racing, and she loved it. She loved every second of it in fact, despite the fact that it was a tad terrifying.


"That was...something," She said, before she couldn't control herself anymore and began laughing, attempting to brush her hair from her face. "Different. Definitely different. Made...quite a nice change in pace."

 

[Prizzy Kriyze]

Garret rolled over on his side and looked at her laid out in the sand, and gave her a true smile. "You think so? I should take you to the water mages of the jungle sometime, their boat rides are something that gets the heart racing." He smiled at the words for a little while, but then abruptly turned around and stood up to hide the frown. It had hit him like a stone that they weren't actually on a comfortable vacation. "... Anyway, we ought to get into the city." He took a deep breath, and then conjured up a fake sense of enthusiasm. He didn't want to ruin her time here, after all. "So, where'd you want to go first?" He said and turned back to her.

 

[erikaleeanne]

As Garret began to realize it, so did Annabeth: this wasn't intended to be a fun time. For all she knew, she could be dead within the next day.


She gazed up at him. ...by his hand. This man may kill me.





She quickly shook the thoughts from her head, figuring that she should she at least enjoy the time she had, and he certainly was helping with that. Annabeth slowly stood up and stared back at the direction of the city. "Hm..." she said, putting a finger to her chin, "A captive being given such a choice...haven't read about that, that." The princess was quiet for a minute, before turning to him. "I pick to let you pick. You do know what's the best here and what's not, after all. It seems only logical."