Prince and the Thief (SilentMadness and EmElisa)

[SilentMadness]

He nodded in agreement to what she had told him before she draped her arms over his shoulders, and rose his gaze to look her in the eyes. He was still shaking slightly with emotion and fear, but somehow, her tone and her touch managed to calm him down instantly and bring him his clarity back. "We've had each other's backs for so long now, it's become a natural instinct." He replied to her and even let a small smile that was a response to her grin, but before he could say anything anymore he felt her lips on his and closed his eyes, accepting it and embracing her ever so gently. "All's well. You've been training, I see." He said, looking upon her for a moment. "I still owe you a spar, I believe." He continued with a smile before pressing his lips to her forehead. "But first, I need to solve some things. And I have to put on formal clothes, ugh."


He pulled away from her gently, giving his best not to seem as tired as he was after a night of no sleep. "Meet you later out in town, then? I'm not sure how long it will take, but well, I have to do this." He said, before departing after a moment. Later on, after having a good bath and a short meal, he emerged from his chambers dressed in the formal clothing appropriate for a meeting with the Council. He had called upon the meeting before preparing, and by now, all members of it should have been in the large room, sitting at the table. He entered through the doors, which closed after him afterwards, and after the formal processes, he sat at the head of the table. The Council was formed out of the men who represented each portion of Etersia. A speaker for the noble families, a High Apothecary, the merchant's guild leader, and the rest.


During the meeting, Randar made sure to remember the points that Ilyia has discussed with him on the previous days, and to bring each into the light, to make sure that each will be respected and taken into action. It took long enough, perhaps even two hours, to finish the discussions, to solve contradictions, but the biggest shock was when Randar stated simply. "The crowning day won't be established for me. I have chosen my uncle, Lord Meralon Althalos, to take up the crown." The shock didn't stay as much in the choice that Randar made for a placeholder, but in the choice of renouncing his crown. "But, Your Grace!" The High Apothecary, an old man, tried arguing. "You are the sole heir to the throne that your parents left!" "Indeed I am. But who do you think people will respect more? A young prince who fled home and his duties in the first place? Or a man who has done nothing else but support the people and their needs? I believe myself to be highly irresponsible, and therefore, inappropriate for such a position."


It was a truth that he could not deny himself. He wasn't made to be a king. He wasn't fit for it. He'd rather leave the crown in the hands of his uncle than ruin Etersia with his lack of experience and will. And he would not, under any circumstances, trade Ilyia away for all of this. When the Council understood that the young prince was decided to renounce any claims he could have to the crown, Randar was asked to complete the formality of writing, and signing the writ that was to be the testament of his will to give up his rights.


Hours later, Randar finally emerged from the Council Room as nothing more but a man who had no more claims to the crown. His uncle would take the place now. For better or worse.

 

[Sleepless_Dreamer]

Ilyia had found herself more tired than she'd anticipated. Training on her still healing body, especially after a night of little sleep, had left her reserves quite depleted. She had bathed and eaten and was still wrapped in her robe when she fell asleep on the small settee positioned near the large window in her room. The sunlight and cool breeze coming through the window had lulled her into a deep and peaceful slumber, curled up in a ball like a cat napping in the sun. It was nice to be able to listen to her body and let it rest without fear of staying in one spot for too long. Staying still out on the road was, more often than not, a dangerous thing.


She awoke feeling temporarily groggy, but overall much better after the nap. Redressed and refreshed, the thief set out to do some exploring around town. She revisited the merchant's bazaar to see if anything new and exciting had rolled in since yesterday. All of the wares seemed similar to what they were when she had visited with Randar, but that didn't stop the merchants from trying to market their goods to anyone who passed close enough to their carts. The bazaar was alive and filled with the voices of countless people, one all trying to talk over the next. Ilyia didn't spend much time there before moving along to something else.


Her feet carried her aimlessly throughout town. She came upon two large buildings standing side by side, both of them set facing the castle in the near distance. The one structure was tall and relatively narrow, with somewhat rounded edges. It didn't seem to be very busy, but every so often someone, usually a man, would come and go. A sign at the base of the stairs leading into the building revealed it to be the Grand Library. That knowledge made it seem suddenly more daunting to the thief, whose knowledge of books was incredibly limited. She shuffled past it and to the building by its side.


An equally tall structure with beautifully curved architecture and large, arching entryways stood glistening in the sun. A large bell was situated at the top of the tower that rose above the center of the building. It was outfitted with small gardens to either side of the main entrance, and the doors were open. Ascending the steps, Ilyia could see inside to a large shrine with stone benches that all faced inward toward the center of the room, where a statue of the Etersian god stood, carved out of smooth, white stone. The thief didn't enter, but stood on the steps and peered curiously inside for a few minutes.


"Quite impressive, isn't it?" A man's voice sounded.


Blinking, Ilyia looked to see an elderly man in a light gray robe standing next to her, one step down. His gray hair was trimmed neatly above his ears, and he had a smile on his face. His eyes seemed to be taking note of Ilyia's hair.


"We just finished restorations... oh, two weeks ago, perhaps."


Ilyia, who had no interest in gods or worship, but could not deny the stunning aesthetics of the architecture, gave a slow nod. "It's a handsome building. As is the library." She nodded toward the Grand Library next door. "Actually, I haven't seen a single building that hasn't been at least somewhat impressive."


The man gave another smile. As if sensing Ilyia's reluctance to go inside, he simply took up a seat right there on the steps. The thief looked down at him for a moment. There seemed to be a silent indicator that she should sit, too. So, adjusting the sword at her back, she turned and sat on the step above the man. She felt she should at least show him that respect, as he was undoubtedly a member of the shrine.

 

[SilentMadness]

He needed to change the clothes. Officially, he was free. The whole city was already buzzing, merely an hour eversince the decision has been made. It seemed as though people were already splitting into sides, some, believing that this was the right choice, while some other feeling sad that they'll not get to see their young prince become a king. Randar arrived into his chamber, and began the quick process of dropping the formal clothes. He felt as if they were constricting him, and once they were off his body, he took a deep breath. He proceeded then to get clothed in his robe and strap himself up with his sword, even though he was only going to go out in town. He had to find Ilyia only, now.


On his way out of the castle, he stumbled into none other than one of the High Guards. And as much as he wished to avoid the topic, the curious knight was the first to jump into it. "I've heard you have renounced the crown?" "You've heard well. My uncle will take place." Randar replied with no trace of regrets. He felt at ease, and this was visible on the smile that would never die on his lips. It felt as if he had taken the biggest burden off himself. In truth, he has. The last step would be to leave this place behind and set off. But after pulling Ilyia's fury on himself the night before, he became more thoughtful of it.


He hurried the small talk with the knight and apologized himself for being in a rush, before finally exiting the castle. He simply took to the streets, heeding not the whispers and glances behind his back. Some few people actually seemed quite furious with his decision, but he feared not going through them. He wouldn't attack them, of course, but he knew how to handle himself if things got messy. But it wasn't the case. He yet had to find Ilyia, and it really took him a good while, but an invisible guiding hand made him wander the streets aimlessly in the right direction. His eyes scanned crowds, certain faces and appearances, and moved on to the next crowd as soon as they didn't recognized the familiar look Ilyia had.


From a distance, however, he was able to pick up the image of Ilyia sitting in the most unlikely place. The stairs of the Church of Eleseya. Randar also recognized the man who sat a step below her, a man dressed in a gray robe, nothing else but one of the priests. They seemed to be talking, and Randar watched on for a moment, before deciding it would be wiser to just leave Ilyia have her talk. He knew that she was in good hands. Perhaps the priest would be able to impart some of his wisdom on her, or perhaps, just the kind word that she needed to hear. Randar wasn't yet wise enough for that, and so, he decided to simply sit out of the conversation and let Ilyia have her time with the old, kind man. After a while, the old man finally stood from the stairs, and apologizing to Ilyia for having to depart, he entered the shrine.


A moment later, Randar made his way, finally, to Ilyia, and looked upon her with a smile. "My, I never took you for a religious person." He said, his smile turning into a slightly teasing grin, before he stopped and coughed slightly to himself. Perhaps it wasn't the best time to make jokes. "Sorry. Your way of teasing rubbed off on me perhaps a bit too much. Well, everything's in place now." He said, shrugging with a slight nonchalance.

 

[Sleepless_Dreamer]

For a few moments, the two simply sat in silence. The priest seemed content in the moment, and Ilyia simply did not know what to say to him. She sat with her elbows on her thighs and her hands clasped together in the space between her knees. Her thumbs twiddled ever so slightly as she looked out at the people going about their day. They were only sitting about halfway up the steps, but somehow it seemed a long way from the ground. She supposed it was because of the grand nature of the structure behind her. Her amber colored eyes moved lazily about, and pretty soon she was so busy watching the people that she didn't take into consideration that the priest was watching her.


"I imagine this must feel a long way from Candaria."


The old man's words caught Ilyia by surprise. She quickly turned her head in his direction. Wonder and slight defensiveness were hiding behind her eyes. "How did you know?" She asked, tucking a strand of auburn hair behind her ear.


The priest chuckled. "There have been rumors drifting about," he said with a shrug. "But your... features... are rather telling." Another moment of strained silence passed between them. Ilyia was wondering if she should feel threatened or not that this man knew of her forgotten land. Before she could say anything, he spoke again. "Before I was a servant of Eleseya, I was a scholar. I traveled all over the place with my mentors. I was just a boy when we visited Candaria, but the memory if it's people is still fresh in my mind. I was... quite jealous of the Candarian complexion."


He smiled and looked off into the distance again. Ilyia felt her ruffled feathers slowly starting to smooth down again. She had no reason to feel threatened by him, she realized. He was just an old priest who used to travel. Her parents probably hadn't even been born yet when he went to Candaria. She wondered what it was like then. Her memories of it seemed less vibrant than they used to.


"Yes," the thief finally responded. "I do find myself feeling quite far from home."


Still looking at the crowd, the priest spoke again in an easy and patient voice. "You know," he said, "home is not always the place we were born."


"Then what is it?" Ilyia looked at him. "The place we die?"


He smiled and shook his head. "No... I believe it is the place we feel happiest, most at peace."


The thief looked down at her hands for a moment. Her brow furrowed in thought. She wondered where that place was. It didn't seem like one truly existed, given how much she moved around. Chewing on her lower lip, she lifted her gaze toward the people. They all seemed happy here. To them, Etersia was home. Releasing her lip, she spoke again. "I suppose I felt at home in Amarosa. I was happy there."


"And in love?" The priest assumed.


Ilyia chuckled. "Yes, and in love. But... that was a long time ago. I've not felt happy in one singular place since." Though, she was happy with Randar, regardless of where they were. She wondered if home was always a place. Maybe it could be a person. She looked to the priest, ready to ask him something, only to find that he was standing. Her expression was curious. She found it odd that a priest wouldn't give her the blessing of Eleseya before he left. She stood and turned toward him as he was heading up the steps.


"Aren't you going to kiss me?" She asked suddenly.


The man turned and regarded her with a surprised expression. "I... beg your pardon?" The surprise was evident in his voice as well.


"The blessing of Eleseya," she said, touching her fingers to her forehead. "Randar would always place a kiss on my head. I think the blessing was for luck."


The priest smiled wide and released a sincere laugh. "Oh... he always was a clever boy." This was all he said before he shook his head and headed into the temple with a smile still on his face.


Confused, Ilyia shook her own head and turned toward the crowd again. She spotted Randar waiting for her at the base of the steps, and she wondered how long he had been there. The thief descended the steps and joined him on the street. When he mentioned not taking her for a religious person, she scoffed. "That's because I'm not one," she told him with a flick to the shoulder. News of his successful meeting made her feel as if a small weight was lifted from her. That was the first and biggest step in being able to untie themselves from Etersia and set out on the next leg of their journey. Turning, she walked side by side with him in silence for a few moments. Her face seemed to show serious reflection. Finally, she turned her face toward him and leveled a speculative gaze on him.


"You made up the blessing of Eleseya, didn't you?" Her lips were already forming a half smirk. "Just so you could kiss me."

 

[SilentMadness]

He walked along with her, taking her directly down the street that seemed to be very clear, at least for now. He was already thinking about the day they'll be setting off, but that dreamy moment was broken when Ilyia asked him about the "blessing" and even more, when she revealed that she had figured it out. But... how? He was surprised, if anything, and so, he turned his blue eyed gaze to her, unable to contain the surprise that was readable in it. However, his lips curled into a sly grin after a moment, as he turned his head forward to the road in front of them. "But it did work. Didn't it?" He asked, bringing his hands to rest behind his back, one of them catching the other by the wrist as they walked.


"You see..." He brought the word a moment later. "It's not the gesture that's important, but the feeling that it gives you. People pray to gods because they feel the need to have a guiding hand above them, and feel confident in that guiding hand, which, in return, may or may not help them. I'm not exactly sure how much my kiss has helped you, but I admit that the first time, it was only done because I... feared. I was... and wasn't... expecting you to make it back to me, so it was as much a wish of good luck as it was a departure gesture. I couldn't have told you then, so I had to come up with something. But then it became a... habit. I just felt a strange need to... comfort you, somehow, to bring you closer to me, without seeming too obvious about it. I did want to tell you once or twice that there was no actual blessing, but did I really need to?"


He grinned wider and looked at her as they took to a street on the left. The street was rather busy, bustling with life, and a large crowd was gathered to listen to the town crier, as the man read the latest news written on an extended scroll. "Hawndor and the Southwestern Alliance declare war on the Slavers of the Blood Plains. The Kingdoms have promised that justice will be served." Randar suddenly remembered, and once more, turned his gaze to Ilyia, to see her reaction. It seemed that, after all, her justice was going to be imparted. "There's still time for us to join the battle, if you want. If there's anyone who's fit to bring those bastards to justice, it's clearly you."


The two walked further on down the large, crowded street, whilst the sun rose higher into the sky. Randar awaited her answer in silence, wishing to let her decide their path. If she still wished revenge, then he would follow her. Their peace could wait out.

 

[Sleepless_Dreamer]

Ilyia walked alongside Randar and listened to his explanation of the kiss. She couldn't help but to smirk and shake her head every so often. He was clearly trying to provide some logic to a gesture that had come from the heart. If he thought she was actually buying any of it he was sorely mistaken. At one point, she looked at him and rolled her eyes. The grin was still on her face, however, showing that she was anything but angry about it.


"It sounds like it was more for you than it was for me," she teased. Then, after a few moments of silence, she added, "Though it did help... even if just a little."


The thief winked at him and chuckled softly. She wondered if he would have ever gotten the gumption to kiss her if she hadn't taken the liberty of kissing him first. She could still remember the way it had felt to press her lips against his for the first time. It had been a passionate moment filled with desperate need. Perhaps, deep down, she knew that they would be leaving each other for much longer than expected. Maybe she knew the threat that the Spider had posed to her on some deep, instinctive level. No matter the reason, it had been one of the most emotional moments she'd ever had with him.


Ilyia's ears suddenly picked up the sound of the town crier spreading news of alliances and war. Her feet stopped moving, and she turned toward the voice that was announcing these things. A strange feeling washed over her, then. It was like a mixture of relief and regret that she couldn't explain. She hardly heard Randar until he proposed that she join the battle. Blinking, she looked over to him. She was silent for several long moments.


"I... would be lying if I said I didn't wish to fight." She said at long last. "But I'm not at my full potential yet, and I don't know when I will be. Still..." she frowned and stopped walking again so that she might lean against a building to think. Her arms were folded across her chest, with one hand coming up rub her chin in thought.


"What will become of the slaves once the slavers are defeated? Can Hawndor and the Southwestern Alliance be trusted to ensure care for those who are released from their chains?"


The thought of the slaves being freed from one cage only to be put into another made her stomach turn a bit. She didn't know if this was still her fight to be fought or not, but she couldn't help but to care about those who were still over there in the Blood Plains. She might not have even known them anymore, but she still felt connected to them all. The scars on her back and in her heart were like tethers to those still imprisoned.

 

[SilentMadness]

He looked upon her, and this time, understood her concern perfectly. She was the result of those slavers' evil deeds, and she felt a connection with the people who were now in the same situation in which she once was. The slavers were her past, after all, a past that other forces seemed to want to deal with, now. He didn't know for sure the response to her question, but he did know a few things. "Well..." He said, holding his hands behind his back and keeping a serious stance for the time being. "Part of the Southwestern Alliance is also an uncle of mine, who inherited a castle and domain further west from here. The Blackwatch. He has capable soldiers. I haven't met him in person too many times, but I do know that he wasn't exactly a friend of slavery. As for Hawndor, they're quite well known for taking in refugees on many occassions. That being said, I clearly can't tell for sure what the fates of those poor souls will be, although I wish I could. But I do know that they aren't going to go through slavery all over again. It's well known that slavery has been outlawed for a long time everywhere outside the Blood Plains. Honestly, I'd dare say they will surely have a better life than there."


He sighed. It felt bad that he truly did not know just how much better the life of those people would be, but he knew that they were going to be taken care of. He looked at one of his hands for a moment, before looking back at Ilyia. "With my powers all but unusable for now, I too, would have to solely rely on my combat skills. But I promised to help you, and follow you to the ends of the earth and back. So if you do decide we should go, then we should go. I know I can't and I won't say that I have the least inkling of knowledge of what you feel. I don't. You alone know what you've been through. I'll just be here to aid you to the best of my abilities, limited as they are now."


Moments passed. But Randar was ready. However, as he stood there, face to face with Ilyia, he heard a voice calling from somewhere away. A very much feminine voice, which addressed him by full name. "Randar Althalos?" Randar's brow rose in an arch as he first gazed to Ilyia. His head movement followed to the source of the voice, and he found himself looking to his left, where a cloaked figure stood. It was clear, by the voice, that it was a girl, or a woman, for that matter, but Randar was very much curious who exactly could it be. "Um... me?" He asked, looking almost too dumb in that very moment. He, too, was cloaked and hooded, so the figure standing away in that red cloak with a hood pulled over confused, and intrigued him.


"Yes, you. I did hear whispers that you're back, but I didn't get to come by." The figure said before delicate hands came to pull off the hood, revealing the pristine face of a girl, perhaps Randar's age. Jade eyes looked upon him and brown hair cascaded all the way down the shoulders. She stood there for a moment, looking to Randar, as he, too, looked at her. She seemed familiar. Painfully familiar. But he wasn't sure why. Suddenly, her serious face and gaze turned to Ilyia, and in a moment, she smiled widely and stepped closer to Ilyia and asked with a more than excited tone. "Is she who I think she is? Hm, hm? By the gods, she is so beautiful!" She said, almost skipping for joy, deepening Randar's confusion. By now, he only stood and watched as the woman looked Ilyia up and down a thousand times and one. "Is she from across the Sea? Where'd you find her? How'd you meet? I want to know everything!" The stranger woman said as she turned to Randar and grabbed him by the fabric of his robe.


"Who... are you?" Randar asked, confused and borderline creeped out. Suddenly, the girl's excitement turned into what could only be described as indignation, before she struck her fist into the top of his head, not too soft, but not hard enough either. "You wooden skull, you really don't remember me?!? My, you've always been such an airhead." She said with a heavy sigh before she let him go. Randar looked to Ilyia for a second, before moving his gaze back to the stranger woman who was silent for a second. "I suppose it's been a while." She said, at last, almost apologizing for her actions. "I'm Amelia. Remember me?"


"A-melia?" Randar almost gasped as he looked at her. Before any other moment passed, he quickly hurried to explain to Ilyia, hoping to the gods that she wouldn't misunderstand the situation. "Ilyia! This is Amelia, a childhood friend of mine! Amelia, this is Ilyia, my partner." He said. Amelia smiled to Ilyia and nodded her head. "It's a pleasure." The next action, however, left Randar with his jaw hanging, as Amelia simply hooked her arm more or less forcibly with Ilyia's and almost pulled her into walking. "So, how did you two meet? Tell me everything, I need to know what Sir Woodskull has been up to while I was gone. For how long? Is he nice to you? Gods help him if he's not." "Hey, wait for me!" Randar almost yelled out behind the two and moved out after them after managing to pull himself out of the initial shock.

 

[Sleepless_Dreamer]

Ilyia hadn't had enough wakeful time to fully realize that her business had been left unfinished. It had gotten pushed to the far back of her mind when things like knocking on death's door suddenly popped up. In the time since awaking, she had been focusing the majority of her thought and energy on recovering. There was also the issue of Randar's renouncing of his title and everything else that had taken Ilyia's attention away from her previous mission. Now that she was forced to think about it again, she was unsure how she felt. That uncertainty was portrayed in her face and the way she furrowed her brows.


"I wouldn't ask you to stick your neck out like that, especially not with your magic." She looked at him. "No offense."


It wasn't that she didn't think him capable, it was just that his experience with fighting was... incredibly small. He had only just discovered his abilities, and while she was sure he had trained in hand-to-hand combat, it didn't mean he'd had enough exposure to the real thing to make him a truly seasoned fighter. Putting him in the middle of a war could mean bad news not only for him, but anyone fighting alongside him. It just seemed like a selfish choice to Ilyia. After a few moments, she sighed and ran her hand down the back of her neck.


"I... I don't know. I would rather not have to think about it right now, though. I need time to process this infor-"


Her words fell short by the feminine shouts directed their way. Perking a brow, Ilyia turned her gaze to the approaching figure. There was curiosity on the thief's face, but nothing more. She was not a jealous woman, and it only made sense that the former prince would have had female acquaintances during his time in the kingdom. The mannerisms exhibited from the girl seemed more sisterly than anything else. Flicking some of her hair out of her face, Ilyia looked between Randar and Amelia. Her eyes lingered on Randar for a moment as he made the introductions.


"Partner?" She questioned his term in a voice that could have sent chills down a dead man's spine. "I'd no idea we were in business together."


Her honey-colored eyes seemed sharp, and her gaze seemed to cut right through the air at him. Luckily, the girl was taking her by the arm and leading her away before Ilyia could invoke any more fear in the former prince. The thief looked at Amelia with a look that seemed a mixture of surprise and annoyance. By the gods, did this girl ever shut up? There was a reason why Ilyia didn't befriend many women... and this was it. They talked way too much. Clearing her throat, the redhead gracefully slipped herself out of Amelia's grasp.


"I was stealing from Sir Woodskull," she glanced at Randar briefly, "when he caught me and blackmailed me into letting him travel with me. He was a rather persistent thorn in the ass for quite some time." Ilyia smirked. "But after a while he started becoming useful, if only a little bit."


The thief's wit and serpent tongue seemed not to surprise Amelia, but rather bring her great delight. Ilyia was having a hard time telling if this girl was of noble birth or not. She didn't think she was, given the clothes she was wearing and the way she was walking around the streets unattended. But then again, she also had a hard time believing Randar's father and wicked stepmother would have allowed him to have acquaintances that didn't belong to the noble families.

 

[SilentMadness]

Randar's face was going through all sorts of grimaces as he followed the two. Having Amelia and Ilyia meet up was nowhere in his plans. After all, the former had been gone eversince she was twelve. "I see, I see. Well, he's got a special manner of making friends." Amelia said with a grin as she looked back at Randar. And if only looks could kill. Randar stepped up and joined beside Ilyia, the most he could, as the trio were now practically roaming streets with no aim at all. "Once, when we were kids, I threw him off the cradle and he hit his head, he cried for hours." Amelia said with an almost proud smile, causing Randar's face to go up in flames. "No I did not!" He retaliated, and hell if Ilyia wouldn't have been between them, they'd have probably went at each other's throats.


"Yes you did." Amelia replied plainly. She seemed to be enjoying making Randar angry, but of course, it was all in the spirit of old friendship. "Weren't you supposed to be off on Saikar Island for the rest of your life?" The former prince asked with a mocking tone, something which didn't seem to affect the girl, at all. "Yes, I was supposed to, but life as a shrine maiden is the most bland thing I could imagine, so every now and then, I just... run for it. Been punished once, or twice, but it's all worth it, especially when I can make you look like a fool in front of your sweetheart." She retorted, letting Randar at a loss for words.


"So." She said after a few more moments. "What are you two up to? I heard Sir Woodskull renounced his crown and I see he doesn't really look the part of the prince anymore. Oh, the things you do when you're in love." She sighed, gesturing widely with her arms and spinning once, almost as if she danced. They continued walking, with mostly the girl throwing volleys of questions at Ilyia and slipping in short embarrassing memories of Randar, causing the latter, who was practically just walking along and trying to do some damage control, but failing miserably. At a point, he simply decided to just stop trying.


Suddenly, Amelia came to a halt as they took another street, which was perhaps more crowded than any other. Quickly pulling the hood on her head, she looked at the two briefly before looking over the tops of the heads in front and out to the end of the street. "Well, this is my call, I need to run. Seems they have arrived." They were enforcers sent to look for her and bring her back to Saikar. The girl simply gave a hug to Ilyia, then to Randar, not before hitting him in the head again. "Take care, you dum-dum, and try not to kill yourself." She giggled, and before Ilyia and Randar knew, she dissapeared into the crowd, just as soon as she appeared. By this point, the former prince gazed to Ilyia, half apologetically and half embarrassed.


"And off she goes, I guess. I hope she didn't annoy you too much. She's... always been like this." He sighed. It was already afternoon and he felt his stomach grumble slightly. "Well... you wanna go eat?"

 

[Sleepless_Dreamer]

It seemed that people from Etersia had a knack for running away. Randar ran away from the throne, and Amelia was running away from... nunnery? It certainly seemed strange, and it made Ilyia wonder what sort of mindset was bred in the Etersian youth that made them so hellbent on running away from responsibility. She didn't say anything though, mostly because she wasn't able to with how much Amelia was talking. Her story about Randar being a crybaby didn't sound too surprising. Up until recently, he had been a rather soft lad. Time on the road, time with Ilyia, had hardened him up, though.


"We're to sail the Midnight Sea," Ilyia answered when she was finally given the time to. "Probably make port in Alaros, and... well I don't have much of a plan after that. See where the days take us, I suppose."


While the thief didn't seem particularly thrilled about conversing with Amelia, she handled the situation politely enough. The girl was, for lack of a better word, exhausting. It would have been a lie if Ilyia said she wasn't glad to see her go when she finally ran off into the crowd. The Candarian woman released a sigh of relief and seemed to deflate a bit after Amelia had disappeared into the crowd. Running a hand down the side of her neck, she turned her gaze toward Randar.


"She is... talkative." Was all Ilyia could think to say. It certainly wasn't a compliment, but it wasn't said as an insult either. She was simply stating a fact for lack of a better thing to do. The thief was thankful when Randar changed the subject to food. If given too much opportunity to speak of the former prince's old friend, Ilyia feared she might say something that would upset him.


"I suppose it would do us both good to get some food in our stomachs," she said with a nod. "Lead the way, Sir Woodskull." She said with a grin and a dramatic bow.

 

[SilentMadness]

He felt tired, and this encounter tired him furthermore, but yet, he put up his best smile, which was turned into a grin as Ilyia teased him, as she used to do ever so often. For a second, he tried imagining Ilyia without her sweet, cheeky teases, and he immediately came to the conclusion that she'd probably be way less fun. Nodding in return to her, Randar then set out with her to find the nearest tavern. The way took them again through the market row, which was as busy as ever with people moving to their business left and right, making the two need to squeeze through numerous times. It didn't help that whispers still went left and right, most directed especially at him, the prince who wasn't a prince any longer by simply renouncing. He didn't mind it, however.


The tavern they made their way in was not crowded, but Randar still led Ilyia towards one of the tables they usually sat at, and a serving girl soon made her way to them, regarding both with vivid sparking jade eyes as she waited for orders. As soon as orders have been placed, the girl almost danced her way away from their table, obviously being extremely content about something. Randar couldn't tell what, and neither Ilyia could, probably, but it wasn't their business, anyhow.


"Earlier, when I introduced you to Amelia..." Randar said as they waited for their meals. "... I said 'partner' because well, I didn't know how else to call you. You are the most important person in my life as of now, aye, but beyond that, you are my partner. It's how this started out, isn't it? A crooked partnership that slowly turned more amiable. You said we must not forget the past. And well, it's true."


Randar spotted the serving girl returning with the plates of food, and placing them on the table, before storming off to fetch the drinks. He had ordered a steak for himself, and the smell of it made him smile in delight. Before the ale was brought to him, he had already begun eating, being unusually silent for a few moments. He simply threw Ilyia a few glances and small smiles, before suddenly dropping a question seemingly out of nowhere. In truth, it was a huge curiosity of his.


"Do you ever see us being, well... officially wed? I know, I know, I'm looking too far into the future, but well... the prospect of it seems interesting and cozy, even if we're probably not going to be a husband and wife set in their own home with three kids and a farm." He grinned, taking a sip of his ale. "Or probably we will. Future's unpredictable as it is."

 

[Sleepless_Dreamer]

By this time, Ilyia was becoming more and more used to walking the streets. The gazes and whispers bothered her very little, if at all, though she still kept an ear turned to them. You could learn more by the things said in quiet than you could by the words screamed from mountaintops. Basically, she listened just to be sure that no one meant Randar or herself any harm. There was also the opportunity to learn something interesting, mainly in the conversations that did not pertain to either of them. This was how she had learned about some of the jobs she'd pulled off. Granted, she wasn't exactly looking for something to steal at the moment but... well, old habits died hard.


The thief seemed to be in relatively good spirits when they entered the tavern. This could have had something to do with the fact that she was about to eat. There was little in this world that the woman loved more than good food and good drink. When they had been seated and ordered, she idly toyed with the ends of her hair that framed her face whilst looking around the room. Some faces had grown familiar over the several days spent in Etersia, though she didn't know any names to associate with them.


"I suppose you're right," she said to Randar while still looking around. "About us being partners in a way. It's just..." she finally settled her eyes upon him. "I've been a 'partner' to many a man, but I've not shared my bed with them. So you see... there needs to be some... distinction. If you throw that word around too carelessly someone might think you or I are ripe for the taking."


She winked at him, a sly grin on her face. Ilyia was not a jealous woman, but she was sure she didn't want there to be any room for misinterpretation. Even without his status, Randar still, in Ilyia's opinion, had a lot to offer. She thought he would be seen as a good suitor for most any woman. Regardless, she allowed the conversation to die down while their food arrived. She dined on a piece of pork shoulder, glazed with a buttery sauce laden with garlic and herbs. It was one of the "fancier" things she had ordered whilst in Etersia, and it was just as delicious as she had hoped.


Ilyia had been reveling in her food and drink when Randar sprang that question on her. She'd been mid-sip in her ale when he spoke, causing some of the bittersweet liquid to slide down the wrong pipe. She coughed for a few awkward moments whilst patting her chest in an attempt to right things a bit. When she finally was breathing normally, eyes a bit watery from the whole episode, she exhaled deeply.


"Marriage?" She asked, perhaps a bit more incredulously than she had meant to. "I mean... I haven't thought much past if we were gonna survive the day. Well, at least until a couple days ago. I... hm..."


She furrowed her brow in thought. It wasn't surprising that she had a hard time imagining herself as a woman raising children and tending to a home. She had never known anything "domestic" since she was a child. She honestly didn't know if that was something she was capable of. Rubbing her jaw, she sighed.


"I suppose I just never imagined it. The details, that is. I mean... apart from being with you, nothing else really seemed to matter as much. I've never known the whole... process, you know, of marriage, children, and all that. I've hardly been in one place long enough for any of that. I suppose it's not impossible, though."


Realizing that, at this point, she was rambling, Ilyia decided to stop talking. She was almost certain this wasn't the answer that Randar was hoping for, but the thief was, if nothing else, brutally honest. He at least knew that much by now. So, she dropped her gaze to her plate and busied herself with her food to avoid having to see his reaction to her answer.