Fantasy The Capital

[Alexander Time]

The Capital

The Capital is the central power and trade hub in the land of Udria, human dominated and controlled, the elves are left to rot in the slums and dream of better days. Those days would perhaps return, but not yet. The elves have started to vanish, children, families, gone without a trace. No-one is looking, no-one cares. Why?

1x1 RP with Alexander Time and Bellz ​

 

[Alexander Time]

Thomas Pine
Careful not to alert any guards, Thomas crept through the silent streets of the Capital. It was night out, and a full moon shone brightly onto the tightly cobbled streets, revealing the clutter and poverty of the people that lived there. It had been weeks since Thomas was last here, as he was nearing the completion of his studies, he couldn't afford to "waste time" as his parents so eloquently put it. Something had made him decide to come down tonight though, rumors of disappearances. Children, even families, with no trace to be found.

His eyes flitted across the area, he had been here at least a thousand times before. It was a second home to him, but that didn't mean danger couldn't be lurking around the corner. If these rumors were true then the Elves could be in serious danger, but what could he do? The Elves were almost universally hated by the nobility, why would they take any action? He seethed at this thought, before his mind began to wonder.

Where is Evangeline? It's nearly midnight.. Thomas thought. She had been his best friend ever since they were kids, inseparable. Did he love her? He couldn't say, it was tough to put his finger on just what he felt for her, but he had no doubt that if she asked he'd walk the ocean for her. No small feat. Hey, what are friends for? He thought, silently smiling to himself. But there was more, she'd risked a lot by helping him help the Elves, something he often had trouble thanking her for. How do you thank someone for treating another like they're worth something? He felt he may never know the answer.

 

[Bellz]

Evangeline Villia​

I'm going to be late. Evangeline thought as she pressed her back against the cool stone wall of her little modest home. Her parents were sound asleep and so was all of The Capital, well, except for the guards who were parading around mindlessly. "Hurry up." She hissed under her breath as she snuck a peak at the two guards conversing in the middle of the intersection. She needed to get across the street and they were standing in the middle of it. Biting her lip, she looked into the alley way searching for a plan. Suddenly her eyes caught something shiny. Smiling, she quickly picked up the large cent piece and held it securely between her fingers. Pressing her back up against the wall once more, she inched closer until she could see the two guards. It was too dark to see her, the moon was covered by the clouds in the sky and no stars shined. Taking a deep breath, she flicked her wrist, releasing the cent piece, it flew past the guards silently before landing noisily against wood with a thump! The guards jumped and aimed their weapons at the sound and hurried towards it.

Evangeline made a run for it in that moment, her feet hitting the cobblestone silently. She didn't stop until she saw Thomas. She slowed just a few feet away and silently watched him for a moment. Best friends since they were 13, she had grown to feel more than that for him. Would she ever say so? Probably not, she definitely didn't want to ruin the relationship that they had now. He had the same morals as her, he understood the pain that she felt for the elves because he felt it too. Many thought that she didn't deserve to be friends with him. His status and education was something that the capital prided in, as they did for other nobles as well. But she had little status, just above the elves, barely acceptable. And she certainly didn't have an education, not like Thomas did anyway.

After a few more moments of watching him, she finally stepped forward and wrapped her hands around his eyes before leaning to whisper in his ear. "Right on time." She beamed before releasing his eyes and moving to stand in front of him. "Are we meeting them here?" She asked softly as she moved a strand of her long ebony hair behind her shoulders.

 

[Alexander Time]

Thomas Pine
Thomas' eyes slowly adjusted as a cloud rolled over the moon, casting the streets in darkness. Could be a blessing. He thought. It was just his luck that he'd need to be out in the streets on a night like this, rather than up on the roof of his home, staring at the stars. His thoughts were interrupted just then as two hands were gently placed over his eyes. Thomas nearly stumbled. "Right on time." he heard a familiar voice whisper into his ear. "Gods, Evangeline!" Thomas said quietly as the smiling girl stepped in front of him. He tried, and failed, to contain his own grin. "I thought you were a guard for a full second there."

It was just then that her question registered in his brain. "Not here," He said, keeping his voice low. "further, into the lower district. A number of the elder elves asked to speak with us, maybe we can find out what's been going on." These 'elder elves' as they were called, were the oldest of their race, though Thomas wasn't quite sure how they had managed to live so long. Perhaps a combination of guile and humility. Regardless, they had taken it upon themselves to watch out for the younger inhabitants of the lower district, so if anyone knew what was going on, it would be them.

Seizing the moment, Thomas soaked Evangeline in. Her dark hair, pale skin, and striking green eyes, coupled with lips that could tear your ear off if she wanted them to, made for a beautiful woman. Something Thomas had been privately admitting to himself as of late. I love you were words that often came out of his mouth, from one friend to another. He wondered what those words would feel like if things were different.

Happening in the span of a few moments, Thomas took a few steps in the direction of the lower district, when he heard voices. Turning quickly to look back towards Evangeline, an orange glow was growing behind her. Guards were headed their direction, and it sounded like they were in a hurry. "What are they- nevermind" Thomas said, biting his lower lip. "We need to get going, like, now.". It was too late.
"Hey!" One of the guards yelled. A man by the sound of it. Curfew was two hours ago, if they got caught now it could be a disaster. "Up for a chase?" Thomas said, holding out his hand. "Could be fun."

 

[Bellz]

Evangeline chuckled as he jumped and softly exclaimed her name. "Sorry." She murmured sheepishly and laughed softly. "Sorry Thomas, forgot you are like a little bird." She said as he fought to hide the grin that was growing on his face. It was entirely too quiet this evening, and she knew that something was bound to happen. "Alright lower district..." She trailed off watching as Thomas glanced at her for a moment, seeming to be in deep thought.

She was about to say something to him when he spoke up. "Alright alright lets go." But it was too late. A male's voice shouted from behind them and she found herself already grabbing Thomas' hand. "Always up for a good chase." Eva smiled mischievously before turning and pulling him in the opposite direction of the guards. "Come on now use those long legs!" She urged him as she pulled him into an alleyway. She knew of several short cuts that several Elves actually showed her. She moved through the alley, trying to ignore the foul scent of garbage and human waste. "Up here!" She said to Thomas as she began to climb the ladder that was secured to the side of one building. It led to the roof. At the top she looked around and found what she was looking for, the guards were heading farther and farther away from them, but unfortunately towards the lower district.

"Shit." She murmured breathlessly and after a moment, she noticed she was squeezing Thomas' hand tight. She released it quickly and blush colored her cheeks. "Sorry..." She said quickly before walking forward to the lander hanging on the opposite side. She quickly moved down the ladder and skipped the last few steps to land gracefully on her feet. She looked up at Thomas, "Your turn!" She whispered.

As she looked up at him, she couldn't help but take in his features. Thomas was very handsome, compared to most men in the capital, and he also came from a very wealthy family. She had never thought of him as more than friends until recently, but she wasn't sure what brought those feelings about. Maybe it was because all of her friends were being courted and married off...She didn't need a man in her life, and she has made that perfectly clear to anyone who tried to tell her otherwise. Including Thomas.

 

[Alexander Time]

Thomas Pine
Thomas smiled as Evangeline grabbed his hand and pulled him forward, darting away from the guards. Focusing on keeping his legs from flying out from under him, he let Evangeline take the lead. They needed to lose the guards before they would be able to meet with any elf, let alone the elders. Thomas followed, or rather, was dragged through a side alley he had never been through before, and was immediately hit with the smell of the city's byproducts. "Nice.." He said, to himself more than anyone else.

Not a moment later they had climbed a ladder and were standing atop a building, staring off in the direction of the guards. A hundred thoughts ran through Thomas' mind as he stood, trying to catch his breath. He hoped they wouldn't take their frustrations out on the elves. One more on a growing list of problems. It was at that moment Evangeline released his hand. "Er, thanks." He said, with a nervous chuckle, not noticing her cheeks tinged with pink.

He followed her silently as she moved to the other side of the building and slid down the ladder fastened there. Looking out towards the lower district, just another adventure He thought, only with a little more running this time. "Your turn!" Thomas heard Eva's voice whisper from below. He looked down and caught her gaze before climbing down the ladder to street level. "Not quite as graceful as you" He said with a chuckle. "We should probably get moving, we're late as it is and the elders likely wont be very happy with us."

Thomas began walking toward the lower district, he could only hope they wouldn't run into those guards again. Gods only know what would happen. Leading them forward, Thomas and Eva made their way through a veritable maze of streets. Other than the two guards that had chased them down into the lower district, the king didn't bother with sending patrols here. Murder, thievery, crime, he didn't care about those things happening in a district full of "lesser elves", as a result, Thomas and Eva could breath easier walking these streets. At least when it came to guards.

Stopping to check their surroundings, Thomas looked at Eva. "The meeting place is just ahead. Let's keep our eyes open." Moving as silently as they could through the streets, Thomas came upon an older building. Not one of the lean-to's which were the typical residency of the elves. He slowly pushed open the door, and the strong scent of dust and decay came flooding out. "Yep," Thomas whispered. "This is definitely the place." Stepping inside with Eva close behind, he shut the door. Candles were situated strategically around the room to cast the most light possible, and several chairs sat along the edges.

"Wher-" Thomas started to speak, but was interrupted. "Ah Thomas, Evangeline, I'm glad you could finally make it." The voice coming from the next room belonged to one of the elder elves by the name of Ayred Ernorin, an elf Thomas had several dealings with in the past. One famed for his distrust of anyone non-elven. Thomas gave a nervous grin.

 

[Bellz]

Evangeline gave a small chuckle as he mentioned that he wasn't as graceful as her. Nobody really was. Not that she was putting herself above everyone else, but Eva held a sort of grace about her that just came naturally. Much like the Elves did. They were more graceful than she was. Her adopted parents would joke about her being an elf, but that theory was squashed because she didn't have all the characteristics. Sure she had the unique eye color, the height, and the grace. But anyone could have that. Or at least that's what they rationalized.

With the kings disapproval of the elves, it made it hard to try and even imagine that she was one. She would be placed into the lower districts so quickly that she wouldn't have any time to blink. Luckily for her though, she wasn't one. Although her and her adopted parents knew nothing about her biological parents, she was sure that they weren't elves. She was missing the key feature. The pointed ears. Finally they arrived at their destination and Eva followed Thomas hesitantly.

She never had a problem with the Elves. They were actually a very kind people with a very beautiful culture. Some would say that the king was jealous of the way they even looked. Beautiful would be a way to describe every single on of them, they truly were. Eva felt rather sad as she took in the living conditions of the people. It was horrible.

"We do apologize for running late...pesky guards just don't know when to quit." Eva said even though she had yet to meet this man. He knew her name....Thomas must have told him about her.

 

[Alexander Time]

Thomas Pine
Ayred turned his gaze towards Evangeline. "Ah yes, the famous Evangeline. Thomas told me about you. A pleasure." He said. Thomas always felt perturbed by the way Ayred spoke, but he guessed it must be how he keeps his distance, formality. "Unfortunately the other elders went on their way, they suspected you must've forgotten, or else were otherwise preoccupied." He looked between them as if he knew something about them that even they didn't know about themselves. "But enough pleasantries," he said as he took a seat. "You're here about the missing elves, are you not?"

"Yes," Thomas said tentatively, "we've been hearing rumors of disappearances, families and children vanishing without a trace. We want to help.." Ayred held up his hand, signaling for Thomas to stop. "I do not understand the insistence of my fellow elders on dragging you into this, the fact is that humans are responsible for our current misery. The life and culture of my people stomped into the mud, all for nothing. But I will tell you what I know." He sat back and took a deep breath. "Three families have disappeared over the last week. The Yinlynn family, the Binan family, and the most recent Zumev family."

Thomas sat in silence as Ayred removed a pipe from his loose-fitting clothes. Using his fingers, the elder elf chanted nearly inaudibly over the pipe before lighting it. A smoke the color of silver and green wafted out, bringing with it the sweet smell of mint and sugar. After a moment, Ayred spoke. "All three families were residents of the worst part of the lower district. Where our poorest live. If you wish to investigate, the locals of the area can point you to their residences" The last word was spit out like a poison. "However, before you go I must make a request. You must not go to any other humans for help. Bad enough that we have involved you. May I have your word?"

He looked at Thomas and then to Eva. Thomas struggled with the thought. Surely the guards would help. He knew they were cruel but they couldn't outright ignore three families disappearing could they? "But-" Thomas started to speak, but was quickly cut off. "Your word, Thomas." Ayred said with finality. "Fine." Thomas said, he was beginning to feel angry. Surely Ayred could see that the guards weren't all cruel? There was bound to be some who would help. Ayred immediately turned to Eva, "And yours?"

 

[Bellz]

Evangeline bowed her head respectfully towards the man, "You as well." She murmured. Preoccupied? What did he mean by that...after a few moments of silence, the embarrassing realization hit her like a mallet. Her cheeks turned a bright shade of pink before she quickly looking down at the ground. Looking up as he questioned them, she was about to speak but Thomas beat her to it.

She nodded slightly at Thomas' words before Ayred stopped him. Biting her lip, she listened to him as he practically belittle them. But understood why he had such hatred for the human race. Eva herself was human and she hated her own kind. Everyone hated the elves for reasons that were hardly justifiable. She listened closely as he spoke about the three families that had gone missing.

They were all from the lower district, the worst parts of it. Eva's fists clenched as she thought about those poor people. Who knew what happened to them? If they didn't return...they must have been dead. But who would do such a terrible crime? Surely killing these people was considered a crime yes? Her heart raced as she became even more angry. She nodded hastily as Ayred spoke of not involving any other humans in this. But Thomas seemed to be concerned about that, he was quickly shut down.

"You have my word." Eva murmured to him, green eyes staring into his before nodding firmly. "I will make sure that no one knows what we are doing...and we will get answers." She assured the elder Elf. Her fists were still clenched tightly as she tried not to clench her teeth. "No one should ever be treated this way."

 

[Alexander Time]

Thomas Pine
Thomas bit his tongue, afraid he would say something out of turn. Ayred definitely knew how to get under his skin, something he'd done more than once before. He looked over at Eva as she agreed to Ayred's terms, her anger was obvious and endearing, but justified as well. Thomas was determined to find out what happened to the elven families. If there was even a shred of evidence they could follow, then this entire escapade would be worth it. Ayred broke through his thoughts. "Thank you both. Go in peace."

With that, Thomas stood to leave. Making a stiff bow in the general direction of Ayred, before heading to the door. Thomas would give respect where respect was given. Without even checking if Eva was behind him, Thomas set off at a brisk speed, not stopping until he reached the nearest alley, and ducked inside. His nose was instantly assaulted by a musty stench, and as his eyes began to adjust he saw piles of trash everywhere, broken toys and elven trinkets considered worthless by the upper classes. Gods, how could this ever happen?

Taking light steps further into the alley, he spotted the corner of a book. Thomas, curious as to what it was, pulled it out from under all the trash that had accumulated around it. Old. It was undoubtedly old, and grime covered the surface, making it almost illegible, but the inside appeared to be remarkably well-preserved. The language was one he had not yet been able to study, mostly because by all accounts, it was a dead language. The elves had abandoned it long ago, or so Thomas thought.

 

[Bellz]

Eva quickly got up as Thomas did and watched him bow stiffly before swiftly moving out the door. She turned to Ayred. "Thank you for your time." She bowed her head in respect and hurried after Thomas. She saw him rounding the corner into an alleyway and quickly followed behind him. "Thomas?" She whispered, the alleyway was surprisingly easy to see....but Thomas seemed to have to let his eyes adjust a moment. As she watched him, he picked up something off of the ground and held it in his hands.

Slowly and carefully she stepped forward until she was beside him, peering over his shoulder. Looking down at the writing, she seemed to recognize it. At least a few of the words. Her mind began to wonder if she actually knew what they were or if she just assumed. She had no education to even make assumptions...but something deep within her gut had told her that she had seen it somewhere before.

"This looks oddly....familiar,"Eva mused to Thomas as her long finger delicately skimmed down one of the pages. "A dream....maybe." She wasn't entirely sure as to where she had seen it before...but it was a long time ago...So long ago in fact that she couldn't understand how she would commit something like that to memory. Biting her lip, she hoped that Thomas wasn't looking at her like she had just lost her marbles...

 

[Alexander Time]

Thomas Pine
Thomas stood silently, holding the book gently in his hand as Eva approached and stood beside him.The pages were soft, as if woven out of fine silk, not the rough wood used in human paper. Each page was bordered with a silver that looked like it was struggling to lift the page out of its own meager existence. Thomas was more focused on the words however. The words were beautifully written, with soft curves and sharp edges, but even so, Thomas struggled to read it at all. It wasn't so much that he didn't know the language, but like the language didn't want him to know it. As if somewhere between the page and his eyes the words became confused and jumbled.

Thomas watched as Eva ran her finger gently down the exposed pages, and he listened intently as she spoke. Her words sounded almost like music to him, a whispered symphony in his ear. He smiled, his gaze shifting to her eyes. "Eva, You've just peaked my curiosity." He quickly pointed to a specific word, near as he could tell. "Can you tell what this one means?". At this point the words looked like such a jumble on the pages to him that he could've very well been pointing to nothing. It was all very well to him.

In fact, Thomas was feeling brilliant. Gently leaning onto Eva's shoulder, he handed the book over to her and chuckled. Staring at the exposed pages for a moment longer, he began to laugh. He couldn't quite remember what was so funny, but he knew it had to be something. It took a moment or two before he stopped and looked over at Eva. "Gods Eva, you're looking fantastic tonight." Once again he started into a bout of laughter. Wait, what is going on? the thought flashed through Thomas' mind before getting lost among everything else. He was on his knees now. Laughing so much his jaw and sides were in pain. "Eva.." he managed to get out between breaths, "what....is..happening?"

 

[Bellz]

Eva bit her lip nervously, the words seemed pretty clear to her. Though something was telling her that she shouldn't discuss it with the book in his hands. After a moment she was about to speak but suddenly he began to laugh as he handed her the book. She took it in her hands, the page still open, looking down at it, the words seemed to pop out at her. It was some sort of....prophecy maybe? She couldn't explain it exactly but she didn't have time to think, especially with what Thomas just said.

Her head snapped up to look at him, her eyes narrowing ever so slightly. She wasn't offended by any means...but this definitely wasn't like Thomas. Was this book covered with some sort of spell? She had heard of elves who could weld magic...but there were none in these parts. "Thomas." She gasped as he fell to his knees. She closed the book quickly and placed her hands on his shoulder to steady him.

"Breathe." She murmured soothingly, "What are you laughing about?" She asked as she tried to look for something that might have been on him She wasn't exactly sure what would be on him to make him laugh, but she wanted to make sure he was completely okay. "Is it the book?" Moving a strand of dark hair from her eyes and behind her ear, she glanced over at the too familiar book. "That's important....we need to keep it."

 

[Alexander Time]

Thomas Pine
As soon as Eva shut the book Thomas stopped laughing, though the difference was like night and day, as if he'd been thrown into an ice-cold lake on a hot summer day. He gasped for air for a moment, before finally taking huge breaths, like he'd just got done sprinting a mile. He slowly stood up, glancing at the book. "Yeah," he said, continuing to breath hard "I think so. That was the strangest thing." he grimaced at the thought of what had just happened. "It was like a creeping sensation, and then all at once."

His mind raced as he began pacing back and forth. "I remember reading about these types of books. According to my history books, they were created by elven mages during their subjugation by humanity to hold important information to the elves. They were trapped to kill any human who attempted to read them, though reports were always very ambiguous on just how that happened."

Thomas looked up at Eva. "Which makes me wonder why you weren't effected. Old magic maybe? Perhaps the book has deteriorated. Or maybe it can only influence one human at a time." Thomas could've speculated for hours, that kind of thing was always fun to him, but this was no game. "I agree, we need to keep it, but we need to be careful. Neither one of us opens the book without the other around, alright? 'Death by Book' isn't really something I want to see on your gravestone." he smiled at that. Looking at her, he had just noticed how worried she seemed to be. It was something new, and though he felt slightly guilty thinking it, he was glad.

 

[Bellz]

Eva watched as he suddenly stopped laughing. It was definitely the book that caused that strange behavior to occur. As she looked back over at the book once more, she wondered why it didn't have the same effect. Thomas asked the same question..but quickly brushed it off as being old magic, and that maybe it was deteriorating somehow. Or it could only influence one human at a time? That one didn't seem very likely. Why use magic if it isn't going to influence multiple different humans?

"Okay." She murmured with a small smile, her cheeks turning the slightest bit pink before she got up off her knees, dusting off gently before walking over and grabbing the mysterious book. She wanted to read it....but she wasn't sure if she wanted to do that with Thomas around...would it still hurt him if he is even in the same room when its open? She definitely didn't want to find out.

"Well it seems like it didn't have any sort of effect on me.." Eva looked up at Thomas with a curious look in her eye. She tried to understand what that meant but every single reason she thought of wasn't good enough for her. This book had to have some sort of answer...if it was trying to keep the humans from reading it.

 

[Alexander Time]

Thomas pondered Eva's words. Why? It just didn't make sense. He couldn't begin to understand, though he could guess all he wanted to. "We need to test it," he said, concern evident in his voice. "But not tonight, it's getting late." He looked up at the sky then, the moon had moved quite a bit since they had first met up in the streets. At least three hours must have passed since then. "Ready to head back home? We need to figure out what to do with the book until then." Turning to walk out of the alley, he looked back. "We can decide on the way."

The streets were quiet, save for the occasional gust of wind, tearing through the debris on the ground, and the quiet taps of their footsteps. The last few hours had been surreal, and Thomas took his time going over the events in his mind. He wasn't sure what their plan would be for investigating the three families who had gone missing. It would be hard to find evidence at night, darkness would cover up anything that could potentially be found.

And then there was the book. A chance move and it fell into their hands. A coincidence, but it had to hold a huge treasure trove of information. If only he were able to read it. This frustrated him most of all, his endless curiosity wouldn't stand for not knowing. The lack of effect on Eva was curious too. He looked at her, studied her face, her ears. No elven ancestry, she looked as human as he did. Surely they would've found out earlier if she was elven anyway. Studying the book was their only option, as far as Thomas was concerned. Answers to ancient questions, and to new curiosities. He could only hope.

 

[Bellz]

Eva nodded and looked up towards the sky. It was very late, and she was to get up early that morning in order to help her mother with chores around the house. She internally groaned at doing house work again. She would much rather be out, actually working instead of slaving away trying to keep a house in order. But the Capital was very set in their ways, old fashioned. Women tended to the house and the children while the men went out and worked...or if they were from a noble family like Thomas, they would go to school and get educated.

She followed behind him silently, it was quiet tonight, the sound of their light footsteps echoed softly off the walls of some buildings. Nothing else could be heard, except for their breathing. The air was becoming colder and she tugged her cloak closer to her body. The wind picked up slightly and she shivered. She hated the cold. And unfortunately, the temperatures here were nothing but that...not terribly so...just enough to make her aggravated.

As she stared ahead, she felt eyes watching her closely. She turned to see that Thomas was once again looking at her with curiosity. "What are you thinking?" She asked with a small smirk, wondering what was wrong with him tonight. He had stared at her several times, and at one point he told her that she looked fantastic...the memory suddenly brought a blush to her cheeks. After another long moment of silence, she sighed. "What are we going to do with the book?" She asked softly.

 

[Alexander Time]

For the first time that night, Thomas caught a glimpse of Eva's face as she blushed pink. A small smile played on his lips as he answered her question "Just looking. Friends can't admire friends faces?" He knew she wouldn't buy it of course, but he also knew that it sounded a little less crazy than 'Hey, I'm just trying to check if you've been an elf this whole time'. If he was honest with himself though, he just wanted an excuse to look at her. A small pleasure that he rarely admitted to himself. He knew how she felt, independent, she didn't need anyone, and so he left it at that.

They continued along their chosen street for a few minutes longer, breathing in the cool night air, before Eva broke the silence. "I'm not sure," Thomas said, "we could hide it somewhere, but there's always the risk of it being found or just up and disappearing." His mind cycled through their options. "Or we could bring it home. It could be dangerous though. I don't know exactly how this magic works, whether the book being open only increases the potency of it, it's a risk." Thomas raked his hand through his hair, the idea of bringing it home made him a bit nervous. If his parents found him with it, somebody could die, but it would be better than if the magic somehow started working on Eva.

Finally, the two arrived at the intersection where they would part ways. Several lights could be seen in the distance, no doubt from various guard patrols. Thomas took a moment to look out towards the upper districts, he soaked in the beauty of it for the first time in what must've been years. The palace stood strikingly against the foreground of the other buildings. There were splashes of light coming out of the windows, exposing the starkness and beauty of it, a monument to the power of humanity. He broke his eyes from the sight and looked towards Eva. "I think I should take the book home." She wasn't one to take orders, no doubt, but he didn't want her to shoulder the risk of it. There were better ways to die.

 

[Bellz]

Eva definitely didn't believe him, not for one second. He never looked at her that way before and it was starting to worry her. She knew where she stood and this relationship, and she made it perfectly clear to him. Besides, his parents would never approve of her. They barely approved of them being friends. She had to continue to remind herself that she wasn't in the same social class as he. He would have to marry some nobleman's daughter with just as much wealth, not some girl who was deserted by her own parents.

Hiding the book sounded like a perfect idea. But where would they hide it? She nodded along as he continued to speak about what should be done with the book. Her eyes scanned the surrounding area, making sure there was no guards in sight. The last thing that needed to happen was for them to somehow get caught with the book. She had a feeling that if it fell into the wrong hands, the Elves would be in a lot of trouble. She wondered if she should take it home with her.

I think I should take the book home. Eva's eyes widened and she shook her head stubbornly, crossing her arms. Her jaw was set in a way that said she already had her mind made up. "No Thomas, look what that thing did to you? You honestly believe that I would just let you walk away with it and let it into your home? It could hurt you and your parents!" She said in a low whisper. "I'll take it home, I don't have maids and butlers walking around my house...it'll be much safer with me." She insisted as her green eyes met his.

Eva raised a delicate eyebrow, signaling for him to dare and challenge her. "I do not want you getting hurt, and after what was displayed tonight...I think it is in the best interest of you and the elves if I take it."

 

[Alexander Time]

Thomas bit his lip. He could tell Eva was dead set on taking it with her. "Alright, alright," he said, a silent sigh escaping his lips. "just be careful, please?" He looked out towards his home. "What time do you want to meet tomorrow? We're going to have to risk going to the lower district during the day, if we hope to find any evidence." He was already dreading it. If anyone saw them there, or rather, him there, he may as well be an elf himself.

Turning to head home, he offered one more smile for the night. He would be lucky if he could sleep at all. The path to his home in the upper district was fairly straightforward, though there were likely to be guards in the way, he planned his route as he set off. After a few minutes, and a close call or two, he had arrived. A stunning two-story home, the architecture was built in the same style as those surrounding it, round edges, with a dome sitting atop it. Thomas rarely took notice.

Slipping inside, he was careful to be silent as he crept through the hall of the house towards his room on the upper floor. The walls were adorned with paintings from places across the land, and intricate carvings were emblazoned on the doorways and walls, his parents' idea of signaling their status among the people of the Capital. Finally reaching his room, he closed the door behind him, and sighed. Safety. The room was well decorated, with a large bed situated in the center of the furthest wall, and a window overlooking the area on the opposite side.

Thomas paid no mind to this, as he walked over to his cupboard and pulled open a drawer, revealing a half-empty bottle of wine. Carefully pulling it out, he emptied the contents into a large glass. At least I have the dignity not to drink straight from the bottle he thought with a smirk. Not an hour later, he was fast asleep in his bed, the empty glass sitting on the bedside table.

 

[Bellz]

Eva gave him a small smile of victory before taking the book from him. "Tomorrow at noon." She chirped lightly. "Goodnight Thomas." She said to him before heading down the path towards her own home. The capital was built of different districts, she wasn't in the lower district because she wasn't an elf, but she was a close second. The working class district was as close as one could get to being poor. Her family lived in a small cottage next to one of the bakeries that her father owned. It was a modest living.

The walk was a bit more exciting than she would have liked for it being so late at night. Several times she had to duck out into an alleyway to stay hidden from the guards and at one point she wasn't able to leave for almost 10 minutes. Finally though, she came upon her little home and it brought a smile to her face. She wasn't the type of girl who wished she could have all the finer things in life...she liked the way she lived.

She had seen Thomas' home once before, and it honestly overwhelmed her with home much stuff was in it, and people. She liked the privacy of her little home. She quickly snuck back inside and hurried to her tiny bedroom. It wasn't much, a small bedroom that was able to fit a small bed and a dresser for her clothes. She tried to decorate it as much as possible, her parents had painted it for her a while ago the once pretty purple color faded to a dull lavender, she hung flowers that she collected and dried on her wall and a few of her sketches that she enjoyed hung there as well.

Sighing, she set the book on her bed and undressed. Slipping into a nightgown, she lifted the book and pulled the covers back before slipping under. She stared at the dirty cover of the book for a moment before opening it. Once again, the words seemed to just speak to her. So much so that she could have sworn she heard actual voices. Gasping, she closed the book and scrambled to place it in a secret compartment in her dresser before she shut it and hurried off to bed.

 

[Alexander Time]

A few short hours later, Thomas was awoken by his mother in his bedroom, loudly opening the curtains of his window and flooding the room with light. He groaned and smashed one of his pillows over his face. "Decide to sleep in late have you?" Her voice was sweet, normally, though this morning she was clearly angry. "And I see you got drunk enough to forget to change out of your clothes." She said, eyeing the glass on the bedside table. "I don't know how many times I have to tell you, that wine is for guests. Besides that, you should be busy studying, not drinking away your worries!"

With that, she exited the room, clearly grumbling more complaints under her breath. Thomas rolled over and groaned. Just another day. It hit him then, he was still in his clothes from last night, likely smelling of sweat and garbage and who-knows-what. He quickly got up, and grabbing a fresh pair of clothes, headed to the washroom. When he eventually came out again, he smelled of fresh mint, something to remind him of the night before.

He quietly took the steps down to the kitchen, catching his dad skimming over the morning paper with an apple in his hand. His dad was quick to chime in, "No more wine until you're done with your studies," he glanced at Thomas with a stern look, "and you'll be spending the rest of the day in the library." Thomas immediately began to protest, but his dad cut him off. "No, I don't care about your plans, if you want to visit that poor girl from the working district, you will have to wait." Thomas grabbed an apple and left the room, fuming.

He navigated his home until he came to the library. It was a wide, circular room, with shelves built to the ceiling and stacked with more than enough books to fill them. Grabbing his books on science and math, he sat down at the ornate desk situated in the back of the room. If he wanted to meet with Eva on time, he would need a plan. Setting that thought away for later, he began his studies once again.

 

[Bellz]

Eva was woken up early in the morning by her mother, who gently shook her awake with a small warm smile on her face. Unlike Eva, her adopted mother was a meek shy thing, who never was much for speaking out against things. This meant that she obeyed everything and knew her place within society. It bothered Eva immensely. Sighing, she got out of bed and opened her curtains to look out at the bustling streets in front of her home. The sun was just beginning to rise as Eva quickly got washed up for the day and changed into a fresh pair of clothes. She hated to wear dresses while she worked...but her mother had scolded her once for showing up in town wearing pants and a loose shirt.

They were much more comfortable then the lousy good for nothing dresses she was forced to wear. The corsets were binding and she felt like she couldn't bend over to reach anything. But after a few years of wearing them, she can finally breath easy...somewhat and has adjusted to working in them. She adjusted the top of her light blue dress as she slipped on her brown boots and hurried out of the house. Her mother was already outside waiting for her. They had a modest sized backyard, it was actually larger than some of the other homes in the area.

The chicken coop was in the back along with a cow and a few sheep. Today was dedicated to taking care of the livestock and trading in town. "Come now Eva." Her mother said to her softly as she walked around to the back. Eva followed suit and began her chores as usual.
After collecting the eggs from the coop and milking the cow, she placed both items in the house before tiding up inside. Her mind was far from thinking about the book in that moment as she got down on her hands and knees to scrub the floors.

 

[Alexander Time]

- Time skip: that afternoon -

Thomas stood up at last, and walked around the room. His knees were aching after hours sitting and reading, but now he needed a way out. It was almost time for him to meet Eva, and he'd end up late if he didn't think something up pretty quickly. Opening up the library door as silently as he could, he peaked around the corner and was immediately relieved at his luck.

One of his servants were sitting across from the door, undoubtedly charged with keeping an eye on Thomas. This particular servant, however, was one who liked Thomas. "Hey Raymond, where are my parents?" Thomas whispered, careful if they were still in the house. The old servant looked up, a twinkle in his eye. "They went off to the market sir, something about 'irresponsible boy' and 'more wine' I believe." Thomas chuckled. "You wouldn't mind if I slipped by while you were 'asleep', would you?" Raymond smiled, "Not at all sir, I do like a good nap."

Thomas immediately moved towards his room, intent on grabbing some cloth. He had been thinking of ways to avoid being caught in the lower district, the best he could think of was covering his face. Not the most reliable option, but it would have to do. Grabbing a medium sized, deep purple rag, he headed out of the house. The streets were crowded with merchants walking back and forth carrying their wares, a perfect place for a young noble to hide. Using the merchants as a sort of camoflouge, Thomas moved slowly towards the outlying area of the lower district. He hoped Eva wouldn't be too upset over his lateness.

 

[Bellz]

As soon as Eva had finished her chores, she quickly got cleaned up to head to the lower district. She grabbed her light blue cloak and placed it over her dress before placing the hood carefully over her head. "I'll be back later mama!" She called to her mother before quickly walking out the door, the book was tucked away safely in her satchel. She crept out into the streets and headed to the left. Eva always kept a watchful eye out for the guards who were constantly seen patrolling the city.

Although Thomas seemed to trust them, Eva had her fair share of situations with them. Most of them they started, by rudely cat calling out to her or saying something openly lewd about her appearance. She grit her teeth slightly as one stared openly at her, she placed her head down slightly to avoid eye contact, praying that he wouldn't follow her.

She seemed to be getting past the guards, and since the other one that was staring at her wasn't following, she felt like she could breathe. In no time at all she made it to the lower district, her head continued to bow low, she stood towards the border of the lower district, watching for Thomas. She clutched the clock tight to her out of habit...

A 15 minutes had gone by and Eva was starting to worry. Her punctual best friend was very late and she was sure that he somehow got caught or in trouble. A lump began to form in her throat as anxiety swelled in her chest. Please be okay...