Fear will be your enemy [Jelsa]

Chapter 6: Without the dark, we don't see the stars.

"Open up!" The bouncing on the door became more ferocious as the guard's patience ran out.

"Alright, alright, I'm coming!" called the old woman out. Hans began to curse in himself. It was too late to sneak out the window. They would spot them immediately... To their surprise however, the woman opened the door of their bedroom. "Play along with me" sissed the elderly woman. She shuffeled back to the front door before either Hans or Triss could ask anything.

The guard bounced even harder on the door, that opened so suddenly, he nearly punched the old woman in the face! "I...I'm so sorry, m'am" called the guard out. "But we need to look inside..."

"At this hour of the night?" asked the woman. "I could have broken a leg while I was going down my staircase!" The guards shifted uncomfortably. "Not to mention you nearly punched me in the face! I should report you to your commander!"

"May we pass, madam?"

The woman sighed annoyed. "Yes...You'll probably going to make everything dirty again all over, and I just cleaned the day before! What wil people think when they come here? They'll think I'm a slob!"

"We are searching for a criminal that seemed to have passed here a few hours ago, woman" spoke the leader of the group, who was clearly fed up with the woman's blabbering. "It's Prince Hans, along with a young girl..."

"Girl?!" sissed the huntress offended from behind their door. "I'm not a 'girl', you-mmmm" Her mouth was clasped shut by Hans' large hand.

"Keep quiet" sissed the prince while the soldier rambled on.

"Well, the quicker you are finished here, the quicker I can go back to sleep" commented the woman. "I need my night's rest you know... Rikke! Get over here to get me up in bed you sloth!"

Hans raised his eyebrows. She wanted him to go IN the room full of soldiers?

"Rikke! Get up, you boy!" The soldiers meanwhile became suspicous as for why this 'Rikke' didn't appear with all that noise and they opened the door to the bedroom Triss and Hans slept in.

"Aha!" sneered the leuitenant as he recognised the familiar red hair that all Westerguards inherited. "Time to face your execution prince Hans!"

"What?" asked Triss astonished. "Sir, he's not prince Hans, surely you see that!" She remembered the woman's words...Play along...

"That's my son you hold, you idiot!" growled the old woman.

"Don't play games with us, woman" barked the leuitenant as the guards forced Hans on his knees. "This is the prince we've been looking for!"

"You think I wouldn't know my own flesh and blood?" asked the woman angrily as she approached the man, who now began to doubt just like many others. The woman was still good in mind... The man's eyes travelled back to the man on his knees. His face was stained with dirt and the beginning of a beard began to show...The man's eyes began to travell to the man's clothes.

Hans kept himself as calm as possible, so he wouldn't blow the plan. He knew what the woman wanted to acchieve... People expect what they expect to see, and the guards expected a prince in beautiful clothing, not a uncombed man in ragged pyjama's!

"And who are you?" the man turned his attention to Triss. He began to slowly accept the woman's lies...but he wasn't fully convinced yet.

"I'm Mia." lied Triss smoothly. She couldn't risk using her real name, in case they found out... "I'm his sister."

"Oh, really...Then you must know your 'brother' very well. Tell me something about him."

"His name is Rikke, born in 31 july, in the year 1818. He's terrible at his footing, and can't fish. He's however a great archer."