The Rogue and The Prince

Chapter 4- Gypsies and Chases

I set up our little stand in the dead center of the square, so that all attention was on us. I sent a nod in Rangers direction, so that he could start playing his piccolo. Once the music was playing I started to dance. The plan was simple; I was going to street perform. Yes, I was going to pretend to be a gypsy to make money.

And it was working.

People started to gather around us and throw spare coins in the small hat that Ranger had put out. Soon enough, we had a fairly large crowd gathered around the spot I was dancing in. I must have been good because people we staying and watching with interest in their eyes. Once the song was finished I bowed and Ranger pocketed our earnings.

“Do another one!” Someone shouted from inside of the crowds. Murmurs of agreement echoed through the crowd. I knew we had enough money but, decided to do another song for the people.

Ranger looked at me and I signaled him to do another one. The music filled my ears and I moved my body to the rhythm. In this song, I added a few more tricks like, a back hand spring or a twist in the air or even grabbing the hands of a couple children and bringing them to dance with me. I continued to dance for a while because I knew that these times were hard, under King Zander’s watch. This seemed like a good way to give a little back while I still could.

I wasn’t a heartless rogue you know.

Ian’s POV

I got antsy being cooped up in the castle so I decided to go for a walk in the town below. Changing into some casual clothes I made my way out of the gates and into the crowds of the people of Renatia. I traveled quite a distance when I found myself in the middle of the square in the middle of a crowd. Music filled my ears as I got closer to the center of the commotion.  Gazing over the heads of the people in front of me, I saw what was getting everyone so excited; it was a gypsy girl dancing to the music from a piccolo.

I was so entranced by her dancing. She moved with the grace of an angel and she looked the part as well. I somehow found her familiar as I gazed upon her twisting and twirling. When the song was finished I shouted: “Do another one!”

I kind of was surprised by me saying this, but I quickly dismissed that thought when I heard agreement flutter through the crowd around me. She paused for a moment before she turned around and nodded to the piccolo player. This time around she did a few more tricks and even grabbed some children and danced with them. The people seemed very happy to see her dance.

That happiness ended soon though.

“Hey! No gypsies allowed,” a guard shouted from somewhere in the crowd. The gypsy girl stopped dancing and began to hastily gather her things and stuff them in a satchel off to the side. The people who were watching dispersed and left the guards a clear path to the gypsy. She seemed to tell her partner something and he took the satchel from her hands and they both began to run. They were both fast but one of the guards cut off the girls path, letting her partner go.

 I had kept up with them, trying to be discrete but at the same time, watching what was going on. I don’t remember any laws against gypsies, only if they were causing trouble would the guards do something.

She was cornered by 3 guards in front of a run-down house. One of the guards made a grab for her but she skillfully managed to get him flipped over on his back; making the perfect escape. Running with the two other guards on her trail, I tried to follow but still keeping a safe distance away. Then she did something I didn’t think she could do; she used a cart to jump onto a tarp cover which got her on top of one of the buildings. Then she ran from building to building, putting more distance between her and the guards but also me.

I made a mad dash into an alley way and ran to where I thought she was going. I stopped to wait and see if my short cut worked. Sure enough, she came running down the alley strait towards me, also confirming my thoughts of her getting off the buildings. I hid myself in the back doorway of an old abandoned house and waited for her to come running past me.

Once I heard her footsteps I reached out and grabbed her arm, pulling her in the dark cramped place next to me. Tingles went up my hand and into my arm from where I was touching her, but I paid no mind to those.

“What are you d-“ I put my hand over her mouth cutting her off. I heard the footsteps of the guards so I pulled us a little deeper into the darkness. The guards past us blindly and continued on their useless search.

She smacked my hand away and stepped on my foot. I grunted and let go of her, only to watch her try and run away- try being the key word, because before she could escape I grabbed onto her arm.

“Let go,” she shouted.

“No,” I said sternly.

“Why not?”

“I won’t let go until you thank me for saving you, and then apologize for being rude.” She squirmed under my grasp, trying to free herself.

“I didn’t need your help but thanks anyways,” she mumbled the last couple words her eyes down cast.

“The apology,” I talked to her like she was a child. With that she looked up and it dawned on me that I had never looked at her properly before that. She was breath taking. Her face was smooth and had no blemishes except for a small freckle on her right cheek. Her nose was petite and perfect, which went well with the rest of her face; high cheekbones and lips that were perfectly proportionate. Her hair was a light brown with blonde highlights, most likely from being in the sun.

Her eyes were a different matter; they were a grey with blue flecks in them and they were the most beautiful color I had ever seen.

“I am not going to give you an apology, you don’t deserve one,” that’s all she said before she spat in my face. I let her go to wipe it off, and she sped off like a horse out of the gates. I tried to follow her but once she broke through the edge of the heavy crowds I lost her. What did she mean by ‘I didn’t deserve one’, I thought angrily as I leaned against the side of a building.

I looked up to the sky and groaned. I would never be able to get rid of the image of her face out of my mind, and how it was so familiar.

--Okay guys, not my best work I’ll admit but, I have a little writers block and this was the best I could come up with--

CONATRUCTIVE CRITISIM IS WANTED!!

<3,

wildthang