The Princess Thief {CURRENTLY BEING REWRITTEN}

chapter three | fast escape {rewritten}

Sorry this one took a while to get up. I got sick and busy with school, but now I'm on break so I have a lot more free time!

"Alert!" the guard shouted. "Sound the alert—!" He was cut off as Elidor tackled him to the ground.

He quickly delivered a swift blow to the back of the guard's head, knocking him unconscious. Elidor rushed back to the princess, who was frozen in fear. He grabbed her hand before he could give it a second thought and pulled her down a different corridor as the castle began to awaken from the guard's shouts.

It was time to leave, if they could get through the gates before they were shut to trap him and Teena inside, where they would certainly be tossed into the dungeons without a second thought. After that, he had no idea what happened to thieves here. He could think of a few places that would sooner execute a thief or send them somewhere they would surely die. They had to hurry.

Shadows played over the wall ahead.

Elidor sidestepped into a dark, open room and pulled the princess close to him. He lifted a finger to her lips. "Please, keep quiet," he whispered.

Shakily, she nodded.

He turned as a crowd of servants and guards rushed past them, oblivious to the fact that their intruder was just feet away with their princess as hostage.

He looked down at the princess. The earlier encounter had shaken her. "Listen," he said softly.

She met his eyes.

"I will make sure you don't get hurt. Just show me a quick and safe way to get to the front hall so my friend and I can get away. Then you don't have to worry about us after this. Okay?"

"Y-you won't hurt anyone else?" she asked.

Elidor offered her an assuring smile. "Promise. I know I panicked earlier. I'm sorry for frightening you because of that."

The princess sniffed and a hint of a smile tugged at the corner of her mouth. "You're a strange thief."

He chuckled. "I get that a lot." He paused to listen for any sounds of people rushing around in the halls. It sounded like they had all gone to the other side of the castle. Good. They would be distracted by the unconscious guard for a little while. He looked back to the princess. "Ready?"

"Yes," she said, her voice quiet.

Elidor cautiously peeked out of the door. When he was sure that no one would notice, he pulled the princess after him. She directed him to the front hall through the servant halls, which looked abandoned in all of the chaos elsewhere. He smiled and let out a relieved breath when he spotted Teena waiting patiently, half-concealed by the shadows.

"Elidor!" Teena exclaimed. "I found it." She patted her leather bag.

Another relief. "Good," he replied. "We must hurry. A guard spotted me and raised the alarm."

"Is that what all of that noise is about?" Teena looked at the princess and raised a brow. "She doesn't make things any better, Elidor."

He sighed. "Yes, I know, but it couldn't be helped. We should go. We'll get some horses and ride out of here."

"But the gate is closed!" Teena said as they ran outside to the stables.

"Yes, but the barracks are just outside. With the castle now on alarm, the gate will open for the soldiers to come in. We can make it out then."