The Princess Thief {CURRENTLY BEING REWRITTEN}

chapter four | finding refuge

The number of guards on duty was heavier after the two thieves had infiltrated the castle so easily. Brenna didn't mind, since it gave her a sense of security, but having a guard right outside her door made her feel more like a prisoner.

She didn't say anything, for her mother's sake. The queen had become more concerned over Brenna. She made sure everything Brenna did was safe from anyone who might want to intrude. When the other nobles' children were involved, it kept her mother's worries at ease. Although Brenna didn't wish to spend a lot of time with them.

The girls constantly asked her about that night. What is was like to be at the mercy of two thieves. They were especially curious when it came to Elidor. Brenna made sure to make her answers as disinterested as she could, keeping him nameless and not go on about his...admittedly good looks.

If there was anything they liked more than anything, it was a good gossip. Anything to hold information over someone. And a handsome thief almost stealing a princess before getting married to a prince in a neighboring kingdom was not something Brenna wanted going around the court, no matter how hard she tried to stop it.

It didn't help when the guard who Elidor attacked filled in the details of what Elidor looked like.

"Why does she get all of the luck?" one of the girls, Anelie, complained loudly one day. Her shrill voice echoed in the room filled with the noble's daughters currently having tea and sandwiches. "A handsome thief shows up while I'm asleep just down the hall, and he comes across her. She's already getting married!"

Her friend, Lyana, nodded as she took a sip of her tea. "You're right. Some people just get more than they deserve."

Brenna couldn't stand to listen any longer.

She ended up taking refuge, as she put it to Hazel the first time, in the library. For hours, she gladly poured herself into the many books kept on the shelves, only leaving her little haven when she needed to.

She would've been lying if she said she didn't want a dragon to take her away and keep her in a tower, away from civilization. Away from annoying nobles most of all. At least then she would probably get some peace and quiet.

"Princess!" Hazel called out as she entered the large room. Her heavy footsteps grew louder as she approached the small area where Brenna kept to herself. "There you are. You must come with me."

Brenna looked up from her book. "What is it, Hazel?"

"You must come and pick the gowns you wish to bring with you when you meet Prince Cray."

"Oh...right." She suddenly wished she was in that dragon's tower that very moment.

"Don't tell me you forgot!"

She had completely forgotten about that. Brenna vaguely recalled one of the nobles saying something about the two families meeting before the wedding. As a way for Brenna and Cray to get to know each other so they wouldn't be wed as complete strangers.

She bit her lip and nodded.

Hazel let out an exasperated sigh and motioned for Brenna to hurry after her. "Well, let's hurry. We wouldn't want to have you meet the prince ill-prepared."

Brenna didn't really pay much attention as Hazel brought out dress after dress. She simply picked the ones that looked the nicest, but nothing too fancy much to Hazel's dismay.

"Come on now! You must pick at least one beautiful gown."

"What's wrong with the ones I chose?" Brenna asked.

"They don't seem like dresses a princess would wear meeting her husband-to-be."

"Then why don't you pick for me?" she suggested, ready to be rid of this task.

That seemed to make Hazel happy. "If you insist, Princess." She didn't waste any time as she laid out a full line of dresses for the trip. So much lace and ribbons...

Brenna really wished she was in a dragon's tower now.

Yay! The next chapter is FINALLY here! Sorry this one took forever. School had me insanely busy, but I am now on break and am ready to get a lot of writing done.