The Princess and the Thief (ON HIATUS)

V.

His face hardened. "My brother is dying from a rare illness and I need the money to buy the cure. I didn't lie when I said I come from a poor background. If I didn't steal, my family and I would be long dead. And that's only my family, others are actually dying of starvation everyday. I'm sorry to say it, but your kingdom is crumbling, Princess."

She looked startled. "That can't be true," she whispered, "my parents would never let that happen."

"Have you ever been outside of Lythia?" he asked.

"No..." She let her voice trail off. "Is it really true?" Tears poured down her face and she had a conflicted look in her eyes.

"It is true," he confirmed. He watched as she wept silently, her face hidden in her hands and felt a twinge of pity for her. It was swiftly replaced with a feeling of hard anger. She was one of them, the ones who had condemned him to this life. I shouldn't feel sorry for her, he thought. She deserves this pain.

He suddenly rose and left the room to retrieve the dress he had taken for her. When he returned, he tossed it on the bed. "Here," he said, "I imagine that dress you're wearing is very cumbersome."

"Where did you get this?" she asked suspiciously.

"It doesn't matter, just put it on," he said gruffly.

"Why are you being so... civil?" she asked.

"As I said before, this isn't personal," he replied. "All I need is the money. I have no reason to treat you like a prisoner."

"Even though I am one," she said bitterly.

He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration. "I am meeting with a representative in three days to negotiate for your release," he said. "Can we please just try to get along. I don't want to be here as much as you do. I'm only doing this for my brother."

"Alright," she consented, "but that doesn't mean I have to like you."

"And that's fine with me," he said, "you don't have to like me. It would probably be best if you didn't."

"I'm going to change so can I please have some privacy?" she asked.

He nodded his head and left the room again. While she was getting dressed, he began preparing a meal from the food that he had stolen. It was simple, composed only of a meat and cheese sandwich, but it was the best he could come up with. He could only hope that the Princess wouldn't complain about the downgrade from her palace life.

"Mr. Duval," she said as she entered the room. The dress he had given her was slightly baggy around her slender frame and it looked very out of place combined with her obvious aristocratic features.

"Drew," he said, "call me Drew. Nobody calls me Mr. Duval."

"Alright," she said and bit her lip. After a pause, she added, "Please call me Gwen. I've had enough with all of the formal titles."

"Alright, Gwen," he said. "Would you like a sandwich? I know it isn't as good as what you're used to, but it's all we have."

"Yes please," she said. "I don't care if it's not what I'm used to."

He silently handed one of the two sandwiches to her before picking up his own and beginning to eat it. They ate in silence, an awkward tension hanging between them. They kept glancing at each other warily as if they didn't know what to think of one other.

"Can you tell me about your brother?" Gwen finally asked timidly.

"His name is Zach, short for Zachary, and he's my best friend," Drew replied softly. "He's only ten years old, but he's the smartest person I've ever met. He's energetic and curious and he loves when I tell him stories. I don't know what I would do if I lost him. He was my main motive for becoming the Peregrine."

He glanced over at her to see her trying to stifle her tears. "I'm sorry," she stuttered.

"It's not your fault," he mumbled, "well, not specifically."

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"The nobles think they're so entitled to everything that they don't see what's happening among the common folk," he said with a hint of anger creeping into his voice. "We're starving and people are beginning to riot. I wouldn't be surprised if there was a rebellion within the next year."

"I feel like such a fool," she cried, "I was so ignorant of these things that were happening in my own kingdom. I want to help you. If you let me go, I can help."

"Do you really believe that?" he asked. "I may be just a simple commoner, but I'm not totally ignorant. You would have to convince the King and Queen and if you made it that far, you would then have to convince the rest of the nobility. I don't think many nobles would be in favor of giving up their lavish lifestyle." He shook his head. "No, the only way I'm guaranteed to get help is to keep you as leverage."

"But I can help, my parents will listen to me," she insisted.

"How old are you? Sixteen?" he asked.

"I'm eighteen," she replied indignantly with an affronted look on her face.

"Fine, eighteen," he sighed. "You're too naive and idealistic. You think you can convince your parents simply because it's the right thing to do. Well, I'm sorry to burst your bubble, but that's not how the world works. The world is a harsh place full of prejudice and corruption. It would do you good to get that in your head."

She sighed. "I wish there was another way," she said.

"Me too, but there's not," he said, "so can we please come to an understanding? I don't like this situation as much as you do. Let's leave convincing the nobility to change their ways for once you get back to the palace and I receive my money, alright?"

"Fine," she agreed.

"Thank you," he said softly.

After their conversation, the awkward tension had disappeared from the air, but in its place was a sense of ominous foreboding and Drew didn't know which one was worse.