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To put it bluntly, it was anti-climatic.
Lizzie who was 'abducted' whilst picking berries and peas was taken by an old friend in a knight's disguise, and they just... walked, to the forest border.
"How did you do that? Sneaking in?" she asked him an hour later, while they were threading a path on horseback, her on the front and him behind in the reins.
"Luck," he said. "It's not like I'm alone."
She thought of the possibility, and maybe, he had a man working from the Norvillon ranks.
"Uncreative though," she replied, already lost count of berries into her mouth.
"Why?"
"It's not the first time I was taken by knight's disguise..." Lizzie's voice trailed off.
"Did you know?" she asked after his silence. "The emperor wore a knight's uniform too."
"He did, huh."
There was nothing more. The chirp of birds and the hooves stomping against the forest floor filled their silence.
She gripped the basket refused to let go. It was not because of pride, but it calmed her, a piece of home she carried before crossing borders.
By now, the knights and everyone involved would be turning everything inside out for a search, and her father would turn the world upside down.
She was of three things.
1. Terrified, of her family's wrath to whoever 'abducted' her, to Lizzie herself after they find out that she volunteered, and to the knights and Garth, who was present at her disappearance.
2. Scared, of what awaits in her poor plan that solely relied on trust to an old friend.
3. Fearful for the aftermath of what she left.
They are all of the same things, the same reason for the pounding of her chest and occasional shaky breaths, prayers to gods here and there.
The good thing was she had already written her farewell letter in her drawer, which would later be found when they search her belonging for clues.
It was nothing much, just a simple sorry that she had to leave, that she is safe and she will return soon. To when is that 'soon,' Lizzie had no idea.
"Aren't we supposed to cross borders as soon as possible?" She asked him, when they reached the edge of the forest, close to a farming village. Lizzie pulled her hood lower to hide her face, Alec did the same. They were now behind a small hut.
It was already high noon and light was blindingly bright and hot.
Alec left saddled off the horse first, and like the first time he lifted her, he asked. "May I?"
She handed him the basket first and he took it, placed beside his feet like it was the most precious thing. Then he lifted her off next. With how gentle he was, it seems the basket was the second preciously handled thing now.
Her feet landed on the ground and she gained her footing. With his hands snaking her waist, she looked up to him.
Lizzie was annoyed.
He was just an inch taller than before. An inch. But now he was a head and more taller. "You grew up well, huh?" she whispered.
"I can't say the same to you."
Her eyebrows twitched. You punk.
A man in a farmer's garb interrupted before she could stomp on his foot. "Welcome."
And Lizzie was taken aback. "Ulbaim." It was the man who danced with Luppe at the square. Then her wide eyes snapped back to Alec. The latter just shrugged as if confirming her thoughts. They entered through the back door and in the small but clean kitchen had a simple but warm meal.
Yet before Lizzie could take a sip, her eyes never left the serious Ulbaim. He'd glance at Lizzie from time to time, then look away, while updating Alec about the others. A bead of sweat slid down his forehead, as his feet shifted in discomfort.
Alec chuckled. "Eat your meal, Lizzie. Don't bully the poor guy."
"I won't hand Luppe to you," she blurted. Although she wanted her Garth, she wouldn't mind the 'son of a farmer' Ulbaim too.
The man in question bowed. "It was orders, Your Highness. But Lady Luppe was indeed a splendid dancer."
Her heart was moved, but Lizzie muttered "I still won't hand her to you."
Alec patted Ulbaim's shoulder and thanked him for the meal. The latter nodded, opened his mouth. "It is my pleasure... Alec." He was so uncomfortable saying his name as if it was a curse and he left scratching his head.
They shared a meal in silence. Then Lizzie spent her afternoon walking back and forth around the little space where the dining room turned living room.
She knew what she was doing, at the same time, she doesn't. Alec, who was watching, pulled back to her seat. She did, so still, staring out the half-opened window. The vast farmland stretched beyond, with little to no houses in between. But it didn't calm her down. Her toes wriggled inside her shoes.
"They're focusing the search at the port," he said.
Only then did she and paid attention to him. "What?"
"A woman that resembled you was sighted boarding a ship to Levich. But Norvillon's aren't stupid. They will still turn the land upside down."
For a moment, Lizzie wished her family was less cunning to make the distraction work.
"I'm stupid, aren't I?" she asked, fears reflected in her face.
He didn't answer. Instead, he reached the basket from the dilapidated counter, picked the strawberries into the bowl. But the better surprise was when he returned with a jar of honey and a spoon. The princess had now her priorities straight. Dessert first. Always dessert with honey first.
The afternoon passed with them keeping up with each other and Lizzie was then lost in a book Alec handed. He entertained her like how an adult hand toys to a child to shush her up.
Supper was uneventful. Although she lived royally for years, she didn't scream at her cold bath, fetched by Alec's subordinate from a well nearby. They even had a change of clothing and she was thankful enough.
But when she was led to the bedroom, Lizzie's steps halted. The moment she entered the hut, she already had an idea where to sleep, and she was not fond of the thought.
After all, she didn't have any good memories of small burnable huts. There was no window and the only way out was the door. She didn't know how long she stood in the middle of the room when Alec spoke from the still-open door. "This is all we could arrange, better than have you camp outside in the open."
"There's no window..." she said. "What if... what if..." Lizzie blinked away the images in her head. She was just glad that instead of a fire lamp, the house was faintly illuminated with a spirit stone, and it was white, instead of the similar orange to a flame.
Alec stepped into the room, and with his sword, cut a piece of a wall to make a distorted window. The wind blew in and it was cooler. "Better?"
Only then Lizzie notice that he also had his bath, and a few droplets fell on the bare skin of a simple shirt he changed into.
She looked away. "Better," she said and sat on the bed. A second after, she tilted her head when he rolled out another sheet on the floor. "You're sleeping here?"
"Where do you want me to sleep?"
She opened her mouth then closed, then at last opened again. "To where Ulbaim is?"
"They're on guard duty, with the others."
"Then why aren't you on duty too?"
He didn't answer and turned his head towards the cut window.
Lizzie was dumbfounded for a moment but decided to lay, with the blanket up to her neck.
Yet no matter how cool the breeze was, nor how scenic was the view of the twin moons from the makeshift opening, she could not sleep. She sighed and glared at the figure turned away from her like a statue.
"Not sleepy?"
She gasped when the statue spoke. And then, she was held restless when Alec shifted to face her.
From the center, Lizzie wriggled to the edge of the bed to glare at him better. She couldn't. Instead, she was amazed once more how eight years changed him.
"Stop looking like you'd pounce on me."
But a punk is still a punk. "I'd never."
He didn't answer, just stared at her. But after she looked everywhere except his face, he asked, "You're afraid, I know."
Lizzie clenched her blanket. She told him almost everything that happened in the past eight years, but Alec was less generous. All he said was that he continued swordsmanship and his academic studies. He said he's also in the middle of 'apprenticeship.'
"Ana is doing great," he said in the afternoon. "More than great."
But there were gaps in his story. "Alec, how did you end up serving the emperor?"
"I had no choice."
"Is he going to kill me?"
"Your questions are getting more ridiculous. And no, he won't."
"How do you know?"
Although the emperor held a tight reign to the empire, the information about him and the imperial family was rare. It was widely known that he was enamored with the only concubine, and now Empress Diana and was rumored that he became emperor to offer her the empire. His sole heir, the crown prince, who was also gossiped to be more infatuated with men, nobles and commoners alike, that he delayed his betrothal.
Despite the records and books released about the latest imperial history, no picture nor portraits circulate the public to protect the family from assassination. Ever since Norvillon was liberated and rose as a kingdom, it was much harder to obtain information from Gran Dacchia.
It was the opposite for Norvillon, in which Lizzie was hailed as one of the most widely known portraits. In coins, canvas, paper and some shops use the outline of her face for 'luck.'
The treasury alone had Norvillon children's paintings. But compared to her brothers, Lizzie's yearly portrait filled the walls like a museum.
"Wild as ever." Alec interrupted her derailed thoughts with his hands twirling the ends of her hair which dangled off the bed.
"But they're tame to Fay." She turned away from him but was still at the edge. She could feel him playing more of her hair now, the movements felt like he was braiding them, tangling and untangling the strands.
"Hey Alec, when you were in the Norvillon castle like a sneaky devil you are, did you break into my room?"
"No."
"Really?"
"Really."
"Says someone who sneaks into my room years ago, every night at that."
"We were children back then," he said meaningfully. "But it's a different story now "
Lizzie would have opposed him, but he was right. She just muttered a faint, "Hmm," and let herself be lulled to the comfort of his hands.
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