**WARNING: This contains poverty content.
**Alright Now Continuation Of Chapter 8...
Thirty minutes before Aiden's Departure in downtown Aspen-
Aspen was not only known for being a cold dark destroyed place but a place where only criminals or poor citizens lived. It was a place where polluted air particles floated around the sky due to the fire smoke that citizens used to drive the monsters away. This caused the sun to become hardly visible taking away most of the light source around them.
This pollution was not only in form of the air particles but as oil that affected the main water source that came from the Nicole river making it impossible for people to drink from it.
Having hardly any sunlight and a clean water source affected the production of any growing crops. Therefore the vegetables and fruits that people were selling in the destroyed market had rotten goods.
'It's understandable, seeing these kids stealing from even elders.' (Aneria's inner thoughts)
Aneria thought as she looked at a group of two small fragile children distracting an elder while the other stole some rotten bread from his market stall.
There were brown sheet blankets to cover the market stand while four weak wooden sticks held it together and at the bottom was a big orange with yellow zig-zag pattern rug where their goods were placed.
"Oh miss how sad, I-I sob"( Autumn, cried)
"..." (Aneria)
'I'm starting to think it was a bad idea to bring her along. At this rate, she will attract the attention of the citizens around us. It was hard enough to sneak out today for the first time.' (Aneria's inner thoughts)
Aneria and Autumn had sneaked out with brown mercenary robes that had a big enough hood to cover their faces.
Aneria removed her gaze from the children and faced Autumn's sorrowful eyes.
"It is really in worse condition than before... this is awful." (Autumn, cried)
Autumn wiped her tears at Aneria's warning gaze.
'She's right I only saw it once, the day of my wedding and it only got worse.' (Aneria's inner thoughts)
'Every since the first day the prince has been in charge of the castle duties unfortunately I was sick for a couple of years and had just regained my health after fully awakening. He always had tight security so it was hard to sneak out but since he's leaving it makes it easier to move. Now that I have found the identity of the guild master and investigated the situation here I need to move quickly. I can't keep letting people live like this' (Aneria's inner thoughts)
Aneria clenched her fists as she thought before speaking to Autumn.
"Autumn, remember our purpose here. I will fix everything, you just have to act according to plan." ( Aneria, said)
Aneria strictly said to Autumn while the hesitant Atumn asked nervously.
"Yes, your highness but are you sure he won't say be off with our heads?" (Autumn, asked)
"No, he won't hurt us if I threaten him first." (Aneria, said)
Aneria said indifferently.
Even behind the robe, you could see a beautiful young lady with big dark blue eyes and corn yellow blonde hair.
'I purposely wore a blonde wig and no one has ever seen my face nor Autumn's but if times come to show and he finds out I'll have to threaten his life.' (Aneria's inner thoughts)
As Aneria mischievously smiled when suddenly people began to whisper around her.
" The Prince?" (Whispers)
"Yes, I heard he's heading to the second gate of the border to kill the monsters." (Whispers)
"Ah, then has he gone through the first gate already?" (Whispers)
"No, he's barely going to cross the first gate if we hurry we can take a peak before he gets to the second gate." (Whispers)
'Ah, I guess the prince was already leaving...not like I care that he didn't even bother to tell anyone to let me know that he was leaving. I had to hear it from Autumn's last visit to her brother, in fact, I wouldn't be surprised if everyone thinks that I am an arrogant and selfish woman that avoids everyone in a rage fit. He probably told the butler to inform the knights to not let me go out...well he has nothing to do with me but why do I feel a burning gaze in my back.' (Aneria's inner thoughts)
"U-uhm...miss aren't you a bit curious about how he looks?" (Autumn, asked)
'Oh, why does it feel like I am being stared at with twinkling star eyes? I mean I don't care about him but she looks so excited, perhaps it wouldn't hurt to see how he looks now. I haven't seen him since the wedding.' (Aneria's inner thoughts)
"Well..I guess it wouldn't do any harm to take a quick look but only for a moment since we have to get things done by today." (Aneria, said)
"Hehe, yes your highness." (Autumn, said)
Aneria sighed as she said while Autum snickered happily.
'Since the princess has yellow hair maybe the prince won't notice. She and he could fall in love at first sight once they see each other. He is very handsome and she is very beautiful just like a porcelain doll.' (Autumn's inner thoughts)
"Hehe" (Autumn, laughed)
'?' (Aneria's inner thoughts)
At the downtown plaza near the first gate-
A medium amount of people including men, women, and children were gathered from left to right leaving a space in between for the upcoming dark knights to walk through. Some children were on top of an old rusty wooden box while the women flocked flustered and the men gazed judgmentally at the knights.
There were about six hundred knights wearing a Black knight's uniform with black long robes but out of the six hundred knights, only one person stood out the most in the front line.
The ninteen-year-old that was admitting such a strong aura as if anything that stood in his way could easily be destroyed. Even though Aiden was still a young adult he had the amount of muscle an older knight could have. As that young man galloped with his black majestic horse his hair fluttered in the air leaving a fresh oak tree sent fluttering within the air. While he gazed with those black long lashes and his breathtaking purple bright eyes stared at the first gate in the distance.
While in between the crowd-
'I really don't want to admit it but god he is so handsome!' (Aneria's inner thoughts)
Startled by her own thoughts, she blushed and turned to Autumn.
'Ha, what am I thinking just because he has a nice face doesn't make up for his attitude. I can't have useless distractions he is still my enemy and I should get going now.' (Aneria's inner thoughts.)
Suddenly as Aneria was about to turn to go back Autumn spoke up in a surprised tone.
"Your highness!" (Autumn, said)
The prince was receiving a flower from a small girl with white hair similar to Aneria. The small child was being held up by her mother to reach the prince to hand out the blue flower like Aneria's eyes. As the prince received the flower with a bitter smile the girl smiled brightly.
'Why did he make that face? It's as if he was missing someone. It couldn't be that it was....no ...but why does my heart ache a little..No I am strong! Aneria don't be fooled by a pretty face!'(Aneria's inner thoughts)
Aneria placed her right clenched hand near her heart.
After her parents were betrayed she had to learn that the best way for her was to appear cold to people by setting a wall where people who crossed her would reget betraying her. Unfortunately, no matter how hard she tried, Aneria knew deep down that she had a soft spot for cute things which became her weakness.
'He is the son of the king I won't let trivial feelings like this get in my way, I won't let that face lure me in...I will cut those feelings.' (Aneria's inner thoughts)
"Autumn they are wishing him luck. He is doing his part and so should I." (Aneria, said)
"But your highness he looks like he misses you look how he looks at the child perhaps-" (Autumn, said)
"Autumn I can't stand here all day and now it's time to go." (Aneria, said)
Aneria coldly interrupted Autumn and turned around.
'It's better for me to not feel.' (Aneria's inner thought)
"Yes, your highness." (Autumn, said)
Autumn followed Aneria with a sad puppy-like expression and with that both began to head to their destination.
**Next Chapter we will get someone's POV on the flower....