Noct was not surprised to see the massive crowd gathered around the plaza when the four of them finally arrived, minutes later, at the Qioan Square.
Many people were ambling around and minding their own businesses. A few others were chatting among themselves, sitting by the four fountains that marked each of the square's cardinal points. Rows of stands were situated nearby, selling various types of food to those who happened to be hungry as traces of their intoxicating smells wafted in the slight wind. There were also a few that sold trinkets and the like. From the corner of his vision, Noct noticed a group of people huddled together, staring in awe as a performing witch manipulated tendrils of fire in her hands for entertainment. She flicked her wrists, and they swirled overhead in twirling coils of heat that burst into countless red sparks. Fireworks, he thought. Cheers and laughter echoed, along with clinks of gold as the spectators tossed them at her feet. As Noct saw this, a sickening feeling rose in his gut.
"There it is!" Jul suddenly cried in a loud voice. She pointed towards an elaborate-looking carriage that was stationed next to a lamppost at the other end of the square, a long stretch away from them. He nodded back to her.
With the thief carrying the Snow Witch on his back, the three of them hastened their footsteps. Noct did his best not to lose sight of Jul and Yoko among the sea of people before them. His concern began to rise further and further when he noticed how Chell's body steadily continued to increase in temperature. He feared that if it would continue any longer, the little miss might burst into flames at any given second. He shook his head. Instead of thinking about those things, Noct decided to focus on the current task at hand. There was no point in useless thoughts.
However, as they ran, the thief noticed something unnerving.
A few people had taken sight of them. At first, Noct thought they would recognize the princess and bow their heads in respect or perhaps allow her some space. That was, after all, the normal reaction towards a person of royalty. However, the moment they had seen Jul and looked over at Yoko afterwards, their faces quickly morphed into expressions of annoyance and—-although it might have been just his mind playing tricks on the thief, perhaps-—distaste. A few glared at the princess in particular, whispering to the others in quick murmurs. Some scowled and moved away, but their actions were more out of wariness rather than respect.
Noct felt himself frowning as he stared at Yoko's back. Why would a princess be unloved by her people?
The answer to his question would have to come for later, he decided. Once they were close enough to the carriage, the coachman sitting at the front of the rig noticed them immediately and quickly sat up straight. Jul waved her hands in frantic gestures, signaling him in a series of confusing movements. It seemed to work, though, because the moment he saw her, the coachman nodded and stepped off. Hastily, he opened the carriage door just as the four of them finally reached it.
"Dante, there's a serious problem. We need to get to the palace as quick as possible." Yoko commanded as Jul grabbed her hand and helped her step inside. The coachman nodded and replied quickly. "Of course, your highness!"
Jul then turned around to face Noct, her bright emerald eyes laced with worry. "Take her in. Yoko doesn't like it when somebody sits next to her on the carriage, so I'll be sitting with Dante in the front. Now go!"
Noct blinked, shifting uncomfrotably. "But-—"
"Hurry!" she interrupted. The thief frowned for a moment but then decided to nod, seeing the look of resolve on her face. Taking extra care to position Chell in a comfortable state as much as he could, Noct leaned her head on the window as he let her in. She was still breathing unevenly, face slightly pained. Whatever illness was afflicting her, it seemed to be something that could not be taken lightly, seeing as how the Snow Witch did not even stir from her sleep after all of the commotion that had happened so far. Yoko helped her inside as well. When she was settled, Noct followed in after the witch.
Once inside, Jul nodded at Yoko and closed the door. From the window, Noct saw her move up to the seat in front and settle in beside the coachman, Dante. The thief heard her say a , "Let's go!" through the glass. No less than a second later, the carriage lurched forward as the horses started to move, neighing aloud. Outside, the people gave way as the coachman shouted for their passage. The rhythmic sound of clopping hooves and the steady chatter of the people were stifled from within, bringing about a low, steady hum.
Now that a sudden peace had arrived, Noct realized how uncomfortable it was for him to be alone with the princess, who only a few minutes ago was a complete stranger. He had never been so close in the presence of royalty before. The best that he had was when he once glanced at the royal family of Uldard as they held a procession around the kingdom a few months ago. He remembered seeing the looks on their well-groomed faces, the way they all seemed to carry themselves with an air of superiority. Clearly, they seemed to have been born in a different world. Even the young prince, who was aged no more than ten, intimidated the people with a look of steel on his small face. The thief knew at once that his expression was inevitable the mark of a future king.
At the moment, Noct glanced quietly at Yoko who was seated in front of him. Now that he was close enough to observe her properly, he realized how pretty she really was. Her red hair delicately draped over one side of her small shoulders. Her blue eyes glinted in a soft glow, the color akin to the hue of the sky. There was a strange air around her, an aura that made her seem somehow... ethereal. In the pale-white clothes she was wearing, she almost looked like a priestess of the gods depicted in children's books. Her beauty was simply entrancing.
When the thief realized that Yoko had caught him looking at her, he quickly glanced away. He tried distracting himself and pretended not to notice this by looking at the view outside. From the corner of his eyes, he saw her smile a little.
"You must be worried," she said to him. "Unfortunately, we can't go any faster in this congestion. However, we will make sure to take her to the palace as quickly as possible. Our healer will take care of her. I assure you that."
Noct could do no other thing but nod. "This is already too much... I appreciate the aid you've given to us," he said, thinking that those were the words he needed to say.
"It's the least that I could do after causing you both trouble." She shook her head and turned to the Snow Witch. "But I am worried though. Do you know what might have caused this?"
"I don't," Noct confessed, shaking his head. He glanced at Chell's fragile condition, the way her face slightly contorted as though in some kind of pain. "She was fine before..."
Yoko narrowed her eyes and then looked outside. Lightly, she rested her hand under her chin. "Well, we'll know the problem soon enough."
He nodded quietly.
A few heavy seconds of silence passed. In that moment, Noct suddenly remembered the scene that he had witnessed back at the square. He recalled the looks on the people's faces when they had seen the princess. The thief contemplated whether or not to voice his thoughts out loud to her, thinking that it might be too impertinent of him if he did. However, his curiosity seemed too get the best of him, because he could not stop himself from parting his mouth and saying his next words in a sheepish tone.
"Um... er.... your highness..."
Yoko stirred at the mention of her title. She frowned slightly. "There's no need to act formal with me, Noct. Please stop with the honorifics. You can call me Yoko instead."
Noct nodded in understanding. Then, when he thought it was safe enough, he continued on. "Well then... ah, is it alright if I ask you something?"
The princess raised an eyebrow. "A question? Sure."
"About before..." He paused momentarily, then proceeded with an air of caution. "Back at the Quioan Square, you-—"
"Ah, were you bothered by the way my people reacted when they saw me?" Yoko cut in. "Are you wondering how such a thing could be possible for a princess of her kingdom?"
The thief blinked, unsure if this was a topic that Yoko was open to talk about. He certainly did not want to have his head severed simply because he had spoken too much. Choosing careful words to say next, he said, "... Yes. If you wouldn't mind telling me. Why did they somehow look..."
"Angered? Annoyed? Unhappy?" she suggested.
He looked at her, surprised at how easily she had admitted it herself. Then, he nodded again.
Yoko made a quiet sigh, as though this was a conversation she had told so many times before. "It's their normal response. Most of the people in the kingdom hate me."
Noct immediately frowned. "Eh? But why is that?"
Yoko glanced outside for the briefest of a moment. The thief might have imagined it, but he thought she was looking at Jul outside the window, the expression in her eyes hard to discern.
"... Never mind that," she finally muttered. Was that bitterness that Noct sensed in her tone?
He nodded respectfully once again, getting the feeling that explaining further was something she did not want to talk about. He decided not to venture deeper, believing that he had asked enough questions already. "... Alright."
Silence once again. Outside, the scenery moved at a quick pace, passing through the sifting crowd.
"In return, may I ask you something as well?" Yoko suddenly spoke up, turning her head to look at him in the eyes. Noct tugged at his red scarf by force of habit.
"Of course."
The princess gestured over at Chell. Without a sense of hesitation, she asked a single question that Noct did not expect to hear. "Are you her lover?"
He blinked in surprise. For a moment, he was left speechless. The thought had never even crossed his mind. After all, it had only been a few days since they had first met, and in the length of that time, neither had gotten to know much about the other. Rather than lovers, they seemed more like acquaintances, perhaps. Neither friends, nor strangers. He laughed humorously, his respectful facade breaking as he momentarily forgot to mind his manners in front of Yoko. "Huh, what makes you think of that, dear princess?"
Yoko took a few seocnds of silence to answer, looking at him with inquisitive eyes. "Hm... I guess I had the notion from the way you told me not to touch her back at the alley, I believe. It felt like you were being protective, the way a lover would. Of course, I might be wrong, though. You might be cousins. Or simply just friends."
Noct split into a wide grin. At the back of his mind, he did wonder why he suddenly felt the need to stop Yoko from touching the little miss when she had tried to. Rather than being protective, it felt more like an inner instinct. If the thief was being honest with himself, he had interrupted Yoko without much thought about it. Simply put, his mouth had spoken by itself when it told her to stop.
"To answer your question, no," he said. "The little miss and I are neither lovers nor siblings. Friends... might be a term to define our relation, but far from it. I was hired to protect her, princess. If there was a name to call me, it would be a mercenary, I guess," he offered.
The princess tilted her head slightly. "Hm. A mercenary. Then you must have some kind of skill you're proud of."
"Yes." If thieving and deceiving can be considered, he thought.
"I see..." she said. I'm sorry for assuming wrong. I merely thought, perhaps."
Noct waved his hands dismissively. He was grinning. "No need to apologize, princess. Everyone assumes wrong at something at some point."
Yoko's stoic face cracked a slight smile. "Of course. You're right."
He felt himself smiling back. For some reason, he felt less intimidated talking to her now than before. It getting harder and harder for him to imagine that the girl sitting in front of him was a princess, now that they had exchanged a few conversations. The reason was simple. Yoko didn't act like royalty. Although this was the first time that Noct had talked to any one from a royal bloodline, he was certain that they usually paid more attention to other people's respect for them. With Yoko, she almost seemed like a strict noble than a real princess.
Just as she was about to open her mouth to say something, however, the carriage halted abruptly, causing the thief and the witch to lurch forward. Regaining his balance, Noct quickly grabbed the Snow Witch as she threatened to tip over. He winced, noticing how hot to the touch she had become already. His eyebrows furrowed as he leaned her back. She had barely even stirred.
Together, Noct and Yoko turned their heads just as the carriage door opened in a single swift motion. From the opening, Jul appeared standing there, frantically glancing at Chell as she regarded Noct with a single nod. Then, she faced Yoko.
"We're here." she announced. "Now quick, get off!"
----> thank you for reading!
Q:
What are your thoughts about Yoko?