My blood is boiling.
"Did you know these were here?" I glare at Theo.
"Shh!" He whispers. "Y-yes, I knew there was wanted posters around, but I didn't think it was a big deal. I wasn't even sure it was you, it doesn't even look like you."
That last part is partially true; all my features are a bit exaggerated in the artist's rendition. But no one else in Valon looks remotely like this. Making a connection between me and this photo would be like picking out an orange from a bunch of apples. So I don't buy it.
My voice is cold when I speak. "Are you trying to get me captured, Theo?"
His eyes widen, and he looks genuinely hurt. "No! Of course not. You're the one who convinced me to bring you out here, you gave me your plan for a disguise and everything. I thought it would be okay. I took your word for it."
"My face with the words 'Dead or Alive' is literally plastered around town and you couldn't think to tell me about it!? I probably would've reconsidered you know!"
"What were you expecting!?" He shoots back. "Didn't you say you were a fugitive or something? Of course there's going to be people looking for you and spreading the word about you!" He's getting defensive, and the frustration seeps through his face. "And-and like...you don't make any sense! What were you planning to do anyway??? Just stay in the tree house forever!?"
The boy is right. I should've seen this coming. Actually, I think somewhere in my subconscious I knew that I had no idea what my next step should be. It used to be all I thought about, but I couldn't find the answer. I thought of suicide, a lot. I thought of moving out of Valon, to another town like Eseq, but that would be so hard to pull off, so I put the thought aside. When Theo gave me the tree house I decided to ignore and put everything aside, at least until I was healed. I tried to get comfortable and treat the boy like a friend. I tried to distract myself from everything. I boxed myself out of reality.
But seeing this wanted poster was a slap in the face. Everything immediately felt more real. I am the Blood King's prisoner, I escaped from his cage. The Blood King, who was rumored to torture hostages just for fun. Who tortured me just for fun. A man who was said to take the blood of his victims and keep them for himself, as a prize. A man who had no remorse as he reopened my wound and dragged me on the floor while I was weak and helpless in prison.
I read the poster over and over again. His Majesty the King offers the highest reward.
Before I know it I've fallen to my knees, and I start to shake. I've curled up into a little ball, rocking back and forth. Theo tries to get me to stand. "Lady get up!! Lady!!" He's whispering in a panic, trying to be discreet. "We're going to catch attention. We need to leave before anyone sees us."
But I can't bring myself to stand. All I can think about is, He's going to catch me. He's going to hurt me again. He might kill me. What do I do? What should I do? He's going to kill me.
I kind of want him to kill me.
An anxious Theo tries to hoist me up, but I swat him away. "Go!" I shout through tears. I didn't even notice I was crying. "Just go. Just let me die here. Let me die!" Let the inevitable happen.
Alarmed, he tries to calm me down. "Don't...just don't do this now, okay? You're the adult here, aren't you? R-right? You need to, um....be strong and all that. People are going to notice you. I don't want you to die. I really...I care about you, okay? P-please."
At his last sentence I look up. The boy's eyes are pleading, he looks scared out of his mind. I'm probably putting him in danger too. He's absolutely right. But at the same time, a part of me doesn't care. He doesn't know what I've done and what I've been through. I'm willing to bet he's never seen the Blood King in person. He's never faced terror like this before. He doesn't know--
"Sir, are you alright?"
The two of us freeze, fix the scarves around our faces and turn behind us. It's a townsman, looking concerned. "I heard someone yell--I thought it was a woman, but I suppose I was hearing things, is everything okay?"
I face the other way, so he can't catch a glimpse of me. Theo attempts to cover. "Actually, sir, everything is fine, we just--"
Then another voice speaks up. "What the hell is going on down there?"
Someone else says, "What's all this commotion about?"
Then another. "It's the middle of the day, goddamnit! Who in the world is causing this ruckus?!"
Seemingly a second later we've been surrounded by a crowd. People are circling us, poking me on the back, wondering why I won't face them. Theo throws his hands up to protect me, and he gets pushed around. Some people call him a pipsqueak, a brat, and they threaten to call authorities on us if we don't move and face them.
Something inside me snaps, and I have the energy to move again. I cover my face the best I can, grab Theo, and try to find an opening through the crowd. I see a skinny, scrawny man to the left of me and I try to run past him, but he turns out to be stronger than he looks: he shoves me down, and part of my cloak rips, revealing the bandages I wrapped around my chest.
Theo's eyes are terrified. "Lady!" He calls out to me in a panic, and I weakly sit up from the ground while the boy throws himself in front of me, covering me up.
"Did that kid call him Lady?"
"Look at the older one!"
"That's the waist of a woman alright."
"Look at her skin!"
"Someone get a King's soldier down here!"
They zero in on us. I hug Theo with all my might. Our heartbeats are both beating faster than ever before. I need to get up and run. That's our only option. But they're going to trap us.
My mind is racing with different thoughts and emotions at once. If I don't get out of this, I hope Theo is okay. He's trembling in my arms, he's scared, he's--
The boy takes my hands off of him, looking me in the eye. His expression has changed. Just a moment ago, he was petrified, but now his green eyes are sharp, steady, focused. He pats my hand reassuringly, and gets up, facing the crowd of people. What in the world is he doing?
Theo grabs the scarf covering his face and rips it off, tossing it to the side, revealing his entire face. My eyes widen. Why is he giving away his identity? My heart beats faster.
But the crowd has a different reaction. Gasps befall the crowd. Everyone takes a few steps back. Some jaws drop. Some people run back into their homes, others fall to their hands and knees before the boy.
I look around in confusion. "Theo!" I whisper. "What are you doing?!"
Then I see a horse with a rider approach us. It's a soldier dressed in armor. I tighten the cloth around my face and readjust my cloak to cover my body.
"What's all this commotion? You're all disturbing the--" The moment the soldier makes eye contact with the boy in front of me he freezes. He then drops down from the horse he's on and bows, flustered. "Y-your Highness, what are you doing in town, so far away from the palace--"
"That is none of your concern," Theo says, his voice booming. "Bring me a carriage, big enough for two. Return me to my chamber at once."
The boy turns, takes my hand and helps me get up. "My companion and I had business here," he says, addressing not only the soldier but the crowd around us as well. "Frankly it's quite troubling--maybe even treasonous."
Immediately the townsfolk around us begin to cry out, begging on their knees for forgiveness.
"Silence!" They quiet down in a nanosecond. "Consider yourselves lucky for today. I have no time to deal with insolence."
They make a pathway for us, and Theo and I walk hand in hand towards the soldier, who helps us both climb the horse.
"But do be warned," Theo says in his emboldened voice. "If I ever hear of this incident, or if anyone tries to bring my companion and I trouble, the consequences won't be given lightly."
He smirks at the gaping crowd, sending a chill down my spine. "I know for sure my brother-in-law won't hesitate to take action."
Brother-in-law?
My heart stops. It can't be...
He motions to the soldier to take us out of the area, but not before he looks back at the crowd. "Keep your mouths shut, and go about your lives as if you had never seen us." He puts his scarf back on, preparing to move out.
"That is an order from me, First Prince Teio, of the Teron Kingdom."