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Asriel stood on the bed, pointing to Alister now. "I've just about had it!" She yelled. Did she feel sorry for ripping apart his healing wound? Not in the slightest. Nor that he had to deal with a menacing wife. She looked down on him, putting her hands on her hips. "You deserve to be bleeding, after all you've put me through! Suffer the pain!" She hopped off the bed. She wasn't only talking about what just happened now but collectively. Alister was no savior, he was no prince that took her away from her prison. And now she had to be stuck with him! For the rest of her life! She never once was able to live a normal life or at least live a life. Being shut up in a tower was not living. And just when she thought she could break free, she ended up here, because of a stupid treaty and because this ungrateful brat was born! For too long she suffered, thinking that she might try to understand and coexist here. It wasn't Alister's fault, really, but right then, she wanted to get angry. She felt she must. After sitting down at dinner with such an irritable set of people, being mortally embarrassed, and then having to experience feelings of being used were way to much for her. Her temper, her distaste for the nature of this world and how it revolved was way to much. And though Alister was only sleeping, harmless as it was, Asriel was not up to being so close to anyone so quickly. She wanted to be alone. She felt awfully too uncomfortable here in this country. She quickly stomped to the door, turning the knob. "You know, I'm sorry you got stuck with an emotional screw up like me." She couldn't assimilate. She couldn't handle anything. She slammed the door on her way out, not caring if she made a lot of noise. She padded down the hall, not really caring about where she was going, as long as it was far away from that room so that he couldn't get up and find her, no, not with that wound on him. She turned a sharp corner and ended up at a dead end in the hall. She dropped to her knees, crawling to the wall and leaning against it as she sat up. She fell alseep like that, despite such an akward place and position.

[ Since when has Asriel felt bad for ever doing anything in her life? She just...exploded and used Alister as a scape goat for her anger was all. ]

Awoken by a concerned butler, Asriel rose in a grim mood, her face pale and her eyes darkened with sleepiness. Alister probably looked worse. She yawned, stretching her very stiff limbs. Her neck hurt too. She walked down the hall slowly, rethinking the events of last night. Exploding in Alister's face like that...Though Asriel felt better releasing pent of feelings, she couldn't help but feel a bit childish. She rubbed her eyes, sauntering about the hall. She had no appetite, she was dead tired, and she didn't want to talk to anyone. She wanted to be alone. She wanted to leave this place. It was no better than her tower. She gave an unsteady breath as she admitted that in her head. Alister; he was probably confused and in much pain having been disoriented in his sleep and his stitches been ripped apart. She was a tad ashamed after what she had done the night before. She didn't want to see Alister's face. She didn't want to explain it to him. Asriel shivered.

It was a cool morning, the fog having not yet burned off by the rays of the sun. She was still in her night wear, a long, white dress that flowed about as she walked. Surely not warming in the slightest. Asriel slowed, looking around. She spotted double doors and opened them, curious as she was, and was a bit pleased to find it was the library. She closed the door behind her, walking in as she looked around some. No one in here, it seemed. Asriel paused. Maybe she'd take sanctuary in here... Asriel looked around, for any particular title that caught her eye. She plucked a familiar one, suprised to see it here in Demetria. Alister must've gotten it, thinking it a rare find and a treasure to put in this collection. She felt the cover thoughtfully. She had read her own copy plenty of times. She knew she should pick a new book perhaps but felt a bit more comfortable in taking the one in hand. She found a seat at a desk, seating herself as she flipped open the book. The library was quiet, unlike the worried racket outisde Alister's bedroom.

"I heard they had a quarrel last night." "Really?" "Yes. I saw the princess sleeping on the floor. The floor in the hall! Oh my, I couldn't believe my eyes right then when I saw the thing napping there." The two maids gossiped in their hushed tones, finding quite a lot of satisfaction in it before one of them knocked on the door to check up on Alister. "Sir, may I come in? I have come to give you your breakfast in bed..." The maid waited to see if Alister was awake.

Indeed, the maids were startled by the bang on the door on the other side. But the door wouldn't budge. They had to call for a butler to push the door open only for the maids to scream at the unconcious Alister lying in front of the door. They checked his pulse before sending for a doctor. One of the maids stayed with Alister while the butler was gone, the other maid stripped the bed and expertly prepared it for Alister's transfer. However, something caught her eye. She picked up the pocket knife in wonder and in a sort of horror. She looked to the sheets. Blood. It was like putting puzzle pieces together. She immediately tucked the thing away in her skirts before finishing the bed. The doctor had arrived and helped Alister back onto the bed. The doctor immediately went to check his forehead, deducting the fever before checking his wound, poorly stitched and infected. The doctor quickly made with cleaning his wound, drugging Alister before he did so that the boy could sleep through it all while the doctor worked on him. The bedroom was hectic.

Alister's mother put a hand to her mouth, gasping. She strode in, looking down at her child with a pained, almost terrified look. She gave another gasp. A maid tapped lightly at her elbow. Alister's mother whipped around, angry from being deterred from her son, before the maid whispered something in her ear. Alister's mother looked back at Alister before nodding, taking the maid's word and waved her away. Alister's mother, the elegant and sophisticated queen that she was, could not bear the scene her child was in, horribly injured. And with the evidence she was given, she was sure who was to blame.

Asriel had fallen asleep in the wooden chair, her head propped up with her hand over the open book. The door closing behind her awoken her though. Asriel lifted her head, rubbing her eyes of sleep before looking around, slightly disoriented. The library. Right. She yawned and looked down at the book of fables she had taken from one of the shelves.
Alister's mother cleared her throat. Asriel stood up, knocking the chair over as she turned her head, looking at the dressed up woman before her. Asriel's eyes widened.
"My," the woman covered her mouth, still seeing Asriel dressed up in her sleeping clothes. The girl didn't leave such a good impression after yesterday's dinner. The woman believed now that Asriel was...trash. She held a frown on her face, giving Asriel a stare from the very depths of Pluto. Asriel backed up, her behind bumping into the desk. Asriel was clueless, not knowing what to say to the woman after yesterday. Asriel looked down, trying to think of something. "I'm...so-" The woman slapped her, her serene face no longer that but of a certain madness, anger, hatred, and disgust. "What did you do to my poor Alister?" She whispered. Asriel held her cheek, it blazing hot from the sting. Asriel didn't look at her. "What did you do to him??!!" The woman attacked her. Asriel pushed the woman off, not understanding. Did she find out? Did Alister die? The snarling woman hit Asriel's face. "What did you do?!!" Asriel tried to get the crazy woman off her, rolling on the floor to dodge her. The woman paused, pulling out the knife. "You tried to murder him, didn't you? You thought that you could be quick of him, didn't you? Foolish of you to stay at the scene of the crime when you're guilty, aren't you?" The woman held the knfie before Asriel, glimmering in the pale light of the library. There was no sun outside today.
Asriel saw the knife. Her precious treasure. In the hands of this woman. Asriel stood, staring at the knife, before charging at the woman, trying to overpower her. Quickly she lunged for the knife, wrangling it out of her hand before pushing her off of her. The woman attacked again. "You whore! You used by son for money! You filthy trash! This is what I expect from an Eurekan," she spat. That did it. Asriel hit the woman atop the head with a heavy book from the book case behind her. The woman knocked out.

"Oh god," Asriel murmured. She gripped the pocket knife tightly, shaking in fright. She covered her face, horrified. She just hit the queen. Asriel didn't know what to do. Alister couldn't help her, he was severely injured and being treated by doctors, and Asriel was in foreign lands. The only thing she could think of was flee. And so, Asriel ran; she ran as hard and as quick as her legs could take her, picking up the flimsy fabric of her night dress so that she could do so. She ran outside, outside in the cloudy, about to pour buckets, weather. She didn't know where she was going, only that she couldn't stay in the castle for long.





A man arrived by horse, tanned and unfitting here in Demetria. His hair fell about his eyes, his build strong and stable. His clothing and features easily distinguished him as Eurekan. He wore an Eurekan uniform, showing him to be a soldier, as he got off his horse and walked up the cobble stone bridge to Demetria's royal castle. The sword at his left was branded with the Eurekan seal; so was the document tucked under her arm. He marched right on up until he was stopped by some guards. They let him through.


[ But there is a reason why I'm putting Alister through hell. Just wait and see. ]

The last that was seen of Asriel was by Bloom, the horse. Asriel had grown quite close to the large animal, despite her former fright. She had managed to stop by the stable, syaing her good bye to the sweet animal. Bloom ignored her, but that was okay. Asriel patted the animal's head before leaving him. It would've been quite logical to take Bloom with her but seeing that she knew practically nothing about a horse, she decided to not even bother. So she went by bare foot, running down the slopes of the castle's hills. She'd have to leave the premisces quickly. Word must've already gotten out about the queen. knowing the wicked woman, she probably already accused Asriel of trying to kill Alister and then trying to attack the queen after. Surely, that'd result in a death sentence. She was having a difficult time breathing though since running was quite hard on her. She only made it a mile away from the castle walls before slowly coming to a slow. She walked, panting as she tried to catch her breath. But where could she possibly go in this country? She couldn't possibly go back to the southern kingdom. No, she'd be killed if she went back alone. Asriel moaned in seeming agony. She decided to keep going, entering the woods.

"Sir! Wait- Sir- You can't-" The butler ran after the Eurekan officer as he strode with utter confidence through the halls. He poked around, looking particularly for a pink haired princess. With a faint smile on his lips, he searched, unbothered by the nervous wreck of the butler behind him.
Unknowing to him, the very treaty that allowed him to be here was being strained due to Asriel's misunderstanding. After having Asriel run off, many of the maids spoke in hushed tones, speaking of how Asriel's attempt to murder the royal family was an act of declaration of war from Eureka. Eureka, as of right now, was not a good topic amongst the halls. Even as the officer breathed, advisors were speaking of how they should face this threat from Eureka. But no one wanted to go out right and say it, no one wanted to act just yet. The treaty was still in tact and there wasn't any real word that Eureka was declaring war. But the relations were well tensioned. Maids whispered of the tanned man, speaking ill rumors as they watched him pass in ignorance. He surely didn't know anything about Asriel's runaway or the mishap with the queen or Alister. Speak of the devil. The man stopped, spotting Alister down the hall coming towards him before kneeling before Alister. "You must be Sir Alister, my lord. A lot of word about you has spread in my lands," he stated, standing and looking at Alister square in the face.

The man stood there dumbstruck before followed Alister. "Ah, wait," he murmured almost desperately, catching up with the man. "I know I have no place in the matter but..." He paused, looking back down the hall from where Alister came from before forwards. "Where's Asriel?" He asked. The man glanced at the dark haired prince, wondering hard where the girl was. He looked around Alister before looking ahead.


Asriel tripped, catching herself from falling into the mud. It was raining fiercly and soaked through Asriel's clothes, chilling her to the bone. She went forwards still, managing to climb over the trees roots without falling so far. Her feet hurt and it was dreadfully cold. Asriel pouted, looking down at her now dirty feet. She didn't like it. This. But, her will to survive was far greater than her displeasure. She coughed, covering her mouth as she did, before at last exiting the woods. She paused to catch her breath. Where to go? What to do? She didn't have any money nor did she know anyone. Yet despite that, she decided in going to that friendly town Alister took her to. Maybe there she could decide what to do.

"Shoot," the man muttered, watching Alister's dissapearing back. He stood in the doorway, spying Alister's misty figure in the distance, the rain making hard for him to see. He sighed, running a hand through his hair as he looked down at the document in his hand.


Asriel could vaguely remember how to get to the town, but it wasn't like she could simply ask for directions. The stone underneath her soles chilled her and she was careful where she stepped. She was barefooted after all. She had managed to get to some part of the city, though she didn't know where that was exactly, and walked through the streets warilly. She shivered, walking through such dense rain. She felt hollow, the rain washing over her draining out any particular emotion she might've had. She walked further, compelled to find some sheltered until the rain would let up, but was clueless as to why anyone would give her a room for free.
"Hey! Hey you!" A woman wavered her over, a face full of make up and her hair pinned up lousilly. The lady leaned against the doorway of a tall building, perching with her skirts hiked up. She was decorously adorned, so unlike the rich nobles Asriel had seen lately. The woman called to the soaking Asriel again, flapping her fan at her. Asriel shivered and looked up and down the streets before walking across, finding sanctuary in the eave of the building.

The woman ushered her inside, coughing a little, as she pushed Asriel inside the brothel. She led Asriel to a quiet room in the back. It was a little shabby but would make do. She left Asriel there, letting the poor thing sit there in the lonely room. Asriel said nothing, voiceless. She didn't know where she was or who this seemingly kind woman was. She looked to the floor, an empty feeling deep in her soul. The woman returned with a towel and a few other fabrics. She personally dried the girl. She felt sympathetic for her, the pitiful thing reminding her a little of her self really. Asriel let her do so. The woman proceeded in letting Asriel take a warm bath and lent her some warm clothes. Asriel finished in forty minutes, dried and feeling a lot better. She felt a small fever coming upon her though but kept quiet. The woman's hospitality comforted Asriel as she even gave her soem warm stew to eat. The brothel was quiet, it being a slow day due to the weather. The rain softened and it only sprinkled. Asriel returned to her room, sitting on the bed before hugging her knees, looking outside the dreary window. The woman returned to her perch outside the door, ready to flag down any customer. She was concerned for the girl upstairs though. She looked pretty worn down.

[ Ha, Alister's surely going to have a hard time finding her. I'll make sure of it. ]

The woman spotted the man down the street, feeling the promise he brang as his ragged figure on his horse sauntered ever so closer. The rain had stopped by then. The woman, with lips painted red and face powdered white, flapped. "Yoohoo!~" The woman picked up her already hiked skirts and daintily left her post to the middle of the street. She was the owner of the brothel, the main hostess and well known amongst the streets. It is why she sat outside so often, so as to attract customers. She battered her long eyeslashes to the dark haired man, her lips turning into a pouty smile. "Why sir," she murmured hautily. "Why don't you come inside and have a nice time? We'll be sure to show you our hospitality and warm you right up," she stated, noting how Alister was wet. She placed a dainty hand on her hip, alluring Alister with her body. "Care to come inside?" She added, her arm waving and motioning him to the brothel.

Asriel laid her cheek on her knees, finding the room lonely but comfortable. She was fine in her solitude. She didn't want to think about anything but be numb and brainless. It'd make it easier on her. Oh, and blind. She didn't want to see anyone ever again, not even Alister. She gripped the knife tightly, not having let it go since she snatched it away from Alister's mother. She felt secured by it as she held it in her lap. She would never let such a precious item be in the hands of anyone ever again. She hid herself under the covers.

[ If you want, you can call it quits for now. You still have mystery man still at the castle. ]

The man smiled, enjoying his time sitting in the parlor. The maids here hesitantly served him tea. They still felt unsure as to how to treat a Eurekan and they'd continue to do so until Asriel was found. He looked up, giving a soft grin as he stood, clapping his hands. He was obviously not as impatient as Alister. "I am Cameron Rufus Degallia Winterbourne, knight of the Eurekan Royal Guard," he stated, giving a low bow. He gave another smile towards Alister before picking up the document that now laid besides his tea cup. He broke the seal and unrolled the piece of paper, already knowing its contents. "The Grand Majesty of Eureka has thought of it as befitting to send a Eurekan guard to accompany Lady Asriel here in these foreign lands." That was an utter lie, Asriel would know. Her grandfather had no concern for Asriel whatsoever. "So, he sent me. I was the previous guard of her..." He paused, about to say tower, prison, jail cell but chose of a light word. "Chamber so he thought I would best fit the description." He offered the paper stating his purpose. A royal seal was stamped so as to not give Cameron any difficulty in his travels. Cameron gave another low bow. "So I am your hands, sir," he stated. He stood upright once more, noticing again, Alister was alone and rugged looking. "So where's Asriel. Really, your maids have been giving me weird looks and murmuring things and the such when they think I'm not looking. Has something happened?" His hand immediately went to the sword. He was a knight after all and was employed to be Asriel's body guard. He personally didn't know why he was chosen and sent here, only that the king called for it. Obviously, the Eurekan King of Old was scheming.

[ Of course, you don't need to explain everything to me. ]