The Dark and The Light-Billy

The girl

The next morning I walked into Leo's room with Daimler, Leo quickly covered himself with the fancy sheets and blanket and it didn't take me long to figure out why but I guess that's the outcome of not being able to see anyone other than your siblings, I wondered if he was thinking about the girl he saw yesterday, 

"I knew an excursion would leave you tired out sir," Daimler said putting a tray of tea down for Leo "but in many ways, I am glad we left the palace, you saw the type of people out there"

"Yeah the brutally honest people," I said and Leo laughed 

"I did indeed" Leo sighed slouching against his pillows 

"You do understand your majesty, that I don't keep you here because I take any pleasure from it," Daimler said, Leo, scoffed "I do it because you have hemophilia if you hurt yourself it could have dire consequences" 

"We know" I grumbled Daimler reminds us daily of Leo's condition and to be quite frank it pisses me off

"Hanna and I are not to be disturbed for a while" Leo announced, I always spent the day with Leo seeing as other people were too busy or they were leaving the palace, I settled myself in an armchair, Daimler left the room 

"You're up to something" I smirked he quickly climbed out of bed and went to the changing area of his quarters to put on day clothes 

"Yes I do and you are going to help me" he grinned stepping out fully dressed, we ran down the spiral staircase of the palace and grabbed Leo's cane and overcoat he threw them on when a guard spotted us

"Shhhhh" Leo put his finger to his lips and the guard turned away while we rushed out the doors, he smiled in the sunlight. We walked down to the city looking at the buildings and people finally we stepped into a small little pub that was fascinating it was dark inside but much more different than we were used too

"Good afternoon to you sir" I smiled as we stepped up to the counter, a small man looked up at us confused as to why two posh people were at his pub

"This is a fine establishment you have here" Leo grinned "but I'm actually looking for another pub, The Duck and Quiver?" I looked at him confused "but while we are here, two pints of ale please" I put some tuppence on the counter and the man looked at me his eyes wide 

"Oh, is this the right amount?" I asked worried that it wasn't enough the man laughed at me and I frowned confused 

"Yeah yeah, that's the exact amount," he told me and I nodded taking the ale and handing one to Leo we sat down at a table and a lady walked over to Leo 

"You look like you could use a little assistance young man," She said throwing her chest forward I cringed at her outfit that was very provocative and informal, if my mother saw someone dressed like this she would probably have a heart attack

"No thank you," I said quickly "he's alright" she glowered at me and stood up walking away shaking her head 

"What was that Hanna?" he asked wondering why I had been too rude 

"You don't want to know what she thought you wanted" I laughed drinking the rest of the ale, it was quite different from the normal tea or occasional champagne suddenly we were grabbed out of our seats and thrown out the door, I yelped as I hit the ground 

"Welcome to London" the woman spit at me, Leo looked super confused and I just shook my head. We stood up and walked down the street men bumping into us everywhere I hoped the woman hadn't hurt Leo when she threw us to the ground 

"Hey that's it" I yelled pointing at a sign that said The Duck and Quiver, Leo looked hopefully as he glanced around, his eyes landed on something and I followed his gaze to the girl from last night "Oh she's why we're here" I sniggered, Leo began to walk her way throwing his can aside I decided to watch from a distance. I realized that we looked super out of place, me in my light blue satin dress and Leo in his light blue jacket

"Can I help you with something?" the girl asked after Leo had stood there staring at her for a bit, it was a little creepy of him I will be honest 

"N-Nice feather" Leo stuttered and I muffled my laugh at his awkwardness "it's a raven's feather right" I walked over to them and stood next to my brother

"How did you know it was a raven's feather?" she asked 

"He knows all bird feathers," I told her and a look of recognition flashed in her eyes she must have seen me last night 

"Well um, if you turn it in the light you'll see it has a blue iridescent hue to it other members of the Corvus family-like crows tend to have a more verdant sheen my I ask where you acquired it?" he said 

"I found it in the street" the girl replied simply  turning the feather over in her hand 

"Without wishing to cause any offense I find the chances of that extremely unlikely," I said and she laughed  

"And pray tell, why do you think that?"

"Well, Corvus corax are mainly found to the north and west of England and Scotland," I told her "It's highly unlikely there are any wild unkindnesses here in London"

"My name is Leop-  just Leo" my brother smiled holding out a hand for her to shake his name was a bit fancy and he didn't like it whereas my name is rather simple 

"Well just Leo, you and your girlfriend here know a disturbing amount about birds" She shook his hand  

"Actually Hanna here is my sister and I read a lot of books" he laughed "I mean it's all I do really, what are you reading?" 

"I don't know," she said 

"Sounds intriguing" I smiled 

"Yeah, well, it's certainly that" she replied "my friends and I are involved in an investigation," she said 

"Like a sherlock holmes investigation," I asked intrigued 

"Not quite that advanced" she laughed holding out the book "four babies have gone missing"

"Gosh" Leo sighed "that's awful" he took a look at the book and I noticed the two guys I saw last night staring at us with rather hateful looks, I looked anywhere else they didn't even know us so I didn't understand how they already hated us

"All four babies are female, all taken on consecutive dates," she told us Leo started rambling on about how to start looking for the babies while I took in my surroundings 

"What are you," the girl asked Leo snapping me out of my daze 

"Sorry?" he asked nervously "how do you mean?" she blushed obviously very taken with my brother she signaled for a few people to follow us to wherever we were going, the blonde boy never dropped his look of hatred and it was making me quite nervous. 

"What's your name by the way," I asked 

"Beatriz, B" she replied and I nodded continuing to walk, our first day in the city and we were going baby hunting.