A Peaceful Forgiveness

A Thief in Rielfina

Ayslin awoke with a splitting headache. She had stayed up later than she should have. She couldn't get her questions off her mind. "Who is it that I am supposedly engaged to? Are they handsome? Are they as handsome as August? Why am I thinking that? Back to the other guy. Does he have his own palace? Will I have to leave home? What will happen to my family? What will happen to August? Shut up, mind. Great, now all I can think about again is him. Thanks a lot, brain."

Eventually, she got so exhausted that she fell asleep mid-thoughts.

When she awoke, she heard a knock on her door. She glanced down at her apparel. She was wearing her nightgown and socks. Socks. Weird human things. But, she liked them. They kept her rough boots off of her legs, so they were her friends. She pulled the covers over her head and yelled, "Come in!"

The door squeaked slightly as it opened slowly.

"Ayslin, dear?"

Nana.

"Mmm yeah?"

"Oh dear, you're still in bed. You'll need to get dressed soon. I assume we'll have small issues to deal with this morning, and today is a day that you join your ada and I in the throne room for that. Then after lunch, you need to practice the piano and run some things to the kitchens. You can help them in there until dinner. After dinner, we have a committee coming to help plan the ball next week. You will be there for that in your best evening gown." She stared at Ayslin, waiting patiently for some kind of response from her daughter.

"Yup, ok. Whatever. Can't wait!" She faked a smile up at the elegant queen. Her nana wasn't fooled. She left quickly. Ayslin wondered when she would actually get along with her parents.

She nest wondered when she would have time to go hunting, and also what formal clothing to prevent herself in this morning. She loved the forest because no one and nothing in it cared what she looked like. She felt as if her true self could come out in the crisp air, and she could do anything she wanted to. The forest was definitely on her side. She plopped her head back onto her pillow, dreading all the formal business she would have to deal with.

"I am going to be a horrible queen. I hate it all," she said out loud to herself.

"I would beg to differ."

She frantically sat up in her bed and looked all around the room, searching for any presence. In a dark corner to her right, she barely saw a figure. She grabbed the knife from under her pillow and pointed it straight at the person.

"Show your face and drop all your weapons or I swear, I will stab you."

The figure laughed. "Well that would be most unfortunate." They emerged from the shadows of the corner. It was definitely a male figure. He was covered almost to the floor by a large black cloak, the most pure shade of black she had ever seen. His nighttime black boots covered what wasn't hidden by the cloak. Whoever it was, they seemed rather menacing and mysterious. His hands reached up and pulled the hood of the cloak off. Messy brown hair showed on the stranger's head. He shook it out a bit, then looked up, grinning, at Ayslin. She rolled her eyes and made a "really?" face at him.

"August. I should've known. I take it you're recovered then?"

"Hahaha, yes, what say you about this?" He gestured to his new apparel.

"Yes, it was quite effective in scaring me and hiding you. You'll blend into any given shadow in that, for certain. How did you come by it?"

"I bought it."

"Oh." She wasn't sure why, but she was kind-of expecting a different answer, but she decided not to push it. "What brings you here to Rielfina today?" She flirted.