Royalty

Walk

"Well of course it was worth it."
Much to Bash's protest the girl steps away from him and before he can wrench it away from him again she lifts the dagger to her left palm and lets out a low hiss as she slowly drags the dagger across her hands. She winces slightly and Francis blinks, confused. Sebastian's eyes flash. She walks briskly over to where Colin, the boy who died in vain, was hung and raises her hand. Droplets of deep red drip quietly onto the forest floor, onto the fallen leaves and the petals that had fallen lose from the tree above her. Opening her mouth, she forms words of a different tongue. Hissed words and gruff pronunciations drip like venom from her mouth. She speaks them loudly, her voice echoing into the darkness of the woods. It seemed that she had known the words well by this point and Bash's eyes narrow. Who was this girl that stood before him? As quickly as they had come, the shadows suddenly vanish into the night. Wiping the blood off of the dagger onto her shirt, she quickly returns to the boys who stand in shock and thrusts the dagger back into Bash's hands.
"They're leaving. You need to go, now, before they return." She states, hand still dripping onto the forest floor.
Bash nods and lets out a gruff sigh. "She's right." He says, grabbing Colin's body by the wrists as he pockets the dagger. Francis looks between his brother and the girl, looking slightly shocked yet in a state of outraged confusion.
"What was that you spoke, just now?" The blonde demands. His icy eyes flash in the night, his emotions muddling together. Bash grabs his wrist as Francis steps up to the girl, attempting to appear threatening to make her talk. Upon the feeling of the subtle restraint, Francis looks to his brother again.

The girl could feel who these people are simply based on their actions. Francis was very much a smart man who knew how to handle many things. Yet there was still much for him to learn, and for that he turned to his brother.
"We have no time, little brother!" He says, an anxious air of excitement about him.
"You may interrogate me tomorrow, if you wish, but now you must go." The girl pipes up. Both boys look at her and after a moment of liberation, the blonde nods. Sending him a look, she studies him for a moment. He was certainly something-- being brave enough to enter these woods. Both of them were. They studied them for a few moments-- both of them searching each other  for some sort of information. And in an instant, she is gone, leaping up into the trees once more.
Francis watches her go. Both intrigued and wary of this new person.
Rilla hears them leave, the sound of horses fading into the night.
What an adventure, she mused.

"I did the right thing that night. Not just for you and Sebastian or for me, but for your family-- for France." Rilla looks over to him. "Not only does France need its future King but your family would have been devastated if they found out that you and Bash had been slaughtered in the woods."
Francis nods, shrugging slightly as he takes in this information. And he doesn't ask her anything more. They fall into silence as they walk, but the silence is not awkward. Nor is it painful. Rather it is a silence that brings reflection and understanding. Francis understood Rilla better, now, and Rilla understood him better.
She had a feeling he would make a good King, if he were taught right.
As they come around the bend of the castle garden once more, Francis excuses himself and thanks her for the talk.
She watches him leave in a thoughtful trance. He was the only one so far who hadn't interrogated him on every detail of her life-- as nosey royals tend to do. She liked that about him.

"Enjoying your walk?" Rilla turns and nearly collapses in on herself. Too much talking for one day-- too much drama. She hated it. But, she knew that she would eventually have to get used to it. After all, she had this feeling that she would be in the castle for a lot longer, thanks to Catherine.
Approaching her is Ava, dressed down slightly as if her royal duties had been completed for the day. As a matter of fact, she seemed a lot more relaxed. Rilla turns to her and fixes up her attitude.
"Yes-- I needed the fresh air, admittedly. I'm not used to castle walls boxing me in." She says with a slight chuckle. She wanted to relieve this tension she felt.
Ava nods and sighs a bit, looking around. Birds flutter past and onto the archway above. "I agree, its lovely out..." She takes a breath. "You know what, Rilla? You're not so bad. You know how to go back to your roots-- deep in your mind you can go back to the forest. Me? I'm stuck in a battle with my brother to be wed." She snorts and Rilla frowns.
"Care to talk about it?" She asks. Ava shakes her head.
"Not right now, particularly. But you confided in me about your past-- a past that I can see is causing you pain," Rilla looks away. "I assure you I don't intend to keep a one-sided friendship."

Friendship? Nonsense, Rilla thought. Ava couldn't be so taken with her so quickly?
Then again, she is a royal. A royal in need of someone to stand by her and be loyal to her-- as it appears to her that life back at Wales is hard. She's being pressured into a marriage simply so she can rule her country. And judging by the way she talks of this brother of hers, she should  be concerned about who rules her country. She shoots her a small smile.
"Of course, Ava, I believe you." She says, bowing her head slightly.
Maybe all royals weren't so bad.