Ulf's P.O.V.
I'd spent the afternoon with Ivory, I really didn’t want to go to the celebratory feast tonight. I know that this time the feast was for me but I still didn’t want to make an appearance. But lest my luck is not so fortunate, Adriaan and Rafe showed up at the stables and just about dragged my kicking by the arms and legs back to our inn. It was that last night in this town, and tomorrow, bright and early we would be leaving for the next tournament at Bleackburn in the old country of Shipton.
I'd finally snuck away from the feast and was hauled up in my room, quickly changing my clothes into something fit for an everyday peasant. I’d had enough, I just wanted to go for a walk around and see the end of the last celebration here in Fallkirk. I’d somehow managed to sneak past the many watchful eyes in the inn and was now roaming the now empty streets of the town. In the distance I could not only hear but also smell the celebrations of the common folk. I could smell smoke, roasting food and the distinct stench of gallons of Alcohol. I laughed at their merriness and continued down the moonlit cobbled streets. It was eerily quiet yet I wasn’t afraid, I found a certain familiarity in the darkness. I think I just enjoyed the silence night brought and the shimmering hues of places the moonlight swept over. The night was slightly cloudy tonight creating random rays of silver moonlight streaming around me. It was a beautiful sight.
I was now in the village square walking towards the centre well when I spotted a darkened silhouette perched on the walls of the well, their head leaning against the supports of the small roof over the well. As I closed in on the figure a shaft of glowing moonlight filtered through a hole in the wells roof and gleamed along the surface of a soft, familiar face. It was the girl from the alley. She had an eerie beauty to her tonight, I noticed the sorrowful look plastered on her still features. Her eyes held no light in their depth. From here I could tell she was the owner of a broken soul. What in the world could cause such emptiness to dwell on such a beautiful face. But there was something strange about her tonight.
Her clothes!
That’s what’s different! Tonight she wore a faded forest green gown, like a gown worn by a noble woman. I froze on the spot. Not a coherent thought even flittered across my mind for a solid five minutes. The facts before me to so long for my mind to process and accept as truth. She’s no commoner. That means that when I met her she was doing what I was doing now, and then? Pretending to be a commoner as an escape from our real lives? As I moved closer she seemed to notice my presence. She looked at me and her eyes went wide. She immediately jumped up from her precarious position and fell into a deep curtsy.
"good evening your highness." she breathed out roughly, "I fear I must apologize for my lack of manners during out first encounter." she obviously watched the games today and realized who I was. I wonder if she was shocked at my identity. She probably spent hours thinking of a way to apologize for her behaviour. And possibly find a way to make up for it.
"ahh I see you've found out who I am. But I also see I have caught you in a lie as well. You are in a noble women’s dress, meaning you are no commoner either." I arched my brow as I watched the shock run along her face, she looked down at her clothing and she looked to be mentally chastising herself for not thinking to change her clothes. When she looked at me she seemed beyong nervous in my presence.
"there’s no need to be nervous around me, we can still keep the strange relationship we had before, only this time we can know each others name." I smiled kindly at her. I’d forgotten to ask for a name the other times I’d met her, maybe now that she knows who I am she’ll tell she who she is to. But she just looked at me, and I swear I saw fear in the depth if her eyes. It wasn’t fear of me but fear of another kind. I felt a strange pull in my heart, like someone had taken out their claws and tried to forcefully remove my heart. I disliked seeing her with such strong emotions in her eyes.
"Please your highness, may we go without a name a little longer." my heart started to contracted and the tearing increased. I knew not the reason, but she feared giving me a name. I took a step closer to her and reached out to touch her arm, only to clutch the thin air. She expertly dodged my touch and pulled on the chain around her neck. She pulled out a small timepiece on the end, it was very plain, but is shone with the care it obviously received. She took great care of the small chunk of metal. She obviously takes it everywhere with her.
"it is beginning to get quite late your highness, may I suggest returning to our beds?" her voice was quiet as she kept her eyes on her timepiece, closed it and returned it to its rightful place between the valley of her chest. The chain really took control of a mans eyesight and lowered ones gaze down to where the chain ends beneath her dress. I wonder if she’s even noticed that that's what her chain does. She probably hasn’t. She seems like she is not used to people even noticing her existence let alone having someone look at her through sinful eyes.
*(Need to add in a chapter where Sebastiaan meets asteria as the princess and they become besties on the spot hes going to meet his soldier friends. Itll be the next morning as he goes to vist his soldiers packing up and he runs into her and finds out who she is straight away. But somehow strike up a strange friendship. When he realizes shes good with weapons and strategy. They end up playing games and stuff together.)*
