Messenger

Chapter 8

 Piko watched as the princess entered her room without a word. Yohio had explained his job pretty clearly and all he had to do was stand outside and keep watch. Nothing too hard, except for the fact that Piko could feel the tension of the castle at night with the stark fact that he had no clue what he was doing. If a random assassin showed up, the staff would probably have two corpses on their hands. Morbid, yes, but very true.

He stared out into the nearly pitch-black space from his post. Piko was sent down there not too long ago with most of the time before being dedicated to him explaining all of this to Oliver and Piko trying to figure out where this girl's room was anyway. In fact, Piko hadn't even said a word to the girl in question with her getting straight to her business and not giving him a second glance. At least it was only one night. Maybe even less than that.

An hour passed before he was 100% sure that it was far into the night and he could leave. There was a back exit by Ollie's room that looked like it wasn't guarded at night that he could slip out of in a pinch and if he was fast, Piko could get home and back before anyone was awake. He really needed a second opinion on all of this and Fukase and Miki were probably freaking out that he wasn't back yet.

Piko crept away from the ornate door only to hear a loud crack come from it that felt completely out of place in the close to silent wing. He stopped dead in his tracks.

Pale light slipped out from the slightly open door and a similarly pale person glanced into the dark scanning the corridor in a plain nightgown. Flower's eyes widen at the sight of the small teen a good ten feet from his place as she straightened her posture. It was little like she wanted to say, 'I definitely am suppose to be out here,' though Piko knew better.

"What are you doing?" Piko asked trying to sound more officially than he was.

"I thought you were asleep. I wanted to check." Flower replied stiffly.

Sure, that's what she was doing and Piko was about to get a midnight snack. "I wouldn't do that, but now that you know, you can go back to bed." This girl wasn't about to get Piko in trouble because she wanted to sneak around at night.

"I could, but what are you doing?"

Crud. "I...needed to check something." Smooth. Very smooth.

"So, you weren't about to leave? I thought I heard a little mumbling about going home out here." The princess noted. Was he really thinking out loud when keeping quiet was so important?

"Wait, why were you listening through the door?" There's no way she could have heard him unless she was pressed up against her door and trying to listen for something. Piko's never that loud even when lost in thought.

Flower was quiet now fully stepping out of her room. "Fine. You caught me, but seriously, where were you going?"

"I just really need to go somewhere."

"The aforementioned home, I'm guessing."

There's no real point in trying to deny it. She freaking heard him say exactly what his plan was. "Ummm...yeah. I have to tell my family what's going on with all of this." Maybe she'll take pity on him.

"Oh. So you're going into town? Can I tag along?" Flower had a look of mischief in her eyes like this what she was waiting for her entire life and no way was she going to let it go.

Piko was taken back a little. "No. I don't feel like getting charged with kidnapping royalty today." And Fukase would lose his mind if the person he pinned distrust on with brought into his house with no warning.

"Of course you wouldn't get charged with kidnapping. It's just that we kind of need each other in this case. You won't rat me out and I won't rat you out. Simple as that." Piko still was distrustful and he made no effort to hide it. "Please? I really need to get out of here if just for a night."