The Crimson Queen

7. Thief

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Mary had told everyone that the princess was going to ride out to clear her head, and that her two personal knights were joining her for her safety.

Mary really tried to talk Alice out of it but to no avail.

Soon the three of them trotted through the streets of Parandor on horses. Alice wanted to see it for herself. She'd specifically asked Emeric and Dorn to join her and not any of her fathers knights in order to make sure that no one would tell her parents. She knew that they were her knights.

She was also glad that no one knew what she looked like. Everyone would have recognized Parcival, but Alice had always fought against going to balls or feasts ever since she was a child. Of course she'd gone after her parents had forced it upon her but she only stayed shortly and didn't like drawing attention to herself.

And what she hated more than anything was paintings. Although it wasn't the paintings in themselves that bothered her but she hated sitting there and waiting for hours. It never worked and her parents eventually gave up on ever getting a portrait of their young princess.

It was midday and she could barely trust her eyes. The once lively city was now full of stenches and around every corner someone was coughing or wheezing. Beggars and eerie figures seemed to be lurking around.

Everyone looked resentfully at the knights and 'the noble'.

How could the once peaceful Parandor have turned out like this in such a short time period, Alice thought. It pained her.

They'd not even arrived at the city square when a shout came from one of the food stands on the side of the cobble road.

"Thief!" A woman shrieked out pulling at a small caped figure who'd turned and managed to rip the cape out of her hand before running into an alleyway.

Alice watched it all happen quickly, and while the woman had pulled at the thief's cape Alice had gotten a glimpse of the persons eyes.

For a split second the two had held eye contact. Alice recognized the look in the persons face before they had run. She knew that look.

Theodore looked at Alice's every move. He saw what she saw, trying to understand her, while Emeric wasn't as observant.

For reasons not even Alice could understand, she gripped her rains tightly and whipped them, making her horse start into a fast run, following the thief. Theodore had seen it and was quick to follow her in his own horse.

Emeric didn't see this coming. "Oh for christ sakes...", he gasped whipping his rains. Alice was maneuvering through the tight alleyway quickly, being closely followed by her mated.

After turning the next corner Alice saw the figure at the end of the alley, before they slipped through a small hole.

As Alice galloped behind them the wind and the smell of mold flew past her face.

She came to an abrupt stop and quickly jumped of her horse, looking at the small windowless hole of a cellar, of an abandoned stone building. Without thinking twice she sat down, slid her legs into the hole and jumped into the cellar. She had decided she wanted to help the person with that look in their face.

Those eyes mirrored the despair, fear and hopelessness Alice had felt for months on end in Walzenor.

Theodore, had only just gotten off his horse trying to follow her, but the hole was almost to small for Alice and there was no way he would fit it.

Panic overcame him. How the fuck could she put herself in danger like this, he thought.

He bent down and looked into the dusty darkness. "Alice!" He shouted loudly, but nothing came back. Emeric had finally caught up, and asked Theodore about the princess, but he ignored him, and ran around the old broken building to find a different entrance.

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Alice watched her step as her eyes adjusted to the darkness. The cellar of this building was dry and dark but small rays of light reached from the broken ceiling even down here.

Her name had been called just now. For a split second she could have sworn that it sounded like Theodore. She shook it off and followed the sound of steps.

She knew that being here was dangerous, but she had to do this.

Turning the next corner she almost jumped as she saw something flying towards her, landing before her feet.

She quickly recognized it as a loaf of bread. It was probably what the thief had stolen.

Her eyes shot towards where it came from, as she heard a voice.

"Take it, I don't want it!" A trembling voice shouted. Something flashed on the other side of the room, and Alice quickly realized that it was a knife in the hands of the small thief.

The princesses eyes had adjusted and finally she could see the figure in detail. It was a young woman, whose hood had come down revealing her messy hair and dirtied face. Her cape which used to be beige, was full of holes and filthy.

She panted heavily from having run from the bakers woman and Alice.

The young princess raised her hands and took a few steps towards the girl. "Stop! What do you want?!" She young woman of probably 18 years, shouted.

"I don't mean any harm." Alice tried to explain as she stopped walking. She wasn't sure herself what her plan was.

"If you're trying to take me to the dungeons, you can forget about it." The girl shouted, trying not to let her panic seep through as she raised her knife higher.

Alice took a deep breath. "I- I want to help you."

"What?"

"I want to know more about you."

"I don't know what type of trick this is, but I'm not here to talk, so get lost." She furrowed her brows and raised her knife directly at Alice who was still standing a few meters away.

She had stopped fleeing and was staying here. At first Alice thought she stopped running because Alice was alone, but with the panic in the girls eyes, she knew that there was another reason. She looked around the room but saw nothing that indicated her reason for staying.

Old, moldy barrels and boxes were standing around but nothing of significance.

"Didn't you hear me?!" The young woman shouted. "Get lost!" She took another step towards Alice gripping her blade tightly.