The Land Of Camellias

Chapter 2: introductions

The princess had been sitting in a car for some time now.

A police officer's car to be exact. She'd read about them once, and has seen some pictures. It was a bit different than she had expected. It was cramped, and smelled a bit stale. Though to be honest, she never planned on seeing one in the first place. She didn't plan on a lot of things it seems. She's only seen a few cars once or twice when she looked out the window of her tower to see visitors arriving for differing reasons.

She shivered, tugging the scratchy blanket tighter around her shoulders to conserve heat. Though despite this she childishly insisted on having the car door open. That was very contradictory, yet she wanted it to be left the way it was. She stared at her lap. The man said his name was Alev.

Alev Rue Borough.

For some reason, his last name seemed like a distant dream. She knew there was a meaning behind it- but she couldn't remember why. Perhaps she had read it somewhere as a child when she was snooping through her fathers work. He had set her in his car to warm her up, the heaters on full blast. A police officer or not, he seems incredibly kind.

Not to mention Alev was pleasant enough to look at. Though, she never really had the chance or experience with others to even have a true preference for looks or gender. Neither one she could speak for. That hardly matters. All she wants is nothing more than to escape that place and the shadow it casts.

For any place is better than there. She would do anything to never see that place again. Including hitch hike with a stranger who nearly ran her over merely minutes ago. But this doesn't mean she trusts him completely. He hasn't done anything major yet to prove his trustworthiness. But it also goes the opposite way as well. What a neutral being he is. The princess heard an owl nearby, and her nerves soothed themselves.

"It's not like I know!" Peering to her right, she watched Alev pace back and forth- disappearing and reappearing from behind the car's door frame out in the empty street.

"She came out of the Forest- no one just comes out of there. At least, unless they're ya know, dead, and she's perfectly fine..." He was silent for a few moments. "...Remind me why can't you come out here again? Cause I certainly can't take her back to the station."

Ruffling his black hair, Alev sighed and bid goodbye to whoever was on the other end of the phone. Shoving it into his back pocket, he crouched down beside her- as a parent would to a child.

"Sorry about that. Was I too loud?"

She shook her head dispassionately. The man just studied her a moment before standing, only to lean against the car right beside its open door. He crossed his arms- clearly considering something. She leaned her head back on the smooth seat and pulled a twig from her hair, twisting it in her fingers. He was surprised when she appeared. Anyone would be.

All he saw in the moments before slamming on the breaks was a shaken up woman stumbling from The Forest. Her warm brown skin littered with now fading bruises and her aching legs stained with what smelled like blood, but was a rich gold substance. Her wild dark brown hair carried a few stray leaves, while her mismatched eyes stared unfocused at one spot- almost afraid to do much else but sit quietly.

To summarize, she looked like she had been through hell.

"Look, I'm not sure I understand what the hell is happening here. But I know that it's way above my pay grade." Rubbing the back of his neck, his golden eyes slid away from her attentive ones. "I know someone who told me to call them if someone of your description ever showed up...I'm not supposed to be super involved in this to begin with...-"