Crowns and Daggers

Chapter 8

Raven was just setting down her empty porridge bowl when Maya skipped over and bounced on her toes excitedly. Raven raised her eyebrows.

"Yes?"

"There's someone waiting for you at the market," Maya burst out giddily.

"Who?" Raven asked, confused at the Warehousian's behavior.

"He told me not to tell you his name," the little girl said mysteriously.

Raven bit her lip. "He's not... dangerous?"

"No, but you should never, ever trust him!" Maya exclaimed before dashing away, leaving Raven to ponder her words. The only people that all Warehousians knew not to trust were royals, but none of them would want to see her, except...

"Prince Asher!" Raven realized.

"What about him?" Wilder asked, appearing in the doorway to the large room where everyone slept, hands on his hips.

"Well, Maya said someone wanted to meet me in the market, but she wouldn't tell me who, and I just figured out it was the prince. It's still pretty early, though. What do you think? Should I go?"

"No, of course not!" Wilder made it seem as though Raven was insane for even considering it.

"I'll meet him. I doubt it would hurt me if I heard what he has to say," she decided, as if Wilder hadn't even spoken. "Unless he has a bunch of guards waiting to grab me and put me in jail, but I made him promise he wouldn't do that," she added as an afterthought.

Wilder scowled. "I think this is all a terrible idea, but I can't stop you once you've made up your mind, so I won't try."

Raven flashed him a grin, knowing she had won, and grabbed her jacket from where she had dropped it the night before when she had gone to bed.

Before she stepped outside, she turned back to Wilder. "Please don't follow me."

"I won't," he promised. She gave him a thumbs up, then left the building, pausing to take a deep breath of fresh air, then skirting the warehouse, coming out into the mostly-empty streets of Zimeania.

Strolling down the cobblestone path, hands in her pockets as if she didn't have a care in the world, Raven finally arrived at the marketplace, where a burst of smells, colors, and sounds greeted her. She made her way past different vending stalls filled with merchandise, eyes darting between the people milling about the square.

A hand clamped on her wrist and she whirled to see the crown prince. He had a plain brown cloak on over his blue and gold vest, and the hood was pulled up, obscuring his features. Still, Raven was amazed no one had recognized him.

"Don't do that," she hissed, then led Prince Asher through the winding aisles between the stalls to a small alcove in a nearby building. Once out of sight, she leaned against the filthy stone wall, enjoying the sight of the prince standing uncomfortably, arms locked to his sides.

"I didn't think you'd need me quite so soon. What's your issue?" Raven asked, staring at him expectantly while he opened and closed his mouth a few times, seemingly trying to find the words to explain his problem. Finally, he burst out,

"IfoundoutmymotherisanelfandIneedyoutocomewithmetofindher."

Raven blinked. "What?" Prince Asher took a deep breath.

"I found out my mother is an elf and I need someone who's good at surviving to come with me to see what she, and the other elves, are like. Also, my father can't know because he wants to kill all the elves." The faintly amused expression dropped off Raven's face.