"Whoo!" I cheered, throwing my arms in the air as soon as the band stopped playing. This had been the fourth song we danced to. And by 'we' I mean myself, and Sir Puff-celot. I smirked "You alright there, Al?"

Al was hunched over, beads of sweat rolling down his face as he panted heavily. He grunted.

"How on earth are you not tired? You were practically bouncing across the street!"

"I thought you said you can dance." I teased

"I can!" He retorted, raking his fingers through his sweat drenched hair "That wasn't dancing, it was... I don't even know what to call it!"

I giggled. Cute "Well we can take a break, this clearly isn't your cup of tea--"

"You don't say!"

"--Luckily, I know a place that sells the best soba ever!"

Al straightened and gave me a suspicious look "Are you certain it's safe?"

"What part of 'the best' don't you understand?"

"I'm just making sure it won't tamper with my body in any way."

"Don't worry, I've had it all the time!" I told him with a grin.

"That... isn't exactly reassuring..." He inched away, looking rather uncomfortable.

"Oh come on!" I grabbed his wrist "It'll be fun!"

"I still don't understand the concept of 'fun'."

"You know, when you do something that's enjoyable or amusing for you?"

He stared at me blankly.

"You mean you never played or went out to explore?" I frowned "How did you spend your time in your kingdom?"

"I was usually in the library reading every book on the shelf when I wasn't studying or training to be the ki-iiiiiiing's royal guard..."

I raised an eyebrow. Why would he drag 'king' out like that?

"Anyway," his voice cracked as he spoke. He was actually nervous, how adorable "You said soba, correct? Let's move."

"It's the other way..."

He turned, grabbing my arm in the process "I knew that. I was merely testing you."

"Sure, Ally. Sure."

"Cindy."

"Ya?"

"Never call me Ally again."

...

You know what, I take back calling him adorable.

---

"See? That wasn't so bad, was it?"

Al huffed as we walked out of the soba bar, avoiding my eyes by turning his head away "It was... satisfactory."

"Satisfactory?"

"Yes, it means--"

"I know what it means, I had an education! Sheesh, you don't have to keep looking down on me." I stated, snorting afterwards after realising the irony. Al scoffed and brushed his hair away from his eyes.

"You don't act like you do..."

"What's that supposed to mean?!"

"You act like a child, even though you're older than me."

"Well excuse me, not everyone carries themselves with class like you do!" I snapped "Jesus... do you have to polish your weapons to mint condition before you use them?"

"Yes, they could rust."

I rolled my eyes and turned my head away "Damn perfectionist..."

"Um what?"

"Nothing!"

Al clicked his tongue and adjusted his cloak, picking up the pace so he walked in front of me "You're irritating."

"Well so~rry, your majesty."

He tensed, and his head whipped around to give me an almost frightened expression "What did you call me?"

Eh?

"Um... don't worry about it, it was only a figure of speech." I claimed, raising an eyebrow "I'm... Sorry if I offended you."

"Oh! No not at all!" Al began furiously waving his arms around "It just--!"

"Heyyyy, pretty thing~!"

Oh no.

I quickly pivoted around, coming face to face with an older and extremely intoxicated looking man who stared down at me with lustful eyes. I gulped, backing up until I was directly in front of Al for some form of protection. After all, no matter how mature he acted, he was still a child.

"Look, w-we're not looking for trouble." I told the man, trying to sound confident as I held his gaze. He only grinned.

"Neither am I, girly~" he slurred, taking a wobbly step towards us "I'm just looking for some fun."

I reached down and took Al by the wrist, ready to take our leave "Well you can find it elsewhere, because we don't--"

I gasped when turning, as I had walked smack into another's chest. He managed to grab me by the arms, denying me the chance to escape.

"Now now, don't be like that~"

It was at this moment I realized... Al and I were surrounded by drunk men.

"Let go!" I screamed, attempting to rip myself from the man's grasp, but to no avail. At this point the only thing on my mind was what my parents warned me about.

Turns out they were right to be paranoid...

I should've listened...

"You heard her."

My eyes snapped open. Me and the guy holding my arms turned our heads, only to see Al giving him the most frightful glare ever.

"Let her go."

"Aww, look at that~" One man cooed, stepping towards the thirteen year old "The kid's trying to act big to protect his big sister~"

"Al, what are you doing?!" I yelled "Get out of here!"

Al clicked his tongue "You can't be serious. Don't worry, I can handle them."

"They're fully grown men and you are literally my shoulder height, and I'm not that tall to begin with! They'll crush you!"

"You should listen to your sis, rat." The man standing right behind him shoved his shoulder, which sent him stumbling a couple steps "Beat it."

Al just stood there, motionless, almost as if the man's cold touch had frozen him solid. However, what caught us off guard was the sinister chuckle that escaped his lips.

"Do you even know..." His eyes were cold as they peeked through his hair.

"...Who you are speaking to?"

In an instant the drunkie that shoved Al was on the floor, coughing and spluttering after the boy had dealt a blow to his gut. The other men almost had their eyes pop out of their sockets.

"You little!" One by one they attacked, only to be met by the same result. Writhing in pain on the ground. Eventually the one holding me captive let go of me, holding two fingers to his mouth and whistling.

"Ha! You can't escape now, my buddies will be here any min--"

Thud

He fell to the ground, unconscious, revealing Al who had somehow snuck up behind him and knocked him out. The boy lowered his hand and glanced up at me, meeting my gobsmacked expression.

"Holy sh--!"

"I think I heard it over here!" A distant voice interuppted.

"We will talk about this later," Al assured, grabbing my wrist and yanking me into a run "You heard him, there will be others soon. We have to go."

"But I--"

"There!" A man yelled, pointing towards the two of us "Get 'em!"

"Now, run!" Al ordered urgently, tugging at my hand urgently as the men began closing in on us.

At that moment my feet seemed to move in their own, as I moved in front of the boy and began dragging him along "I know somewhere we can hide."

"Where--"

"Don't ask, just move!"

I dragged Al down the alleyway, through a muddy puddle and into a crowd of people, hoping it would buy us some time from our 'abductors' as we moved through it. Once making it two the other side we ran down the necessary streets and made a few turns, until I spotted a stack of wooden crates down another alley.

"There." I dive behind the crates and pushed Al behind me, hiding him with my body as we waited for the danger to pass. Soon enough we heard the voices of the men.

"Dammit, where'd they go?"

"They couldn't have gotten far, we'll find them!"

"Oh ho, I'm gonna make them beg for mercy when I find them."

"Let's move!"

And with that they left, their heavy footsteps fading into the night.

I sighed with relief, before stepping away from Al when I realised he was shaking "Woah, are you okay?"

I looked at him in concern, however it disintegrated when he began laughing. It wasn't like that sinister chuckle from earlier, either. It was a general laugh.

"Okay." He breathed, looking up at me with a beaming smile "Now that was fun."

I wasn't sure I could agree. I was pretty much assaulted just now after all. However, seeing Al smiling like that, actually enjoying himself for the first time tonight...

I couldn't help but laugh along with him.

"I suppose it beats eating 'safisfactory' soba." I joked and rolled my eyes. Before he could respond, I reached out to touch his shoulder "You have some mud caked on you. Hold on."

I took a piece of white cloth out of my pocket, my eyes scrutinizing his cheek as I began gently scrubbing the mud off of it. I noticed him shuffling his feet slightly, which I found adorable, but decided not to comment on it.

"And by the way... thanks for saving me back there." I muttered.

"They had no idea who they were messing with." He shrugged.

"Well I had no idea who I was hanging around with."

"I told you I was an apprentice knight."

"That was way too skilled for an apprentice. You may even be more skilled than Shane."

"Shane?"

"My best friend. He's training to be a knight, too."

"I see..." He hummed "So how did you know to hide here?"

"Oh, this is my house."

"It looks like a bakery."

"It is a bakery. My parents own it."

"So they're bakers?"

"Well done, captain obvious."

He rolled his eyes.

"Got it." I said a few seconds later, stepping away from his face "Though you might want to wash your clothes as soon as possible."

"Noted."

"Cindy!"

"Oh no." I flinched at the familiar voice calling my name "They found out."

Al frowned "Who?"

"My parents..." I sighed in defeat, slumping my shoulders "As a matter of fact I'm not supposed to be here, either so... I also snuck out."

"Wow."

"I know, it's bad but I wanted to party!"

"Wow."

"Oh shut up."

"Cynthia Livius, get your behind here this instant!"

"Oh heck, they're really mad." I laughed nervously, already planning my funeral "Okay look, I hate to leave you like this but I really have to go. Will you be alright on your own?"

Al smirked.

"Right, stupid question..." I rolled my eyes "But... will I see you again?"

He was silent for a moment, his eyes seeming to be calculating as he stared at the ground, after a little while he met my eyes again "I'm sure we willl cross paths again in the future."

I smiled, which he did his best to return.

"Well then, until next time. Bye Al!"

"Goodbye, Cindy."

---

"I mean, what on earth were you thinking?!"

I sighed angrily as both of my parents continued to nag my ear off, stomping through the bakery and upstairs into our flat "Well I couldn't have asked, because not only would you decline, you would look at me like I suggested killing the king!"

"You know how we feel about you going out at night!" My father snapped, trailing close behind me. He was faster than mother "And all for what, a festival for a prince?!"

"It's the first festival in years! And I would've missed it if I didn't sneak out!"

"It would be for your safety!"

"Not for my happiness! Isn't that important?!"

"Of course it is, but that's not the point!" Father grabbed my arm, pulling me back to face him and mother "You went back on our orders, Cynthia. You've broken our trust. What if something happened to you?!"

"Nothing happened!" I lied.

"But that doesn't mean it won't!" Mother shrieked "What if you get hurt next time?!"

"There won't be a next time."

She and I turned to father, who stared at me disapprovingly with his arms crossed.

"You're grounded." He declared "You will not leave the house for anything except buying groceries. You will not sneak out of the house at night, and we will make sure of it. And you will not have any contact with your friends, understand?"

"But father--"

"I am very disappointed in you."

My fists clenched at my side, and without another word I turned away and stormed into my room, ignoring my parents calls and slamming the door shut.

Was this unfair? I believe so.

Was it worth it?

...

I thought back on everything that happened tonight, and smiled.

Absolutely.

---

"Your highness, you cannot keep sneaking out like this. Especially in an unfamiliar kingdom."

Alexei rolled his eyes as he stood at the doorway of his room, half listening as his aide scolded him.

"Nothing happened that I didn't have control of, Lizza." He scoffed "You don't have to baby me, I am not an infant."

"We were all worried about you." The redheaded woman crossed her arms "I was worried about you. One minute you're being lead to your room, another you're nowhere in the castle! What would we tell the king."

"That he no longer has a perfectly bred heir."

"Prince Alexei."

The boy's eyes squinted, returning the glare of his knight as she stepped towards him.

"I get that you are still young, and I get that you don't have the best relationship with your father." Her eyes softened momentarily "However you are still a prince, and as one you must put the well-being of your country before your personal life. You are your people's future, and because of that you cannot afford to take risks like this."

Alexei scoffed. He knew that already...

Lizza sighed, running a hand through her carrot coloured locks "I have no need to ask this, because I know you know better than that. But I have to make sure for your safety. Did you fight anyone?"

"I'm going to bed."

"Alex--"

"Goodnight, Lizza."

He shut the door in her face.

Alexei sighed and ran a hand through his hair, making his way across his room before sitting down on his bed. He was well aware this would happen after he returned from his outing, a small price to pay for a night of freedom.

And a night of freedom he got.

Out of his pocket he pulled out a piece of fabric. A white rag that was left with him by a certain girl. One who had shown him a night of, what normal people would call 'fun'. One who he had punched multiple men for.

One who had allowed him to forget he was a prince to be married, even just for a night.

"Cynthia Livius, huh?" His lips quirked upwards "What a peculiar girl..."