[Event 1] rubbed his forehead as he walked through town, sighing as it seemed like another unlucky night.
bumped into him, somewhat tipsy as a matter of factly as she had been drowning her sorrows at the local pub. She muttered a quiet apology and continued walking.
made a sound at that, but recognised her. "... Miss?"
chuckled faintly as she continued walking, clueless really as she had assumed he made a mistake. She didn't recognized him at all. Then again she only wanted to drink.
turned and started to follow her.
hummed in a whimsical manner as she went to another pub and greeted the barkeeper happily as he served her some beer.
sat near her but kept a bit hidden, just wanting to watch her.
didn't seem to notice him at all as she drank a lot and listened to the barkeep rant about his day.
figured as much. She tended to do this a lot.
could never give up old habits even if she wasn't allowed to drink a lot back at home. She smiled and just nodded along, laughing at the barkeep's jokes and elbowing away men that came along to flirt with her.
Netherlands
was
glad she at least could protect herself still.
drink away mindlessly until she seemed a little too tipsy to notice a male had boldly took her hand, and pulled her onto his lap. She stared at the male blankly and continued to drink, treating him like a seat.
punched him off the seat, keeping her in his arms.
looks up to him and tilted her head with child-like curiousity. "...Do I know you sir?" The barkeep seemed displeased that he knocked out a patron too.
didn't care as he just left, taking her with him.
frowned as she tried to wriggle out of his grasp, " I'm not done drinking yet...and I haven't paid." She struggled a bit more and kicked his shins, wanting to get back.
shifted her so she couldn't hurt him. "You've had enough."
whined as she still struggled, trying to free herself. " Nej! You can't tell me what to do." She huffed while a few men from the pub were sent by the barkeep after hearing her distress.
narrowed his eyes at her. "Oh yes I can, M'lady."
tensed as she still fought back, a bit more frantically now. No one else in this place was suppose to know who she was and she didn't want to stick around to know what he would do to her. " Let me go!"
Netherlands
was
extremely use to her drunken freak outs and continued to walk back to the local inn.
had absolutely no idea who he was as the men from the pub attacked him, demanding him to let go of her. They had their swords and guns drawn, prepared for a brawl.
just glared at them and sighed, shaking his head. "Stand down, men."
didn't think anyone had a clue of who or what he was so they simply attacked him as the Dane pulled herself out of his grasp when they fired their guns at him and made a beeline to the forest.
dodged what he could, hissing as he got hit and just took out his sword, quickly disarming the men.
bolted away as fast as she could out of his sight and away from the fighting. Even drunk, she could run even faster away than anyone would have ever expected.
just turned and bolted after her, following her footsteps and destruction.
Dorthe
was
practically scared shitless as she realized he was after her. She created obstacles in his way as she ran, climbing up the trees and free running along the branches to lose him.
couldn't be lost that easily. He swung up to the branches and followed her step by step.
cut down the branches to block and stop his pathing as she continued to run. She was practically out of breath and ran on pure adrenaline and instinct.
Netherlands
was
glad he had long legs to match the distances. He was glad he trained with her...
couldn't see entirely well and made a misstep as she slipped, yelping in surprised. She managed to grasp onto a branch but her grip was quickly slipping as it was a thin one.
jumped onto a nearby branch and grabbed her hand. "Enough play time."
had a fearful look in her eyes as the branch below him was starting to give in from the added weight. She knew they were pretty high up too...
pulled her up and held her close as he fell onto some lower branches, doing that until they got back to solid ground.
shut her eyes tightly, awaiting the impact as she unintentionally held onto him. She was quite light headed by the end of that.
got her feet on the ground. "You okay?"
nodded weakly as she swayed a bit. She ended up throwing up a bit on him however from all the tossing and tumbling and running.
sighed and started walking back to town. Figures.
sort of followed, though she was a bit pale and her mind was too numb to comprehend anything now.
Netherlands
was
glad for that. He got her back to the inn and into his room, going to wash her face a bit.
looks around blankly not recognizing the place at all. She just wanted to sleep now.
got her cleaned up and put her on the bed. "Sleep."
nodded slowly as that was pretty much the only thing on her mind. She passed out rather quickly thanks to being drunk.
tucked her in before going to clean himself up.
had no idea what was going on but she was going to be quite upset in the morning to find that she isn't home.
would calm her down, hopefully.
...didn't recognized him at all...
would hope in the morning.
doubted that really. She just curled up and slept obliviously, shivering slightly from being cold.
covered her with more blankets and his jacket as he kept watch out the window.
seemed a bit more at ease from that. She continued to sleep until the following morning.
stayed up the whole night, watching her occasionally.
stayed quiet and only started to shift late in the morning. She stirred slowly as she looked up to the ceiling and sat up. She didn't like hangovers...
held out some water and medicine for her. "You need to know your limit, M'lady."
tensed and stared at him in pure confusion. " Pardon me?" She had no idea who he was and yet he was addressing her like that. She seemed reluctant in taking that medicine.
tried not to frown as he just held it closer.
shifted away nervously as she stood up, wanting to leave. "...I-I think I need to go." She thought he was making a mistake of some sort or she did something ridiculous the previous night.
shakes his head. "Take this, it'll help your hangover."
put her hand up in defence as she started to head towards the door. She did place a hand on her belt, searching for her knife just as a security measure.
" Nej, I think I'll be fine without it."
had taken it away. "Fine. Then sit down before you hurt yourself, M'lady."
bit her lip as she still tried to leave. " Please stop calling me that..." It was so unfamiliar to her by now from how lng she had been away from the capital.
sighed. "It's my duty. I've already screwed up once, I can't do it again."
frowns at that, " I don't even know you..." She honestly couldn't recognize him. " And you don't even have anything on you that proves you're from the Royal house." She knew he could overpower her easily.
sighed and just stood there. "I'm Van der Meer." He showed her the crest on his ring, which he had turned inward to his hand. Most of his other things were lost.
ran a hand through her hair as she tried to recall the name but she couldn't remember it at all which started to make her a bit frustrated. She kept silent unsure of what to say.
sighed and just took the ring off, putting it in her hand.
didn't doubt the authenticity of it as she looked at it in detail. It was the fact that he still felt unfamiliar to her and the fact she couldn't remember anything at all as she held onto her head.
stepped closer to put his hand on her shoulder. "This is why you need supervision at all times, M'lady."
flinched as she seemed rather hesitant and reluctant to accept that. She had been fine so far and yet she was too confused to accept what was happening now.
"You can't leave my side ever again, understand?"
tensed again and nodded reluctantly. She didn't remember her bodyguard being this cold to her...though her mind drifted off to worry about Madeline.
had to be stern when she didn't listen to him. "Now, what trouble have you gotten into lately?"
seemed hesitant to speak, feeling like he was interrogating her as if she was a criminal. She just kept silent, chewing on her lip and wanting to head home, feeling extremely uncomfortable here.
sighs. "If I don't know everything, then I'll be killed. You should know this."
shook her head as she kept her eyes away from him. She still couldn't trust him...
just took his ring back and started to pack up. "Let's go home."
felt bad since she couldn't just go home like that without even saying anything to her friends.
would let her, if he knew of them.
...doubt that honestly. She was kind of starting to like the life here without the need to listen to the nagging of other court women and being able to dress the way she wanted despite constantly hiding.
didn't mind her hiding, he just didn't want her running away from him. It was his duty to protect her after all.
didn't feel very safe with him around her...
knew he could protect her... He did manage to keep up with her, after all.
seemed still hesitant to take his word though she froze when she heard gunshots from outside.She was right about a riot starting and they were probably here to hunt her down...
growled and went to the window, glancing out side. She was always such a trouble maker.
shifted as she wasn't the one who created any trouble or told anyone of her status. Word must have leaked out somewhere...
packed up quickly, getting his sword around his belt and tossing her her dagger. "Be prepared."
armed herself though she was a little unwilling to fight seeing she still was attached to her small home she had here. She was more comfortable using her old rifle too.
gathered their things and headed out the door, going to take the back exit.
didn't move as she knew the place was surrounded from the sounds of people fighting downstairs. Instead she went to the window to access another exit from there.
figured she wouldn't follow him anyways. He fought his way through those that were around, knocking them out before they could yell for back up.
left almost immediately in a stealthy fashion, using the top of the roof to travel quickly without drawing any attention. She went straight for her home afterwards.
caught glimpses of her and followed her, not daring to lose track of her again.
slipped back into her home through the window and just locked up the house. She didn't want him around...
got to the house and knocked on the door.
froze and hid herself in her room. She wasn't going to let him in.
sighs. "M'lady... don't do this."
held onto her head as she curled up, she really had no idea who he was.
tried to pick the lock.
had made it intricate enough that it would give him a rough time.She wasn't a genius for nothing...
cursed when he started hearing the people. "M'lady!"
stayed still for a while, though she eyed her rifle and started to pack up. She had to leave a note for Maddie just in case she didn't return.
cursed and just tried to find a place to hide, not wanting to be far from her.
had opened the window for him to enter as she shot down the men behind him from her vantage point. She had a trained eye for these things.
quickly jumped in and covered himself.
snipe down the rest as some of the town police drove them off from attacking. She shut the window behind him prior to locking up again.
hissed as his arm started to sting from the previous night.
made sure the people had gone away before tending to his arm without another word. She had the supplies here to take care of him.
sighed. "Dank u, M'lady..."
shifted still not sure who he was. Though considering that he wasn't dragging her back now she would trust him...
sighed. "Do you really not know who I am...?"
shook her head as she look at him once she was done bandaging his arm. "...Nej."
frowned and looked down. "I see."
shifted uneasily, "...Sorry." She apologized quietly before going to clean up.
shakes his head and went to help her. "What happened to make you forget?"
shifted uneasily, "...I don't remember much after the ambush." She had been recalling bits and pieces but she could remember that she was poisoned at that time.
nodded and cursed, punching the wall.
frowns as she went to get him some water after.
Netherlands
was
just upset that he basically allowed this to happen.
wouldn't blame him. She went back to sit on her bed after giving him the glass of water. She never usually let people in her room seeing all the stuff there was more than enough to prove her identity.
already knew so he wasn't surprised. He sipped the water and shook his head. "Did you lose anything in the ambush?"
frowned, " Not that I remember aside from nearly my life." She shifted her collar a bit to show him the nasty scar along her throat.
dropped his glass at that. "Your father is going to kill me."
fumbled to catch the glass as she made a sound at that. "...I can cover it up with make up..." She hated wearing it but she didn't want people to be killed because of that.
shakes his head. "You don't understand, he will literally KILL me. He'll behead me in front of the whole counsel."
frowns, " Then I'll stop him from doing that..."
looks to her. "Would he really listen to you about a serious matter like this? He might think I tried to kill you."
frowns more at that, "...But it wasn't your fault." She fixed her shirt a bit to cover up her neck. " You can run away if need be so won't be killed." She felt bad about it really.
shakes his head and sighed. "I swore an oath to your father, to run away would be the coward's way out..."
hugged her knees quietly after placing the glass onto the table. "...You swore an oath to me, not my far." She corrected as she recalled a bit of her memory. " He can't harm you as long as I am around."
looked to her, glad she seemed to remember a bit. "So you at least know I'm your body guard now...?"
nods weakly though she still couldn't recall a bit. The poison they used on her was rather potent.
could tell. "Good..." He felt dizzy a moment later and held his forehead.
went to scribble the memory into her notebook in case she forgot again. She fidgeted quietly with her necklace after to keep herself from growing too nervous.
leaned against the wall, trying to focus on keeping upright. "We should get you home..."
frowns, " It's practically impossible with people hunting you down."
nods a bit. "We just need a ride out of town and we should be fine. I can scout out for one tomorrow... I'm not hunted nearly as much as you are."
seemed rather hesitant in leaving but nodded lightly as she put her notebook away, fidgeting with her necklace more. She had forgotten it had been a gift from him but she remembered it helped her keep calm.
still had his gifts from her... He just tried not to show them always as he didn't want people to use her to get to him.
kept quiet and never said anything about them for the most part seeing she was the main target and that he was an obstacle to them. She went back downstairs to clean up after. " You can use my bed to rest..."
normally wouldn't even be in her room, but he needed to rest. His head was throbbing and he couldn't focus well.
knew he needed it considering she could tell whenever he didn't sleep. She went to make a bit of food for him in the meantime. It was lunchtime by now.
Netherlands
was
glad she wasn't rejecting him anymore. He just laid down and put his hand on his forehead, wincing at the cut there.
returned with some more water and sandwiches for him. She frowned a bit as she put the food on the table as she entered the room. "...You looked better without that cut." She commented quietly.
frowns. "Sorry... I didn't mean to get knocked out..."
sat on the edge of the bed and offered him food. "...It's not your fault." She had been careless too.
sighed, feeling like he didn't deserve food. "It is... I was chosen to protect you and... just... ugh." He felt like he had failed.
touched his arm gently despite knowing she was never allowed to be too close to him even if he was her bodyguard. " Eat up first, it's not everyday I get to cook." She tried to lighten the situation.
twitched and flinched away from her, frowning. "Ja, I know..." He slowly sat up and shook his head a bit, trying to focus more.
left him be as she went back downstairs to clean up. She frowned in a slightly bitter manner as her mind reminded her of the boundary between the two of them. She sighed and focused on cleaning.
sighs and quietly ate, trying to not think about her.
furrowed her brows as she heard glass breaking and went to the living room to see the source.
heard it and jumped up, stumbling and cursing as he got his balance back and went to see.
yelped as she tried to fight back against a group of men that had broken into the house. She was quickly dispatched of as she was bound and gagged and being take away in moments notice.
growled and ran after them, knocking a few out as he grabbed for her.
felt a blade pressed against her neck as she was dragged away before the other could reach her. The assailants warned him not to attempt anything or she would be killed. She tried to shift but she could barely_
_breathe with the damn gag.
bit his lip as he glared at them. He'd get her back, he knew so.
watched him with a scared look in her eyes, praying that he could do something as she was taken away quickly and thrown into a carriage. They seemed to be heading to a fort on the outskirts of the city.
Netherlands
was
quickly off in the trees, following them from above before diverging and went to make a trap to stop the carriage.
winced as her head slammed into the floor of the carriage causing her to become quite disorientated as she was taken away. The assailants was quite well armed and had many men stationed a long the way.
just made it difficult for the carriage to travel, before launching an attack, killing those who were driving the carriage.
could hear some sounds from far away but realized there was nothing happening to the carriage she was in. The carriage stopped as her captors threw her into_
_ a sack and dragged her through some underground tunnels. He was attacking a decoy as it was rigged with a bomb.
cursed when he noticed it was a trick and went on the hunt again. He'd always find his way to her..."
Dorthe
was
thrown into a dark room not long after. She was chained to a pillar and left there as some laughter could be heard from outside her small prison.
didn't waste time looking for her. He was soon sneaking around, trying to find how to break her out.
had passed out not long after when they forced her to intake some weird liquid. She coughed and sputtered only to realize she had taken some poison and black out.
killed a few people as he got into the room and unlocked the cell to her prison, running into unchain her.
stirred slightly as she coughed out some of the vile black liquid. "...Find the antidote." She looked to him as she heard more people swarming into the room.
nodded as he freed her before turning and using his dagger to kill those that are close. He tried to figure out where the antidote could be.
had no idea since she didn't have a glimpse of the place. He needed to find it quick.
would. He knew his life depended on it, in a way. He killed a few more enemies before finding where the antidote was and got it, racing back to give it to her.
Dorthe
was
out cold again by that time as more reinforcements flocked to the room, blocking the exit.
just forced her to take the antidote and glared at the enemies. He took a deep breath before gripping his sword and dagger, going on a rampage basically, protecting Dorthe as he went.
didn't budge from her spot as she laid there. The number of enemies arriving started to slow down but more reinforcements would arrive if they took too long.
knew that, so he quickly put the blades away and picked her up, running out and headed to one of his hide outs.
stayed limp as she was taken along. Luckily there wasn't any more of those men in the area on the way.
got to his secret hide out and sighed, putting her on the bed that was there and lighting a lantern inside.
Dorthe
was
bruised up a bit and injured from trying to fight back. She did receive a few extra blows from those men just to spite her prior to forcing her to take in that poison.
shook his head as he treated her, ignoring his own wounds.
continued to stay unconscious in the meantime.
finished treating her and went to get water, having it near her in case she needed it when she woke up.
woke up eventually late in the evening, more disorientated than ever.
looked over to her. "Want water?
stared at the ceiling before turning her head over to him. She simply stared at him blankly.
raises his brow. "What?"
winced and held onto her head as she tried to reply. She was blanking out and forgetting things again.
sighed and got up. "Just rest and stay in this room, okay?"
nodded weakly and say silent after. Actually...she couldn't say anything when she realized her voice was gone.
hadn't realised as he just cleaned up around the room.
had a hand around her throat as she tried to speak.
frowned when he saw that and walked over. "What's wrong?"
tried again but ended up just coughing as she bit her lip. She tried to keep calm as she shifted. Her voice was the most important thing to her...
nods and stroked her hair. "It's okay, we'll figure this out..."
flinched and bit her lip harshly as she seemed at a loss. She didn't want to blame him for it and yet from all the times he had failed his duty, it was starting to bother her.
had tried as hard as he could. And by now he had lost all faith in his abilities. He touched her lips lightly. "Don't bite. If you get any more damaged, I may as well kill myself."
nods just weakly, pulling away from him as she kept her eyes downcast. She didn't want him to die either but that was due to emotional reasons.
didn't think it mattered much anymore. The only way he could become a success was to get her home and die heroically. There was no way he'd be able to face her father again.
paled at the thought of that and became even more reluctant to return home. Her far was a harsh man but she would end up living a life of depression if her bodyguard was gone...
didn't think she cared. He's basically killed her twice. He wasn't much of anything now.
...cared enough to still stay here with him. She had been looking for him to since he was important to her.
just couldn't think clearly now. He was dizzy and tired and just kept watch out the window, listening for anything.
tried hard to keep focused as she was drained. She though back to how Maddie spoke about the idea of the heir and her bodyguard running away to elope. This was far from it...
didn't even want to think of that. Any kind of relationship was blocked from his mind.
knew he wouldn't nor would he ever. It was just a stupid fantasy in the back of her mind and she was aware of that. She was constantly mocked about it by the court women and made fun of by her suitors.
leaned his head against the window, nothing but negative thoughts going through his mind.
seemed even more depressed when she took a glimpse at him. She quietly went back to curling up in bed and hiding under the blanket. She was glad being mute at least let her cry in silence.
would hopefully snap out of it, but all he could think about was being killed by her father. And pretty much everything negative ever. Including visualising her dying in front of his eyes many ways.
fell into a light sleep from exhaustion and hunger. She held onto her necklace tightly trying to remember the happier times in the kingdom when she wasn't ridiculed or constantly hounded for marriage...
just kept on the look out, sighing quietly.
shifted uneasily but it seemed like outside was clear with no enemies or sign of life in sight.
hoped so... He doubted he could deal with anything right now... if enemies did come, he'd have half the mind to go out recklessly and basically sacrifice himself.
...didn't want him to sacrifice himself. He'll end up getting her killed considering the state she was in.
knew that was the only reason he hadn't gone out.
fidgeted in her sleep slightly. She was glad it was a happier dream...
glanced over to look at her, glad she seemed happy. He went to go make her some food for when she woke up
Dorthe
was
only happy because he was in her dream...she was quite a lonely child after all growing up in the castle without siblings.
knew that... He had always remembered her being alone.
would often remember the other children that came to play with her always talking behind her back and acting like suck ups to get her parents favour. Her parents sometimes showed up but were usually busy.
just hoped her life got better... it probably would without him around.
doubt it would from all the constant turmoil and fighting. She knew her parents were having trouble and were planning to marry her off to secure an alliance with the neighbouring_
_ country. The prince was also notorious for being abusive and aggressive like the country due to its military like rule. In no way was life ever going to become any better.
thought there might be a chance. He finished some food and put it on the table beside her bed.
knew there wasn't a chance. This would be probably the last time she got to be free being being held within castle walls for the rest of her life.
didn't know how to help, then...
just prayed that he wouldn't take his own life. She still needed him...
wouldn't, at least not until he got her some where safe.
felt safe enough here...for now. She shifted a bit, mouthing his name in her sleep as she clutched onto her necklace. He just meant a lot to her.
had no idea now... He looked over to her, not knowing if she was awake at all. "M'lady?"
Dorthe
was
still asleep and mute. The only sounds that could be heard was her eventually tossing and turning. She was still trying to reach out to him though she had no idea she was doing that at all.
sighed and went over to her, standing beside his bed. He just held out his hand weakly for her to grab.
took it almost immediately and held onto it tightly. She really depended on him a lot, even now. That's why she didn't want him to leave her.
just stood beside her, leaning against the wall. His eyes were half shut as he just blankly stared at the wall.
turned to the side and essentially pulled him into the bed without realizing it. She had quite the strength even though she never brought it up.
fell onto the bed, glancing at her a bit before just laying there.
curled up against him rather quickly when she felt the warmth nearby. It was only something she did when they were children however.
barely remembered those happy times. He just let her do what she wanted.
would never ever forget them. Even if he was antisocial back then...he was her only close friend and the only one to make her smile genuinely after all...
Netherlands
wonders
if that's the reason her father made him become a guard, so they couldn't have relations.
knew her father was a strict man though it was his family that had been protecting hers after all these generations. Choosing him out of the rest of his family was more so due to that she trusted him the most.
stared at the ceiling as he just kept thinking about everything.
hoped he wasn't thinking of killing himself...
.... might have.
held onto him tightly as a result. She wouldn't know what to do without him.
thought she could handle herself fine, really.
didn't think she could at all. If she managed to get into trouble this easily...who knows what would happen in the future.
Netherlands
thinks
if she stayed with him much longer her life would end.
...didn't care. She would still stay with him as selfish as it would seem.
didn't think it was good for her health..
figured it was worth the sacrifice. She never had good health in the first place.
just sighed more as he looked up. He just... didn't think fondly of himself right now
continued to sleep quietly as she held onto him. She was still clutching quite tightly on her necklace, close to hurting herself almost.
noticed that and tried to pull her hand away from it.
had a very tight grip on it, not wanting to let go. It was essentially a security blanket for her.
didn't know, he just didn't want her to hurt herself more.
couldn't tell him because of their status. She curled up more, refusing to let go of it since it was important to her.
sighed and just let her hold onto it then, just glad it wasn't as tight as before. He wanted her to get her sleep.
Dorthe
was
trying but she had a lot of trouble really.
started quietly singing an old lullaby, wanting her to calm down.
ended up just crying in her sleep when she heard that...
frowned and stopped, hating to see her cry.
hadn't heard it in ages and it got to her really easily since it meant a lot to her.
just kept quiet then and laid beside her.
couldn't stop crying however as tears conrinued to streak down her cheeks as she curled up more against him.
wiped them away lightly.
leaned into his touch, finding quiet comfort in that.
just did that.
couldn't help that she was a bit of a cry baby when she was younger. She was often forced to meet high expectations and never really had a proper childhood.
knew that, he just wanted her to be happy...
Dorthe
was
a bit for now but she knew sooner or later she wouldn't be able to once she was home in the capital.
though it'd still be better than always running for her life.
didn't see it better at all if she was to be abused for the rest of her life.
couldn't think of what else to do..
clung to him quietly. Aside from her sick mor and distant far, he was the only other person she could really call family.
thought that was the main reason they could never be together.
Dorthe
was
aware of that honestly though she still tried regardless even if it was one sided.
thought it was one sided, on his end. He just sighed quietly some more.
shifted uneasily as she heard some noise outside. It was thunder...and she didn't like it too much.
startled a bit at that, but took a deep breath and calmed down after. He knew how much she use to run to hide in his room in the past...
liked the bunnie plushies in his room too. She shifted more and practically hid in his shirt..
just held her close, wanting her to feel secure.
eventually eased up a little as she breathed quietly. She was talking in her sleep but nothing could be heard because she lost her voice.
tried to read her lips, which he had a knack for now.
did realize but she was mumbling about her affection for him as oblivious as she was.
didn't*
just watched and read her lips, thinking she was hallucinating.
Dorthe
was
telling the complete truth. She knew he would brush her off or treat her like a younger sibling whenever she said that she love him.
just didn't believe it.
knew would never but it still didn't deter her from constantly telling him.
had issues with trust and love, so it was hard to accept it.
hoped she would get to him before it was too late...
thought she'd have to do something groundbreaking to make him believe.
Dorthe
was
too shy for that. She was used to avoiding love confessions and the related sort but knowing him, he would reject her.
could be surprising. He just didn't believe in love.
could tell, so she never tried. There was the sound of horses as if a regiment was nearby...
tensed at that and shot up, turning the lantern off and heading to the window.
shifted but stayed asleep. It was a part of her far's army.
kept the curtain closed mostly, though he was tempted to get the attention of them. When he looked back at her though he knew he couldn't. Not until she was at least presentable.
didn't move much as she tried to get back the warmth she just lost. There was a knock on the door however.
didn't answer it.
started to stir when the knocking grew louder. There were mentions of breaking the door down to look inside.
sighed and went to answer it. He couldn't run anymore.
sat up on the bed when she heard voices. She touched her ear realizing her earring was giving off a signal to them. It was her far's security measure...
glanced to her before opening her door, figuring this would be the last time he'd see her.
looked at him in confusion as she stepped closer prior to watching in horror as they arrested him immediately. She tried to tell them to stop but she couldn't be heard as her voice was gone.
hissed as a few wounds got reopened, but he didn't struggle against them.
bit her lip as she tried hard not to cry as her far's general came to check to see if she was okay before bringing them out of the place. There was a carriage with her far's bodyguard standing outside, it was
his father who seemed quite dissappointed.
didn't even look up. He kept his gaze down the whole time, feeling ashamed of what he was.
Dorthe
was
just taken to the carriage and asked a few things, where she typically shook her head at. The only time she did was when they asked if she was okat and if she couldn't speak.
tried to stay awake as they talked to her. He hadn't had much sleep lately.
stayed silent as they put a coat around her and started back to the capital. They forced him to walk with the rest of the regiment.
ended up tripping a few times, scraping his knees. He was exhausted.
had trouble trying to sleep from the bumpy ride. She was more so worried about him...
thought she may as well forget about him now. He was already thinking of how he was going to be executed.
would never forget about him and his far quiety reassured her after that he would be exiled instead considering his past merits.
still thought the worst.
nodded dumbly as his father continued on that he would be trialed and jailed however for letting her to be harmed and nearly killed...
Netherlands
hates
himself for everything that had happened to her.
eventually fell asleep from exhaustion along the way. It was a long ride but they would eventually reach the capital.
had problems breathing and walking by the time they got there, his vision blurry from dehydration and sleep deprivation.
looked at him briefly before being taken into the castle while he was locked up in his room and provided a few provisons.
just collapsed once he got to his room, wanting sleep. He couldn't even think of water or food right now.
Dorthe
was
immediately treated by the royal physician and met with her mor who seemed quite worried. She had to see her far after getting washed and dressed. The prince from the neighbouring kingdom was also present.
didn't even bother trying to escape from his room. He thought there was no purpose.
could say anything in reply for the most part but was sent to spend some time with the bring. Obviously the male was more than happy that she was mute to abuse her.
couldn't
would help her if he could... He woke up after a while, coughing and sore.
seemed to be still thinking of him despite the numerous insults thrown at her when she was alone in the garden with the prince. She chose not to fight back not only because she was tired but she didn't want to
jeopardize the alliance. She hit the ground hard when she was backhanded for not paying attention.
saw from his room, nails digging into his palm. If he had a moment...
countinued to be berated and sexually harrassed, even choked at one point. She shoved to the ground again as the prince left a rather bad bruise on her neck and stomped off proudly. She slowly gathered herself
and went back to her room with the help of some concerned servants.
could barely watch and just went to picking the lock for his door. He wanted to go help her.
Dorthe
was
treated quickly before left aline to rest with some food. She continued to think about her bodyguard while guards were stationed in the halls for her safety.
got out of his room and sighed, glad he knew the ins and outs of the palace. He used all the secret passageways to get to her.
curled up quietly, unwilling to eat as she quickly became withdrawn. She cried quietly knowing her future would never have a good outlook.
cursed quietly as he stepped out of one of the passageways, almost running into her.
looked at him in pure shock as she tried to cover up the hickey on her neck. She didn't want him too see her like this...
shakes his head. "I saw, you can't hide it from me."
keep her eyes down as her legs gave out on her and she simply slumped to the ground. She was a mess and she knew the last person she could trust wouldn't want her now.
caught her, not wanting her to hurt herself. He just shook his head, hating all that had happen.
grew even more withdrawn as she seemed unreactive after that. Her eyes were red from crying and the colour had gone dull. She couldn't even cry anymore after that.
stroked her hair lightly and shook his head. "It hurts to see you like this, M'lady..."
stopped paying attention as her mind drew blank. Usually she would retort stubbornly but there was no point in that now.
frowned. "I'm so sorry... if it wasn't for me..." He just couldn't be positive.
just nodded slightly but her mind was shutting down. All she would do was nod and think of when they were younger...
kissed her forehead lightly. "You need to be strong, M'lady..."
looked him briefly only hearing the last word before losing balance and passing out. She never had good health in the first place and all the abuse left her even more bruised and injured than before.
frowned and kept a tight hold on her.He sat down, keeping her in his lap and sighed. He didn't want to leave her, even if he was caught.
stayed asleep, exhausted and broken. All she wanted to do was spend time with him...
knew that would be impossible now
paled and held onto him tightly. For a brief moment she managed to speak, saying his name in a shaky and saddened voice and begging him not to leave her...
frowned at that, feeling hurt because of the circumstances. "I... I can't. I'm not going to be free ever again..."
still begged him in her sleep regardless of that. The door to her room creaked open with her mor standing there. She merely smiled and pressed a finger on her lips before exiting and giving orders to allow them
some privacy at the very least. Her mor was a very understanding and friendly woman. She raised them together after all.
tensed instantly when he heard the door and held her closer, looking in shock at her mother. When he saw what she did he took a breath of air, trying to bring his heart beat back down. God bless her mother.
always knew her ailing mother had something up her sleeve as she was a clever woman. Without her, the king would make irrational decisions.
Netherlands
was
just thankful for her. He didn't want to leave Dorthe, but he knew he'd be forced away from her sooner or later..
quietly prayed that she wouldn't be taken away from him. She tearfully muttered that she love him legitimately before her voice stopped working for good.
frowned at hearing that and shook his head a bit. HE didn't know what to do..
would never lie to him though she knew he wouldn't accept her because of the circumstances.
almost wished they weren't in this kind of siutation.
's mor returned a while later and greeted him calmly. She wanted the best for them obviously and decided to hand him a letter from his mother.
frowned at the letter but took it hesitantly. He sighed before opening it, keeping Dorthe close still.
's mor simply nodded. " I haven't read the contents but I am aware of the situation." She added as the letter mentioned something that wasn't told to him before. It mentioned that his parents and siblings were_
_ Belgian and Luxembourgers, while he was Dutch. It pointed that that he was taken in under their wing and into this kingdom for his protection.
frowned at that, wondering why he was getting this now out of all times..
wouldn't know but her mor had a plan in regards to it. It was a note that he wasn't going to be disowned but rather mention of his origins. There was a certain technologically powerful nation that was seeking_
_ for a replacement for the recent passing of their ruler who had technically had no heir. As chance would have it, his mor did have a close connection to said ruler prior to marrying his far.
wondered what she was trying to get at... He had no royal blood that he saw fit. And was in no way a ruler..
's mor simply chuckled at his reaction. " There is certainly royal blood within you, child. You look exactly like the previous ruler." There was a photograph there which was rare considering how expensive and_
_ newly developed they were. Certainly the male in the picture did not have gravity defying hair but did share the same eyes and scowl as he did.
frowned. "But what about everything here...?" He lightly touched the wound on his forehead, hissing as it started to sting.
's mor nodded, " Considering your hidden status and our kingdom's agreement with that country, we can't lay a single finger on you."
nods a little as he stroked Dorthe's hair. "But... what if the lie is found out?"
shifted slightly as her mor brushed away the hair from her face. " What do you mean? There is no lie." Her mother was was the passive aggressive woman who would be assertive when need be.
nodded a little as he watched Dorthe. "How..." He sighed. "How do we go about this...?"
moved a bit slightly as the queen smiled and moved away the hair covering his eyes. " Your eyes are your proof. Your bloodline is a special one. Remember the story where a human made a pact with the gods?"
shied away from her a bit, not use to being touched like that. "N-not really.."
|The queen chuckled, used to that reaction from him. " Well, your family was a descendent from that person and each generation there is one person granted a very_
_ special gift. It is up to you to find out what it is." She wanted to help him.
frowned. "How do I find it out...?" He was so confused by this.
started to stir eventually as her mor simply shook her head. " That is up to you to find out." Her mor got up after, leaving them in peace.
pouted a little. He had no idea what that was about... He was just glad she didn't hate him.
looked at him blankly as she heard the door close. Her mor was definitely someone who was a closet shipper but there was truth in her words. All he needed to do was research.
would have to do that... some how. He didn't want to continuesly sneak around.
noticed a key on the table next to the letter. Things seemed to be going his way after all.
Netherlands
was
still nervous about walking around the palace..
would assume he would use the secret passages instead.
would just to be safe, but he'd get tired of them eventually.
hugged him quietly in a childlike manner without a second thought. She thought she was dreaming at first...
rubbed her back lightly.
tried to speak again but she couldn't. Instead she tried hard not to break down again.
sighed. "M'lady... you need to keep strong."
nods as she seemed depressed considering she didn't know anything yet.
wouldn't want to tell her anything until things started to turn in his favour. "Let's get you to the bed at least, okay?" He tried to help her up.
shook her head as she still held onto him. She thought it was possibly the last chance she would ever see him.
sighed and helped her over to it, picking up the key on the way.
still held onto him like a child. She was scared of being abused again and she honestly didn't want anyone else but him to be by her side.
would stay with her until someone came into her room. Then he'd hide
prayed there wouldn't be...though her mor did kept the room locked up and off limits from anyone else except for her and a select few.
got her to bed and set her down. He sat on the edge of the bed and inspected the key after.
still held onto him quietly. She recognized the key was to the secret archives of the castle. Only the highest class of scholars and the royal family could enter...
guessed he'd break that tradition. He would go there once he left her room.
...really wish he wouldn't leave her.
would have to at some point, though he'd return... He could even try to make it so the prince couldn't get to her.
hoped that he count prevent that vile man from getting near her...
had a few things up his sleeves.
...just hoped things would work out...
hoped so too...