Sparks of the Night

Night was calm and quiet as nobody seemed to be awake except few guards who were walking around the castle but even they were closer to sleeping state than really being awake and ready for everything - why would they be since nothing ever happens there anyways. Nobody is stupid enough to attack the castle from outside... but sometimes, attackers get inside of the Castle walls where only chosen few guards are allowed to enter.

Like a thief in the night, there was a shadow moving silently through the castle. They were sliding through long hallways, carefully slipping in some rooms as if they were trying to find something.

They have checked the dining room and left.
They have checked some of the bedrooms and left.
They have checked even the castle chapel and still nothing.

Their search continued until a light lit up in the hallways and Odette gazed at the man who was walking around the castle. "Hey, you..." She mumbled sleepily, dressed in her night dress. "What are you doing here?" She asked.

Lancelot's eyes widened. How was it possible that she heard him. "Oh... I'm sorry, princess... I was just--" He mumbled hoping she wouldn't think he had in mind something evil. "... trying to find a restroom." He said.

Odette was luckily too sleepy to notice slight nervousness in his voice so she just yawned before saying: "Here. I'll help you. Follow me." She said as the magic lamps lit up wherever the Swan Princess would go.

Lancelot followed her as she led him towards a bathroom that was for guests' use. It was actually quite close to his room. When they reached it, Odette leaned against the wall. "I'm going to---" There was a yawn in the middle of the sentence. "Going to follow you back to your room. I don't want you to wander around and get lost again." She almost fell asleep while walking before. She simply couldn't wait to return to her bed.

The knight nodded as he walked in the restroom. He indeed needed to do his business and while he was inside, Odette simply closed eyes and waited. The silence was so calming... It was making her even more sleepy as she was slowly sliding down the wall.

Once Lancelot exited the restroom, he saw her sleeping on the floor. How did she even fall asleep like that? He was wondering but in the end he just couldn't help but to pick her up and carry her to the bed. To be honest, he wasn't going to search for her room through the castle.

He returned to his room, it was just the first night that he was there after all, there were many more to complete his goal. For now, he just placed the sleeping girl on his bed. It was luckily big enough for them both - it was a royal castle after all. He laid down next to her and soon fell asleep next to her.

***

Kagura was having different troubles... Odette's problem was that there was somebody next to her while Kagura couldn't find the person who should be sleeping next to her. "Hayabusa?! Where are you??!" She shouted looking around their camp.

It was the middle of the night. She was worried, he would never just disappear like that, especially not in the middle of the night. This was weird. She kept searching, this time not carrying her umbrella.

"Hayabusa?!" She yelled before somebody sneaked to her from behind and placed hand over her mouth. It happened so fast that she couldn't realise who was it.

"Shh... Be quiet." A familiar voice whispered to her. It took her a moment to realise it was him. Hayabusa pulled her in the nearby bushes as he signaled her to keep her voice down.

"What is going on? You scared me." Kagura whispered before something popped out of the bushes on the other side of their camp. It was a hungry looking tiger.

Hayabusa motioned to the tiger. "That tiger hasn't come here by itself... I have seen a gang of bandits creeping around our camp. I didn't want to wake you up so I tried finding them. They must have seen me..." He mumbled. "Where is your umbrella?"

"It is... There..." She said pointing at a woman who appeared next to the tiger. She had long pinkish hair and her eyes were glowing through the night, must be for her to see better. She observed the umbrella before pointing her crossbow in the direction of the bush Hayabusa and Kagura were hiding in.

"I know you're there. Make my life easier and come out." She said. "Or I'll send my lovely kitty to get you for me."

Hayabusa looked at Kagura whispering: "Stay put. I'll take care of her." He stood out of the bush with hands rosen up above his head. "I'm here. No need to shoot." He said as he put his arms behind his head, reaching for his shurikens.

Then suddenly, a wild looking man popped out of nowhere and punched Hayabusa in head with a large stone bat. It was some kind of a primitive sword that wasn't really sharp but surely could pack a punch.

The ninja was immediately knocked out as he fell to the ground. Kagura was left alone in the bush to hide as the woman with the crossbow kept observing the umbrella. "I wonder why a man like him would have an umbrella..." She mumbled.

Kagura could do nothing while it was closed... if only the girl would open it. Preferably before they find her... She should've stopped him, now she was stuck alone against at least two of them who were armed to teeth. What was she supposed to do? She was weaponless and in desperate need of a plan.

"Irithel, focus. We're here for money, not some kind of useless accessories..." The man said as he set his two blades aside and walked towards the bags. He searched through them and found a little bag filled with gold. "Jackpot!" He said with a smirk.

Irithel rolled eyes and took the little bag filled with coins. She started counting them. The man picked up the unconscious ninja and put him on her tiger.

"What's so wrong with taking a thing or two to enjoy myself?" Irithiel asked after she finished counting the coins.

The man sighed. "Fine... Take the damn umbrella. If he was having it with him it is hopefully worth something. Then again, didn't Roger tell us to stop bringing useless items and get some money?"

"Who cares for what that old fool says? I see it, I like it I take it." She said. "Besides, there is enough money for him. If I counted right, there is 97 coins, enough to give him and even keep a part for ourselves." She said.

"A thief as always, aren't you?" He asked with a chucke and with that he earned a little bit of teasing: "And you like it don't you? But I don't want to make Hilda upset." She said.

The man just muttered something under his breath before asking: "Why are we taking him with us again?" He asked.

Irithel shrugged. "I don't really know. I don 't care either. Roger's business, not mine." She said. Her eyes were focused on the umbrella once more. She just couldn't resist the urge to take it and open it. She put it on her shoulder and gazed at her companion. "How do I look?"

Before he could say anything, Kagura used her chance using a spell that took the umbrella away from Irithiel and she moved it around the place, a little bit here, a little bit there. She scared the cat that started jumping around.

Irithel yelled: "What is going on?! Lapu-Lapu do something!!" She was clearly panicking.

The man rolled eyes as he stopped the umbrella with his two so-called blades. He took it in his hand before Kagura used another spell, warped to the umbrella and shot a energy wave around her knocking everybody away from her. It was her only chance to get her friend back.

The two were stunned for a moment before Irithiel ran over to her tiger, jumped on its back, right behind unconscious Hayabusa and shot few arrows in Kagura's direction while Lapu-Lapu was recovering from the shock.

Kagura created a small shield around her that absorbed the three arrows. Lapu-Lapu jumped on his feet and ran after Irithel. "Let's go! We have what we came for!! We don't have time for this!"

Just like that, they disappeared in the forest leaving Kagura alone. What does she do now? She had to save her friend! She couldn't just leave him alone in those filthy hands of bandits. She had to follow them... She slowly made her way through the woods, following trails of broken branches and footprints the tiger has left.

***

The next morning, back in the Swan Castle, Odette woke up and really had something special to see. There was a man sleeping next to her. "Oh shit!" She muttered as she backed away. She forgot the bed wasn't as big as her own bed and she fell off it, to the ground. It was loud enough to wake up the sleeping knight.

"Hmm...? Odette...?" He mumbled. "Oh... You're awake..." He said as he sat up.

The girl meanwhile slowly got up from the floor and looked at him. "Um... What is going on...?" She asked. He had quite a bit of stuff to explain.

"Okay. Okay. I see what's bothering you and before I say anything else, I'm sorry if I did something I shouldn't have..." Lancelot started. "You just fell asleep on the ground and... I simply couldn't make myself wake you up... You looked so graceful and charming..."

Odette blushed. "I-..." She didn't know what to say. She was grateful for his care but this would look very embarrassing and wrong if people found them like that. She just sighed deeply saying: "Thank you... But I have to go now..."

"I understand... I know it wouldn't be appropriate if people found out for their Princess spending a night with a man she met the previous day." He said.

She just blinked few times. He read her thoughts. "Thank you for understanding... I don't think I cought your name by the way..." She said on the doorstep.

"I'm Lancelot, my Lady." He said before Odette rushed out of the room crossing fingers nobody has seen her... Her heart was beating very fast, maybe it was because of the fact her whole reputation could've been ruined in a matter of moment back there... or maybe it was because she just slept so close to a very handsome man who seemed like the 'prince charming' she has always been dreaming about.

She was walking through the hallway, she bumped into Rafaela, not watching where she was going. "Ouch..." She yelped as the two moved away from each other.

"Princess!" Rafaela exclaimed. "Oh my goodness... I was worried..." She mumbled.

"I'm sorry." Odette said with a small sigh. "Nothing has happened, don't worry. I should've told you I was going somewhere." She said trying to cover up any evidences of the past night.

"Alright... Now, why don't we get you ready. You honestly look a little bit pale. Are you sure you're alright?" She asked.

"Yes... I'm perfectly fine. Let's just go. I promised Lancelot to talk to him today." She said as they walked towards Odette's room.

"Wait... Lance-who?" Rafaela asked in confusion. He has neverformally intoruced to her.

"Oh yea... I forgot.. That is the name of the man we have found yesterday." She said as they entered her room.

"Oh... Yes. I haven't asked him for his name yet." Rafaela said scratching back of her neck as she was waiting for her Mistress to get dressed.

Odette took off her night dress and put on her usual dress, her shoes and sat on a chair letting Rafaela make her hair into a braid. While she was doing that, the two were talking.

"You know, last night I've had a weird feeling... like if somebody has been moving around the castle trying to find something..."

Odette laughed. "Like Lancelot... searching for... a toilet perhaps..?" She said turning her head to see Rafaela's reaction.

The angel facepalmed. "Well... That could be it." She chuckled. "But please keep it in mind... If you notice something wrong, please tell somebody. I'm still a little worried though." She said when she finished braiding her hair.

Odette then got up. "Anyways, I'm going to go talk to Lancelot now. Why don't you prepare us a breakfast?" She asked her maid.

"Sure. And between you and me, I've seen the way you two look at each other." She said with a little chuckle as she exited the room, leaving the Swan Princess blushing, alone in her room. What she said was more true than Odette wanted to admit.