Chapter 23

"Unhand me at once you ruffian!" Rosalinda screeched just before Ruffnut used her hand to gag her.

"Wow, complimenting you already," Tuffnut joked as he climbed off the carriage. They had hidden it in one of the derelict warehouses in a less reputable part of the city near the port. It would take the Knights several days to track it down, meaning that they were now free to make their escape.

"Shut up and help me already," Ruffnut muttered before turning to the struggling Rosalinda in her grip. "Now listen here. You don't scream or run. This isn't the part of town a woman should be alone in, do you understand?" She asked. Rosalinda nodded, still being gagged.

"You will help me drag this guy..." Here Ruffnut motioned towards the still body she had thrown in the coach "...until we reach our associates. After that we will take you back home. Is that clear?" She asked and again Rosalinda nodded.

"Tuff, keep your hand on the hilt of that sword. I'd rather not be in this part of the city for longer than I need to be," Ruffnut told her brother as she let Rose go. Meekly, as to not annoy the twins, Rose helped carry the unconscious, smelly man out of the derelict warehouse.

"Ugh what is this place," Rose threw her nose up when they stepped outside. The street they ended up on was filthy. It was a dirt road instead of the cobblestones she was used to in the Noble quarter and shopping districts. Vagabonds lay sleeping huddled against buildings and it smelled as if the sewer had vomited on them.

"Why Milady, don't you recognize your own kingdom?" Ruffnut uttered as they passed several people. Many eyeing the luxurious clothing Rosalinda had on. But since Ruff and Tuff were dressed as knights no one approached.

Rose shot Ruffnut a nasty look but the blonde was unperturbed. "It isn't all pretty roses and tea parties," Ruffnut told her before discreetly gesturing to the area they were passing through. They grunted slightly by the weight of the body they were dragging but they made good time. "This is what happens when the Royal family increases taxes to an amount the commoners can't afford. Sure there are several Noble families that distribute food but that doesn't really solve all this now does it."

"I..." Rosalinda's response was cut short by four men blocking their way.

"Well well what do we have here?" The man standing in front of the group uttered. "If it isn't a fine looking lady and her escort,"

"And this was what I wanted to avoid," Ruffnut groaned.

"Strip!" One of the would-be thieves shouted at Rose as he was eyeing her expensive clothing.

"Tuffnut do your thing!" Ruffnut announced and with a war cry Tuffnut leapt forward, sword raised, chicken dropped. The thieves were caught off guard by this action as they had expected the richly dressed woman to cower. Her knights, preoccupied with defending her.

"WRING THEIR NECKS BRO!" Ruffnut shouted as she gleefully said words of encouragement to her brother. Normally that would be seen as weird when the twins were involved but her brother was doing a pretty damn good job of beating up the criminals.

Rosalinda blushed as she took in Tuffnut's prowess with a blade. She also quickly hid that blush from Ruffnut.

"All done sis!" Tuffnut proclaimed casually as he sheeted his weapon.

The fight had sent any other would-be criminal scrambling for the hills so the rest of the journey was rather uneventful.

They soon reached a more busy part of the city and Tuffnut knocked on the backdoor of what appeared to be a shop.

"Password?" A voice asked.

"Snotlout, you and I both know that there isn't a password!" Ruffnut sighed in annoyance.

The door opened and Rosalinda spied a short but muscled man eyeing the group. "What's with the extra baggage?" This Snotlout person asked. Rose looked rather affronted by being called extra baggage but followed behind the twins as they entered the building.

Once the shorter man got a good look at Rosalinda however, his tune changed. "Why hello there," He said in a smarmy voice as he saddled close to her. "I am beset by this dragon in my loins, and only you can quench its fire!"

The sound of a slap rang through the hallway as the twins looked to see Snotlout cradling his cheek. "And here I thought she didn't have any surprises," Ruffnut muttered.

"What's all this hubbub?!" A voice asked and Rose turned just in time to see the twin menaces greet a man they called GObber.

Meanwhile, as the twins began recounting their version of events, of course, after finding a cot for the mysterious man they had dragged with them and seating Rosalinda down at Gobber's table with a mug of moonshine, things within the palace walls were finicky at best.

For one, Griselda was beside herself after Krogan's confession. For another, Grimmel had appeared at her doorstep nearly hours after Krogan regained consciousness. This all but affirmed to her that her servants could not be trusted.

She had locked herself in her bedroom, where she knew Grimmel, Crown Prince or not, would never enter without permission. It just wouldn't do for a man to walk into an unmarried woman's bedroom unannounced. This was of course with the exception of Krogan, who was a dastardly rogue that came and went as he wanted.

She paced in her room, trying to remember when this had all started. Krogan had been in the Prince's employ.... For nearly a decade, she realized. He'd visited her the day after Grimmel had introduced them. At first she'd been scandalized at his audacity, throwing a vase at him to get her point across. When that didn't work she had resorted to taunts but Krogan seemed to like that much more than he let on. The visits increased. Whenever the man was not on a mission for Grimmel he would be near her manor, either idling in a tree or on her balcony. She knew Grimmel had given Krogan a room in the palace yet he'd frequented her place much more in her opinion.

'Was all of this because he liked me?' She pondered and froze. She'd been so caught up in Grimmel that she hadn't even noticed his affections. Now Griselda felt bad. But then she wondered.... Why would she feel bad. She was essentially the Crown prince's fiance. It's not like she had much choice. Society dictated it that way. Could she really run off with another man to live a simple life?

Another thing that worried her was what Krogan had implied suddenly. She didn't want to believe it was true. Maybe it was just the delusions of an injured man. But if it was true then her life certainly was in danger. It had long ago been decided for her that she would marry Grimmel. She'd thought it was because they had been childhood playmates. People seeing them as Aristocratic children that got along well with each other. She cared for Grimmel, she truly did but if he had had the option, even as a child, to stop her parents' execution but didn't....Honestly, she had no idea how she could cope with that.

'Would he?' Griselda mentally questioned. 'Would he get rid of me?' She didn't want to believe it. Prince Grimmel seeking a wife other than her..... It was... it was.... Unthinkable, yet there the Prince was, showering his attentions on the Anderson chit. When that fell through he turned his focus on wooing Lady Hofferson. Secretly Griselda was glad that Lady Hofferson rejected the Prince. Then it dawned on Griselda. If she took a husband other than Grimmel and bore a child then there would be direct opposition to Grimmel's reign. The whole thing seemed like a headache to her right now and she groaned before flopping down on her bed.

Was she really entertaining the idea to take Krogan up on his offer? Would he help her disappear? Sweep her away to a place just for them? Be an attentive husban-!! Griselda's thoughts halted for a moment. 'Had she really thought of Krogan in that manner?'

Yes.... yes she had. And it sounded rather appealing. Gone, the stifling atmosphere of the Royal court. Gone, the obligations of a Noble. 'Would giving all this luxury up actually set her free?' She'd miss her friends of course. Lady Heather for one who had invited her to each of her parties. Lady Camicazi who had not cared a lick about her higher states and shared crude jokes. She'd probably not see them again if she took Krogan up on his offer. Yet the prospect of.... Say... a small cabin in the woods.... An attentive husband.... A family.... It called to her.

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AN:

Vala: "Hello all my readers! Next update is a Murder Mystery oneshot I've been workin-" (sees Porg eating the draft) "AAAAAAAAAH!"

(Proceeds to chase Porg with broom)