"Svana!" Cyrus called.

I was desperate to shake him, trampling through the crowd, and taking every which way, every turn I could find to open. I didn't even understand why he'd left after me, yet he was relentless. He finally caught me at a dead end; an alley the Capitol had forgotten about.

"What are you doing?" he huffed. "Do you want to be robbed?" He took me by the arm to cart me towards the street but we were met by two others. Unsavory looking types; one with a knife and both blocking our only path.

"Give us the purse," the taller hissed.

Cyrus let go of me, unsheathing his broadsword in a flourish that scared even me. It caught every trace of light as it snaked around either side of his body and cast it back onto their faces before the point settled at them. "A very bad decision," he said. "Is it worth your life?"

They looked at each other and must have decided he was too convincing to chance; flat out running from him, nearly tripping as they went.

I heard him breathe out heavily, before he turned. His blade went back into the holster with a metallic clink, and he was mad. "Never leave me like that again, Svana!"

The impact of what had happened in the last, few, fleeting moments hit me mere seconds into his scowl, but as soon as I had began to react, he swept me into his chest.

"Forgive me," he muttered, speaking into the side of my hair. "Are you alright? That should've been my first thought."

"Oh, God," I whined. "Had you not come after me-!"

"But I did," he met my face, hands tight, flat against my head. "And I always will. I will always protect you."

My fingers burrowed into his shirt, as I nodded, pulling him closer and finally kissing him. Cyrus' hand slid down my back, granting me a brief surrender to the intimacy I craved, that is, before he took a staggering step back. He looked out onto the market. "We should go."

"Is it Lydia?" I asked, miffed by the sudden stop.

"At the shop? Does she not handle your gowns? I was sure you'd met."

"No, not. Is she why you're acting...Is she why... It wasn't coincidence we wound up there today, was it?"

"Coincidence?" He paused. "No. Not coincidence. Habit. Lydia's happened to be close. I knew her shop would be open. Potentially desolate. I only meant to get off the street. I... it wasn't an act intended to... hurt you?"

"It didn't hurt me," I sent my eyes off.

"No?"

"Not in the least," I lied.

Cyrus rolled his. "I was flustered," he confessed.

"Oh, right," was my response.

"I was," my focus came back as he touched my bottom lip with thumb, skirting off it . "I went into the first store I knew was there. To get us out of sight. You draw far too much attention to yourself. And. Yeah. Maybe a bad choice but it's not every day a woman buys me a knife."

"Well," I sneered. "I don't like to be ignored. If you don't want knives, don't ignore me."

"What?"

"Why did you spend all morning ignoring me?"

"I was not ignoring you; I was occupying Sam. What was my other option? Allow him to flirt with you?" he asked. I tsk'd but he insisted. "Is that what you want? To torture me?"

"Torture. Don't be so extraordinary," I managed. "Sam flirts with anything that moves. I'm not special to him."

"But you are. You're his."

"I am not!"

That made him grin. "Don't tell me my extraordinary isn't what you like about me." He held his arms out to either side, turning full circle. "My zest."

I shoved him, shaking my head. "Zest! You ignored me, excluded me, and then shared yearning looks with Lydia- I-"

"Yearning looks?" His arms dropped. "Now who's extraordinary?" Cyrus gathered himself enough to say; "At the least I didn't completely lose my mind, picking up a bra."

"Ugh!" I growled, "That was! I didn't! I-I've never seen that sort of thing!"

"Is that right?" His lips came together, deviantly as his eyes trailed to my blouse. "An interesting discovery, the Swan is bare beneath her feathers."

"I... I meant; lacy. Lace material, I wear, I-."

"Don't blush on my account," he buzzed. "Lest I mistake it for 'yearning.'"

The ambience of town soared back into the foreground, bent on separating us. Somewhere among the endless chatter and children playing, Sam called our names.

I had nothing important to say but at his move to leave the alley, I blurted the first thought that came to mind. "I want to see you tomorrow."

Cyrus swallowed. "Is that an order, Princess?"

While I considered my reply, he sauntered close enough to clip the tassels of my shirt with his fingertips.

"Yes," I said.

"There you are!" the Prince chimed. Cyrus' hand snapped to his waist as he bounded into the aisle. "Look at this linen, I - what is it? What's happened?" he paused. "You're white as a ghost, love."

My Sword found his belt. "Two men, thieves. Followed Svana-I-"

"What!?" Sam cried. He moved awkwardly towards me, deciding against contact at the last second.

Cyrus went on. "I've scared them off, but we should share their description with the knights; the staff. To be sure."

"Yes, immediately," he sang. "Svana, I'm so sorry I was locked elsewhere. Are you able to ride? If you find it difficult, you may accompany me."

"That ...won't be necessary," I shuddered. "I'm quite fine. Mr. Evergreen was by my side. He kept me safe."

The Prince nodded proudly and then heartily wrapped his arms around the other to hug him. "Once again you have proven my truest friend," he mumbled into his shoulder. "The best."

At the Palace, Sam did not wait for my attendance at his side, and Elías did not wait for my attendance inside. Instead, in his protective prowess, he sieged the stables, stomping through the door finding me there with Cyrus. With Sam off clearing his own team somewhere else, I worried how he might react to finding us alone.

But we weren't anywhere close to one another. We were at opposite sides of the barn to discard our things and pin our horses. Elías began his inquisition; an attempt to pry every detail out of his target, in an overly Oreian way. Brash and repetitive, searching for inconsistency.

"Eli," I whined.

But he chose not to hear me. "From what angle did they attack?" he asked.

"It wasn't really an attack," Cyrus replied. "We wound up in a dead end. More opportunity than anything. Though, I'm sure they'd had their eye on her from the moment we arrived."

"And you didn't see them before they were on you?" Elías stalked.

"No."

"That's hard to believe. A decorated soldier; are you not trained in tactics? What did they want? Only her purse? Did they ask for your coin?"

"Elías," I huffed.

He continued on; in rigor, and Cyrus listened carefully to his questions. Answering them as calmly as he might speak to anyone; easily conveying the men's appearances. I wondered when things would erupt between them, and soon I, unable to take it the self-inflicted wait, crested the building wave.

"Cyrus is protecting me. That's why it sounds fake. Because it is. He's lying to you, Ser."

"How is that helpful?" My Sword tilted his head. "It's fine."

"It's not fine. My knight thinks you've endangered me, but it was I who endangered you. Don't paint yourself an idiot. You deserve the credit here."

"Credit? For standing near you?" Elías choked on the retort.

"But he wasn't standing near me. Not actually, I was a good fifty feet away. At least. Around a corner at points. I abandoned Sam almost as soon as we'd gotten to the market. Cyrus was sharp enough to keep close to me, but... there was a moment in one of the shops that I let my pride rule my movement. I left in a hurry and he pursued me. And despite my every effort to lose him in the crowd, he kept pace. When we were confronted, he drew his sword, ready to kill. For me. He protects me now by insisting I hadn't run off because he hasn't realized you're sharp, too. Too sharp to ever fool."

"I see," Elías remarked, turning. "Is this true?"

Cyrus only shrugged.

"Then I am glad for your vigilance. Disappointed for the approach... but.? Svana is... difficult."

"And you're glad for his bravery," I added. "He was quite valiant. Quite intimidating with the blade. He saved me."

Elías gestured; lazy, "Yes," glancing at my swordsman, "For that as well," then stood steadily at the door, waiting for my departure. I lent Cyrus the most reassuring nod and wave I could conjure, but it didn't feel like much.

Soon my knight and I were on our way back to the ladies' corridor and I was dodging reprimands to my recklessness.

At the end of the hall, I groaned, flailing my hands about, "Yes, yes, Eli! I am aware of my mistake. I've already apologized. What more can I do?"

"Stop running off for one. You think nothing bad can happen to you! I ask only that you remain near someone at all times. We don't know the nature of the people here," he said. "You were lucky today."

"I wasn't lucky," I reminded him. "I was guarded."

He acknowledged the comment curtly. "I cannot find fault in that statement. Much as I would like."

I pursed. "...What did you mean? Decorated solider?"

He shook his head, "What specifically? Evergreen had many merits in the war, I'm told."

"Mr. ...Cyrus told me did not enlist."

"Then it's not my place. I'd hate to birth another fight between us," he started. "Though if it were I'd ask that you consider seeing if he might revise his answer, the next time you ask."

That stumped me. "Why would he lie about his service?"

He only gave me the look and I took a strained, irritated breath. "I see." Another falsity I would have to press into.

My feet dangled off the bed, swollen inside my shoes; difficult to slip off after too many hours rambling through the Capitol.

And running.

Now the adrenaline had worn away, and I was tired. Even the act of holding onto the sole of one foot was enough to elicit a yawn. I glanced up as Josie entered the suite, flying to my side.

"Miss Svana!" she called excitedly; panicked. "Heavens, are you alright? Daniel told me you were confronted!"

She rushed to the bed and something silly about the hour came out of me in the form of a laugh.

"Were you very scared?" she buzzed.

"I was," I narrowed my brows, realizing. "Not. I was not scared at all. How strange."

"At all?" She sat next to me. "Then you are remarkably brave, I would have been petrified."

"See, that's the thing," I stood and for whatever reason, immediately twirled a few feet deeper; catching my balance at the desk. Outside I could see Cyrus as he closed the barn, and started walking down the path that led off grounds. "I'm not brave. Not really. But he is. And I... I am brave with him."

"Who...? Oh, is that right?" her voice hinted. "Are we speaking of the Prince or-"

"Mr. Evergreen," I sang. The flame of my melody was quickly doused, remembering Elías' warning. "I think we can stop pretending I am ever speaking of the Prince."

"We can?" She seemed very surprised by my statement. "You are very chipper for someone who was nearly knifed!"

"Josie?" I blew past her comment. " If Daniel lied to you about something- would you forgive him?"

"Daniel wouldn't lie to me," she hummed.

I sighed. "That's not helpful."

"Well. What sort of lie?" she asked. "A major one? Or something trivial?"

"Trivial. Something trivial."

"Trivial by a lady's standard?"

"By anyone's!"

"Alright. I would ask him about it," she said. "Privately. Men are weird when confronted."

"Would you be angry?"

She laid back onto the bed. "I suppose that depends on what his reasoning was..." She trailed off, touching her stomach and I knew I'd lost her to romantic fantasy.

"Willoughby, huh?" I teased her, climbing up next to her. "Out of all our knights; he's the one." Laying like this felt like we were sisters, not maid and lady, but I didn't mind.

She rolled her eyes, still staring at the ceiling. "You're in love with a swordsman," she said. "There are a number of things one could say about that. His station. Your station. Your mutual acquaintance who you are never speaking of."

I scoffed nudging her from her dream. "I'm not in love with Cyrus Evergreen. I just like to kiss him."

She shot up, hands bolting to the sheet. "You've kissed him more than once?" she exclaimed. "How many times?"

"Shh!" I covered her mouth, tackling her to the bed. "Lord have mercy, do not summon Elías with your excitement! He will murder us both to save us from our ruin!" But it was no use, her smile stretched ear to ear and her mouth hung completely open in a special air of anticipation.

"Tell me everything?" she pled.

I nuzzled deeper into my pillow, sighing longingly, as I contemplated her request. "He's very... warm. Gentle, I don't know how to explain it. It's not at all like I expected things like this to be."

"Like kissing? Or have you done more?"

"Josie!" I cried. "I have not! We have not. Mr. Evergreen is the utmost gentleman! He's never-!"

"I wouldn't be offended if you had! I was asking more out of curiosity than anything..." Her amusement tapered into a slight upset. "Daniel hasn't even looked at me for too long."

"Well, he is bound by an oath of Chivalry. That's likely a hindrance," I teased. "Elías once told me he had lost the woman he'd loved to the Oath. Though who's to say. To my understanding, our fair Eli was quite the scoundrel and well into his youth. Some of the knights talk of him like he's a man of legend. It's quite scandalous."

"I can't envision Ser Elías with any woman," she remarked. "What a thought."

"Don't I agree? I don't ask him about it because that isn't the man he is now. None of us want to be sentenced for our less-ideal years."

"Do you think Daniel is a lost cause?" she wilted.

"I think you should take your own advice and speak to him about causes," I shrugged. "I'm not sure I'm the best judge of a man's character. But. Based on his reaction to even the hint of your name, I'd wager he at the least likes you."

"I see." Josie inhaled deeply as she stood, wading towards the wardrobe. "You're right, I suppose. I will ask him where it is we stand. Someday. Not tomorrow, but soon. Perhaps. Shall we dress you for bed?"

"Yes, yes." I sighed, reaching for my brush, and playing with it in a moment of melancholy next. "I'm still very mad at him," I muttered. "I don't know what to do with that emotion."

"Wallowing in it seems to be working, yeah?"

I narrowed my eyes. "I'm not sure I like this side of you, Jo. You're so. Clever."

"On occasion," she grinned.

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