Anya had been looking for Raven all over the castle now.

She had knocked on the other girl's door in the morning, only to find that she had left her room. Now, exhausted and let down, she decided to make her way back to her quarters, after having searched the gardens, the stable, the library, even the Chancellor's office.

As she passed the infirmary, however, she saw Raven stepping out of it. As the other girl turned to face her, Anya froze in her tracks.

"Oh, hello..." She said, trailing off.

She had been looking for Raven everywhere, and now that the girl was finally in front of her, all Anya could manage was a lousy 'hello'?

And I'm told my speech is flexible. She thought to herself. How in the world have I ever managed to gain the upper hand in negotiations?

"Good morning, Your Royal Highness." Raven said.

"Uhh... Good morning to you too, Raven." Anya pushed a smile up her face.

"Were you looking for me?" Raven said, looking at Anya's dishevelled clothes and hair.

"Oh... I wished to..." Anya racked her brain furiously. "To visit the sea!"

Raven raised her eyebrows, and Anya's heart fell.

After a moment's pause, however, she nodded.

"I shall ask the coachman to prepare the carriage, then, Your Royal Highness." She said, and walked away, leaving Anya stupefied.

.

.

.

As the carriage halted, Raven leapt off, and proceeded to open the door for Princess Anya.

The other girl climbed out with grace, and as her eyes fell on the sight before them, she gaped.

The sea-side was beautiful. Unlike the view Raven could receive from her house, this one was not the filthy part of the sea filled with dying fish. This was the side of the waters people liked. Here, seagulls shrieked their melody, soaring across the wide stretched sky. The water was slightly blue and foamy, and as its waves crashed into the sand, created a soothing sound.

The sun was high up the sky, only having risen four hours before their arrival, painting everything a fresh yellow.

Princess Anya ran up to the waters immediately, leaving Raven to ask the coachman to take the horses for a stroll, since it felt as if they would be there for some while.

As Raven turned to follow the other girl, she found the heir to throne of Navaya kicking off her shoes in the most un-ladylike manner.

It initially surprised Raven, but a grin slowly found its way to her face. It could not have been helped; the sea before her eyes was beautiful, and the Princess seemed to be unwinding after a decade.

Raven made her way to edge of the water, where some rocks jutted out and, after gathering Princess Anya's shoes, sat on a flat one.

The Princess waded into the water, exclaiming joyfully at the sensation of the water soaking through her clothes.

Raven scanned her surroundings, and realized they were alone. The coachman had walked quite a distance with his horses, and somehow, no civilians could be seen at this beautiful acquaintance between the land and water.

After a while of vigilance, Raven found herself involuntarily relaxing, the sight before her soothing her mind. She leaned back on her arms.

That was when Princess Anya turned around suddenly, waist deep in water, and called out to Raven. "Are you not going to stop me?"

"Why would I, when you look as if you are having a good time?" Raven yelled back. "Besides, my job is to protect you from dangers, You Royal Highness, not the waters."

The Princess laughed, and proceeded to gather up handfuls of water, letting them drip slowly through her fingers.

"Raven!" She called out again after a while. "Come join me!"

"No, thank you, Princess," Raven declined, preferring to stay dry and alert.

"Oh come on," Princess Anya muttered, and in a moment she had waded back from the water to where Raven sat.

Raven watched her approach, knowing full well that the other girl could not force her into the sea.

Once the Princess was only a meter or two away, however, she said, "Stop calling me 'Princess'."

"As you wish, Your Royal Highness." Raven bowed her head slightly, being too calm to stand.

"That's even worse!" Princess Anya dragged her drenched skirts to sit down beside Raven. "I hate these horrendous titles."

"What would you rather?" Raven asked, moving her gaze to look at the sea.

"Well, I do not know, the name my mother gave me?" Her voice was dripping with sarcasm, and Raven chuckled.

"We both know it isn't appropriate for me to call you that." Raven said, making the other girl click her tongue.

"And what if I say that is a direct order?" Her voice was taught.

"My employment is to the King, or the Chancellor." Raven shrugged her shoulders, turning to look at the Princess's indignant face. "It is their orders that I follow, Princess."

The Princess in question frowned at being called that, and turned her face away. "Why is it that everyone I wish to befriend says that?"

Raven started, her eyes widening. "Befriend?"

"That is the same response I received from Joanne when I wished for her to call me by my name." The other girl went on. "Say, Raven, what sin have I committed? Why am I bound to live with no one to share my thoughts with? Can I not ask for a friend?"

Raven looked down, her previously lifted spirits sinking once again. "I am not someone you would wish to befriend."

Princess Anya looked at her, and her expression was sad. "What makes you think that?"

She shook her head, looking away again. "I do not think so, Princess. I know so."

The Princess clicked her tongue in frustration. "You are not the one that gets to decide that. I am. I have been in your company for the past one week now, and I have decided that you are a good person, and hence I wish to befriend you."

Raven was silent for a while.

She thinks she knows me. She thought faintly.

"Are you sure, Princess?" She asked out loud, turning to look at her once more. "That I am a good person?"

"Of course-" Princess Anya began, but the other girl cut her off.

"Do you know what I did for a living before I was hired as your guard?"

The question hung in the air, heavy and provoking.

The Princess shook her head reluctantly.

"Do you know what happened to my parents?"

Princess Anya shook her head again, looking down at her own knees

Raven sighed, rubbing her forehead.

The Chancellor possibly hid that from her. Raven thought. It is better, perhaps, if she does not know.

Raven was used to being looked at as if she were a monster, but ever since she had entered the Castle, her identity had been changed. She did not wish to go back to what she had been.

Pushing the Princess away, however, was not one way to ensure her own presence in the Castle.

"I apologize," Raven said after a while. "But I cannot, Your Royal Highness."

The Princess was silent for a while. Then, she said, "It is alright, Raven."

Raven nodded, turning to look at sea.

This was the worst case scenario. It was a situation where Raven had to let someone get close to herself. She was worried. She was so, so very afraid.

Princess Anya seemed to think of her as a knight, someone brave and chivalrous, who would put her own life at risk to save that of others. But that was simply not true.

Raven was working as her guard only because she had thought her life was boring. She desperately needed a change from the meaningless killings and bloodshed. And she was not really innocent, or anything.

And she had killed so many people.

Raven wondered then, sitting on the rock beside the Princess who seemed so happy now to be at sea, what the other would think if she were to tell her.

Would she not want Raven to be next to her anymore? Would she start looking at Raven the way others did? Or would she ignore it, waving it off as simply stories from the past that mattered no longer?

Raven's head was so clouded with thoughts she had to shake it to clear it.

It doesn't matter. She thought furiously. I should only be concerned with the attacks for now; I have to ask the Princess to help me.

She turned to look at the other girl again, however, the latter stood up, grabbing her wet skirts with one hand and holding the other out to Raven.

"Come on," Princess Anya said. "If you cannot call me 'Anya', at least come into the water with me."

Raven sighed, then reluctantly gave her hand to the Princess, who tried to haul her to her feet. As she pulled, Raven couldn't help but smile a little at her expression. She seemed to be trying her best, yet Raven only felt herself shift a little.

Shaking her head, Raven pushed against the ground, standing up and brushing off dust from her clothes.

Princess Anya smiled widely, and, without turning to see whether Raven was following, ran into the sea once more. Sighing, Raven followed.

It will be difficult not to get attached. Was all she thought for the rest of the day.