Runaway Princess (closed for Jekyll)

Princess Genevieve screamed in frustration. She was to be wed to an ally in order to keep the ally afloat. This was not at all how Gen had pictured her marraige to be. For one, she thought that she would be marrying out of love. When she did tell her parents this, they laughed and said 'Love is just an emotion used as an excuse to get married. You don't need love if you have money.'

Well,maybe I don't want to be a princess any longer she had told them which of course they laughed at as well.

Thus, began her plan to run away never to be seen again. She would leave tonight when the sun had gone down and the stars were shining. It was the perfect plan, as long as she didn't get caught. Mayhap, she would find love out in the world. Besides, it wasn't as if her parents couldn't have kids any longer.

That evening, when everyone else had retired, Gen placed her tiara on the dresser and climbed out of the window onto a tree, ripping her dress in the process.

Once she climbed down the tree she looked over her beautiful dress, now ripped. It was fine, it wasn't as if she needed her dress to look perfectly prim and proper. After all, in the next day or so she would be traveling as a normal peasant girl which excited her to no end.

As Gen walked past the palace walls because the soldiers had fallen asleep, she thought of a different alias for herself. She couldn't very well go as Genevieve and should would probably have to cut her hair or something, else someone might recognize her.

She ripped part of her dress apart and tied her hair up in a messy bun and looked at it in the reflection of the lake. Perfect, she didn't look at all like a princess now.

Her plan was absolutely perfect.

Charles was just preparing his supper on the small fire. He had gathered old wood, devoid of moisture, so it didn't create much smoke. And he had been careful to cover the flame with large stones on all sides, upon which the pot rested. He was near the castle, but not too near that any patrol might stumble across him. He was pleased with himself. He had managed to make it this far without getting caught. Of course even if he was caught, it would be pretty difficult to identify him. He looked like a normal peasant, nothing like the brave knight he really was. He had none of his gear with him, except for a sword, which bore no insignia to betray its ownership. He had set up a small camp near the castle grounds, and he was well hidden from prying eyes.

Charles flicked a strand of his long raven hair as he stirred the stew. He was worried its aroma might invite a wolf or a hyena from the nearby jungle. It was almost done now.

Charles. He was the twelfth in line to the throne. His chances of becoming a king were pretty slim, but he was still a well respected noble. Not only that he was a gallant knight, having proven his bravery and unwavering loyalty time and time again. This was the reason he had been chosen to go to the neighboring kingdom, to assess their strength, before the invasion. It was a sensitive mission to say the least, but it also needed quick wit and an ability to stay focused behind enemy lines. And noone was more suited for the job than Charles.

As she walked through the jungle, Genevieves stomach grumbled in the most savage of ways. She didn't have a chance to grab a snack in the kitchen as she normally did before she went to sleep therefore this left her stomach upset somewhat.

The further she walked into the jungle the more she began to worry that she might be going in the wrong way towards the next town. As it was, she couldn't very well go to her own town and stay the night in an inn. She would most definately be recognized and that would go against all of her planning.

She coughed somewhat as the smell of smoke drifted towards her nose. Smoke? Did that mean someone was here? Gen let out a small gasp, oh she did hope it wasn't anyone who knew of her family. That would not do at all!

Quietly as she could, Gen walked towards the smoke only to accidently step on a twig making it break.

Charles was thinking about how he was going to accomplish his mission. He would need access to the castle somehow. Maybe he could camp out here for a few days and just observe. He had more than enough money to keep up his supplies from the nearby town. Or maybe he should try for a job at the castle, though that would be risky. He was still deciding what to do when he heard a twig snap under someone's foot. He was up in a second, his hand on his sword, which had been lying by his side. He didn't unsheathe it, lest it catch the moonlight and give away his position.

He cautiously moved in the direction from which the sound had come. Maybe it was a patrol. Well then his mission was doomed. But he could still kill them and escape, if nothing else. He decided to call a bluff, sure that the patrol wasn't near enough to discern how big a camp it had been.

" Surrender yourself. You are surrounded. Fifteen men surround you, with their poison tipped arrows pointed at you. If you don't come out with your hands up in front of me till I count three, I'll give the signal to shoot."

"One........Two......."

Gen gulped obviously this person whomever he was did not seem to be kidding. Dear god, should she surrender herself? He certainly didn't sound familiar...that was a relief. She walked forward and lowered her head.

"Please, forgive me kind sir. I did not mean to interrupt your..." she looked up and noticed that she wasn't really interrupting anything at least it didn't seem like she was. "um, whatever it was that I may have interrupted."

She quickly looked him over to see if he had any type of noble heritage which from her point of view he didn't. Mayhap this was the miracle she had been searching for, a poor peasant man from who she could travel with until she found her true loves kiss, so to speak.

Charles looked up and lowered his sword. She was a lone woman, no threat to him. She didn't look important or from higher blood. She had her messy hair up in a bun and her dress was torn and dirty.

" Who are you miss ? What are you doing here in the middle of the night ? Do you need help ?"
Charles asked questioningly. She may be his enemy's subject but she was still a lady. And his knight's oaths forbade him to be rude to her. She still looked worried so he continued,
" Don't worry miss. No one else is around. I thought that you were a bandit. Forgive me. "

She looked lost and nervous, and he noticed that she was beautiful, even though her hair and dress were messed up.

Gen let out a soft sigh of relief he was but a peasant. There was no need to worry. Who was she? That was a good question, a good question indeed. It seemed as though Genevieve would have to think of an alias right this moment.

"Lily? Yes, Lily my name is Lily..." She said "and I am running away from the castle." she blurted out then covered her mouth quickly trying to think of an excuse as to why she was running away from the castle. A servant, would they do such deeds? If one was cruel to them certainly, they would!

"I was a servant of King Phillip and his heir to the throne. Oh, but she was horrid and spoiled, but that wasn't the reason I ran away, her father King Phillip tried to..." Dear god, would she say such things about her own father? "tried to rape me!" Apparently, she would.

OOC: Below is the link of lily/Genevieve

Anger coursed through Charles veins. His knighthood called out to him to protect a woman's honor. If this had been his kingdom, he would have cut King Phillip where he stood. But he was helpless now. He could, however make him pay when they invaded and captured him. To try and rape his daughter's maid, what a beast. And on top of that the princess was spoilt. No wonder, if the king had his attentions on her maids instead of her. He'd teach a lesson to both of them.

" I'm sorry miss Lily. May I call you that ? My name is Charles. Would you like something to eat ? Nobody from the castle will find you here. Believe me. "

Charles didn't see any harm in letting her stay. Noone recognized him in this kingdom, so his name would mean nothing too.

((OOC : Pic of Charles. Aragorn from LoTR. ))

Genevieve gave a sigh of relief more so that he believed her story then the fact that she was safe, but it looked like it was a sigh of relief for being in the safe protection of this...rogue? Yes, rogue...tis what he seemed to be.

Genevieve smiled and curtsied as she had seen her maids do so often. "Thank you, kind sir. May I ask, why are you so deep in the jungle? I didn't imagine stumbling upon you as I did." Gen took a seat on the ground, trying to get used to hardness of it and ignoring the want to sit on a nice soft cushion.

Charles had the story well rehearsed. He had thought the shopkeepers at the town would be the first to hear it, but oh well.
" I am a poor peasant miss. I've come to this kingdom looking for work. I hear they always need good men in the towns around the castle. Do you know somewhere I might get work."

Dan dipped a bowl into the stew and handed it to her. She seemed to be rejecting it, before finally deciding against it. Dan was happy to help her. He would offer her protection from the cruel king as long as she desired. Such a king didn't deserve to rule. Dan was going to make such an extensive report so as to make king Phillip helpless when the invasion came.

"Oh...." Gen said, feeling even more happy that she had been correct on his nobility status. As Charles handed her the bowl of stew, she stared at it for a moment. Dear lord, what was in it? She hoped to god it wasn't dead rats or any such thing.

"Thank you.." She said softly, before taking a small sip. She made noise as she ate, slurping it up so that she could keep up with her charade. Oh, if only her governess could see her now. She would certainly die from impropriety.

Dan wanted to offer her his meager shelter for the night. If she had scorned the King's advances, he may send soldiers after her. She would be safe with him. But he wasn't sure how to approach the subject. It would be improper for her to stay the night with a stranger.

He scooped up a bowl for himself. The dirt he kicked on the flames extinguished them pretty quickly, enveloping them in darkness. The moon still illuminated enough for them to make out each other's figures, but little else.

" Sorry miss. We can't light the fire again. The king might have sent men to find you. They'd take you back to him, and he kill you or worse. "

He was almost about to suggest she stay here tonight. She looked tired and worn out, and he would gladly give up his tent to help a lady. The moonlight glinted off her raven black hair. He could see why King Phillip had been attracted to her. She was quite gorgeous, even if she was not of noble birth.

Gen stared into the fire watching as it slowly started to disappear. Her thoughts weren't of escaping the "tyrant" king but of where she would sleep for the night. She certainly didn't want to make Charles go out of his way.

She nodded in understanding as to what he said. "It's alright, I understand. I wouldn't want to put you in any more danger than I already have." She said then continued eating her soup. "It would be different if you were a knight but alas you are but a poor peasant." She blushed as that sounded entirely too pompous and quickly added, "like I am."

For a minute Charles froze. He thought she was mocking him, telling him she knew who he was. But no. It didn't look like it. He relaxed again, glad that his nobility didn't show. If he could fool one, he could fool others. Phillip would in no time be under his sword, with the invading army which will crush his defenses, all because of Charles.

" Do you have someplace to go miss ? You can.....you can stay here if you like. I'll sleep outside. I may be a peasant, but I promise not to run away if the king's men show up, not alone atleast. " .
For a moment he saw his noble heritage reflected in her eyes. But no, it was some trick of the moonlight.

Gen smiled up at Charles, "That's very kind of you. Are you certain though, I wouldn't want you to go to any trouble.." she said, "I could easily lay on the ground...with the crickets...and other such bugs that creep around at night...and the bears, we mustn't forget the bears..." Dear god, a tent sounded alot safer now that she thought about it. In fact, as she spoke of all the dangerous creatures, the closer she moved towards the tent.

Once she stood next to it, Gen glanced at the tent and said, "Well, since I am here...if you're certain. I'll take the tent."

Charles smiled as she scared herself into taking the tent. There was something off about her, the way she was creeped by bugs on the ground. A peasant spent many a nights on the ground. But she might have been born into servitude, growing up with the stubborn princess. So it might be a new experience for her.

He finished his stew and stood up. Making a quick bow at the waist he replied, " Of course miss. I wouldn't have it any other way. You don't have to worry about bears. I'll protect you. "
Charles eyes dared her to laugh at his statement. She did not.

Charles gathered some clothes and made a pillow and blanket for himself outside the tent. He still wasn't drowsy, so he decided to find out more about his enemy,
" Hmm...Lily ? Tell me more about King Phillip and the spoilt princess. What's her name ?"

Gen worried for a minute. What was she supposed to say? She couldn't very well speak ill of her own father, well even more so ill about him. She already claimed he tried to rape her. Wasn't that bad enough? Besides, why did he want to know so badly?

"Well, the princess for starters as I said is a spoilt brat. She's 8, yes 8. So I suppose it's to be expected after all, she hasn't matured yet." Gen lied, "and as for the king, well she's his little princess, which is to be expected." At least that was partially the truth, she had always been daddy's little princess. "And the kings wife, she's dead. I guess that makes sense as to why he has turned his sexual attentions towards me." She said, not willing to make eye contact with Charles because of her lies, but this only made her look more sorrowful, which was a wonderful effect.

She averted her hazel eyes from Charle's gaze as she told him about the royal family. He refrained from asking further about them, lest she become suspicious. Instead, he enquired about her, " So...Lily...What do you plan to do now ? You know the king would be looking for you in every city. You'll need to be careful."

He saw her silhouette in the moonlight. The stars twinkled brightly overhead, and the sky was a clear black, no clouds marring the surface. He was just glad she wasn't the one asking the questions. He hated lying.

What did she plan to do now? She wasn't quite certain. In fact, she had only thought past running away and it was certainly true that they would be looking for her, thinking she may have gotten kidnapped. Oh dear, what was she to do?

"I-I don't really know I mean I haven't really thought about." Once again she was honest to a point.

"Mayhap I could travel with you?"

Charles thought about it for a moment. Should he take her with him. It might make getting information easier with her around. She knew the ins and outs of the castle and would be quite an asset to his work. But there would be questions when they went into town. Of course they could just pretend to be married, but he wasn't sure she would go for that. He decided it was safer to have her stick with him for now, atleast for her.

" You can stay with me for a few days. But if anyone asks, we have to pretend as though we are married, and destitutes without a home. Will you be okay with that ? "

"I don't think that will be a problem." Gen said with a smile. How exciting! Not only had she found someone to travel with but she was to pretend to be his wife as well. Certainly, in the palace this would've seemed improper but now that she was free from all the rules of her father then why not try something as exciting as faking a marraige, especially if it meant being protected as well.

Charles was glad she agreed without a fuss. He would try to gain her trust first and then get the information he needed from her. Maybe she would be happy to help him if he told her the real reason he was here, but he wasn't sure yet. A small part of her must be demanding vengeance too, for what the king had tried to do to her.

" You can go to sleep now. I'll take watch for a few hours to make sure no one followed you. "
She had no idea that the consequences for him would be much dire than for her if they were caught.

Gen nodded, "Okay then, good night." She walked into the tent and laid on the cot. It was horribly uncomfortable but it was either lye on a cot or go home and endure having to marry someone for some stupid alliance. Slowly, Genevieve drifted to sleep dreaming of being free.

Charles waited for some time, but soon sleep gripped him too. He was awake when the first ray of sunlight hit the ground around them. He stretched and grabbed his sword. Unsheathing it he sparred with a tree trunk, taking care that his blows weren't that heavy so as the sword would embed in the wood . He had taken his tunic off, and his naked torso shone with a thin layer of sweat.

He was sure that noone was awake this early, and so he was as loud as he liked. He had quite forgotten about his 'wife' though.

Gen awoke to the sound of grunts, which scared her to death as did waking up in a tent. For a moment, she had forgotten where she was and blinked.
Oh, yes thats right....I ran away. I'm certain my father is searching all over the castle grounds for me. She smirked, it served him right for trying to force her into marraige.

Still, she could hear grunts coming from the forest and stood up, stretching daintily and Gen walked outside. She watched in wonder as Charles seemed to be very handy with a sword.