The Princess and the Thief (Lord Dakol and Seraphine Light)

Lucius let out a small, almost inaudible moan of pleasure as he felt her tongue touch his bottom lip. He slowly parted his lips and allowed her entrance, gliding her tongue along hers. He kissed her more deeply as she arched her back, pressing her body into his even more, allowing her to feel the hardness that was forming between his legs.

"Ah..." he gasped gently, sliding a hand down to touch and feel her tanned thigh, pushing her dress up to reveal more of her flesh. His fingers kneaded her leg as they kissed, and felt his hair messily falling over his eyes and ears, but nothing about it.

Talia felt the hard lump forming on him as it pressed against her body. That alone caused a soft and pleasant whimper to slip from her lips. Her hands moved all over him, from his hair, to his neck, along his back, until she couldn't tell what she was doing. His touch on her thigh made her skin tingle and her breath catch, making her pull back from the kiss and open her eyes slightly to look at him. She felt her dress slide up, making a chill run over her skin.

His hand made her moan softly, loving the feel of his touch. "Lucius..." she breathed, her voice filled with a desperate need and an endless passion. She leaned back to his lips, grasping them with her own as she didn't hesitate to let her tongue once more slide into the cavern of his mouth.

She was exploring, finding herself within his arms. All she prayed was that they weren't disturbed.

The whimpers and moans made Lucius wild with arousal, and bit his lip as she broke the kiss for a moment to breathe his name. He could now tell that she was as fully attracted to him as he was to her. Her shivers made from the presence of his hand urged Lucius to slid his hand up further, kissing her back as they dove her tongue past his lips.

The Thief lifted her leg to hook around his waist in order to glide along the hem of her underwear, his fingers shaking with the touch of the fabric. Lucius' hips slowly thrusted forward, nudging softly against her womanhood as he broke the kiss to leave a trail of light kisses along her jawline, sneaking down her neck and at her collarbone.

Talia was strongly attracted to Lucius, so much so that she wished she never had to leave his arms. As he slid his hand up further she moaned a little louder in response, the feel of his hand making her eager for more. Her leg hooked around his waist and his fingers slid along the hem of her underwear. The Princess was lost in the feel of him, every touch throwing her further and further into a haze of bliss.

As Lucius broke their kiss, sending soft kisses down her jaw, neck, and collarbone she bit her own lip, trying to hold back any moans that would be too loud. "Oh Lucius..." she purred. All painful thoughts were forgotten at the touch of his lips, at least until a loud noise interrupted them.

The door to her room slammed open, followed by one body. Marcus. He slammed the door shut behind him and then quickly turned red. "Talia!" he growled. "Stop this!" he snapped, his eyes narrowed at the scene before him. "This is just wrong! You are mine, not some thieves!" he snapped. "Get away from him now and I will not tell your father..." he said with a wry smirk. "That way...neither of you will get in trouble..."

Talia jumped in surprise, her eyes wide as she looked over at Marcus. "Lucius...what do we do?" she whispered in fear. Her body complained at the interruption, her skin burning with desire.

His lips were at the brink of teasing her breasts when the door slammed open and shut to reveal Marcus, seething with anger as the sight of the two of them.

Lucius was obviously not bothered by the "thief" remark; after all, he made a living in stealing from people. And now, he was prepared to risk everything to steal one more precious gift...

"I'm afraid we must leave more quickly than expected, Princess Talia," he whispered back, and kissed her deeply, not able to get enough of her. Later. They would continue later.

Looking at Marcus, he narrowed his eyes and dashed forward, too fast for Marcus to track, and kneed him in the stomach, sending him to the floor as he looked back at the Princess. "That will only last for a few minutes. We have to go!"

Talia straightened her dress as she rushed from the bed, following after Lucius. She looked down at Marcus and kicked him roughly in the side. "I'll be back one day Marcus- and when I am...I'll be sure you don't get the throne.." she snapped, grabbed Lucius' hand. "Okay..." she said with a sharp nod. "I'm ready..." she leaned forward, kissing him on the lips before pulling back and looking around. "Balcony...? Or hallways?" she said curiously.

She didn't know how he'd made it up to her balcony before, but she wondered if they could both escape from the area. It'd be the safest way to allude the guards, but it might be more dangerous because of the height.

Talia was clutching Lucius' hand and before he could drag them somewhere she spoke softly,"How are you feeling?" she asked quietly.

Lucius smiled when Talia kicked Marcus in the side and spoke. She had a look of utmost courage and strength that he rarely saw in a woman before, and it absolutely delighted him.

When she kissed him, the Thief ran the priorities through his head and came to several conclusions and things they needed to do before leaving. "First, I need you to gather up anything you might need and put into a satchel. Second, I need to get my equipment and dagger. Will you be all right by yourself, Talia?" he asked in a series of short breaths. He just noticed that the wounds he sustained during his imprisonment had reopened, leading to bloody spots around his clothes and forced him to clutch his side.

"I'll be fine. In a day or two I'll be able to regain enough energy to heal myself," he whispered, and kissed her cheek lovingly. "I'll be back, Princess. I promise."

And with that, he let go of her hand and ran out of the room, heading towards the armory and jail-master's room.

Talia nodded in response to whether or not she'd be okay and then ran to her closet, grabbing something suitable for a satchel and throwing a few necessary things into it. She grabbed a pair of riding slacks, a belt, and a casual shirt she'd wear with the pants. The pants were brown, the shirt white, and she figured she'd be able to blend it rather easily wearing them. She also reached into a drawer, grabbing a small bag of gold. She knew they'd need money eventually, and since she had plenty of it, it wasn't trouble for her. However- once they left she wouldn't have the ability to get more.

She heard Marcus groaning in the main room of her bedding suite and rolled her eyes. "You deserved it Marcus..." she muttered. As she slipped from her closet, the satchel slung across her she looked at her dress. "I suppose I'll sell it when we get out...that will give us more money..." she thought quietly. Talia slipped on a pair of comfortable shoes, flats, easy to run in.

As she looked down at Marcus she saw him trying to get up, but she couldn't allow that, she hit him against in the side, causing him to groan. "You will not tell anyone of this- Or I'll be sure you die a horrible death..." she knelt down, frowning. "Tell them...Tell them that I ran away..." she frowned. "Tell them I released Lucius..but that we didn't leave together..." she ordered. "If I find out you said otherwise...well I will get revenge...I am the Princess, you are nothing without me by your side Marcus..." she stood and headed out of her room. Marcus would do what she said, with the hope of getting her back and becoming King. Because without her, he would have no chance.

Talia quickly made her way to where she knew her father's guards kept weapons. Inside she found an easy to carry dagger, with a sheath. She slipped it into the satchel and rushed out into the hallway. She'd go find Lucius now. As she was rushing down the hallway she pressed herself quickly against the wall. Their were guards about, everywhere. "Oh no..." she whispered, looking towards the jail master's room, they were going to see Lucius.

As he strode down the empty hallway, making twist and turns as he remembered them to where they deposited his armor. However, he saw a guard standing out the door, at attention with a large halberd at his side. Lucius cursed silently before letting go of his largest wound and darted towards the guard. Before he had time to react, Lucius kicked the halberd out of his hands and punched him in the neck, dazing him for just a moment. The Thief picked up the weapon and swung it, aiming the non-lethal side to the guard's torso. It connected with a resounding clang, and knew the guard was out cold as he groaned in pain.

Without any time to waste, Lucius went inside and retrieved his leather grieves, vambraces, chest guard, and the lone spaulder. He quickly snapped them on and ran from the room, making his way to the jail-master's room. Lucius laughed inwardly, knowing that Talia would see the knocked out guard when she passed by.

It was mainly uneventful as Lucius hooked the sheath and his dagger against the small of his back, welcoming its feel and texture. He was ready now. But as he left the room, the swift appearance of an axe forced him to duck. A single strand of his hair was sliced off as he looked to see his attacker. Damn, the jail-master! he thought urgently. Aiming an ineffectual punch at his torso, Luicus backed off as the man tore his axe away from the now-splintered wall.
"I didn't want to do this..." he whispered, unsheathing his prized dagger and flourishing it swiftly before stepping in and plunging the dagger into the man's chest. Blood fell from his wound in a red stream, and Lucius ran away, taking the weapon with him and bolting towards the main courtyard.

Talia slid past the guards silently, waiting till they got caught up in conversation, as she got closer to where she assumed Lucius was she gasped. It seemed he'd already been there. She looked down at the man on the floor, a large wound in his chest, blood streaming from it onto the glistening white floor. "May you find peace..." she whispered before rushing off towards the exit of the castle. If she could just get to the courtyard she'd be good to go. "Oh Lucius..." she whispered. She was rounding a corner when a large hand grabbed her wrist. She looked behind her and saw Marcus, his face covered in sweat and his body hunched over. Seemed Lucius' punch had really taken an effect on the man. "Get away from me Marcus...I told you what I'd do.."

Marcus pulled Talia close, pressing her against the wall, letting the weight of his body keep her in place. "Why are you leaving with him?" he demanded, eyes narrowed, breath brushing across her face.

"Because, he is good, it is us that have been the monsters in this world. And I will not stand for it anymore!" she growled.

"You are a fool Talia..." Marcus growled, lifting a hand and smacking her across the face. "A fool! And when you return, because I will make sure you're brought back here...I'll make you realize how foolish it was to deny me last night..." he snarled.

"You won't have anything to use in order to make me realize anything.." she said with a laugh as her knee once again flew up and nailed him inbetween the legs. When he recoiled in pain Talia rubbed her cheek, rushing off towards the courtyard where she spotted Lucius. "Lucius!" she cried out, rushing towards him. He was still injured and she didn't like it. "We have to get out of here and lay low...you must heal.." she said, her voice filled with worry and fear.

Lucius patiently waited in the shadows, though he still quickly looked around every few minutes at each noise that occurred.

However, it wasn't long until he saw Talia and smiled, walking over to her as he clutched his side. "I'll be fine, don't worry," he said, smiling until he saw the mark on her cheek, "What happened?" he asked, his eyes narrowing in anger.

They didn't have any time to talk, when the guards from the gate noticed them. "Hey!" one shouted, drawing his blade and the other raising his bow. "Oh no..." Lucius muttered, glancing at Talia.

"Come on!" he exclaimed, slipping his hand in hers and rushing, taking out his dagger. He had to kill them...

Not a few moments later did the two run from the bloody corpses, regret etched into the Thief's face as he pushed open the gates. He was forced to silence them; otherwise, their plan would have been ruined.

Talia noted how Lucius clutched his side, her worry skyrocketing. How long would he last? His own worry made her shake her head. "Do not worry, Lucius..I dealt with it..." she said in response. He didn't need to worry about her, only himself.

She heard the guards and she was about to try and get them out of the situation, but Lucius was already in action. The guard was raising his bow, another with a blade and she tensed. "Lucius.." she whispered, but Lucius was grabbing her hand and rushing towards the guards.

He killed them with his dagger and they were off, running from the castle. They slipped through the gates and Talia quickly grabbed Lucius, pulling him back against the wall of the castle. "Careful..." she whispered. There were guards lining the outside of the gates, to make sure nobody got in or out without their knowledge. She quietly pulled him through some brush and then into the woods on the outskirts of the castle. They could get to town or out of the kingdom through the woods. But they weren't the safest place to be at night.

However, the still had a whole day ahead of them. "Lucius I want you to sit down.." she said softly, once they were into the woods. "You're hurt..."

The Thief gazed at the guards lined at the perimeter, and listened intently to Talia's warning. With his injury, he would have no chance against them... so what?

It was then the Princess pulled him into the brush, leading him into the woods, towards the town. As they came to a clearing, silent save for the tweets of songbirds and the moonlight shining upon them. Despite Lucius' want to keep moving, he listened to Talia and sat down against a thick tree, sighing with relief. "I'll be fine, I promise," he said with a reassuring smile.

He watched as the marks on his flesh became to glow fiercely, pulsing in time with his heart as he touched it with his free hand. By now, he already had a plan to follow; go to Daka's bar and get information on the whereabouts of an old friend...

Talia sat down beside Lucius, gathering her dress neatly so it didn't get stained by the ground. She pursed her lips when he insisted he'd be fine. She didn't believe him. She sat quietly and watched him for a moment before she leaned over and kissed him lightly on the cheek. "Our lives are about to get pretty dangerous...Are you sure you still want to take me with you..." she said softly. "I don't want you to regret...me...." she admitted, her eyes downcast at the ground beneath them.

She didn't want him to regret taking her along. What if the guards found them, and hurt Lucius for taking her? They wouldn't care that she went willingly. Talia wanted nothing more then to keep Lucius safe.

She stayed silent, up until the point where she lifted her head and leaned back towards him, pressing her lips not to his cheek this time, but to his own lips. The entire time they'd been running she had yearned for the taste of his lips, and hated that Marcus had interrupted them. And though she knew they couldn't waste to much time, she just needed to have his lips for another moment, just a small taste of what she hoped would come later.

His eyes subtly flickered to Talia as she kissed him upon his cheek, where a part of his birthmark was located. As she looked down, he gently cupped her chin with his free hand and lifted her gaze to meet his. "Hey . . . if I could go back in time and have the chance to change my actions . . . I wouldn't. This is exactly where you - and I - belong. My only regret would be that I hadn't met you earlier," he said sincerely, looking into her beautiful eyes.

Lucius was wholly prepared to sacrifice everything for her; his entire priorities and actions changed the moment he met her. At first, he had planned to use her to get the artifacts, but now... he was getting closer to the feeling that only truly occurred once in a lifetime. Being with her, next to her, was all he wanted.

He had then realized he had forgotten about the artifacts, and chuckled lightly. It didn't matter anymore; at least, he could do so later.

Lucius' thoughts were pushed into the back of his mind as Talia kissed him. The Thief unhesitatingly lifted his hand from his wound to wrap his arms around her, pulling her close as he kissed her back. All was silent, save for the gentle beatings of their hearts and happiness that radiated from both of them as they savored the peaceful moment of their wonderful kiss.

Talia savored every single moment that their lips touched, and she wished she could freeze the world around them, all so they could stay like that forever. After several moments of pure bliss in his arms she broke the kiss, her eyes opening to look into his fondly. "Where have you been all my life?" she teased, purposely saying the cheesy line to make him smile. Talia laid her head lightly against his shoulder, her hands grasping his shirt tightly. Oh how she wished things could be different for them, less dangerous.

With a small sigh she pulled away and smiled. "Well then..What is the plan, dear Lucius?" she asked quietly. "I've got us a good bit of money in my satchel and it can last us awhile if we use it intelligently," she said softly, wanting to make sure he knew she'd brought something useful.

Talia stood from the ground, brushing off her dress a little before she reached out her hand for Lucius. "Come, let us start this new journey together..." she smiled then added solemnly,"Before the guards grow an ounce of intelligence and come through the woods." While some of the guards were strong, none were very smart, which always made Talia worry a bit. Brawn but no brain wasn't always a good thing.

As Talia broke the kiss, Lucius didn't open his eyes as the taste of her lips lingered upon his. It was only then she spoke, the line making him grin briefly before leaning in to kiss her forehead. "Running," he replied with a pleased chuckled, and rested his forehead on hers for a moment. Only when she asked him about a plan did he reply.

"We must speak to Daka, a bartender in the city about a certain historian that I know, named Damion. He tends to move around often, and I have no idea where he is now. Hopefully he can help us locate any of my kind," Lucius explained.

The Thief reached out and took her hand, getting up to his feet before grasping her hand gently, not wanting to let go as they began the short trek to the city that lay around Talia's former home...

The trip only took a few short hours, and the couple managed to arrive at one of the gates of the city. Lucius scanned the gate, observing the city guards there, as if he was trying to figure something out. It was then a smile branched upon his lips. "Good. Keder is guarding," he muttered, and walked towards the gate with Talia.

A young man with short brown hair noticed the two, and a large grin appeared as he waved at them. "Lucius! How goes it?" he exclaimed, obviously pleased to see the Thief.

"It goes well. My friend and I need to do a few things in the city. Would you mind if we entered?" Lucius asked, closing the distance and shaking Keder's hand. In response, the young man nodded and gestured for the guards at the top to open the gate.

"And who is your friend?" he asked politely, looking at Talia. Lucius looked at the Princess in slight alarm, and hoped she would not give her real name. The Princess was highly known, at least in name: if they were to be discovered right now, they wouldn't stand a chance.

Talia wasn't used to the traveling, but she kept a brave face on and didn't complain. She would have to get used to walking a lot, and being out in the woods, she knew that, but it was still a bit strenuous. Finally seeing a gate ahead she grinned from ear to ear, extremely happy to see civilization. She grabbed Lucius' hand in her own as they approached. It seemed he knew the guard there and that made some worry leave her. They would need to get past many guards on their journey she was sure, and if Lucius knew at least a few of them it would make their lives much easier.

When the guard asked for her name she tensed,"Oh, me?" she laughed softly,"I'm eh...Isabella..." she smiled. "It's wonderful to meet you, Sir..." she ducked her head in respect for the man and then clung to Lucius nervously.

She knew better then to give her real name. She didn't know of any citizens that had taken her name when born, so as far as she knew and the kingdoms people knew, she was the only Talia in the area. So if she told anyone of her real name, they'd know it was the Princess right away and their cover would be blown.

So Talia stood quietly under the fake name, hoping Lucius would take care of the rest, and leave her out of the spotlight.

Keder looked at Talia for a moment, and Lucius wasn't sure if their ploy had worked or not. The guard's eyes flickered from both the Thief and the Princess, and smiled. "Well, you are very lucky to have met Lucius, ma'am. He has one of the most honorable souls I know," he said, bowing slightly.

Lucius breathed a sigh of relief and chuckled at the compliment. "Thank you Keder. Peace be with you," he said, placing his hand on his chest and bowing his head a bit before walking past Keder and the gate.

As they walked into the leading street, several houses were cluttered and pushed together, showing that space was an issue. Smoke rose from the chimneys upon the roofs, clouding the air and, just barely, revealing the looming castle that lay miles ahead.

Lucius led Talia down a street, passing by numerous citizens, many of whom were homeless or vagrants, begging for money. The Thief looked to Talia and shook his head grimly, "It's not a good idea. Giving them money opens up the possibility of you having more than them. That would lead to death, or worse..." he explained, heading into a large marketsquare. Since it was early in the morning, merchants were setting up their stalls and wares, and street performers stretched and tuned their instruments. Ahead, past a group of city guards, lay a building with a sign that was engraved with "Daka's Inn".

"There it is. Come on," he said calmly, moving past the guards with Talia in tow.

Talia blushed when Keder spoke of being lucky to have Lucius. Her grip on him tightened a bit and she smiled warmly at the guard. "I...I know..." she laughed quietly and then happily followed Lucius through the gates and into the streets. The houses were cluttered and pushed together and Talia found herself aching for the people around here. There were many homeless people covering the streets and she felt herself become overcome with grief and guilt. How was it that her and her family were living in riches at the castle, but all these people were suffering on the streets.

She was ready to give some of them money but Lucius' words filled her mind. Death? They would kill her for money? Because she had more then them. She shivered, but the guilt was still there. All this time she'd been unknowing to the citizens below her castle. As Lucius spoke about arriving at the Inn she nodded silently.

It was really killing her inside how many people suffered while she lived in luxury. And when she one day returned to the castle, with Lucius at her side, she'd be sure these people got a better life.

She moved into "Daka's Inn" quietly, her head hung down, following Lucius like a lost duckling. He was her lifeline, and it would be very bad if she was caught up in something and lost him. So she made sure she kept her eyes on him, and only him. Even when others looked at her, she ignored them, only having eyes for her Lucius.

She was scared. Talia was actually scared of the streets and the people in them. What would they do if they knew who she was? Would the bad ones take her away? Or what? She shivered just thinking about it.

Lucius silently moved through the patrons of the inn and tavern, though he replied in kind with a short nod of the head.

The building itself was quaint; the place had slightly dirty floorboards, polished tables that were only getting dirtier by the drinks spilled by customers and blood that stained the finish due to the occasional barfight. Bright lanterns and candles were hung from the ceiling, illuminating the crowded bar.

"Daka, hey..." the Thief called the bartender behind the counter. The older man looked up, hardened eyes of blue staring down the two, serving a few beers from a tap.

"Lucius. How did your trip go?" Daka inquired, quirking an eyebrow as he placed two glasses upon the counter for them. He glanced at Talia but said nothing.

"Hm . . . let's put it this way. I got what I went for," Lucius replied, gesturing slightly to the young woman that was clutching his hand. Daka shot a surprised look towards her.

"I see. It's an honor to meet you, Miss..."

"Isabella," Lucius answered, and the two men gave each other knowing looks before Daka shrugged.

"Well, what would you like for the night? Rum? Ale? A pint of beer?" he asked, filling up Lucius' glass with rum.

She continued to clutch onto Lucius' hand, her body not releasing its nervousness. When the man Daka was spoken to she peered around Lucius at him, curiously watching the two of them talk. When Lucius spoke of getting what he'd gone for Talia's eyes widened. She laughed softly and then tensed when Daka looked at her, his eyes making her feel like he knew who she was. He did.

When he began to speak to her she feared him speaking her real name, but relaxed a little when Lucius finished the sentence for him. She nodded in respect at the man and looked around the bar while the two spoke of drinks.

Her eyes roamed the bar, eyes moving from the candles and lanterns thinking silently that they made a nice atmosphere. As she looked down at a table she bit her lip, blood. It seemed fights happened in these things called bars. Her grip on Lucius' hand loosened a bit as she saw a few men playing a game around one table. Hesitantly she wandered from Lucius, her eyes focused on the cards in their hands. A few of the men were yelling at each other but when they saw her approach they stopped, one grinning.

"Hey there you pretty thing! Wanna learn?" he called, motioning for a seat next to him. He was nice, an older fellow with scars on his arms and face. Talia bit her lip and nodded a bit before sitting down, getting introduced to the game. They were gambling.

Lucius was quietly speaking with Daka, drinking the rum as he leaned in, nodding slowly before he noticed that Talia began to look around and finally released his hand to wander about. He had no worries about anyone in the bar, but his gaze was halfly upon the table where the gambling took place. He turned around in his chair and watched the exchange with interest, curious to see how Talia would pick up on it.

She sat quietly at first, nodding to the man beside her as he pointed out different things on the table. There were several things in the middle, everything from gold to small trinkets. After several minutes of being told what different cards meant and how to win she was handed her own hand of cards. She shook her head nervously, but the men laughed and assured her it was alright. The Princess bit her lip, fanning the cards out before her.

Talia continued through all the motions of the game, watching others when it wasn't her turn, and then making her moves with as much thought as she could. The game was about ten minutes in when she smiled and dropped her cards on the table, revealing them to the men. A loud roar of laughter was heard and a large warm hand was patting her on the back. "Good job!" cried the man, "You win! The stuffs yours!" he nodded in cheerful happiness.

Talia laughed quietly and shook her head, "No thanks..I think you should all get your things back...I don't need them..." she smiled as the men looked at her kindly. They all hesitantly reached into the middle, pulling their things back before smiling.

"Wanna play again, Missy?" spoke on man. She shook her head, thanked them for the good time and then stood up. Quietly she returned to Lucius, a new smile on her face.

"What's that..." she pointed to his drink curiously.

There was a hint of a smile on Lucius' lips, and it steadily grew larger and larger as the game went on. Since he sat behind her, Lucius had view of her entire hand, and hid the smirk that knew it was a winning hand. Once she laid them out, winning, Lucius grinned widely and took a drink. She caught on quickly. But what surprised him more was that she allowed them to take their things back; she was being generous, something else that he loved about her.

He was glad that she was smiling, and was pleased to see she was curious about his drink. "It's called rum. My favorite. Want a taste?" he asked, holding out the glass to her.