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

Lucius made dinner for themselves, slicing up fruits and breads with an extra knife he had. As they ate, both of them said nothing but gazed at her each other, hunger evident in their eyes, and he knew it wasn't for food.

A while later, the Thief sat next to her, his back against the tree as he wrapped his arms around her, bringing her close. "Mmm . . . I've missed holding you," he commented, smiling softly.

When Lucius held her it felt as if the entire world melted away, and she could happily lay there for an eternity, with no worries, no pain. Just Lucius. She snuggled against him affectionately. "Sometimes I wonder how I lived at all without you...I don't even remember being happy like this before.." she said honestly. "If I had to return to a life without you near me, Lucius...I don't know what I'd do." She bit her lip. It was true. Her life before meeting her lovely thief, had been nothing but cold. She had no real friends, no real companion. Lucius was the only thing in her life that had ever turned out to make her happy.

Despite the fact that she yearned to touch him she felt comfortable in his arms. But a thought struck her and she giggled softly,"Ah..when we get to the city..." she peered up at him,"We can finally..." she winked, and then beckoned him in for a soft kiss.

"I feel the same. I can't what I would be doing right now, without you by my side," Lucius said truthfully, holding her lovingly in his arms.

The Thief glanced down at her and smiled, half out of joy and the other in relief. So he wasn't the only one thinking about it. "Mm, yes. I cannot wait..." he murmured softly as he leaned down, kissing her lightly as his hands squeezed her waist.

His lips on hers made her shiver in delight as she pressed against him, suddenly yearning for everything he could give, but after several minutes of breathless kisses she pulled away. She laughed joyfully before snuggling into his chest. She didn't want to move to her own spot to sleep, she just wanted to lay in his arms and drift off. Which was exactly what she ended up doing.

Within the hour she had fallen asleep on his chest, clueless to the world as she slipped once more into a dreamy sleep. She could only hope her dreams would not be bothered by the same nightmares as the night before.

The next day, it was early in the morning when Lucius woke up. Talia still slept when he moved from her grasp, securing her in the warm blanket. He looked around, stretching gently before he looked into the forest. He could hear, a few minutes away, the soft trickling of liquid; a river, or perhaps a pond? Smiling, Lucius strode off, passing the calm trees and peaceful animals until he reached the source: a pond of clear water that was big enough for at least five people. He hadn't had a good wash in quite some time, and so the Thief began to undress.

Pulling off all his armor and his shirt, he sighed as the cool breeze touched his torso, and began to remove his pants and boots.

Talia woke up to the warmth of the sun's rays against her face. Right before she'd woken she had felt the tug of a nightmare, but she'd easily slipped from its grasp and smiled brightly at the wooded area around her. She stretched her arms above her and looked around. Lucius wasn't there. She assumed he'd be back and so she started to fold up their blankets and fed the horses, while the bird excitedly flew about her head. "What is it little one?" she cooed, the bird flapped its wings and started off in a specific direction. She pursed her lips in thought, wondering about whether or not she should follow the bird. With a shrug she decided to quietly follow.

A few minutes later she seemed to have snuck up on a source of water. A pond? But someone was in it, washing themselves. She stiffened when she saw Lucius' clothes and armor on the ground nearby. "Oh I can't peep on him!" she said in a whisper, her eyes wide as she peered around a tree to see his face, and his strong muscular chest. "No no no!" she whispered as she rushed away from the pond, her cheeks flooded red as she found her way quickly to the campsite where she sat down and waited patiently for him. It wouldn't be right to peek on him! She laughed quietly to herself and leaned against the oak tree once more, closing her eyes. Surprisingly she fell back asleep, despite the singing of her bird friend.

Once he was finished, Lucius slipped into the pond where it was surprisingly warm. His sore muscles began to relax as he rested on a flat stone. Leaning his head back, he sighed out of relief and closed his eyes. It would only take about twelve hours to arrive to Loiov, and they would need supplies by then. Hopefully the street vendors were still located at the roadside.

Silently, invisibly, a figure was perched on a branch above the pond, looking down at Lucius. "I feel sorry for you, Luke. Truly, I do. You and your guardian are on a path to destruction..." the voice said, though it fell on deaf ears. No matter. The figure flitted past the trees to instantly come upon Talia, sleeping. Like before, he was entirely invisible, but Ka'Rowa and Shadowmere sensed the figure and began to panic, neighing loudly.

"Your love for him will be his undoing, Princess. I will make sure of that," he whispered, and made sure that Talia could hear him, and immediately vanished.

Talia had been sleeping when the loud panicked neighing of the horses woke her. "Wha-" she was about to speak when she heard a voice. She felt her whole body turn cold in response to its words and she looked around wildly for the face to fit the voice. There was nobody there, but she heard a man! She heard him! She unsteadily stood up, approaching the horses to settle them down, but her heart was beating rapidly. "His undoing?" she whispered fearfully. "Lucius?" she thought in question, her brow furrowed in confusion. She didn't understand. Who had spoken to her, and why did they want to harm...

Her thoughts were cut off as she started to gather things together and repack for the rest of their journey. "It...nothing...I'm sure I was just hearing things..." she said stubbornly. She placed a hand on Shadowmere's nose. "Did you see anything?" she whispered. "Have I gone mad?" she asked. The horse lovingly pushed her hand away and nuzzled her cheek. "I'm worried.." she mumbled, eyes wide with terror. "What if something is after us...what if.." she shook her head. "No..I must not think such horrid thoughts..." she finished fixing the horses up and then just sat down, trying to patiently wait for Lucius to return to camp.

"Lucius...please hurry back...." she mumbled. She didn't want to be alone any more.

Ten minutes later, Lucius pulled himself out of the pool, shaking his body vigorously to get all the water off. His hair stuck to his flesh as the marks on his skin glowed gently for a minute. He knew he would have time to get back if he walked, and so he grabbed his things and walked back. By the time he got to the clearing, he pulled on his pants and saw Talia.

"Good morning, Princess. How was your sleep?" he asked pleasantly, not noticing her nervousness just yet. Within moments he put most of his armor on, and asked Talia for help with the rest.

Talia jumped slightly when she heard Lucius, but she hurried towards him with a smile. "Hey...I slept..well.." she smiled and aided him in putting the rest of his armor on. She leaned forward and gave him a light kiss on the cheek. "Did you sleep well?" she asked in return, her eyes wavering slightly, but her smile shining brightly. There really was no need to worry him about silly things. For all she knew the voice had been all a part of her head, and the horses had been frightened by something completely different.

"Did you need to do anything else before we leave?" she asked curiously, laughing slightly as she rubbed the back of her head. "I packed up camp...so nothing else needs to be done as far as that goes...I'm ready to go...As soooon as you are..." she smiled and nodded quickly, walking towards her horse.

Lucius placed his weapon on his person before looking at Talia. "I slept wonderfully. Do you need something to eat before we leave?" he asked, knowing that he wasn't that hungry before he ate a bit on the road.

Quickly, hopped in front of her before she reached her horse and wrapped his arms around her waist, kissing her slowly and lightly. "Tonight . . . I promise," he whispered in the kiss, not needing to divulge anymore information about it, knowing that she would get it. Scrambling atop his steed, he patted Ka'Rowa gently and smiled. He was ready to go.

She felt herself blush when his arms wrapped around her, and at his words she felt weak at the knees. He then moved to his horse and she stood there for a moment, breathless. All the waiting would finally end, she grinned, all worries forgotten as she climbed on top of her horse. "Let's go!" she cheered with a smile as she looked to Lucius. She wasn't going to worry about anything, she had something wonderful to look forward to and she didn't want anything to ruin it.

She wasn't hungry so she'd replied that she was fine without breakfast. If need be she'd grab some berries off a bush on the way to their destination. "Lead the way, my dear Lucius," she purred softly, her eyes soft and warm as she gazed over at him. Her entire body felt antsy about the upcoming night, but she tried her hardest to calm herself down. It would only take longer to arrive if she got overly excited.

There was a hint of an arousal in his pants, and it was making him uncomfortable to be sitting on the saddle, but Lucius ignored it and nodded. "Of course," he replied, pulling up his hood, smirking slightly as he dug his heels into Ka'Rowa, clicking his tongue as the horse sped off with Talia right behind him. "Ride, ride!" he barked, galloping fiercely.

Talia headed quickly behind Lucius, careful not to let him out of her sight. She didn't want to lose him. She was smiling happily as she followed. Eventually they slowed down a bit and she was able to look at the scenery around her. They still kept a decent pace going, and she smiled, it'd already been several hours and she looked to Lucius. "Hey- Lucius....How much farther till we get to this mysterious city?" she said with a laugh.

She was eager to see it, and even more eager for the night ahead, but she tried not to reveal her anticipation. The bird had followed them, and had eventually gotten tired and settled on Lucius. "I can't wait to see it!" she clapped her hands together once in excitement.

Lucius glanced over his shoulder and smiled at her. They were actually pretty close. "Soon, Talia. Soon..." he said deviously, chuckling at the bird on his shoulder.

Sand began to appear on the road, covering the dirt and plants, becoming more barren as dunes blocked their vision. However, a peek of a pointed roof was glimpsed ahead, and Lucius suddenly spurred his horse ahead, vanishing from her sight and going over the sand dune. He stopped at the gentle crashing waves, grinning at the city ahead and pulling down his hood.

When she came over, it was a beautiful sight to behold. A few miles from their position was the city of Loiov, floating on the ocean, away from the beach. The perimeter of the city was expansive to the point that it couldn't be seen where it ended. Buildings that were primarily colored blue were erected on metal platforms, subtly bobbing against the waves. Tall buildings rose up to what look like the clouds, and seagulls circles these perches. Boats both small and large traveled across the water, men fishing with long lines, and naval soldiers drilling for action. One the beach, a small fishing boat waited as people came aboard, and two young boys collected the funds for traveling. The youngest of the two noticed he and Talia and grinned excitedly. "LUCIUS!" he screamed happily, shoving the collected money into the older boy's hands and running to the Thief.

Lucius hopped down and smiled, "Lob!" he exclaimed, snatching up the boy in his hands and hugging him tightly. He then held him at arm's length and looked up and down at him. "You've gotten so big!" glancing back at Talia, he set Lob down. "Talia, this is Lob. Lob, this is Talia."

The trip was almost over before she even knew it. As she approached the ocean she felt her eyes go wide. He wasn't kidding when he said it was a beautiful place. She was speechless, her jaw dropped and everything. Even as Lucius grabbed up the young boy and introduced him to Talia, Talia was still sitting on her horse in awe and shock. The city was over the ocean, how was it possible? After several minutes she snapped out of it and looked down at Lob. "Hello, Lob..It's a...pleasure to meet you..." she said honestly, a warm smile on her face. Her eyes trailed back to the city and she shook her head. "Lucius it's just amazing...just purely amazing!" she laughed happily.

She looked to Lob, "Do you live there?" she asked him, her eyes bright with curiosity. She wanted to go to the city right away, explore and adventure through its streets. It was so beautiful from a distance, she wondered what it looked like from the inside. She patted Shadowmere lightly and the horse made a pleased sound as it stomped its feet.

The Princess looked to Lucius, blushing momentarily before returning her eyes to the city. Tonight would be the night. She felt a shiver rush down her spine. Where they safe at long last? Away from the horrible guards of her castle, away from Marcus and her father. Could she finally relax in Lucius' arms? Or was there another evil just waiting around the corner for them?

Lob wasn't surprised when Talia was semi-distracted by the city, and giggled. "Nice to meet you!" he replied, then nodded to her question. "Yes. I live in the Mazigo District."

Lucius looked at her, "It's the poorest district in the city," he explained. His explanation seemed to be somewhat sad, but a pleased smile was on his face, as was Lob's. He ruffled the young boy's brown hair, "Do you have an empty boat we can use for our horses and us?" he asked.

"Of course! You guys can borrow the Headman," Lob said, then gestured for them to follow. He led them the ship that just began to take off, and to the older boy. His expression was more serious and calm than Lob, but he managed a smile a slight bow. "Good to see you, Lucius," he said, then looked at Talia. "My name is Richard, ma'am. Is this your first time in Loiov?"

Behind him was a boat that was slightly smaller than the other, with two decks instead of three, and had a light blue sheen with the name "Headman" written in messy black paint. Lucius helped get the horses on board, and Lob argued with Richard about going with them until the young boy hopped on.

She looked to Richard and smiled. "I'm Talia...and yes...This is my first time in Loiov..." she laughed softly. "It is just simply amazing already!" she said with a grin. She got on board, standing and petting Shadowmere lightly as she watched the city from afar. She laughed when Lob hopped onto the boat. "You're coming with us Lob?" she asked with a smile, leaning down to look at the younger boy. She looked over the edge of the boat then, watching the water. "I've never seen a real ocean before..." she murmured. "Never before in my life..." she bit her lip.

She wondered if normal people got to see the ocean. Or was that just another thing her father had hidden her from. The world was so vast and amazing, and it truly made her sad that she'd never before been able to see so many things. She went this long in her life without experiencing so many things. She sighed, looking over at Lucius sadly.

"I love this..everything is beautiful..the water...that city...Oh I cannot wait to see the inside!"

Lob laughed, "Of course I am! I'm gonna take you to the Senator; she told us to bring Lucius whenever he came back," he replied, looking out of the water. A swift figure under the surface follow the boat as they began to move, and a dark grey fin broke the water until the creature jumped out. The dolphin clicked its throat as it seemed to hover in the air, its flesh glistening in the warm, tropical sun before it dived back below.

"So . . . Diane is still governing?" Lucius inquired softly, a little smile on his lips before he looked out towards the city, his hands gripping the rail in excitement. He couldn't wait to see her; it had been - what? - two years since he saw her last. The boat passed a towering fishing ship, and several people waved cheerfully to Lucius and Talia before they arrived at the docks.

As the boat stopped, Lucius jumped onto the deck, feeling the slightly unsteady footing before he got used to it. He turned around and held out his hand to Talia to help her. Workers came over and helped with the horses, being very gentle and caring to Ka'Rowa and Shadowmere before Lob walked down the docks. "Come on!"

Her excitement only grew more and more as they slowly approached the city, and she was only barely listening to the conversation about the Senator, she was more interested in the dolphin that had jumped from the water. It wasn't long before they docked and she used Lucius' hand to help her get off the boat. She stumbled a bit and clung to him so she wouldn't fall on her bottom in front of everyone.

But soon she got used to walking and grasped Lucius' hand happily, following Lob as he urged them forward. "Are you good friend with..." she thought back to the conversation she'd mostly ignored earlier,"with this Diane, woman?" she asked with a smile. She was curious. The whole idea of not having a king and queen, but instead made her intrigued. She really wished to meet the women who led the city.

Her grip on Lucius' hand tightened as they walked and she pressed against him. It was exciting, but still a bit nerve wracking to be walking an unknown city. Talia's green eyes were wide as they looked around and took in the people that aided them and she smiled at the people that were being nice to their beautiful horses.

Lob led them through a small archway that led into a dark tunnel. A yellow sign read: "To Tevo District." A soft light appeared at the end of the tunnel, and it was soon obvious that a door was being opened.

As they left the tunnel, the city was immediately opened up to them. Tall buildings rose around them with the same blue sheen, but another detail was abundantly clear: pipes ran underneath the metal walkways and up along the buildings, with clean water running through them. Many of the civilians wore light, weightless clothes that rested on their body, along with being colored - of course - blue and yellow. One woman twisted a knob on one of the pipes, and a steady stream of water ran out and into a large jug. Off in the distance, the almost-intimidating tower loomed in the distance, however the gleam that came off of it and the color made it look peaceful.

"She is . . . a good friend of mine," Lucius replied hesitantly, smiling sheepishly as they walked down the way.

"A good friend?" she questioned softly. She laughed and squeezed his hand. "I can't wait to meet her! I do get to meet her, right?" she questioned him again.

Her eyes widened as they got into the city and she looked around with excited eyes. She released Lucius' hand and approached one of the blue hued buildings, her hand running along it before she pressed her hand to one of the pipes. "Oh goodness its so beautiful!" she cried out, her wonder overriding every other thought in her mind. She continued following Lob and eventually reached for Lucius' hand again, her smile not faltering as she continued to look around.

"Are we almost there Lob?" she asked softly. She wanted to meet the Senator so badly, it was eating at her. Was the woman nice? Mean? Beautiful? Old? Young? Powerful? So many thoughts and images rushed through her, she wasn't sure what to think. She just knew she wanted to see her, badly.

"You do!" Lob piped up with a grin. "Diane's been the Senator for five years! Because of her, we're out of financial trouble. The entire city has clean water because of her," he explained passionately, running up to a open window, where a old man was selling fish. "Three Kiilaa fins, please!" he said. Shortly, he was handed three sticks that had crisp fish meat. "Here!" he handed one to Talia, and another to Lucius. The Thief didn't hesitate in eating the fish, tasting the succulent food that was both crisp and tender.

"She lives in the Senate tower," Lucius said, pointing to the tall building ahead as he nibbled on his Kiillaa fin. They frequently passed peculiar guards; mostly men of sickly-looking pale flesh, shock white hair, and intense blue eyes, and over their mouth and nose was a bubble-like mouthpiece, which held water and a small hose that reached around to their back, and held silver crossbows in their hands.

Talia cautiously took the fish on a stick in her hand and sniffed it. She saw Lucius bite into it and then she herself took a small bite. It was delicious. Quickly she took a bigger bite and happily walked along the road, looking around as they headed towards the Senate tower. She took note of the odd men with the bubble mouthpieces and she felt her brows furrow in confusion. She was curious but decided she'd wait till later to ask Lucius. They finally made their way to the tower and she turned to Lucius, smiling happily. "Wonderful! We're here!" she smiled.

Grabbing Lucius' hand she looked up at the tower. With a small frown she leaned towards him for a moment, "Should I keep my real identity hidden here? I mean I'm using my name obviously, but am I just to be a regular person..." she whispered. She didn't know how she would be introduced, so she didn't want to slip up and say something that she shouldn't.

As they reached the tower, the large double-doors were guarded by a squad of the same men from before, silent and intense. Lucius looked at Talia and closed his eyes in thought. It only took him a brief moment before he opened them. "I trust Diane. You can tell her who you are." he answered with a confident nod.

The group walked into the tower, and was greeted by the sight of an expansive lobby. A young woman sat at a desk a few feet away, writing into a notebook until she noticed them. She put her pen down and smiled, mainly at Lob. "Hello, Lob. Are you here to see Senator Diane?" she asked, glancing at Talia.

"We are. He's an old friend, and she's new!" he replied, gesturing to Talia.

"Okay then. What are your names?" Lucius gave her his name, and Talia's cover name. The woman nodded and walked away, vanishing behind a door for a few minutes. Lucius rubbed his fingers together nervously, obviously anxious to see Diane again. Then, the woman came back, "Miss Diane will see you now."

Ahead of them, a swirling glass staircase rose above, and the handholds were comfortable and the journey was short, surprisingly.