For Equius Zahack, there were exactly two things that mattered. The first was being of noble blood and, being the son of the duke of Alternia, he had plenty of that. Second was his own social standing, without which he would never inherit the position of duke. This was why he, along with two other men, was set to compete for the princess's hand in marriage. He had a fair chance of winning as well, due to his strength and skill at building things. Princess Feferi was, of course, beautiful, and rather kind. However, Equius did not love her in the way a marriage entailed. Still, he would have gone through with it if it meant gaining even more status… until he met her.
It was a rainy afternoon when it happened, cold and gray. The cobblestone streets were empty of the usual vendors lining their sides, and Equius was sitting inside of his carriage. His long black hair was tied back, sweat dripping down his dark skin. He had just gone to the local blacksmiths to watch him work, and it was always hot in his shop. Across from him sat the girl who had accompanied him, Nepeta Leijon.
Nepeta was a wisp of a peasant girl with short blond hair and a penchant for the color green. She was cheerful and a bit naïve, but all of this hid what she truly was. Nepeta was of the Leijon family, who had been the bodyguards of the Zahacks for generations. Though her bloodline was from peasantry, it was perhaps one of the most dangerous ones alive. Nepeta also happened to be Equius's best friend, and kept him cool when he was under pressure. She sat in the carriage, swinging her legs and humming a cheerful tune to herself. Equius gave a sigh and looked at her.
"Must you create song everywhere we go?" he questioned. Nepeta tilted her head to think about it, and then nodded.
"Yes!" she exclaimed, " It's really fun, you know! You should lighten up!" Equius stared at her.
"Nepeta, I must insi-" he was cut off as the carriage jerked to a sudden halt. In a flash, Nepeta had drawn out her metallic claws and was standing on the seat, looking out the window for danger.
"Driver, what is going on?" Equius demanded to know. The young driver with the spiky hair was down by the horses, rubbing their necks and making shushing noises.
"I, uh, am not sure to be honest," he stammered, "The horses just, uh, got spooked by something. Uh, it should only take a minute, sir." He began to calm them again, and Equius sat back in his seat to wait… which was when he saw her.
A young girl was staring down at them from the window of one of the houses. From what Equius could see, she was wearing a red dress that could qualify as a rag and had a full mane of dark brown hair. Perhaps it was the dignified way she carried herself, but Equius was drawn to her for some reason. However, the girl had a sad look on her face. She mouthed something to him and vanished.