A resounding crash echoed through the flooded corridor, water rippling largely from the source of impact, shocking two young girls out of their playful reverie. One set of sea foam green eyes roamed the empty hall, attempting to find the disturbance, while the owner of startlingly icy blue eyes stepped slightly in front of her friend, keen to keep her safe. They scanned opposite sides of the room, until a gasp from the protected girl interrupted their silence.
"What is it, Princess?" She asked, blond-orange hair being tugged on slightly by the Princess she swore to keep safe. Wide green eyes stared back at her, and she found herself more on guard than before.
"Over there, look! We have to save him, Lillianna!" She felt herself being pulled towards the 'him' in question, and found a boy, about their age, seemingly unconscious, water slightly running out of his mouth. The girl's princess tried running towards the boy, but was blocked by an arm, which she turned to see extended from her best friend's body.
"This might be a trap Princess Asseylum, so I must insist you remain here," Willow began, continuing before her Princess could interrupt her. "But," she began quietly, "if you intend to save this boy's life, then I will do it for you."
Most couldn't see it, but Asseylum knew the look in her best friend's eyes, knew that it meant the girl was going to do what she believed to be best for the her, whether the Princess herself agreed with it or not. Asseylum bit her lip and nodded, portraying her concern for their wayward stranger.
"Please save him," she whispered, and Willow smiled at her future leader, nodding her agreement.
Anything for the Princess.
She stepped up to the boy trapped in the capsule, cupping his face to bring it closer to hers. She closed her eyes, choosing not to think about how her first kiss would be lost to save a stranger's life on her Princess', albeit kind, whims.
She plugged his nose with one hand, forcing him to open his mouth, sucking the water out, then spitting it to the side, repeating the process until the boy started coughing. Releasing his face, she looked at the buckles holding him aloft, and likely inhibiting his breathing, quickly discerning how to open them. She released him from the dangling hold he had been in, barely catching him as he fell down, kneeling to make it less of a strain for both of them. He leaned over her shoulder, continuing to cough the remaining fluid from his lungs, his eyes remaining shut until he finished. Lillianna stared at him with concern, hoping that he would be fine, regardless of what she told the Princess earlier.
Once he finished coughing, she laid him down on her lap, finally taking notice of his features. He had gray hair, and from what she could see behind his dimly fluttering lids, teal eyes. He looked at her confused, reaching a hand up to touch the side of her face, forcing himself to stay conscious for just awhile longer, if only to get answers, it seemed.
"Who…" he began hesitantly, as if unsure his words were being received. Willow nodded in reassurance, her long hair fanned out behind her, bangs covering one of her eyes to the boy, the other brushed behind a long strand of her almost fluffy hair that reached down to the waist.
"Who are you?" He pushed out and she smiled calmly at him, joyous mood returning as he seemed okay for the moment.
"My name is Lillianna, and I am the daughter of Count Cruhteo," she responded, her sole focus on the currently unnamed boy she was looking down at. His hand reached up again, brushing aside the bangs covering her right eye to behind her ear, where he could clearly see small, gold earrings dangling from each ear now. "What is your name?" She stared at him curiously, while he responded in like. What stretched an eternity passed in the blink of an eye as he answered her.
"My name is Slaine. Slaine Troyard." A smile from the kind girl he rested on, and his eyes began to slowly shut as a feeling of safety shrouded him. He fought to stay awake to get out one last question, not sure if he would last long enough to hear her response. "Will you… Will you be there when I wake up?"
The girls eyes closed as her gentle smile grew, Slaine letting his hand fall to his side as exhaustion continued to overpower him. "Of course. I will see you wake up." With a final reassurance, the girl grabbed his hand, squeezing it in a comforting manner. In the end, that was all he could witness before he fell unconscious once again.
Lillianna forgot about Asseylum, focusing on helping the boy who now rested in her lap. She stared down at him, perplexed, stroking his hair in a calming manner. Slaine Troyard, she wondered, who you are?